Park Chalet — Restaurant in San Francisco

I am still in disbelief on how rudely my wife, my kids (9 and 12) and I have ben treated and asked to leave this restaurant. If you want to know how a completely incompetent, rude manager can lead to refusing service to a family of 4 with two young kids, read on...

The sad part is I have been going to Park Chalet for years. It has average food and service but it has a unique garden just across the Ocean beach and a great access to Golden Gate Park. My wife organized many school events there with very large groups. Like one reviewer on Google puts it, "great beer and garden, airline food and service". I did not know the airline service had followed United trend to go all the way to expel its customers :).

On a beautiful Sunday (today May 21st), I decided to go biking with my kids and wife to the Golden Gate Park and finish at Park Chalet for a late lunch . My mother in law was going to join us by uber. We arrived around 1.30PM and th place was packed because it was Day to Breakers race. Park Chalet has a seated restaurant, with tables inside and on a deck , and a separate area open on week ends in he garden with more causal food and limited drink menu.

All the restaurant tables were full. My kids were starving so we ordered form outside ( 3 hot dogs and two glasses of wine:$75 after tax and (mandatory service fee...).

As everyone we were looking at people leaving form the tables. A couple just got a table outside on the deck in front of us. We spotted a group of 8 leaving and asked them if they were leaving. They said yes. As we were seating, an employee was cleaning the table and did not tell us anything about not taking the table. There was no signs stating the table was reserved, or a general sign stating to be seated by a host in this area. We (4 people plus a fifth on its way) took one of the two freed tables. A lady, alone with her dog, walking directly form the park took the table next to us. She ordered food right away but we missed the waiter, so called another waitress a few minutes later. The waitress started by asking us if we were seated by the hostess. We told her the truth, at which point she explained we had to leave because there was a waiting list to get those tables. We explained that many tables including our neighbor got the table directly, but instead of trying to help resolve the issue (like see if anyone was waiting at reception - there was in fact no one!) , she called the manager.

the manager, a 50 ish man with glasses arrived and explained right away we had to leave. I protested, explained there was no signs, and that all people around us had just done the same as us, just took a seat. But to no effect, he said we had to leave right a way. At this point, my kids were finishing their hot dogs, my wife her drink and my mother in law was about to arrive. We explained the situation but to no effect. The manager right away called the security guard and told he would call the police. My wife started to protest and explain that her mother was about to arrive. But the manager literally ran and called some park rangers that were patrolling in the area. Meanwhile, my wife went to reception to ask for the table. The manager ran to reception and asked the receptionist to refuse us service. A group of 4 rangers/municipal police showed up, so we explained we just wanted to order new food and eat lunch with my family. After hearing our story, the policemen actually could not believe it either. They actually went and talked the manager into letting us seat at the restaurant, but the stubborn man refused. The policemen were apologetic and could not believe it but explained that the manager had rights to refuse service....While we were talking, two other groups took tables directly form the park. Of course they were served. I guess we did not have funny costumes and were dressed normally (most customers came from the race), or had 4 people on the table versus one like my neighbor.... Message to the restaurant: Hire a manager that can deal with a busy day and still treat customers n a...

I'm going to have to re-review this place, unfortunately. I don't know if they've gone under new management in the last couple years, but the service has gone downhill.

Since this is a long rant, here's the summary: VERY BAD/RUDE SERVICE - the waiter stopped serving us (also didn't bring us the bill, so we were just sitting there), argued with us after we asked him why, and also talked to the hostess about us behind our backs. Who does that??

Besides messing up my reservation for my mom's birthday (ok, it happens sometimes, forgivable), the last time I went for brunch was a PAINFUL experience.

Made a reservation at 10am for brunch and requested to sit by the TVs to watch the 49er game. Came in 5 minutes early (first people there) and the hostess rudely told us to wait 10 minutes... so we came back and they sat us (in an empty restaurant) where only one side of the table could see the TV. So we had to ask the rude hostess to let us sit where both sides could see the game, and even helped her move 2 tables together for us since she seemed inconvenienced. We sat there for about 10 minutes before our waiter (who we decided must have been hungover) asked for our drink order - actually, he only asked 2-3 of us as one of us had to call after him that he wanted a coffee too and another had to wait until he returned to ask for a coffee. He didn't give us a menu and didn't say anything about the brunch buffet, so after waiting another 10 minutes we asked him if we were supposed to just go up to get brunch (yes, apparently). For an advertised "bottomless" brunch, they were pretty slow at filling our glasses, and didn't really check on us much. All this makes for an annoying experience, but hey, if we're drinking champagne, eating brunch, and watching football, I can get over it.

