Lemon Grass Cafe

We have gone to Lemongrass for many years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. We have noticed the prices climb and the portions shrink as the business gets more «trendy.». While the food is delicious, tonight we ordered take out for dinner and when we got home and opened our take out containers, the portions were surprisingly measly. Our 6×9 container of mongolian beef was less than half full and our yellow chicken curry container was plenty full of carrots and potatoes with a few bites of chicken (and in a container that was 1 ½ «shorter than last time.) I think we each had maybe 4 1» pieces of chicken.
One would think that 2 entrees would be enough for two normal sized people, but sadly, we are having sandwiches to supplement our appetizer sized entrees. Needless to say at more than $ 30 for two entrees, we are very disappointed with Lemon Grass and will be celebrating elsewhere in the future. Too bad because we truly do love their sauces.

Great food. Average staff and prices. Food tends to not all be served at the same time, which is strange.

All around average, I prefer other thai restaurants in the area such as Thai Garden. Decent food, we’ll decorated, tight quarters and loud. Pleasant servers.

Not worth the trouble, nor the money. Advertised a Thai but hardly authentic. They don’t even serve jasmine rice. Had the Tom Yum Goong without coconut milk. No lemongrass, no Kaffir lime leaf, no Galangal, no straw mushrooms, no cilantro, not even hint of those aromatics and all are traditional ingredients. Instead there were, thick slices of carrot, cucumber, European cabbage, green beans, onions, celery, bamboo shoots.
I asked for Thai spicy and wasn’t sure they had even added hot pepper. I had to ask for both fish sauce and Thai chiles. I got 1 Thai chile cut up in fish sauce. Usually in every other Thai restaurant the table setting comes with a bottle of fish sauce, a jar of Thai chiles cut up in fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and fine ground red pepper. Additionally, there is usually a shaker of white pepper, and a sugar dispenser.
Table setting was a plate, napkin, and a fork. No spoon, a standard utensil in Thai restaurant. Wait staff seemed lost when I requested a spoon.
I don’t mind paying $ 11.95 for a bowl of soup if it has traditional ingredients. They’re more expensive than the stuff I got in this bowl of soup. At most the ingredients I got may have cost out at maybe $ 1.50. I asked if the owners were Thai and the waitress said Vietnamese. I only wish that they would stick to Vietnamese food and not do Thai. They’re giving Thai food a bad name.

Honey walnut prawns, spring rolls perfect Thai Food in Olympia
Absolutely amazing service every time I go
Way too much food for 1

I went here with my grandmother, fiancé, and daughter. I do not think I will go back.
Service was okay, although it took a very long time to get our check at the end. Also, our food came out at two different times. Décor was nice, music was quiet and calming.
So, that brings us to the food. I ordered pad thai, which I always get at a new Thai restaurant to get a feel for their quality. The sauce tasted overly sweet and chick-​full of ketchup, there was also a ton if it. The noodles were overdone to the point of mushiness, making the dish nearly inedible. The only saving grace was the perfectly fried tofu. My fiancé ordered Noodles Delight. The peanut sauce was thin and nearly non-​existant. His noodles were also al-​dente, almost too much so. the veggies, however, were plentiful and crisp. They also had a large variety of vegetables. One quick note: my 2.5 star spiciness was the same as his 4 star spiciness. My daughter ordered the chicken satay. The flavors were incredible, but the chicken was poorly trimmed, and there was a lot of inedible chewy stuff left. The peanut sauce was delicious, but very watery. I was expecting something thicker. My grandmother ordered their green curry, and it was actually very good, if a little more watery than I like it. The rice was also underdone, and still a little crunchy in the middle. The drinks (they had Thai iced teas) were delicious, though!
The meal was very overpriced for the portions as well. I would expect either twice the food or half the cost. At $ 12 a plate, it was more than I usually like to spend on this kind of Thai food. Maybe if the menu was upscaled at all, but it’s super standard Thai restaurant fare.
Next time, I will try one of the other Thai places on the block.

Noisy, crowded and service not good. We like downtown location mug better. The food didn’t taste as good either, our coconut chicken tasted underdone. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience for $ 18 a head.

The restaurant lost a star because when we arrived there was no one to greet or seat us even though there was a sign at the front that reads please wait to be seated. We waited for a little while until the hostess notices us from the back. This place was quiet busy when we arrived for lunch. Another reason for only 4 stars is that I feel like the food and drinks are a little over-​priced.
Pad Thai was delicious I got it with chicken and no bean sprouts. $ 11.50
Boba milk tea was also delicious with soft gooey boba like it is suppose to be. $ 4.75
The outside of ten restaurant is not that appealing including the packing lot but you’ll be surprised when you enter the restaurant.

Edibl food. This cute tiny café is too warm, has oppressively small tables and chairs and was full of really loud obnoxious people, making it a really unpleasant experience. We decided to get everything to go. The food was good, but the waitress didn’t bother checking on us and served two parties who got in after us before us. That upsets me a lot! She also didn’t ask us what spice level we wanted. I should have remembered, but she should have too. We ended up with hot sauce given to us to add. It was full of pepper seeds those give me indigestion. They should de-​seed their peppers honestly.
Would not go again because of the bad service. Sometimes bad service can be improved with steady decent tips, but I don’t this is a case of that. The one in Lacey is bigger and nicer.
Service is very slow for having so few tables. A to-​go order took 30 minutes.
It is not authentic Thai, it is American Thai. it tastes yummy though
There are not very many Thai restaurants in Tumwater. They should expand or another Thai restaurant should open.

