Bar Bao — Restaurant in Arlington

While the concept of this restaurant gave me high expectations, I had the worst restaurant experience to date. I wish I could put zero stars.

When we arrived at Bao it was around 1:45, and brunch ended at 3. This worked well for us since the brunch time limit was an hour and thirty minutes. The first table we sat at was sticky, and the table was wobbly. When asked to move to another table, we found the new table to be sticky as well. Making me question if they were following Covid protocols. It took about ten minutes for our server Yee to notice us. We started with mimosas, and then we ordered about 8 small plates. Since this is a tapas style restaurant, and we had been to other tapas places and ordered the same way, we did not see an issue with it. We also ordered a lot because when we asked our server Yee how long it takes food to come out, she said 15-20 minutes. As we only get one hour and thirty minutes for brunch, so, we thought it would be smart to start with various plates. Once we got our mimosas (which took a while even though there was no one seated at the bar) we waited for our food. It took over thirty minutes to receive our first food items, which was just shrimp. Our server kept telling us the kitchen was "backed up" even though other tables were getting food, some who came in after us. One thing I noticed was, if the Caucasian server was serving you, their food was coming out fast. Those tables also happened to be filled with white patrons. There were other tables who were also complaining of long wait times, and I even witnessed a table get sat, then they walked out after not being served for ten minutes. On top of this, there was clearly a large group of people who knew each other and the owners. They were interchanging tables, and even though we were told to wear a mask when not sitting at a table, various groups of people were walking around the restaurant with no masks. Whether to the bathroom, to the bar, or to the DJ who was setting up. So, now here we are, and around 2:30 we realize we have only been served shrimp and calamari. Even though we had put in for bao, basic breakfast items, and a few other dishes. When our server returns we order more food, so that we can get another round of plates, after seeing how slow service is. When we try to talk to our server Yee again about our food, she mentions the manager said our time was up. Im sorry? We had only been served three types of menu items, we still had time left as it wasn't 3pm, and there were tables still being served the bottomless brunch who had clearly been there longer than us. I then asked to speak to the manager. As my boyfriend was explaining the situation, you could tell the manager, Josh, did not care. Giving off a standoffish vibe. He then tells us that we were the ones who backed the kitchen up. How can you back a kitchen up ordering 8 tapas?? How is two people ordering 8 dishes different from the 4 top table next to us ordering two dishes each at the same time? How is the kitchen backed up if other tables are getting food, and others are not? Josh did not want to hear what we had to say, and ended it by saying, "thanks for coming by." I would have at least appreciated him taking accountability for the poor service, but instead he put the blame on us. And of course, at the last minute they brought out two more dishes for us, but it was just the basic breakfast items. So, after paying over $80 for bottomless brunch we received shrimp, calamari, watery eggs, luke-warm, obviously frozen dumplings, and 3 bacon strips. We ordered various Asian inspired items, including bao, which the restaurant is named for. We never received any of it. Save your money, and time by going...

BAR BAO just tried to remove my review. Here it is again:

I wouldn't recommend anyone come to this bar unless you want to be manhandled by men who clearly enjoy the power trip of being a bouncer. These bouncers only care about control, power, and demeaning other men.

I went here on the weekend and their night life staff are incredibly rude and highly unprofessional. When we arrived there were 2 bouncers. They allowed 2 large groups ahead of us in line to go ahead inside. The bouncers stopped us and we waited a good 5 minutes till we saw more people come out. During this time, I saw Bar Bao staff allow 2 groups of people who didn't wait in line into the establishment. Clearly these people were friends of the Bar Bao staff and that is fine. To allow these people to cut in line after practically drooling over the bouncers is up to Bar Bao, but it doesn't send the same message to other patrons.

Finally, one of the bouncers was about to let us in when the other bouncer stopped him. He rudely yelled, '10 bucks for dudes, 5 for girls'. What made me upset over this was his degrading tone and slight hint of pleasure he got by saying this to myself and my group of friends.

I understand that venues charge a cover fee, there's nothing wrong with that. However, in this case, Bar Bao employees decided to make up some arbitrary time to start requiring people who aren't their friends to pay to get into the venue.

Upon leaving Bar Bao, the bouncer staff yet again overstepped their job duties. As we were trying to get out, one of the bouncers thought that my friend was 'too close' to the entrance. He yelled at my friend to step away. My friend was appalled at this bouncer's behaviour. When my friend tried to speak, the bouncer pushed my friend with so much force that he fell backwards and could have cracked his head open. The careless bouncer was so hungry on his power trip that he didn't even realise that he had pushed me as well.

The bouncer didn't even notice or care and it is for all of these aforementioned reasons that I will never return to this sleazy...

My recent visit to Bar Bao in Arlington, VA, unfortunately, left much to be desired. The overall cleanliness of the establishment was notably lacking, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. From the moment I entered, it was evident that the maintenance of the restaurant fell short of expectations. Tables were unclean, and the overall tidiness left much to be desired.

One of the most distressing aspects of my experience was the state of the restroom, which I found to be downright disgusting. A clean and well-maintained restroom is a fundamental expectation for any dining establishment, and the conditions I encountered were far from acceptable. This aspect alone significantly impacted the overall impression of the restaurant.

Equally disappointing was the quality of the food. Dining out is an experience that should delight the senses, but unfortunately, the dishes at Bar Bao did not meet this expectation. The flavors were lackluster, and the presentation did little to elevate the dining experience. It's disheartening when a restaurant falls short in delivering on the promise of a satisfying culinary adventure.

Adding to the frustration was the cost of the meal, which I found to be disproportionately high considering the subpar quality of both the ambiance and the food. While I understand that dining out often comes with a certain price tag, there is an inherent expectation that the cost reflects a commensurate level of quality. In this case, the expense did not align with the overall disappointing experience.

In conclusion, my visit to Bar Bao in Arlington, VA, was marked by a series of disappointments—ranging from the lack of cleanliness to the unsatisfactory food quality and the unappealing restroom conditions. As a patron, I believe it's crucial to share these experiences to encourage establishments to reassess their standards and strive for the excellence that customers...