Chang's Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Houston

Very rude manager. I nearly broke a tooth on a STAPLE INSIDE my piece of chicken. The manager got angry with me, said he was "too busy" to apologize, and hung up on me.

When I called to complain about the staple, the following happened:

ME: I just picked up a sesame chicken, and there was a staple in my chicken. HIM: What was your order? ME: Sesame chicken. HIM: What time? ME: About an hour ago. HIM: Oh. Hmm. What was your order? What time? ME: Sesame chicken. An hour ago. Why does it matter? HIM: Ma'am! I'm trying to find your order! I have to find it. We are very busy! ME: I'm just confused why you keep asking about my order. I thought the first thing you were going to do was apologize for the staple in my chicken. HIM: We're so busy. I need to find your order. ME: You're too busy to apologize?! HIM: What you want ma'am? You want to come pick up a new order of sesame chicken? ME: No, I was hoping you would apologize. HIM: Okay fine! If you want me to say sorry, fine! I'm sorry! I'm sorry 1000 times! I'm trying to solve your problem! ME: It didn't seem like it. HIM: Bring me your sesame chicken and I'll give you a new one. ME: I don't want a new one! I don't want to eat anything from your restaurant. (This is not just be being rude, I am actually thoroughly disgusted at the thought of eating anything from there right now.) HIM: Bring me the staple and I will put a note that says free sesame chicken. ME: I want my money refunded from today. HIM: I believe you that you found a staple! But I need to show the chef the staple! You bring the chicken and I give you free sesame chicken! ME: I just want a refund. HIM: Fine! You don't want the sesame chicken, then fine! :::click::: (yes, he hung up on me)

So here's the thing -- I've been to this place maybe 7 or 8 times, always during lunch as it's within walking distance to my office. It's a reasonable lunch spot, specials available just like in every other Chinese restaurant. Very tasty crab puffs. They don't seem to hire enough waiters for the lunch rush, so they always seem a little haggard and crabby. I'm not bothered by it, they're just trying to get to everyone.

TONIGHT: I got a to-go order and came back to the office. I seem to chew my food more thoroughly than other people. So, I'm sitting there, chewing my sesame chicken (the other reviewer who said it was right -- the sesame chicken IS really tough), when I felt a sharp pain on one of my molars. I freaked out, and thought, oh God, is my crown breaking off? Felt around with my tongue, nope, felt fine. Chewed again, and owwww.

So I had the delightful task of spitting my half-chewed food out onto my hand to inspect it. And I found a STAPLE. It was not in the rice, I would have seen it -- it was hidden in the chicken. Thankfully I didn't SWALLOW it ... an open staple going down my throat, sitting in my stomach, travelling through my whole intestine, ripping up who knows what.

Would it have killed the guy to be at least a little horrified? My deduction is that he was not in the least bit horrified, because a) he just doesn't care and b) it probably happens all the time (or something similar). None of which convinces me to ever eat there again....

PLEASE READ.....trust me, you will want to know this!!!! (COCKROACH INFESTATION) Let me start by saying that this restaurant has been a favorite of mine for several months since moving to Houston a year ago. I have always been happy with the food except for on one visit about two or three months ago. Had an entree come out that just did not taste good for the first time while eating there. I nicely asked if I could get something else instead as it just did not taste right. The waitress was a bit snippy and acted like they did not want to fix it and then went on to say in a rude way that "well, no once else has complained about the chicken today". They brought out a different entree but like half the portion as normal, obviously trying to make up for having to already make another entree before (being cheap). I paid the bill but wrote a note on the back of that receipt to the server basically saying there it was not appreciated that she was rude and that I had been a loyal customer and would not be coming back. I also left no tip. About three weeks ago, I decided to go back and give it a second chance since the food had been good before. I took my close friend who had never been there this afternoon for late lunch and while we were eating our food, my friend saw a cockroach walking across the wine list. She pointed and told me and I jumped up fast as I am terrified of roaches plus we were both freaked out. We told our server and another employee too. One of the employees removed the wine list with the roach still on there. We were ready of coarse to immediately get out of there and be done. The manager only offered a 10% discount because "the roach was not in the food". It was crazy. They acted like it was not a big deal. They even tried to make an excuse by saying that the roach was probably out because they had just sprayed. Like it was not a typical problem. We told them we wanted 20% off so they let us pay the 80%. We were about to leave and my friend went back over to the table to make sure we did not leave anything on the table before we left and the lady bussing our table had put a roach bait on top of the table while she was wiping things down that must have come from behind the table by the wall or on the floor under our table and my friend saw the top of the bait as it was like a red, see through top and she saw that it was full of roaches. Obviously, they not only have a roach problem but they knew about it too from putting the baits out. It was truly disgusting and the employees and manager were not nice or did not seem concerned. I would not go to eat there! They obviously have a big roach problem. If roaches are out when the lights are on, it's noisy and people are in there, can you even imagine what it's like at night when the lights are out and it's quiet???? It's probably crawling everywhere with roaches. Take your business elsewhere. Don't spend your money in a dirty, pest infested restaurant. I will never go back! Manager is an extremely rude man too! Very nasty personality!...

I usually write great reviews to support local business in my neighborhood. I have ordered food from Chang’s numerous of times. The food quality has always been wonderful. It saddens me to part ways with the establishment for their lack of urgency and professionalism. A few colleagues in Houston have visited this restaurant an ordered to go, due to the all the horrible feedback that was given from guest of color. I myself have decided to do a in house visit. I ordered over the phone and excited as always, I would drive lengths to this restaurant. The food is extremely delicious, but like all great things, there is a lack in customer service. When I walked in I was not greeted by anyone. A waitress look at me and didn’t even acknowledge that I was in the room. I was at the counter patiently waiting, the same waitress walked in and out of the main dining room multiple times, still no one greeted me. She didn’t even have the decency to get the hostess. After waiting a woman approaches the stand and did not greet me and the asked what do you need, I explained that I had to go order of fried rice. The exchange was so dry and uncomfortable. I get the food and their is no silverware. Once I asked for silverware it was almost like she did not want to give it to me.

Let me be very clear. Houston, has some of the most amazing Chinese restaurants and to have this establishment in our neighborhood, I will NEVER spend money here again. It’s clear that this is how they treat their guest of color. Do not support a business that thinks it’s okay to behave in this manner. I tip every restaurant I visit and I refuse to tip this place. The lack of customer service and cold behavior is not necessary. I don’t see why this interaction had to take place, the restaurant was not even busy, there was only one person. I will never support a business like this, my colleagues were correct. Super sad to know that a placed I once loved, will never be a place I will do...