Food was phenomenal, but the smoked duck and the grouper special were just unbelievable. I wish I'd gotten the name of the guy that suggested we try it when I called, he wanted to know what I thought so here's your answer.
Michael Bourgeois
One Star: A Disappointing First and Last Visit
Reservation Details:
Party of 2, Reservation for Michael
Date: 12/27/2024, Time: 7:00 PM
Seated at Table #2
We were excited to try Beijing on Grove for the first time, but sadly, the experience was a disaster from start to finish.
Arriving 30 minutes early, we planned to enjoy an adult beverage at the bar before being seated. The hostess informed us our table was ready early, which was surprising, as we were told seating at this time was impossible. Seizing the auspicious moment, we agreed to review the menu while having a drink at the table.
Our waitress, though pleasant and knowledgeable, warned us the bar was "backed up"--a confusing statement since neither the bar nor restaurant appeared particularly busy. Despite this, our first round of drinks took 15 minutes to arrive, with no follow-up from our waitress in the meantime.
For appetizers, we ordered the Peking Spring Rolls and Ginger Salad, along with another round of drinks. The appetizers arrived, but the second round of drinks did not. We had to reorder, and the drinks took another 15 minutes to reach our table, again without any interim contact from our server. The ginger salad was tasty, but the Peking Spring Rolls were flavorless and watery.
For mains, I ordered the Kung Pao Tofu with sides of kimchi and fried rice, while my dining companion opted for Kimchi Fried Rice with tofu. These dishes took 15-20 minutes to arrive- no problems there. The Kung Pao Tofu was excellent, but unfortunately, both rice dishes were inedible. They carried the distinct taste and smell of burnt rice--likely from scorched oil or an overheated pot. If you've ever burned oil, you know the smell/taste.
When we flagged down the manager to share our concerns, his response was astonishing. After smelling the rice himself, he claimed the "smokey" taste was intentional, describing it as a "delicious char flavor" from the wok. Having burned rice ourselves, we knew better--this was not intentional. Still, we gave the rice another try, but the acrid, burnt flavor made it impossible to eat.
To further validate our experience, we spoke with the party seated next to us at Table 3, who had also ordered rice dishes. When we asked if they had noticed the "delicious char flavor," they laughed and emphatically said "no."
Our waitress, finally checking in after another 15-minute gap, handled the situation appropriately by offering to remove the uneaten rice dishes from our bill. Unfortunately, the manager apparently refused to honor this and declined to return to our table to discuss the matter further.
Mistakes happen--burnt rice and delayed service could have been forgiven with proper acknowledgment and recovery. However, the mishandling of the situation, especially from management, turned this visit into an irredeemable failure.
We won't be returning and are deeply disappointed to cancel premature plans to bring family, friends, and colleagues here. Beijing on Grove has lost not just one customer, but many potential ones.
Deniyah S
I came in with my family as first time dinners and had a GREAT experience! The place was decorated so cute and was CLEAN!! The service was spectacular and our server Micheal was the absolute BEST!!! Definitely will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lonnie Wynn
Always a great experience eating here. The food is delicious and the service is great. It is a little loud usually but everything else makes up for it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Price
Great concept with the interesting and diverse cocktail menu, along with tasty dishes served in generous portions. We were lucky enough to grab patio seats and enjoyed the parallel parking demonstrations and friends walking by.
The server could not have been nicer or more attentive, she was just terrific.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy Parks
Good service, nice patio, Costco/Trader Joe’s tasting sesame chicken. Loved the wonton soup though! My husband enjoyed the ribeye steak special. The wontons would probably be better if they arrived hot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jessica Bickett
Love the food, atmosphere, service and the drinks! It is becoming a new favorite of ours.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marian Rose Johnson
The manager at Beijing definitely deserves a shout-out. He is a true "manager" unlike so many at other restaurants who never check on tables and are essentially "mute". I have watched him in action several times. Very personable, truly cares about his customer's experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
J W-R
Tasty, great service, good location - a terrific combo!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kevin Fox
This is one the coolest places to eat in RVA!
