Eric's Restaurant

they have great food great place to eat you should go there it rocks you should go there now or you are a weny

Pros: best place around

Cons: none

Posted 04/18/09

I am going to have to agree with piccolina i. The sauce on the food was the same. That said, the food was decent, but nothing to write home about ... wait, ain't that what i am doin'? I had dinner with a couple of friends at Eric's last night. We had Eric's Fried Rice, Emperor's Prawns and Shanghai Tofu a couple beers and a glass of wine. Out of the three the prawn dish was the best. For Chinese food in this city Eric's ranked as average. If you want good Chinese for the same price, try Big Lantern on 16th. It will definitely deliver a better value. Or, if you are in the Richmond and want dim sum, try Bay Fong Tong. You will not be disappointed; especially with the price!

Pros: It was easy to get a seat on a Saturday evening

Cons: the food is average

Posted 12/29/07

It was the right move for me to take my family there. I had guests from out of town and the people were so welcoming, warm, and sweet. Make the right move and spend a night out at this great place. The rice was delicious and reminded me of my Chinese godmother's cooking. Also, great for kids.

Pros: The service, nice people and servers. Reasonable prices.

Cons: Everything else

Posted 12/29/07

This is the best value in SF for mid-week lunch. Great service, great food, great atmosphere, and great price! Best sweet and sour I've had anywhere (it's not too sweet like so many others). Try the crab rangoon.

Posted 05/06/07

I thought when I got there and hearing all the reviews that this place was going to be great. Instead I was wrong. First the appetizers were good don't get me wrong. I had to wait for an hour to get my main course since my waiter forgot my order and then it was so salty and just this dark soy syrup sauce on my shrimp and veggies.

Pros: Appetizers

Cons: salty, parking, service

Posted 04/05/07

I was excited to try Eric's, especially after hearing about it on _Check Please, Bay Area_ and from people on one of my local Yahoo groups. I was a bit hesitant to bring my (Chinese) grandmother there, but I thought, "What the heck? Everyone seems to say good things about this place, and they cook without M.S.G."

We arrived around 1 PM on a weekday to a packed restaurant. Great! This must be a good place if it's this busy at this time of day and week! WRONG!!!

Instead of garlic chicken and chow mein, we received two plates of soy sauce puddles. I've never seen or eaten anything like it. Did the cap on the bottle accidentally fall off while the soy was added to each dish? I was so confused. The ingredients, namely the veggies, were very fresh. The proteins were O.K. But the sauce, I just don't understand how this place got to be so popular.

While we may have avoided an M.S.G.-laden meal, I was still parched the rest of the day because SO much sodium was added to each dish. We're not going back and advising others not to if they inquire. I would have (and so would Grandma) rather had a plate of Panda Express at the mall.

Pros: Prompt seating

Cons: Sub-par Food, Service

Posted 01/30/07

The vegetables are fresh and the food isnt greasy and overpowered with sauce and as other local chinese places. Its more like California chinese. with mago prawns and Buddhas delight. the service is quick but definitely not very touchy feely. I definitely get the feel they are trying to turn over tables quickly as there is ususally a crowd. I wish they delivered but they dont but you cant get food to go. I have taken many out of town visititors and they all love it. Good neighborhood retaurant.

Posted 11/16/06

...Because the food here is average. The interior space, neighborhood and service are definite positives. The food on the other hand is just average. Think food geared towards suburban soccer Mom's. Your best bet: go for lunch where tea, a cup of soup, entree and rice will only set you back $6.

Pros: Interior Space, Neighborhood, Service and Lunch Value

Cons: Soccer Mom Cuisine

Posted 11/01/06

Me and my co-workers were disappointed in the ownership change because it means different quality in food. We all thought there was a decline in the taste of the food. We threw out the menu because we will not be returning.

Pros: cheap, but you get what you pay for

Cons: mediocre chinese food

Posted 10/08/06

I'm not too sure why this place has such a high rating ... in sum, it's good, but not fabulous ... They charge Noe Valley Chinese food prices, so I guess you could say it's inexpensive on a Noe Valley scale, but what is that saying? I've experienced Chinese food that's great, and this does not match that level, although neither does it fall on the opposite level of bad Americanized Chinese food. I'm just not that excited about this place ... The atmosphere is nice - busy, happy, and bustling - and the service fast - but the food just in the end feels pretty mainstream to me ...

Pros: Pretty Good Chinese Food in Noe Valley

Cons: It does not live up to the hype

Posted 09/29/06

I haven't eaten here in over a year, and reading the reviews I wonder if it has fallen under new ownership or if there are just different strokes for different folks. Reading many of these reviews makes me realize how many different opinions there are. Our family and friends still talk about this place. The quality and flavors of the food were what kept us coming back through the years. Many of the chinese food restaurants you go to in SF can be great or terrible...but this one always served high quality meats and the sauces always had a little twist. The mango chicken was my favorite and the eggplant was always extremely tasty. They were busy but the service got your food to you in a decent time and kept your drinks full. Is it "american" chinese food? Well, I'm not sure what that is. I'm an American and it tastes like chinese to me and i loved it. The ambience was nice too...it's not "stark"...it's modern. It's in a neat neighborhood area and is pretty easy to find parking. When we're in SF and someone says chinese food, Eric's is where we go.

