oChef » Joyful Kitchen – San Francisco » Joyful Kitchen – San Francisco – Reviews
Joyful Kitchen - Reviews
1919 Ocean Ave, 94112 San Francisco
All reviews at a glance
251
Reviews
52.2%
Satisfaction
91
negative
29
neutral
131
positive
What people say about Joyful Kitchen
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Visit Type
Service Type
Meal Type
Wait Time
Group Type
Group Size
Price per Person
Price per Person
- $11–$20
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Group Type
- Solo Dinner
Group Size
- Solo
Service Type
- Dine-in
Meal Type
- Dinner
Wait Time
- Immediate (0–5 min.)
1
Worst Beef Chow Fun Experience
My experience at this restaurant was overwhelmingly negative, primarily due to the food. I ordered the beef chow fun, which I believe was the worst I've ever had in my life. The beef was tough and flavorless.
I had the dry version, which is usually saucy, but this dish was completely devoid of flavor. It contained a lot of bean sprouts, perhaps too many, and no other vegetables. The chili sauce was also disappointing; it wasn't hot or spicy, but rather bland.
It was like orange oil with no chili flakes, making it comparable to motor oil. The service was indifferent, though I was the first customer after they opened at 5 pm on a Sunday, so I might have avoided worse. Overall, it was a complete miss.
I cannot recommend this place, especially if you value your health, as I experienced the worst stomach pain shortly after leaving, requiring three trips to the restroom. The bill was $17 plus tax, and I rounded it to $20, leaving a tip of $1. 49.
- bill5
- beef chow fun1
- beef1
- bean sprouts2
Price per Person
- $31–$40
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Service Type
- Dine-in
Meal Type
- Lunch
8
Popular Chinese Breakfast Spot
This isn't a very fancy restaurant, but it's a popular Chinese breakfast spot with a lot of tasty dishes. I visited for lunch and found the food to be excellent, earning a perfect 5/5. The House Special Porridge was a standout recommended dish.
While the food was great, the atmosphere was a bit lacking, scoring a 2/5. However, the service was good, rated at 4/5. The price per person was between $30–50.
- tasty dishes9
- lunch specials8
- House Special Porridge10
- atmosphere4
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Service Type
- Dine-in
2
Terrible Service, Salty Food
We were so excited to try the food at this restaurant. Unfortunately, the Mongolian Beef was super salty. The waitress was very rude with a bad attitude.
When I dropped my utensils and asked for another one, she mumbled and rolled her eyes. I suspect she was frustrated working alone, but that's no excuse to take anger out on customers. We wanted to enjoy our day and our food, but this experience ruined it.
We are not coming back and don't want anyone else to ruin their beautiful day 😤.
- Mongolian Beef2
- waitress1
- utensils2
Price per Person
- $11–$20
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Service Type
- Dine-in
Meal Type
- Dinner
9
Delicious Rice Rolls and Entrees
My experience at this restaurant was quite positive. It was packed when I arrived, but the clean cutlery and cute logo were nice touches. The veggie portions were generous, and I particularly enjoyed the simple rice noodle roll.
They also offer a large combo version of your choice. The standard Chinese dinner entrees were also made well. I would definitely come back.
- clean cutlery8
- cute logo7
- veggie portions8
Price per Person
- $31–$40
Visit Type
- Quick Meal
Service Type
- Dine-in
Meal Type
- Lunch
Wait Time
- Long (31+ min.)
1
Disaster - Not Worth It Anymore
DO NOT GO. My experience at this restaurant was an absolute disaster. It used to be tasty three years ago, but now the food is not fresh at all.
The service is slow and rude, and they overcharge without notice. I would not recommend this place.
- food1
- service1
- overcharge1
Visit Type
- Regular Visit
Service Type
- Dine-in
2
Terrible Service, Different Soy Sauce
My experience at this restaurant was not good at all! I used to like eating here and ordering takeout, but I discovered that the soy sauce for takeout and dine-in is different. I absolutely do not recommend the rice rolls here.
While the rice rolls themselves are delicious, the soy sauce is very unhygienic! The waiter's attitude was truly not good at all; they didn't smile once. When giving the bill, it was just thrown over, and when serving the food, they treated us like dogs.
The waiter came, put the food down, and left without any interaction. My first experience was too bad! Don't go!
- rice rolls7
- soy sauce2
- waiter's attitude1
- bill2
Price per Person
- $21–$30
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Service Type
- Takeout
Meal Type
- Dinner
Wait Time
- Short (6–15 min.)
7
Dry Noodles, Friendly Service
My experience at this restaurant was a bit of a mixed bag, primarily due to a misunderstanding about their noodle dishes. I was craving something like chow mein or chow fun, but the online menu lacked descriptions. When I clicked on a menu item, it added to my cart instead of showing details.
I ended up ordering "Pan Fried Noodles, " expecting a saucy dish, but received dry, crispy noodles in a separate box from the soup. They remained crispy even when I tried adding the hot liquid, which was not what I wanted. However, the broth itself was really tasty, and the soup contained shrimp, chicken, carrots, and bok choy.
The chicken was a bit fatty with a lot of skin, so I removed most of it. On the positive side, the service was great. The online ordering was efficient, my food was ready in 15 minutes, and the waitress was very friendly during pickup.
I didn't deduct stars for the noodle issue as I felt it was my own error, but I did note the chicken quality. I suggest adding descriptions to the online menu for clarity.
- Pan Fried Noodles5
- broth8
- Service5
- online menu descriptions2
- chicken3
Visit Type
- Delivery
Service Type
- Takeout
1
Extremely Rude Service, Never Returning
My experience was picking up an order. The staff member was incredibly rude and spoke only when necessary, showing zero politeness. I will never go back.
👎
- service1
Visit Type
- Family Dinner
Group Type
- Family
Group Size
- Small Group
Service Type
- Dine-in
Meal Type
- Dinner
10
Fantastic Food and Friendly Owners!
My family and I had dinner here last night, and the food was absolutely fantastic! The restaurant owners are very friendly and gracious. Our favorites were the crab congee, the shrimps, the rice cakes, and the pig intestines stir fried.
We will definitely be back! Highly recommended.
- food10
- restaurant owners10
- crab congee10
Visit Type
- Food Exploration
Service Type
- Dine-in
9
Delicious Noodles and Clay Pots!
My experience at this restaurant was fantastic! The house special rice noodles were absolutely DELICIOUS! I also tried the tofu clay pots, which were very well seasoned.
It's a must-try, authentic mom and pop shop with great "wok hei". Just a heads-up, they only accept cash or Venmo.
- house special rice noodles10
- tofu clay pots9
- cash or Venmo6
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