Picnic Sushi — Restaurant in Fort Lee

I called ahead and was told that they don’t take reservations, only walk ins. We arrived on a weekday for dinner. From outside, the dining area is very small and limited. I could see that every table was full. Waiting was fine no problem. I entered to get on the wait list.

Here’s where the problems start. I walked into the restaurant and immediately did not feel welcome as no one said ANYTHING to us. No acknowledgment whatsoever. Not even a simple “hello!” I walked over to the older Korean lady behind the register (assuming she is the owner) and told her how many people we have. She didn’t say a word but she just looked annoyed that we even walked in as the place was busy. Moments go by with more awkward silence she didn’t even ask me my name or if I wanted to be on the waitlist. I actually spoke out again and ask to be put a waitlist. She takes down my phone number and says “it’s okay if you change your mind and want to cancel” 😐 Sounded like she did not want our business but I wanted sushi so..

We walk outside a bit and come back when our table is ready. I read some reviews saying you can only order 3 times so we order more rolls. We came in hungry and because it was almost closing time we wanted to make sure we got most of the order we wanted first.

The server also didn’t say much. I had my kids with me and ordered the chicken teriyaki from the ayce menu. It didn’t come with rice so I asked the server for some rice and she pointed to a empty bowl. Whatever..I ended up using rice from the sushi instead and made it work.

They start bringing out the rolls and then the older Korean lady comes back and says “you order too much!” Almost in a scolding tone. They only brought out about 75% of what we ordered which is fine I guess. She had told us they charge for food we don’t finish but we were confident that we could finish it. She still wasn’t so sure so stared us down the whole time as we were eating. The specialty rolls are also HUGE here. It varies from place to place so I think that’s why she told us that.

After we finished the first round, we wanted to order more so we asked for the menu again and she seemed so surprised. I thought that is what we came for..”all you can eat”? 😐

Anyway bottom line, sushi is great, service could use some...

I have frequent here for the longest time since they started (new owner from the previous picnic). Admittingly their food was good, I have brought a few friends to join me and sometimes I dine alone. And when I dine alone, I never take up table if they are busy and being a small place and being supportive towards their business, I usually come back some other day. I knew the owner well (so I thought) and I always paid by cash and tip generously. I was away for a while and came back to dine during lunch and to my dismay I am not allowed to have AYCE because I am alone. It would be fine if they acknowledged that I was a regular and would at least give a break because I was away when they implemented these rules but they asked me to call a friend in to have AYCE. It used to be a norm that ok to serve one person (like any other restaurant). I respect that they can do anything that they want with their establishment but whatever happened to all the goodwill and support that I had been giving all these years. I guess it does not mean much.

Maybe this post was a bit personal but I think that if a place going to implement rule (whether it is AYCE or not) no one should be implementing restriction to dining alone. Discrimination such as if you want to order these then you must have certain number of people in my opinion is wrong. It is fun to come with friends but it is also natural that sometimes we eat alone. A person should not be declined menu items just because they did not come with a friend. And it's just Sushi. Granted they will be making money when there are two people eating as there would be less rolls consumed or / and wanting to maximize their seating capacity but when the place is almost empty - still it is not an excuse to menu discriminate based on people count.

So for those of you who wanted to dine alone and have AYCE - know that you are not eligible to eat there because of your one person status. Since their profit margin from you would be thinner, they would not want your business.

And for all the single people out there and those who potentially want to dine alone (or the lonely) well congrats, you have been unnecessarily filtered out because this establishment don't want people like you or value your choice and privacy!

Very...

Deeply Disappointed After 14 Years of Loyalty

My family and I have been loyal customers of Picnic in Fort Lee for over 14 years, visiting multiple times a week since my daughter was in elementary school. We have always considered it a neighborhood gem… until our most recent visit, which was extremely disappointing and concerning.

We visited with a small group that included my daughter’s friend and her sister, who has a severe allergy to pork. She ordered a sushi platter and clearly requested no pork. When the platter arrived, she took a few bites and immediately felt nauseous and dizzy. She stopped eating, inspected the remaining pieces, and noticed something that didn’t look right. When we asked the server, he confirmed the dish did contain pork, apologized, and admitted a mistake was made.

Within minutes, she became physically ill and began vomiting once we left. The rest of our plans for the day had to be cancelled so she could go home, medicate, and recover. Anyone with food allergies knows how dangerous this could have been.

Naturally, we expected the dish to be removed from the bill. Shockingly, it was NOT. When we brought it to their attention, the response was dismissive and rude. The owner, who has always greeted us warmly for years, appeared irritated that the item needed to be removed, instead of showing concern for the guest who had a reaction due to their negligence. Not once did anyone check to see if she was okay or offer any support.

This left us questioning how many times we may have eaten food here believing it was one thing, when it may have been something else. That is a serious trust issue, especially for customers with dietary restrictions or allergies.

Food mistakes happen, but how a restaurant handles them defines its integrity, safety standards, and respect for those who dine there. The lack of accountability and compassion shown was extremely disappointing.

As much as it pains me to say, after 14 years of loyalty, we will not be returning. I cannot recommend Picnic to anyone with food allergies or anyone who expects proper care when a restaurant makes a mistake. When the owner sets this type of example, it reflects on the entire staff.

A customer’s well being should never feel...