Hunan Lion

One of the best Chinese hunan food We ever had. We ordered 4 dishes...kungpao tofu, string beans with tofu and kungpao chicken.. Every dishes were fabulous and server and chef were quite personable and service oriented.

Lo mien and steamed broccoli was good but they didn't include utensils but good thing I had my own chopstick while traveling. Noodles weren't too greasy like most places so that was a A+++ in my book and I'm Asain. Too much grease is nasty like any other food. Wish they would give hot sauce packets too since I like it spicy. I ordered with Uber eats so can't get every option unless in person to request it spicy.

11/24 - Everything was great. First time visiting my sister's favorite spots.

Hunan Lion, an authentic Chinese restaurant, offers a truly remarkable dining experience. From the moment you walk in, you're greeted with a warm and inviting ambiance that immediately sets the stage for a memorable meal. The interior is tastefully decorated, reflecting Chinese culture and providing an authentic atmosphere. The star of the show is undoubtedly the food. Their menu boasts a wide range of Hunan and Szechuan dishes, each prepared with precision and authenticity. The flavors are bold, and the ingredients are fresh, making every dish a delightful culinary adventure. The Kung Pao Chicken and the Hunan Beef are absolute must-tries. Vegetarian options are also available and equally delicious. What truly sets Hunan Lion apart, though, is their exceptional service. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and eager to accommodate your preferences. They go above and beyond to ensure your dining experience is nothing short of perfect. It's a rare gem in the world of dining. Furthermore, the prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. You get an excellent value for your money. Whether you're a regular or a first-time visitor, Hunan Lion is a restaurant that consistently delivers on its promise of authentic Chinese cuisine, impeccable service, and affordability. It's a hidden treasure for those seeking a taste of China in a cozy, inviting setting

Excellent service. Food was savory, authentic, fresh. Pretty decent portions. Egg drop soup and hot and sour soup were rich and umami. The establishment itself was clean, the ambiance warm and inviting. Not only was our server fast and attentive, two other managers or maybe the owner(?) also checked on us. Definitely gonna come back again and try other items on the menu! Oh also! Extremely affordable. We ordered an appetizer and 3 lunch specials. Total came out to $37. Even with food inflation, it was impressive to say the least how affordable it was.

Been here twice, the first time I was in Austin I came here for dinner and it was amazing! The second time I went for lunch a few weeks later, I ordered the exact thing and it was not good at all. The beef was from the day before, I’ve worked in kitchens before I know what that’s like. Needless to say I was very disappointed and will not return. It really sucks because I work in Austin often and try to save the good spots, I will be deleting this one for sure.

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Austin. The flavors are always consistent, fresh, crispy, savory, and tasty. The staff is always sweet and remember you. It is a solid place. I like to order the sesame chicken, teriyaki chicken, happy family, general tsos, and Mongolian beef. Plenty of food, worth the price.

Got some delivery from Hunan Lion. Everything was tasty...both soups were well-seasoned and had on-point flavors, the chicken wings were good(but probably even better if eaten via dine-in) and the beef/chicken egg rolls were awesome. Out of many places I have tried, Hunan Lion is the most consistent/good.

Sunday early afternoon lunch; was delicious! My husband got teriyaki chicken lunch and I got Happy family. That's what I usually like because it's a variety of chicken shrimp and beef with veggies and it was really good! The teriyaki chicken was very fresh was like a sliced chicken breast with green beans, broccoli etc.. along with rice. The lunch specials come with an eggroll and a cup of soup choice of rice. We had excellent service with many smiles, checked on us periodically, never had an empty water glass, and it was pretty busy so everything went quickly and we had a great lunch. I would highly recommend.

The egg drop soup is the star of the show! It's filled with silky ribbons of egg and the broth has that thick salty flavor. We order the crunchy noodles as well to pair with/throw into the soup. This is a favorite combo of mine especially on a rainy day or when I need a comforting meal. Ordered the chicken fried rice without veggies since we're not a fan of peas. Very reliable fried rice! This place is our go to. This was our first time trying the spicy green beans and they were good but not great. They definitely aren't spicy and could use more garlic to enhance the flavor. They did have a nice crunch to them. We have only done takeout but the online ordering system is easy to you, you pay when you pick up, and our food is always ready when we arrive. They have a designated pickup station in the restaurant for takeout orders. There were multiple pest traps when we went this time so just something to be mindful of.

We have never been here before but we seen it for many years so today we came for lunch. We had sesame chicken rice egg drop soup and moo goo gan pan fried rice hot and sour soup. Sesame chicken was too sweet to eat hai pan chicken tasted powdery. Restaurant had an odd smell about it. We were really hoping this would be our new to go too place but it's not

This is our Chinese lunch spot. The service is efficient and fast. They aren't the greatest on refilling your drinks or checking on you bit the courses come out pretty quick so if you need something you can ask. I like their sesame chicken and their egg rolls. Nothing special about their interior. They have a lot of seating and a big to go area.

DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS PLACE!! ABSOLUTELY THE BEST IN TOWN. I'm currently stuffing my face full of this delicious food as I'm typing this and couldn't wait to post a review haha! Thanks Hunan you've done it again.

Food is great! Was looking for a good sit down Chinese restaurant and this is it. Service was quick but friendly and very comfy.

The garlic sauce is described as including tree ear and water chestnuts (i.e., yu shiang style), so I ordered it with shrimp. No tree ear and no water chestnuts in mine. Not a single one. Only shrimp in a brown sauce, and I had to imagine that I tasted any garlic. Very disappointing for a place that used to be reliable.

I really try to like this place because my in-laws love it, but it's mediocre. Got my food to go this time. My egg drop soup tasted off. The dumplings are okay. The jalapeño chicken wasn't hot and the fried rice wasn't that good. Service is good though. Maybe I just order the wrong things.

I don't want to hate this place, but the chicken tastes off. I have gotten it twice and each time the chicken tastes like I'm tempting fate. Nothing is good and everything is just questionable.

Absolutely love hunan lion! I tend to order via delivery apps for lunch. Great portions plus you get a soup and egg roll of your choice. They have my favorite tastiest hot and sour soup in town! My go to is their general tso which has a bit of a kick to it. Very flavorful all around. Ambiance dining in is ok. It's a bit run down and feels unclean. But service is also quick and friendly. Definitely a must try place if you love Chinese food!

The food is great here. The portions, pricing, etc. the atmosphere is just a little lacking. It is a well loved space but would to see them make some updates similar to their Round Rock location. The staff is also fast and friendly.

This is a quintessential Chinese restaurant with foods reminiscent of that of my childhood. It's flavorful, greasy, and salty-- all good qualities of a Chinese restaurant in my opinion. The sesame chicken was great, crispy, and sweet. The combination lo mein was greasy, salty, and exactly what I was looking for, and the Mongolian beef is a bit tough, salty, and sticky. The service was kind and I'd come here again! Cheers!

I remember when Chinese food was a treat. Prepared with care and exotic. I guess those days long gone. At first I ordered a coke. It wasn't a coke, not Pepsi either. Some weird, sweet, carbonated something. I'll have jasmine tea instead. The wonton soup was heinous. I am guessing they dropped a single wonton from the fridge into hot broth. The wonton was chewy and undercooked, and the whole thing was tepid. The eggroll was ok but clearly not house made. My entree was sweet and sour shrimp. I would guess the shrimp is precooked frozen shrimp, then battered and fried within and inch of its life. So the shrimp was tough and rubbery. The bell pepper and onion tossed in were barely cooked at all. The freshest thing on the menu - crunchy. The whole experience was really a disappointment. And I got indigestion.

Food - I like their mushu and the egg roll that comes with the lunch specials. Hot and sour soup is okay. I have not had a good experience with the lunch special entrees - drenched in super cornstarchy sauce. Service - Fast and friendly. Ambiance - Cute semi private table in a nook, good for private parties. Parking is great.

Nothing exciting. Same food as other Chinese restaurants. Lack of enthusiasm from employees. They could move their point of sale equipment from the middle of the dining room to another place inside the restaurant.

Hunan Lion came highly recommended from someone we were talking with recently. We are so happy to have another place to get Sesame Chicken (comes with broccoli) and Lomein. Both were delicious and flavor was perfect. They offer lunch specials which come with soup and egg roll. You do have the option of steamed rice or fried rice. They also offer black bean sauce with jalapeño and your choice of protein as well as chicken and walnuts (similar to shrimp and walnuts) both I have not seen on a menu in forever. We ordered takeout this time around and we were happily greeted by an enthusiastic hostess/waitress who took our order. We haven't had the chance to dine-in but there appears to be comfortable seating.

Service was awesome and the food is delicious! Ambiance is nice too. i highly recommend the lovers chicken

The Moo Shu is amazing. I'm entranced by the garlic broccoli. The staff are very kind and attentive to customers (both to me and from what I observe every time I go there). I've been a loyal customer for well over a decade (before and after ownership changed), and the quality of food has never declined. The owners are amiable and know how to service their clientele rightfully. The food portions are great for the price and quality. I always recommend this place not only has one of the best Chinese restaurants, but in general one of the best restaurants in Austin.

The food is always delicious. The service is always quick and the food is always nice and hot. It is a cozy place to eat and the wait is never long. The tofu is super yummy. I will keep coming back

****edit - I used to give this place five stars until I tipped them for takeout, they did not give me an idem they charged me for and refused to credit me for the missing item. Damn shame.