Small building with a well done dining area. Ordered beef pad Thai and green curry. Both were delicious. The pad Thai was ordered three star but had no heat to it at all. They quickly brought a supply of spice to add myself. The curry was also ordered three star which the menu says is «hot». It had a mild spice but was not hot.
Staff were friendly and attentive. Great place to impress a date. Probably the nicest place in Tumwater.

My husband and I stopped in for a quick bite this afternoon for a late lunch. We ordered the apple curry and the crab and cream cheese wontons. The wontons were different from any I’ve had before. We both enjoyed them with the chili dipping sauce. The apple curry was very similar to Penang curry, which is my favorite. The curry dish was wonderful.
The service was quick and pleasant and the ambiance was very quant. I could see how it could get crowded, as it’s a very small establishment.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for descent Thai food. We will be going back again.

The service at Lemon Grass is TERRI-​BAD. The food is worse. This is not very authentic Thai food at all. I have eaten here 3 times and each time am more and more disappointed with the food. Today I ordered takeout (Noodles Delight) which reads like a Rama chicken type dish: «pan-​fried wide, triangular rice noodles with eggs, fresh vegetables topped with peanut sauce, your choice of beef, chicken, pork, prawns or tofu». Sounds delicious, right? Just throw in peanut sauce, meat, and some fresh veggies, and it’s probably a sure thing.
Okay, first of all, the smell of this dish was incredibly off-​putting. Kind of sour and kind of rancid smell that made the office smell. There was no peanut sauce, this was a thin, oily sauce that tasted more like sweet and sour, with no peanut or peanut sauce taste at all. The «triangular noodles» were literally chow fun noodles cut into triangles.
I am always shocked that this place is so crowded and busy. I have tried food from here three times to give it a chance, but I give up.
The parking sucks — there is a parking lot with a few spaces, however the lot is always full and so you have to find street parking somewhere.

Updating my review…
Still love the food, but the service at Lemongrass is so slow that I can’t eat there while I’m on my lunch break anymore. They have been short staffed the last several times I’ve been there and the wait time is very long.

Great Thai food with FANTASTIC curry. Get the curry (red is my favorite there but my dad swears by the yellow as does my husband). They also have a decent wine/​beer selection and can make all spicy dishes to your liking which is great for non-​spicy lovers who still want to experience quality Thai food.
That said, it’s small (VERY small) and can feel cramped at times. The food is rather pricey, and can take a while to come out. I realize good food is worth the wait, but when there aren’t very many other patrons in the dining room, I don’t expect it to be too terribly long.
Overall tasty food, a classy yet relaxed atmosphere, and good service. Just don’t go if it’s looking busy or you’ll be waiting on your food for an eternity.

Great, little Thai place with prompt & courteous service.
I’ve had the yellow curry (vegetarian) and the pad thai — both with tofu. The meals are good-​sized, and served expeditiously.
«Four star» hot (the spiciest) isn’t very hot (to me) — so if you like ‘kick’ you may be underwhelmed.
Nice ambiance, maybe a bit too close to other diners at some tables, but even the customers are pretty friendly.

The Thai salad with tofu was delish! But not the pad see ew dish. Noodles were hard. Uncooked? And there was seriously no flavor. But the Thai salad was good so thanks:)
Ambiance is great for a small café.

Today was a terrible day for Lemongrass. This is a small restaurant that is super cramped — no matter where you sit you will be bumped or in someone’s walkway. Today there was two servers for the lunch rush — it was a disaster. We waited for ever to get menus, served a cold pot of tea, lukewarm food, waited forever to get the checks… I could go on. This place is normally better but not the best by any means. I learned today the sweet and sour pork chops are nasty

Tasty Thai food at a pretty good price. The yellow curry with prawns had just a hint of anise, with succulent (though not mushy), perfectly cooked carrots and potatoes in a sweet mélange. I felt safe going to «hot» on their spiciness scale, and was well rewarded.
Was very happy with the service. So we’re a lot of other people, judging by the apparent popularity.

Lemongrass was my intro to Thai food way back when and I have to say after trying countless versions of Pad Thai and curries I’ve tasted, Lemon Grass is still the best by a long shot.
Their yellow curry has the perfect consistency: rich, creamy and like butta. Potatoes, chicken, onions and carrots are served swimming in it. I have a hard time not just drinking the curry sauce with a straw.
Love their Pad Thai as well, and I’m a person who’s been «pad thai-​ed out», so to speak! It has a perfect mixture of fresh vegetables in a zesty peanut sauce. Not ketchup-​y or sweet as many often taste. This is the real deal.

So technically this is a 4 star restaurant, because its quality of food is indeed 4 stars, as well as its friendly staff and attentive staff that always had a smile on their face.
but…
its Olympia (meh)
Plus, there was duct tape holding my chair together.
Still it’s probably the best place to east in Olympia. I would try the spicy noodle vegetable platter. I actually ordered the vegetarian dish, but couldn’t help eat the noodles from my sisters plate. They were good!