Grand Sichuan St Mark's

07/18/10

definitely avoid this overpriced joint

by jacob813

i came with my girlfriend having high expectations after eating in the grand sichuan in chinatown. but this place definitely wins the award for worst restaurant service in my books.

i had made a simple reservation for 2 on a friday at 6pm. granted, that must be a busy time for most restaurants at that time, i was asked to wait for 30minutes. what's the point of making a reservation?!

bottom line on the food is its nothing new or unique or even slightly special. its average chinese food at a high price. came hungry, left unsatisfied, and with a dent in my wallet.

• Pros: long wait for average food, is that even a pro?
• Cons: very illogical setup, extremely poor service, too pricey

03/06/10

Restaurant vs delivery food

by Nolita Lolita

I was such a fan of this place until I had my first delivery this week. The delivery took about 90 minutes. When I called them an hour after I'd placed the order, I was told it would be here soon and it took another 30 minutes. At that point I didn't care because I love their food and was looking forward to eating it. However, I was so DISAPPOINTED with what I'd received. I'd ordered General Tso's Chicken which is usually white chicken chunks in a spicy sauce with broccoli on the side. The reason I'm describing it is because what I received was white chicken chunks in a bland sauce with cabbage, baby carrots, corn and chili peppers mixed in. I immediately called them to complain about having received the wrong dish. The woman on the phone had the audacity to tell me that I had received General Tso's Chicken. She went on to explain that their delivery food is different than their restaurant food and that most customers prefer what I'd just received with the mixed vegetables instead of broccoli. I've never heard of any restaurant doing this and told her she'd just lost a customer. If she'd admitted to having sent me the wrong dish, I'd have understood, but to have argued with me about it was just poor customer service. Good thing about living in NY is the plethora of Chinese restaurants to choose from.

08/22/08

The worst experience I ever had!!!

by soa

My friends and I went to the Grand Sichuan Eastern on St. Marks last Friday. There were 10 of us and we didn't make reservation. The waiter ( or he is the store manager?) told us we have to wait for around 35 mins. So we waited.....and during our waiting we constantly asked him if any table is available soon. He told us he will give us one of the table soon. After 1 hour waiting....we asked again.....then he started to say that there is no table for us and we didn't have reservation. I was furious!!!! We knew we didn't have reservation and that's why we asked. I said, if there is no chance we will have a table, why didn't you just tell us? Then we will just leave!!!! It's just not right to do business like that. He tried to keep us there waiting because he is afraid if the people reserve for the table didn't show up, then he can give that table for us and he won't loose the chance of making money....So we stood there for 1 hour and get this??? I have been to that restaurant for many times. The food is not that good. Just sometimes I crave for Sichuan food so I would go there. With an attitude like that, and the food is not even good....I strongly recommend people not to go there at all !!!!

02/15/08

Most authentic Chinese place I've been to

by albyatlarge

I'm no expert on Chinese restaurants, but I've been to the source, and this is the only place I've eaten at in New York that rivals those in China for authenticity of cuisine and ambience -- in other words, it's not the average American-friendly, Hong Kong-inspired joint that you're used to. The Chongqing dry and spicy chicken is indistinguishable from that I've had in China. The waitstaff is delightfully brusque and businesslike. And in true mainland Chinese fashion, portraits of Mao hang on every wall, displayed with equal parts reverence and irony. If you thought Chinese didn't get any better than the greasy takeout place on the corner, give this spot a try.

• Pros: Authentic cuisine and decor
• Cons: Occasional long waits

01/31/08

Delievery - DON'T DO IT!

by Pfepher1

While the food is good, quite good, I can?t give this place any better than 2 stars. Why? The staff ? especially the delivery. We ordered food at 8:00 PM. We called at 9:00 wondering what was up and were told ?he left a long time ago.?

Fast forward to 9:20: delivery guy shows up. We asked why it took so long. No answer. We gave him at $1.55 tip. He stood in the doorway of the apartment demanding more. That behavior is UNACCEPTABLE and could be considered threatening.

I called to complain about the delivery guy. I was met with arguments such as ?Well, that?s a small tip.?

True, but the 1 hour 20 minute delivery time was unacceptable, especially considering we were told that our food had left ?a long time ago? nearly half an hour before it showed. If they had simply listened and apologized, I wouldn?t be writing this review.

Forget this place for delivery.

• Pros: Food is tasty and good variety
• Cons: Delivery is AWFUL.