Bonanza Social Kitchen — Restaurant in Williamsburg

The food is actually pretty good. This is why I give 3 stars instead of 2. Unfortunately the service and other aspects really hurt our experience.

Our server was inexperienced and it showed. It took them two separate trips to the bar just to tell me that they had a total of 4 out of 13 beers that are listed on the menu. I had water.

When I asked what a 'whole' fried chicken meant (The menu said 14 pieces but I challenge anyone to explain how you get 14 pieces of chicken from one bird) the server's answer was 30 pieces. I said that makes no sense. They said "that's what they told me to say' or something like that and had to go back to the kitchen to tell me '14' which still makes no sense to me. I didn't order a whole chicken, unsure of what the other 3-5 parts would be.

Before the second starter came out we were asked if we were ready to order despite me telling them we wanted our starters to be out before we order our entrees.

Then entrees come. First we get 2 out of 4. Entrees 3 and 4 took about 7-10 minutes to come out after the first two. When one entree still had yet to be delivered the server asked if everything was OK, to which I replied "No, she is still waiting for her chicken." They went back to the kitchen then came out to the front and started chit chatting with the other servers. No expediting. No waiting at the kitchen for the entree to come out. Chit chat. I had to stare at them before they decided it was time to check on the chicken before finally bringing it out. Bear in mind we were one of two tables, the other one being two people.

Starter dishes would not be cleared from our table until I put them on the table next to us. When another server came by at the end to ask us if we wanted our check, I started to hand them our dishes to which they said "no, that's OK, you can leave them there" Seriously?

Good food, would order take out if we lived closer. Probably not going to dine in again though.

EDIT Reply to owner reply

"still in the process of training some new team members" y'all have been open for years now. Don't unleash an untrained server on a customer without oversight, especially when you only have two tables with butts in seats.

"To clarify the "whole fried chicken," it’s cut into pieces" I count, at most, two legs, two thighs, 4 wing pieces, left and right breast and center breast. That is 11 pieces. Cut the left and right breasts in half and you still only have 13 pieces. It's a confusing message to say 14 pieces. Why?

"Regarding the timing of your food, our chicken does take a bit of time to prepare" so time the rest of the dishes to arrive with the rest of the order. This is basic US restaurant expectations. Don't give a table half of their orders and make them wait 10 minutes for the next two orders.

Clearing dishes. It is a standard expectation for a US dine in restaurant to clear dishes as they get emptied. You have to know this. There...

Slow service, horrible attitude! When I try to bring up service suggestions, the owner told me not to go against her because she’s my parents’ age??

This is my first time giving a one-star review, after reviewed dozens of restaurants. My friends and I ordered spicy garlic wings, soy garlic tenders, and Jajangmyeon (Korean noodles), each dish was around $14-15. Fried chicken was nice and crispy, but noodles was not that great. The restaurant has slow service and chaotic management. It took our server 10 minutes to even bring up menus, and we waited forever for dishes to be served. Our server was apparently new to her position that after we have ordered for over ten minutes, another server had to come up and ask for our order again. My friends were confused because the same thing happened a few weeks again, and they also blamed the bad service on the same staff who was “under training.” The table next to uswaited for at least 25 minutes to get their check, so my friends and I decided to walk up and ask for our check. I felt bad for leaving a 13% tip, and decided to tell the owner that their servers should be trained better, and everything went downhill from here! I was telling the owner that, “I believe the service here could be improved.” Maybe because the owner thought I’m Chinese and can be pushed around, this Asian woman was not kind about this suggestion. “If you go anywhere in Williamsburg, you wait for 2 hours before you can get food.” I have never been to a restaurant here that has such slow service. What ready puzzled me was the server’s attitude. “I don’t think so, I have been to dozens of places around the town and I don’t think any of them take 2 hours.” The next thing the owner said really triggered me. “You’re my daughter’s age, and you shouldn’t go against someone who is fifty.” I AM YOUR CUSTOMER WHO WANTS TO BRING UP SOME ADVICES. So what if I’m Asian and I’m in my twenties? I have travelled to four countries, and never once a person told me to watch my attitude because of my age!...

Always bring my friends here when we’re in town. At first I thought this was some kind of franchise with all the chicken logos, but it’s actually a family-owned Asian spot. They’ve got chicken and Korean food, and honestly, the food blew me away. Not just “oh it’s good for a small business” good like, it was actually really good. Super hearty, super filling, and you can taste the care that goes into it. Ordered the hot stone bibimbap (with egg of course), soy garlic wings, japchae, and jjangmyeon. It was all very comparable to the stuff in NOVA. I have also had the fried rice in the past and it was game changing honestly.

The staff and owners were SO kind, even though the place was busy. I mean, there were time crunched DoorDash drivers waiting, families, big groups… the works. Somehow everyone working still looked happy and kept things moving. That alone impressed me. Sure, service might be a little slower on crazy busy nights, but I’ve waited longer at plenty of other places around town. No big deal. Plus, the food makes it worth it.

The vibes were fun with K-pop playing, and the owners just felt really humble and genuine. I even chatted with what seemed like a Chinese exchange student who said the owner always checks in on them and makes sure they are taking care of themselves and eating well. That says a lot. And then there’s Erica, the owner she’s warm, funny, and a little sassy in the best way. You can tell this is a hardworking family putting their heart into the place.

Honestly, I don’t get why this spot doesn’t have more hype. Great food, great atmosphere, and people who really care. I’ll...