This morning we decided to pay a visit to Lucky Star Restaurant:
Lucky Star is known for reasonably priced Dim Sum, Seafood, and Cantonese dishes. We've been here more then a few times. In fact, we call it the "Big Red Barn", due to its large size, and reddish-shingled roof. The interior is cavernous, and there is a stage and dance floor for those ballroom type events and celebrations. In fact, I've recommended Lucky Star to more then a few people. But today, they'll be no food in this post. Why? Well because we never got to that point. Let me explain:
We got to Lucky Star at around 1045 this morning, and were seated promptly. We quickly noticed that the restaurant was less then a third full. Well, the table we were seated at was covered with a layer of oily residue, which meant that it really hadn't been cleaned well. But heck, I've eaten under worst circumstances. So we sat....at 1050 I looked at my watch, I noticed that most of the staff were busy cleaning up tables, even though the place is basically empty. And no had yet even acknowledged our existence. The table next to us with Four Guys sitting there obviously knew someone, because they were getting their water refilled. Next time I looked it was 1053 and the servers were milling around, and it still seemed we were invisible. At 1055, the Missus flagged down one of the Servers and asked for Tea and Water, she was told "Well, what kind tea?" So we said Jasmine is fine. 1059, our tea was dumped on our table with a simple "Here...tea". Funny, still no Dim Sum carts at our table, and where's our water? 1105, we noticed people who got seated after us are getting served, tea, water, the carts are there.... At 1109 we had seen enough. As we walked out the Missus had a few words with the Hostess, so I intervened. I explained what the situation was, and she asked if I wanted to speak to the Owner. I asked if it would really make a difference, and she said "No, not really". So we left. I also said if your servers think it's more important to bus tables in a restaurant that is two-thirds empty, then to get tea and water for patrons who have been sitting and waiting for 15 minutes, you've got some problems.
To put it bluntly, Lucky Star will never, ever see, another dollar of my hard earned money. period!
20 minutes of waiting for a dim sum cart? Unheard of. Sorry to hear you had such a bad meal, though I dont know if it can be called a "meal" if you never ate.
Posted by: mealcentric | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 02:31 PM
That sucks. I hate getting bad service. I like how the hostess admitted it wouldn't make any difference. Haha, at least she was honest!
Posted by: Beth | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 03:03 PM
Yep, this is the kind of service that earns the penny in the upside down glass of water award!
Posted by: Jo | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 03:37 PM
UNACCEPTABLE! Yep, I agree with Jo--though the water that spills out of the glass would just resist off that greasy film on the table! Ewwww!
Posted by: Pam | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 03:50 PM
Oh that is so terrible. It makes me so mad because DH and I just came from a Pho place. Bad service all around. No water, no tea...and the service was dump and duck. AARGHHH!!!
Posted by: milgwimper | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 04:02 PM
Ok...I meant to type that I can sympathize with you Kirk, and the Missus. Maybe it is in the air today.
Posted by: milgwimper | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 04:03 PM
That poos - what kind of business are they trying to run?! Bad service is one thing, but practically no service is another! bah. There are better restaurants around!
Posted by: Kathy | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 06:14 PM
Hi MEalcentric - This was absolutely terrible service.
Hi Beth - Bad thing is, I think she's "family".
Hi Jo - You once asked me what it would take for me to walk out of a restaurant. Well, this is it.
Hi Pam - I wouldn't waste a penny on this place.
Hi Mills - And I sympathize with you!
Hi Kathy - Can you believe this place? And I used to recommend them to people looking for budget Dim Sum!
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 07:29 PM
They better read the writing in their fortune cookie....it won't be anything good. Nice move on your part though.
Posted by: RONW | Saturday, 29 October 2005 at 09:07 PM
Kirk
I hope this helps that when people google the restaurant they will feel your wraith, as no one in their right mind will go back! :P to the horrible, horrilbe hostess
Posted by: clare eats | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 05:31 AM
Hi RONW - Being raised in the Islands, I was taught to be patient and long-suffering. Well, this time I'd suffered enough.
Hi Clare - I really never thought anything like this would ever happen to me in San Diego.
Posted by: Kirk | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 09:26 AM
EWWW ::giggles:: I love your imagry there Pam! Mills, where the heck did you go? Are there any late afternoon Dum Summeries around here for an early dinner tonight? Clare, were you really tired when you wrote that post? Wraith? I laughed myself into a coughing fit! ;o)
Posted by: Jo | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 01:49 PM
Um how did you guess? LOL
Did you see the party I had to organise ?
Posted by: clare eats | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 07:05 PM
Hi Jo - Pam has alot of interesting "visuals":
http://dailygluttony.blogspot.com/2005/10/trick-or-treat.html
LOL!
Hi Clare - Kiri is a pretty lucky little fella!
Posted by: Kirk | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 09:33 PM
First of all, you are a machine Kirk! I check back after a weekend and I see three posts! Dang!
Sorry to hear of that experience. Makes my hour-long wait at Sea Harbour seem like we were treated like royalty!
I just read Mealcentric's SW experience...something is in the air and it's got something against bloggers having good dim sum this weekend.
Posted by: elmomonster | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 11:19 PM
First of all, you are a machine Kirk! I check back after a weekend and I see three posts! Dang!
Sorry to hear of that experience. Makes my hour-long wait at Sea Harbour seem like we were treated like royalty!
I just read Mealcentric's SW experience...something is in the air and it's got something against bloggers having good dim sum this weekend.
Posted by: elmomonster | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 11:20 PM
Hi Elmo - Must've been something in the air/water???
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 31 October 2005 at 08:08 AM
Jo,
ummmm...I don't want to say mainly because we normally go here once a year. Usually because we just want to eat the crunchy little fried pork pieces they put into the pho. Compared to other places this place does not have good pho, but we love those crunchy pork pieces. Yum..Although we might never go back to this particular one again for our yearly pig crunchies munchy pho soup. The service was diplorable!
Posted by: milgwimper | Monday, 31 October 2005 at 01:57 PM
As much as I love to hype good restaurants, I also love to inform people of lousy ones. Some people just don't get it.
Posted by: Jack | Wednesday, 02 November 2005 at 05:50 AM
Hi Jack - You'd think that even in lousy restaurants someone could figure out how to get us water???
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 02 November 2005 at 08:32 AM