Finding a delicious Chinese chain restaurant can be difficult, because
a few of the chains that do exist are so bad that you should avoid them at all costs. The
good news is that there are also some yummy options, so let's talk chains: worst to first.
On Manchu Wok's extensive menu, you can find anything from Honey Garlic
Chicken to Green Bean Beef, and from BBQ Pork to White Fish Tempura. Sadly,
nothing on their menu is worth ordering, no matter how mouthwatering the description sounds.
This Chinese chain restaurant gets terrible reviews across many different sites on the
internet. Typically, the food you order will arrive either burnt beyond recognition or
so cold that you'll be grossed out the second it touches your lips.
It won't take long for you to realize you've made a grave mistake.
Save your money and stay away from Manchu Wok. If you ignore this advice,
be prepared to throw away the majority of the food that you're served.
Asian Chao is a Chinese chain restaurant that is
primarily located within airports and mall food courts, and unfortunately,
like Manchu Wok, online reviews for Asian Chao are mostly either bad or really bad.
There are two main issues with this chain of Chinese restaurants. First of all,
the flavor of their food is too bold. Even if you typically love Chinese food,
your taste buds will be overwhelmed with flavors that are either too sweet or too spicy. Second,
seemingly everything at Asian Chao is overpriced. Even if you're used to airport food that tastes
bad and costs too much, you'd be surprised by how much you would end up hating this Chinese food.
If you're a religious watcher of South Park, you're probably confused by the
presence of City Wok on this list. In South Park, City Wok is the name of the town's
Chinese restaurant. But in real life, there is an actual Chinese restaurant chain named
City Wok that has multiple locations in the United States. Sorry, South Park fans — the
first real City Wok was opened in California years before the first South Park episode aired.
When it comes to their food, City Wok doesn't deserve a recommendation, because everything they
serve is obnoxiously bland. Regardless of what you order, your taste buds will be bored to death.
Furthermore, with prices that provide a poor amount of bang for your buck, there's really
just no excuse to go to City Wok. The food isn't terrible, but you can do a whole lot better.
"I feel like just walking over there and taking some food off somebody's plate."
Back in 1985, Chowking opened its first restaurant in the Philippines,
and it didn't take long for this chain to become extremely popular. A decade later,
Chowking opened its first location in the United States. Though this chain is from
the Philippines, everything on their menu is influenced by Chinese cuisine.
At it's best, Chowking is actually decently good. For example, their Chinese-Style Fried
Chicken Lauriat is sometimes outstanding. At first glance, it looks like fried chicken that
you'd get at KFC. However, upon closer inspection by both your eyes and mouth,
you'll realize that this fried chicken has the unmistakable Chinese goodness you know and love.
Tragically, the quality of the food you receive at Chowking is highly inconsistent.
Sometimes your food is so good that you will promise yourself that you'll add it
to the rotation of restaurants you visit on a regular basis. However,
other times the food is so disgusting that you'll be angry that you wasted money at Chowking.
While the name Pick Up Stix may sound gimmicky,
this chain of Chinese restaurants actually has a long and storied history. Their first
location was opened in 1989, and they now have in excess of 70 restaurants.
If you know what to order at Pick Up Stix, you can be relatively confident that your meal will
be a tasty one. For your appetizer, start with their Cream Cheese Wontons. These wontons are
extra crispy and extra flavorful. For the entree, pick the House Special Chicken that
features tender pieces of chicken prepared with soy sauce, white wine, green onions, and garlic.
While Pick Up Stix has a lot of other options on their menu, including beef entrees,
shrimp entrees, and even salmon entrees, nothing else they serve is worthy of a recommendation.
If you have a picky palate or you simply like things done your way,
try HuHot Mongolian Grill. While the food here won't blow you away,
you should be pleased with what you receive. If you're unhappy, it'll be your own fault.
At HuHot Mongolian Grill, you simply make a few decisions and then, before you know it,
your stir-fry dish will be ready to eat. First, select your protein. Next,
pick one of their rice and noodle options. Third, it's time to select which vegetables
you want in your stir-fry. Last, but certainly not least, you will need to choose your sauces.
Reviews for HuHot Mongolian Grill aren't great, but they're good enough that you can be reasonably
certain you'll be happy with your meal — as long as you make wise decisions, that is.
"Our standard order is: the steamed dumpling appetizer, General Tso's chicken,
beef with broccoli, shrimp with lobster sauce, and vegetable lo mein. Do you see the problem?"
Mama Fu's is a chain that has locations in the South, primarily in the state of Texas.
While their menu of Chinese food is quite lengthy, be prepared for both the good and the bad.
Let's begin with their negative attributes. Just about everything Mama Fu's serves is
oily. It's not so bad you'll instantly regret your order, but be ready with napkins to help
you deal with your oily fingers and oily lips. Another bad trait is that Mama Fu's food tends
to be mushy. If you want crisp Chinese food with a memorable texture, you should look elsewhere.
The leading positive attribute for this Chinese restaurant chain is their unique options that
add a dash of Southern cuisine to give the Chinese food even more flavor. For example, their Jalapeno
Brisket Fried Rice is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This fried rice features
brisket that has been smoked, with jalapenos, onions, mushrooms, and green pepper sauce.
Leeann Chin is a restaurant chain that's the brainchild of an amazing woman named ... wait
for it: Leeann Chin. After growing up in China, she came to America with her family in the 1950s
and by 1980, she decided to capitalize on her impressive culinary skills by opening
a restaurant. Today, Leean Chin has dozens and dozens of locations, primarily in the Midwest.
