China Garden Restaurant

I got everything people recommend here. Lemon chicken, egg roll, and wonton soup. The cornbread and egg roll are good. My lemon chicken was fine, it was warm while it is only 5 mins back to the hotel. The wonton soup broth is good , the wonton itself is fine, there was only 2 pieces. Total is around $24 for all the food I got.

China Garden is a true hidden gem in downtown Houston. It’s one of those classic hole-in-the-wall spots that might not catch your eye at first, but once you’re inside and the food hits the table, you know you’ve found something special. I ordered the spicy chicken with fried rice, and it was absolutely delicious. The chicken had the perfect level of heat, packed with flavor, and the fried rice was just right—savory, well-seasoned, and fresh. The portion size was generous, and the service was quick and friendly. If you’re in downtown Houston and craving solid, flavorful Chinese food, China Garden is definitely worth checking out.

First time trying this spot. Love the lemon chicken. Nice decor inside. Has its own parking lot which is great considering its downtown.

for anyone wondering like me, this is their egg food young… $25. It looks and tastes like nothing. That’s not to say it’s bad but it’s not almost 30 worth of money. It looks quickly thrown together and taste like it. I wouldn’t recommend.

Handicap ♿️ wheelchair access was not available. Service, customer service low. Plenty of parking available. Restaurants was close to downtown and across from the Toyota Trunda Center. The food was good.

Omgoodness! This may be the best Chinese Food in the city. Highly recommend the egg rolls and Specialty Beef Hunan. Food and service were exceptional!

My son had his 27th birthday dinner here with family and I was able to call and reserve a table large enough for our group. We had excellent service and the food was delicious! I would definitely recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back! Thank you for making his birthday dinner special!

Our dinner was amazing! Hands down the BEST Chinese food we've had in a long time. We went on a Wednesday at 4:30 pm. Our order included egg rolls, vegetable fried rice, China Garden Hunan Beef, and roast pork egg foo yung. The vegetables were fresh, the meat was tender, the rice was well seasoned and the egg rolls were crispy. Our server was a friendly woman who kept us smiling and was very attentive! Do yourself a favor and stop by for a meal.

They treated me like family. I literally walked in and told the staff I have 20-25 minutes before I work and they got me in and out for lunch. I've heard Houston has some of the best Asian food and this delivered. I had the lunch special the fire shrimp covered in brown sauce, house fried rice and an eggroll. This probably one of the best eggrolls i ever had. Perfect fried and not like other places where its over fried. The side sauces were a great complement. Highly recommend going for lunch.

Nestled in a cozy corner, China Garden has been a second home to me for 17 years, and for good reason--this place has, without a doubt, the BEST egg rolls in the world!!!! Seriously, nothing else comes close. Carol, the sweetest owner you'll ever meet, makes each visit feel special, as if she's welcoming family. The egg rolls are pure perfection--crispy, golden shells encasing a savory filling that's incredibly satisfying and always fresh. They're a must with every meal; no visit here would be complete without them. And while the egg rolls are an absolute standout, Some of my favorites are the Mongolian beef, tender and flavorful with just the right amount of spice, and the lemon chicken, bursting with citrusy goodness. The seafood lomein is a fantastic choice for shrimp lovers, loaded with fresh ingredients that make each bite indulgent. And, of course, the cheese puffs are a delight--light, airy, and impossible to eat just one. We always order takeout here and China Garden never disappoints!

China Garden is a family-owned Houston institution. Their staff will treat you as an old friend. The food is spot on. The noodles are addicting. The portions are healthy. And the vibe of the whole restaurant is classic and comfortable. They deserve to be made a city landmark.

Traveled from the woodlands to try this place after reading reviews. We arrived and the restaurant was busy, but we were seated immediately and our drinks and food came out fast. I ordered the shrimp chop suey and it was a good light dish for lunch time. These eggrolls were amazing! Highlight of the whole meal(not going to lie, this was my main motivating factor for making the drive to try this place). I wouldn't have left feeling so full if that was all I ordered, but I had to try the ribs. They were a bit tough, small portioned for the price, but had good flavor. I am glad I tried them, but will probably not dish out another $14 to try them again.

