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Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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I love this place, it's my neighboorhood takeout spot. Its good, tastey and reliable.
I heard a rumor they are closing down at the end of the month? Can anyone confirm?
A coworker brought me food to go from here because she knew I missed the flavor but couldn't take the verbal abuse.( see other review where i said I wouldn't eat there again...)
Surprisingly, it was not good at all. Was ordered extra spicy and not a chili pepper in sight. Makes it easier to not go back.
I will just eat at sunflower across the street. Even though Eliza's is cheaper.
This review is 4 for food and negative stars for service.
I'll start by saying that this is the best…
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Reliable, Delicious and Pleasant... those are the words I can think of that describe Eliza's. It had been years since I'd been but tonight's visit proved what I recall - the food is delicious and completely dependable and the atmosphere is pleasant. The service is definitely a little on the rough side... they are attentive and dependable, but don't really seem to be all that thrilled to be there.
Highly recommend the Mandarin Eggplant and Sizzling Rice Soup! Also I like the fact that unlike other chinese places they have more than two bottom-of-the-barrel wine choices. Several excellent options by the glass.
Reliable, Delicious and Pleasant.
And the angels wept... and their tears were made of hot and sour soup.
Been going here for 20 years and can't get so much as a hello. But the food! Where in tarnation… Read more »
RIP Eliza's Potrero. Seriously, what happened?? WTF? Looked successful to me. I'm not so into Chinese food, but I was into Eliza's Potrero, wow. Now where can we get good Jewish Christmas Chinese food?! AGgghagghgrrrhhh.
How can this place be closed? It's always packed? Did you move?
We went back here and they did the same thing. They shocked me by bringing the food out fast, even… Read more »
Thankfully, the quality of company I had at Eliza far surpassed that of the food and service of the staff.
I didn't see any snark-fin on the menu, but we got it from our first, second, and third servers, who made no small show of passing us off because they couldn't deal with our questions about portions and which side of the menu we were allowed to order from. The eat-and-get-out vibe was cloying...
Definitely would not travel back across town to hit this place up again.
Aug 3, 2009: Party of 3
My friends and I ate this place based upon the 4/5 stars ratings. If sugar and salt wet your appetite, this place is for you!
Hot and Sour Soup: too salty;
Portabella mushroom and Shrimp: too much sugar in the sauce;
Mongolian beef: yes, too much in the sauce; and
Hunan fish: absolutely, too much sugar in the sauce.
Price: Fair
Wait Staff: No complaints.
My friend and I were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by for a quick bite. He has been a San Franciscan since before I had been born, so I trusted his opinion of this place - "it's cheap, quick, and filling." Like most chinese lunch specials, I wouldn't expect anything less.
The tea was bland and watery and our order of mango beef and sweet and sour pork were passably "chinese". I feel like they had been sitting in their respective tubs back in the kitchen, ready to be thrown onto a hot wok for a brief stir fry. But for about $6-$7 per person, who can complain? It was what my friend said it was - ridiculously fast and inexpensive with enough rice (or brown rice, per request) to fill your stomach to a food coma.
I never noticed this place because its next to the always busy Chez Mama and Chez Papa. However, I am glad I found this place.
The lunch specials here are pretty cheap and the dishes are enormous. I had the mango beef which also came with rice. The mango beef was interesting. It has a sweet oyster sauce taste with a nice sour mango kick. I will definitely be back for lunch again.
I had a mixed experiences at Eliza's the past two times. Dinner only.
A couple of the dishes are really beautifully presented.
Many dishes are drowned in "Hoisin" "Oyster Sauce". (hint ... many taste the same due to the sauce). Some people think this sauce is tasty ... this is your place. Service is OK, (need to launch a flare up for more tea).
Wannabe upscale chinese rest. in a funky (budget way) w/ ok pricing, ok, service....and for me a 2 star rating..... it is an ok place. OK in a pinch when you want """ Chinese """" food on Pot Hill.