While most of their offerings are above average, stick with the chicken entrees
such as Sweet & Sour Chicken, Peking Chicken, Grilled Bourbon Chicken, and Lemon Chicken.
Leeann Chin's Firecracker Tofu entree is also really good. It features tofu that is stir-fried
in Mongolian sauce. It's really spicy, but if you can handle the heat, you'll love it.
No, Mark Pi's doesn't have anything to do with the circumference of a circle.
This is a Chinese restaurant chain founded by a man named Mark Pi.
To say he's an expert at the art of making Chinese noodles would be an understatement,
because he actually made the Guinness Book of World Records due to his noodle-making speed.
The number one rule if you visit Mark Pi's is to avoid their buffet and just
order off of their regular menu. Of course, begin with the noodles.
The quality of Mark Pi's food is good across the board. Nothing they
serve is particularly memorable, but their food is relatively inexpensive,
prepared quickly, and will fill you to the brim.
If you want gourmet Chinese food, you could do a lot worse than Din Tai Fung.
What will catch your attention right away is the presentation of the food at Din Tai Fung.
Everything is beautiful and will cause your mouth to water. From Jidori Chicken
Dumplings to Kurobuta Pork Buns, it's not difficult to find something yummy on
their menu. If you like Chinese soup, they have outstanding options such as Braised Beef Soup.
There are two reasons why Din Tai Fung isn't higher on this list. First, their prices are on
the high side. Second, their portions aren't the biggest. You'll be thrilled with what you order,
but don't be stunned if you're still hungry at the time you leave the restaurant.
Originally, Pei Wei Asian Kitchen first opened in Arizona back in 2000 and since the beginning,
the quality of the food served at this chain has remained high.
If freshness is what you crave, it's very difficult to find a better Chinese restaurant
than Pei Wei Asian Kitchen. Everything you try will be amazingly fresh. Additionally,
the prices are reasonable and the atmosphere at each location is always relaxed.
Why isn't Pei Wei Asian Kitchen ranked higher? Their one flaw is either really annoying or
no big deal, depending on who you ask. That flaw is that they overload all their dishes
with an overflowing amount of vegetables. If you're looking for hearty, meat-filled dishes,
you're going to be underwhelmed by all the vegetables that come along for the ride.
Many things will surprise you about Chinese Gourmet Express. First of all,
your order will be ready almost instantaneously. They weren't exaggerating by putting the word
"express" in their name. Secondly, the portions you receive are larger than you'd expect,
especially when you see the price tag. Third of all, the flavor of everything is quite impressive.
While many Chinese restaurants are able to make tasty chicken dishes,
Chinese Gourmet Express also has other really good meat options on
their menu for anyone who wants to try something a little out of the ordinary.
If you really enjoy the aforementioned HuHot
Mongolian Grill, you'll fall head over heels for bd's Mongolian Grill.
What makes bd's Mongolian Grill better? They have an unlimited
soup bar and an unlimited salad bar with really good options. Typically,
unlimited buffets of Chinese food are destined to be gross — but not at this place.
Additionally, there are some really tasty appetizers on their menu including egg rolls,
potstickers, and crab rangoons. Add these appetizers to your hand-selected stir-fry dish
and you'll have a Chinese meal at your fingertips that will be scrumptious until the final bite.
Anyone who has ever eaten dinner at P.F. Chang's isn't surprised that this Chinese
restaurant chain is sitting in a top-three spot on this list. The food is so good,
it's almost impossible to leave this restaurant without a grin that extends from ear to ear.
The best thing to do at this place is to try something new. P.F. Chang's boasts a lengthy
menu with unforgettable dishes such as Crispy Honey Chicken, Northern-Style Pork Spare Ribs,
Mongolian Beef, Pepper Steak, and Oolong Chilean Sea Bass. Even if you think you have found a new
favorite, keep switching things up and you'll end up with a laundry list of favorites.
The only reason why P.F. Chang's isn't number one in our ranking
is the fact that a lot of their food is undeniably Americanized.
"Mmm, ketchup!"
If you're a Chinese food fanatic looking for the ultimate fine dining experience,
take a trip to Mr. Chow. The first location was opened in 1968 in London, England. Since then,
this chain has ventured to America and opened restaurants in numerous cities.
All of their restaurants are fancy, and their food is equally as exquisite.
As expected, you're going to pay top dollar for fine dining at Mr. Chow. Don't even think about
visiting unless your purse strings are adequately loose. That said, when it comes to the food
quality, the ambience of the restaurants, and the service level you can expect, Mr. Chow satisfies.
If you're unsure of what to order, you can't
go wrong with the delicious Beijing Chicken that is served with walnuts.
When it comes to commercial success in the world of Chinese chain restaurants, Panda Express is in
a league of its own. They sell around $3 billion worth of Chinese food per year and have more than
2,100 locations in the United States. Since opening their first restaurant
in 1983 in California, Panda Express has grown to become a household name due to
their ubiquitous Chinese food that is oh-so yummy.
The primary key to their stunning success has to be their delicious Orange Chicken. They sell
more than 100 million pounds of this stuff each and every year. This chicken is sweet, but it's
also just a little bit tangy and just a little bit spicy. If Orange Chicken is the only Panda
Express item you ever order, no one could blame you. This entree is just unbelievably amazing.
Before you scoff at a fast food restaurant being number one on this list, give Panda Express a
fair chance. Their food is surprisingly authentic and will have your taste buds
in a nonstop state of bliss for the duration of your meal. Panda Express doesn't just have
the best Chinese food for the price, they have the best American chain Chinese food — period.
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