Lotus Bar & Eatery

Lotus is, without question, our favorite restaurant, tucked away in one of Gastonia's prettiest neighborhoods. The ambiance is tastefully modern minimalist, with warm tones of amber and scarlet against a backdrop of black and midnight blue...softly lit by candlelight, beautiful sconces and pendants suspended from the high ceiling. An interesting and eclectic musical mix plays in the background at an enjoyable volume. An upstairs dining loft overlooks the main dining room. There is something to be freshly prepared and beautifully presented for everyone on their menu. Amazing sushi, generous appetizers, unusual soups and flatbread pizza, at least two incredible specials nightly, chicken, steak, pasta, fish, out-of-this-world desserts, impressive selection of beer and wine, unique cocktail specialties. Their Sunday brunch is to die for. Last time there for dinner I started off with an apricotini (so delicious, I drank it much too fast!), a crunchy roll for my appetizer, basil encrusted flounder w petite roasted mixed veggies in creamy sauce, and shared a blackberry cabernet sorbet and strawberry ginger crisp for dessert...heavenly. I understand that vegetarian preferences are graciously accommodated. Sam is an accomplished and talented chef and regularly visits the patrons at their tables to keep his finger on the pulse of diverse and discerning palates. This is not a brew and burger place. This is FINE dining, but without the snootiness. Our servers have always given us impeccable service. As stated in another review, this is our ""go to"" place when out-of-towners visit. We haven't EVER been disappointed. And when our guests revisit, they ask to go back to Lotus. more

Food was tasteless,cold, and overpriced. Service was the rudest I have experienced in a long time. Don't want to waste time with details. Just don't go here. more

This has become our ""go to"" nearby restaurant. We love the food, atmosphere, and service. The staff and owners always remember us when we come in. The menu is eclectic and always good. There is a great beer, wine and cocktail menu as well. When we have out of town visiters, Lotus is always the choice. more

Ate at this restaurant several weeks back and the service was horrible. The waitess was very rude when my huband and I didn't rush and make our order in a timely fashion. The same way with the other restaurant the owner has..Sukura..very horrible service..We even had rude service from the owner Angela..She placed our order wrong..and then became very rude when we corrected her..I wouldn't suggest either of these restaurants more

As management at Lotus Bar & Eatery, we would like an opportunity to respond to the comment from Merry Brooks. Mrs. Brooks is correct in stating that the server accidentally charged the wrong bill to her card. However, the charge was voided, by me, on the spot. (Any business owner will tell you that the ""money"" is not actually collected until the end of the night. The card swipe/approval process merely checks the balance so that it can ""approve"" the amount being charged.) In this instance, Mrs. Brooks' bank put a hold on the amount requested, but did not withdraw it from her account (this happens in about 1 in 10000 transactions). Mrs. Brooks called the following evening to claim she had been double-charged despite our records showing the contrary. We politely suggested that she wait 48hrs. for her bank to clear it, or call her bank for an explanation. It being after-hours, Mrs. Brooks was understandably upset about having to wait another day, so she requested a refund. Unfortunately, we were unable to give her one because 1) we never received the money, and 2) it was her banks' responsibility to release her funds, not ours to donate $120 into her account. She promptly called the banks' helpline, and called us back saying that her bank would release the funds if we faxed over an affidavit on company letterhead stating that the funds in question were not being requested by Lotus. We did so immediately, and to our knowledge the matter was resolved between her and her bank. We sympathize with Mrs. Brooks' ordeal, but again, would like to state for the record that we did not willingly nor falsely charge her account for more than what was due. We also handled her complaint the moment it was received, despite her call coming during our busiest dinner hour. We are disappointed that Mrs. Brooks feels that our customer service was lacking when we actively lobbied on her behalf, and went out of our way to resolve what was clearly just an issue between her and her bank. more

Server rang in the bill wrong, charging my account twice, one for the amount I owed and one for over $120. The bank deducted both amounts, and I had to spend a whole evening calling my bank and them and untangling the situation. Will not return. Way too much hassle. more

What a GREAT restaurant ...Thank God something this good came into Gastonia...we just moved here from Tampa and we have been very distressed with the availability of fine dining in the area. The lemon cheesecake was the best I have ever had...and I have had cheesecake from all over the world. I had the duck which was so very good and my husband had the salmon...he is not much of a fish eater but he loved it. The only problem we had was making a choice because it all sounded so good. Great service too..5 STARS... Pros: great food, great service Cons: hard to find ...$$$$... more

I come to Charlotte frequently on business and find the area to be above average in restaurant quality. Might be the Johnson & Wales influence. So, when I visit I take time to try different establishments. I tested Lotus Bar & Eatery on this trip and I was not disappointed. I had lunch on this visit and the food was splendid. Unique and delicious. This is a must visit sleeper with great chefs putting down truely unique dishes. Great service and nice warm atmosphere. Pros: Just plain awesome Cons: Might be a little hard to find more

I'm a regular at Lotus, and I have to say it's truly a standout in the world of chain restaurants and strip malls in Gastonia and Charlotte. Ironically, it's located in a strip mall, but could easily fit in in New York City or LA. Any time I have guests from out of town, I make it a point to take them here, and every guest I've ever brought has had a fantastic experience. Pros: Food, atmosphere, great place to bring out-of-town guests more

The food is great... over-priced, but some would say well worth it. I used to be an employee at this restaurant so I just wanted to let the public know a few things before deciding to eat there. First of all they treat their employees terribly. It is a family owned restaurant and they are an Asian family. They must think that America approves of sweatshops. As a server I am willing to do whatever it takes ""behind the scenes"" to to make sure that my customers receive fast, and delightful service. But when I have to stay late only earning $2.43 an hour basically cleaning floors with a toothbrush, feeling like Cinderella, my motivation to be a good employee starts to dwindle. more