Lao Sze Chuan — Restaurant in Houston

Worst experience ever!!! This place will rip you off!

Placed an order last evening through the restaurant’s online ordering service with more than an hour ‘s notice. When the food arrived it was the wrong order. I called the restaurant and was told they would replace my order if I BROUGHT IT BACK ….mind you, the whole reason for me to place an order for delivery is that I was recently discharged from hospital and unable to walk or drive, even though I live less than 1/4 mile from the restaurant, it was not possible. They did NOT suggest bringing me another order to replace the incorrect order, but asked me to bring it back and that my order would be ready in about 20 minutes. I asked if both my delivery charge and tip (which totaled nearly $17) would be refunded and the charges reversed on my card and was told that it would.

I was able to enlist someone to return the order so I agreed. Immediately upon hanging up, the restaurant CALLED ME BACK to request that I bring the order back IMMEDIATELY, presumably so they could get it to the proper recipient. When the person I was able to enlist to collect my order got to the restaurant, he reminded the staff of what they agreed to, and they said that yes, it would be refunded to my card immediately. My original “delivery” order finally arrived because I had to have someone pick it up for me. Lo and behold, it was ice cold.

No reversal of charges notification ever appeared last evening. I called the restaurant back about an hour later, and the phone went unanswered.

What offends me is that this whole instance is clearly lack of concern for the customer. I’ve had food from Lao Sze Chuan on several occasions since they opened last year and have enjoyed it. Mixing up a customer order is one thing. But taking money for a service, not providing that service, and then asking the customers to fix the problem themselves at their own expense without returning the customer’s payment is theft. If I had been the owner, I would be doing everything I could to apologize and grow my business rather than blatantly trying to cover my mistakes at the customer’s expense.

Word-of-mouth is very, VERY important in the restaurant business and I have nothing positive to say about this experience. A simple phone call and refund would have prevented me from writing this review, but it didn’t happen and I don’t expect it to at this point. If it does, I’ll be happy to take...

Upon entering Lao Sze Chuan, one can immediately sense the potential for a grand culinary experience, given the ambiance and aroma. The high point of our visit was undoubtedly the food. Each dish showcased an exquisite use of fresh ingredients that hinted at an authentic, deep-rooted passion for the culinary arts. The flavors were robust, and the quality of the food ingredients was truly commendable.

However, the impeccable taste was somewhat overshadowed by the service we received. Our evening began with our waiter overlooking our detailed instructions, which, for a dining enthusiast, can be quite significant. A key misstep was the simultaneous serving of the appetizer with the main courses. The traditional sequence of a meal, where appetizers pave the way for the main dishes, was disrupted. This not only affected the flow of our meal but also meant that while we waited for the few lagging dishes, others turned lukewarm, compromising the overall dining experience.

To further compound the situation, one of our ordered dishes was conspicuously late, making its appearance only after most of our group had nearly concluded their meals. While mistakes can occur, we also discovered upon bill payment that this same tardy dish was charged twice, adding a small yet significant error to our overall experience.

In summary, while Lao Sze Chuan promises a culinary delight with its food quality, it would do well to address these lapses in service. Such attention to detail in service, matched with their food quality, would elevate the dining experience to the level one would expect from such an...

Update: I missed good Chinese so tried them again, this time through Uber Eats. It was wonderful! I have had bad days and I guess I just caught them on a bad day last time, too.

We started with pork buns. I’ve missed pork buns since I left San Francisco and these did not disappoint. Fluffy bun generously filled with well seasoned pork. Chef Tony’s Favorite Chicken is mine now, too. Crispy, spicy, full of flavor. The golden salted eggplant was another hit. All is forgiven. —————————— I went for the first time last Friday, dining in, and it was awesome. Decided to get takeout today as it really was the best Chinese food I’ve had since moving to Houston and I missed this cuisine. I ordered online through their website for a pickup time of 7:15. I arrived at 7:15. There was one table dining in but several others came by to pick up their orders. I was told it would be another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I went back in and was told it’s “almost ready.” Well, “almost ready” was another 10 minutes. So 20 minutes after my pickup time, my food was ready. Not a single acknowledgement that this was late, no apology, just handed me the bag. I arrived home 5 minutes later and started plating dinner. The fried rice was fine. The dry fried green beans were fantastic. The orange crispy beef was mushy with pieces so big they needed a knife, very different than the Friday night before. It’s rare that I write a bad review, however I left there feeling like they thought it was my fault that the food wasn’t ready at the agreed time and that was the final...