David's Mai Lai Wah

Just a heads up this isn’t a dine-in spot. You walk in, order, and leave. It took about 25 minutes to get my food, so I highly recommend calling ahead. I ordered the sesame chicken and the salt and pepper chicken. Let me tell you the salt and pepper chicken was seasoned to perfection! If you know, you know… Black folks love some good, well-seasoned food, and this one hit the spot. Highly recommend! Now for the sesame chicken… womp womp. The sauce was super watery, bland, and the chicken was big and mushy. Honestly, I’m not even sure what I was eating. Would I go back? Probably...but only for that salt and pepper chicken. 😂

First time been back here for years. They only have take out now . They don’t answer phone so I have to wait in line to order. After 10 min waiting they told me 20 min it will be done. ended up been 35 min. No order of who goes first or when they will let u know u food is ready. So u have to wait in line to check again . Only one small door and window. People will cut in front to order . First time I see any restaurant so cheap they packed beef ho fun in a paper box. It taste ok only because it’s drenched in oil . The dumplings was cold looked like it was frozen then deep fried again . The pick up process is just horrendous. U have to wait in line for ever time u check if your food is ready . They should have another window!!

Won’t be going here no more. Idk what’s happen or going on their food use to be so good. I got salt and pepper shrimp and they don’t Devine or clean the shrimp they leave the poop shoot on the shrimp. The shrimp fried rice I got was burnt and tasted burned. The chicken and broccoli wasn’t like it used to be to be idk it was very watery and a lot of broccoli then chicken. I know Ken’s is across the street and that’s my other go to down there so I will be sticking to Ken’s. You also can’t sit in David’s since Covid happen and that’s a bummer smh

My favorite place to grab a meal whenever I am in Philadelphia. Unfussy old school Cantonese and Chinese American style dishes. The dumpling/wonton soups are a must and great for a cold winter's day (don't forget to put white pepper on the soup). The salt and pepper chicken wings are to die for. Crispy, slightly spicy and salt.

I’ve seen this video maybe it was on Instagram about if you’re looking for the most authentic Chinese food, go for the places with 3 stars on Yelp. Service is ehh but good enough, but the food on the other hand, so good. This is one of those places. Open late night, known for their salt and pepper wings, ask for side of hot oil mmMmm. Some of my other favorites, chow fun with gravy, and their house fried rice, lobster with ginger scallions, always so good. They still aren’t opened for dine in but when you drive by and see the line outside for just pick up, you know it has to be that good 🤤😋😋

Been coming here for over 10 years. My first time was like most others, 2am and drunk! I had to go early in the night to see if it was really that good. It WAS! I don’t live in philly anymore, but I drive back when I get those cravings. Salt & pepper chicken wings, Hong Kong noodle soup, and my favorite, the honey walnut shrimp.

If I could give zero stars I would. I stopped by to try this restaurant after two friends told me about it. I open my Szechuan beef just to see a roach on top. Yes… a roach!!! I have pictures to prove it. I called to report the issue and the lady on the phone wanted me to bring the food in to get my money back. She didn’t argue with me so they must know they have a bug issue. They refunded my money and acted as if they did me a favor for giving my money back. Safe to say I will never be back here and highly recommend that you don’t either (unless you want to get sick)!

Food was really good as always. Service was good as well. It was after 1:30 in the morning and everything was fresh and the staff maintained the same positive energy with all clients. However, heads up on the customers that come in around that time; it does get crowded, pretty loud and interesting after 2 am. They're opened until 3 am so they will seat you until then if you're dining in. No need for reservation. You don't feel like dining in, then order to go. Just a side note in this case: place your order in advance before getting there. Limited metered street parking available since it's located right in the busiest intersection of Chinatown. If you're in the area, you must check them out. Bon appétit.

Man so many memories at this spot. My cousin Ree took me in 2021 i believe. We was smoking good dope and i was like i need something different. He in Uptown so i didn't want no Papi store food. I wanted something good ya mean? We made that drive and bruh i was dumb shocked. I let cuz order and man we was parked outside tearing that food down. We got the fried wings and shrimp with the rice 10/10 on me! I'll never forget this spot.. i even took my lady here in 2022 when she visited from St. Louis.. she was feeling the vibes as well.. good late night stop man always bussing

David's used to be a very nice restaurant to dine in while strolling the streets of Chinatown pre-Covid. Since the pandemic; not so much. They are continuing to operate as if we are still in the middle of a Pandemic. When you pierce pass the tiny glass window to place your order the restaurant Is cluttered, filthy and reeks of cigarettes as you are rudely greeted by an obnoxious woman. I typically order the salt and pepper shrimp which hands down used to be the best in town. This past Friday I stopped by David's for my pepper shrimp and they taste freezer burnt. Yes, despite the filth and clutter, I still had to have my pepper shrimp! Hahaha Anyways it's really sad to see a place that once had so much charm deteriorate like this.

