Grasshopper Asian Kitchen

Claim
marker

2002 Hillsborough Rd
Durham, NC 27705

marker
(919) 286-1600
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Reviews
( 4 )
( 2 )
( 1 )
( 4 )
( 5 )

Best

This Saturday night I ordered carry out from Grasshopper, expecting to sacrifice something in the move from restaurant to home - but didn't have to. The pan-fried dumplings, whil...

Worst

My husband and I tried this place because one of our friends recommended it. We were practically the only people in the place, yet the service was very inattentive. An entire ar...

One of my worst dining experiences in the Triangle or ever 7/31/2009

There were virtually no staff on hand, including kitchen help, hardly saw the waiter, and when we did complain, we were sent the manager, who offered us free dessert. No one had eaten their cold, raw disgusting food, so we ordered dessert, of which 1 out of the 4 was inedible. We were then charged full price for all appetisers, entrees and 3 out of 4 desserts! We left starving after paying almost $200 and went by Elmo's to grab a sandwich before going home. Pathetic! Pros: Decor looks very cool and menu sounds unique and appetising Cons: Food arrived late, cold, half cooked, and tasting horrible more
Reply | Report abuse |

abominable experience 10/21/2006

My husband and I ate at this restaurant last night and it was nothing less than a disaster. I ordered a tofu dish with vegetables and edaname. It turned out to be a bowl of liquid with tofu -no veggies or edaname. I told the waitress and she said she would bring me some vegetables to put in the broth. 10 min later she brought a dish of sweet potatoes in some kind of sticky burnt sauce. Also their rice cooker was broken, so instead of rice for my husband's meal, they brought a huge bowl of ice cold rice noodles! And the end of the meal (?), when the waitress finally brought the check, I told her how disappointed I was but instead of her letting the manager know, she just told me she hoped the next time I would order something else. Never again will we darken their door. This may be the place for you if you want the opposite of what you order! Pros: Nothing Cons: food, service, menu more
Reply | Report abuse |

Excellent food! 9/4/2006

I'm not sure if things have changed since many of the negative reviews written about this quaint establishment, but my first experience at Grasshopper was amazing. The food was fantastic (red chile talapia). It was served hot and perfectly prepared. Dish presentations made me feel I was at a more elite restaurant than could be found in a small-ish city. The service was courteous and professional. Even though there were not many other customers, the restaurant was cozy and romantic. The patio seating was fantastic on a late summer evening. I'll definitely be going back. Pros: excellent ambience Cons: small indoor seating area more
Reply | Report abuse |

disappointing 4/6/2006

My husband and I tried this place because one of our friends recommended it. We were practically the only people in the place, yet the service was very inattentive. An entire army of frat-boy-type waiters hung around the kitchen window, loudly discussing women instead of waiting tables - very unpleasant. We ordered many dimsum - a soup dish was very yummy but most others were tasteless. We waited about a half an hour for a single dimsum - a steamed rice ball -yet when it came the rice was complete uncooked and hard - it was inedible. We dine out very often at many different places, but we are not even giving this place a second chance. Pros: nice ambience Cons: inattentive staff, poor food more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not authentic, bad food 4/1/2006

My boyfriend and I were both very disappointed with the food. Being Asian, I know for sure that none of the dishes we ordered were authentic...Even if you consider the restaurant serving fusion cuisine, its food is still not very appetizing. The dumpling soup I ordered was luke warm, and I had to ask our waitress to reheat it. Our worst experience was with their Thai tapioca desert. The desert had a very wierd sour taste to it (b/c of the canned lychee syrup mixed with coconut milk), and the tapioca wasn't completely cooked! The food was definitely below average for the price we paid for. Pros: good service, relaxing ambience Cons: bad food, pricey more
Reply | Report abuse |

standing the test of time 3/12/2006

This Saturday night I ordered carry out from Grasshopper, expecting to sacrifice something in the move from restaurant to home - but didn't have to. The pan-fried dumplings, while a little chewy, were packed with tasty pork, the tom-ka-gai soup, a new addition to the menu, was insanely good. Finally, the corn cakes with lump crab were wonderfully seasoned and perfectly, unapologetically fried, and I'll be ordering them again soon. Grasshopper has become my local hangout - great bartenders, super friendly service, and reliable, unique, affordable food. Pros: clean, bold flavors, unique menu, gorgous setting more
Reply | Report abuse |

an asian restaurant with atmosphere 2/9/2006

i went to grasshopper because i had heard that the chef from vin rouge, matt kelly, had also taken on the kitchen at grasshopper. he never fails to deliver. the pho (a meal in itself) was absolutely delicious, and we also had an order of the shitaki mushroom dumplings and chicken satay with a peanut sauce which was so good. our waiter was great. friendly, helpful, and kept our water glasses filled. the atmosphere is very cool with a neat cement bar. also, the prices are so reasonable starting at about $3. i think the most expensive thing on the lunch menu was $8. i cannot wait to go back, as everything on the menu sounded wonderful. wish this restaurant was in raleigh! Pros: inexpensive, atmosphere, food more
Reply | Report abuse |

