Trader Vic’s

Nice view, great food, good drinks, i will definitely make this a place a must return, there were a few bread crumbs in my floating in my water from i don’t know where, i think thats what it had seem to be once they had served it to me, but other then that everything was good after that correction, the short ribs mashed potatoes are beyond good.

We come up from Monterey to the Bay Area quite often, but never really venture over to the East Bay… I am glad we did. Trader Vic’s has been on my «must visit» list for quite awhile. We arrived at about 5pm on a Sunday evening (of Memorial Day Weekend), did not have reservations but sat in the lounge until we were seated promptly at 5:30pm for dinner. Since we didn’t have a reservation we weren’t able to score one of the nice window seats, but we still did have a view of the harbor.
I ordered the Mai Tai while we were waiting in the lounge and it was great, not too sweet (a little less ice would have been nice, but no other complaints there).
We ordered the Beef Cho Cho, which was tasty… I like my meat rare so I loved it just the way it came out without putting any more heat on it.
Also I ordered the Jalapeño Cheese Balls which were on the Bar Menu (waitress had no problem bringing them to our table)
I chose to have the California Crab Stack as my entrée, very fresh and light. I loved the pork cracklings instead of the usual chips or bread.
My hubby had the Hawaiin Stir Fry, I snuck a piece of the pork belly and it was delish!
Because of Trader Vic’s now we will have to make the trek across the bridge a little more often! Can’t wait to go back!

I have enjoyed the cocktails and generally friendly service over many visits, but the last few time we have gone, the service, just for drinks, has been terribly slow. It took 45 min. To get my first drink with no update or apology for the slow service. The next drink took 30 min. They need more servers during busy times. The food is not good for the prices charged.
Hopefully service can improve as I do enjoy the drinks even though they are overpriced and slow. I would not recommend Trader Vic’s for food or if you need relatively efficient service.

There’s something VERY special about this Trader Vic’s. I’ve been to many tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants over the years (including the Trader Vic’s Mai-​Tai Lounge in Beverly Hills, and the old Trader Vic’s restaurant in Palo Alto, which is now gone), and none exude the authentic vibe that THIS Trader Vic’s does. Close your eyes and you ARE in Hawaii. Part of it must be because this is the epicenter of the Trader Vic’s empire — built in 1972 to replace the original Trader Vic’s building on San Pablo in Oakland. The mai tais are GREAT, the food is GREAT (we had a dozen oysters on the half shell, 5-​spice half duck, and All-​In fried rice — all excellent), and the location on the water is GREAT. Our server did a super job — bringing us a complementary dessert that really hit the spot — and we left VERY happy. Wish I lived in the area — my wife and I would be there EVERY week!

1944 Mai Tai is the way to go! The original Classic delicious Mai tai. Love this place for happy hour. Shrimp and pork wontons!

I was here for a friend’s birthday party in a tiki party room.
It was open bar and the bartenders gave people turns learning how to make drinks. For me, I’m happy to outsource drink making to pros so I did not participate but I did enjoy a few of their very tasty cocktails (mai tai and piña colada).
We had a raft of appetizer options as part of the meal. They were good albeit not great. Not sure if this is an entirely accurate representation of the entrees for dinner but my sense is that this is a place primarily for fun environs, tasty drinks, great views, and solid if not superlative food.
Parking was valet only but no charge… still gave the attendant a tip.

Love Love LOVE this place! Escape to enchanting Trader Vics; it’s the closest thing to Hawaii on the West Coast. Lovely ocean sunset views from every room, amazing Polynesian artifacts, masterful cocktails and pupus. My favorite cocktails are the Original Mai Tai and the Tiki Puka Puka. The Bongo Bongo soup is divine, you can’t go wrong with any of the appetizers, especially the crowd-​pleasing Cosmo Tidbits (crispy prawns, crab rangoon, char siu pork, BBQ spare ribs). If you haven’t had their bbq spare ribs, they are to die for! Their hamburger is always solid too. We got married there and it couldn’t have been nicer! Our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to!