Went there for dinner because the menu looks spectacular however, they closed the restaurant and only offer takeout. Tried to call them for takeout and they never answered The phone.

This establishment is basic at best. They are price gouging and down right rude and unapologetically arrogant. When a customer request a itemized list of the expenses, you are told that you can't have one and if you continue to ask they push back (bully) by saying that they will not take your order. The prices online do not at all match the prices in menu. The wait times outrageously long...even if you place a small order. You call to place an order over the phone and can't get through. Then you arrive in person just to be chastised by the staff, as if they don't already know their phone lines are always busy and they have two lines apparently yet only one is posted online with dare I say outdated menu prices. They have completely chosen to not open the dining hall since the pandemic. Please BEWARE when you choose to patronize this business. Kindness will carry you everywhere. This business should be humble and not take advantage of those that they truly depend on, that allows their business to thrive and continue to operate. "David's Mai Lai Wah" please do better. Stop treating your customers like you have the best restaurant in Chinatown.

Can here after beside Philly which was fun first meet up for my awkward ass lol and wanted to try these wings so came after Nan zhou not realizing they don't have dine in so WTH lol but put in order for take out was about 15 minutes. Some overly salty but I'm fine with salt. It's okay. Good drunk food but maybe some other stuff may be better idk.

David's chinese food is horrible. I went there because of the great reviews. I wasted $70 on salt n pepper wings, large shrimp fried rice with egg. No vegetables or eggs, look like cocktail shrimp with gooey rice and Gravy, horrible. I also, order shrimp lo mein, I could have order oodles of noodles taste better then this, couple of forks full ended up in the trash. I also order pork and broccoli, was so bad my 8 year nephew wouldn't eat it, $70 in the trash. Had to make a trip to Chick-Fila. Patrons don't even waste your money, soooo disappointed.

Food was unmatched. Those salt and pepper wings are really the best in PA. No longer allowed to find in after the pandemic but the food is still fire.

Disappointed to say the least. Checked online for store hours but it didn't matter. You were closed and we were hungry and came all the way there just to not get any food. The place was dark and closed.

I've seen this video maybe it was on Instagram about if you're looking for the most authentic Chinese food, go for the places with 3 stars on Yelp. Service is ehh but good enough, but the food on the other hand, so good. This is one of those places. Open late night, known for their salt and pepper wings, ask for side of hot oil mmMmm. Some of my other favorites, chow fun with gravy, and their house fried rice, lobster with ginger scallions, always so good. They still aren't opened for dine in but when you drive by and see the line outside for just pick up, you know it has to be that good

I love the salt & pepper shrimp! Dine-in not an option. Food was fresh & hot and I live 18 minutes away.

I just Love the salt pepper Shrimp and Chicken have to have both just have trouble getting it delivered I finally found it on Yelp!! Thank God Now let me order hope they open t today

David's is the old reliable, mainstay Chinese food restaurant in Chinatown. Nothing fancy, in fact it's kind of ANTI-fancy. The waiters are taciturn, bordering on cranky, and they've been there since dirt, but they'll remember you, and take good care of you. The food is good, but what brings everyone back is the dumplings. The dumplings, the dumplings. They have been referred to as dumplings with crack sauce, and rightfully so. They are addictive. They are delicious. Right now there is no indoor dining, which is a shame, because that was part of the experience. Anyway, old, reliable David's. Can't go wrong.

This is the best chinese food I have ever had in my entire life and it's an absolute must everytime I visit the city. The General Tso's chicken melts in your mouth and the wonton soup is prestine. No complaints about the fried rice either. what

We only order a salt and pepper chicken wings and it was amazing. It not only tastes great but they also made the wings so tender. A must try

The food here was only okay... everything was edible but mediocre. I tried fried chicken wings (overcooked) & sauteed pea shoots. There's definitely better Chinese food to be had in Chinatown.

Great food. The best take out in China town! The general Tsos is the best nice and crunchy fresh with a spiciness to die for!

I have not eaten at this restaurant in years. It is now mediocre at best. I ordered beef and chicken fried rice and both were less that acceptable!!! The egg rolls were horrible. I am so disappointed !!! No more food from David's!! Close this book for this restaurant.

