Our family has dined at Trader Vic's for years. In the past, the seafood was fresh, the service was wonderful and the ambiance made this restaurant a place to celebrate special occasions in the east bay. Last night, however, we had the worst dining experience EVER. We were seated for 20 minutes before the waitstaff gave us menus. All of the appetizers and meals did not come out at the same time. Our cocktails were watered down, especially at $12 each ($5 for non-alcoholic watered-down juice). Our meals, though, were the worst part. All of the dishes were DRENCHED in sauce. The scallops, beef and reef, and flat iron steak were all too sweet (overly sweet teriyaki sauce or hoisin sauce). The ""medium rare"" flat iron steak was RAW. They failed to peel the sticker off the apple before shredding it for the slaw. The crispy duck was crispy.. and dry.. and tasteless. The chicken chow mein had dried noodles (the kind you find in salads) and the caesar salad had more of a vinaigrette dressing with grocery-store croutons to boot.
The service was also sub-par. Empty glasses, bottles, and plates sat on our table throughout the meal. There was a 30-minute lag (at least) between our appetizers and entrees. It took another 20 minutes for us to get our check. While I enjoy a ""slow dinner service"".. 2 1/2 hours for an awful meal was downright torturous.
For $25 to $50 per entree, our dining experience was a HUGE disappointment and definitely not worth it. I would be hard pressed to recommend this restaurant if the entrees were $10 each. I'm not sure if the owners or the chefs changed but this is certainly not the restaurant we once enjoyed.
Pros: Great view
Cons: Terrible food, overpriced, watery drinks, poor service
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