R & G Lounge

I should have known when the hostess seated us. Right behind her our would-be waiter was swatting flies with an electronic tennis racket fly zapper. Everytime he hit one it would zap like a mosqito zapper people have in their back yards. He was flagged over to our table, wiped the fly guts on his pant leg, grabbed his note pad and proceeded to tell us what to order. Which would have been ok if they had brought us our food! 45 minutes into waiting for it, and hungrily watching everyone around us get served, I asked where our order was. No response. 15 minutes later I decided to leave....I was on my lunch break. What a waste of time. NEXT TIME I AM GOING TO WING LUM ON POLK. LESS CROWDED. BEST WON TON SOUP IN THE CITY. MUCH BETTER PRICING.

Pros: Watching the Waiters Use the Electronic Flyswatters.

Cons: The Dead Flies fall on the tables in the dirty dining room.

Posted 10/27/09

The restaurant looks good on the outsde but on the inside it looks dirty. The dishes are dirty and the service is poor. The food is not so good. You should not come here.

Posted 04/28/09

I was very upset when I found out that Shark Fin Soup was on the menu. I should have got up and left that moment, but I didn't. Regardless, I feel terrible that I didn't leave. After watching the movie SharkWater, I've become very passionate about saving sharks and educating friends about the movie. Thousands of sharks die only for their fins and thrown back into the water to drown. We need sharks in our ecosystem to survive. One very important way is to not order Shark Fin Soup or even better, not support restaurants that have it on the menu. I have written a letter to the restaurant asking them to remove the item from their menu.

Posted 04/18/09

I was expecting this restaurant to be something special. Sadly, the service was poor, the dishes were dirty, and there was an uncharacteristic crunch to the rice that didn't belong. I can't be explicit in this review, but trust me it wasn't good.

Pros: near where I was staying in San Francisco

Cons: not good, not good, not good

Posted 02/24/09

The food here is as authentic as it gets in San Francisco. It resembles Chinese home style cooking. I tend to order the same items each time I dine here, that is, fried crab, pan fried ground pork with preserved fish, large bean sprouts, and steamed fished filet with chinese ham. It's always packed. Make sure you make reservations before you go.

Posted 12/11/08

The good is alright but it didnt look to clean. The service wasn't top notch but they were prompt on getting the food out. I don't know if this is a good thing.

Pros: Quick Service

Cons: Dirty

Posted 12/04/08

What the hell was that? I have to tell you that this was one of the WORST experiences in "Chinese" dining I have ever had. In fact, I actually had to RUN to the bathroom because I was experiencing explosive ________!!! I think it was related to the fact that EVERYTHING WAS FRIED or drowning in some brown, tasteless sauce or we (a party of 9) didn't even know what the rubbery stuff was on that plate that we never ordered! I've eaten in local Chinese restaurants and in restaurants in China but this was nothing like Chinese food. It was just plain AWFUL and I'd NEVER go back. And get this ... when the restaurant's guests were leaving, the staff started to sit down in the dining room and FEASTED on piles of Dungeness crab and what were apparently the REAL delectables on the menu. Oh, and I truly believe that we caucasians were provided with the American version of the menu -- very little variety, tons of fried stuff, and no "authentic" Chinese cuisine. DON'T GO TO R&G!!!

Pros: Nice atmosphere, clean bathroom where I could get sick from food

Cons: HORRIBLE FOOD. NOT AUTHENTIC. WRONG DISHES SERVED.

Posted 12/03/08

We (as a big group) has been there several times for lunch and the food presentation is quite consistent. The service is quick however waiters and waitress are not as friendly. They seem careless and in some cases are almost rude. The food is fine, but it's not what I would consider having a good experience. After we dined, I found that their sanitizing score was very low - 52 as of mid 2008, with many material violations. This concerns me a lot. I would definitely not recommend anyone dining there unless they imporve the restaurant's sanitation.

Posted 12/02/08

Every dish I tried in this restaurant was absolutely wonderful. The crab and shrimp were very fresh and cooked to perfection (not overdone). One of the best pan fried chow meins (Hong Kong Style) I've had.

I really enjoyed how each dish was served one by one, rather than all at once, so you could savor and talk about each dish.

Service was great.

Posted 08/10/08

Fast service, dirty restrooms, food ok, price very good, no exotic food, mix of local and tourist customers.

Pros: Great price, and fresh food

Cons: dirty restrooms.

Posted 04/23/08

One needs a good sized group to sample the menu. My order of three dishes without the signature items was not enough. That said, the items that I had were of variable quality.

