07/26/09

Great food, inflexible and rude service

by CustomerServicePE

Being new to the area, I was pleased to find this clean and attractive dining facility. Usually, Chinese cuisine service is highly adaptable to special diets because many dishes are made from scratch and substitutions of ingredients can easily be made, especially if it is not a buffet. Looking for this adaptation was pointless at Eliza's. When I tried to select an item that sounded good with a minor adjustment, take off the soy sauce and add tofu, it could not be done. The waiter told me that the only thing on the item I could have was this: Buddha's Delight. I asked him if they serve tofu at the restaurant and if there was some way to get some tofu to go with that particular dish so that I could have protein with the meal. He stiffened and got real curt with me and in reprimand tones told me that if I wanted tofu, I'd have to pay for it (like I wouldn't have if they added it to the dish itself). Something about his thinking was not getting the point--customer service, what the outcome could be to accomodate. No, the tofu had to be on the side, a whole order of tofu, way more than needed for one meal for one. Of course, I paid for the whole separate order of tofu, not a side. It was plain, steamed tofu with no seasoning. I had wanted it to blend in with the dish. But, so have you! I adjusted. Lots of control issues, feelings of punity, I'm not sure how they achieved the Zagat rating with such interactive skills. I'm not sure they have people working there who really enjoy their job and serving people.

I did observe the same waiter waiting on other people and he was slow to warm up, offer anything beyond what was required to make the order. But, he seemed on edge and defensive, like he might be asked to do something extra for which there would be no acknowledgement or payment.

• Pros: Excellent food, lovely environment
• Cons: Inflexibility with menu items, poor customer relations

04/10/09

total disappointment

by lindyr

ordered take-out from Eliza's and the only good thing was the brown rice. Potstickers were soggy, mushy and bland, Spicy chicken was mostly batter and skin - hardly any meat. The place is cheap, but quality is horrible.

03/15/09

Best Chinese in SF

by 4who

I have been going here for years. The food is always wonderful. The staff is very pleasant. I have never been disappointed. It's my favorite restaurant by far.

• Pros: Delicious, delicate and delightful atmosphere
• Cons: no delivery, tough street parking

03/06/08

Food is great, service is so-so

by wannabeadonna

I usually go to Eliza's on 18th, but when I found out about this location, my boyfriend and I made our way to have dinner. I enjoy the food very much, from both restaurants, and I'd have to say that the service is always back and forth with people. My boyfriend and I go quite often and it does depend on when we go. They have great lunch specials, and during that time, the staff is a little less hostile than they are during dinner. The service is quick, and they are attentive with the food, drinks, etc. If the food matched their attitudes, then I wouldn't keep going back.

• Pros: Food, lunch specials
• Cons: parking, service

12/31/07

Exciting interior with brutal staff

by peterhaan

This visually interesting, professionally concepted spot is also, transparently, a brutally operated business. Problems began at the door while the Maitre D? couldn?t find our reservation for a few minutes while he milled around distractedly, even challenging us as if we might have lied to secure a table. Oddly controlling. Then the communist squad of hard-faced waitresses began working us with not even the slightest finesse and at great speed. The menu is not special, cooking actually average, ingredients cheap and predictable, cynical even. Kind of a chic Chinese chef econome approach, it?s primitive dining and a fantastic interior to experience it in.

• Pros: interior design, location
• Cons: cynically operated and managed restaurant concept

11/23/07

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!!!!!

by ozturkbora

We just ate at Eliza's. The wait staff is unacceptably rude. When we told the waiter (the main guy who handles the take out) that our order was 40 minutes late, he said "if you don't like this place you don't have to come back" as first sentence while we were waiting for a kind apology. When I requested for the manager, the woman who had claimed to be the manager said the same!!!

The food is at best mediocre. Yes it is cheap but so are a thousand other chinese restaurants around. I will not go back. I don't recommend this place for anyone.

Note: Their attitude is worse in take outs. They forgot our order twice in a row and yes... again did not apologize!!!

-bora

12/18/06

Don't waste your money...

by mbm1234

It is one thing to make mediocre food, which Eliza's has perfected, but it is another to have the world's worst customer service. The servers are surly, and refuse outlandish requests like "extra egg" or "light oil." They messed up my to go order, and then refused to take responsibility for it. Unless you have a thing for tough love and low quality food, eat somewhere else.

• Cons: Terrible customer service!

09/01/06

Inexpensive and great food, with interesting decor

by dancergirl21

I went here for lunch for the first time and I was completely impressed with their low prices, great selections, and excellent quality of food. What more can I say? It's a must, especially for group outings where you want to keep the price per person relatively low. Wonderful.

• Pros: Nice ambience, great food with great prices, and variety to match
• Cons: It's not near my house!

07/30/06

NOT the WORST service ever!

by suchica

I'm wondering if the people who have written bad reviews just had a bad night or if they were the ones with bad behavior. We have eaten at Eliza's at least once a week for the last year that I lived here and have never had a bad experience! I also have never spotted the staff giving preferential treatment to anyone. I have come at different times of the day, even right before closing and they have NEVER been discourteous to us. As for the food, this is why I keep coming back, it's fantastic. When friends from out of town visit, I always bring them here and they love it. Obviously I'm not the only one who enjoys Eliza's because they are always packed. That in itself is a good indication of a great restaurant. To all the people who wrote bad reviews, please stay away. That just means more tables for the rest of us who enjoy Eliza's.

• Pros: Great food, service and decor
• Cons: parking

04/03/06

EXTREMELY BAD NOT A VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!!

by sfdiner22

You won't get your money's worth. Basil chicken had everything BUT CHICKEN. When I brought this to their attention, they said that 1/3 of chicken (microscopic morsels that is) is the "managers" prescribed amount. Nothing was done for our dissatisfaction. Where's the Chicken? I'm sure we'd be exclaiming - Where's the Beef? Had we ordered a beef dish!

We observed a family of 5 who was not treated very well. Customer service was so lousy that they did what I should have done - They all got up and left without ordering.

Spend your hard-earned money in a restaurant that serves good food AND gives you a pleasant experience along with it. If you must eat here, order take out because service WILL NOT be part of your dining experience. We are definitely NOT going back this one is not worth patronizing.

• Pros: Nice Neighborhood, No Crowd -I know why!
• Cons: No Customer SVC!!!, Meager portions, Where's the beef?