First Wok of Gainesville

I want to share this review so people do not make the same mistake I did. If you are considering ordering from this restaurant, I genuinely hope you read this first, because the quality of the food was far below what anyone should expect, and I would hate for someone else to spend their money on a meal this disappointing. I ordered two orange chickens and four egg rolls for me and my roommate, and the experience was extremely disappointing from start to finish. The egg rolls were the first red flag. They tasted like they had been sitting around for days and reheated right before serving, instead of being made fresh. Both my roommate and I immediately noticed how stale and lifeless they were. Then came the orange chicken, which somehow managed to be even worse. It was easily the worst orange chicken I have ever had from any Chinese restaurant. Just like the egg rolls, it had that unmistakable reheated taste, as if it had been cooked long ago and forgotten about. The chicken was soggy, the texture was off, and the sauce barely clung to the chicken at all, which usually happens when the sauce is added after the food is no longer fresh Overall, the meal felt rushed and careless, almost like the level of effort you would expect from a fast food kitchen on a bad day. This was nowhere near the standard anyone should get from a restaurant, and the lack of quality was obvious in every bite. Personally, I’d recommend going with any other Chinese restaurant in the area. There are plenty of places that put real care into their food, and your money would be far better spent with one of them instead of here.

My friend had First Wok when I was over last week so I decided to try it. I had the beef sticks and the chicken chow mein with crispy noodles. The beef sticks were good and it was the only part of the meal that I finished. The problems started with the chicken chow mein. While I appreciated the food being cooked fresh, the food had little flavor. I could only taste a slight hint of lemon in the chicken chow mein. Very distasteful. I threw almost all of it away. The crispy noodles on the side were not cooked fresh. They weren't hard as a rock stale but the noodles were definitely out for a while. I am having a tough time deciding whether to go back and try what I saw my friend had, or just cut my losses and keep going back to other Asian restaurants in GNV which have reliably served great food.

The owner/manager is so incredibly rude. I was disappointed that the food was good because I will not tolerate the terrible disrespect. I was hung up on 3 times so went in to order.So rude. Paid told ten minutes. I live 3 min. away. left to go home and pick up a few items for a friend just admitted the hospitalI got there at 9:32 and they were gone. Threw the food out he said. Refused to refund or replace. I would think twice with over 30 Chinese restaurants in this town. He was very rude and upset the guy in front of me. I don't believe in rewarding bad behavior when we have so many choices.

My daughter and I and I stopped by here on Sunday and ordered the shrimp fried rice and chicken wings. I was upset because they burned the chicken, and it looked like it was refried . Please do better, and if you go, ask for freshly fried chicken.

Ordered their "house special " Crispy Shrimp to take out. It's supposed to come with five vegetables in a "delicious white sauce," but there was only broccoli and no white sauce. Also ordered their Steamed Scallops with Mixed Vegetable and had to look real hard to find a few scallops. The rest was mostly broccoli. Lots of broccoli. There were two tubs of sauce on the side that were too small for sure. Not going back.

As soon as i walked in the guy at the register started berating an older customer who was clearly hard of hearing. Practically bullied him into ordering an extra egg roll and began to mock him for just asking about his total. I specifically remember him saying "first you know everything, now you know nothing!?" and "are you getting all that for you? no girlfriend?" What a sad pathetic man.

This place was delicious and the staff was extremely nice. Food was prompt and delicious. My fortune cookies were extremely promising. If everything goes according to plan I’ll be posting an update. This could be big … stay tuned.

Usually this place is very good but not with the food I got September 18 They are using old grease that is awful and not frying food up to correct temperature Do you think people don’t know? Greasy unable to eat food In the trash and waste of money!

First Wok is a great option for New York style Chinese takeout food if you are in the Gainesville, Florida area and craving that particular cuisine. Both the setup and the service are what you would expect from a Chinese takeout place. The menu is dominated by what you would expect from a New York style Chinese takeout place. I do not mean any of this in a negative way. In fact, I would say that it is comforting to see what you expect to see and be able to have an expectation of what you are getting and as far as New York style Chinese takeout food, First Wok offers a very good version of it. First Wok is a solid option for New York style Chinese takeout food and I would definitely recommend First Wok if you find yourself in Gainesville, Florida and craving Chinese takeout.

The food was just OK and the service timely for a takeout Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was clean and had a hew tables setup to eat or relax while awaiting the order. The chicken and broccoli dinner was forgettable and the portions smaller than other Chinese restaurants with the price point boy the same as the competition. The General Tsao was just as bland and would not require a text home. Overall not horrible but definitely lackluster.

