Ninja City Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Cleveland

Disgusting practices rude behavior and tbh looks unauthentic anyways

Me and my brother stopped by a while back, I felt really uncomfortable and conflicted leaving this review but was told by a staff member to be honest about my experience. So here it is, We came in super excited to try the menu and the staff sat us at the bar. Mind you this was a very slow night maybe 3 or 4 customers in the restaurant. Bar tender tended to her friends neglected us for about 20 mins along with the rest of staff. we looked around trying to wave any other staff, I raised my hand, waved, even said hey, hello. Nothing for 40 min we sat there confused. They intentionally ignored us!

The staff saw us we made eye contact countless times but the ladies seemed to want to pretend to be busy but we're full pelt deep in conversations gossiping and would just roll their eyes away at us. She chatted to her friends took her bills and continued to not even walk over to us. Mind you we are sitting at the bar.

We were so conffuessed I began asking my brother did we do something to offend anyone, am I being paranoid or are they legit forgetting us.

I've worked in the service industry to pay my way in school, there was no excuse for this lack of respect. It's disgusting, I almost felt like reporting this. We walked over from the bar I felt so embarrassed to bring my brother here after we saw the menu online to not be served. Now wait for this...

We told them we were gonna go...The lack of contempt, basic morals or empathy we were given was.. " have a good one guys" snarky or just plain oblivious to guests. They knew what they were doing. Condescending & rude.

I kindly told the servers we've been waiting beyond a reasonable time, there care for customers is I guess there if you fit the profile of the kind of customers they want to serve. There have been remarks about gentrification going on and judgemental types of patrons that go into the restaurant at the time this going on we found out. You'll know what I mean. And it's sad to think people aren't racist, judgemental or prejudice.

They didn't make an effort to ask is everything Ok? Why were we leaving. Or I'm sorry can we take your order they wanted us OUT.. The only lady I could say made sense if she was busy was one who looked pregnant but all others must hate to serve certain men I guess. If you're not a hipster type or are a certain minority is how we felt.

We were confussed extremely offended but almost found the whole ordeal quite amusing tbh. A member of staff enlightened us about the sentiment of the workers there and told us they have been caught getting complaints. And the host seemed nice but also oblivious.

My personal recommendation come here if you fit the vibe of the staff what ever that's ment to be and I hope you never have to be treated the way we were.

We will never return or bring group's of people here after this. Honestly I'm not even too sure menu is even worth the effort we made. Well just go townhall or somewhere where at least the staff welcome you and try to take your order almost every few mins while they are actually jam packed.

I hope the owner gets on this, as a business owner it's a terrible way to slowly ruin your profits and reputation.

P.s please don't discriminate guests

Plot twist I just looked up other reviews and people have said the same thing. Is it because of the gentrification going on in the neighborhood or do staff not like people of color...

Edit: Thank you for the kind reply. The reason we were able to enter the restaurant was because there was a delivery being made (truck out front, guy with a dolly bringing stuff in through the front) and the doors were wide open. It would have been helpful for one of the BOH workers to acknowledge our existence and explain the problem, rather than us being awkwardly ignored. No major offense taken. I know how awesome the place can be. I still believe that the LOUD music was disruptive, as we were the only people there and it was hard to have a conversation. The music began after we had ordered our food, so what began as a chill lunch suddenly tried to become a BUMPIN nightlife kind of vibe. Not appropriate for 5 casual people in an otherwise empty place 😆.🥳

Original review: Been here for dinner several times before with friends and guests. Always decent. Never been for lunch until today. We got there at noon when they opened but the server didn't arrive until 12:20 and no one acknowledged our presence until I made confused eye contact with a BOH person who told us the server was running late. We had seated ourselves. No one even got us waters or anything.

We were entertaining out of town guests and I was embarrassed to have suggested this place. Once the server got there we were promptly given menus and drink orders.

Our food was good, although one of our guests mentioned to us as we were leaving that her dumpling appetizer was supposed to have 3 dumplings and she was only given two?

Well I have no idea how normal of an occurrence this semi-ambivalent lunch service is, but thank goodness I have been here before and know how great they are capable of being, because of that had been my first visit I wouldn't come back. I can offer grace for the server who may have had some legit reason to be late, life happens. It was just less ideal than I'm used to from Ninja City.

Also the music was about two notches too loud for a lunch vibe.

We will most likely be back, this must have...

Their fried ice cream is the most delicious item in Cleveland. Sound like anywhere else and it has fresh rhubarb topping. Oh my gosh.... It's actually better than the fried ice cream at the fair they could probably open up a store just for their fried ice cream it would probably be successful. But they also make quality delicious menu items. Their food is so good.... I wish I could eat there everyday, with new restaurants popping up all over Cleveland, I hope this one stays forever because it's also very unique. I don't know how they get that food to taste so good without all the negatives tastes associated with Vietnamese and Korean food that I'm used to. Like a lot of Asian places all taste the same to me, and it's like they use a lot of the same ingredients and it ends up too spicy or too hot or processed. Ninja City delivers Korean food that is delicious and Hardy but it doesn't make me feel full or bloated ever. Every time I eat there I feel good afterwards and that's the most important thing I pay attention to while I'm eating out. A couple times I said hi to the cooks in there and I think they are very very proud of each plate that they send out. I feel like their food is made with love and I get really good vibes being there. I've never written a review this positive before. I mean it, go here, you'll like it, don't be afraid to try foods you've never tried before, they turn out amazing here. My stomach can't handle spicy foods at all, but I can handle every item at Ninja City because it's just made differently. Some whole foods have a little kick but ninja City brings it out in a good way, not in a way that makes your nose run. You don't have to wipe any grease off your fingers after eating any item and Ninja City. Their food is very clean and light, but still...