I'm still on the hunt for the best Curry Chicken inside the Loop, one that rivals Wong's in League City, so after seeing the great reviews at China Garden, I decided to give it a go. This place looks as though it has not been updated since the oil crisis of the 80' and I could not quite place my finger on what the decor was trying to be. That aside, we were seated immediately and there were quite a few people there because the Rockets were playing that night so everyone was eating before the game. We started with the egg rolls and the cheese puffs. The egg roll was super yum and full of goodness. The cheese puffs were good but I found the wonton wrappers were way too large for the typical serving of cheese. That aside, they did taste good! For my entree, as I noted above, I ordered the Curry Chicken. While it was good, it just wasn't on point with what I am use to. Nonetheless, I would eat there again if I had to. Husband ordered the Moo Goo Gai Pan and he said it was just ok. The sauce was too brown (normally it's white). We had the misfortune that our waiter did not give us any fortune cookies, yet other servers gave them to their tables. I guess no biggie, those cookies generally taste like cardboard anyway. LOL.

This place was ok it a restaurant that's been around since 69' and the for the most part was sub-par at best for what I paid for could have went to Timmy chan's or even Kim Son and gotten a better portion of food. If this is what 50 years looks like being open then I don't see them being open 50 more and that's just my opinion, so if your looking for some place to get your money's worth this is not the place I was not impressed won't be back

Baby china garden was the bomb.com I ordered to go and the food was delish. Unfortunately my partner picked up the food so I can't comment on ambiance or service.

We were very excited to hear about this place. The reviews did not disappoint. It's not a fancy place but it has been there for many many years. You could tell they had a lot of regulars and everyone was very welcoming. We had some complimentary hush puppies brought to our table. We ordered a couple of appetisers to share for our group. We had pork dumplings and cheese puffs. Pork dumplings were excellent. The puffs had a little to much wonton wrapper and not enough filling for our taste. Dinner was great all around: Lemon Chicken - Sweet & Sour Chicken- Chicken & Vegetables- Beef & Broccoli- General T Chicken Egg rolls were a hit with this group of ours. We could see why they have been in business this many years.

I've never heard of this place but a co-worker suggested coming here because he said the food was good and it was close to the Toyota Center since we were in the area. It was a Rocket's game night and we came together to enjoy some food before the game. I ordered stir fried beef with snow pea leaves and it came with white rice. I didn't take the rice but the food was fairly good! Service was average, they didn't come by to refill our waters as frequently which left my glass and another co-worker's glass of water empty half way through the meal until we were almost done and then we got our waters refilled as the server picked up my co-workers finished plate. My other co-worker (there were 3 of them) ordered a lemon chicken which I got to try and it was delicious! I would probably order that next time I come! Good service, good space, but not meant for groups larger than 6. The space is quite cramped, at least the side of the room I was seated on but good enough for tables of 4-5 people. Pricing is pretty average and food quality is good so I'd say it's a good "bang-for-your-buck" option specially if you want something quick just before the game! They also allow you to park in their lot for the game, just have to pay a fee otherwise your car will get towed.

I was on a business trip and saw on Yelp a certain style of egg roll I've been searching for at least 20 years. Phenomenal egg rolls. Expensive, but sublime!

The staff here was really friendly and helpful. My food was good, the egg rolls were awesome, the only complaint I had was that some of my chicken wasn't quite done. They were apologetic and corrected the issue. I know that this can happen anywhere. I will eat there again.

What a phenomenal meal and experience I had here! Finding this beautiful restaurant off the TV show eat like a local. I could honestly say I never would've come here if it wasn't for that show! Some of the best chicken wings I've ever eaten in my life! The server was helpful pleasant And pointed out all of the great food they offer. I cannot wait to go back for more!

Hands down the absolute best cuisine and environment. As soon as we walked in the owner sat and greeted us. Food was spectacular and plentiful. Service was top notch. The ability of the owner to connect with her clientele is the very essence of customer service and care each and every business should strive for. Thank you Carol.

We must have driven by this place hundreds of times and from the outside would have never thought about going in. Super cozy inside and the food is amazing.

I'm 68 years old and have been enjoying CHINA GARDEN since my early teen years when my "Aunt Dimples" would take me there for lunch. Consistently fantastic food - (my favorites are the LEMON CHICKEN and the HUNAN BEEF), friendly and efficient service, and owners who CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS!

