The Formosa Cafe

Yes, yes, yes! The decor is poor, not even passable by todays standards. The service is absent almost as if planned that way. But, the food is excellent! I read lisa's review, an excellent one, but wondered if she was eating at the Taco Bell next ... more

Yes, yes, yes! The decor is poor, not even passable by todays standards. The service is absent almost as if planned that way. But, the food is excellent! I read lisa's review, an excellent one, but wondered if she was eating at the Taco Bell next door. The food here has been traditionally excellent over the years and the decor poor. That is why us locals use formosa as a take-out restaurant. Besides it can get pretty expensive if yo go for the take-out boxes as a unique package for a wedding present! less

This grimey little cafe has been in North Sacramento for as long as I can remember. As a child, my family would buy dinner here but always for take-out. And it was okay by a child's standards then. I was recently taken there for dinner (the fir ... more

This grimey little cafe has been in North Sacramento for as long as I can remember. As a child, my family would buy dinner here but always for take-out. And it was okay by a child's standards then. I was recently taken there for dinner (the first time in over 25 years) and anticipated at least an average meal based on my childhood memories. Was I sorely mistaken...and very disappointed. First the atmosphere: Yuck! The inside of the windows looked as if they hadn't seen glass cleaner and elbow grease since I was a kid. A heavy, "old greasy" pungence hung in the air like cigar smoke does. The tables and their settings were clean enough, but the celery green walls belied the thousands of deep fried prawns and egg rolls that had been plated within their confines over the years. The decor was mid-century tacky plastic, except for the beautiful and unusual "dragon/ball" water fountain sitting on the counter by the cash register which provided a peaceful tinkling sound as the dragon "magically" held the ball suspended on top of a spount of water. The ONLY nice touch in the place. Our waitress looked tired and displayed total disinterest in our needs. She didn't smile or exchange pleasantries, and although she was asked repeatedly for more ice water, it did not arrive until after she'd presented the bill.
The food can only be described as poorly prepared, overcooked, and "mis-seasoned". Not one of the dishes we ordered tasted even close to what one expects Chinese fare to taste like. Of special note was the Sweet-n-Sour Pork, to which I don't think the cook even came close with something resembling "sweet"; it was more along the lines of a cherry flavored vinager thickened with too much corn starch...and the pork was all fat and batter, and the batter tasted old/kind of stale. The fried rice was extremely greasy...something I'd never experienced in a Chinese restaurant before and the gravy in the Broccoli Beef tasted as if it'd come right out of a can of Franco-American Beef gravy. Need I go on? Suffice it to say, there was alot of food left to take home in those cute little boxes with the wire handles. However, the food stayed on the plates and the boxes went home with me, to be used later as creative gift packaging. less