Hunan Empress — Restaurant in Chesterfield

After three botched call-in, take out orders in a row over the past two months, we'll be looking for a different Chinese restaurant. It's a shame because this was a great restaurant before the new owners took over. Despite what other's have said in their reviews about the taste/quality of the food, we still love it and haven't noticed a difference. Our discontent is strictly regarding call-in, take out experience since we rarely eat in.

Here's what we've experienced with phone in orders recently:

First time: Ordered a combo of chicken and broccoli, but found when I got home that they'd put something completely different in the bag. Called the restaurant and the guy I talked to delivered the correct food to our home and took the wrong food with him. I should mention that the order information attached to the bag was all correct.

Second time: Ordered steamed rice for the dinner combos, but received fried rice (which is the default). Didn't discover this until I got home with the order. Minor issue to us, but not what we ordered. Again, the order information on the bag was correct.

Third time: Ordered two chicken and broccoli combos, one with garlic sauce. When I got there to pick it up, I noticed the order information was incorrect (there was one chicken and broccoli and one beef and broccoli listed). The woman putting orders together asked me three times what I'd ordered while I waited for them to get the correct items together. They finally got the chicken and broccoli parts correct, but, at the last minute, she realized they'd packed two egg drop soups instead of a hot and sour and an egg drop. They gave us the extra egg drop soup and some additional crab rangoon for the trouble.

The two times I let them know the orders weren't correct, they certainly worked to make it right. However, consistently making mistakes on orders is an unacceptable level of service. It not only adds frustration for customers; it drives up costs due to wasted food (and packaging, in the case of take out orders).

Update: I decided to try ordering online a while after posting the original review. They got the order right that way so we’ve continued to order online about every other week. The results have been substantially better with every order being 100% correct (including modifications specified in special...

A year ago after leaving my optometrist office in Chesterfield I patronized this restaurant for the first time. The service, food, and price were EXCELLENT. The older man that waited on me was so professional. This past Thursday after leaving my optometrist office I just new that my experience would be the same, but it was HORRIBLE. No time of operations posted on window or door. I arrived a little before 11:00am. Door was locked. Young slim guy with blue top was walking around in the area near the door ignored me. When I did beckon for him to come to window/door for me to inqure when would they open he appeared to be annoyed and frustrated, opened the door and YELLED, "11:00", as he twisted his head and neck as some impolite people do. He slammed the door and walked away. At that point I knew that I no longer trusted the restaurant to take my order, but did wanted to wait until they opened to report his bad behavior and attitude. I waited outside and he returned and yelled again, "You can come in. You don't have to wait outside". I hope he new that I definitely would not make an order after how he had just treated me for no reason at all. I asked why was he yelling and being rude to customers? Did he have a problem? Why was he upset? He rambled something off, again moving his head and neck. At that point I told him that the best way to correct his attitude was to not patronize the restaurant. Again, he yelled out several times as I walked away, "bye!". Good for me and bad for him: I went to another nearby restaurant, received excellent food, service, and price. Told them about Hunan and they said that they Never go there. Best way to solve their problem is to stop patronizing them. There are too many other choices and options. We should...

I’ve dreaded the day my favorite Chinese restaurant of 34 years changed owners or closed. While the cashew chicken was very good and the potstickers are still handmade (not frozen), the food is not the same. The fried potstickers, for which I would drive all the way from O’Fallon, MO to buy, are now deep fried and crispy all over. No longer soft on top and pan fried on the bottom. The meat is now a dark brown and does not taste the same. The sauce that goes with them has also changed. The portions are much smaller and the price is much higher. The tables are now difficult to sit at because of the ornate designed that hangs down above your lap. The time it took for our food to come out was way too long. Our waitress was very nice, but the service was slow. Ultimately, they should have changed the name rather than leading us to believe it is still the same place. Very sad to see...