This is a place my family has gone to for many years. The owner always comes by to say hello. We've tried so many dishes and they are all very good. They get crowded when events are going on downtown so go early.

Hot, fresh, fast service, the vegetables were fresh and bright with lots of flavor. The home made sweet and sour sauce was also really good with the egg roll and entree. We will be coming back.

We took our mother to China Garden because she saw a video of the food online. Our server Chantel was very helpful with our questions. The whole experience was delightful. We shared a sampler platter that was delicious and plentiful. I ordered the Mongolian Beef and I have to say that it was one of the more tender and tastier beef I've ever had in a Chinese restaurant. My mother also enjoyed her dish of chicken w/ vegetables. It was a perfect afternoon! I can't wait to go back!

I've been coming to China Garden since the early 70's and great food . My favorites is the Lemon Chicken or Pepper steak . Love their egg rolls and Shrimp fried rice . When I go at lunch time , love to eat their cornbread hush puppies. Carol and her brothers are great people and Rafael keeps my glasses full of drinks. Highly recommend, but game nights they are full of people.

I have been a customer at China Garden since the early 90's. The food is always excellent. The staff makes everyone feel like a VIP.

Traditional American Chinese Takeout. Great customer service. Old building. Egg Rolls

Another amazing Chinese dinner. We've been picking up most of the time. We stopped by and had dinner. Their egg rolls were delicious before but even better now, a more crispy wrap. Service was great and staff friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend China Garden, the best Chinese food.

OMG, BEST EGG ROLLS EVER !!! I've been eating here for way too many years that they know my order as well as my name. The owner Carol has a welcoming & beautiful soul. Her parents started the restaurant over 50 years ago. That alone should be a clue how good the food is always fresh & hot. I always do Thursdays lunch & for some reason always order the specials not on the menu. The crawfish fried rice & those jalapeño shrimp will give you new life. I must warn tho, get there when they open because it fills up fast. I drive into downtown from Manvel & it's worth the traffic .

I finally found a place that has great egg foo young and pork fried rice. My favorite childhood restaurant closed after Hurricane Harvey and since then I have been on a search for a close match. I tried a few restaurants but my parents and I weren't satisfied with the food. I drove home early for Father's Day and surprised my parents with myself and the food. My dad loved everything about his dish including the gravy. Most restaurants offer bland gravy but not China Garden. I wish they offered larger shrimp in the egg foo young. My mom had the pork egg foo young but I forgot to snap a picture. She also enjoyed her meal. I ordered the pork fried rice and it was good. I love bean sprouts and extra eggs and they gave me plenty. Extra eggs aren't free so if you love eggs like me, be prepared to pay more. When I went to the counter to pay for my food, the total caught me off guard. I asked him to repeat the total. I thought maybe they accidentally charged me for an extra meal but they didn't. My total was over $80.00. This is definitely more than I expected to pay but I will continue to come back and pick up food whenever my parents have a craving. :) Great food and customer service. The only downfall for me is that they are located in downtown Houston but it's still worth the trip. Their hours of operation have also changed so call ahead to make sure they are open.

Definitely our favorite Chinese Restaurant! The portions are huge. My favorite is Beef Rice noodles but family favorites are Lemon Chicken, spicy shrimp, chicken lo mien. Seriously too many fantastic dishes to name. You absolutely must have the egg rolls. Carol always greets you with a smile. Love this place!

This place is very old and pure hype. Plenty of other good restaurants nearby that are clean. This place is filthy ! They have paint peeling off the walls. It's so dirty and dingy on the inside. The owners need to invest some profits in cleaning this dump up. When you walk in it looks like they haven't cleaned or freshened up with paint since the 70s lol. Food: the wood was okay. Not great. Not bad. Just okay. The general tsos chicken was different. Not good at all. Now their eggrolls are great! Those are top notch. Maybe I'll go back and try something else. But so many other cleaner better places that I would pick before this place. Customer service was great I found a hair in my general tsos chicken and they made it right but that was equally disgusting. I would give 1 star review but the manager and owners are very nice people. They really need to invest some profits asap into cleaning this place up. Looks terrible.

I learned of this place by watching Eat Like a Local. The food here is GREAT!! Especially the egg rolls!!!!

