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What's Up With Chucks?
updated: Nov 01, 2012, 8:25 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Did Chucks of Hawaii recently change owners? Our last experience was not good.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 338205	2012-11-01 08:40 PM
I went to the Chuck's on the harbor and also didn't have a good experience.
SHARON93111	2012-11-01 09:28 PM
LOVE Endless Summer!!! Good food, fast service and a GREAT view!!!
NATURE BOY	2012-11-01 10:46 PM
Went there for the first time ever (upper State) last month, but only for happy hour cocktails & appetizers. The cocktails were fine, the apps were fine (steak bites that were quality, juicy and delicious) but i can't vouch for how it used to be. It wasn't exactly Sly's in Carp, but it was decent.
NATURE BOY	2012-11-01 10:55 PM
OP, exactly what was your complaint?
COMMENT 338258	2012-11-02 06:20 AM
Sorry to hear this. We have been going to Chuck's since the day they opened. What exactlly is the nature of the complaint please? If they do not know problem they cannot address the solution ???????
COMMENT 338302	2012-11-02 08:28 AM
Recent Chuck's Upper State Street visit was the best steak we have had locally - none of this weird charred propane taste too many of the others have.
COMMENT 338304	2012-11-02 08:35 AM
Guess we are not going to hear the nature of the complaint.
COMMENT 338308	2012-11-02 08:44 AM
I too have been going to Chucks for 20+ years. We went there about a month ago, and it wasn't very good. Lobster was way over cooked, steaks were way under cooked, salad and sides were sub par. DRINKS WERE EXCELLENT. Service was fine. Hope they can turn it around.
COMMENT 338328	2012-11-02 09:09 AM
316 - no, I'm hungry now!
COMMENT 338342	2012-11-02 09:23 AM
SB Native...used to love Chucks... hadn't been in many years and took the family there for dinner a while back. We had to wait an hour, but that was ok... went to La Cumbre and walked around. Once they seated us, they almost promptly forgot we were there. The place was packed so maybe they couldn't see us at our little table in the corner. It was also very dark. We concluded it was dark so we couldn't see the stains on the carpet or the shabby, old seating area. The dinner was incredibly over priced and not really good at all. I was guessing that it's the regulars who sustain the business at Chucks... We won't be going back ....
COMMENT 338348	2012-11-02 09:36 AM
As a manager of a long time SB restaurant, I sincerely hope you all informed management of your experiences. It could be one new guy in the kitchen or a server who isn't up to par, but if you don't tell the manager (especially if you're a long time regular and know how it should be) then the problem can't be fixed. It's hard enough doing business here in town, so I hope that instead of bad mouthing publicly the first time it happens, you'd be proactive in informing the correct party. If it happens again, then I could understand your frustration. Remember, if they don't know, they can't fix it!
COMMENT 338366	2012-11-02 10:08 AM
Guess we did hear the nature of the complaints! Thanks for sharing. I hope the restaurant can turn around what appears to be a a slight hitch here and there. If they had been contacted they would have appreciated this. If food served is not up to par in one's estimation, it is a good idea to speak to the server or manager. My husband's medium rare steak is often too overcooked or undercooked. I also have been served soup cold which is definitely a " please fix it at once" complaint! No use waiting for Edhat :-) I have been a regular customer since Chuck's opening night and it has always been dark inside. Happy eating all.
COMMENT 338385	2012-11-02 10:42 AM
338342 - Chuck's of Hawaii is and has always been extremely dark inside. When it is bright outside and you walk in it takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust.
COMMENT 338397	2012-11-02 10:55 AM
Oh - I realize that Chucks as always been dark... But it does work to their advantage when the carpets are dirty and the tables are dinged up. My surprise when dining there was being taken by surprise by the prices and so--so food. But if you love Chucks, you love Chucks. Enjoy.
COMMENT 338407	2012-11-02 11:13 AM
I love chucks. I love the dark atmosphere. It's like walking into another dimension when you enter from the bright outside. Love the salad bar. Love the drinks. Love the crowd. Love the bartenders, who are always friendly and remember my order. Best food in town? No, not really. But there is so much more to it. Been in Santa Barbara for 35 years and I still love Chucks.
COMMENT 338411	2012-11-02 11:18 AM
Best Mai Tai and salad bar in town! My mother was a cocktail waitress there in college and as a young girl I always wanted to be one too. If only I went to school in SB!
COMMENT 338427	2012-11-02 11:54 AM
OP here - The details of our complaint were in the original post, but Edhat completely changed the post... We went to upper State. Got there right at 5:30pm. The food was awful, worse than awful, almost made me sick to my stomach later. I ordered one of the specials, Salmon, and it was the worst Salmon I have ever had. Wasn't even the usual color or taste of Salmon, which is very distinct.We asked our server & he said it was fresh that morning. Said he would check to see if something was done differently and never got back to us. The teriyaki rice is usally very good, but was very salty. It's always dark in there, we're used to that. That wasn't the issue, it was the quality of the food and lack of response & apology. After 20 yrs. we won't be going back.
COMMENT 338429	2012-11-02 11:57 AM
So from what I have read here it is ok to serve overpriced mediocre food as long as the lights are dim enough.