West Lake Minced Beef Soup - well balanced broth with ground beef, parsley, egg whites, and imitation crabmeat. Delicious dish. I am not a fan of imitation crab, but this was a good start to the meal.

Drunken Squab - traditional cold dish, with disassembled and reassembled plain squab complete with head, in a pool of rice wine. The squab was tender, but the wine was harsh and the dish lacked complexity. Not recommended.

Dried Scallops with Chinese Melons - this dish was described on the menu as steamed chinese melons, black fungus, and seasonal greens topped with dried scallop gravy. The dish that arrived was tasty but lacked black fungus. When I inquired, the waiter explained that the kitchen had run out. What remained was good, but it would have been nice to be informed in advance. This seemed like an inadvertent error.

Dessert -- The waiter brought a nice bowl of sweet bean soup. Good dish.

Service - reasonably attentive and friendly. Waiters took the time to explain the elements of dishes and the high market prices of much of the live seafood to tourists at an adjacent table. This was during a slow part of the day. Your mileage may vary.

Clientele - an odd mixture of tourists clutching Foder's while ordering salt-and-pepper crab and locals working deep into the menu with gusto.

Bottom line - My initial impression was mixed. I have had better food in Taipei, Singapore, San Gabriel, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing (of course), and even in Tokyo, Philly and Boston. I will try the R & G again to sample signature dishes and other items. The very positive reviews on this site and the happy faces of other diners suggest that my experience was atypical.

Posted 03/06/08

The food I have tonight were awesome, it's wordless to say that it's out standing and sophisticated restaurant you could eat at. My favorite bowl today was the Braised Seafood Shark Fin Soup because it didn't contain shell fish. The soup was savory, thick, rich lay of the fins cured in a bowl that I can just sipped every pieces of it. The Ginger & Onion Chicken was a blast because it filled with flavors, it is well balance with out being too salty or too sweet.

What about the ambient? The place filled with special small bright halogen light. I felt a little comfy because I sat near the stair and it's and open draft of wind area, but it's no big deal. I wouldn't recommend sitting next to the fresh seafood thank even though it's nice. They splash small amount of water, just once, because they are being catch out to feed.

Pros: The food is outstanding.

Cons: Bad place to find parking downtown SF, and menu can be price, but worth it.

Posted 09/12/07

The quality and quantity can vary at R&G. The lemon chicken is very good but the in-house beef lunch special was too dry. Portions can vary from visit to visit. Sometimes the service is good other times poor.

Pros: Prices

Cons: Food just average

Posted 06/20/07

Had lunch on 06-07-07 with five friends and unlike other comments on this site the service was on time and unobtrusive. The food was warm and delicious and not oily. The facility was clean and nicely decorated. I would recommend it as a restaurant that I would return to.

Posted 06/06/07

Thought R&G is one of the prestigious restaurant over the bay area. However, feels disappointed after going there. Food was average but very poor customer service. Waiters don't care about their customers at all. The Salt N Pepper crab was good but the sanitation score is as low as 70.

Posted 04/14/07

I have been here a handful of times and have had both good and bad experiences. The menu is fairly extensive and the location is convenient if you work in the financial district.

Posted 11/19/06

My wife asked me to write a review here. She says she loves the crab, the salt and pepper crab that is. It's very fresh. I don't remember how much it was but I'd estimate about $30 which is high but not too high if you've got a craving for this dish.
I don't really agree with my wife on this, but I'm not a crab fan. The other half dozen dishes I've tried so far were all good. The only thing I found was a rather high price in relation to other chinatown restaurants. The service was OK, and the waiters dress like waiters. We ate downstairs.

Posted 11/17/06

I've tried a few dishes before during lunch and my favorites are the Special Beef (good deal as lunch special) and the Honey Walnut Prawns, best walnut prawns I've ever had as their prawns are scrumptious and not too sweet and creamy like other places. I've had the stuffed tofus before but not worth the price as it's just fried tofu with a small shrimp on top, also had their chow fun, very oily. Their prices are on the higher end compared to other Chinese restaurants. If you get there early like 11:30 - noon, they always insist on seating you downstairs but ask for seating on the ground level or upstairs because downstairs is a real hole-in-the-wall.

