Bac

Reviews 7

KA

Kate Bigam

Vietnamese noodle salad is typically a light, flavorful, delightful dish, one of my favorite meals. Bacs version can only be described as aggressively bland. The restaurant is almost next door to my new apartment, & I was thrilled to have a new engine we go to within such close proximity. Unfortunately, they dont sell pork buns, another one of my favorites, on their lunch menu, so I grabbed pick-up one night for an early dinner. The pork buns, $9, were very good - fresh, complex, topped with some sort of spicy aioli. I was pleased - off to a good start! Unfortunately, the noodle salad - which I had been dreaming about since moving into the area - was a major letdown. It tasted like... nothing at all. The beef was thinly sliced, just the way I like it, & it appeared to be cooked in all the right ways, but just it didnt seem to be seasoned at all. The sauce, which had leaked all over the container & slimed the whole salad, had no flavor whatsoever - none of that light, salty taste that should top of salad like this. And though the dill carrots were a nice addition, they certainly couldnt make up for the lack of flavor in the rest of the dish. I considered saving my leftovers for lunch the next day, but it was so unappealing, taste-wise, but I just threw it away. Waste of food, waste of money, waste of an opportunity to make a really great dish. In all, my meal cost me $28 (I left a smaller tip because it was a carry-out order). Id much rather go to an authentic, hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joint where I can get noodle salad that tastes three times better for one third of the price. If Bac sold pork buns on their lunch menu, I would probably go back for those - but they dont, so I wont. Bummer.

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A

A Private User

We have eaten here twice, both on rather un-busy week nights. Both visits were unpleasant. The only only friendly staff member was the over-worked assistant who acted as hostess, runner and busser. They should put her in charge. Service is glacial and unfriendly. You, the customer, are an inconvenience to be reckoned with by the use of condescension and scary fake smiles. Be warned your server will try to memorize your order, and may fail to do so as he did in our case. Your server will not deign to actually serve your food, the assistant will wander over and auction it off. If you are unlucky enough to point out the procedural error that made ruining your meal possible, you will be argued with. Only when the check came did we hear a half hearted apology on behalf of our forgetful server. The house bought our first round, a belated gesture that will not persuade me to return. Weve only sampled four different items from the menu, so I cant speak at length about the food. In our second visit, it was mis-prepared because the waiter went from table to table without a notepad taking orders then mixing them up. The asian faire is certainly adequate to taste and presented nicely on the plate. You can get as good or better at Min Anh, 1 Pho or Thai Fun. Clevelanders disdain snooty table service. Unless Bac turns this around, it is rightfully doomed.

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MA

Matt Johnson

We have been trying all of the restaurants in Tremont and have seen this establishment featured in the Scene magazine as one of the hot spots to try. Our experience was quite mixed and I have to say that it was the worst meal we have had in Tremont thus far. I would not recommend it. However, if you are insisting on going, then my recommendation is that you stay with the small plates and avoid the big plates, especially the Crispy Orange Chicken that came with too much tomato (in an Asian dish) and mysterious pieces of chicken that could have come from the neck or the back of the bird. Our appetizers were fine and we now think we should have stayed on the one side of the menu. Service was mediocre as we were originally placed at our table by the bartender, then assisted by another server. The third staff person ignored us as we sat waiting for several minutes for someone to clear the plates and hand us our bill. None of the staff seemed to notice that we ate little of the chicken. We felt that we paid too much for what we got. Save your cash and go to the neighborhood carry out and sit on your back porch and enjoy a better meal.

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GO

Goask Alice

Ive been going here regularly since it opened and the food and service are always really good. I also think the decor is pleasant, and the front-room art work is often really interesting. To top it off, the portions are on the large size and the prices are very reasonable. I usually get the basil fried rice, the sweet potato tempura fries and/or the papaya salad, and ive never been disappointed. I like that they have things you cant readily find at other restaurants. I have tried a couple cocktails and they were also really yummy! Theyve always accommodated me with substituting ingredients and with sharing plates with others. I find the service to be prompt, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive, but not overly attentive. I usually see the owner going table-to-table, asking how peoples experience is. The only negative i have experienced is that the acoustics arent so good, and so it can get overly noisy sometimes.

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JU

Justin FU

Amazing service and food. Went there on a quiet week night when they were obviously short staffed. Our waiter was also bussing tables, answering phones, bartending, and seating guests. He warned us that drinks would be take a while. But everything was worth it. The drinks came out late, but he had warned us and they were delicious so it didnt matter. The food came out in a decent amount of time and was phenomenal. Especially the honey walnut shrimp. And after all was said and done, someone came out of the kitchen and brought us a dessert of fried ice cream and told us thanks for being so patient. No, BAC, thank YOU for the amazing service under the pressure. Definitely would recommend to others.

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ER

Eric Lindberg

I came here a couple of weeks ago and I liked the hole in the wall trendy feel to this place. The service was just OK, as I came here at around 11am when they were just opening on a Saturday and it seemed like everyone was in a relaxed mood and not in a hurry. The best menu item the mini shrimp quesadillas, they are literally out of this world. Their main courses are meh at best, I tried a shrimp dish that was too sweet and another main course that was too sour. Overall I would give this place 3.5 stars if given the option, but I will go back to see if their other main dishes and service is better.

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CA

Caitlyn Moss

Went here as a celebration with some friends. The portions are huge and one dish can easily be split between two or three people. I absolutely loved their appetizers (I had edamame and vegetable rolls). Both were absolutely delicious. I also loved loved loved the Mitchells green tea icecream afterwards. Service was very good and I was happily surprised that one waitress could handle the restaurant (though small) on a busy night. My order was correct and timely and she was very attentive. Lastly, they had a good selection of foreign beers! Will visit again and again!

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