Canton Inn

This place is simply awesome. Prices are unbeatable and it’s the best cashew chicken I have had in the Springfield area. Such a great little Chinese spot for an unbeatable price.

WONDERFUL! One of the BEST Chinese around with pretty good prices! Crab Rangoons CANT BE BEAT! Good options for eating, got the General Chicken and rice WORTH IT! Restaurant was ok but food was amazing!

I'm not usually one to review places, especially since Canton Inn has been one of my family's favorite places to go for lunch. But today... I went and got a large order of chicken fried rice and got about 1/4 the way down the carton and realized I was staring at a rather large, pinky nail sized cockroach. I spent $11 and although the rice was good, up to this point, I had to throw the rest away and probably will not be back again 😞

They used to be better now this place kinda sucks. Dry overcooked chicken, flavor has gone down. Over cooked crab Rangoons. Hot and sour soup isn’t so hot and sour it’s more of a chicken soup without any spice to it. I used to like this place years ago. Now it’s just gone downhill. Not to mention the roaches that you will see when going inside.

The absolute best oriental food in Springfield. It's always been known as the best to locals for years so if your in town visiting or just get a craving for Asian food, this is your place! They have been in business for many, many years and the food tells you why. Make this your goto place!!

Overall, everything was okay. The young man placing the orders was great! Some of the other staff was not the greatest. And I know getting Sriracha was a little difficult for awhile, and most Asian restaurants would not give any out. But it's not difficult to find Sriracha currently. They either didn't have it, or didn't want to give any out. So, I then asked for traditional chili sauce & it was wild to see the man's reaction. He definitely did not want to give us any. But he reluctantly gave us 2 of the tiniest amounts ever. But make no mistake about it, he did not want to! (I'll include a picture.) I had heard wonderful things about their "Springfield Style Cashew Chicken". I don't personally agree that it's one of the absolute best in Springfield, but it was pretty good. The Beef Lo Mein was very bland. We both were very pleased with the crab Rangoon.

This place used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Springfield area. It has definitely went down hill since I left a few years back. The people who took my order seemed very rude and like they didn't want to be there anymore. I asked for pork fried rice and got chicken fried rice, food was still good just wasn't expecting it. Good food just the service has issues.

Look, I very rarely write bad reviews, but with as unacceptable as this was I just had to. Ordered dinner for the Mrs and I since our usual Chinese takeout place was closed. I had the Generals Chicken, this was served SWIMMING in a container of sauce with as much garlic as they could add. Flavor wasn’t great and with so much sauce is just wasn’t appealing. Why bread and fry chicken if you’re going to soak it in so much sauce it’s practically a soup anyhow? The Mrs has the Beef & Broccoli, that had to be tossed immediately. It looked fine, but the beef reeked and tasted super strongly of fish. This was supposed to be beef, mind you. Why does it smell and taste like 3 day old fish? The rice served with the order was a rather small portion. I was expecting plain white rice but received a “semi-fried rice(?)” thing instead. I was basically just rice stir-fried with an onion, that’s it. I would have been fine with it except the rice wasn’t fully cooked and had a hard crunch interior. Overall not great, I made the Mrs toss the Beef & Broccoli as soon as I tasted it after she said it tasted funny, and I couldn’t stomach more than a few bites of the General Chicken. 1/5 stars, would not recommend.

Well I'm not sure what to say about our meal.... The won ton soup was water with won ton wrappers, won bok pieces and broccoli. It tasted of broccoli water and zero soup base. The fried rice was exactly that. Rice thrown in the wok with one piece of onion and not much more of the egg. Everything was just bland, bland and more bland. It got two stars for being hot and the person at the counter being pleasant. Being part Chinese and a chef passing thru I cannot lie. I was sorely disappointed in what we got. The chicken wasn't seasoned and the shrimp wasn't deveined.....

The BEST place to get authentic cashew chicken in Springfield! For those of you that rate the chicken one star, maybe it's you. Look at the other reviews. The only problem is the tiny parking lot that gets very full during busy times. Also, I love the egg rolls. They are huge and full of cabbage, which not everyone likes but I feel like it makes for a much better option, and they are the only place that has them.