Posted 08/29/06

I just cannot go there anyone, the service is horrible, slow and served with attitude. I keep going in every couple of months because of their soup, but I guess I will only patronize them via take out. Boy do they need more servers and a better attitude.

Pros: Good value

Cons: Poor, slow service with an attitude

Posted 08/21/06

I went in expecting good americanized chinese food, but got bland, gloppy mediocre americanized chinese food. I knew kung pao chicken was a poor choice as I ordered it, but the rest of the lunch menu was pretty heavy on the breaded and fried meat dishes which wasn't what I was in the mood for. Even after ordering it extra spicy it came out insipid, with random vegetables and untoasted peanuts. The gigantic potstickers had a decent flavor, but they were huge, unruly, and a little doughy. Actually, they were the sort of solid, white-tableclothed, americanized chinese I was expecting. On a positive note, it didn't seem too overpriced, at least at lunch, like so many fakeries in Chinatown can be.

Cons: lack of flavor, inexplicable crowds

Posted 07/24/06

I went to Eric's after rave reviews from all of my AMERICAN friends and so I decidedto check it out. We made reservation just so we don't have to stand around staring at the patrons while they eat. We ordered the sampler platter which includes 2 vegetarian egg rolls, 2 cream cheese ladden crab raggon, 2 potstickers and 2 deep fried drumlets. They were greasy!!! We ordered mango prawns and shanghai chicken from their specialities menu. The steam rice was so tepid that we had a real hard time scooping it out. I couldn't distinquished one plate from the other with that soy-sauce-cornstarch base that they call the Chef's special sauce. They are extremely generous in that area for both plates were swimming in the sauce! I came not expecting authentic Chinese food but I did not expect an out-of-the-can-Sysco sauce!

Pros: fast service

Posted 03/04/06

wow,,whta a rare find ! delicious food with a gourmet hint. delicious creamy crab raggon,unbeliavable pot stikcers and egg rolls. Try their mano chickend and prwans as well as the 5 sauces prawns. I would try everuthing if I was in you. No reservation it can be really busy after 5pm.

Pros: food

Cons: parking, waiting

Posted 02/25/06

I have to admit that the service is good, prices are reasonable the neighboorhood location right here in Noe is nice. However, this is Chinese food for people who really don't know that REAL Chinese food is supposed to be. The use of traditional Chinese sauces is too heavy and too encompassing. (Just look at the dishes you ordered...you'll find they all look the same which means they're using the same sauces for all dishes.) Also, look around the room to see not many Asians and you'll know this isn't good food by Asian standards.

Pros: Noe location, Fast

Cons: Not true Asian food

Posted 01/14/06

the shanghai chicken is so yummy...
but since it is a popular restaurant, it get so busy from 6 to 8 pm, I recommand people to dine in around 5 pm.

Posted 05/29/05

Eric's has consistently very good Chinese. The sesame beef is the best I've ever had. The price is excellent; the portions are good; and the atmosphere is nice.

Pros: Sesame Beef, very good food, good price

Posted 05/18/05

I love Eric's because it is great American Chinese food. Only a moron would go there looking for authentic Chinese (it's located in Noe Valley...do the math). I can't get enough of Eric's spicy chicken and get it for take out nearly every week. Their service is excellent in the sense that food comes out fast and delicious. The attitude can be hit or miss depending on who serves and when you go but I don't care as I eat there for the tasty food and not for the service.

Posted 04/24/05

Eric's is the secret of Noe valley. The Best Chinese food I have ever tasted. Their general Tsao's chicken is delicious and I get food from here at least once a week and so does everybody else I know who dines (or carry out) here. Reasonable prices and it takes them ~10 minutes to get your order ready.

Pros: fast service, tasty food

Cons: not the best atmos.

Posted 06/13/04

My family and I went to Eric's for Mother's Day. My brother suggested it to us as he loves the restaurant. It was my first time there and I loved it. We had the chicken chow mein, eggplant, mongolian beef, sweet and sour pork, hot and sour soup, and the sizzling rice soup. Everything had a wonderful flavor to it. We had six in our group so it was a little cramped but the food and the service made up for it!

Pros: great food, variety to pick from, nice people

Cons: , crowded

Posted 05/28/04

It just goes to show that people have different palates. For the life of me, I can't understand the popularity of this place. That it's Americanized Chinese food is fine with me, but the taste is horrible and the food is laden in grease. Our waiter couldn't understand why declined to take the leftovers of the four half-eaten entrees we ordered. The service was fine; I think the place is a bit tight on the space between tables; and the prices were fine. I just think the food is terrible. This was my third and last visit. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt since it seems so wildly popular. Why it's popular, I'm sure I don't know.

Pros: Service

Posted 05/20/04

This is by far some of the best Chinese food in SF. Everything from the appetizers to the four entrees we got, all perfect. The price was unreal to, $65 for 4 people. Real chinese food in SF, and it only took me 3 years to find it!!

