First Chinese BBQ

Amazing! Do not deprive yourself, EAT HERE! All 3 dishes are great: 1. Szechuan Beef (spicy) from the Pork & Beef 2. Stir Fried Round Bean with Pork from the Chef’s Special Menu 3. Happy Family

My recent dining experience at First Chinese BBQ in Austin's Chinatown was extremely disappointing. The food quality was concerning, and the ingredients clearly lacked freshness. In particular, the mixed vegetable pot had a noticeable sour taste from the first bite, as if it were made from leftover scraps. Such cooking standards and service do not meet customer expectations. I strongly recommend avoiding this restaurant to ensure a pleasant dining experience.

Wow. Just, wow. I rarely leave reviews, but this Chinese food place absolutely blew me away and deserves every single one of its 5 out of 5 stars. I can honestly say this is the best Chinese food I've had in years! From the first bite, the freshness was undeniable. Every ingredient tasted vibrant and high-quality, not like it had been sitting around. The vegetables were crisp, the meats perfectly cooked, and you could tell everything was prepared with care. And the flavor! Oh, the flavor. Each dish was a symphony of perfectly balanced tastes – savory, sweet, a hint of spice where it belonged, and incredibly aromatic. It wasn't greasy or heavy like some places; instead, every bite was clean, rich, and utterly delicious. We tried several dishes, and each one was a standout. If you're searching for genuinely exceptional Chinese cuisine that prioritizes freshness and delivers on incredible flavor, look no further. This spot has set a new standard for me!

05/27/2024 Never fails to disappoint. Stopped by here on the way to check out our airbnb rental on this Memorial Monday. Had our small service dog in tow. Staff didn't make a big scene upon seeing our Pomeranian and allowed us all to be promptly seated on a booth. We ordered our usual - wonton noodle soup, plus a platter of BBQ pork and Peking duck with rice, and cai lan garlic stir fry. Waitress was helpful with menu recommendation. Everything was delicious! Our Pomeranian quietly reclining on the booth got to eat some rice and BBQ pork as well. On the way out we tried to order some more BBQ pork to go but was told it was already sold out. Overall a quick, satisfying visit! Inflation has hit every corner of life but the prices here are much more reasonable than their competiton at Din Ho BBQ.

This place is a lot of fun. Very extensive menu so there’s something for everyone. Service is excellent and friendly. The restaurant feels like a neighborhood restaurant—cozy and comfortable.

Great prices for large portions that are very filing. Pretty authentic, though the char siu (叉燒) was a little bit over cooked and not as tender in some places. The Mapo Tofu was pretty good and hit home. Around 13-14 ish dollars per Char Siu Bowl Rice.

Absolutely one of the worst roasted pork I have ever tried in my entire life, it's absolutely tasteless with no flavor. The skin is just so tough and rubbery.

A sign on the wall near the front door proclaimed that this is one of the top 50 Chinese restaurants in the United States. I’m a bit skeptical of this, having spent a lot of time in the bay area in California, where every Chinese restaurant is extremely good. But for Austin, this is certainly a very good restaurant. The seating area is nothing special, it’s a pure laid functional, but that’s fine, you don’t go here for a five star experience, you go here for great food. Given this, I would definitely give this place a thumbs up and try it.

It's the best Chinese in the area, for my money. So consistent, so good. 4.5 stars is more accurate. We get the Kung pao, the garlic beef/chicken/pork (whatever we are in the mood for), General Tso's chicken (best version of this dish anywhere I've had it), the Peking style pork chop, and the beef flat noodles. I've also ordered the Chinese broccoli and it was great. We usually don't stray too far from the dishes above, however, when we've ordered other items we've always enjoyed them. Food comes out hot and fresh, every time.

Had lunch while visiting Austin's "Chinatown". Did not live up to the award proudly displayed by the register of top 50 Chinese restaurants in the USA, to me. I had the roast pork and roast duck over rice plate. Good portions, pork was way too dry and flavorless, duck was excellent. My mom had beef stew over rice bowl. Decent portion, beef was rather chewy but had flavor. Service was good and dining area was clean. Dining area was very warm. Wouldn't be my first choice or if so, I'd get all roast duck or Peking duck.

