THE UNION HOTEL

Since you're looking for restaurant reviews, I was blown away by every aspect of The Union Hotel on Mission Boulevard recently. The food was perhaps the best I've ever eaten. Chicken Alfredo was absolutely to DIE FOR! I had to go back a few days later to get more! The staff is sweet, gorgeous, friendly, attentive and professional. I've lived here in SoCo my whole life (I'm 53) and have eaten in Occidental many times. This Union Hotel is a 5 star restaurant in my book.

You can find the review here:
http://biteclub.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=388800

I've only been to the one on College, it's way over priced! I normally order the chicken alfredo, it's good but not as good or flavorful as other known Italian places. The place is beautiful and cozy...the staff, questionable. The past few times I was there (with my daughter), the staff were just lazy, slow, and did I mentioned they forgot to bring the breadstick? It would of been different if the place was packed, but it wasn't. I usually go around 4 or 5 sometimes 3pm, so it cant be too busy. It took them forever before I finally got some water, I should of just left. To the staff, you dont need training..you need to stop being lazy!!

Wow, Dr.Don must be an alias for the owner of Union Hotel on Mission! That review is as fake as a three dollar bill. I used to go there, but don't anymore. The food and drinks are overpriced (and they always give you a short pour) and the staff is LAZY. Management is involved in things other than running the restaurant (anyone who works/worked there knows what this means), and so they are never on the floor taking care of business. They won't last long.

I don't think Dr. Don's review is fake. Just because you don't agree with him, doesn't mean you should level a personal attack. I'm beginning to think Sebastian is the alias for the owner of the Mary's Pizza down the street from the Union.

It's good, it might be overpriced, and the atmosphere is really inviting. And my experience was much different with the staff ... I'm not sure they were the best I've ever seen, but I wouldn't exactly call them lazy either. When I go out to eat, I'm not there to experience the wonderful presence of the staff, I'm there to enjoy the food with whomever I ate out with. I think the staff here was really good at not hovering around my table.

And I'm sure they'll last long, the one in Occidental's been there for a few years if I remember correctly.

Matt...You have some good points. You are correct in that I have no idea whether Dr. Don is connected to Union Hotel or not. I do, however, know that they give short pours, charge premium prices, that mangagement is distracted, and they are not nearly as busy as they used to be. I love Union Hotel in Occidental and agree with you that it will still be there 50 years from now. There are a lot of differences between that one and the one on Mission. I'll leave it at that.

The Union has the best pizza ANYWHERE. I don't agree with those who say the food is overpriced. The pastry offered for sale is top drawer also.

I have been going to the Union Hotel (occidental)for 30 years. It was close to the best ravioli and chicken dinner and great minestrone soup. My last visit will be my last, the ravioli were terrible, bearly ediable, the sauce was strong with burnt garlic. The soup was bad also, I make a better soup at home. Sorry to see your great restaurant go down hill. I have heard similar from the restaurant on Mission. Too Bad!

The Union Hotel is not even a shadow of what it once was. I've been eating at the one in Occidental since 1975. Used to be a fun, family type place with good food. Now???? Took friends to the one on Mission last year. It was the worst meal I've had in California, ever. Lazy service. Horrid food. We left most of our food. Never again.

Yes, the food has declined in quality that is for sure. I had the lasagna- what a colossal mistake. It was served in an individual dish, and sloppily created in the same dish- the sauce was off flavor, the sausage too strong, the noodles were not plentiful and oops! They forgot to use cheese....never again. I would have sent it back but they were busy and I was not up for sitting there all night- better to leave and grab something else on my way home. I am not a picky eater, but this was really terrible.

Been going to UH in Occidental since I was a little girl. Still as good now as it was then. Their zucchini fritters rock! Their soup isn't the same but still very good. You can't beat their lunches either. With a sandwich you get soup and salad. I eat the S & S there and take the sandwich home for dinner, along with some fritters. UH on College has good lunch deals and really nice staff. Happy to hear that a UH on Mission opened since I lived on the east side. Went for lunch assuming (yeah yeah) they had the same lunch deals as on College and was met with the most stuck up, snooty reply I've ever received from a waitress. They are different and are more upscale. Well la de da. Ended up with an ovepriced chicken sandwich and horrible service. We were the only ones in the place at the noon hour on a weekday and were ignored and made to feel as though we were putting her out by being there. She had a point, how dare I expect a glass of water. Needless to say I never went back.

One of the worst italian dinners - EVER (the one on Mission) I used to go to the one in Occidental many, many years ago, and it was good. But their restaurant on Mission is down right disgusting. Salty, salty, salty and mushy pasta... way over priced, and the worst caesar salad I've ever had! You couldn't pay me to eat there again.