RASA — Restaurant in Washington

I’ve been to Rasa many times, but never felt compelled to leave a review. Every time it’s been great—kind and fast service, good food, and clean tables and floors. This time, unfortunately, was different.

My group of four walked into the restaurant and up to the counter to order, and were greeted with: “What do you want?” Not a great start, but not a terrible one, I guess. My wife and I ordered our bowls and paid just fine. When our friends, who are vegan, went to order, they kindly asked “What are the vegan options on your menu?” The employees response was “We don’t have very many. Only the cauliflower quinoa bowl.” It took about four minutes of back and forth for them to finally figure out which items on the bar were actually vegan. The menu is marked with a non-descriptive “(V)” or “Veg.”

But this time, my wife and I had sat down. We opened our bowls and began eating, only to find a baby roach running across the table, which is something I had never experienced before.

Our friends sat down next to us and we began eating. As we ate, we watched one of the two employees climb a ladder up to a perch above the register and sit down, hanging his dirty shoes directly above the food. He sat there for about 5 minutes before moving the ladder with his feet to climb down. Unsafe and highly unsanitary. While he sat up there, a crowd of customers had formed waiting to be helped, and the one employee helping them was moving extremely slow and barely communicating.

To top all of this off, the ice machine was not working and our fountain drinks were room temperature.

All around, we had an extremely disappointing experience at a restaurant we regularly eat at, and I’m sad to say that it was our first time bringing these particular friends, who did not have a very positive first impression.

On a positive note, the food was very good, as always. My one complaint was that the naan was not fresh, but that’s neither here nor there.

We will have to think twice before returning to this location. As someone who has spent many years working in the customer service industry, the employees working this shift need some...

2 stars because the young lady was at least cordial and I do love the concept of this place. But this was hands down a 1 star experience. #1 issue was the food. My husband’s tikka dish was incredibly bland. My aloo dish was super vinegary, almost sour and something in there was tough, chewy, and HOT (and not in an edible way…every time I bit into whatever it was I started coughing, almost choking). Our garlic naan(which we waited for, since she was “out”) was okay (the texture made us feel like it was pre-made / store-bought / reheated or something) our samosas were flavorless and the sauces were watery. All of the food we received was lukewarm/ room temperature, not hot. I am grateful that we didnt get sick. The young lady that served us was pleasant but it really bothered me that she had some of her (long) hair in the front hanging out (yet covered in the back?)—that’s how people get hair in their food. Very interesting, it wasn’t an unpleasant ambience but we were the only customers and I got the sense that the girl was disappointed when we decided to eat in. The table was dirty so we wiped it with a couple of napkins before we sat down. Finally, she and her teammate spent their time mixing up the drink mix that sits in the front of the restaurant and refilling the gigantic container, small pitcher by pitcher. This was around 7pm…which means that it was to be used the following day. I would’ve expected them to be emptying it and cleaning it, if anything. The place was empty, we were the only customers and the evening was dying down. So that means the next days customers are drinking drink mix made the night before, mixed in with whatever was in there before they started refilling it. Unlikely we’ll ever go back to this place but I...

I had my first taste of Rasa about a year ago when my job catered from them for an offsite training, and the food was outstanding. Excited to try it again, I revisited the restaurant shortly after, only to be met with a disappointing experience.

The person behind the counter during my second visit seemed uninterested and provided minimal assistance as I tried to recreate the bowl I had enjoyed previously. The lack of guidance made the process rushed and left me dissatisfied with my meal. Unfortunately, this initial encounter has influenced my dining choices ever since.

Despite walking past Rasa daily, I consistently chose to eat elsewhere due to the lack of welcoming vibes from the staff. The employees never greeted me, making me feel ignored and unappreciated as a customer.

Today, I decided to give Rasa another chance. Upon entering, I was met with silence from the employees in the back, but a young lady eventually emerged. However, there was no greeting, and when I initiated the conversation, the response was dry and unenthusiastic. This lack of basic customer service left me once again dissatisfied, and I haven't even tried my meal yet.

In contrast, the nearby Chick-fil-A consistently provides exceptional service. The staff there treats me with warmth and friendliness, making me feel valued as a customer. Given my recent experiences at Rasa, I've decided to take my business to Chick-fil-A instead.

While the food at Rasa is undoubtedly delicious, the overall dining experience has been marred by consistently poor customer service. I hope the management takes note of these issues and works towards creating a more welcoming atmosphere for patrons...