The Enchanted Castle Mexican grill — Restaurant in Port Townsend

This is the second time we've tried this place, and we REALLY want to like it. But, sadly, we won't be back. To begin with, we'd hoped to be greeted with some enthusiasm - a little warmth, perhaps. Maybe even some sense that many of us PT'ers loved the vibe of the previous Asian fusion restaurant so much, but we are here, ready and willing to support this new restaurant that's taken its place. And yet, the gentleman who both seated us and waited on our party of four the first time, and our party of two the second time, acted both times as if we were interrupting his day. (We are very patient, friendly patrons.) Today, my husband and I waited outside the doors for the 3pm opening (no problem!), and the host/server saw us as he walked by us several times doing "opening" things. He never even greeted us. Okay, not a problem, he's focused on opening! We understand. We continued to wait, and wondered if the perfume smell would evaporate. It did not. It must be a cleaning agent they use. Six minutes past the opening hour, my husband stepped inside and politely asked, "Are you open?" The host/server says, seemingly indifferent, "Yes, sit anywhere you like." So we grabbed menus and seated ourselves. We ordered the queso. It tasted good, but came with buttered toast. Hmm, ok... The chips and salsa (which you must order) are nothing special. (Note: The first time we came in, with our party of four, our friend also ordered the chips and salsa, and the same host/server seemed confused by this, and needed her to point it out on the menu, and then some strange one-sided arguing ensued wherein he seemed to not want her to order it? We never did figure it out. That time, the food was better, but it took about 40 minutes...) This time, my husband ordered the ground beef tacos, which he said tasted like cafeteria food that they used to serve in elementary school thirty years ago. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup. No flavor, tough chicken, and no rice, which the menu states it contains. And when the host/server brought the food to our table, he just set it down and left. Didn't ask if we needed anything else, and didn't come back to ask how we were doing. The phone rang while we were eating, and it sounds louder than any business phone, in any office I've ever worked in. It rang eight times. When we got up to leave, the host/server barely looked up from his cell phone to say goodbye. We're left wondering why these folks went into the restaurant business. Hospitality is not their forte. And in a town with several other Mexican restaurants, we see no attempt to set themselves apart from the rest, and in fact, they need to significantly improve to even...

Gaudy, poorly decorated castle, think dying plants under black lights and chess pieces glued to a board glued to the wall. The waitresses seem to have forgotten what dine in service means. No one greeted us at the door, instead there was a seat yourself sign. Although, we took a seat in what looked like a formal dining room, we soon realized we were by the take out counter (bar). Employees and customers hung out there overshadowing our experience. It took a long time for the waitress to take our order and a long time to receive the food. The music was too loud and did not match the clientele, it seemed to be for the employees. When I asked for the order to be boxed to go, the waitress started to argue with me about the timing. I didn't argue, and left a tip, waited outside, while my husband continued to wait for our boxed food. I ordered the salmon on kale salad. Once I scraped off the sauce, which was gelatinous, the salmon was very good. My husband also enjoyed the beet salad. My recommendation, order take out and skip the table service...

I’ve learned to set my expectations low since moving to the peninsula. If I get edible food with ok service it’s usually a win. Driving into the Castle I said “hey even if the food isn’t good, at least we get to eat in a castle.” We walked into a Wes Anderson-esque environment, beautiful interior, lovely nooks, the restaurant was small but adorable with private romantic tables. I was nervous about the Asian fusion menu but we ordered the shishito peppers right away for me and my hungry fiancé. I do not like Thai food, not for lack of trying, I just haven’t found a dish I crave. Omg. These peppers!! So incredibly spicy, crave-able despite the heat, with the perfect crunchy peanut topping. To follow up the delicious peppers I ordered the crispy rice and my fiancé ordered the salmon. Absolutely stunning food, from the presentation to the flavor and thoughtful plating, I was absolutely blown away. This meal was something I’d be proud to share with my chef dad. Thank you to the castle for renewing my hope in a mind...