I might have been the only Chinese person dining at Eliza's but I came with some friends and a somewhat open mind, hoping to find healthier California style Chinese food. There's something about the menu that reminds me of L.A. - Chin Chin, PF Changs, etc. The dishes are about $1 or $2 more expensive than your typical Chinese restaurant but the portions are decent and the setting is nicer in a somewhat funky, garish way (with blown glass, carved wood pieces). They have cheap lunch specials (average price of $6) and brown rice.
I've never heard of sunflower seed chicken but other dishes are seemingly Cantonese, Mandarin and Hunan. You can specify how spicy you want your dish.
I had the hunan lamb ($8.95), extra spicy, with a bowl of white rice ($1.25). I wouldn't say the dish was swimming in oil but it was definitely oily. And it was too salty. On the other hand, the small pieces of lamb weren't overcooked and the thick brown sauce wasn't bad (though salty and overpowering). I couldn't really taste the lamb flavor. The dish came with baby corn, plenty of scallions, and diced bell peppers. Of course it wasn't extra spicy but it was mildly spicy.
Dishes were attractively plated and arrived quickly. They give you a good amount of meat and take pains to chop up veggies into small, uniform pieces. And you still get free tea and fortune cookies.
I would like the food better if it were healthier, since it isn't authentic. Personally I prefer the good old sticky tables for my Chinese dining experiences.
I had a couple of failed attempts to eat in this restaurant because it was just jam-packed with customers.
I didn't mind the crowd. I assumed that the restaurant served good food or was convenient and reasonably priced. What I wasn't too crazy about was the unsmiling hostess and servers. During such stressful situations when they don't have room to serve hungry customers, a smile goes a long way to make the customer come back in a week or so.
Fast forward-- two years. My friend who lives in Potrero Hill asked to meet me at Eliza for lunch. We were greeted by the same unsmiling servers and hostess but this time, were seated promptly. Apparently, 12 noon is the perfect time to come. Right before the rush. Our orders were taken. The food came quickly.
I had the shrimp with portobello mushrooms and baby bokchoy in sauce with rice and hot and sour soup. Everything was delish. I can't say it's way better than lower-priced chinese restaurants. A tad bit better would be a more accurate description.
I would come back more often if not for the dour service I get. Polite table service is important to me. They don't have to make you feel like you are the world to them. They only need to return a smile you whisked their way. Tit for tat.
This is probably the only Chinese food option within a few blocks of where I work. It's okay for lunch, although it's not a place I can come back for dinner (a daily meal where my standards become considerably higher). The authenticity here is about a half step above Panda Express, but if you don't focus on the fact that it's not "real" Chinese, the food is alright.
For $5.60 - 6.50, you can choose a variety of lunch specials that come with rice and hot/sour soup. It's a filling amount of food which makes a decent deal. It's not super greasy so you'll still be able to go back to work in the afternoon without feeling like you are oozing oil. One dish I would stay away from is the Kung Pao Chicken. Obviously at these food court prices, you're going to get more vegetables than meat so the lack of chicken was not the issue. It simply lacked the Kung Pao flavor...in fact, there was no taste of any kind. But if you like eating a plate full of unseasoned zucchini and bell peppers, this dish might be a winner for you.
Food comes out super fast. They clear your table even faster. Guard your soup because they like to take it from you even when the bowl is not empty (like when you were just taking a break from drinking the soup to take a bite of your dish). Service is very...straightforward.
The last time I came here, my fortune cookie said: "Keep looking and you'll soon find something better." Hmm...could it be referring to a better Chinese restaurant that serves something more authentic? My eyes are wide open.
just started working in the city and have been looking for some cheap chinese food for lunch. even though this is still not close to the office it was convenient cause someone had a car and was willing to drive...:)
I would have to say this is pretty decent, though the kung pao chicken could have been a little more spicier...i did like the soup that comes before the main dish...the veggies are pretty fresh, i really liked the zucchini that came with my kung pao chicken, but again it could have been a tad bit spicier, might have to ask them to do that for me next time
For those who love chinese food, this is a great place - great taste and without MSG. I have enjoyed most dishes I've had here and I had almost everything on their menu by now.
