Steve F.

4/15/2020

When my Samsung Galaxy phone's screen started dying, I reached out to a few repair folks on Yelp. Juan responded quickly and with the lowest price. He said it would take about an hour to fix it and we set an appointment. (When I arrived, he said it would take 45 minutes, but it did end up taking an hour.) His storefront is conveniently located near the I-580 freeway and there were parking spaces on the street right in front. (No meters, either.)

When Juan saw the screen he immediately knew what caused the problem (these phones' screens are fragile, and pressure on them causes them to fail) and that he could fix it.

The phone now works perfectly. He used a new, OEM screen, and his service includes a six-month warranty.

In this time of coronavirus, the staff of the store weren't wearing face masks when I arrived, but they did have them on when I came back to pick up the phone, and Juan also had rubber gloves on as he was handling it.

8/4/2019

We used to like Little Shin Shin much more, but our recent experiences have been so-so. Food has been okay, not great. Service a little inconsistent. I had a hankering for egg foo young tonight but am sorry I ordered it: It was a generous portion, but like another reviewer noted, it was chewy, and the meat ingredient (chicken in our case) was sprinkled on top (along with canned carrot pieces and peas), not baked in. We also ordered mu shu, which was pretty good.

7/28/2019

First time at Hancook, on a Sunday night. The restaurant had plenty of customers, but wasn't crowded or noisy. Had the seafood buchimgae, a Korean "pancake" reminiscent of Japanese okonomiyaki or Chinese egg foo young. Came with the traditional spread of delicious side dishes. A very good deal at well under $20 -- it's listed as an appetizer, but for one person, enough for a generous meal plus leftovers. Tasty, too. My one complaint is that it was rather greasy. (I don't know whether that's the way it is supposed to be, as I haven't had this dish before.)

As for service, water was provided right away (with a carafe so I could refill). It took a little while before someone came to take my order but then the food arrived fairly quickly and a couple different people checked in on me to make sure everything was okay. It was easy to get someone's attention when I was ready for the check, too.

Instead of a mint or a small candy, I was given a small plastic bottle (2 oz.?) of a mango drink with my check. After that big dinner, it was just the perfect mini dessert (although between that and the to-go container, I felt bad about consuming more plastic, having just read a Sierra Club article about how often those items don't end up getting recycled even if you put them in the recycling bin).

5/13/2019

First clue: Before even seating us, they told us they were out of guacamole. Server was inattentive; I had to chase her down to bring part of our order (and the place was pretty empty). My partner's burger was not very good. My enchiladas weren't, either.

5/12/2019

Service was very good, and pretty fast. The menu offers numerous options that probably are better than what I had, and if you're hungry, there is a variety of truly huge breakfasts on the menu. I wasn't very hungry, so I had just a pancake, bacon, and coffee. Coffee was weak. Hard to understand how a just-made pancake could taste stale, but it did, slightly. I'd recommend this place if you like 1950s Hollywood decor (James Dean, Rat Pack, Elvis) and standard fare at decent prices, and you might luck out and get seated right away. (The place was hoppin' on Mother's Day at 9:30 a.m. but we were seated at a table for two in just a few minutes; however, right after us, several other parties of two arrived, so some of them probably waited longer.)

5/12/2019

Internet was out of order. In room, carpet was dirty. There was hair on the bathtub. Bathroom sink hot and cold taps were reversed (left labeled hot but was cold; right labeled cold but was hot). Kids running around in room above us until after 10:30 p.m.; we first complained at 9:20 p.m. and manager hadn't contacted them an hour later. Soda machine in lobby out of order. Swipe lock on door at rear of lobby out of order. Loud machinery opposite our room. "Do Not Disturb" hanger cutout didn't fit the doorknob. Room door was banged up. Door to bathroom would jam and be hard to open even though we hadn't locked it. Bed sagged. Sheets slightly stained. I suppose for $45 for a night, it was better than sleeping outdoors, but not by much.

2/17/2019

Incredibly good breakfast. Good service, too. On weekends, prepare to wait for a table.

1/31/2019

I've booked two large groups at Stanford Guest House. Both times we were treated great, from the arrangements (and numerous changes) to guest services to billing (thanks, Trisha!). Has a small workout room (may cost extra to use). WiFi throughout. (Not secure; use a VPN.) And the price can't be beat. I gave three stars rather than four only because SGH isn't open to the public -- you or your group must have a Stanford connection; there is no food there or very nearby (a Safeway and a couple of restaurants about 0.8 mi away), other than a basic Continental breakfast (included) and vending machines that aren't well stocked; and the rooms are pretty tiny (beds take up almost all the space). But if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive stay, and you have Stanford credentials, SGH is great.

Note: Guests and visitors need to be on the guest list at the security gate to gain admittance. Being photo ID.

8/24/2018

I've had occasion to deal with Computer Courage on behalf of one of my clients, a small nonprofit doing big things (international work with dozens of consultants and many top names in global affairs, but with just one full-time staff member). The help we've requested has ranged from the mundane (setting up a new e-mail account) to the quite sophisticated (assisting with a funder's in-depth security review of the Web site). Computer Courage has been prompt, knowledgeable, accurate, and helpful, going beyond the minimum that would qualify as good service.

7/13/2018

Generally friendly, efficient, knowledgeable staff with good customer-relations skills. The one thing I don't like (about Peet's generally) is that they've discontinued decaf House Blend. Since I drink mostly decaf, I now have to pay for a higher-priced roast. That said, I still find Peet's to be better than any less-expensive coffee I can find.