A friend brought me here late night for takeout singing the praises of the a salt and pepper shrimp. Somehow even taking out fried food they managed to be crispy and not even slightly soggy a few miles later. Honestly the best fried shrimp I've had in a VERY long time. The wonton soup was great too.

My daughter in law got my favorite Chinese dish (Butterfly Shrimp with Bacon) there and bought it to Delaware for me. It was the worse I've ever had. The shrimp were so little and there wasn't a piece of bacon anywhere. It was horrible. She also got Chicken Lo Mein which had a few tiny pieces of chicken in it and was so salty we couldn't tolerate it. What a waste of money and time. My local Chinese restaurant makes Butterfly Shimp with Bacon and the shrimp are huge with bacon on each piece. I thought Chinatown would be so good-WRONG. They should be ashamed of that mess. Then I looked through the pictures on Yelp and saw where people posted pictures with roaches in their food and that was years ago. Never again!!!

David's is my go-to midnight snack place in Chinatown because it has good food options and it opens super late which I like. I remember during my college days, I would stop by David's at night when I'm hungry and I am always down for good Chinese food. I really like their salt and pepper wings, their noodle soups, and any meat and rice dishes. The shrimp with honey walnut is pretty good too! The service is usually pretty ok before but this time when I went it was really slow and the server wasn't not attentive. The service is not the best I would have to say. They are simply there to take the order and give you the bill when you're done, that's about it. I would recommend going there for food especially their meat and rice dishes and the salt and pepper wings.

Ordered the salt and pepper wings which were very flavorful and delicious, but a bit dry. Also ordered the chicken lo mein. It was delicious and they give you plenty but nothing special. Next time I will try the salt and pepper shrimp, and honey walnut shrimp. Went in person to place my order bc it was hard to get them on the phone

Never disappointed. The salt & pepper wings are bomb! Great for late night, after the party action.

HORRIBLE! Overpriced and less than mediocre food! I wish that I paid with a credit card so that I could dispute the charge. DO NOT EAT HERE! The food was flavorless! Usually White rice from Asian restaurants has flavor to it. This rice was boiled in unseasoned water. Very Bland! The Egg Foo Yung was bland, had a loose consistency and the packaging was horrible! Who would put Egg Foo Yung in a soup container?!? They clearly have no real cooks or professional restaurant management here! And last but not least; the customer service was horrible! No hello, goodbye, thank you, eye contact, or anything! They ask you for the last four digits of your phone number, tell you the price and hand you your food! They should be out of business! DO NOT EAT HERE!

Food is amazing service is sup par but they make up for it with the food hands down I travel from NYC to this place several times a year During the pandemic I even went for takeout and still was a line. They are also open late in the heart of Chinatown

I love David's on the late night. Salt and pepper shrimp aware great as are the salt and pepper wings. They are very busy so good luck getting through. But if you do, you will enjoy. It's a cut above your local Chinese food. Gave them 4 stars because you can't get through and they are a lil pricey for what it is.

I've been coming to David's for 20 years for one reason only...The steamed dumplings, and maybe more importantly, the ginger sauce that accompanies them. The pork dumplings on their own are delicious and large. Filling is flavorful and dumpling dough is thin and tender. The ginger sauce is my absolute favorite. I cannot recommend these enough. The service might be awful, the place is a little dingy, but I keep coming back for the dumplings. Currently, their dining room is not open bc they cannot get enough people to work. They are open for takeout only. I don't even live in Philly, but I make it a point to stop here whenever I am town...usually once a year on my way to or from OC NJ. These dumplings are simply one of my favorite foods of all time. Pic is from a previous visit, before they went to take out only.

Salt n pepper wings are phenomenal. Vegetable fried dumplings are really good too and so is the chicken fried rice. Service can be a hit or miss lol but the foods always good when they don't give you shrimp spring rolls instead of the vegetable ones you order

This place deserves zero stars. Complete jerks. We were sat. Place only half full. The server saw we were ready to order, but instead kept going to other tables. Purposely. So we left. And as we were leaving we saw the table next to us tell the server that we were never attended to, and he shrugged his shoulders and said "oh well. We are busy." What a joke of a business.

This Place Sucks Lobster Tails and the Shrimp that came with the muy- fun was smelley and tang like the were sour sitting out on the counter overnight the Fried Pork Rice that my Wife had was terribly hard and not cooked long enough. Something was off with the Taste and Flavor people do your home work they are serving you something you don't want to even amagine call the Health Department.

