Old Town Slidell Soda Shop — Restaurant in Slidell

Disappointed! We celebrated our twins’ 4th princess birthday party at the Soda Shop. We chose the package “Princess Themed Party with visit from Princess”. For two hours, plus the cost of the princess, I paid $550. The owner of the soda shop hosts the princess parties but had an emergency and couldn’t host mine. Her staff stepped in and was absent most of my party. The lemonade and tea had residue in the containers. There was barely any ice for the drinks. The room was quite warm and there was no background music. I was left to host the party by myself because most the time I couldn’t find the staff to help navigate the party. Yes, we did make an ice cream sundae and made the princess crown craft. We did NOT participate in old fashioned party games, the princess forgot the face glitter for the birthday girls, the princess did NOT sing multiple songs, the princess did NOT have a fairytale story time with the kids. When I asked the princess if she was going to sing songs during the party, she explained she was “sick”, yes she used that word, and wanted to save her voice for one song at the end of the party.

In trying to resolve my concerns with the soda shop, specifically with the owner, I was told twice I would receive a call back after the owner wanted to review the video tape to understand my concerns. Instead of apologizing for the missing services, the owner explained she knows her staff needs more training and that her staff was likely nervous as this was their first time hosting alone without her. How is this my problem? My party should not have been the guinea pig. I was left to navigate the party, mostly by myself, and I had no idea what to do. Our party was early April and it has taken 3 months for the owner to resolve my concerns by offering half-off my next birthday and 4 free passes to mini golf. I will never refer anyone to the soda shop for birthday parties. $550 is a lot of money for the little amount of services received. I can never get those memories back.

As for the “sick” princess, the soda shop explained the princess is a separate add-on from what they provide. That her fee of $200 covers her time, maintenance of costume and wig (dry cleaning is $65) and goes towards her weekly vocal lessons. I don’t care what the fee of $200 covers except the paid services I was expecting. The party is a Disney princess themed party. I was expecting multiple songs from the princess and I received one song, and yes, she did help open gifts with the birthday girls and braided one girl’s hair. This princess is referred by the soda shop yet the soda shop is taking zero responsibility for her lack of services. Again, the princess forgot the face glitter for the birthday girls, the princess did NOT sing multiple songs, the princess did NOT have a fairytale story time with the kids and she admitted she was sick! I would have rather her cancel on my party than coming to the party, exposing kids with her sickness and not providing the services I paid for! Her company is called “Magical Moments by Bella”.

We ended up leaving our party 25 minutes early because everyone was standing around, staring at each other and the...

I put 1 star for food because the guy behind the counter was sure to let us know as soon as we walked up to the counter and were choosing our ice cream flavors, that they are no longer serving food (It was 8:40 at that point, they close at 9:00). We ordered and went ahead and sat down at a table, since it was my son's 5th birthday. It was also his first ice cream cone, first time at a soda shop type place as well. Once we were about halfway through, and had been there for about 10 minutes, the same guy came and told me and my family that they closed at 9 and they had to leave.

I don't think it's very professional, and definitely not good customer service at all to say those things so rudely, like we are a bother, to your "guests" or customers. They also said food stops being made at 8:00 when I asked (again, he pushed the fact that they were no longer making food).

I had high hopes and expectations because I'm 41 and have been coming to the Soda Shop my whole life, but the atmosphere (which gets no stars because of the attitude of the guy, and the new changes in general) was not very friendly, upbeat, happy, or hospitable. I'm not sure I will go back or take my family back because I'm sure somewhere else would be more like a genuine Soda Shop, with better vibes, attitudes, and we could likely order the food I was craving after my husband and I being away in Kentucky for 6 years. I'll...

Hate to give this review- the place is so cute- but I ordered a 20 ounce vanilla malt in which I ended up spitting out about a teaspoon sized amount of gelatinous black chemically tasting sludge after I started spooning from the cup- my tongue currently has a chemically aftertaste and tongue was black so I’m pretty sketched out. This is def the most pressing issue- but to be fair there is a lot to unpack- first was a lackluster greeting, then I ordered a 20 ounce malt that ended up being a 12 oz that they called a shake which made me uncertain they made a malt, didn’t really taste any malt so politely double checked. I let them know I had ordered a 20 oz and they said at least they only Charged me for a 12 oz so to be low maintenance I left. Shortly after, I started drinking my drink with a spoon from The bottom where I encountered the creepy AF sludge.Idk what that was- showed my fam and they saw my tongue was black. I started having immediate indigestion and still don’t feel great as I’m writing this. My bf tried it and spit it out too- and my mom Threw her malt away - we don’t know if it’s sludge from a machine that needs to be cleaned or what but sharing so the owner sees this and keeps it from happening to...