Dietary restrictions: A great place for people like myself that's allergic to gluten. Multiple gluten-free options!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, Calamari
Visited with my partner on a Sunday evening and sat at the bar for drinks and dinner. Great service from the bartender and the food was really good. We're fans of other Eat Restaurant establishments like Fat Dragon, Wong Gonzalez, Wong's Taco and Lucky AF, but haven't had many meals here at Beijing on Grove. We had the steamed dumplings to start and then split the Kung Po chicken, pineapple fried rice, and the special spicy green beans for dinner. It's your favorite carry out Chinese spruced up and refined. I don't know how they do it, but the flavor from the wok cooked rice was unique (in a great way!). This place can get super crowded during peak times, but we really enjoyed the casual and not so busy atmosphere this evening. No regrets, will be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Keyla Garcia
I have mixed feelings cause I was craving a good asian meal. Food was good, however they forgot to include my shrimp fried rice in the order ($2 + $4) for shrimps. I live 1 hr away, so by the time I noticed was too late. I understand mistake happens, but please pay more attention to detail so you don’t disappoint the next customer. ?
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fried Rice, Filet Mignon
Josh Lewis
We have been going there for a few years but I don’t know what changed but last night food was terrible. Shrimp and beef were overcooked and hard. I don’t know if they have someone new cooking or what but they need more training. Everything else was good as usual bar, drinks and the atmosphere and customer service. They need to work on that food. Very disappointed!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Joel Lewis
Food was outstanding and plentiful. Service was great as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lydia Baumbach
We had our first experience at Beijing on Grove tonight after being Richmonders our whole lives (I know I know, do we live under a rock… what took us so long…) and we LOVED IT! We came in with the need for Apple Pay (which they take), loved the vibe and atmosphere and everything we ordered was DELICIOUS but the real show stopper was the service. Just truly found the service so above and beyond from the staffchecking in at the right moments, making recommendations and treating us to dessert as first time guests. Do we have a new all time favorite? I think yes!
Food was phenomenal, but the smoked duck and the grouper special were just unbelievable. I wish I'd gotten the name of the guy that suggested we try it when I called, he wanted to know what I thought so here's your answer.
One Star: A Disappointing First and Last Visit Reservation Details: Party of 2, Reservation for Michael Date: 12/27/2024, Time: 7:00 PM Seated at Table #2 We were excited to try Beijing on Grove for the first time, but sadly, the experience was a disaster from start to finish. Arriving 30 minutes early, we planned to enjoy an adult beverage at the bar before being seated. The hostess informed us our table was ready early, which was surprising, as we were told seating at this time was impossible. Seizing the auspicious moment, we agreed to review the menu while having a drink at the table. Our waitress, though pleasant and knowledgeable, warned us the bar was "backed up"--a confusing statement since neither the bar nor restaurant appeared particularly busy. Despite this, our first round of drinks took 15 minutes to arrive, with no follow-up from our waitress in the meantime. For appetizers, we ordered the Peking Spring Rolls and Ginger Salad, along with another round of drinks. The appetizers arrived, but the second round of drinks did not. We had to reorder, and the drinks took another 15 minutes to reach our table, again without any interim contact from our server. The ginger salad was tasty, but the Peking Spring Rolls were flavorless and watery. For mains, I ordered the Kung Pao Tofu with sides of kimchi and fried rice, while my dining companion opted for Kimchi Fried Rice with tofu. These dishes took 15-20 minutes to arrive- no problems there. The Kung Pao Tofu was excellent, but unfortunately, both rice dishes were inedible. They carried the distinct taste and smell of burnt rice--likely from scorched oil or an overheated pot. If you've ever burned oil, you know the smell/taste. When we flagged down the manager to share our concerns, his response was astonishing. After smelling the rice himself, he claimed the "smokey" taste was intentional, describing it as a "delicious char flavor" from the wok. Having burned rice ourselves, we knew better--this was not intentional. Still, we gave the rice another try, but the acrid, burnt flavor made it impossible to eat. To further validate our experience, we spoke with the party seated next to us at Table 3, who had also ordered rice dishes. When we asked if they had noticed the "delicious char flavor," they laughed and emphatically said "no." Our waitress, finally checking in after another 15-minute gap, handled the situation appropriately by offering to remove the uneaten rice dishes from our bill. Unfortunately, the manager apparently refused to honor this and declined to return to our table to discuss the matter further. Mistakes happen--burnt rice and delayed service could have been forgiven with proper acknowledgment and recovery. However, the mishandling of the situation, especially from management, turned this visit into an irredeemable failure. We won't be returning and are deeply disappointed to cancel premature plans to bring family, friends, and colleagues here. Beijing on Grove has lost not just one customer, but many potential ones.