I got large pork fried rice, spring rolls, large won ton soup, large chicken lo mein, and steamed dumplings. Hit the spot. Quick service, hot food, good!! Thank you!!

Great staff personalities, consistently good food. Ask for a recommendation if you want to try something new. It's worth it.

I've been coming here for the four years I've lived here and it's always been solid. The food is consistently good, and the owner at the front is super friendly and genuinely funny. One of my go-to spots, and I'm pretty picky about Chinese take-out!

The place is not where you want to eat. But the food is amazing. If you are doing a takeout, this is the place to do it. I have been in Gainesville for about 24 years, and I watched the young women who were serving the food grow up. The food has not gotten better in 24 years, but it has been always better than good for over 24 years. When Covid was rampant. They closed the front doors and set up a food ordering system that the front door. They are obviously the premier Chinese food restaurant in Gainesville. Yes I have been to sit down Chinese restaurants, but the food was just as good, if not better. Not fancy, not elite, but literally 1/2 the price. So good. Certainly one of my favorites in Gainesville.

The service was super quick, and ordering was easy. The inside of the restaurant is no frills, but I enjoyed my meal takeout style. I got orange chicken, Szechuan chicken, mixed veggies, fried rice and an egg roll; it was all delicious! The Szechuan chicken was so soft and flavorful while the veggies maintained their crunch. I am from New York, so I'm used to being spoiled by good takeout Chinese food; I'm happy to say I've found my new spot

We didn't want to do any dishes (Story of all our lives!) - needed an easy meal & went with Chinese after my hubs 93 yr. old grandfather asked for it & highly suggested this place. We ordered by phone and it was ready in 10-15 min.! It's located in the same plaza as Publix - abundant parking and popular with people picking up orders. For 4 people, we ordered: Hot & Sour Soup (7.5-8/10) Egg Drop Soup (7.5-8/10) Chicken & Garlic Sauce (7.5-8/10) Beef w/Mixed Vegetables (7.5-8/10) We were most impressed with the vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, green peppers) because they were not overcooked after waiting +30 min. to eat it; it came with a lof of broccoli! The sauces between the two were very similar regardless that one was a garlic sauce - more corn starch in it than my personal preference. The beef was good - have had better from other Chinese takeout & I think the addition of baking soda would make it more tender. For $30.23, we got a ton of food and enough for leftovers!

We stopped here to pickup lunch. Their broccoli in garlic sauce was ok, have had better ones. And even though they did not have sesame tofu on menu, they said they could make it - sesame tofu was not up to the mark. My husband went to pick the order up, asked for extra plates and got couple styrofoam plates. Who uses styrofoam these days? Not good for health if hot food comes in contact with styrofoam and also it takes forever to break down. Egg fried rice was good, but otherwise food is mediocre - a bit surprised this restaurant has 3.9 stars! We couldn't find any other Chinese restaurant with better ratings off 75, so stopped here. Do not recommend! Will not order here again!

Admittedly our taste buds are off. Hoping this would tickle them. However it was just ok. I really wanted to like. For the price and the amount you can't go wrong. Didn't work for us.

First time trying this local Chinese food. The food was so good, fresh, and yummy. The service was fast about 5-10 minutes for the new fresh dishes. The lady was so friendly. I will definitely come here again! Btw I had beef broccoli and wonton soup.

1. Get the receipt 2. Make sure they don't intentionally tip themselves a dollar from your change. 3. Look at your Receipt

Absolutely the worst egg rolls ever, I am praying I don't get sick. The filling tasted rotten!

Pretty standard Chinese food. Really can't complain. It does the job. Good value, quick, it works.

Quick easy order and it was only $20 for my son and I for dinner; two different meals and two apps!!! The food tasted great and was fresh. Shop was very basic and the staff was very friendly. Didn't realize it was across town from us but it was totally worth the drive, short wait and money!!! Great little hole in the wall take out spot!

THE best Chinese food restaurant in Gainesville. No debate. Great menu. Fast service. The food NEVER misses.