Came here for their famous Mai Tai. Went into the bar area, and was taken back to the Tiki Bar era of the 50’s. Kinda reminded me of paradise as we settled in for a drink. Of course we ordered the Famous Mai Tai and waited in anticipation. It is claimed that Victor Bergeron invented this drink in the early 40’s at this restaurant. The recipe has 45ml Aged Jamaican Rum, 15ml Orgeat Syrup, 15ml Triple Sec, 30ml Fresh Lime Juice, and is served over crushed ice, garnished and a cherry. Ours didn’t have a cherry, but did have a mint leave garnish. At first sip, it was very refreshing and did not seem to have a kick, but after a few minutes, you could tell that the drink was loaded. Had to order some Pupus to assist and got the duck rolls, and potstickers. One more of the Mai Tai’s and we were done. Good thing we had a DD to drive us home. In summary, don’t go to Trader Vic’s without at least trying their Mai Tai. You’ll be glad you did.

Hard to find a late Sunday night desert stop in E’Ville, but wing-​girl and I popped into Trader Vic’s for a cocktails and Banana Fritters w/​vanilla ice cream. The dish was just the right amount of sweetness and of course, the cocktails were perfect. We both had the MaiTai, a nice strong pour and my BFF enjoyed her second libation, the Bahia, light rum w/​coconut and pineapple. The old school décor was perfect and the service was excellent. It was such a great time, we took a Molten Chocolate Lave Cake with us!

Came here for the first time and was pretty surprised with it! I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was pleased.
We didn’t make a reservation so we couldn’t sit in the dining area, but I didn’t mind since we got a window seat that overlooked the bay. We actually got to see the Bay Bridge and downtown SF from our seat, which was really nice. We ordered a beef taretare to start out with and it was both our first times trying it and honestly, it was so good. I don’t really know what I was expecting but it was so delicious. It had the texture of exactly what you would expect from raw beef, but it was still flavorful and not at all the taste you would expect. It had green onions and cracked sea salt on top of it too, which added a lot of dimension to the dish. They also served it with some toasted bread which was a nice alternative to crackers.
We mostly got appetizers because we weren’t crazy starving, so next we ordered tuna poke and Trader vic’s salad. The salad was very average, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t out of this world. It did come with heart of palm (very interesting) and endives (also very interesting) so I enjoyed that. However it was very tiny which could’ve been changed since it was $ 11. I didn’t try the poke, but he said that it was delicious so I trust that it was bomb.
The service here is amazing. Our waitress was so friendly and knowledgable and just for that this place gets an extra star. She was absolutely wonderful and I would come back simply for her. She gave us a history lesson about the place which I thought was so cool (the guy who INVENTED the Mai Tai started this place!) She also gave us a lot of time to talk without interruptions since I think she could tell we were on a date, which I really appreciated. It was super considerate and thoughtful. And no, this isn’t me covering up what seems like laziness, because she was extremely attentive to her other tables and was just as friendly with them. She’s a fantastic waitress. I wish I got her name so I could give her a shout out here!
Overall, I think I would be back for the overall ambiance and feel of this place. I really enjoyed dinner here.

Ask for Adeidra! I followed her recommendations for the entire experience and was not disappointed. From the delicious Singapore Symphony that smelled as good as it tasted, to the delectable banana fritters I was in gourmand heaven. I definitely will be back!

Strange relic of the past. Had 2 drinks and a few appetizers and spent way more than we would have elsewhere, and it was okay but not amazing. Someone who seemed like she was a manager was really short with her staff members. Nothing to write home about, and I would not be rushing back anytime soon.