OLDLAWOMAN	2012-11-02 12:10 PM
The dim lighting adds to the ambience, I've never had a bad meal at Chucks, ever, the service staff are great every time. My husband I had I our first date there, and have been loyal customers for 40 yrs.
COMMENT 338445P	2012-11-02 12:22 PM
I like the atmosphere in Chuck's but agree that they are overpriced, a little too dark and the service is not good. As the other restaurant owner pointed out, the owner may not be aware of the issues because how often do patrons actually complain to a restaurant owner about something? I know I don't, I usually just leave a mediocre tip and avoid the place afterwards. Probably not the best thing to do considering it may be that there is just one rotten employee that causes it, like an inexperienced or lazy cook...
COMMENT 338464	2012-11-02 12:52 PM
If the disgruntled diner had ever traveled to Alaska, she would know salmon comes in many different colors, flavors and textures. A dogmatic insistence salmon be only on thing can set up psychological revulsion of anything not within that reference point. Chuck's has a simple menu and they do what they do well. No point not to. Chucks also is as a full liquor license which many restaurants do not, which lends to a certain group of very loyal fans.
MESARATS	2012-11-02 01:55 PM
It used to be the spot "back in the day", but last time I went there the salad bar was tired, the service was slow despite the lack of people, the steak looked and tasted almost steamed and just wasn't worth the money. Maybe they haven't changed, but my tastes have. I think the happy hour is still fun, but I have no plans to go there for dinner anytime soon, I also feel the same way about the T-Off , so maybe it is just me. in that part of town I would rather go' to Harry's
COMMENT 338499	2012-11-02 02:09 PM
Feel better now?
COMMENT 338501	2012-11-02 02:15 PM
Waited an unbelievably long time for our meal about 6 or 7 years ago and have never been back. Don't intend to either. Tonight I plan on checking our Pace Food & Drink on lower State. They have a weekend Prime Rib special. Anyone been there?
COMMENT 338504	2012-11-02 02:20 PM
"Wasn't even the usual color or taste of Salmon" You must of had a flash light.
COMMENT 338540	2012-11-02 03:48 PM
I liked carl's steak house down the block. Never a fan of chucks, the menu on the bottle is weird.
COMMENT 338559	2012-11-02 04:35 PM
My last good experience with Chucks was circa 1976. Consider yourself lucky that you made it this far without realizing it's horrible! Haha!
COMMENT 338582	2012-11-02 05:27 PM
We tried Chuck's for the first time a few weeks ago. The salad bar was excellent -- only downside was the long line. My t-bone was very good. My wife said her halibut tasted fresh. I'm sorry their customer service wasn't better. Our waiter was a real old school mensch.
COMMENT 338624	2012-11-02 08:25 PM
If you complained to a server and nothing was done in response (not even acknowledged by anyone) then you need to demand to speak to management or write a letter addressed to the place that the owner would read. (Restaurant manager speaking here!) Owners can't be there all the time like any business. They would want to know. It would be really awesome if rather than getting online and dogging a business (which is TERRIBLE for their business) people would be fair and give them a chance to correct their errors. If only our entire country were more interested in working as a team to help each other succeed. We'd be a much better (and happier!) place :)
NATURE BOY	2012-11-02 09:33 PM
This is why Yelp is helpful. No need to risk an awkward confrontation with the manager. Just Yelp it.
COMMENT 338659	2012-11-03 08:39 AM
There is little discernment on Yelp. Restaurants are either "amazing" or "awesome" or "nasty" and "the worst meal ever eaten in my entire life". Padding by owners friends or incentives to make positive comments make Yelp the least reliable restaurant forums out there. Sign of the times - mindless babble signifying thought and opinion.
COMMENT 338667	2012-11-03 08:59 AM
Reading these whiny, ill-informed posts about the great local restaurant Chuck's makes my heart weep with sadness for this town. Is Chuck's too dark inside? Is the Santa Barbara Courthouse too grand? Are the Santa Ynez Mountains too majestic? I believe they installed new carpet within the past year. Also, the halibut is very good.
COMMENT 338686	2012-11-03 09:44 AM
Dear Mr/Ms Restaurant Manager: When I come in I expect good service and food commensurate to the prices you're charging. I expect courtesy and cleanliness as a minimum standard. If I complain about the food I expect it to be dealt with IMMEDIATELY. I will not "write a letter" at another date. In this day and age, you either rectify the situation immediately or expect back-end internet complaints.
COMMENT 338689	2012-11-03 10:00 AM
667 Trying to speak sense on here is a waste of time. There are always complainers and whiners who really do not have a clue.
COMMENT 338842	2012-11-03 05:22 PM
I have a clue: 50yrs here Chucks is tired, saying anything else is nostalgia, those wine bottle menus were current when they opened.... TeeOff??? Its comedy,low quality meat and fish, it has not been the same since Ruben left, order a bottle of wine see how many they are out of before eureka! we have that one! Or the mean waitress that is built like a tea pot WTF!! I don't have an answer but repeating poor food and service is not happening for me,strong drinks only go so far
COMMENT 338864P	2012-11-03 06:38 PM
It is only fair to inform the restaurant directly about any complainy you may have about food or service. You don't have to write a letter. Most restaurants had websites where you can find contact info. Recently I had a minor complaint about another restaurant, sent an email, and the owner got back to me within a day thanking me for the feedback and promising to look into the matter. And hey, don't diss the Tee Off!

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