Eliza Restaurant

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1457 18th St (at at Connecticut Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94107

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(415) 648-9999
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Reviews
( 8 )
( 14 )
( 2 )
( 4 )
( 5 )

Best

THIS PLACE CLOSED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. VISIT JAN'S OTHER ELIZA'S ON CALIFORNIA STREET, JUST AS GOOD, BUT MUCH FURTHER THAN THE 5 MINUTE WALK THIS PLACE USED TO BE.

Worst

Food is good but in this town there is good food everywhere. The service is weak at best and given they charge 40% more than everyone else this place should be done. If they did...

RESTAURANT CLOSED 4/2/2012

THIS PLACE CLOSED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. VISIT JAN'S OTHER ELIZA'S ON CALIFORNIA STREET, JUST AS GOOD, BUT MUCH FURTHER THAN THE 5 MINUTE WALK THIS PLACE USED TO BE. more
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One of the best places for quality chinese food. Don't pay attention to any bad reviews! Try this place! 7/20/2007

I live on potrero hill, but I don't go here for its convenience. I go to Eliza's for the food! Even when you order takeout it is ready within 20 minutes! And for those of you that thing the servers are rude, I don't know what you're talking about. If you're taking the fact that some of them were not born in the United States and can't speak perfect english as rudeness, then there is something wrong with you not them. I know the owners and they are amazing, I even met their daughter who the restaurant is named after! Their mongolian beef cannot be beat and if you complain about price, go for lunch its cheaper you cheapskates. The food always comes fast, and for those that called the waitstaff strange...good job being judgmental and close minded. Since when was food based solely on the people who bring it to you?? I love this place! Pros: Best food, reasonable prices, fast service. Cons: Gets busy, parking. more
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They are arrogant, food is good but overpriced, service is poor. Their location keeps them going for sure. 2/27/2007

Food is good but in this town there is good food everywhere. The service is weak at best and given they charge 40% more than everyone else this place should be done. If they did not have a customer base that really has no other choices, and the fact that money really does not mean much too them, myself included, they would be run out of business. \r \r Please someone open a comparable food choice nearby, Pacific/Presidio Heights needs choices. Elizas is great case in point for a business that should not be as successful as it is. Pros: good food, nothing beyond basic food though Cons: way overpriced, small portions, arrogant owners/service personnel more
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Shanghai Chicken ROCKS! 12/13/2006

I just picked up a lunch order at Eliza's for my first time...it was SUPERB. I ordered the Shanghai Chicken and thoroughly enjoyed the delicate tastes of ginger and seaweed mixed in with the sauce and chicken. A definite must try! Pros: Great lunch specials! great food! Cons: Service can be annonymous more
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Best Chinese I've ever had. 7/8/2006

I NEVER write evaluations, and against my better judement, signed up just to share how great they are.\r \r Flat out amazing. VERY fast service (almost impersonal) - but great food, good prices.\r \r Must check out. Cons: Parking limited more
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A Good Choice for Chinese 12/3/2005

Recently ate here, I thought the food was above-average for a Chinese food restaurant, not scary at all. Not sure if there has been a change recently, but the service was actually very good and friendly. Pros: Food more
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Pretty Good Food, Horrible and Strange Servers 12/3/2005

The food is pretty good, and not too expensive. But yes, the service is horrible. The waitstaff (expecially the women) always seem to be mad. They are really strange, weird people. Almost like they are robots.... mean robots. But hey, they have a big dish of Hershey Kisses and I awlays help myself to a big handfull on the way out. Pros: Hershey Kisses Cons: Rude Servers more
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Eliza's was good. 10/27/2005

I enjoyed Eliza's. The food was good, service was fine and dishes were interesting. I am glad I didn't follow some of the reviews I had read. Perhaps because of those reviews the service has gotten better. Three of us had dinner - a generous appetizer plate, and 3 dishes that we shared. Price wise it was a deal. I will go back and bring other friends. Of course if you can make a reservation. Pros: inexpensive, good food, prompt service Cons: screaming kids more
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Enter the Realm of the Rude! 10/15/2005

It's funny. I've given Eliza's four chances...each and every time the food was good, but both the service AND the clientelle have been almost unbearably rude! I say 'almost' unbearable because I made it a joke the third time I visited, expected the same treatment, got what I expected and played along. The fourth time I ordered takeout. Got there 45 minutes after I ordered and my VERY simple dish wasn't ready, the manager might have well put a curse on me the way he looked at me, kids were running into me as their parents looked on and said nothing...I think four times was enough. Perhaps you will have better luck. Pros: good food Cons: rude service, rude clientelle more
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Finally!! Good chinese 9/17/2005

This place looks exactly like Alice's and Eric's so I expected the same food but found it MUCH MUCH better. After A's and E's, I had to rush to the bathroom; the food was such low quality. At Eliza's, we had the beef (ostrich?) with mango, the fried rice with everything, and some type of sizzling shrimp. Each of these dishes was EXCELLENT!! I felt great after that meal and would definitely go back. I'm glad we made a reservation because there was a wait. It was difficult to understand the servers explanation of menu items. The food came very quickly. Pros: fast service Cons: tough parking, busy more
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You Can't Eat the Decor 7/6/2005