I prefer this location to the one in the Pac Heights because there, I feel we often get rushed too much and the staff is not as pleasant as the Potrero staff.
Dependable, accessible, and flavorful Chinese food. I've been here a number of times in the past few years, and it has been consistently good. They have a great mix of old favorites (chow mein and potstickers) and some more unusual dishes (mango beef and ostrich), all prepared with equal skill. The flavors have always complemented each other no matter what combination of dishes I've ordered. I did not think anything was too sweet, but I may just have a palette that skews towards sugar. Everything is cooked well, I've never had a problem with sogginess or dryness. It is not top-tier gourmet Chinese food, but if you're going here, then that's not what you're looking for.
The ceiling decor is funky, boasting a large glass sculpture of various shapes and colors possibly left over from the location's former life as a bar/nightclub? Does anyone know if this is right? Otherwise, it's fairly quiet and has some fairly nice window seating. It's not especially cheap, but worth a splurge.
Mango beef is fantastic!
LUNCH REVIEW ONLY:
I went here with my boss and a coworker last Friday b/c they've been raving about it since it was cheap...and it was cheap! For the three of us, our total came out under $20 with tip. We went right before the lunch crowd and that's the way to do it at this place. I ordered the asparagus chicken with brown rice and they both ordered the mango beef. Our food came out right away and it was huge portions!
It was tasty and some reviewers were saying that it's nothing special...and I agree but the fact that it's not as greasy as I thought it'd be plus it's cheap...well deserve 3.5 stars. It's far for us to be a regular lunch spot but the boss said that when we're not busy, we can totally go here. That means we're definitely going to be back...it's recession so cheap + good and won't give me a heart attack food is always good!
We need more lunch options. So we yelped.
I've been to Eliza's on California St. and I remembered liking that one more. Maybe it's because my mom was ordering.
Sally (my eating life partner) and I yelped and yelped and left for lunch at 10:55am because we are always starving. (What the hell is wrong with us?) We go to lunch early to "avoid crowds". No crowd at Eliza's on 18th St. Parking around the corner. Excellent. The place doesn't feel to comfortable when you walk in, but we got seated immediately so who cares. $5.60-$6.50 lunch specials. Nice. As soon as we put the menus down, our orders were taken. That's the way we like it.
We got Eliza's cakes. Neither of us knew what the hell we were ordering but Sally said one of you yelpers recommended them so we tried them. Wtf? Deep fried something or other filled with green onions served with some kind of sweet (peanut?) thick sauce. Weird. Very weird. We ate them. They weren't bad. But.... what... were... they....?
The mango beef is what I remembered ordering with my mom. Very good. Only, I remembered the beef being cut smaller, but with a larger portion of beef. I think I liked it with more mango. And the lemon chicken. Which, in my opinion, was excellent. But actually horrible, depending on the quality you're looking for. It was deep deep fried, perfectly (heavily) breaded and served with a thick, very artificial tasting sauce. Mmmm.
Basically, I loved it. I'll go back. The service was a efficient and we don't have too many options driving from the beautiful Bayview. Better options than Soo Fong, anyway.
On the grand scale of Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, Eliza's is pretty good. When you go to a Chinese restaurant, it's rare for the dining ambiance to feel comfortable and clean AND for the food to taste good at a reasonable price. Here's the breakdown of one dinner:
Decor: clean, well ventilated, no suspicions of rats scampering in the back
Food: best pot stickers I've had in San Francisco - the wrap was not too doughy, and the filling was juicy! spicy eggplant was a little too sweet; hunan lamb was thinly sliced lamb with lots of leeks, and tasty
Service: efficient, fast, you're not waiting for anything, but brusque, so don't expect any warm-fuzzies
Price: about average
I would go back.
I used to eat here a lot until I was duped. These people list vegetarian options though they use fish sauce and clam sauce in all their dishes.
It took the whole staff to confirm it.
HELLO- THIS IS NOT VEGETARIAN!!
GROSS, a little late as I've eaten there like 12 times.