I knew something would be up just based on the container. It's missing two corners as seen in the image below. Also, it wasn't packed in a plastic container, which I thought was kinda strange. Also, it stunk. I've had chicken & broccoli from multiple spots back in Houston, and they all had beautiful aromas that came from the brown sauce, which is why I was offput by the smell with this spot. That should've been my warning sign but gave them a fair chance. Regretted it. The food was not good, and had to throw it away before I even finished half of it. Chicken had a strange, unpleasant taste to it. How do you mess up chicken & broccoli?

The OG in Chinese sit down and take out. Crispy lechón or juicy roasted duck, you can't go wrong with anything ordered from here. Service is quick and seamless even when it's always busy.

I ordered my food for take out. Food was done fast and the service was exceptional!! The food is fantastic! I got the beef flat noodles and it was a good! Portion size was huge so I had enough for three meals!

Such an authentic low-key Chinese restaurant! Everything was so affordable but also of great quality! The roasted duck here was amazing, so full of flavor, as well as the bbq pork. Perfect sweet and savory taste. The roasted pork skin was so crispy! Everything paired so well with the fried rice and chow fun noodle dish. I liked my wonton bbq pork noodle soup but it could've been a bit saltier. The wontons were perfect though, especially when dipped in the soy and sate sauce. Good service, food came out quick and the server was very friendly! Can't wait to come back for more of their duck!

7 years later...we came back to try BBQ pork (char siu) today. It was DRY. They were busy and I saw it being cut fresh so how on earth is it so dry? This will be our last time. Seven years ago wasn't a fluke.

Always good authentic Cantonese Chinese: roast meats (bbq), clay pots (including salted fish combos), seafood stir fry, and vegetable dishes. Great for family style, but I also get healthy single dish meals there. Similar to Din Ho Chinese BBQ but 3/4 scaled down in variety/options. Probably in the top 5 Cantonese restaurants in town.

I LOVE this place, my whole family does. They have one of the best wonton noodle soups in town with reasonable price and quick service. We order takeout and it was super fast, they can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese. A tip is, it's cheaper to call in and buy the roasted meat by weight rather than ordering a meal. We usually order their char siu and roasted duck separately, then eat with anything we like at home.

The twice bake pork was a disappointment. It is just regular pork with cabbage filler. I don't know if this is their lousy version of this dish or if they are just cutting corners.

First Chinese Barbecue has become a go-to spot for me whenever I want to treat my parents to a classic Chinese dining experience in Austin. The restaurant offers traditional Chinese barbecue dishes in a setting that embraces the classic lazy Susan style of dining. One of the highlights of dining at First Chinese Barbecue is the communal dining experience facilitated by the lazy Susan tables. It's perfect for sharing a variety of dishes with family and friends. The staff are always attentive and ensure that our dining experience is seamless, making sure the lazy Susan keeps turning smoothly as we enjoy our meal together. The food at First Chinese Barbecue is consistently good. We particularly enjoy their barbecue dishes, such as the roast duck and char siu (barbecue pork). The meats are always flavorful and cooked to perfection, with a nice balance of seasoning and tenderness. The roasted meats are a must-try and are often the star of our meal. In addition to the barbecue, their menu offers a variety of classic Chinese dishes that are well-executed and satisfying. From stir-fries to noodle dishes, there's something for everyone's palate. The atmosphere at First Chinese Barbecue is casual and welcoming, making it a comfortable spot for family gatherings. The restaurant is clean, and the decor is simple yet charming. Overall, First Chinese Barbecue provides a great dining experience for those looking to enjoy traditional Chinese barbecue and classic dishes in Austin. The lazy Susan style of dining adds to the authenticity and charm of the experience, making it a place I happily recommend for family outings and gatherings.

