This evening I went to Nori and was flabbergasted by the poor service that my boyfriend and I received. We wanted to try a new sushi spot, in the trendy, revitalized area of Columbia Heights, DC. It was a nice evening, so we sat out on the patio where we anticipated great food, service, and atmosphere.

From the beginning, we noticed that our waitress (Sashee) was short and not necessarily friendly, perhaps even unpleasant. I actually mentioned it to my boyfriend. I requested that my steak be prepared medium in a noodle dish and she replied with an attitude, “It’s not possible”. From that point on, her disposition tore at us, but we decided to just wait and enjoy our meals when they arrived.

When the food came, she sat it on the table and walked away. She came back periodically only to remove dishes from our table, but NEVER said anything to us. She never asked how the food was or if we needed anything. This was bad, but we didn’t realize how bad until we noticed how attentive she was to a couple across from us. She checked on them at least twice throughout their meal and even went as far as gleefully saying “tadahhh” when she brought their food. It may seem unreal, but this is NO exaggeration.

At one point when she left the other table, I made direct eye contact with the waitress. I was actually hoping that maybe this waitress would redeem herself by coming over to the table and showing us the slightest bit of attention. Instead, she looked at me, and went back into the restaurant. To say the least, I was shocked.

Finally, long after we finished eating, she came over and asked if I need a box. I said, “Yes”. When she came back with the box, placed the bill on the table. At that time, I grabbed the bill and went inside of the restaurant to see a manager.

And here’s the killer…

I went in requested a manager. When he came out (Devin is his name), I told him about my experience. I made sure that my tone was low, as not to embarrass myself, him, or cause any scenes. I explained that our waitress hadn’t been by to check on us since we ordered and I wasn’t certain why, but it was unacceptable. I told him I was dissatisfied, and thought something should be comped because of the lack of service we received.

His reply was to comp half of the sake price, which was $3.5, and I asked him, if that was the best that he could do. (Note: my request for the comp was not about money, but moreover the principle behind the situation.) He said something along the lines of, “Look, I’m not going to comp your entire meal because you weren’t satisfied with the service . I’m sorry she didn’t speak to you, but you got your food. What more do you want?”

I am still dismayed by the terrible attitude of the waitress and the manager. I can only assume that this behavior is common and acceptable based on the way I was treated by Devin. I also assume that calling Devin’s manager would probably only result in the same nasty response, so I figured I’d do better in posting here.

I truly don’t wish to delve into the notion that my boyfriend and I were treated poorly because we are both minorities. To me, disservice from one minority to another is simply ridiculous. So with that out of the way, we just can’t seem to figure out a logical explanation of what the problem was.

Needless to say, we won’t be returning to Nori. No comp or lackadaisical apology will rectify the horrible experience we received. If you choose to go, good luck. If you get the same treatment, especially if you’re a minority, don’t be surprised.

Sincerely Stunned,
D&D
Washington, DC