Such a drag.
I guess this place is ok given that it is close, as one of few restaurants in my hood: Potrero Hill.
I love the honey walnut prawns, and my boyfriend swears by the mongolian beef. But the wine sucks. And the decor is disorienting even for a chinese place.
Well.. let's say I was the only one around who could understand the wait staff.
Like Lolia S. said, everything is sweet, salty, and oily at this place. The presence of mu-shu pork and kung pao chicken screams "gringo Chinese food." I came here only after the nearby Aperto had a 45 minute wait and we were late for a show at Bottom of the Hill.
Considering it's SF, though, it is well priced. Also our dishes (twice cooked pork and shrimps with chanterelles) came quickly which meant we were *right* on time for our show. And the teabags were as good as you can get out of a teabag, which is to say still worse than if you had put real tea in.
+1 for expedience.
+1 for reasonable price in SF.
+1 for good tea.
I won't come here of my own volition again, but if you buy me dinner I'm in.
This is not a Chinese restaurant; this is California Chinese fusion food. If you are looking for a clean, polite-English-speaking-waitstaff, cheaper, mini-Yank Sing or mini-P.F. Chang's, then this is just the place.
If you prefer your Chinese food at a sticky-table rude-waitstaff joint, well, you should set your expectations accordingly.
Once you accept this place as being what it is, it's not bad. We had the crab rangoon, garlic eggplant, and "spicy" double-cooked pork. The "spicy" was definitely not spicy.
They brought out an extra large serving bowl filled with rice. We told them we didn't order it. They took it back, and I'm pretty sure I heard one of the waitstaff tell the other to bring it to another table. I think it's OK to do that with a just-mis-placed basket of bread with a cloth covering it, but an open serving bowl of rice seems kind of a grey area. (These aren't the red cylindrical bowls with lids.)
Okay - so Chinese food is actually one of my least favorite cuisines, but I am doing some work for some folks and they let me tag along for lunch today. I trusted their judgment and everything turned out fine. Like most Chinese food I have had, the gravy on my chicken and asparagus was a little excessive and I wasn't crazy about the Sweet and Spicy soup that came with the meal. However, the overall flavor of the dish was actually pretty tasty AND it wasn't overly salty which is the main thing that grosses me out when I have Chinese food.
If you love Chinese food, I don't know if this is a place you should go out of your way to visit or not, but if you are in the area, the restaurant is nice, the service is great, the prices are REALLY cheap and the food is good. I would consider Eliza's to be three stars, but remember I am not a fan of Chinese food.
For the price it is 5 stars to me.
Pros:
- Lunch under $8 with food AND rice. I get take out here for lunch all the time.
- Not your standard greasy chinese food that all tastes the same
- Very flavorful, will make it very spicy is you REALLY emphasize it.
- Staff very attentive
Cons
- No complaints. I can park close, eat for a reasonable price, and never
Chinese food in a Bay Area way, Eliza's serves crisp, fresh vegetables and imaginative, colorful dishes, The food is flavorful and never gooped under globs of sauce. This isn't Chinatown Chinese food - it's more like California cuisine in the Chinese style.
One star off because the waitress answered her phone in the middle of taking our order. Otherwise, perfect!
Everything is so terribly sweet here. It doesn't matter what you order, even the curry. Everything is made with lots and lots of sugar and mollases. I think the sauces really dwarf the tastes of any ingredients and you pretty much have to distinguish them by texture alone.
Potstickers are inedible and had a slightly spoiled whif to them. I really hate to write negative reviews and this place has been around for a long time, but the tastes are just not that great. Unless you like sweet, of course
Dazzlingly good. Better than average hot and sour soup, which was surprisingly filling despite deceptively small portions. Life doesn't get any better than the portabella mushroom with shrimp, mongolian beef, and shrimp chow fun. Slurp-up-the-sauce-with-a-straw good. And lick my fingers, I did. Yes, I was raised in a barn.