Friendly service and so quick! We came around 3pm on a Friday and the food was fresh and service was so fast and friendly! We ordered beef flat noodle and roast duck with char siu. Everything tasted amazing and I would absolutely come back. The char siu was not quite as good as uniformly good as some pieces were less flavored than others. You can tell from the photo some are more marinated and some less. The beef flat noodle was perfect. The duck was great. Prices are average compared to the new price increases post-pandemic. I noticed some of their other items like clams in black bean and others were over $17 a plate. Well, not much you can do about inflation. The food is still as it was before - casual, quick, basic, tasty. Don't expect high-end food or you will be disappointed. It's not that type of restaurant and the servers today were all very nice and you could tell the regulars were there because they knew everyone's name.

We visited this place to try out the bbq. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we thought it would be. The pork was bit hard, seems like a leftover. Duck has nothing special about it. The crispy noodle was a good amount serving but the sauce is lacking of flavor and too runny. The service was a bit slow as well.

We came for an Easter Meal and they did not disappoint! We ordered our favorites and they were delicious. It was busy so we knew not to expect food to come fast. The place is sorta small but they make sure to get you in and out. Make sure to check your bill, incase some meals didn't come out and you don't want to be charge for that.

One of our FAVE AUTHENTIC Chinese spots in Austin. this place has all the old school greats - sharks fin soup, ducks hanging up front, crispy skinned Slab Pork, Charsiu everything is excellent. lots of veggie dishes as well - Gai lan with garlic or oyster sauce, pea shoots, tofu n broccolI. we absolutely love this place!! no heavy American sauces either! just GOOD Chinese food the way it's meant to be!

Great authetic Chinese spot in chinatown! Went to dinner during the weekend, and it was fairly busy. The place is simple, clean, and lively! Servers are nice. The food was great, flavorful, and had big portions! Really like the paper placemats on the tables. Parking is easy and free too

All of our food (fried rice & S&S chicken dishes not pictured) was just okay. I expected a lot more from this restaurant based on proximity & longevity in this spot, but the flavor profiles don't excite me here. The fact that the salt & pepper tofu was the best thing on the table speaks volumes. The service was good.. but we were 1/3 tables during off-peak times.

Great Chinese food in Austin. One of the very few good ones remaining that survived the Covid panic.

First Chinese Barbecue is so consistent with the quality of their food and service they provide. The service is always quick and every time we come, we always get personally greeted by the owner. We love First Chinese Barbecue and it's one of our highly recommended beloved restaurants in Austin. Authentic Chinese food and there is so many options to accommodate everyone. Our family's favorite dishes are the salted fish and chicken fried rice, roasted pork, & garlic sautéed green leaves. We ordered the combination hot pot which was really good too! You honestly can't go wrong with any of the dishes here. We have loved everything we have tried over the years. People here are great and the food is amazing! A must try restaurant and I highly recommend First Chinese Barbecue! :)

I liked the dumplings a lot. The lady was incredibly helpful. I just wish they had coconut drink here. The portions are huge here.

First Chinese BBQ is delicious! One of my fave places. Come here for the food, not the ambience. They have several locations in Dallas so we were thrilled that there was a location in Austin. Compared to the Dallas locations, this place is way better! The staff here is nicer and they accept credit card payment. Our fave dishes include orange beef, seafood supreme, fried squid, wonton noodles, pork and duck with a side order of steamed buns.

An ode to a classic! First Chinese is my go to place for roast pork and roast duck. It's always solid and I'm never disappointed (unless I'm too late and they've already sold out for the day!). I admit I rarely ever sit in and eat here but it's not too bad and it's probably on par to most authentic asian joints. Nothing to say about their service besides the fact that this is best for eating family style and I have a soft heart for all lazy Susan restaurants. Probably not the friendliest service but they are efficient and no complaints on my end Come here for the food. Very rare to find something you won't like. I usually take my food to go and if you order anything off the menu and not from what's hanging in the window, the wait time is still reasonable (10-15mins) depending on what you get.

