Red Viking Restaurant - Solvang, California

Daisy T. (.

Pros: good atmosphere, authentic Danish food, clean restroom
Cons: long wait, inexperienced staff, bland food, small portion value

Disclaimer: We visited during peak weekend lunch hours. Our experience may be different.

We asked for a table for 4 and waited nearly an hour to get seated. After getting seated and placing an order for two dishes (Sausage Platter and the Scandinavia's Famous Bay Shrimp Sandwich), it took 30 minutes for food to arrive to the table. The sausages were cold, dry, and overcooked. The sandwich had terrible thawed shrimp in it, even the side of mash potato was better than the main entrée. Insane pricing for bland food.

Staff constantly ignored us when we asked how much longer should we wait for a table while half the dining space was empty. People seated after us eating hot dishes got their orders before we did. Wait staff also took my plates and utensils away before I finished eating. They don't listen and seem inexperienced.

Overall, pick someplace else if you really want your money's worth.

Liz G.

We had been to this restaurant before with family. My husband seemed surprised I wanted to go there and didn't understand why. In seonds I understood why. The cashier who we were checking in with for seating was not at all welcoming. After we sat down, my husband said the last time we were there, the service was awful, and the food was not that great and was cold. He remembered having to hunt down the server for things. I was having a good time with my family that I didn't notice. I was hoping this time would be different. It was not. It took about 15 minutes to get our drinks and place our order. About 20 minutes after we placed our order, the server came over to tell us they were out of Cajun sausage, so we requested ham instead. A busser walked by with regular coffee and asked me if I wanted some, I said I wanted coffee but was drinking decaf. He never returned. My husband got up to go ask for some. Let's talk about the cold food that arrived at our table. We both asked for white toast. Most places give you 2 slices; we each got one tiny piece of toast. I had asked for extra crispy bacon and did not get that. The entire time we were there, the server never stopped by to check in and see how everything was. I am going to guess she knew what the answer would be so she didn't bother. When we got the bill, I noticed they hadn't updated the order to show eggs and ham instead of eggs and Cajun sausage. I knew there were price differences in the options, so I went to ask the cashier for a menu. It was only $1 difference, which is peanuts, but after our horrible experience, I told the cashier what had happened to see what would happen. There was no apology, and she charged what the bill said. Tourists and locals beware! DO NOT EAT HERE. We are not ever going back. The lesson we learned today is don't go to the one restaurant on the block that is not busy while all others have people waiting outside. There is a reason there is no wait there.

Jessica F.

Food was great. The overall service was ok. It was my first time trying red pepper soup. It was really good but would have like it served really hot. I highly recommend the soup if it’s available

Wy

Visited Solvang for a weekend getaway. This restaurant was suggested to us by our hotel staff. Went there for dinner and had the Danish sausage & meatball combination dinner with hot tea. The food was really good. It satisfied my temporary craving for a Danish dinner. Staff was well attentive and amicable. All-in-all very good experience dining there. I would definitely go back for another different dinner.

Madi Q.

Absolutely delish! Came for breakfast and had the aebleskivers with the sausage. Super tasty! The service was great. Would come back!

Bernard C.

Pretty busy during holiday season. Luckily on waited 30mins to be seated...food was good...just enjoying the atmosphere around Solvang.

Lyz K.

This was a first-time trip for my friends, and they wanted the experience. However, they chickened out, and we got sandwiches instead. We got there after the lunch rush and sat in the back, hoping it would be cooler than outside. After sitting for about 10 minutes with no service, we asked if we could sit in the front. Again, we waited for services. Everyone just kept walking by and didn't take our order or ask us if wanted anything to drink. I made eye contact with several of the help, and instead of coming to the table, they would look away and keep going. Finally our orders were taken and our food came. Best Ruben sandwich I've had in a long time. The fries were crispy, and onion rings perfectly battered. The seasoning on point, and they were not oily. I don't remember what my friends had, but they both remarked on how good their sandwiches were. The Princess Cake lived up to its name, was delish and almost too pretty to eat. My pic does not do it justice. I don't remember our other dessert but it was delish too.

Cori H.

Average. With many choices, I would not return. The food was ok, the service was lacking. Took a long time to get water and order. We could tell that there was confusion on who's table we were. We ordered a chicken sandwich and barely any chicken. The hamburger was good but could not substitute a salad. Was charged for the salad. The salad was small for the price. The bread was good but only served 2 pieces for a table of 4. The building itself was the attraction.