I stopped by Mr. Dak after a dentist appointment, hoping for some solid Korean fried chicken to brighten my day. While the flavors showed promise, the execution was a letdown, and the overall experience was soured by poor service and questionable business practices.
I ordered the Chicken & Rice Dinner with Soy Garlic Wings (10 pieces, Spicy Red). The waiter mentioned the Spicy Red wings were their hottest option, and while they weren't particularly spicy, I totally get that everyone's tolerance is different, so that's not an issue for me. Flavor-wise, the wings were good overall-I enjoyed the taste of the Spicy Red sauce. But the texture was a dealbreaker. Korean fried chicken is supposed to have that signature crispiness, and these wings were on the soggy side, lacking the typical crunch. It was such a letdown for what could've been a great dish. The rice was bland, and I've had better KFC elsewhere.
The drinks were a miss too. I got a Mr. Dak IPA and what I think was supposed to be their "pineapple beer" (listed as Mr. Dak Pumpkin on the receipt). The IPA was fine, but the so-called pineapple beer was awful-it tasted like someone poured pineapple juice into a Budweiser and called it a day. It was watery, overly sweet, and lacked any real craft beer quality. Avoid it at all costs.
Then there's the billing nonsense. They offer an 11% discount for paying with cash, so it's not technically a surcharge for using a credit card, but it sure felt like one. My bill went from a discounted $54.76 (if I'd paid cash) to $60.86 because I used my card. That's a steep hike just for not carrying cash, especially when most places either don't play these pricing games or keep the difference under 3%. I decided to walk across the street to get cash, but when I asked the waiter where the nearest ATM was, they just shrugged and said they didn't know. Really? You work here and can't help me take advantage of your own discount? The lack of basic customer service was infuriating.
To make matters worse, I later found out they had a "Grade Pending" sign posted outside. It was stuck in the lower corner of the window, easy to miss and seemingly placed there on purpose to avoid attention. That's a red flag--makes me wonder what they're trying to hide about their hygiene standards.
To top it all off, I found out they're gaming their reviews. They offer a free side of fries if you post a 5-star review on the spot-basically bribing customers to inflate their ratings. It explains why their reviews seem suspiciously glowing. I'm not here for that nonsense; I'm here for honest food and service, which I didn't fully get.
Mr. Dak, you've got potential with the flavors, but you need to fix the soggy wings that lack crunch, ditch the terrible pineapple beer, stop hitting card users with what feels like a punitive cash discount gap, train your staff to actually help, and earn your stars the honest way. That "Grade Pending" sign isn't helping your case either. I might consider coming back if you step up your game, but for now, I'd tell others to think twice. read more