Trader Vic's — Restaurant in Emeryville

I've been meaning to leave a review of my experience having Mother's Day Brunch at the Emeryville location. Originally, I called the restaurant to provide feedback and left a message with one of the staff members to have a manager return my call, but no one did.

The brunch reservations were made 1 month in advance via Open Table. At that time there was no mention of the pre-fixe menu upon making the reservation. There was also not a text message or email confirmation with the pre-fixe menu later. Therefore, we were surprised upon arriving that there was a $125/pp pre-fixe menu and $35/child pre-fixe menu charge. Since we made the reservations and drove all the way there, we felt like we were stuck, and it was too late to back out. There was also not an option to order off their regular menu which is much more reasonably priced. I will say I did check the website later that day and found you could click a banner for more info on the brunch and it did list the price after investigation, but I am 98% sure it wasn't posted at the time we made the reservation.

We were very excited to try Trader Vic's as we love tropical drinks. Mother's Day is a big brunch holiday, but this really felt like we were being ripped off. We ordered two cocktails each for my husband and myself, and the full brunch menu for my family of 4, and the total came to $475 including tax, extra charges, and gratuity!!!! $475 for brunch for 2 adults and 2 kids!?!?! The drinks were outstanding, but the food was just okay, especially for the price. It really left a bad taste in our mouth since we felt like we were taken advantage of.

I hope the management team sees this review and decides to change their Mother's Day brunch to something much more reasonable in the future. Moms don't deserve to get ripped off on their special day! (I honestly could have used the money to buy something I really needed!) Or at the very least, please do a better job notifying customers in advance if you plan to charge them for a very expensive pre-fixe menu and there's no option to order off the regular...

I’m a regular guest at Trader Vic’s, and it’s always been one of my favorite places — great food, good atmosphere, and usually excellent service. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was very disappointing and not up to the standard I’ve come to expect.

Our server was rude and dismissive, which really surprised me since the staff is normally friendly and attentive. I ordered the Tuna Poke, and the portion I received was unusually small — nothing like what I’ve had before or what I’ve seen in other guests’ photos (look at the photo from 9 months ago). I even took a picture, and the difference is clear. When I politely asked for a little more avocado (I should have had more tuna) , I was told it would cost extra, which didn’t feel right given how small the dish already was.

The Bar Manager came to our table and was very professional and kind. He listened to our concerns about our other plate and offered to replace the pork slices, which were noticeably drier than usual. Unfortunately, after that interaction, our server seemed upset and avoided our table for the rest of the meal. The replacement meat — including the ribs — was still quite dry, and when we asked for some sauce to help, the tension from the server made things uncomfortable.

Another manager was walking by and asked for our check, and decided to leave.

I’m sharing this because I truly enjoy Trader Vic’s and have had many great experiences here before. I hope management can look into improving consistency in food quality and portions, and provide some additional customer service training. I’d love to come back and have the kind of experience that made me a regular in the...

I have to say: While the atmosphere is interesting, and the view of the bay is nice, the food is way overpriced for what you’re given. I ordered a $58 “Indonesian” Lamb Chop plate after a $15 vegetarian spring roll appetizer. The five tiny vegetarian spring rolls with a little bowl of sweet and sour sauce looked like they came out of a Costco microwavable box. The lamb chops, about four groups of two, which I had to cut apart, although juicy, were somewhat bland, and the only sauces they had (which I had to ask for) were chimichurri and Sriracha to make them flavorful. Besides the lamb chops, the only sides were a dollop of white rice and a small slice of orange dipped in sweet and sour sauce. There was absolutely nothing “Indonesian,“ or for that matter Asian, about this dish. There wasn’t even a vegetable! While I was happy to treat the I two relatives I brought here, I expected a lot more value and something much more special than what was received. With a tip, I spent $350! I tipped well for the good service, but I almost wanted to subtract some for the overpriced and mediocre food, which I ate all of because I was hungry. The drinks were OK. I was directed to this restaurant by the staff of the hotel I was staying at. I looked on Google maps much later and realized that there were many options for places to eat if I just would’ve looked inland a bit instead of on the jetty of land that I was given three choices of places to eat at by the staff at the Hilton Garden Inn. I wonder if they have a business...