If I could give zero stars I would. I stopped by to try this restaurant after two friends told me about it. I open my Szechuan beef just to see a roach on top. Yes... a roach!!! I have pictures to prove it. I called to report the issue and the lady on the phone wanted me to bring the food in to get my money back. She didn't argue with me so they must know they have a bug issue. They refunded my money and acted as if they did me a favor for giving my money back. Safe to say I will never be back here and highly recommend that you don't either (unless you want to get sick)!

I do not understand the hype of this place at all. Chicken Lo mein is subpar and they were trying to charge $6 extra for rice! Where they do that at?? Friends were in agreement you better off going to a hood spot for some of these items. Everyone knows David's is one of the primary go-to spots late after the club in a city with not a lot of late night dining. It's open late, you never know what's gonna happen in here after the club. I can't say the service is "bad" per se but puzzling is the word I'd use. 2 stars strictly based on the food me and my friends had.

Last time we had the beef gravy noodles had upset stomach. They really went downhill!

Wow is an understatement! I can't believe I lived 15 Minutes from this restaurant for years and spent almost every weekend and some week nights in Philly and I've never been to this restaurant. To be honest I've actually never eaten in China town. Philadelphia is a foodie utopia so I was always more of a chain restaurant or upscale high end dinning snob to say the least. Now being yelper I've seen the error of my ways and I'm able to explore more adventurous venues. So this is probably my little brothers favorite Chinese restaurant. He literally goes here every two weeks. And has never invited me because he thinks I'm still a food snob. I have seen the light and it's brighter on the other side. The food was phenomenal. We had everything. I can't list it all, but check out the pictures. My favorite items were: Drunken noodles with beef Coconut shrimp Lemon pepper wings Shrimp with sautéed spinach (epic) Sautéed shrimp and broccoli Okay..... so after careful thought I loved everything we ordered. We ate family style because it was my dads birthday. I'm not big on sharing plates, but it was a family event so I sucked it up and did the family thing. I saw some great dishes coming out of the kitchen that I would love to try next weekend when I go back for business. The roasted duck with bok Choy and a deconstructed lobster.

Been hitting this joint up since 1989 while in college. Food still rocks though it would have been nice to sit inside chowing down on alcohol-balancing goodness

I never try at David restaurant this is our first time to see how it tastes at this place. I ordered house fired rice and clams with black bean sauce and fried squid , the foods not that all that The clam with black bean sauce it take too long to bring it out. Not recommended Fried squids omg it's so salty and could not even finished it.

The food is a no for me. Flavorless. Only up side about this place is they're open late on a weeknight and if you're starved you can get some bland food.

David's is a good late spot after having a night out. Truthfully, it's a good spot in general. I went for my birthday years ago and really enjoyed the food. Night time is a different story however. The food is good, but the service is simply awful. We had to seat ourselves after the server was ignoring everyone waiting to be seated. The worst part is that they had multiple open tables in this instance, the server just chose to pretend as if others were not there and did not interact whatsoever. After being seated, we had to flag him down after 15-20 mins just to place an order. Same thing goes for the check. While to food is good (ordered duck lo mein, fries rice, and egg drop soup), they need to place more of an emphasis on the customer experience.

This was probably one of my fav experiences in philly! It was almost like an Asian Waffle House! We went around 2am and this place was booming with customers! We waited about 15 min for a seat and it was so worth it! The food was hot, fresh, and Soooooo GOOD! Cons: the service is trash. The waiters are so overwhelmed that they miss the charm and hospitality part. Also it can get really loud and busy from club goers in the AM.

l ordered the lemon pepper wings and curry shrimp,the wings are great, lve had better curry shrimp. l called in order confirmed my order was ready ,however when l arrived l waited 30 minutes in line to pay and receive my order l only ordered from them because they're open late. l won't be going back again,seems since they're only doing window service they'd have a better syste.

We returned after a year to find David's only serving takeout. What a disappointment because their servers are pros and the food delicious. Once they reopen, it's a certain four star meal, seven days a week, but today we went elsewhere. Philadelphia is lucky to enjoy their busy community of Chinese Americans.

David's Mai Lai Wah is my place to go that is open late and has great food. They have fantastic salt & pepper wings, pan fried dumplings (with the best ginger-scallion sauce), good mayo shrimp, and their beef chow fun is stellar. The chow fun has great 'wok flavor', which is the best way I can describe it in English. While, it isn't my choice for a normal dinner by any means, I think the food is great for what it is. However, it can get crazy busy and a little hectic inside.

The best item here is the duck spring roll with the ginger scallion sauce. I've never had anything like this anywhere else and just so much flavor!

We've had good meals here before but tonight everything was way too salty...so much so that we could barely eat it. Disappointing.

