China Bowl Express — Restaurant in Dallas

And so begins Part Two of our tale: Trouble on the China Bowl Express. If you are just tuning in, pause now and turn your dials over to Rice Bowl on Garland Rd for Part One of this jaw-dropping journey. Go ahead, I'll wait on you. Unlike the employees at this establishment...

.... So we make it over to China Bowl Express in record time. Of course it is around the corner, so it's barely 9:35, 9:40 at the latest. Thier door also advertises a closing time of 10:00pm. And their mindlessly strobing neon headband is screaming at my retinas one glorious little word; "open." We cheer, as silently and begrudgingly as we can internally, and walk inside. The woman behind the counter in this small town has her pen and paper ready to go, and demands to know if we are eating here or to-go. I glance over at my slowly simmering SO, suggesting with eye darts that maybe now is the time to succumb to the "get out" stares and inside jokes of our homestead. But no lesson learned here, we trudge on forward with another "here, please." Met, with volcanic results, by "but we close at ten." We couldn't hold back any longer.

I think it's time for another commercial break. This time let's revisit Customer Service Rule Number 174: You don't close until we are done. It's not ten yet, you aren't closed yet, and we haven't eaten yet. In the food service industry. - Hell, in EVERY industry, if people show up at 9:59 and 59 seconds, they get service. They get a table, you get a table, we get a table. EVERYBODY GETS A GOD DAMN TABLE. Somebody call Oprah.

Now. Not only did this employee of the year insist and force us into a to-go order, but she pretty much laid down the red carpet for the Mother of all Customer Service. Long Live the Queen.

Sister Mary Hospitality came blazing into the dining room on a cloud of fabuloso and sesame oil. It blew this former restaurant managers mind to hear her flat out argue with us, another regular diner, and the two gentlemen that came in after. I won't take up your entire afternoon with the pure idiocy that came out of this Edamame.. but (cue the theme from Sports Center), let's review the highlights, shall we?

"It's late and this not safe area. People get robbed."

"No. We close at ten."

"Not enough time. Only fifteen minutes. You take to-go. We closing. Here's your chopstick."

"NO, WE CLOSE AT TEN."

Let's just say, after that, there were five of us waiting for to-go orders, all commiserating and conspiring (and loudly announcing) to write reviews online. If nothing else, I'm a woman of my word.

So pay attention friends, fans, neighbors, fellow foodies, bloggers, big mouths, and all lovers of good food and better service: pay attention as these two words jump off your screen, blinking as bright as that open sign at 10:02pm in the pouring down rain: STAY AWAY.

EPILOGUE The...

Just went for an order today, went through the drive through and after I pay and am returned my card, the lady comes back and says, "you know your card was canceled the last time you ordered here" (which was a few weeks ago) and I was confused because that day I wasn't told about any declines or cancelations I was just given my food everything was fine as far as I knew. She began explaining how they had a new girl that day and she accidentally canceled my order and basically gave me the food for free. I was thinking that would be the end of it since after telling me this she closed the window and went back inside. After a few minutes she returned still without my good but had a couple of receipts asking if I was going to make the payment for the canceled order. I said "No, why would I have to pay for that??" genuinely confused. I get her logic but she started saying how her boss has been asking her about it, im assuming they got in trouble for not processing the payment so she's trying to cover her butt by making me pay for it. Regardless, I refused stating that I understood but its crazy unprofessional to try and shake me down for my money for a meal that was placed weeks ago. I didn't knowingly take "free food" that was a mistake on the employees part. Finally after me trying to sympathize and explain how I wasn't trying to be difficult she went on to say, "don't you feel bad for eating free food?" trying to guilt me. At that point I was done I told them to forget the food if it's an issue but she closed the window on me brought me my food and gave me the most stank attitude while closing the window. I used to love this place growing up , the food is fine its just that one situation that has forever put a bad taste...

My sweet wife and I stopped in for dinner after church, ordered at the counter and sat down. Only one entree was brought and after staring at it for a while and watching it get cold I got up to inquire of the other one so we could begin eating. After awkwardly standing at the counter waiting for the rest of our dinner the waitress breezed past me with it in handand sat it on our table. I thought, am I invisible? I returned to my wife and the by now stone cold half of dinner. We split the warm, just delivered entree. It was absolutely terrible. Vegetables were completely raw. Just then a very aggressive older Chinese woman marched over attempting to explain that only one dish was brought so it would'nt get cold sitting in the kitchen awaiting preparation of the other one?? Heat lamp anyone. She got louder as I explained that neither my wife nor I were going to sit there and eat in front of the other one awaiting the rest of our food. At that point three employees walked over and handed us 2 take out boxes! WE put our food in the boxes, got up and left.

We are older people, were nicely dressed and just thought, never again as we drove home. On returning home I poured each of us a glass of wine and made a nice dinner.

I would strongly suggest that you save yourself the frustration we experienced one Saturday night and...