This place is great! The Peking duck is delicious and is made with so much love. The skin is cooked to crispy perfect. I have gone a couple of times for a nice guilty pleasure of their delicious Peking duck. The serving size and price is very reasonable. The food came out quickly and tasted very fresh. If you're looking for a solid spot with delicious Peking duck, look no further.

This place has been around for years and still thriving. I would say it caters to a more authentic Chinese palette than Chinese-American. As such, decor is not a priority but the food is delicious and fast; they come out fast and freshly cooked. The service is also great. I would go back for an authentic meal or take-out!

We had a huge party of 9 and they didn't do the best with accommodating us for one table. They also weren't the friendliest. We had to ask for everything even when the whole table was out of waters. The food was okay. They portions are big and are made for sharing with everyone. The table comes with rice and they have a lot on the menu. The cleanliness and the service of the restaurant wasn't the best.

Food are authentic and taste great. A place to go every time we head to Austin. Service is great as well.

Chicken was amazing!!!! I loved it paired with the duck. Fun and delicious experience

Horrible service, lady with eyeliner came to the table demanding we pay $5 rudely! Slamming the to go box on a 75 year old hand while eating because we couldn't eat from a To go box at the table. I strongly believe it's ways you approach people. This lady was not our waiter nor the manager. She went back-and-forth being extremely disrespectful . We had no problem with the policy of not eating to go at the table, but the physical touch and service manner was extremely horrific.

Used to go there about once a month during the week for a great lunch of sessame chicken... but somethings changed recently... this past week I got what appears to be mostly breading and tiny scraps of chicken or maybe just chicken skins - but basically no chicken... dissapointed enough to say, I think I've had my last of their food. Bummer as this was a staple go to place... Note - I also had a fat fingered overcharge of $25.00 when I left a $2.50 tip on an $11.85 meal. So be warned to always check your credit card bill... Mistakes happen, but too many recently. Will miss what they once were...

this was a good light lunch. the bbq food were meaty and they do give you a good portion with the noodle soup. we were full from the noodle soup. they gave a good amount of noodle and bbq meat. we were surprised how many options there were on the menu. we will go back again if in the area.

Check your take out orders before leaving!!! They forgot to include our sauteed Chinese brocolli $13. The roast pork was gross - we hardly got any white meat - it was mostly dark meat, fat and bone! We threw most of it away. I had no veggie for my family dinner and the idea was to take a night off from cooking. We're not getting take out from First Chinese BBQ again. It was a clear message to return to the other eateries

First Chinese is one of our most frequented restaurants in Austin. It's long been a Christmas Eve tradition and a meet up place whenever family is in town. This is one of the places to go in Austin for an authentic Chinese food experience: the wait staff and service and utilititarian nature of the place is what you should expect from a legit Chinese restaurant. Be adventurous and try the non-Americanized dishes for the best taste and experience (although you won't miss on those items). We're fans of their Peking duck three ways, bbq pork, anything salt and pepper (especially their tofu), and clams in black bean sauce. I have a special place in my heart for crispy noodles so that always makes the list. Everything about First Chinese is consistent and predictable and although there might be other authentic Chinese joints that excel in some of the same dishes, we are always pleased with the quality, taste, quantity, consistency and price at First Chinese. Highly recommend!

The food is good like really good. The only reason they got 4 out 5 is because of their shrimp. They do not clean their shrimp-so you can still see the vein in the shrimp. The service is not bad above par.

This place absolutely defies the "3.5 star" rule on yelp (IYKYK). Reminds me of some of the great Chinese BBQ places in NYC. No frills, just good food. They run out of their Crispy pork belly "Siu Yuk", early on so make sure you get it while the gettin' is good :). Their char siu is also best in the area (again get it while supplies last). All of their food has been great thus far and the food should speak for itself.

The food is substandard and unlike what they depict in photos. The pork looks anemic, the shrimp as if they had been rejects. Food is lopped together on the plate. The servers are ambivalent at best, clueless at worst.