My second Cashew Chicken in Springfield, this one is at a "quick-order" Chinese restaurant in the city. Very friendly service, I had my order for dine-in today. A good sized portion with plenty of battered and fried chicken, some fried wontons and rice with a egg roll on the side. Flavorful, tasty and good. Maybe not as good as the other place but this is HALF the price. So they have that going for them. A small restaurant with a small parking lot but it's clean and it's friendly and it is definitely inexpensive. If you're having a craving for Cashew Chicken and looking to not spend a lot and not wait 45 minutes for dinner, this is a good option. [Review 638 of 2024 - 330 in Missouri - 21669 overall]

Springfield, MO is pretty much the only place I want to order Cashew chicken because I grew up ordering it here. Canton Inn is small inside and out. They have been in this location for over 30 years, the building is nothing fancy but it doesn't matter one bit. There is a small upper level and lower level dining area. The prices are inexpensive, the food is good and so is the customer service. I appreciate genuine smiles. They are located near the Sunshine and Campbell intersection between Wendy's and KFC and just across from McAlister's Deli and Whole Hog Cafe. If you're craving Cashew or Sweet & Sour chicken I definitely recommend Canton Inn.

Pretty good place for Springfield staple. Staff were busy but very polite and helpful. Menu posted outside. Fried rice better than average and egg roll ok but not great. Will try again soon!

So! We drove from Chesterfield to try this place and it was not bad but not amazing. My hubby had the cashew chicken and he did like the flavor but not the best his had. He is very familiar with this dish for he lived in Springfield for a long time. I had the ribs which was my mistake. Just ok flavor hut overpriced for the amount. The rice the came with it was blend. The Lo Mein was very good! The only plate I truly enjoyed. The egg rolls are not impressive at all. This place is small but was busy.

The absolute best Chinese food. Quick, good, and you don't feel like crap after eating it. We've been eating here for years and will continue to be loyal customers. We're a military family and we make a point to go here every time we're back in town! Tastes like home.

Ordered crab Rangoon through the pick up window. They use a microphone and transact business through the window. Service was quick and efficient Appetizer was hit, crisp and flavorful. Ordered a side of cashew sauce for dipping. Delicious!

Drove to Springfield from Arkansas to get some cashew chicken and heard that Canton Inn was where we should go. We tried the cashew chicken which was great- the chicken was crispy and juicy, and the dish was served with plenty of sauce. We also ordered beef lo mein, hot and sour soup, and egg drop soup. The lo mein was incredibly flavorful, though the beef was slightly dry. The hot and sour soup was good, but it had bits of chicken in it which were also a bit dry. The egg drop soup was very thick and somewhat bland. We appreciated the affordable pricing more than anything. The service was great with friendly and accomodating staff, and the food was served piping hot and quickly. I noticed that many other guests were ordering the General Tso's Chicken and Sesame Chicken so those must be popular!

Cashew chicken sause, or at least this is what I was told.Tasteless sause no real flavor,chicken looked/ tasted like frozen chicken nuggets( no flavor) with a few almond no other vegs added.Was looking for a good Chinese meal , sorry this place isn't it ! We'll keep looking. Postive counter help.

Terrible, I would not recommend it the food was terrible, none of the food was hot, the meat was squishy and watery. Me and my family ate there and all left sick to are stomach. The people working did not check on us once and we all ran out of drinks and the table was full if plates. The tables were dirty and not wiped off. The floor was dirty the whole place was just disgusting. They told us that the fry bar was going to open at 5:00pm that was at 4:58 we left at 5:40 and it was not open, when we asked about it they just walked away and just ignored us. We were very disappointed and my family is no where near picky.

A Springfield classic for cashew chicken. Due to covid restrictions, they were only selling for to go. That didn't stop 30 years of memories from college meals here from flooding my mind as I ate my cashew chicken in the parking lot. It was hot, filling and just as wonderful as I remembered it.

