My first official dinner while traveling as a vegan was at Isla Mexican Kitchen in Las Vegas. I had tickets to see Mystere (in my opinion, the best Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas) so I was looking for a restaurant at Treasure Island that I could eat at. IMK looked the most promising so I called them directly to get some details about their menu. I was transferred to the manager, John (I wish I had his last name!), who was more than helpful to say the least. He took the time to go through the whole menu with me and point out what was vegan. The Market Vegetable Fajitas sounded delicious – mushrooms, onions and a variety of peppers served with salsa, extra guacamole and flour tortillas (that were not made with lard). He even pointed out that I should explain to my server that I am vegan and to not add the butter to my platter for that extra “sizzle” that is normally used for presentation. He also suggested that I substitute roasted corn for the standard side of refried beans (cooked with lard) and rice (made with chicken stock). I was very impressed, not only with his complete knowledge of the menu but with his friendly and helpful demeanor as well. Even after we planned my entire meal out he went to check with the chef just to verify that it was in fact all vegan. I decided right then that I would make a reservation and in retrospect, I’m so glad I did.
We arrived for dinner and were seated shortly after. Our server came by almost instantly and took our drink order. When he returned with our drinks he asked if we needed any help with the menu. I started to explain that I was vegan and he (in the nicest way possible) cut me off. He proceeded to recite my order back to me, almost verbatim, as I had previously discussed with John. I was in shock. Talk about service! What a nice surprise that I didn’t have to go into my whole vegan explanation (No, I don’t eat dairy… Or seafood either... Yes, that includes eggs...) I just sat back in awe and thanked him. John arrived at the table shortly after to make sure everything was taken care of properly and I told him that it most certainly was!
Our dinner came in a reasonable amount of time and I have to say, it was quite scrumptious! Everything came out the way it was supposed to and I enjoyed each and every bite. When everything was said and done I asked to see John again. He came out and I thanked him again for going above and beyond.
It isn’t everyday you get service quite like that so I made sure to write both TI and this review. I’m a firm believer in giving feedback to companies, both positive and negative. The sad truth is that most companies only receive the negative comments and not enough positive. I think it’s important to let those who go out of their way for us vegans know that it didn’t go unnoticed. Everyone likes to feel appreciated AND it helps promote a positive image of veganism – it’s win-win!
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