“Mingo”

Lemon Squeeze (Summary)

Name: Mingo Dining

Location: 12600 SW Cresent, Beaverton, Oregon 97005

Phone Number: (503) 646-6464

Type: Italian

Reservations required? No

Site: Mingowest.com

Overall Rating: Three Lemon Twists (See rating scale at the end of the blog)

Summary: A hip, fun, convenient location to grab some amazing Italian cuisine

Starting Off

When I do a review I am intentionally or unintentionally throwing a wrench in the gears. I think this is a good thing. A client base may be generally one or two “types” of people, however they all have different needs. In our experience at Mingo Dining, we had a special need as well. My guest, whom I will call Trixie, had crutches because of an immobilized leg. This was a good test. The good news though? Mingo got us in quickly and actually catered to her needs perfectly. We’ll explain more…

Food

Before we look at the customer service, let’s glance at the food. Mingo has an extensive menu and its seemingly light recipes. When you have a diverse set of items on the menu and the majority of them aren’t the typical “with alfredo sauce” comment, you know you’re going to get healthier food. Mingo has this variety and serves bread which pairs with the olive oil already on the table. It’s great bread, but it was served cold. Serving cold bread does occur with some Italian locales, but we feel that this should be an option given to diners rather than just brought out cold.

We both ordered a simple beverage. I ordered a lemon drop, my favorite spring treat. Trixie ordered a Sicilian red wine. Not that many of us need more than bread and wine (that’s a great snack/light meal in itself), we did eat a fabulous dinner too.

Trixie ordered Penne al Sugo di Carne (commonly known at Mingo as “Sugo”). She ate most of it and saved the rest for the next day. This generous portion smelled divine. I tried a bite and have already decided to order it next time. This is perfectly cooked beef, braised with a few seasonings atop penne pasta. Simply to die for, even though I’m sure the cow would disagree. (My mouth is watering just writing this.)

I ordered the ravioli of the day which was sausage. It was stuffed with several types of cheeses, totally up my alley. If you have not figured out by now, I love my cheese and meat! This was gone very fast and it’s certainly a strong contender if they make it for you the evening you come. (Mingo makes their ravioli fresh with different ingredients daily.)

Overall, the food was quite enjoyable. This restaurant is not on the low end as far as cost goes though. With the two drinks, meals, and desserts, the total was a few dollars over seventy. That said, it’s certainly worth the money if you have it to spare. If not, try lunch to save some money there. You’ll still get outstanding food, no questions.

What about the rating though? What should Mingo get for their food quality? If I am drooling just reminding myself about how good this is, you guessed it: we have Mingo the one possible Lemon Twist for the food section.

Service

We were both commenting throughout the meal about the client service we received. Our server Alexander, along with the hosting team, partnered to give us the best possible experience here. Trixie needed her special attention getting in and the restaurant did specifically cater to this. They made quick work about getting her seated and paid special attention to how she needed to be seated to have an easy time getting in and out of her chair.

Our server was perfect. There was not one opportunity for improvement. Normally I can find at least one thing the server could improve on. Our server did everything right--- he did not interrupt the conversation, waited until we paused and addressed him, then asked for our order or how we were doing. Alex had suggested Trixie’s wine and he was dead on. He continued being professional and courteous the entire evening.

One thing that is such a hard balance is efficiency and not being “too pushy.” Nothing will turn a customer away faster than a rude server. He was great and even gave us additional time when we needed it. I personally am focused on people’s smiles because they say so much about themselves. Alexander had a smile that was friendly and warn. It always helps to have some personality when working with your clients. The timing of everything, from the drinks to the ordering of desserts, it was all exceptional.

We both feel that the overall meal, as well as the customer service we received was “simple yet not overdone” as Trixie put it. Besides providing exceptional customer service, Alexander and the rest of Team Mingo gave us a fun, pleasant, hip experience. This is something one won’t forget---especially when enjoyed with such great company. I am very blessed as a blogger to have the opportunity to share these positive experiences not only with you as my reader but with my guest as well.

If it’s described as a perfect experience you would assume correctly that Mingo Dining is given a two lemon twist rating for the service section. It’s easy for them to earn such high marks with the caliber of work they put out. Very impressive. You HAVE to go there when you find time folks!

Heading out

We gave ourselves a little extra time leaving to accommodate for my friend’s injury but we were close to the door and made it outside to enjoy a great spring afternoon while waiting for our driver. One thing that strikes you as you enter, dine, and leave is the atmosphere. I can only describe it as hip, “airy,” and bright.

We are proud to offer a strong rating at Three Lemon Twists for Mingo!

Customer Service Expert & Web Administrator,

Nick

Do you have questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at the address in the profile section of the site.

Scale/Rating for Overall Evaluation:

0 Lemon Twists: Avoid the location
1 Lemon Twists: Go whilst drunk as you won’t want to remember your visit there
2 Lemon Twists: The location would be great to visit overall.
3 Lemon Twists: AMAZING location; highly recommended.

Pictures via http://www.mingowest.com/