Very Friendly and Authentic 1/12/2006

Despite having a non-Asian chef (who is from Vin Rouge), the dishes I tried were extremely authentic tasting to those I remember during my time living in Asia. The outside seating is absolutely beautiful when the weather is nice, with the courtyard decorations almost magical (particularly the giant windchimes). We were extremely well served by both our waiter and the hostess. The selection of beers and drinks is exceptional. With the new menu, I was particularly impressed with the Tempeh and Japanese Eggplant over Pea Sprouts. It is one of the best dishes I have had in the last few years. Pros: Authenic, Friendly, Tasty Cons: Crowded more
Reply | Report abuse |

I won't go back 12/2/2005

Grasshopper is an odd place. There is almost no indoor seating and the night we went it rained. Sitting outside on the patio in the fall was chilly and then the rain almost drove us away. Good atmosphere in summer I bet. The food wasn't very good though. I would go there for drinks but the dishes were very small and not particularly well prepared. Skip it for dinner. Pros: atmosphere, drinks Cons: little indoor seating, below average food more
Reply | Report abuse |

Nice Ambience but terrible food 11/28/2005

Having recently moved from CA, I was thrilled to find a restaurant with a ""Fusion"" flair. The ambience at Grasshopper was good- small, cozy and intimate. I found the staff to be very friendly but sort of incompetent. We were a party of 4, and ordered 4 different dishes. I ordered the special Mahi Mahi with green curry which turned out to be absolutely dreadful. I'm used to eating hot food and also tasted a variety of green curry dishes but this was beyond just regular hot!! The chef put way too much pepper, and it didn't have any other flavor! TheThe Ahi Tuna was bland, with not much flavor and the other two dishes were just not too memorable. I'm sure this is a great place to get drinks to enjoy the ambience, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's looking to actually eat something worth the $$. more
Reply | Report abuse |

just average 10/21/2005

The decor provides nice ambience, the food looks like it should be great, but instead is so-so. Our meals were salty/garlicy but lacked pizzaz. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Please do not waste your money here!! 10/13/2005

I went to grasshopper this evening with 4 friends. Each of us ordered an entree. I can honestly say that not one of them was edible. Seriously. I ordered ""wheat noodles with vegetables and peanut sauce."" I got a bowl full of noodles (which were definitely not wheat) covered in peanut butter...literally. The vegetables? Oh there was about 1/4 of a cup of chopped up bok choy under the noodles. That's it. There was no taste in this dish at all, and no vegetables!!! I have never eaten something so bland in my life. What a waste of money. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Nice idea but poor execution 10/8/2005

Most of the food we sampled would not pass the quality standards at most ""real"" Asian restaurants - and we've pratically grown up in Asian restaurants, so we know. Steamed dumplings (we tried all on the menu) had gummy, undercooked wrappers. The pan-fried dumplings were OK, though. Noodles with peanut sauce were overcooked and bland - we had to douse them with soy sauce to make them edible. The roast pork was the only well-executed dish (except for the pairing with mustard, which totally overpowered the subtle taste of the meat). The flan was good, but the chocolate lava cake needs work (more like a brownie - no lava!). The service was friendly and efficient. Atmosphere was OK, and the restaurant has the potential to be a nice place to bring a group - but only if they really improve the food! Pros: service, small plates to share, drinks Cons: food, pricey more
Reply | Report abuse |

Unique food in a lovely setting 9/18/2005

Grasshopper's got the coolest patio in town, hands down. The menu offers items one can't find anywhere else in town--a welcome addition to the Triangle scene. The food is inventive and delicious, and the servers couldn't be nicer. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Pathetic service, inedible food 9/15/2005

My wife and I walk in. We are the only persons in the place. My wife orders hot tea, but they dont' bring her a tea cup. After neraly ten minutes of watching the waiter talk to the other waiter, I have to get up out of my seat and go ask for a cup. Then, it takes 40 minutes to bring us an order of dumplings, some green beans, and an order of spring rolls. The green beans were like rubber. No dipping sauce for the dumplings. No Asians in the kitchen. Just awful. Ambience cannot replace food and service in a restaurant. Pros: none, none, none Cons: expensive, poor service, bad food more
Reply | Report abuse |

So much potential, such poor execution 9/2/2005

perfect atmosphere for Asian fusion, great looking menu....longer than anticipated wait, poor service at every turn and food that was so close to excellent. We went last night to try it out and were hopeful given Durham's lack of progressive Asian options. As you can see, we came away confused. The dumplings were fantastic, while the curry and chow mein, were just good, if a tad bit too salty. The service was not good at all, it took a long time to get a table, we waited at the bar for drinks for a long time, our food was slow and the check was slow. Worst of all, there was a funky garbage smell inside the main room (we at outside which was great). We'll go back and see if a little time smooths out the wrinkles. more
Reply | Report abuse |
< Previous 1 Next >
Menu for Grasshopper Asian Kitchen


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021
Editorial

  • In Short
    The dramatic ceiling--layered with the texture of bamboo poles and golden-glow lamps--might demand your attention, but the restaurant's bar steals the show, with its dramatic...

  • 6/28/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Tue-Fri 11am-1am Sat 11:30am-1:30am Sun 11:30am-11:30pm
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Old West Durham
badge