Had resevations in a half booth on the water, it would have been great if the sun blind was not missing. The wife was blinded for over an hour while the sun set and she could not enjoy the view. Started with the beef cho cho which is a cook your own beef on skewer over a little open flame. The beef was very good. Had a bottle of Sonoma Cutrer which was good, but over priced. The all in rice was panda express with half raw shrimp. The potatoes were good and hot but lacked something. The server, was just that a server with too many fires in the oven. Next time in Emeryville, we will probably go over the bridge to Frisco.
Just my opinion.

Ok so my boo thang decided to take me to dinner somewhere different, and did he ever! First off when we arrived we was greeted by a terrific hostess that gave us a mini tour of the place along with the restaurant’s history. They also have an amazing collection of art that fits the atmosphere of Polynesian & Asian fusion. Bring your wallet $$$ this place is not cheap, but it’s definitely worth the cost.

Years ago I liked their SF location, that was when I was younger, drank more and took a cab home. All that helped I guess.
The drink I had wasn’t exciting, the food was so so and the décor needs updating. Maybe then the crowd will change (read: upmarket). Folks were hanging out with their laptops around dinner time. Odd crowd…
I left feeling that I paid way too much for what I got.

Tried Trader Vic’s with some interview candidates while being treated by employees at a nearby company. Apparently this place is a chain that’s been located near the coast for a quite a while.
First thing I noticed is that Trader Vic’s has quite a variety of items. Yes they’re known for their cocktails but they have fried rice, Khao Soi and even burgers. And so I can’t tell you what they specialize in but I guess they have quite a lot?
Heard their burgers were good but I didn’t want anything too heavy at the time. I ordered the Khao Soi, thinking that it was worth the risk. Why not right?
Big regret. Unfortunately, the noodle soup was very underwhelming. Portion size was decent, but the soup really wasn’t that tasty and I was kind of turned off by the ingredients in the soup. There were large pieces or radishes that looked like French fries. Interesting? Would be fine if they weren’t incredibly crunchy.
Worst part was the price though. I don’t think I’d ever come here to personally spend like 20 $ on this noodle soup when I can get the something much tastier for a third of the price.
Maybe I’ll get the burger sometime…
Eat well and prosper,

I finally made the decision to check this place out after hearing about it. It was still pretty early to go to work so I decided to come and try this place and have an early dinner. Already, I fell in love with this place. Sitting by the window looking out the marina and San Francisco Bay surely was a treat. It would have been nice if I came with a date. I find it romantic. I learned that this place is open for lunch then it closes at 2pm to get ready for happy hour starting from 4pm to 6pm and dinner starts at 5pm. I was on time for the dinner. So I went ahead and treat myself for a good meal from appetizer to dessert. Overall it was good. I wasn’t too crazy about the main dish I ordered but it was one of their popular dish so I gave it a try. It was a bit salty for me but it was okay. I have a good waiter as well as my food came pretty fast. But most of all, I enjoyed just sitting and savoring my food while looking out and enjoying the bay. I wish it wasn’t gloomy so I can enjoy the sunset. This will not be my last time to visit. I would like to try some of the dishes they offer that looks authentic.

Loved it! Great service very fun ambiance, we got a private room, no extra charge. I ordered the smoked short ribs and it fell off the bone, soooo good! Good crispy prawns for appetizer. Delicious dessert. My only complaint was the price but, thanks to the food that’s all I can say

