Lavash Seaside Grill — Restaurant in Richmond

We went to Lavash for lunch. There was 11 of us, but we sat at two separate tables on opposite sides of the patio. We were a group of 6 and a group of 5. Despite this, the manager insisted we pay a 20% automatic gratuity on top of the bill. When I asked about it they showed me their policy that says groups of 7 or more will have an automatic gratuity. The manager was completely unreasonable and would not even discuss it. Her only argument was that because we walked in together that we were considered one group. I understand automatic gratuity when it comes to large groups because the order all goes to the kitchen together, they serve the food together, and have to rearrange tables, etc, but we did not get our food together or sit together. We did not even have the same server. The thing is I always tip well for good service, but forcing an automatic gratuity takes away my opportunity to award a server for good service, and in this case it was not even justified as we were not one party. I'm so angry about this. We come here all the time, but I can assure you we will NEVER be back again. Hope it was worth it for them. Update: So I made this review while I was at the restaurant. The manager must have read the review right away, because she came out to the patio where we were sitting and in front of everyone, made a very loud and public scene. Additionally, they messed up two of the 5 orders, so two of us ate while everyone had already finished their food. Wow... what a HORRIBLE experience.

Response to the owners comment: My response was misleading? Lol.. nothing I mentioned was even an exaggeration. You're response, however, is a total fabricated lie. Reading through the other reviews, I can see this is a pattern for you isn't it? I appreciate you leaving this response, as now I have everything I need should I chose to move forward with a lawsuit for libel. When I came, yes, I asked if you had room for 11, and you said you did, but at separate tables, which were not even close to each other, and on opposite sides of the patio. Doing that no longer makes us a group of 11 does it? The automatic gratuity was NOT mentioned at the door, but AFTER we had already ordered drinks. The server said 18% at that time, and although I am not a fan of automatic gratuity, because its like forcing an apology rather than getting a real one, we said no problem, as we always tip big anyways. Then the server came back for food orders and said "sorry, its actually 20%". THAT is when I thought it was a little ridiculous and went in the restaurant to talk to someone at the front I assumed was a manager. I did that so that there was no scene, no issue, and was completely calm. I explained politely that "we like to tip, but I don't like be FORCED to tip, especially when our group is no longer a group, and are sitting on opposite sides of the patio, and our food is being brought out at different times by different servers. It was just about principal and what you were doing was wrong. The lady I spoke to was the one who was rude and said if I didn't like it we could leave, but when I got back to the table, I found out they had already ordered at the other table. So we stayed and I left an honest and accurate review. At NO point was I rude or aggressive with anyone. At NO TIME did anyone offer to wave the gratuity. The only thing that happened after that was some lady (who I assume was the manager), came out to the table and started making a scene and talking total nonsense about union rules and something how they used to have a "no tip option", but had to change it as they were getting harassed by local businesses etc. My friend did not leave a 30% tip out of embarrassment. As I already mentioned, we tip big when we go out, and my friend is Arab. Even if the server or food were absolutely HORRIBLE (which it was), he's the kind of guy that will say nothing, and leave. Like are you that oblivious that you didn't even notice that no one...

I attended the Nowruz event, and it was an extremely disappointing experience. From start to finish, the event was completely disorganized. The venue was overcrowded, with far more guests than the space could accommodate. There was no proper welcoming, no structure, and even a simple request for water took 30 minutes to be fulfilled. The food was a major letdown. While the appetizer looked nice, it was not a suitable choice to start the meal. The main course was of unexpectedly low quality—the kebab had an overpowering fatty smell and was simply not up to standard. Worse, the service was chaotic. Our table, designed for a maximum of six guests, had ten people squeezed in, making it extremely uncomfortable. Several guests were overlooked when it came to appetizers and dessert. The lack of proper organization extended to even the most basic details. There were not enough utensils for the number of guests, leading to a ridiculous situation where people were given random spoons for their meals. I received a soup spoon for my main dish, while someone else was given a teaspoon for their rice. When we requested proper cutlery, we had to wait another 10 minutes—just for a spoon! Dessert service was even worse, with ice cream being served with mismatched utensils like forks or soap spoons. The entertainment was equally disappointing. The DJ played for a maximum of two hours the entire night, which was unacceptable given the expectations set for the event. To make matters worse, non-alcoholic drinks were not included in the $80 ticket price—even a simple Coke had to be purchased separately. Given the lack of quality food, poor service, and disorganization, the ticket price was absolutely not justified. The most frustrating part of the entire event was the clear prioritization of social media over guest experience. Instead of focusing on hospitality, service, and ensuring people were comfortable, the primary concern seemed to be capturing content for videos and photos. The restaurant was not prepared for this many guests, and it showed in every aspect—from seating arrangements to service speed and overall execution. That being said, I do want to acknowledge the hardworking waitstaff, who were clearly overwhelmed but did their best to manage the chaos. However, the administration needs to take full responsibility for the poor planning, lack of professionalism, and complete disregard for guest experience. If this event was meant to showcase hospitality, it failed in every possible way. I strongly urge the organizers to rethink their priorities. If you want to charge premium prices, you must deliver a premium experience. That means fewer guests, better service, higher-quality food, and proper organization. Right now, it seems like the focus is on numbers and social media presence rather than actual hospitality. I hope this feedback is taken seriously because, as it stands, this event was not worth the time, money, or...

Dear Lord - where to start. I had a bad feeling about this place when a friend persuaded us to choose it on a recent visit to Steveston. So often seaside places with a view serve poor food, as there is an endless supply of tourists and day trippers and they don't expect many return customers. It seems to be run by Persians, so I decided the safe thing to do was order Middle-Eastern, whereas my wife and her sister went for the various seafood options. Things started badly, with some of the worst service I have ever seen in a Vancouver restaurant. Our friend ordered a beer, but they didn't have it. So he ordered a different beer. They didn't have that either. Then he decided a coffee would be a safer option. That eventually came, and was predictably bad, as was mine - a cappucino that looked and tasted like it was made by a child. My wife asked what was the soup of the day 3 times before our agreeably dim server finally retrieved the information. Service was slow, disorganised and utterly incompetent. Staff were poorly dressed and seemed to be minimally trained. We decided to started out with the Boston clam chowder, which was just weird. It is a vaguely orange colour and is like a clam dessert. Thick, claggy and overly sweet. We also ordered the calamari, which was like no calamari we had ever seen before. Cut into random shapes, barely coated in batter and so greasy you could run a car on it. Just awful in every way. To call it calamari is an insult. I went for the falafel bowl - which claimed to be freshly made falafels, whci I assume means freshly made from a package, because they were tiny, dry and tasteless. The 'herbed rice' was plain white rice. The 'pickled vegetables' were non-existent. The whole thing was just a joke. My sister in law had the halibut and chips. Almost as greasy as the calamari, but with more batter, which was overcooked. The fish was dry and the batter was heavy and awful. The chips were sad and limp. The best thing about it was the tartar sauce, which undoubtedly came from Chef Heinz. There was more, which was every bit as bad, but this review is long already. Suffice to say that if you want a view of the pier and a cold beer, this place will be OK - except they won't have the beer you want, or your second choice, or a good coffee when you run out of beer options. If you are after decent food, however, run away. Run far away. This place is a...