Gou Restaurant — Restaurant in Philadelphia

First time at this place to celebrate a coworker who’s moving away this weekend. Very big deal for us. Very emotional. My office party of eight arrived. There was no feeling of warmth or a sense of welcome from the waitress/chef. I introduced myself. She was cold, distant, mean and stoic. Vulgar attitude. Just went downhill after that. This woman snapped at me as if we had known each other and I committed an offense towards her. Her attitude was mean and unwarranted. Never in my forty years dining experience had I to endure such icy and frigid demeanor towards a customer, one of whom she had never met! And one who is traditionally very generous with service. If this is how this woman who represents this restaurant treats her customers, then why are they in business? What this rude woman fail to know is that I am well travelled and have dined in four-star Michelin restaurants, hosted events in fine dining environments, and have supped in many establishments worthy of exceptional patron service. I was embarrassed to be there. This woman made me very angry. Had it not been for the fact my colleagues were enjoying themselves, I would have walked out of there. In my many years experience as a patron, I have learned that apart from good culinary taste customer/patron symbiosis excites the pallet and the mind even more. This woman’s attitude was shameful. Left a very bad taste in my mouth. I’m genuinely disturbed and distraught by such classless behavior. Her presence in front of patrons is a disservice to the mission statement of the business. I spent a lot of money there. Money I could have patronized another Haitian restaurant worthy of my ancestors. I felt totally disrespected by this woman. The restaurant need to hire a waitress who is capable and understands customer service. Don’t have the Chef do it. Let the Chef do what Chef does – Cook. Needless to say, I will never step foot at this restaurant again. Never. And that will include any recommendations from my friends...

On Saturday night, I finally decided to try out a Haitian restaurant in Philly that I’d been eyeing for a while. I called ahead to place my order, aiming for a platter of griot (fried pork) with fried plantains, and lambi (conch) with rice and beans. However, when I arrived 25 minutes later, I was disappointed to hear they had run out of lambi. A tip for future diners: if you’re visiting on the weekend, get there early because popular dishes sell out quickly.

Instead, I ordered a fried goat platter with fried plantains, a griot platter, a side of Rasta pasta with shrimp (and chicken, which was added by mistake), a slice of Gou! Cheesecake with butterscotch sauce, and a drink called Sunset, a refreshing blend of passion fruit, lemonade, and cranberry. Both platters came with gravy and a side of pikliz (a spicy Haitian slaw).

The food was absolutely delicious. Both the fried goat and griot were perfectly seasoned and juicy. The star of the meal, though, was the Rasta pasta. Even with the accidental addition of chicken, the flavors were bold, and it had a nice kick to it. Both the shrimp and chicken were cooked perfectly.

The Sunset drink was light and refreshing, and it paired wonderfully with the meal. I was also lucky enough to grab the last slice of their Gou! Cheesecake, which was the perfect sweet ending.

Although the wait for my food was longer than expected, the customer service was excellent. I appreciated how they took the time to present the food for me to inspect before I left, catching and fixing any small issues on the spot.

I’m really glad I visited and I can’t wait to go back and dine in to enjoy their ambiance. I’m especially excited to try their brunch (if they ever decide to do that), which I think would be a fantastic way for people to experience authentic Haitian breakfast and lunch dishes, taking the dining experience to the...

Yesterday, 5/30, I went to GOU with a Caribbean friend who never had Haitian food. We were excited to try the food. When we entered the establishment, there were several customers at the counter but no one behind the bar or the hostess stand. When someone finally came out, (NOT SURE IF SHE IS THE CHEF OR HOSTESS OR WAITRESS OR WHAT) she just kind of shuffled behind the counter before she started to take someone's order. When it was my turn, I asked her if they had diri kole, and she actually said to me, "Not for you". I had only asked her a simple question and the exchange hadn't been rude until that point. I asked her, "Excuse me?" She said, "Sorry, that was a joke." I was stunned at her rudeness. It was very ghetto and unprofessional to joke with me in that familiar way. I asked her, "Do I know you from somewhere?" She apologized, but then tried to take my order, but the vibes were off at that point. Just ghetto. There was no way I was eating from that kitchen, not knowing what she was going to do my food if she had the audacity to talk to me like that. She was dark brown skinned and overweight with a busted crater face. Maybe she needs my skin care routine, and that's what she's mad about. Either way, I do not recommend this place. THERES OTHER HAITIAN RESTAURANTS. I don't know WHO or WHAT gave this BEAST the audacity to talk to people like that. But there's plenty of other Haitian restaurants in Philly....