So. Darn. GOOD. This is an authentic Chinese restaurant. If you have only ever had "Americanized" Chinese food, but you would like to try REAL Chinese food, come here to do so. Their pork, duck, chicken, and seafood is made to PERFECTION. Even if you just buy a $6 order of their fried pork dumplings, you will have a dish that both FILLS YOU UP and gives you an idea of what delicious authentic Chinese food is.

My brother's family took me to this place in the Austin "Chinatown" which is just a shopping plaza. They were opened during Christmas and had many people doing takeout. The place is very busy as well. My brother's family ordered a lot of vegan and seafood dishes, while I ordered that they were known for the duck and the bbq pork. The food does take a lot of time to do as they were busy. I felt the food was great as the duck was crispy and juicy and not dry. I liked the vegetables as well. Service was okay, but they do put on an 18% gratuity tip as well. Food prices were okay. I wish though the servers would fill our water at some time and all they did was serve our food. I would definitely come here again.

I swung over to MT grocery to grab a few things, and decided to check our First Chinese BBQ. Overall I had a decent experience, but certainly not a blow you away cuisine. I ordered the roast duck and pork which held its own, but should have been a tad better for a Chinese BBQ place. I have had better. Service was pleasant but I did need to ask for chopsticks.

Lunch prices are great includes a lot Customer service is good Food tasted ok I think out of the lunch portions the curry chicken was the best , Beef broccoli was ok In all wasn't blown away other then lives

The Chinese barbecue here is great quality and super flavorful and tender. The prices are affordable, we will definitely be coming back.

The best and the most authentic Chinese food in town. The staffs are friendly and always take the time to visit and they all speak English very well. I have been coming here with my hubby for over two decades. Give it a try and their ducks are the best!!!!You will be glad you try this awesome place.

Love the Lechon & Roast duck. Please, always tip the cutter personally (meaning...hand him the tip.) Period! Note: call first for availability.

This place is now open for dine in, would be perfect for a family-style meal, complete with the lazy susan serving tables, big food portions, and decent pricing! The egg rolls (not on the menu) were okay- not sure I'd get them again. Thought they were similar in size to Vietnamese fried spring rolls, so smaller than you'd expect of egg rolls. They provided duck sauce packets. I really liked that they gave you a huge portion of white rice with their dishes. It really gave a feel for a family-style meal. The roast duck was just okay- it tasted good but very greasy and many pieces lacked meat. The price point was very fair. The seafood hot pot is not much of a hot pot like you would expect, but seafood and veggies in a sizzling bowl over a fire, with a thick white sauce. It was delicious but I think the name is misleading. Overall, would come again to try other dishes. Plenty of parking in the Chinatown Center. The staff were friendly.

Bbq taste = average and dishes come out fairly slowly. The veggies bowl is tasty. Seems like eating the veggie bowl is more satisfying than the meats.

i went to college in fort worth and my parents live close to the first chinese bbq in arlington. this one in austin also slaps. i wish i got more pics but we got right to eating so i only have two really basic pics but the place is great. you should go and try it. I've also had the crunchy noodles there and the Szechuan pork. I really love this more authentic menu. I did have to use my debit card. My credit card wouldn't work there definitely recommend.

Been here three times, first for bbq meats to-go and other two times for sit-down meals. Delicious, traditional style Chinese food every time! Hits the spot, and great service too!

Incredibly delicious Peking duck and bbq pork fried rice! Fried dumplings were really good, hot tea balanced the meal. Service was fast. If you're looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant, this is it! Large portions good for two. Big menu selection. Family friendly. Ducks hanging as you enter. Can't wait to return!

Amazing food as always and they were not so busy so service was stellar today The fried spicy squid was perfectly tender today, and the Peking duck was hot and tasty. Even my kids loved it today.

Love this place! Food is amazing and price is fair. I love the beef flat noodles, roasted duck, and BBQ pork. Good service and very homey Canto style.