888

Reviews 4

DO

Donald Massey

*** BE CAREFUL THIS RESTAURANT COULD SERIOUSLY INJURE YOU *** I was feeling like Asian food last night so I mentioned it to my girl and she said "Hey, that 888 place is down the road why dont we go there?" Wed talked about it before and heard good things so decided it would be a good choice and headed over. Sat down and service was fine, menus/drinks/ordering went through fine. They brought our food out and this is where the story turns gruesome. Im eating my food, I had ordered the kung pao beef which is my favorite "Asian" dish and while Im eating it I feel this hard piece that threw me for a loop because there shouldnt be any really hard pieces in my food. I roll it around on my tooth to get a feel for what Im dealing with when I feel it scrape my cheek. I immediately think "This is not food, there is some foreign object in my dish and Ive almost swallowed it." I take it out of my mouth to verify that it isnt some piece of bone or something and find it to be a 3/4 to 1 inch long thin piece of metal in my mouth. My entire mood dropped from happy go lucky to flushed and furious. Id almost swallowed a sharp piece of metal, possibly getting caught in my throat or passed ot my stomach requiring immediate medical intervention. That piece of metal could not only of injured me but is a vector for disease. I quietly look around for a waiter so I can speak to the manager about this gross negligence on his and the restaurants staffs operating procedures. When I speak to the manager he informs me when they clean the woks out they use a, Im assuming metal brush and one of the bristles had broken off in my dinner. He says hes going to speak to the cook in the back about it and goes off to do that, afterwards sending the waiter to inform me my meal was free. I inform the manager his restaurants gross negligence nearly injured me and possibly infected me with hepatitis considering rusted metal which the piece appeared to have some rust on it is a vector for disease and that he should find another way to clean the woks because this is gross negligence on his and the restaurants staff. I wonder why he went to speak to the cook about how they clean the wok when hes the manager and him or the owners are the ones who decide what the cooks will be cleaning with. Its managements job to manage their employees and they are doing a poor job in the kitchen if this type of event can take place. Im of the opinion that if a business treats me badly I will never, ever, ever, EVER use them again. This restaurant is now on my list of never going to again. I advise all customers to do the same if you value your health and safety. Thank you DM

PA

Paul Nelson

This was my first and last visit. I ordered Pho Dac But (combo pho) & the lunch buffet. I also ordered a Thai tea. The Thai tea was the best part of my meal because it was fresh. The basil was wilted and old. The limes were so old, the peels were spotted with yellow & the taste became bitter. The sliced Jalepenos were so dry and old, the sliced edges were white. The broth was very good, so it was disappointing to see a lack of caring of food quality. The Chef should be ashamed to allow food to leave the kitchen the way it is. The lunch bar clearly had repurposed food items from days before. I was there for about an hour & no summer rolls (with shrimp) were replaced or brought out. It was an empty tray with bits and pieces. I tied the fried spring rolls & I have no idea what kind of receipt that was. Some kind of cross between a burrito & Chinese egg roll. Where is the Vietnamese pride? I also tried the fried calamari/squid, another disappointed dried up dish. It was oily & texture was like rubber. I offered my observations to the waitress, then waited 5 minutes & noticed a staff member go to the squid dish, examine it, then just mix it with a spoon. Complete lack of respect for their craft and lack of respect for their customers. My mother (Vietnamese) would have asked for the Chef and caused a scene. Im not sorry this review is very critical. A professional staff would have sent a manager or respective authority to our table & initiated some dialogue, however since they were turning tables & customers are lining up at the door, why should they change? I do want to say the staff is courteous & are a will oiled machine. Theres an issue with the kitchen & Quality Assurance!!! Good luck

VI

Victoria Huffines

This place is my new obsession. I am constantly craving it! Last week when I went with some co-workers we all had sufficiently stuffed ourselves full for our big Friday lunch and I immediately got excited and smiled because I would be able to take home some leftovers and eat it again for dinner. I HIGHLY recommend the Vermicelli Pork and Roll bowl, with fish and Sriracha sauce...mmmmmmm! The rolls are tiny and add tasty little crunchy surprises throughout the bowl. While this might not be the trendiest spot, I cant stop telling people about it due to its incomparable flavor and preparation. I usually dont like Vietnamese food but I honestly could eat here every single day and still be hungry! The food is definitely the reason to visit this place, not the decor or service. That being said, there is nothing wrong with the place or the service - they are just not comparable to the excellent food. 888 is tucked away in a shopping center at the bottom of the hill and features a quite popular lunch buffet as well. It is not fancy by any means, but it is clean and run like a well oiled machine. The restaurant boasts a "pan-asian" menu and that is definitely the case as they have anything ranging from Thai, to American Chinese, to Vietnamese, and more. While it might not be a cool or trendy spot to visit, one should definitely check it out. I would be flabbergasted if one went and did not find something they liked and enjoyed! Definitely check out this hidden gem and rising star in Austin.

A

A Private User

888 has the best tasting Thai curry dishes Ive ever tasted. I think Ive been to just about every Thai place in town, including many of the newer ones that have sprouted up, and 888 wins without question for me. Their curries are thicker and more full-bodied than the others. The only Thai restaurant that comes close is Madam Mams slow cooked version of the beef curry...yet 888 is billed as a Vietnamese restaurant. Ive tried several of 888s Chinese and Vietnamese fare and its almost equally good, but Im definitely partial to the Thai curries and rarely can convince myself to try anything else. Even comparing 888s dishes to upscale restaurants such as Mars, Roaring Fork, Cool River, etc, even if price were never an issue, I would still pick 888 for flavor, reguardless of the fact their dishes are generally around $8 compared to $25-40... unless I was in the mood for steak, Itallian, or pizza. The lunchtime buffet (now only on Mon, Wed, and Fri. I believe), is also my favorite lunch buffet, even though the selection is smaller than the gigantic Asian buffets elsewhere, the quality is the best. The curry on the buffet is definitely excellent (a sweet yellow chicken curry), but not as good as the dish if ordered separately (as would be expected with any buffet). I also recommend the General Tso chicken, Pad Thai, and pretty much all of the Clay Pot dishes, but the various curries are what keep me coming back.