Pros: some good cantonese dishes

Cons: so-so service

Posted 11/03/06

Food was very average at best. We had their 'famous' Live Crab w/ Salt N' Pepper (although, it actually came out cooked and thankfully dead...not live, as advertised), Chef's Special Noodles, Mixed Vegetables and Steamed Sea Bass. The fish was the highlight of the meal. Very, very unattentive wait staff. After being fed up with the service, or lack thereof and not tipping them, they had the audacity of reminding us that we did not tip them; which I quickly reminded them that I DID tip them. $0.00

Pros: Close to financial district

Cons: Horrible service, average food

Posted 11/01/06

I have been going here for years and it's the best Catonese food in the city. I frequently make trips to Hong Kong so believe me I've had my fair share of Cantonese food and even friends from Hong Kong say this restaurant can hold its own in comparison to the authentic restaurnts over in HK. The fried crab is great, but if you're more adventurous ask for the steamed eggs and clams or the squab. It's great food any day of the week. :-)

Posted 10/16/06

been coming here since i was a kid and will bring my kids here as well. great food. great drinks. great atmosphere.

Posted 09/11/06

I have been to R&G many times, and you don't go there for the atmosphere nor the service. The salt and pepper crab is just incredible and you have to order if if you go there. The Peking duck is tender and moist, and the snow peas with garlic is fresh and tender. You always have to queue even if you have made a reservations - it just means that you are ahead of the queue compared to walk-in customers. To avoid a long queue, the trick is either to reserve a table really early like 6pm or have a table reserved for 9pm or 9.30pm.

Pros: Authentic tasty cantonese food

Cons: Very long wait despite making reservations

Posted 08/05/06

I'm not sure why the previous people would say R&G is not a good place to eat. R&G Lounge is hands down the best chinese restaurant. The Salt & Pepper Crab is to die for and they have the freshest seafood. I agree that the service needs a little work, but what restaurant doesn't given the mass amount of people that pack this place every night. I'm in the restaurant business, and I know how hard it is to constantly give great service to food snobs that complain about every little thing. If you want a fine dining chinese restaurant with great food and service, it doesn't exist. You're better off going to R&G for great food and decent service.

Pros: Food, free parking, good bar for a chinese restaurant

Cons: busy

Posted 07/26/06

My friend and I were looking for good Chinese food mid-week for lunch. The upstairs looked quite nice, so we decided to stay. They promptly brought us to a table downstairs. As soon as we got to the bottom of the stairs I thought I was going to be sick from the terrible smell. I also wondered how sanitary the kitchen could be if the place smelled this bad. The waiter did not speak any English, so we weren't sure what we had ordered. We were scared to see what was going to come out of the kitchen. In the end, the food was good (not great). If you are going to eat R&G, I recommend you get take out.

Posted 07/19/06

Beware the unfriendly waiters and greasy food!

Pros: Nothing

Cons: Everything

Posted 07/09/06

Why we would never return to this place:
1. Service is horrible. If you're in a small group you have to wait a long time because they don't really care about you. The waiter did not know the menu at all and told us inaccurate things about the food and the prices. When we got the bill, we were charged amounts that did not match those on the menu.
2. Ambience spoiled by badly behaved customers. There were several large groups engaging in drinking matches and shouting in loud cantonese and the restaurant made no effort to quieten them down for the sake of the other guests.
3. Food tastes ok, but may be unhygienic. Everyone in our party had severe dia rrhea after the meal. We were served around closing time so some of the ingredients that weren't fresh may have been dumped on us. Not an experience i want to repeat.

Pros: None

Cons: Bad service, dirty food, poor ambience

Posted 07/05/06

I may be a snob, but I don't think good food alone makes a good restaurant. My rationale is, if I'm gonna spend my hard-earned money to eat somewhere other than my house, I want good food AND good service. I mean, I'm not only paying for the food, the waiter is getting 15-20% of the final bill from me besides his hourly wages, isn't he? The anticipation of this money should be enough for someone who has freely chosen in a free country to work in the service industry to at least TRY to earn his tip. I don't expect my server to shine my shoes, give me a back massage, or fill my glass twenty times, I'm rather easy to please. I do, however, demand that this person, who is going to pocket $10 to $15 out of my wallet for a job he's already getting paid to do, say the sentences "hello, how are you today," "is everything okay?," and "thank you, goodbye" when he sees us leaving. I also expect him to fill my glass when it's empty, something that'll happen maybe once, twice max during the course of my meal. Pretty simple stuff, I would think.

Well, the hostess greeted us with a head nod when we got there. We had to wait 20 minutes before being seated even though we had reservations. No verbal greeting from our server either, he just stared at us until we opened our mouths to order. I had to call for a waiter three times before someone decided to finally fill my glass with water. After we paid and got up to leave, our server stared at us blankly once again, before turning his head in order to avoid saying goodbye. The service was so terrible from the very beginning that I observed other tables, and they were getting the same, if not worse, treatment. Chinese patrons didn't seem to mind, perhaps they're used to this kind of horrible service. I'm Asian myself, but I find this kind of service in a restaurant that proclaims itself "one of the finest Chinese restaurants in San Francisco" unacceptable. Two tables down, a Caucasian family sat for almost 15 minutes before a server even decided to show up. I could tell they were getting as irritated as I was by then.

