Lemongrass Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in San Antonio

I'm so upset that I have to write this. Their business has been going down a little more and a little more each time I come. I know I myself stopped coming as regularly because their food was not tasting as good as it once did. I know for a fact that they have gone through a bit of a change with personnel in the back kitchen over this last year and a half. The waitress got upset because I wasn't able to eat a bowl of eggdrop soup they served me. Initially that is not the soup I ordered although it's the soup I would normally order I just wanted to try something new. I asked them if they could just please not put the salatro in the other soup I was ordering. And she told me that they can't take it out. My girlfriend was with me so she can vouch for everything I am saying. She is the one in the video with the soup. When my girlfriend got her soup it was perfect it didn't have cilantro. I don't understand why they told me what they did....that is another problem I have with asian restaurants is unfortunately the language barrier can be a big problem.. So here's the situation.. they were mad because I wouldn't eat the egg drop soup they brought me because it was disgusting tasting and congeled YUK!!! And they claimed everybody liked their egg dropped soup but me and that I was gonna have to pay for it even though it wasn't good and I wasn't going to eat it. I was pretty upset to say the least and I've done a lot of business there over the years, but I stopped coming as often because of situations just like this. I've kept quiet until now, but it needed to be said. The waitress got mad at me and never even came back to the table to close out our tab. I don't know if she thought we were gonna wait there till doomsday for her to come and give us our ticket. I don't understand why they treated me so disrespectful... my girlfriend had to go up there because she would not come over to our table. I was getting very frustrated that she wouldn't come back to the table but when all of this occurred, she went to the back of the kitchen and I could hear her all the way into the rest of the restaurant and she was yelling telling whoever the lady is, I don't know if she's the owner or just the kitchen manager or what? But that lady came out very combative with me. Was very rude claimed everyone else liked her soup and then told me I had no choice but to pay for it. I was just really upset. Then they handed me a salad that quite frankly wasn't worth any amount of money that I spent on it. I couldn't even get a dressing that didn't have soy in it. I've eaten soy before and I've eaten most of their stuff before, but you've got to have another option for those people that are trying to stay away from soy. I know a lot of Asian food is made with it, but a lot of Asian places do have other options for people that have allergies or may want to stop eating that stuff because, as we know, it isn't good for your body. Also I asked if there water was at least filtered. Everyone knows not to drink tap water. You should never do that. It's very bad and that's what they're serving there and they confirmed this in front of my friend. Also, they have a problem with one of their stalls in the women's bathroom. I didn't go in there this time, but every time I've been in there for years its been like that. There's a latch on one of those bathrooms that if you lock it, you're gonna be hard pressed to get back out. It's sad that I will never go back there. I am unable to load the video I wanted too so I can show the soup consistency, unfortunately can only do a SnapShot but you won't be able to see what I'm talking about with the soup in...

Super friendly service at a family owned and operated establishment. No doubt, the food is freshly made in house. The flavors and spices conjure up authentic Thai cuisine where it is served in a very clean environment by owners who care about customer service. The tea tastes fresh and clean, and the restaurant also smells fresh and clean without that all too often encountered "Pinesol" odor. After only two visits, my wife declared that this is her favorite Thai restaurant. I am not sure if I would go that far as I have worked and lived in Hong Kong and Singapore and have experienced some spectacular Thai restaurants and cuisine. I will say this, though, as somebody who lives in the area (and is new to this area as well)... I have little motivation to go find other Thai restaurants for now. At least until I have exhausted the menu selections. The food is spot on, well presented, and served by by people who enjoy their professions. I'll also throw this in... they offer 10 levels of heat... not mild, medium, and hot, but 10 levels. You WILL find that perfect level of heat for your personal tastes. I recommend trying the beautifully presented Haw-Mok Taylay for the perfect Thai cuisine experience. I recommend having it with white rice. The 5-6 level of heat is not too adventurous, but does deliver a nice amount of heat for those wanting a true Thai experience. Anything less than a 5 or 6 would be boring. The regular Pad Thai with chicken is better than what I have had at any other Thai restaurants that I can remember, and a heat level of 4 or 5 is perfect... on the mild side actually, but then Pad Thai is typically one of the milder dishes served at Thai restaurants because you are always given condiments to dial it up however you like. We have tried many of the appetizers and none of them have been disappointing. Pick a few and enjoy. One of your favorite details is that virtually ever dish is garnished with a small edible orchid. Besides being traditional Thai... how cool is that to have them served to you at a little place in an unassuming mall at Thousand Oaks and 281. I hope this restaurant grows and thrives for the family's prosperity and good fortune, but I also hope it never loses its charm, quality, and personal touches that make it such a great place to dine. Oh... why only 4 stars instead of 5? Because that classic rock background music is a questionable choice for such a cool Thai restaurant. I am not going to say what should be played, but when I am looking at and consuming Lemongrass Thai food, and I hear "Hit Me With You Best Shot" by Joan Jett... uhm... nope. Maybe if it was a 24 hour restaurant, and I was in there at 2AM after spilling out of a bar surrounded by like minded partiers, then yes maybe. Something like "Asian Spa" by Dan Gibson Donald Quan would be nice on any given early weekday evening. Okay, then maybe I am making a...

Update: The food quality of this place has gone down significantly ever since the owner opened another place called 'Saeb' not too far from Lemongrass. People might want to check out the new place. The food at Lemongrass has gone bland, tasteless and the service has fallen off the cliff.

Original Review: Lemongrass is a great place for Thai food. All the items on the menu are tasty and filled with flavors. The curry items - Red, Penang and Green are very delicious and slightly unique when compared to the other Thai places in town. I highly recommend checking out their curry or sause based items. The food is consistent and cooked perfectly. Spice levels of 5 or 6 is generally perfect for those who don't want to get their palates fired up. The Basil and the Pineapple fried rice are great as well. The food is presented very well during the dinner hours. This is a great place for vegetarians with a wide variety of vegetarian friendly options. The soup broth may not always be vegetarian though.

With regards to suggestions for improvement, lately, their service has gone down a notch and I hope they work on that. One more thing, where Lemongrass can improve is in their cooking style. When I order a spice level of 7 or higher, they add crushed red pepper or a red chili sause to a regularly spiced food and serve it. Any crushed red pepper or red chili sause added in this manner needs to be cooked thoroughly. This way the gravy gets consistently spiced and does not give heartburns. Also, the crushed red chili peppers are great to spice up a pizza and not curries since biting into the relatively hard chili flakes is not a good feeling while eating a...