06/07/09

Very disappointing

by annamorita

Our family has dined at Trader Vic's for years. In the past, the seafood was fresh, the service was wonderful and the ambiance made this restaurant a place to celebrate special occasions in the east bay. Last night, however, we had the worst dining experience EVER. We were seated for 20 minutes before the waitstaff gave us menus. All of the appetizers and meals did not come out at the same time. Our cocktails were watered down, especially at $12 each ($5 for non-alcoholic watered-down juice). Our meals, though, were the worst part. All of the dishes were DRENCHED in sauce. The scallops, beef and reef, and flat iron steak were all too sweet (overly sweet teriyaki sauce or hoisin sauce). The "medium rare" flat iron steak was RAW. They failed to peel the sticker off the apple before shredding it for the slaw. The crispy duck was crispy.. and dry.. and tasteless. The chicken chow mein had dried noodles (the kind you find in salads) and the caesar salad had more of a vinaigrette dressing with grocery-store croutons to boot.

The service was also sub-par. Empty glasses, bottles, and plates sat on our table throughout the meal. There was a 30-minute lag (at least) between our appetizers and entrees. It took another 20 minutes for us to get our check. While I enjoy a "slow dinner service".. 2 1/2 hours for an awful meal was downright torturous.

For $25 to $50 per entree, our dining experience was a HUGE disappointment and definitely not worth it. I would be hard pressed to recommend this restaurant if the entrees were $10 each. I'm not sure if the owners or the chefs changed but this is certainly not the restaurant we once enjoyed.

• Pros: Great view
• Cons: Terrible food, overpriced, watery drinks, poor service

12/05/08

One of favorites in the Bay Area

by harrymccracken

It's not perfect, and it is expensive, but at it's best it's terrific--classic ambience, a menu with both stuff that's been there for decades (Bongo Bongo soup) and new items, and the original Mai Tai. Go here for a little piece of history.

• Pros: Great atmosphere
• Cons: Pricey

03/29/08

Great customer service

by heliumbar

We also booked via Open Table. We arrived tonight and were seated in a prime location with a view (and a table with fresh orchids...our hostess, Sandy, said that she wanted to get us a nice location since it was our first time there - as I had indicated on the Open Table questionnaire). The attention from the staff was top notch. It was a busy night, but all other patrons seemed to be getting proper, friendly service as well.

We were very happy with the food (I had Mango Chili Beef and my wife had Chicken Chow Mein). Drinks were great as well. After dinner, they brought over a complimentary scoop of vanilla ice cream with coconut and chocolate, and a candle...it was a nice touch.

Trader Vic's is legendary. The decor is not "dated", it is a style of its own that originated over 70 years ago and thankfully has not changed; it still has the great tiki / Polynesian charm. If you're looking for stuffy, high-brow pretentiousness and tiny portions, this is not the place. If you're looking for friendly, attentive service, good food, and a fun atmosphere, look no further. Looking at some of the other reviews it is possible that there had been service issues in the past, however online reviews also tend to bring out chronically dissatisfied people too. Based on tonight's experience there are no problems now. We will definitely come back many more times. Go to Trader Vic's!

• Pros: Views, service (even friendly parking attendants!), good food
• Cons: None