I really don't understand the mentality of some of these restaurant owners. It's as if they feel since they serve decent food and they have a "reputation," they don't need to ensure good service.
No one who thinks saying "hi," "thank you," and goodbye" is too hard to do should be given a job as a server in a restaurant. Apparently, R & G's owner is a compasionate soul who decided to staff his place of business with all such people.

Bottom line:

Is R & G a good restaurant? No.

Do they serve good food? Yes.

Do I recommend it? Get your food to go. You'll enjoy it more at home.

Pros: Food.

Cons: Awful service.

Posted 06/06/06

The Best Authentic Gourmet Cantonese food in San Francisco. Try the "Three Treasures" & "Fried Crab". The waiters, managers Edward, Lucy are always working hard and making sure to provide excellent service. I have been a regular for 16 years, I highly recommend.

Posted 05/26/06

I've been here a few times, and this place is an oasis in a jungle of Chinese eateries which are mostly of mediocre quality food and questionable health standards. R & G Lounge is good place to take your friends when you try to convince them that it's possible to find a Chinese restaurant in SF Chinatown that serves top-notch food in a nice setting. Its service is also more than adequate compared to other places of the same caliber (take the notorious Koi Palace for example). The Salt and Pepper Dungess Crab is a delicasy that should not be missed.

Pros: Good Food, Nice Setting, Validated Parking

Cons: Long Wait, High Price

Posted 04/17/06

I go where the Asians go! I loved that this place was full of culture inside the menu and with the clientele. I recommend the crab and the Mongolian Beef.

Pros: Diversity of Menu, Asians Dining, Crab

Posted 03/19/06

After reading great reviews of R and G on Zagat, I was excited to eat at the restaurant. I'm Chinese American and have eaten at countless number of Chinese restaurants and wanted to give R and G a try. I was really disappointed though, because portions were small while the price was expensive. The food did not stand out like the reviews seemed to suggest. Honestly, I've had much better food at Chinese restaurants where it's around six dollars a dish (unlike R and G's $15+/dish). Service wasn't too friendly, either. The only thing I liked about the restaurant was its atmosphere - unlike other Chinese restaurants, it was quiet and rather peaceful, making it easy to hold conversation.

Pros: atmosphere, validated parking

Cons: food, expensive, service

Posted 01/21/06

I went to this place late night, bieng from NY and working in the restaurant industry so i know what its like when its time for closing, but for a friday night, our waiter was quick to get us out, our tab was very high but the tip was to percentage, which is something i never do. Food was o.k but i dont think that its proper for the staff to eat when the restaurant is closing, in front of the customers.

Pros: Quick

Cons: Service, Ambiance

Posted 12/31/05

Nov 19, 05 We ordered 2 lunch specials (noon-5pm), mongolian beef and lemon chicken $6.50 each and 2 vegetable egg rolls, $3.75. The beef came on a large rectangular plate with one side piled with beef and the other a heaping mound of rice. The beef was tender and tasty. It is very rare to find this dish so well prepared for this price. The lemon chicken was very dry and the lemon sauce was thin and not balanced in flavor or thickness. Stick to dishes that was cooked with vegetables and sauces. Eggrolls were a little greasy but they were crispy with a fine taste. Parking - they do validate 2 hours at the Porstmouth garage if you spend $25 and only after 5 pm and weekends. You also can eat fresh fish here from the tank - shrimp, lobster, crab, and catfish. All around $28 per pound.

Pros: Mongolian beef, parking garage, egg rolls

Cons: Lemon chicken, validation limit

Posted 11/22/05

We had a 3-person early (6 p.m.) weekday reservation. We were "greeted" (note the quote marks there) and seated in the upstairs area. Our order was taken promptly but "coldly" and was promptly delivered. While we did enjoy our food (the squab and Peking duck were especially nice, although the presentation is minimalistic), we did not see our waiter again until we had to ask (soemone else) for the check. No water fills, no quick once-overs to check on our meal, nothing. Odd to say the least. Nonetheless, the variety on the menu is outstanding and everything we were served was above average in taste, if a bit on the expensive side. I would add, in closing, that the restaurant was not especially busy at the time of our visit.