OK, this place is your typical fast food chinese restaurant, just like every other fast food chinese restaurant in the country. The menu is the same, with the same pictures of the different menu items plastered across the backlit signage behind the front counter, the same large format single sheet menu that you can either hold in one hand and read entirely, or fold up and take home for later, piled up in a large stack on the front counter. It is the same formula used by every other fast food chinese restaurant stuck in a strip mall in the country. So... why the four stars, you might ask? Well, for one thing the food is made to order very quickly. I was sitting there for perhaps five minutes after ordering, the person in front of me had ordered a number of dishes for take out, so I was pleasantly surprised to get my order after only five minutes of wait time. Kudos for that! The food itself is what you would expect out of fast food chinese. Tasty, edible, amazing how much they actual food they can pack into such a small take out package, etc. In addition, the help taking orders and working there were very friendly, and took care of the customers quickly and efficiently. Usually I consider places like this to be cookie-cutter locations that you can go into anywhere and get exactly what you expect... but I consider First Wok to be a cut above the rest, and will happily return when I am in the area and have a hankering for Chinese food!

Polystyrene contains the toxic substances Styrene and Benzene, suspected carcinogens and neurotoxins that are hazardous to humans. Hot foods and liquids actually start a partial breakdown of the Styrofoam, causing some toxins to be absorbed into our bloodstream and tissue. Rude owner, tried to refuse refund. Food had melted through the styrofoam containers! Food was mixed, sauces everywhere. If it wasnt burnt it was hard as a rock. 0/0 stars. There are so many good chinese places in Gainesviile.. avoid this one at all costs unless you want toxic chemicals in your food and an extremely rude owner.

There were more employees than customers. The food, especially the beef Mongolian, was good. The atmosphere was very peaceful, and the restaurant was overall very nice. 10 out of ten, would recommend.

First Wok is another American Chinese place is Gainesville that I recently went to. I am making it my mission to visit every American Chinese restaurant in Gainesville so I know which one is my favorite and will then make that one my home base. This is located in a very nice plaza off of 34th! It sits next to a liquor store and a Little Cesars pizza and is in a safe area of town. When I went in the place was popping with lots of people inside and picking up orders. The place looks like most Chinese places with pictures of the same dishes on the wall. I love when you call to pick up take out and they say it will be ready in 10 minutes. It's like they are magic wizards the way they cook so fast. On this time I got the Egg Drop soup, two egg rolls, and a large order of Chicken Lo Mein. All which was very delicious. Like what others says in their posts on here they get their food from the same places as most of the Chinese places in town so it all should taste right around the same. It was good, had a lot of flavor and was a fun pace to eat at. I would for sure recommend this place and I am sure you will like it!

General Tso chicken is 10/10. Definitely not a healthy meal but the chicken is juicy and the sauce is legit

Rating it for what it is, First Wok is the best Chinese takeout I've had in Gainesville! The food is as good as Chinese takeout can be. The place is also clean, and the owners are quite nice. Their lunch specials are the best bang for the buck!

Stopped at 5:30 to pick up dinner on a Thurs Eve. The counter lady is friendly and liked that I was circling the items I wanted on a menu while waiting. That way she just took it and posted it on the fridge. :) We ordered 3 entree's w/ Rice, Egg Rolls, Fried Rice, & lo mein. Food was ready in about 15 min and we were out the door for home. 6 adults ate very well this evening. It was all good!!

In terms of American Chinese Food, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, quality, and customer service provided by First Wok. My family owned a Chinese restaurant for 30+ years so I feel like I relatively know what I'm talking about when it comes to Chinese restaurants. In terms of the standard, they definitely meet it. All Chinese restaurants no matter where you go should taste relatively the same with a slight variation in meat quality and sauce. Someone may ask why and it's simply due to the supplier. The cooking is straight forward and follows a specific recipe. Follow that recipe and you have American Chinese food. The term American Chinese food may seem weird to others, but you would never see this kind of food in Asia. First Wok delivers in terms of having the basic standard as well as having a few traditional dishes. Sadly though, their traditional dishes fall short and I believe it's due to their cooks. Regardless of that, this place is solid and if you're looking for decent Chinese food I'd highly recommend First Wok and go for a lunch combo.

This is worst chinese food in town! The food is under cooked! The refused to separate my son ton dumplings from the broth, which they have done before for me due to a allergy I have! My dumplings were steamed not fried as requested and very mushy! We will not eat here again. My husband works near by he will tell all his co workers about the terrible service and food we got! $50 worth of crappy food!