Pros: Food, Price

Cons: Parking in Noe Valley

Posted 12/24/03

I live in Sacramento and have made many trips to Erik's. Ever since I asked a friend who lived in the city about a good chinese food place and he said "Erik's and try the mu-shu chicked", I did and have kept going back for about seven years now. The hot and sour soup is delicious and I would also recommend the sesame seed chicken. The service is warm and the locals are mellow, (my bro lived three houses down) parking might be tough but what part of the city isn't?

Pros: Food, Price, quickness

Cons: None!!

Posted 11/30/03

YES, they use flour tortillas for the mu-shu recipes, and the food is fresher, less greasy, and more flavorful than "authentic" Chinese restaurants...so what? Some of the dishes are unique and out of this world (Shanghai Tofu, Avocado Rolls), some are just mediocre (broccoli/tofu), but the service is FAST & attentive (maybe a bit too rushed) and I (and all my dining companions) have LOVED this place. Parking in the neighborhood can be tough, though.

Pros: Reasonably priced, Inventive, yummy food, Fast/attentive servic

Cons: Busy/rushed atmospher, difficult parking

Posted 08/24/03

This is one of the best meals I have had in SF. The apps and entrees were excellent. We had a great chicken dish, steak dish and veggie dish. We had a tofu/brocc dish I will skip next time. I would not recommend large parties and the ambience is average. Go just for the food and you will be pleased. Great value.

Posted 06/05/03

The food is too salty! It was so bad we ate very little of our food. The waiter seemed bewildered when I told him I didn't want to take the leftovers home. I like the non-traditional menu. It's a welcome departure from the standard menu selections at most Chinese restaurants. The decor and ambiance is also pleasant and even quaint; but the food stinks!

Posted 05/14/03

OK, it's not traditional Chinese. Do I care? It rocks. Try the Shanghai chicken, Sesame beef, or Spicy Smoked pork. Take out in 10 minutes. Lunch specials can't be beat! Tons of food for $5.

Pros: Great Food, Cheap, Quick

Cons: Busy, Parking

Posted 03/03/03

I always go to this restaurant. The food isn't greasy like other chinese restaurants I've been to. The staff is very friendly & the food comes shortly after you order it.

Pros: food, inexpensive, staff

Cons: parking

Posted 02/27/03

Slow service. Delivered wrong food first. Food was good, but not the best I've ever had. I would go back, but not make a special trip for it.

Pros: Good Food

Cons: Slow Service

Posted 11/18/02

Quick, Easy and a good taste of Chinese Food for those looking for it.

Pros: Inexpensisive

Cons: Bad Parking, Crowded at night

Posted 11/14/02

This is THE American Chinese - catored for Americans who believes hot & sweet sauce is Chinese. Too salty, too much sauce. I will never go back if I have to pay. The only thing Chinese about it is the tight space.

Cons: taste

Posted 11/08/02

Are you kidding me?! Who are these people rating Eric's so highly? I've eaten here several times and to say that this food is mediocre is generous. I really hate to write disparaging reviews, but with all the kudos Eric's seems to attract I feel I have to warn others.

The service--abrupt to the point of rude. The food--gloppy, totally unauthentic, with some dishes like the crab Rangoon appetizer bordering on gross. Sorry, Eric's doesn't cut it.

Pros: Good location, Nice interior

Cons: Food, Rude Service

Posted 09/25/02

Eric's has a great variety of selections ranging from authentic Mandarin and Hunan cuisine to some delicious western influenced dishes like Portobello Beef, Chicken or Prawns, and Avocado
Spring Rolls. The food is healthier than other Chinese restaurants in the city because it is not swimming in oil. Also, they offer steamed brown rice as an alternative. The prices are very reasonable as well. I've always had a positive dining experience at Eric's.

Posted 09/23/02

I can't believe people line up on the street for this place. The food isn't bad...it's just not Chinese. When I ordered mu-shu chicken, they used flour tortillas for the pancakes! I've eaten at Eric's about 5 times (trying to give it the benefit of the doubt because of the crowds) and just can't see the draw. There is always too much sauce (cornstarch is used liberally) and the sauce tastes the same from dish to dish. For example, the mango beef had the same sauce as the chicken chow mein as the five taste chicken. However, the atmosphere is cute, clean, and lively.

Posted 09/08/02

Eric's is probably the best Chinese in SF. Don't eat here though, get take out. The place is loud, bright and thoroughly uncomfortable. Not bad though for take-out if you want a change.

Pros: Best Chinese in Town

Posted 08/21/02

Finally a Chinese Restaurant without oil dripping from its entrees. Food is excellent.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Small space, Bad parking

Posted 07/21/02

I cannot believe that this restaurant won the best chinese food category!!! Anybody looking for authentic chinese food should not go here - you will be sorely disappointed. The menu consists of rudimentary stir-fry combinations that are meant to be "asianesque" but are not really asian at all. I will say that this is a pleasant restaurant to eat in, it's spacious, clean, and colonial, but, don't expect to be thrilled by the best chinese food in town here.

Posted 06/08/02