I LOVE CHINA GARDEN. Okay, now that has been yelled out loud... this spot is great. The customer service is so good, I literally feel like I'm eating with family members. For example, I coughed on the phone while I was ordering soup and they checked to ask if I was feeling under the weather. I mean truly so nice. Each time I walk in they recognize me and address me by name. It's just so nice. Now to the star of the show the food. Long story short everything is fresh ALL the time. The veggies are crisp, they handmade the egg roll filling and their wontons, they use quality chicken and the prices are great especially being downtown. Literally my only cons are two things: 1. The building looks sketchy outside which brought hesitation to try them. BUT the inside is clean and honestly it's just been there forever. 2. The hours are very wonky... BUT it's a family owned and operated business and they prob make enough off how good their food is that they don't need to be open all the time. Go here, everything is great, and the employees make you feel like family.

I was happy with this place. I did not get authentic Chinese food vibes, but the meal I ate was delicious. I had no complaints. My picky mom liked her meal, and my price conscious husband seemed to be happy with his. I was struggling with health issues at the time I ate here and could not keep anything down other than soup and rice. It was so tasty and comforting, knowing I could eat the fried rice and I want to say hot and sour soup without being queasy. It had probably been the first real meal I had in days. I wasn't sharing that with the staff, but they probably gathered something was off about me. We went during lunch hour and it was moderately busy, but nothing over the top. Service was great. As for food quality, I can say I was able to taste the flavors, everything felt filling, scrumptious and just the stuff you expect from a Chinese restaurant. I don't think cuisine wise they are going for authentic, but aesthetic wise, it has a certain vibe that makes you think of Asian designs and architecture. A lot of the patrons seemed to be downtown workers too, so I don't think they're catering to that hardcore I want authentic Chinese food fan. I think they're going after the person who wants wonderful service and tasty Chinese food that you're familiar with in the states. If I lived closer to downtown I'd visit this place more often. It was a nice little place to eat and take a break from when visiting the Toyota Center area.

The best Chinese restaurant I've been to in quite some time! The staff is very polite and their teamwork is impressive. Definitely be back again.

The food is really good. Especially the crawfish fried rice! The hush puppies they make are really good also. Everyone there is nice!

Visited during the week at lunch time. Friendly staff, it was busy but for our party of 4 we were greeted and seated quickly. You get a basket of hush puppies which can be replenished (like chips & salsa) they tasted delicious almost like corn bread, with a corn dog sweet taste. There are a variety of food selections to appease any taste. I got the Spicy Chicken lunch special (general Tso Chicken) we got our food within 10/15 minutes, both the chicken and egg roll were still warm and flavorful. The fried rice was nothing notable, aside from it being cold. We asked for another basket of hush puppies but server never brought them. Overall, cold fried rice aside, enjoyed my first visit. Hopefully the rice gets some additional flavoring and is served hot in the future.

Best food ever! Even though the hours are limited, try to make it some day. We have taken Chinese visitors here, and they praised it as very original.

Food was amazing! Service was great. Definitely will be our go to Chinese restaurant when visiting Houston! They have the BEST General Tso's chicken I've ever had, it was lightly breaded and taste great, when I go back, I'll have them add a lil more spice to it. The pepper steak was also amazing! Looking forward to our next trip to Houston, we will definitely be coming back!

We were originally searching for a good Chinese buffet in the area. After reading these reviews, we decided to try China Garden 1/19/23 and we were very impressed. The waitress was SUPERB and so very helpful. My Mom loved the Egg Foo Young and my Lemon Chicken with fried rice was very good. It was hard for me to get past the egg rolls and cheese puffs (cream cheese wontons), as I could've eaten my weight in those alone! We ate our fill and still had enough for dinner the next night! We visit Houston every month from NC and will definitely be returning!

China Garden has the best Chinese food in Houston! The egg rolls are a MUST have and the lemon chicken is amazing!! We've been coming to China Garden for decades and the food and service are constantly amazing, and Carol is the sweetest. I recommend it to everyone I know!

Get the sizzling rice soup! Moo shoo pork also very good. Excellent service. Old Chinatown vibe.

The food is fantastic especially their number one item which is Lemon Chicken. They have hands down the best Egg Rolls in Houston and the best wonton soup. The service is great and the staff is so nice and accommodating. I highly recommend China Garden for a very enjoyable adventure.