At best, this place can achieve 4 stars when everything's on point, which seems to switch up each and every time I order. It's probably the "best" Chinese fast food place in Gainesville but it still needs some improvement. How? Consistency. That's all. That's all I ask. Just be consistent with your flavors. One week the rice could be banging awesome and the next time you go back, it's like... whoa, who do you have in the back cooking? Tonight I got the combination dinner of bbq ribs and pork fried rice. It's my go-to dinner. 3 of the 4 ribs were so dried out, I wondered if I was eating Tuesday's leftovers. The rice was decent. No complaints there. Now, this place gets a lot and I mean A LOT of business. In the 10 minutes we sat waiting for our food, 10 people must have come in to either pick up food they ordered or to place orders so I'm not too sure what happened to my dinner. But again, it's kinda a hit or miss deal. I'll continue giving First Wok my business but not as much as before.... all I want is decent Chinese food in a combination platter that tastes the same today as it did a month ago. Is that too much to ask?

Just moved to the area have eaten a lot of Chinese food trucking around the country ordered General Tso's Shrimp Lo Mein fast service all food was hot still when I got home with it.

Best Chinese food in Gainesville hands down. Never have a problem and the owner is super nice and funny, he remembers customers that order. Lots of food for little price. If you are looking for better quality Chinese food, look outside of Gainesville.

Came here one late night on a Monday and they were hopping! Guess it's very popular. I overheard one lady saying "I'm in town so I've got to come in here...I just lieterally got off the road ". That being said, I thought overall our dishes were without a doubt "meh". I had the Schwann beef with fried rice and an egg roll, which it was not spicy at all. My 3 year old could of eaten it. I had to cover it in hot sauce. The beef was not spiced other than the coating it had from the sauce. . My partner had the sweet and sour chicken which he said was good. I liked that the batter was nice and thin and crisp. The sauce was served on the side so not to get soggy. I may give this place another chance; the counter service was very friendly, prices good, the food piping hot and fresh.

The owners are very nice and the food is great! It hits the spot perfectly. I recommend the Sriracha Cream Chicken, Amazing Chicken, or Broccoli beef.

I don't really go to Chinese take out places very often and I felt like this is probably the most decent one in Gainesville. I usually order the sesame tofu and it was surprisingly good! Their fried rice and lo mein is alright. Its a bit dry.

Number of Friends recommended so gave it a try. Excellent egg foo young. Two very generous amounts along with soup. Took as carry out. Well packaged. Great value. Place appears very clean and staff were pleasant. Will come again.

I've been looking for a great Chinese restaurant in the area, and I finally found it. First wok looks like a typical storefront type of restaurant. The environment is best suited for takeout, but that's ok. Portion sizes are huge, the food is fresh, and prices are reasonable. We ordered the sweet and sour chicken and the general tsao chicken, and neither disappoints. The large size guaranteed us leftovers for a lunch (or two). The Generals chicken was a bit heavy on the pepper, as was the hot and sour soup, but both were still very good. We also ordered the pork egg roll, and it was delicious. The heavy pepper keeps them from five stars, but it definitely has become my go to for good Chinese food. Update: I've gone back several times since I first wrote this review, and am happy to say that they have addressed the pepper issue and the chicken and soup are perfectly spiced. Not sure if the first time I caught them on a bad night, or if they read this review and made adjustments, but the general Tsao chicken is now officially the best I've had!. Review raised to 5 stars

Was craving chinese take out, which I rarely indulge in because its gotten so expensive! My boyfriend treated me this time :) Ordered over the phone, which due to language barriers can be hard at this location. She put him on hold at one point and he repeated the order again just to make sure. We got: 2 Pork egg rolls 1 small wonton soup (for him) 1 small wonton egg drop (for me!) 1 order of Moo Shu Pork 1 order of Beef and Broccoli (which i was so craving!) As usual they are super quick. Got home and everything smelled wonderful. The egg rolls were a bit sweet but still yummy. My soup was amazing, the combination of wontons in the egg drop makes me happy, i also tried his soup and the broth was hearty and also really good. The Moo Shu pork comes with Hoisin sauce and 4 pancakes. They give you a freaking ton of it , and it was so tasty. Went to open the beef and broccoli and surprise! it wasnt! It looked like sweet and sour something or other, bit into it and it was Orange chicken. So they did screw that up BUT it was still good, not what i ordered but whatever I didnt come away hungry! Next time i will be sure to check the order there. Overall, great take out.

Awesome Chinese place. Love their fried rice and lo mein. Their wonton soup comes with a good amt of dumplings and none of their dishes are ridiculously greasy like a lot of Chinese places. Since I've moved to G'ville (two years ago) I was on a quest to find a descent Chinese Cantonese place and this was always my fave. Tried golden Buddha and even Szechuan but this one is number one. Only downside is there is no delivery,take out only. Try the steamed dumplings!! Enjoy Yumm Yumm. P.S.. Prices are very affordable!