Oh Lord. My friend Tim was in town and wanted to 'walk around' Chinatown. Why, I don't know, but part of being a friend is acquiescing to requests like this, so I met him at 9th and Arch and we proceeded to do as he wished-walk around. Of course, all this perambulation makes a man thirsty as well as hungry. David's Mai Lai Wah, which I heretofore knew nothing about, was right across the street when we both commented on our growling bellies, so we stepped inside. When we entered, the place was empty save for 2 tables and even then, we stood in the entry way for more than 10 minutes until someone acknowledged us and pointed to a table. We sat, were given menus, then we sat some more. The cocktail menu is odd to say the least, with things on it like 'Bee Feater' and 'AB Solute.' Quirky spelling aside, a lot of classic cocktails are priced at $6.50 here, which is about half of what you'd usually pay in almost any Philly bar. We wanted some booze, we were ready to eat. Still we sat. Finally a curt older waiter came and asked what we wanted to drink. I ordered a Manhattan and Tim asked for a martini. We were not asked what kind of liquor we wanted nor did the waiter pay any attention when we said we were ready to order food. Hmmm.... Another 20 minutes passed, the place was still only 2 tables full plus us, and no drinks nor anyone inquiring as to what we wanted to eat. At last our drinks came but again, when I said (politely) we wanted to order food, I was ignored. The drinks. Oh, those drinks. Tim took a big swig of his martini and started to cough. I teased him about being a light weight until he made me taste his cocktail. I sipped and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I know. Right?!," he said. "This must be some kind of industrial cleaner, not booze. It will probably kill us." With trepidation, I tasted my Manhattan and got a mouthful of what tasted like very cold cherry Robitussin. Since I'd done the honors for Tim, I made him taste my drink. Even through all his Botox, he screwed up his face when it hit his taste buds. I suggested we ask for the check and go elsewhere for food, since we knew we would not finish these abominable drinks and felt certain that no one was going to take our dinner order. We tried catching the eye of several servers to no avail and finally Tim went to the register with cash, saying we wanted to pay. By now, the front of the restaurant was clogged with people waiting to be seated. The woman at the counter looked through Tim and did not take his money. He pressed a male server into helping him and was told that this server did not know what he had. Tim named the drinks and the man walked away. He sat down again, suggested we just leave money on the table and go and said he needed the Gents before we headed out. While Tim was performing his ablutions, I again tried to get someone to give us a check and held up both credit card and cash as I attempted to get someone's attention. No dice. Tim came back a little pale and I asked if he had a bad bathroom experience. He said the toilet was dirty but what bothered him were the dead fish floating in the over crowded, dirty seafood tank in the back, being eaten by live fish. At that point, we put 2 tens on the table and pretty much fought our way through the throng of people at the door who were still not seated. I wanted to shout out, 'Abandon hope, all ye who enter here,' but felt that would just be in bad taste. I will AB Solutely never darken David's door way again.

The service is spotty and the place is a hole in the wall. It's opened late and cheap and it gets busy during wkend nights. I usually order their famous salt and pepper wings but lately it's been a hit or miss. Overall you can't be the prices and food is decent

I LOVE this place!!! Wow. The food is incredible. It's authentic, it's fresh, it's flavorful and it's sooo quick. You get your food in a few minutes! The won ton soup was perfect. It was just right. The fried noodles were fresh and crispy. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the food. The drinks were also very good. I had a martini and for being a restaurant, it was pretty darn good. Not to mention their prices are very fair. The atmosphere is nice. It's bright, cozy and warm. It's a fun place for groups or a cute date night. It's not intimate at all but you're getting the experience, it's not the place where you ask your new boyfriend what he thinks about gentrification. It's fun, it's noisy and it's good food. Just come here and enjoy it. It's worth it for sure.

salt n pepper chicken wings and fried dumplings were phenomenal. love their homemade duck sauce. great place

David's Mai Lai Wah is a long-running restaurant on the corner of the busiest intersection in Chinatown. It must be doing something right because the competition is fierce in Philly's Chinatown. Well for one thing it has a niche....you see it is open until 3AM every night and is at its most crowded when people are leaving the bars and dance clubs. The food here is reliable Chinese (largely Cantonese but not exclusively) comfort food. Just what you need after a night imbibing on the town. Last time I tried their Buddha vegetarian plate for the first time and it def passed muster - especially with the addition of some hot Chinese mustard. A cup of their complimentary tea sent me happily on my way!

Bro their General Tsos was dog****. Like my 4 year old niece could make a better general tsos then these guys. And all she has to cook with is an easy bake oven. Gtfo. The sauce was all watery and Strachey. Disgusting.