My mom saw this place on a TV show and asked us to go with her there. We had read the reviews and were pretty excited to check it out. They open late on Fridays so we were there not long after they opened. 7 of us. We sat for awhile before the waitress got to our table. It was understandable since they had just opened and several other people had come in around the same time. After she took our drink order she asked if we needed menus. We said yes. She came back with 2 and literally threw them on the table and said "here's for mom and dad". We actually laughed because it was just so odd. The menus don't have descriptions so we tried our best to figure out what we wanted. When she finally came back she was pretty short with us. One person in our party ordered fried rice as a meal my mom asked her for suggestions and she just said "ya it's good. Everything is good". Ok. Then she asked her to order fried rice. She told her "he got fried rice. Take some of his" . We lost it at this point. It was useless to try and argue with her. We weren't getting the fried rice. We weren't getting water either we found out. We asked several times because that's all a few of us had. But nothing. We asked a man but he ignored us lol. When our food came out she just sat it on the table. Didn't tell us what it was (which wouldn't be hard to figure out except 2 things were not what we ordered) and walked away. Told us to keep our plates she didn't have any more clean ones lol. Overall it was just. Underwhelming. The food was ok. But just okay. It wasn't amazing. It definitely wasn't I was thrilled about paying $300 for. And the service was really what made it where we would have to think hard about coming back We might have caught them on an off day. They have great service reviews but we didn't get that. It really made all of us feel like we were a bother being there. Super uncomfortable.

The homemade egg rolls are pretty good. They're nice and big with lots of flavor. I'm not a big fan of the other dishes here. I may try the Egg Foo Young dish, but the price for egg foo young to me is a bit high for this dish! I'm more into Sichuan style Chinese cooking now.

My FAVORITE restaurant!! Love everything about CHINA GARDEN and I have been going there since early 80's. I now live in Galveston so haven't been since Covid. Carol and staff are the best anywhere I miss mama Mary Ann . I will be coming soon for the best egg rolls and Lemon Chicken I have ever eaten. I wish the restaurant was in Galveston.

Old school Chinese restaurant. I've been here many times and the food is always good. Big egg rolls. Great fried rice. I had the chicken with vegetables and I loved it! Bring the family and try everything! It looks like a full bar, if you drink.

Great Food and super friendly service make this place great! The convenient location and parking are a rare find in downtown and they make you feel like you're coming home for a family meal.

The food is not the same as years past. I ate here for 20 years when I worked downtown. Unfortunately, the beef and broccoli and Mongolian beef tasted like something on a buffet. I was very disappointed as I made a special trip downtown from League City.

I had the unfortunate experience today of calling China Garden and try to make a booking for a party of 40 people on February next year, I work for a well known events company, and to start the hostess does not now anything about the restaurant she´s working in, and secondly even without been able to start speaking the manager Sussy just told me she didn´t take reservation that far in advance, I requested to have an e-mail address to send her the proper information of the event we were holding, and she plainly said that she was not interested in working with me. So China Garden, maybe great food, but the worst customer service ever

Had a wonderful dinner at China Garden last night 6/8/24 and as always the food was impeccable. We've been going to China Garden since the 70's when I was working for Tenneco downtown. Enjoyed talking to Carol as always and reminiscing about her sweet Mom. It's the best Chinese food in Houston, love the egg rolls, lemon chicken and kung pao chicken. All their soups are devine as well. If you get a chance to go please do, you won't be disappointed.

Always enjoy coming here. It's an older place with decor from the 80s but don't let the old fool you, beautiful table designs and furniture is very sturdy and comfortable. Food is great. Sometimes it gets busy so pack some patience all around. Time Flys when we come here. They do have a full bar too.

This staple of Houston has been here for over 40 years, and really, they haven't changed a thing! It's retro traditional seating is fun, especially with a group! Of course the main reason to go, is their food, which is authentically Chinese dishes. I loved the Lemon Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken. You must get their egg rolls, which are as good as it gets! This is a family operated establishment, and they are passionate about taking great care of serving expertly prepared, efficient portions, which are perfect for sharing. What a nice experience with lovely people. There is parking available too!!!

This is an amazing restaurant. The food And atmosphere was awesome. Customer service was also outstanding.