Dragon Lake Chinese Cuisine

Reviews

• ★★★★½ Combination House Special Visited Apr 28, 2018

  First Visit To The Restaurant - Tried The House Specialty

  This was my first visit to this restaurant. I'd driven past it many times and finally decided to stop in and give it a try.
  
  I ordered one of the house specialties, a beef, shrimp, and chicken combination served on a sizzling platter with the restaurant's house sauce. I was very happy with my meal. Everything tasted freshly prepared, the sauce had good flavor, and there were plenty of vegetables and garlic. The portions of beef and shrimp were decent, too.
  
  The rest of my group had mixed experiences. One person ordered Kung Pao chicken, another got beef and broccoli, and someone else had chicken fried rice. They all felt their dishes were just average. Another person ordered the shrimp and lobster and thought it tasted like it had been prepared ahead of time, with the shrimp simply added when the dish was reheated.
  
  Prices were reasonable, though not particularly cheap. The house specialties were around $12, regular entrees were about $9, and combination plates were roughly $10, including soup and an appetizer. Based on my own meal, I would have been inclined to give the restaurant five stars. Unfortunately, the service brought my overall rating down.
  
  We initially arrived as a party of three and placed our orders. Two more people later called us, so we invited them to join us. The waiter noticed the additional guests arrive but continued tending to other customers, delivering drinks, clearing tables, and bringing food out from the kitchen without acknowledging them. When someone in our group finally waved him down and said, "There's another customer here," his response was, "Yeah, and I have customers over here too."
  
  I understand that restaurants get busy, and I wouldn't have minded waiting if he had simply said, "I'll be with you in a moment." It was the dismissive response that bothered me. The restaurant also appeared understaffed, with one person handling the front register and seating customers while only one waiter seemed to be serving the dining room.
  
  Overall, the house specialties were good, but the regular menu items my group tried were fairly average. My food was fresh, flavorful, and enjoyable, and the prices were fair for what we received. With better customer service and more staff, this could have been a five-star experience.
  
  I'll probably return because I enjoyed my meal, but I'll stick with the house specialties and hope for better service next time.

  — Paul