Canton inn is my go to when I am in Springfield. Today I got their cashew chicken and it was to die for. I will be coming back soon. The price is right too

The food is fresh, delicious and prepared with care. Large portions for a great price. The restaurant is very clean. It appears to be family owned and family run. We had a really lovely lunch with our family of 4. We ordered beef and onions, Sweet and Sour Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Crab wontons, and Egg rolls. Yum! The people here are super nice and hospitable!

Cashew Chicken done right. Food came out super fast and there was a big line. Right across the street from the OG Bass Pro (or cattywampus as it's said in the Show Me State). Probably one of the busiest corners in Springfield but worth it if you have been wanting to try Cashew Chicken in Cashew Chicken Land. Decent parking, budget friendly and take out only.

Our favorite Chinese place in Springfield! Affordable and amazing food. It's easy to order at the window and take the food home. Also great vegetarian/pescatarian options :)

This place is perfect. I'm new to cashew chicken as I just started coming to Springfield on the regular the past couple of years. I've been missing out. I've tried two other spots in town and neither get close to how good theirs is.

They recently changed the general chicken recipe and it is amazing!!!! The egg rolls and pork lo mein are also awesome!!!!

The establishment was very Dirty, with plenty of cleaning to do the 3 Lady's just sat on there phones. Food was good, just worries me that if they allow the lobby to look the way it does with customers seeing it and no care, what does the kitchen look like? Fish tank was green and had a horrible smell coming from it... well I hope that's were the smell was coming from.

Despite living around the block, I keep dashing this place for the children lo mein and wonton soup. It reminds me of Mr Yen's which I know everyone misses as much as I do! Not sure why a few bad inspections ruin a good place, but whatever. The quality is always consistent and from my years cooking for the Mariner's, that's what's important!

Late night tasty Chinese food. Pork lo mein noodles were especially fun to eat. Unusually good, better than the Chinese place we usually go to.

I decided I wanted something spicy, and most of my go-to Chinese places are closed on Sunday. So I came here, and ordered the General "extra spicy"... It was not even close to spicy. Even those with the lowest spice-level tolerance would have thought it was weak. It also had a slight sour/tangy taste that I am not a fan of. So it was neither sweet, nor spicy. Can this even be considered General Chicken? The crab rangoons tasted off as well. I've never been the biggest fan of their cahew chicken either, so I guess I can now cross this place completely off of the list.

Great takeaway Chinese food place. I got the broccoli and beef. It was so great not getting a dish that has a goopy sweet sauce. It was flavored great and they gave me some chili sauce cause I like it spicy. Their rice was amazing. They did something to it that made it more favorable.

My boyfriend and I both ordered the general tso's chicken and crab rangoon. The food was tolerable but a waste of calories. We decided to order from the new oriental instead of eating this food and it was amazing!

Ok I am placing high marks on the Canton Inn for value and the food. The owners are the inventors of "Cashew Chicken" and the place is a bit of an institution; furthermore my family of 4 eats for $25!! The daily special of Cashew chicken (all white meat) is $4.95...not a typo! Love it will be back..

Their food may be ok, but their customer service is terrible. Once your food is bought and out the door it seems like they could care less about you coming back.

Great food. Great service. Good price! And they were open late on Christmas Eve!!!!!

not bad but would not do non deep fried on anything... most places will but not them. we had almond chicken not bad

Just returned from living in Georgia for several years and was anxious to get my Springfield cashew chicken. I remember this place as having the best and so I was excited to go and pick up my order. It was very disappointing to find the quality has suffered significantly since I last ate there. I think it probably has to do with a Corvir19 Everyone seems to be having problems with getting supplies and with changes in employees given the economic situation. Regardless of what it is all I can say is I don't know that I would really recommend this as the best cashew chicken in Springfield. Still seeking a place

Canton Inn ruined me for cashew chicken. I can't eat cashew chicken anywhere but here. I have been eating here for thirty years, since I was a kid. The quality and has remained consistent. I don't care if you normally order sweet and sour, if you stop at Canton you HAVE to order the cashew chicken - not knocking their sweet and sour, everything on the menu is fabulous (especially crab rangoons)... but seriously, try the cashew chicken.