Trader Vic’s is a Iconic Place in the Bay Area. At one time in History there was s Chain of Trader Vic’s. Trader Vic’s has been in Business since 1934 .
Now there is only one in Emeryville California.
Recently Iconic Chef Anthony Bourdain filmed a Segment for his widely Popular Show Parts Unknown .
It has been on my Unilocal Bookmark List. For Years and When I saw it on Parts Unknown it reminded me LOL .
I made sure I had a Full Charge on my Ankle Bracelet and Jumped into my Whip Black Beauty and rolled to Trader Vic’s .
They have a large Parking lot so I found parking very easily. The Outside of the Restaurant looks like a Giant Tropical Oasis with Tiki Statues and Palm trees outside .
I rolled in and I was Transformed to a South Pacific Paradise. Canoes Hanging from the Ceiling, Jugs, Gourdes. War Clubs Hanging on the Walls very Old World Cool .
The Restaurant is Literally a Maze of Dining Rooms, Hidden Banquet Rooms, Convention Rooms and a Very Scenic and Expansive Outside Patio with Views of the Bay Bridge and the Bay .
The Very well Used and Seasoned Chinese Drum Smoking Ovens are a Center Piece of Trader Vic’s. Can you Imagine how much Meat has been Cooked and Smoked in those Drums of Magic ?
I approached the Hostess and asked for a Table. I was told they were Booked Solid for Dinner. I call this the Anthony Bourdain Syndrome any Restaurant that has been featured on one his shows, has usually been Mobbed by Patrons for Months and sometimes Years after.
The Good news is the Bar area is Open seating except for the tables with a Reserve Sign.
The Bar Area is actually where Bourdain Filmed his Parts Unknown Segment .
I was able to find a table in the Bar Area right away Score .
5 Minutes later I had a Waitress asking if I was Ready to Order ?
Of course I was I ordered–
Crab Rangoon — Spiced Crab and Cream Cheese Filled Wontons it comes with a Hot Mustard Sauce and a Cocktail Sauce both are very Tasty and Complimentary to the Crab Rangoon’s.
These are Morsels from Heaven Light and Airy and Packed with Flavor. A Must Order.
BBQ Spare Ribs — Sugar Cured and Dipped In Trader Vic’s Signature BBQ Glaze. Then they are Slow Cooked and Smoked in Their Signature Chinese Wood Fired Ovens .
OMG these Ribs are So Tender and Flavorful just Heavenly! Definitely a Must Order !
Pressed Almond Duck Bites — Slow Cooked Duck finished with a Brauley Honey Glaze Covered in Plum Sauce and Crushed Almonds. Another Must Order !!! Not many places make this Dish. A matter of fact I’ve only had it at one other place .
My food came 20 minutes later on Sterno Heated Serving Trays. Very Cool and Old World the food always stays Hot .
My Server was very attentive She never let my Water glass go below half full.
Trader Vic’s is a pretty Romantic and Classy Place, its a good place to take a Date or have a Special Dinner .
I decided to have Dessert — No Tai Mai Tai” Crème Brulee with Pineapple Cherry Garnish .
This was Very Good it had a nice Carmelization. and was Very Yummy !!!
I received my Bill and paid with my EBT card and rolled out .
Ill Definitely return to this Iconic Old World Treasure !!!

I’ve been here about three times and have always enjoyed the great view of the bay waters, a glimpse of the bay bridge and the sail boats docked on the marina. Try reserving a table near the window around sunset hour and you’ll get the best view! You’ll feel like you’re at a sunset Luau in Hawaii.
The tiki theme of this place is excellent and charming, they really know how to keep tiki classy. The drinks are excellent since they specialize in rum cocktails. I especially enjoy the rum bowls where you can basically share a huge cocktail with a group of friends through long straws (and hopefully no backwash). The food is asian-​fusion style, and a good variety.
The service is GREAT. You’ll always be able to eye out your server if you need anything, if not, the other staff are always pleasantly happy to help you out as well. However, the last time I was there, our server wasn’t too personable, didn’t introduce himself or made any sort of impressionable presence. My boyfriend tried showing him a trick with the fork and he didn’t give any bit of interest and quickly left. RUDE. At least check out this awesome fork-​bending trick! :P
Warning. If you are a big fan of eggrolls, don’t order that here. I ordered the eggroll appetizer thinking it would be regular egg rolls; no! The plate literally came out with one HUGE egg roll (singular, not plural) cut into 4 pieces. Not worth it for $ 10. That was slightly confusing and disappointing.
Overall, it’s a great place!