Kowloon Restaurant — Restaurant in Saugus

For the first time (yesterday), I picked up food that my wife ordered. We usually eat at the restaurant and/or go there for drinks when out with friends. We've loved their food for over 35 years. Yesterday, was the absolute worst experience from the customer service to the taste (or lack there of) and poor quality of it. We ordered PuPu Platters that were appropriately named, only misspelled (Poo poo). Fried Shrimp and Chicken Fingers were as if they were old or already been fried and then refried. The batter was very Browned. The Pork Fried Rice was definitely old and flavorless. I usually love their Crab Rangoon, but this was fried to an almost tooth chipping crispness. We were embarrassed & horrified to have our guests eat this after bragging about how they have the best Chinese food. And the guests being familiar with Kowloon's from seeing them on television after seeing our different athletes visit the restaurant. We ended up having to order from our local pizza shop. Today, my wife contacted them to let them know how disappointed and let down we were, but they didn't seem to want to hear it. She said it was as if they were calling her a liar. She said it was a woman who answered at first, but she really couldn't understand her. She asked to speak to a manager and was put on a long hold before a gentleman spoke to her angrily and said "it's too late, you don't call yesterday!" and hung up on her. She had tried to explain we didn't call yesterday because we were too busy trying to feed our guests and spend time with them.

We weren't looking for a refund, we were just trying to bring it someone's attention to make it be known that it was unacceptable. But, because of the way they chose to handle it (or not handle it). Here we are. The end result is a review to give fair warning to others that they've seemed to lower their standards and resulted to serve/sell less than subpar food. And the customer service is now just as bad. One more thing, I had never picked up food there, so I was familiar with where to go to do so. So, I asked the Hostess near the entrance and all she did was point to the area behind her and then curved her finger to the right. I assumed it was to mean towards the back then right. But, when I got the back & right. There was a woman eating in an almost dark room (possibly a break room). So, I asked another woman who seemed to be a server and she pointed in the same direction. Again, confused, I stopped because I thought it was a break room. Finally, asking a third person was the charm. She actually walked me the pickup counter. She provided the best & only customer service yesterday. I'm very shocked and even worst disappointed. I'm sorry I didn't think to take pictures of the food. It went into the trash yesterday and was picked up with this morning's trash pickup.

Good luck to all others who may...

Excellent night. They survived a 4 star. So some good and some bad. I will start with the good. My group left Very Happy it was a 40 year class get together with more then 40 that showed up. What was excellent...The staff waiting on us and cleaning and helping us... we had many laughs with them. Simply put they took the greatest care of us. A Big Thankyou goes out to the staff. The food was great. I loved the bbq ribs and so didn't everyone that tried them. The lobster sauce was the best we ever had and loaded with real lobster tail meat. Every giant bowl was consistently loaded with tail meat. The rice was fantastic. We had some other chicken dishes that were good with cherries and pineapple ... chicken lomein.... plus chicken wings and egg rolls. I took into consideration how busy it was on a Saturday night... at 6pm it was insane. !!! I arrived at 5:20pm thinking I can get a parking spot.. By luck I got a handicap spot at 5:50pm. There's very few handicap spots and I hope they add more considering the high volume they do. As I entered it was packed like sardines with a line to check in. After a short wait the woman told me my group hadn't been seated. When I asked where they could be she suggested looking around the waiting areas which I did. At 6:20pm I was back in line to question why I can't find my group and by luck either the Owner or Manager which was extremely nice took me right into my group. I did miss a bit of the first bites and wasted a half hour when I should have been with my group but the smile & politeness of I'm assuming it was the Owner or Manager help get me back on track. I was happy to finally be with my group. The only complaint I heard from a few were the drinks were pre mixed and not as strong as they should be. I understand they have a lot going on between construction/ remodeling and at the same time they are trying to make everyone happy. Considering the thousands of people eatting there that night and the outcome being happy walking out the door I had no other choice but to give them a 5 star. Could things have been a tiny bit better yes ..... but I'm hopeful they read this and adjust . I am looking foward To returning and will still highly recommend Kowloons to all.

One last thing ...it was great to see we had designated drivers and responsible drivers that stop drinking long before it was time to leave.. we were there...

Sadly, not the same as we've been used to. They continue to claim they are closing forever, yet they continue to add entertainment and build outside. The server's don't seem overly enthusiastic or happy to help.

From the website:

Originally established in 1950 as The Mandarin House, able to accomodate 40-50 customers, the Kowloon Restaurant has grown to a capacity of 1200 seats and has become one of the premier multi-concept dining establishments in the United States. Enter into another world from the Luau Room with it’s red lanterns, to the Tiki Lagoon Room with it’s mini lagoon; or perhaps you are craving the succulent fresh tastes of Sushi in the Thai Grill. With several themed rooms, you will find the ambiance at the Kowloon comparable to no other. Then continue the fun in our Komedy Club on Fridays and Saturdays. Check Upcoming Events for the latest acts and showtimes. Whether you are visiting out from out of town or are one of our locals, having a night out, or hosting an event, the Wong family invites you to visit us, dine, and relax for a most memorable and enjoyable experience.

The Wong Family:

In 1958 Madeline and Bill Wong bought out the first generation owners and began the second generation of family ownership of the restaurant. They changed the name to Kowloon Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge and began to grow the business. In the next 50 years the family added five additions to the original building and increased the capacity to accommodate 1,200 customers. Diners can choose from a number of themed dining rooms including the Volcano Bay Room, the Tiki Lagoon, the Mandarin Room, the Thai Grille, or the Hong Kong Lounge. Private events and a comedy club use the Luau Room. In 2001 Madeline and Bill Wong were inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. The restaurant has also been nominated for addition to the Inventory of Cultural and Historical Resources by the Saugus Historical Commission. Now operated by the third generation, the Wong family continues its tradition with providing top notch fresh, delicious cuisine in a traditional themed atmosphere with outstanding...