This is the original Eliza's restaurant. They also have a branch over on California St. in the Western Addition. I've eaten at both and my comments apply to either one. The first thing you'll notice is the ""ambience"" which can be a little ""in your face"". There are a lot of colorful knick-knacks scattered around and the plates and serving dishes can be odd and unusually shaped. However, you can't eat the decor. When it comes to the food, it is totally pedestrian and overpriced for what you get. The most jarring note is that everything tastes the same! Amazing! Save your money. Pros: Decor Cons: Food more
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Good food, they do not appreciate your business 5/30/2005

Sometimes the wait is too long, so we called ahead to see what the wait time was. We are told 5 minutes. After parking the car (finding parking sometimes takes some circling around), we get there at 8:30. We sign in, wait 10 minutes and then are then told that we will not be seated that the kitchen is closed (the restaurant closes at 9). We explain that we called ahead to insure we could be seated but the ""manager"" is unsympathetic. Incredibly, he offers ""take-out,"" contradicting his statement that the kitchen is closed. While most restaurants bend over backwards to get repeat business, Eliza's popularity has given it license to ignore service. Pros: innovative food Cons: management, parking more
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Eat Faster! Most horrendous service ever 12/11/2004

Let's make this clear: no matter how good the food is, I will not return because of the horrible service. We arrived at Eliza's at 8:30 p.m. The waitress barked,"" The kitchen closes at 8:45."" No problem, we said, we already know what we want. Not a minute after we ordered, the wait staff slapped water, tea, our food and the bill on the table. The rest of the wait staff then proceded to STARE AT US while we eat. We were so uncomfortable that five minutes later we asked for the food to go. Had Eliza been billed as a Eating Contest Hall, that might be understandable. While other restaurants stay open for late customers an hour after closing time, Eliza's plainly does not understand or care about service. Pros: inventive food more
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Poor Service Cancels Out The Positives 11/16/2004

I had been eating at this restaurant off and on for a year when I had the most awful experience with the manager of the restaurant. The food is very good and very inexpensive. However, I can say I will never return after the treatment I received. If you have a thick skin, and don't mind being insulted, then I am happy for you and would highly recommend the restaurant. I do miss the kung pao tofu including soup for just $5.95, but can't bring myself to ever set place in there again. Too bad. Pros: Food, Price Cons: , Management more
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Worst Service 8/25/2004

The food is tasty for the price, the service is fast but ALL the waiters are rude, not just one or two. Can tell from the service that they have no basic training how to treat customers at all. Hard to see a smiling face on any of them. Pros: Food above average, Inexpensive more
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I'm a Chinese and I like the food 8/20/2004

Well, as the review said, this is NOT authentic Chinese food. It's more like Euro-California-Chinese-food restaurant. On their menu you can't see ANY chinese characters at all. BUT, the ambience was great, the service was great (the waiters speak fluent English and Chinese), and (to my surprise, after reading their ALL-ENGLISH menu), the food is great too! If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not what you want. But if you are looking for some special Chinese dishes, this restaurant might surprise you. Pros: food, ambience, service Cons: , could be darker, can be more romantic more
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This is great food (California location) 6/30/2004

Eliza's on California St. has great food. (The Potrero Hill location I avoid; the food is good there, too, but th service is really crappy). No, it's not ""authentic"" Chinese food; it's ""way above average"" American Chinese food. The Eliza's Spicy Chicken is fantastic; the String Beans and Bean Curd is outstanding; and the Walnut Prawns are great. Ditto for the vegetarian egg rolls: flacky dough without being greasy. My food is always hot, flavorful, and well presented. As often as I eat here, I except them to get it wrong every now and then (and they do), but it's not enough to prevent me returning. Service varies and depends on the wait-person. Service is generally brusque, but friendly, and that's fine. At this type of place, I'm not looking for ""please attend to all of my needs!"" Pros: Food, Food, Food more
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GO HERE 10/1/2003

Yes it can be very busy and the servers might seems a tad overworked but do yorself a favor and eat here. The Crab meat rangoon is the best anywhere, the celery salad is so simple yet so good and the Eliza's special chow mein is fantastic. I live in walnut creek and drive to the California st. location at least once a week. It is that good. Pros: The best food, wonderful room, great price Cons: rotten parking, busy staff more
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Hmm...I'm confused! 7/18/2003

I go to the California location at least once a week where the wait-staff is excellent and the food is, in my opinion, outstanding. In the last two years, I've had one bad meal. Wonderful flavors (if you choose the right items) and it's hot when it comes to the table. If you go to the location in Potero Hill, then yes, I can agree about the mediocre food and even worse service. Yes, it is Americanized Chinese food, but if you want ""authenic"" Chinese, you should probably head to Cupertino. Or better yet, go to China. Pros: Hot food, Great flavor, Attentive service more
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Rude Service 6/20/2003

How does this place stay in business? Twice I have been turned away, today for the last time. Although their stated lunch hours are until 3PM, they apparently stop seating whenever they choose. Today at 2:35 I was told that I couldn't be seated in a nearly empty restaurant. If you ARE seated, service is rushed and rude. I'm convinced that they only have enough plates to serve 10 tables so they constantly grab your plate before you are finished. Pros: location, decent food, cheap lunches Cons: bad service, rude waitstaff more
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Menu for Eliza Restaurant


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Editorial

  • In Short
    The whimsical interior features Matisse-like paintings, hand-crafted lights and potted orchids, with the food presented in pastel pottery. Starters include Rangoon fried crab or...

  • 12/6/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Daily 11-3 5-10
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Potrero, Central East
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