I came in with my family as first time dinners and had a GREAT experience! The place was decorated so cute and was CLEAN!! The service was spectacular and our server Micheal was the absolute BEST!!! Definitely will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a great experience eating here. The food is delicious and the service is great. It is a little loud usually but everything else makes up for it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great concept with the interesting and diverse cocktail menu, along with tasty dishes served in generous portions. We were lucky enough to grab patio seats and enjoyed the parallel parking demonstrations and friends walking by.
The server could not have been nicer or more attentive, she was just terrific.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good service, nice patio, Costco/Trader Joe’s tasting sesame chicken. Loved the wonton soup though! My husband enjoyed the ribeye steak special. The wontons would probably be better if they arrived hot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Love the food, atmosphere, service and the drinks! It is becoming a new favorite of ours.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The manager at Beijing definitely deserves a shout-out. He is a true "manager" unlike so many at other restaurants who never check on tables and are essentially "mute". I have watched him in action several times. Very personable, truly cares about his customer's experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tasty, great service, good location - a terrific combo!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
This is one the coolest places to eat in RVA!
Dietary restrictions: A great place for people like myself that's allergic to gluten. Multiple gluten-free options!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, Calamari
Restaurantji Recommends
Visited with my partner on a Sunday evening and sat at the bar for drinks and dinner. Great service from the bartender and the food was really good. We're fans of other Eat Restaurant establishments like Fat Dragon, Wong Gonzalez, Wong's Taco and Lucky AF, but haven't had many meals here at Beijing on Grove. We had the steamed dumplings to start and then split the Kung Po chicken, pineapple fried rice, and the special spicy green beans for dinner. It's your favorite carry out Chinese spruced up and refined. I don't know how they do it, but the flavor from the wok cooked rice was unique (in a great way!). This place can get super crowded during peak times, but we really enjoyed the casual and not so busy atmosphere this evening. No regrets, will be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I have mixed feelings cause I was craving a good asian meal. Food was good, however they forgot to include my shrimp fried rice in the order ($2 + $4) for shrimps. I live 1 hr away, so by the time I noticed was too late. I understand mistake happens, but please pay more attention to detail so you don’t disappoint the next customer. ?
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fried Rice, Filet Mignon
We have been going there for a few years but I don’t know what changed but last night food was terrible. Shrimp and beef were overcooked and hard. I don’t know if they have someone new cooking or what but they need more training. Everything else was good as usual bar, drinks and the atmosphere and customer service. They need to work on that food. Very disappointed!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Food was outstanding and plentiful. Service was great as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had our first experience at Beijing on Grove tonight after being Richmonders our whole lives (I know I know, do we live under a rock… what took us so long…) and we LOVED IT! We came in with the need for Apple Pay (which they take), loved the vibe and atmosphere and everything we ordered was DELICIOUS but the real show stopper was the service. Just truly found the service so above and beyond from the staffchecking in at the right moments, making recommendations and treating us to dessert as first time guests. Do we have a new all time favorite? I think yes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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