What can I say other than this is really tasty Americanized Chinese food. I can't speak to it's authenticity nor do I care about that. If you are looking for a nice, crispy general tsos chicken with the perfect amount of spiciness and a nice pork fried rice, this is your place. If you want a fresh beef lo mein with the perfect ratio of greasiness, this is your place. It's cheap and quick here as well. I wish this place was in Miami because I would eat it all the time...

This used to be the only decent place in Gainesville to get quick and cheap chinese food. It doesn't deliver, but it was always worth the trip. That was before. The quality just really started going downhill about a year ago, which seems to be about right considering the reviews on yelp. Currently, their chinese food is completely inedible. Multiple times my order has been wrong or missing an entire meal and I would have to drive back, to which I was simply handed the missing food and no apologizes given. The food itself is either greasy, grisly, or flavorless. There wasn't a single thing that I ate all of, except the white rice. Since the food used to be so good, I went back multiple times after experiencing such bad food, hoping it was a fluke. After a variety of foods, chicken, pork, beef, it appears this is the new standard. Stay away. Honestly, Panda Express is a better option than First Wok.

Best Chinese food in Gainesville. It appears like a typical New York-style Chinese place, but it's definitely much tastier than the average. They cook their food with fresh ingredients, no day old anything. I love eating there!

I really like takeout here. Food are yummy and at a reasonable price. Very convenient for people who don't like cook. Lol

My husband and I frequent numerous little Chinese food places around Gainesville, and this one is pretty darn good. It's fresh, fast and flavorful. The breading on the breaded chicken dishes (like the honey chicken) isn't overly thick which is a gripe of mine. The prices are VERY reasonable. My husband and I each got our own lunch combo (fried rice + entree + can of soda/water bottle) AND an order of dumplings and eggrolls... our total was $19.98. I look forward to trying them again!

I have been a few times to test it out. Unfortunately, the pork I got here tasted rotten. I didn't get very fresh fried wontons. The rice was not good at all but the lo mein was decent. The wonton soup was actually ok. I don't think there is a good cheap faux Chinese restaurant in Gainesville. I am a huge fan of HK Deli and this cannot compare.

As a Chinese-American growing up with a Chinese restaurant, it was hard to for me to eat at other Chinese restaurant because it felt like I was betraying my own place. With that said, First Wok has been the best Chinese take-out place that I have had in Gainesville. Some delicious foods dishes to try are the Beef Chow Fun, Singapore Rice Noodle, and the Chicken on a Stick.

Best take out in Gainesville! Friendly staff and delicious Chinese food! Just ate the boneless spare ribs and some fried rice. Their house fried rice is great and they add some major shrimp to it!

The food is good but I felt cheated on the quantity. My girlfriend got the lo mein but it was mostly rice. Very little noodles. My sesame chicken had a small amount of chicken. I'm used to having left overs when I order Chinese take-out. However, this was not the case, the only thing left over was the rice. Yes, the rice is good, but not good enough to support the entree.

I really enjoy the house fried rice. It's full of meat and even crabmeat. The tea is bomb even when I'm not eating there I stop for a tea

This is the best FAST FOOD Chinese in Gainesville. I believe I have tried them all over the years, & although First Wok is far from my downtown home, I make the long drive. The quality is good & the prices are reasonable. It does a brisk takeout business, although there are 4 inside tables w/ 2 chairs each; it is located a few stores down from Publix in Williston Plaza at SW 34th & Williston Rd. We have yet to pick up a bad meal...roasted pork lo mien, chicken fried rice, cream cheese wontons, beef sticks, egg drop soup, dumplings, spring rolls, sweet & sour chicken, beef & broccoli, chicken chow mein, General Tso's chicken, etc. I suggest you order before arriving; at lunchtime & dinnertime this establishment is usually very busy.

This was the first passable New York style Chinese good we've found since moving to Gainesville. The mu shu was good. The General Tso's chicken was made with the chicken from the sweet and sour chicken, which was different, but good. It didn't taste like they used nutmeg in the egg roll, which a lot of the local Chinese takeout places seem to do and nutmeg does not belong in an egg roll.

By far my favorite "hole in the wall" Chinese place! I love the house lo mein, and orange chicken! The teriyaki chicken, or as my son calls it "chicken on a stick" is the best in town, imo. They are so consistent and so quick. Doesnt matter what I order, it's always "10 minutes" 'til it's done. Love this place!

Great food! And cheap! I don't usually care for Chinese food but I love this place and go every week now!