Wonderful lunch place and dinner too. Attentive service, always delicious food even for take out. The prices are reasonable, the cashew nut chicken with broccoli is divine as is anything else you want to order. Highly recommend if you are in or near this neighborhood. Only downside, no delivery, boo hoo.
Ostrich is delicious...tastes like lean beef. Mushroom concoction under scallops is delicious. But, what kind of Chinese restaurant has no white pepper? Isn't it a key ingredient to make hot and sour soup?
Authentic or not, the food was good to me . . .
. . . blah blah blah . . . bleeping blah . . . blipidy blah blah . . .
***everything you need to know about this place has already been written***
Now. . . let's talk about a REAL issue:
WHY DO THEY HAVE AN INSTAMATIC TOOTHBRUSH DISPENSER IN THEIR LADIES ROOM?
This makes no sense to me. Did someone get duped by a travelling salesman? "Fuck tampon dispensers, what you REALLY need is a pre-pasted toothbrush dispenser . . ." :-]
After being told this was some of the best Chinese food in town, and it being a mere two blocks from my old apartment, I went to check it out.
My thoughts? This is where white people go to eat Chinese food. Very similar in taste to House of Same Sauce (errr, Nanking). This is chinese food for people who don't like chinese food.
Hey, it's decent Chinese food in nice setting. Something different for a change.
Ready in 10 minutes. I think you could order the whole menu and it would be ready in 10 minutes.
And being ready in 10 minutes is a must if you are going to be my regular go to take out Chinese restaurant. And Eliza's is certainly working her way into my heart.
And not only are they prompt, the prices on the menu are very reasonable.
I threw down on some delicious crab rangoon, kung pao chicken that was out of this world, along with some great beef fried rice and some decent garlic shrimp (should have ordered the honey and walnut shrimp).
The one thing that totally threw me off here was the fact that they do not have beef broccoli. As I have mentioned before this is my litmus test for good Chinese. But even without it I feel confident in giving Eliza's a four star.
I love Eliza's, its fast, fresh and fantastic... you cant beat the lunch deal $5-$6 w/ drink and tip $8 bucks, that's cheap... The regular items are slightly different than most Chinese food places, in a good way... there are 2 other locations in the city, i know one is on California St.
Both are great!
I don't really care about this whole "authentic or not debate" when the food is just plain below average.
Aside from looking like a blind enthusiast of the Brady Bunch designed the interior, the staff are really, um, bad. From taking food orders before taking drink orders (I really needed a drink, but evidently had to decide on my food before I could enjoy my alcohol), to not being attentive, they just plain suck. Sorry.
Then there is the food. My first encounter with the ubiquitous blandness was my order of eggrolls. The 'rolls themselves were so-so, but the sauce that came with it was, I believe, oil + red dye #5.
The vegetarian Mu Shu was actually decent, but the salmon came with a ball of rice noodles bigger than my head. What in the hell do you do with a ball of tasteless, odorless rice crunchies bigger than my freakishly large head? Wear it? Play catch with it? Is it simply to distract from the tiny, bland salmon dish? Bizarre.
Whatever, overall this place is just a little bland and lacking in service.
Super fresh California-influenced Chinese food at very reasonable prices. I really like the mango beef. There are also many tasty starters to choose from.
UPDATE 1/18/06:
Two of us went for lunch today and our grand total came to $11.30. We had the mango beef, the kung pao chicken, soup, rice and tea.
UPDATE 3/30/06:
Combination Plate (for Two) which includes egg rolls, crab meat rangoon, pot stickers and drums of heaven is a tasty choice!
UPDATE: 10/10/06:
Vegetarian Kung Pao with tofu - YUM!
This place looks like it's only for fancy pants from the outside, but once you go in, it looks like any typical chinese place. phew. i thought i was going break my wallet, but surprise surprise! this place has really cheap lunch options! think 5$-6$.
the food was interesting. i think it's less cantonese style food that most people are used to, and more northern (hunan?). my bf and i ordered different dishes, but when it came out, it looked (and tasted) almost exactly the same. It wasn't bad, but i guess each dish here will taste about the same.
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