Golden Gate Eatery & Takeout — Restaurant in Oshawa

Mediocre food, high prices and a poor ordering system. It looks like they're paying people for good reviews now too.

I was looking forward to this place reopening at townline, after the Five Points Mall's closure, and kept checking to see if the open sign had been put out. Then, when I saw that it had opened, I talked my family into going there for a weekend meal, hoping that it would end up becoming my go to for Chinese in the Courtice/East Oshawa area.

Unfortunately, it did not and will not. It was absolutely nothing to write home about.

I ate at Golden Gate Buffet in the former Five Points Mall occasionally. I didn't live near it, and when I'd go to that mall I'd usually go to one of the best restaurants in Oshawa: Momma's Family Restaurant, which is sadly gone. There were times, however, where my family would go for Chinese there if we were in the area and felt like that, and I treated myself to it once while Christmas shopping last year.

The food at Golden Gate Buffet was generally pretty good. It wasn't the best Chinese I'd ever had, but it was pretty decent buffet quality and a slightly cheaper alternative to Mandarin.

When I walked into the new Golden Gate Eatery & Takeout on King St. this past weekend, I was surprised to see there was no buffet (but had wondered because of the name change), and didn't like the way it's set up. You have to wait in line, pick a meal type (two items, three items, as much or as little as you can eat at $1.99 per weighed 100 grams), then they dish the food up for you. People jumped ahead of me, there was confusion as to who would go next, and it wasn't an enjoyable experience.

The man who served us was very nice, but he was also coughing while ringing up my father's order. He coughed downward on more than one occasion, towards the counter where my dad's food container was sitting open. I found that disgusting, to say the least.

I ordered the all you can eat style meal, which came to about $15. It was somewhat filling, but not as good or as filling as I had hoped. I miss the buffet where I can get my own food and not have to worry about it being weighed or being stuck with the amount I originally picked. I would've liked a bit more, but would've had to have lined up and purchased an entirely new meal.

The food? It was alright. There's much better Chinese food to be found, but it's decent. I wouldn't rush to go back for the food, itself. It's too expensive and isn't anything special, quality wise. I mean, for maybe 3/5 of what we paid, we could've got a meal for 2 from Tang Dynasty or Win Yeung Garden in Bowmanville, been full (with 3 or 4 people eating) and had leftovers.

What surprised me was that since I wasn't asked if I wanted a drink, when I waited (for other people to get their food) and then went back to ask for water, I was told that they don't serve cups of water. What kind of Chinese food restaurant doesn't? They offered me pop, but we'd already paid and I didn't want to buy anything more. All I wanted was a glass of water, which is very common in any Chinese food restaurant outside of this one.

Something I also think will really bother people is the way this restaurant is set up. I've already mentioned the ordering system. Well, it's a takeout style restaurant that has a decent amount of seating, too. Yet, instead of using plates or dishes, ALL EAT IN FOOD is given in styrofoam plates and containers. Needless to say, this place is going to be the king of non-recyclable trash, and it's unnecessary, completely bypassing their 'modern' approach. The containers also can be difficult to eat out of if rice falls into the cracks, leading to perhaps just small amounts of food waste, but food waste nonetheless.

I get that the storefront is smaller, buffets take up space and that buffets are costly, but this restaurant was really underwhelming. I'd rather drive to Bowmanville and get Chinese from the restaurants there. Tang Dynasty and Win Yeung Garden offer better food and more value.

I won't be going back anytime...

The last time I was there it was 2 years ago I vowed that I would never go back there because the way I was treated from the server I don't have any respect for anyone that makes anyone else's life more harder than what it has to be I was faced with ignorance and rudeness a lack of respect while I was in there the last time I let two years go past before my son wanted chicken balls for lunch so I brought him there what a big mistake my son is a very picky person I know this he doesn't like anything touching anything on the plate all he was getting was chicken balls I asked the gentleman for a separate dish so he can have his chicken balls separate so I ended up getting three meats combo he wanted to charge me for two meats and another side I explained to him that my son doesn't like any rice or anything touching his chicken balls he told me it was too bad that I would have to be charged for another order there was two other people in the store and my son then wanted a boba when I asked the gentleman to explain the flavors he turned off the screen and I could see the other people's started to get impatient so I ended up telling him that he can make the Boba after he serves the other two people he wasn't really very helpful and he began to get rude with me again after me biting my lip because my son was there I was ready to give him a few Choice words out of my mind instead I reframed I refuse to spend my hard-earned money with somebody that is going to get ignorant right before I pay after I had the food he then threw a plate on top of my serving tray and said there now he can have his own plate for his chicken balls I then asked him would it have been so hard just to give me a plate in the first place but I understand what he was trying to do he was trying to turn a $15 meal into a $40 meal I'm sorry but let this be a lesson to anyone that goes there the food is fresh the hospitality sucks the attitude on the gentleman sucks how can you enjoy your food when somebody talks to you like that I'm sorry I can't I told him it'll be the last time I come he then turned back to me and said that's what you said the last time I couldn't bring myself to pay for the food I I wanted to throw it right into his face if I would have been younger I know that would have happened because I used to not be able to hold back instead I just bit my tongue I looked up my son even though he was hungry and he only had a certain amount of time for lunch he understood we weren't eating Chinese food that day I will never ever go back to Golden Gate I am so upset and angry with the way this employee thinks that he can talk to people that way so ignorant I will never order from them again and I will always try to let people avoid ordering from there people like that will get smacked out everyday he's very lucky I had my son with me my blood is still boiling but I won't let it bother me anymore I don't care if it's the last meal on Earth I will never ever order from that ignorant place again thank you for hearing me out enter at your own risk people need to learn they can't treat people like that not in...

This restaurant used to be good, back when it was at Five Points Mall. It was hard to justify going to over Momma’s, but offered a pretty good quality Chinese buffet.

Unfortunately, the move to Townline made it much worse. The food quality is mediocre, the prices are really high and the portions are underwhelming.

I’ve thought about giving this restaurant another chance, but I don’t plan to. I’ve read a lot of the reviews on here, and am disgusted by how the owner responds to anything negative. All he seems to do is copy and paste the same crud, saying things like:

“You should’ve spent more.”

“Our food is cheaper than competitors.” - it’s not

“Food quality is aligned with our (insert made up and apparently trademarked program here) standards.”

“Sign up for our VIP program.”

This restaurant takes no responsibility for its shortcomings, and is rude to paying customers who aren’t happy. Don’t pay an arm and a leg for its mediocre Chinese food; go to Golden Pine and get good...