Soberfish — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Once True Thai found itself gone the way of the buffalo with perpetual problems & inner issues, Sober Fish came to fill those tireless shoes. Simply put, the atmosphere is warm & inviting as soon as the first scent of Thai cuisine is breathed in. With excellent flavors & a fun staff, Sober Fish brings an enigmatic energy both in taste & appeal, but as always, a FEW warnings abound:

(1) Prices. You'll not find better prices around town for such a diverse & spirited menu. Though the flavors aren't of the highest quality, it is far better to pay for what you are getting, than paying for the hope of the ends justifying the means, when it RARELY does.

(2) Happy Hour Specials. It is VERY DISAPPOINTING that the classically creative, cream cheese wonton selection is not included in the price cuts, but despite this oversight, Sober Fish's Happy Hour menu is extremely well put together, and gives you a tour of what the place has to offer WITHOUT sacrificing portion size, flavor or anything of that matter.

(3) Portions. Even though you're paying less than ten dollars for most entrees, the portion size is EASILY enough for two to three people to share together.

(4) Staff. With a smile, fresh greeting & nod, your service will always begin & end. Everyone, including the "powers-that-be" are intimately interested in how their curious cuisine is perceived, often offering taste tests of new menu items, as well as, compensations for meals of which were not received by the guests as he or she was hoping for. This could, however, be an EARLY indication of overcompensation for approval, where once True Thai was a place revered for its great flavors.

WARNINGS…

(1) Spice Scale. Many places toute the five-pepper scale, and more often than not, you'll find yourself underwhelmed by their own notions of what "spice" really is. Sober Fish is an exception to the rule. HOWEVER… the "three out of five" selection is more like a "five out of five," and the "five out of five" is off the charts. Miraculously without distracting from the flavor, each rung of spirited spice does an excellent job of putting that necessary spice there, but don't be American & ambitious. You have nothing to prove, and now have the knowledge beforehand that their scale is NO JOKE, truly.

(2) Sushi. One might expect with such a grandiose logo, bold branding & restaurant name, this would be a must-see-to-believe establishment for such. It is the exact opposite. The prices during Happy Hour are to-die-for with the selections offered, but the foul, fishy scents are uncontrolled, unwavering & reminiscent of those found in Cub Foods' sushi crafting area. Then, upon receiving the sushi, you will find the taste of the rolls, the authenticity of the flavors completely incorrect, poorly presented, and worst...

In theory, it's a great neighborhood place. And if they fixed a few things, i would go back in a heartbeat!! The food is always fresh and delicious.

But here is my recent experience:

ok so we got there, expecting to get a drink and put in an order for take out.

the bar was full, and the host was struggling with the idea of letting us sit at a table just to order drinks (and take out!) so i offered that we could sit in that little waiting area with some menus. he checked and got an OK so he gave us menus. that was pretty weird. he should have just let us sit at a table.

ok so were sitting out there for maybe 10-15 minutes. and nobody comes to take our order!! then two people leave the bar so we go inside and snag their seats.

their receipt (they left a 10% tip... i wonder why) and empty glasses did not get cleaned up for another 10 minutes. STILL nobody took our order.

My friend went to the bathroom, and while he was gone, our menus got taken away. THEN the bartender asked if I needed anything. i said yeah, we were trying to put in a takeout order and get a drink while we wait. the bartender apologized and FINALLY cleaned up the glasses from the other people! and i had to go get a menu back MYSELF and put in the order.

the bartender came back about 5-10 minutes later and asked for my order again so they could write it down. why didn't they just write it down in the first place?!

the service was not only slow, but also not friendly at all.

ok then i get my cocktail, whick was $8 and NOT a good cocktail. and then they brought out our food and we finished and paid.

we get home. we open up the boxes. we get two boxes of veg rainbow medley with chicken. we only ordered ONE veg rainbow medley with chicken and one stir fried noodles with veggies. WHERE ARE MY NOODLES?! i called and he offered to have the noodles ready for me to come back and pick up. Uh. no. im already home. refund me!! so he said he would put it back on the card, so...

I live close to Soberfish and love Thai food, so I have been a regular patron since it opened (and even before, if you consider the Thai place that was in the same location prior). The service has been pretty hit or miss but mostly miss since the beginning. Oddly enough, the only good service seems to come from "new" people, who don't last. I had come to accept cold/rude service as part of Soberfish's "vibe", but kept coming back (and ordering takeout) for the food. It's not that it is AMAZING food, it's just close enough to avoid delivery fees when the fridge is mostly empty and/or I am too tired to cook. But a few months ago I ordered takeout and the full meal was not included in the order. I called, didn't want to come back, so accepted their offer to get the incorrectly packaged entree for free next time. Well long story short: I have been in three times since then and have asked for this offer to be honored each time but have been met with horrible service (and no free food) on all occasions. I attempted to use the contact form on their website to notify them of my concerns (since I am really quite put off) but their contact form hasn't been working. So I contacted them on Facebook, asking if they have an alternative method of contact, ie an email. The Facebook message was read (immediately), but not replied to (several days later, now). I know service isn't everything, but their food, parking situation (street) and prices aren't exceptional, either. Soberfish doesn't offer anything that you can't get elsewhere, and I wouldn't bother coming if you have a choice...