The Couple's 4th Anniversary

Let me start off by saying that I've eaten at other Elephant Bars, but not this one. The food is usually excellent, and it's a fun, hip place to be. This location is right on the water, and you can see planes taking off and landing at nearby San Francisco International Airport.

We got to the restaurant about 45 minutes before closing and were told there'd be a 5-minute wait. We went and got the camera that had been left in the car, and while we were outside, our buzzer went off, letting us know our table was ready. We headed back in only to be informed that this was a mistake. We sat down and waited. About 15 to 20 minutes later, a manager jogged up and sort of quietly shouted (if there is such a thing) at the hostess.

When we asked the hostess what was going on, she let us know that their computer system had gone down and that they now didn't have a record of what people had ordered or how much it was. The manager had told her not to take any more people. We asked how long it would be until we could be seated, because, after all, the servers could recall who had what or they could simply explain the problem to the diners and then add it all up manually. Not a big deal. Apparently, we were wrong. A weak "sorry" was given, and we (along with two other groups) were turned away.

We were greeted warmly at the door and led directly to a table. Our waiter was prompt in coming over and giving us chips and salsa. He took our drink and meal orders.

Our drinks came out quickly, but the entrée was a little slow in coming, especially considering that it was about 20 minutes until closing when we came in. The restaurant was about 25% full, and most diners were already eating when we were served.

The food was delicious. My husband was full after eating the macho combo ($12), and that's saying a lot! I had the chicken flautas ($8), and it came with a wonderful chipotle sauce that had a real kick to it. Our waiter came by once to check on us, and we had a very enjoyable dinner out.

Our check was very slow in coming. When the waiter came by at the end of the meal, I asked for the check, but he must have either forgotten or misunderstood me, because the check didn't come until I flagged him down when I saw him next (about 10 minutes later).

All in all, it is a location and restaurant I will be sure to go again. It's on a beautiful site on the water, and you can watch the planes from SFO come and go.

We stayed here for sentimental reasons. This is where we first met, and we decided to return to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary.

I made the reservation online and got the Internet rate. I also requested a nonsmoking room with a king-size bed. In the comments’ field, I mentioned we'd be checking in late and that it was our anniversary. Upon check-in, I was a little dismayed to hear a gentleman who was just arriving get the same rate as us. I was also asked if I still wanted a king-size bed or if I wanted two beds. I felt like I had wasted my time in making a reservation. The Internet rate was the same as the one at check-in, I was asked a question I had previously answered, and I was not wished a happy anniversary. What is the point of Hyatt asking for special requests and the like if they aren't going to honor them? Would it really have been that difficult to read that and say something?

The room was nicely appointed, and the bed was super comfortable. There were three very squishy pillows, two large square pillows, and a little circular pillow as well. In the closet was a blanket in case you were cold, with just the sheet and duvet. We had an inside room with a view of the atrium. You can pay about $15 more to get an outside view, but with parking being $15 (valet was $20), I decided to skip it. Check-out is a very agreeable noon, but be sure to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign up if you don't want housekeeping to come a knocking. That is, if you can figure out how to make the "Do Not Disturb" sign work. It's some newfangled kind.

The room was quiet for sleeping, but I noticed I could hear quite a bit from the hallway once morning arrived and people started coming out of their rooms. We checked out using the phone system and left our key card in the room. Unfortunately, you need that key card to get out of the garage, so we had to get another one at the front desk. The clerk didn't ask any questions and just simply handed over the key, which was very nice.