Pros: variety, authentic cuisine

Cons: service, noisy and "close"

Posted 08/05/05

I've always loved this place for it's food. But having returned there after 5 years away, I find that the restaurant has improved tremendously. The restaurant used to be a tiny place. Now, they have remodeled the top floor and expanded. But that's not what was so impressive. My boyfriend and I went there this past weekend while in SF for a short trip. We made sure to go. First off, the food was to die for. The seafood was fresh and everything was pleasing to the tummy. Secondly and most importantly, the service was amazing. If any of you have ever gone to a Chinese restaurant before, you know that you are not going for the service. However, this restaurant had service that put me in awe. The entire meal was wonderful. Don't worry about parking in the city...there's free validation after 5pm. Even more reason to go. =)

Pros: food, validated parking, service

Posted 05/15/05

We had heard good things about R&G Lounge but experienced something much different. First of all, they had no record of our reservation eventhough we had made it about 2 hours earlier. The hostess was pretty unsympathetic about it. But in the midst of a room full of people waiting for a table, she was able to seat us in about 20 minutes. Okay, not bad. We sat downstairs, which was like a basement that was quickly setup for dinner. We ordered the house specialties (squab and the salt-n-pepper squid). They ran out of squab. So we ordered the Black bean chicken. It was totally average. The squid was totally lackluster, deep fried, and no pepper to be found, but plenty of salt. We both left the place feeling completely unsatisfied.

Pros: near North Beach

Cons: service, food, ambiance

Posted 05/15/05

I had the fish with creamed corn for lunch. It was fantastic. The freshness of the fish was evident in this delite.

Pros: good food, quick service, value price

Cons: spartin

Posted 02/12/05

I helped with a wedding banquet at R & G lounge and was disappointed. We were told that we'd have the entire 2nd floor at 7pm, 7:30 at the latest to set up for a 8pm dinner.

When we arrived at 7:40, a party was still in one of the rooms, and three couples were dining on the balcony of the 2nd floor. One couple was still eating at 8:30 while the guests were coming in and signing the guest book. The management never apologized for their misplanning and just kept on saying that they would be finished soon. Our guests had to wait outside in the rain because there was no room inside.

The only good dishes were the chicken and the vegetables. For $350 a table, you are not expecting only the cheapest dishes to be tasty. The other dishes were either extremely salty or tasteless.

Posted 10/24/04

We went there for lunch, food is good. However, when we ask for our bill, we have to wait forever. When we ask the waiter one more time, the wait says " I am busy as well, you just have to wait" in front of all other customer. This is insane and really unacceptable service.

Posted 08/25/04

If you only have one place to eat in SF and you crave good Cantonese cuisine, you would do well by choosing to eat at R and G. The barbeque pork will be the best you will have ever eaten. Seafood dishes are the strength of the restaurant and should not be missed.

Portions are not huge and prices are a bit high but you get what you pay for.

Pros: Barbeque Pork, crab, free parking

Cons: pricey

Posted 11/29/03

This is probably one of my favorite (fancier chinese) restaurants. I guess the ppl who gave LOW ratings are probably use to the typical tourist foods such as sweet & sour pork, fried rice, and pot stickers or maybe Panda Express??! LOL. This is not your "typical" chinese restaurant because the quality of the food here is awesome and I always come back for the fried crab.

Pros: fried crab, shark fin soup

Cons: parking

Posted 07/21/03

deleted deleted deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted. deleted.

Posted 02/15/03

The food was mediocre. Nothing had much taste. I was overcharged for everything. And when I spoke to the manager, I was told that it was my fault for not knowing. This is the worst dining experience I have ever had!

Posted 01/31/03

Their crab and steamed egg with clams are great! Fast service but not really friendly.

Posted 11/26/02

I'm not sure - maybe I missed the Lounge part? The bar upon entering is small, kinda cozy. The rest of the place is awfully plain. It might be cool if you're seated next to your dinner in the tanks downstairs, otherwise you better have a lot to talk about with your date because the walls were bare and white (or yellow?), and the place lacked 'atmosphere'. There was some entertainment value in the walkie-talkies hosts and the TV upstairs showing the security camera views for the people waiting for a table. Different. If you like chinese food, but just better than your average chinese-american fast food cubby hole on any main street in America, you'll like the food. Heck, anything's good deep fried and smothered in sugary sauce right? Prices are average and fair for what you get, and the place is seemingly quite popular. Make reservations!

Posted 11/22/02

Great place to go for aunthentic chinese food, fast service not a lot of atmostphere, but the food makes up for it. It's great.

Pros: great food, average pricing

Cons: service is ok, no atmosphere

Posted 11/08/02