Extremely rude staff who couldn't care less about customer service. Food wasn't what I wanted or ordered. Menu could use a lot of work; very vague. This is consistent for them, apparently, as my Fiancè has had the same issues with them on multiple occasions in the past.

Cashew Chicken? Perfecto. Sweet and Sour Chicken? Deliciousness. Crab Rangoons? Greetings from yumville! Price? Under $14! Get out of here! This place was super good and very reasonable! Love it and will definitely be back! Highly recommended

What can't Canton in do right? As many of my Yeeps know, I am a Chinese food snob. Living in Saint Louis has made eating Chinese more of a chore than a delight. The people of Springfield, MO, are spoiled. The average Missourian might not realize that this southwestern city is blessed with some of the best Chinese around. Hell, it's the birthplace of cashew chicken! One of my favorite stops for Chinese is Canton Inn. When you're eating cheap Chinese, freshness can be an issue. Not at Canton! Believe it or not, chicken actually tastes like chicken! So many places skimp on the meat quality, but the chicken at Canton is always done right. Why pay too much for Chinese? Canton has daily lunch specials, but even the dinner prices are not too high! We ordered both sesame and General chicken, and each was $5.25 at dinnertime. Add a drink each, and the bill was less than $14! There are several great places to eat fresh, inexpensive Chinese, but Canton is among the best!

We only eaten their combo meals, and they are a great value. The food is very good in our opinion. And there's not a surcharge for all white meat.

Stopped in to this little spot and had the General Chicken. I ordered mine extra spicy as I was informed before I went it is not too hot as a standard order. Extra spicy was good but not overwhelmingly hot. The crab rangoon could be a little sweeter but had a nice amount of filling and fried just right.

Still the champ for best Springfield style cashew chicken and Chinese food! Canton Inn has been a staple for over 20 years because they simple do it the best. They adapted to the pandemic - be sure to support a Springfield tradition! Been away for 7 years. Stop by every time I visit for a taste of what I can't get anywhere else! Love Canton Inn!!

Me: I'm flying in to Springfield, MO. Them: Oh! You should try their cashew chicken. Me: Wha? Them: Springfield, MO, "invented" cashew chicken. Me: (Long pause) Wha? My daughter and I checked out the Canton Inn, a popular fast food Chinese restaurant in Springfield. We ordered the - wait for it - cashew chicken. Versus the stir-fried version of cashew chicken, the Springfield cashew chicken was battered, deep fried and then covered with the kind of brown gravy you'd find on biscuits and gravy. OK. I get it. (BTW - it wasn't that bad.)

I ordered several items from Canton Inn today (04/06/2020). I used the carry out and live 8 minutes from the restaurant. One of the main items was the Sweet and Sour Shrimp. I have ordered this meal many times before but today I was completely disappointed with the meal. The shrimp was smaller than usual, did not appear to be recently cooked, and was inedible. The shrimp was tough and small. It appeared to be previously cooked and was terrible. Not the quality expected. Poor! Worst meal since I have eaten there for over 10 years!

So convenient across from the Bass Pro Shop their daily special of cashew chicken is a great price. Their combo comes with crabrangoon wow so much cream cheese. Worth stopping

Delicious cashew chicken, egg rolls & I was so glad that the crab rangoon were not oniony. They refill your fountain drink if you'd like. Not far from Bass Pro. Nice little place.

Like the food and the prices but the drive thru is so consistently slow we quit going.

The last few times I have ordered my food ahead it doesn't pay off and the the quality has severely decreased I have been a long term patron but they have loss me

This is my Fiance' fav Chinese grub in Springtown, the general chicken is pretty good I must say. But they seriously have to clean or get rid of that fish tank, I have no idea how they stay in business with those poor guppies staring at you through the green water.

