i have to say that the food at Szechuan Chef is pretty good--very tasty and great portion for price. however, i belive that the dining-out is an experience to be enjoyed not only in the sense of getting great food but also in the service.
the reason i only give two stars for this restaurant is due to the lack of service. i understand that the place seems to be always understaffed. however, that is no reason to treat customers poorly. many times i had to wave down the wait staff multiple times before i got their attention. a stern "will be back" or "okay" was the best acknowledgement from them as they quickly passed by the table. even then, i waited and waited for the service.
i have been at Szechuan Chef three times and actually had a good experience the first time. both the service and food were good, and that is why i went back. but the second visit was so horrible (ignoring; getting mad) that i was ready to walk out in the middle of the meal had my friends not pled me. i went back to this restaurant one more time to see if the second visit was just an isolated incident. unfortunately, the service was still bad and made me feel unwanted. even during the first visit, i witnessed a customer complaining to one of the wait staff--he was yelling so loud that i was sure that even the kitchen staff heard him. it seems that the owner(s) do(es) not seem to mind this kind of treatment to customers based on my experience. i wonder if they think poor service is not a big deal as long as the food is good... whatever it is, this needs to be fixed because, sooner or later, dissatisfied customers will find a new szechuan cuisine restaurant with great food and service.
stay away from this place if you do not want to be treated like unwanted step-child. also, the seattle magazine needs to review this restaurant again (and oftern on regular basis) because this restaurant does not present the caliber of excellence to be noted as one of the "best restaurants" of the year.
Pros: tasty szechuan cuisine
Cons: the worst service when busy
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