Imperial Kitchen

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OPEN NOW - Closes at 1:30am

I have been to this restaurant several times over the past year and have enjoyed the food. Yesterday however, I had a very frustrating/unfair thing happen when I stopped in for lunch. I walked through the door and found that there was nobody working at the front counter, but there was someone around back preparing food for the one other customer that was there. After just a couple of minutes the gentleman (who claimed to be the owner) walked to the counter with the other customers order and collected payment. It was now my turn to order. So I start ordering from the LUNCH menu, and am told that lunch ended at 3:00PM. When I looked down at the time on my iPhone it was 3:01PM. I respectfully explained to the gentleman that I had been in the restaurant BEFORE 3:00PM, but was waiting patiently while he helped the other customer with his order. Do you know that this guy WOULD NOT accept this explanation, and expected me to pay the extra couple of bucks for dinner!?! I felt that this was VERY unreasonable, and promptly took my business to a local competitor in West Roxbury (West Garden on Centre St.). THE END.

Never again. Ever. The worst counter service I've ever experienced in this country. And that's saying a lot. Not to mention that the food is mediocre, at best.



I'd eaten here before, and although the food is uninspired and a bit heavy on grease, the portions were good and the prices fair. However...



I went in last night to order something off the "specials" menu, something with vegetables. After waiting a good five minutes for anyone to take my order, the older man at the counter paused between answering the phone and bagging orders long enough to mutter "be with you in a minute." Having been so completely ignored, I was on the verge of leaving, but I figured I'd already waited that long and he seemed to finally be on the case, so why not just stick around?



Another few minutes. Finally he came by just long enough for me to ask if the General Gau's came with vegetables. In an almost inaudible voice, he said, "A little brocolli and...." I didn't hear everything he said and asked him to repeat himself, but by then he had moved away to answer another phone call, bag another order, completely ignoring me.



Another five minutes. The complete and utter lack of service was surreal. I was beginning to wonder if I was on Candid Camera. Finally, with no distractions left, he came back over to me and said, curtly, "Yes?"



I asked him, again, "What comes with the General Gau's?"



"I told you already! You ask the same question over and over! I already said! What's wrong with you!"



"I'm sorry," I replied, "I didn't fully hear you. You were speaking very softly..."



"You ask the same question!" He moved away again.



I placed the menu back in the holder and walked out. The name of this place should be "Imperious Kitchen." I've never experienced such gratuitous rudeness, such incivility, such aggressively bad service. Maybe the guy was having a bad day. Not my problem. This kind of service is dehumanizing, degrading, and simply inexcusable. I will never go back, and am telling all my friends about this surreal experience. The people across the street at the Latin place are way nicer, and the food is better.

Very good Chinese food always going back for more