Sweet Mango — Restaurant in Southington

Never again! We placed our order using the online system (which -- not for nothing -- you need a username/password to use...why?!?). The system told me it would be ready in 45 minutes, and I showed up at the restaurant on time. They took my payment IMMEDIATELY (you can't pay online...again, why?). I then waited an additional FORTY-FIVE MINUTES for my order to be ready. The restaurant was packed (over-packed, in my opinion), and the waiting-for-pickup/lobby was a madhouse. Honestly, totally unacceptable in COVID times. Oh yeah...almost forgot to mention...when I got home I discovered my order was not filled correctly.

Sweet Mango management was not helpful at all. They sorta/kinda apologized, I guess -- it was hard to tell because they were blaming the online ordering system and saying it always gives the wrong wait time, but wouldn't acknowledge that they shouldn't be using that system at all if that is the case. They threw a free dessert at me as I was leaving (it was mostly terrible...just sayin').

The food was good, but so are several other sushi restaurants in town. I'll never get anything from this restaurant again. I'll never recommend it to anyone who asks about where to get sushi in Southington. It was just an awful, awful experience overall.

And yes, I realize that restaurants are having a difficult time these days, and that is why my wife and I have been getting take out twice a week from locally owned restaurants in town since the pandemic began. Many of them are doing a busy take out service, and none of them have given us such poor...

I ordered the sashimi regular, calamari appetizer, sake, mango sticky rice, and vegetable spring rolls. The sashimi was pretty good — fresh and nicely presented. The calamari was a bit bland and could use more seasoning. The vegetable spring rolls were actually really good — I especially liked the mushrooms inside; they added great flavor and texture.

The mango sticky rice was okay, but I wish there was more mango and a little less sticky rice. The mango slices were quite thin, and the rice was a bit too sweet for my taste.

They have several sake options, and the Nigori was smooth and slightly sweet — definitely worth trying.

The restaurant itself is a bit small, and the interior could use a bit more work, but it’s a nice spot to dine with friends or hang out casually. It’s also great for larger groups — we had about 10 people, and they were able to seat us all together comfortably.

The staff was friendly and helpful, and the service overall was very good. Prices are quite reasonable for the quality and portion sizes.

One thing I really liked is the variety — they serve Thai, Chinese, and Japanese dishes. It might not be the most authentic restaurant, but it’s perfect for groups with different tastes since everyone can find...

Maybe I'm just agitated because my poor kiddo is starving, but I'm sitting here with her 22 minutes past the estimated pickup time, which is bringing our total wait time from when the order was placed to almost an hour. It's not even CRAZY busy. I understand food service is stressful and hectic, but this feels obnoxious. And the lady at the register wasn't very pleasant when I first came in to pay. (I'm always very friendly and polite, I know how hard people in the service industry work.) You can imagine how much nicer she was when I addressed the wait. 🙄 James, if you ever read this... I know how much you love reading reviews from people while they're still in the establishment. 🙃

I'll update about the sushi when we eventually get it, I guess. As of right now, I'm not impressed. If the food sucks, too... If I could give zero stars... I would!

Update: The food was excellent, so I have increased the rating slightly. I probably still won't come back here unless I'm out of other options. Of course I got a nicer demeanor when she handed me the food (and a "honey" or "sweetie", and possibly even an apology), probably because she saw me...