Here's where it went way downhill... after about noon our waiter just stopped coming by at all. Then my friend noticed him whispering to the hostess and glaring at us... what?? Some time after that, a different waitress came by to fill up our glasses. Right in the middle of that, our waiter came and whispered something into her ear (this is AT our table), then the waitress ran out of champagne midway into filling, left, and never came back.

After sitting with empty champagne glasses for probably a half an hour, I finally flagged down our waiter and asked if we could be served. He then told us that we were only supposed to be here for 2 hours (I guess our waiting time for the table, drinks, etc. was included in their estimate) and so he couldn't really serve us (or talk to us at all, I guess). I told him this was the first I had heard of the 2-hour policy, he said they were supposed to tell me, I said they didn't (they didn't) and he said he "wasn't going to argue with me about that." So instead of letting us know about any policy, he just decided to stop serving us and make sure no one else served us - he didn't even bring us the bill, we just sat there empty-glassed, with waiters talking behind our backs about us.

The manager came over and was also no help, telling us again that there was a 2-hour policy and basically just argued with us about this "2-hour" thing when we asked why no one had spoken to us in a half an hour (that it would be "irresponsible" of him to serve people alcohol for more than 2 hours... it seems more to me that since people have to pay one price, you're just not getting PAID more after 2 hours.) He ended up bringing us desserts that we hardly touched "to end on a sweet note" - none of us wanted more food, we had unlimited food. We asked for a refill to our "bottomless" glasses (or just some service and communication!) - that's not listening to your customers very well.

All we wanted was to sit and enjoy the 49er game with brunch and bottomless champagne - not get wasted for hours on end. By the way, there was another table that got there when we did who did not get cut off from their service; and in case you're wondering, we were not being unruly in any way - a few of us had to drive...

Thanksgiving Dinner - Oh dear, the decline continues

Myself and my partner went to Park Chalet for Thanksgiving dinner on 11/23/2023. We paid for the same menu you get if you are fortunate to sit upstairs in the ‘Beach Chalet’ part of the restaurant with the view over Ocean Beach. Price per person for a fixed Thanksgiving menu was $85.

When we arrived at the front desk, we were welcomed by a sort of jaded employee who checked our reservation and told us to proceed straight through and down the stairs to see the host on the right. There was no host on the right. The host who seemed completely fed up was outside the restaurant …all the way to the right. He again checked our reservation as we stood infront of a small crowd of people who we didn’t realize were also waiting for their tables. We thought they were early or hoping to get tables. He looked at us and said this way but apparently his gaze was for a table of four over our shoulders so we mistakenly followed them all inside and then realized the issue and embarrassedly walked out again. It was amusing but awkward. Eventually he brought us to our seat and we were given menus. The host was either tired or in the wrong profession. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was tired. Our waiter arrived and offered us a drink from the back of the menu. We ordered two Pinot Noirs and were told it was no longer available. Our table was booked for 4.30pm. It was now about 4.50pm. Apparently, our waiter had been working since 11am. So, we order two blended red wines, taking a risk, because our waiter did not know what the blend was. It was a somewhat sharp-tasting red. I’d usually have two reds with my meal. I did not order a second.

Next, I had the soup and my partner had the Endives salad which arrived looking like yesterday’s salad – a little dried out and withered in appearance. My butternut squash soup was about a cup size and had some sort of oil on top and little hard pieces in it. It tasted OK, but I mistrusted the oil. I was right to. Today I sit typing with a bad belly ache.

For context, I’ve lived my last 30yrs in SF and 24 in Europe before that. Next, our entrée arrived and was frankly; small. Think child sized helping in Europe and you’ve got the picture. We asked our waiter did they run out of turkey? It was v small. He said no. I was supposed to get dark and white meat. I got white only. It was tasty albeit a little on the salty side. Next, desert arrived. I had the apple crisp and she had the pumpkin cheesecake. Both were Ok but the ice cream was melted and well, not great.

The check came and two 3 course Thanksgiving meals with two glasses of wine came to $225.68. Recommended tip was somewhere in the region of $40. I left $20 and regret it. Our waiter was nice but honestly, if he did $40 of work on our table, then I’m a monkey. I’m no George Clooney but I'm no monkey and while he seemed perfectly nice, I’m done with tipping 20% when service is sub-par and food even worse. Overall, I think a fair price for what we received would have been $80. And yes, I eat out a few times a month so I have quite a lot to compare this experience with.

When I first came to SF, I would occasionally go to Beach chalet. It has always been a little over-priced owing to its location and the exploitation of tourists. Over the years, it has been declining. Prices have been increasing while quality has decreased.

Needless to say, I won’t be patronizing the Park/Beach Chalet anymore and next year, we’ll cook our own Thanksgiving meal.

Net takeaway, save your money and...