I was in Springfield, only been there once before, and I know of nowhere to eat and nothing to do. I had heard tons of rave about Springfield's version of chinese food, especially the Cashew Chicken. SO I typed chinese into yelp and browsed around, coming across Canton Inn which has multiple rave reviews for Cashew Chicken. How could I not try it after reading such magical things about it? So I tried it. I was not impressed. Apparently Springfield's version of chinese food is a very bastardized version. I can't even begin to describe the deep fried, gravy smother, "chinese" mess that I ate there. And yes, I will admit, I ate it. It was edible. it wasn't the worst thing I have ever eaten. But I felt like this would be Mississippi's version of Chinese, and would be served with a side of mashed potatoes and cornbread. It's definitely more southern comfort food than anything. Aside from the food, the place is TINY! Only a few grimy tables available. A nasty looking fish tank greeting you first thing. And a layer of greasy residue over every surface imaginable. The staff was nice and pleasant, but they should really hire an outside cleaning crew to come in and disinfect this place from head to toe. Next time I am in Springfield, I'll skip out on this one.

Love this place! We drive from Republic to eat there. Food is always fresh and delish!! Excellent prices. Not a fancy place but it is clean. Never have had an issue with their food...its the best! My friends from KC Mo drive down just to eat cashew chicken from there!

Tiny building, cheap Chinese food and a dirty fish tank, those are all the things I remember about Canton Inn when I briefly lived in Missouri. It was a frequent place to visit for some surprisingly good, artery clogging pseudo-Chinese food. It is in an unassuming building, sandwiched between a Wendy's and an auto mechanic. Without the sign out front, you would never know it's there. The actual restaurant is small, and offers only a few tables to sit at. I heard that years ago, the building used to be a Dunkin Donuts, and it's easy to tell. Right in the middle of the dining area is a big fish tank, which looks like it hasn't been cleaned since the Clinton Administration. The fish also look a bit unhealthy, and it's quite honestly disgusting. The bathrooms are small and not the cleanest, but do the job. But the big deal of course, is the food. According to many, cashew chicken was invented in Springfield, and this is one of the many restaurants that serves it. For the uninitiated, it is basically fried bits of chicken with mushroom sauce poured over the chicken with rice. It shouldn't taste good at all...but it is surprisingly delectable, and very, very cheap. The chicken and rice plate here is $5.50, and they give you a big enough serving to fill you up. I also have tried the General Tso's chicken and the orange chicken, and both are also tasty. Egg rolls and Crab Rangoon are good also, though nothing to really write home about. It's pretty much your generic decent Chinese food. Definitely not the best I've ever had, but by far the best I've had in Springfield. So try it out, but don't come in thinking it's legendary like some locals do (Cashew Chicken isn't THAT good, and I know plenty of people who hate the stuff). But do come in with an open mind and expect what you pay for, and you'll enjoy yourself.

Ah, to be back in the S-Field! Whenever I get back to Springfield I always make a stop here for the General Tso's Chicken. It is awesome! Their egg rolls are crispy on the outside and full of flavor on the inside. you almost need both hands to hold these mammoth sized egg rolls. Their Cashew Chicken is still the best hands down. How I miss Springfield Style Cashew Chicken...... I've been going to Canton since high school and they have never let me down. Where else can you get a full meal for $5.00 or less! They've been serving tasty cheap eats forever. *Love the Oscars in the fish tank......classy!!!! *Free condiments.....even more classy!!!!!

What else? Springfield Cashew Chicken! This place was busy in the middle of an afternoon - as in too late for lunch and too early for supper. That alone told me something, and the food and value for the price backed it up. Bon apetit!

I lived in Springfield from Aug 2005 - Jul 2009... I literally ate some general's chicken from Canton 2-3 times a week. Now I live in Austin and I crave this place all the time. This dish is incredibly unique compared to other versions of General's or General Tso's chicken. It's not nearly as sweet but packs all the heat! Tip - go for the 'all white meat' chicken and ask for extra sauce. You won't regret it. Also the crab rangoon is pretty legit.