I love their hot and sour soup, that is what I always order and it always hits the spot!

Went during the lunch special. Waitress was very kind and polite. Drinks & food came out quick. Everything was fresh & delicious. I would recommend the orange chicken, lemon chicken and broccoli with beef, Lo mein and wonton soup. The atmosphere was great. I'm visiting from south Texas and I'll definitely bring my family here again. :)

Great food, great service and great ambiance. We ordered kung pao Shrimp, orange chicken, egg drop soup and sweet & sour soup with egg rolls. The sweet & sour soup was delicious! The king pao sauce was on point! The egg rolls were perfectly crunchy on the outside and the veggie filling fresh. We are originally from southern Cali and are use to mandarin cuisine, now new to Texas; and are happy to have found a new spot. Definitely not a chain restaurant experience or over priced bougie place. Hunan Lion is the real deal!

Really consistent and tasty fare for the common man can be found at the Hunan Lion on S. Lamar. The price is actually lower than you'd expect with an efficient staff of friendly people to greet you at the door. The menu is loaded with all of your favorite dishes, like Kung Pão Beef, Kung-Pão Chicken, Kung Pão Shrimp, Kung Pao Vegetable, Stir-Fry Kung Pao, and Bean Curd Kung Pao. With so many dishes, it's hard to choose which one to consume! The restaurant presents a very nice atmosphere and the large square-square shaped plates provide a sense of order and symmetry which helps avoid unnecessary confusion while in the midst of digestion. The only reason why it's not the full five stars is really no fault of their own. I just happen to like blazingly spicy dishes which scorch the pallet and cause involuntary eye-bulging, nervous twitching and an uncontrollable desire to drive my head through the heavy wooden table. It's no wonder few places can match my masochistic tendency to incinerate my esophagus. This, I have to carry a small bag of ghost peppers to mix with the meal so that it doesn't taste bland. It's family friendly and had two large fish tanks that keep hyperactive children and trance-like elderly people totally preoccupied with the lives of fish as they go back and forth in search of new adventure every 6 seconds. With great foresight, the interior designer made it possible to sit down with a family and enjoy a meal while freely conversing with one another via text message or Twitter. Places like this harken us back to our humble beginnings with great food, great service, and friendly prices which makes for one of the better Chinese restaurants in town. As a bonus, there is a Goodwill across the street where the little ones can burn off a little energy and mama can get a new pair of used shoes.

We ordered take out so I cannot speak to the restaurant just the food. Take out packaging was secure but a lot of styrofoam We ordered the Crab Rangoon: Not quite crispy enough, was very chewy with more cream cheese than crab. Would skip next time Egg drop soup: very tasty and good flavor Lovers Chicken: good, lots of flavor Pork Fried Rice: best dish imo Shrimp with walnut: tasty, less breading than expected but would reccomended

Walked in to pick up my order and the lady smashed a cricket with her foot. Didn't even bother to pick it up... wish I had just denied my order and asked for a refund. Hot and sour foul was inedible.

Very disappointed. Used to have one of the best shrimp with walnuts, mayo sauce in town. Shrimp was badly overcooked and breading was just plain bad. Cannot recommend

Excellent service. Food was savory, authentic, fresh. Pretty decent portions. Egg drop soup and hot and sour soup were rich and umami. The establishment itself was clean, the ambiance warm and inviting. Not only was our server fast and attentive, two other managers or maybe the owner(?) also checked on us. Definitely gonna come back again and try other items on the menu! I also don't know why this place gets mediocre reviews. Perhaps just a random unlucky time. But this place is definitely worth checking out! Oh also! Extremely affordable. We ordered an appetizer and 3 lunch specials. Total came out to $37. Even with food inflation, it was impressive to say the least how affordable it was.

I don't order to-go very often as I like to dine-in when I can, but sometimes I'll find myself DoorDashing something in a pinch and one of the most popular spots on the app in Austin is Hunan Lion. Their most popular dish is the Sesame Chicken ($14) and for good reason: it's delicious! It's simple and gets the job done. It comes with rice and is a very filling meal when it's all said and done. What else is there to say? I had an amazing, quick experience and was highly satisfied. I give em a 4.5/5!

Needed a place to eat when we realized the place we were going to was closed down. Luckily this restaurant was in the same area. Had a wonderful lunch selection. Ordered the veggie fried rice which also came with soup, egg roll and a fried wonton. All were delicious! I just wish this place was closer to my usual areas!

Always a delight! Food is great! Service is excellent! I love coming here. Give it. Try

So fast! I ordered online and arrived 10 minutes prior to pickup. Paid, and ordered an adult beverage to drink while I waited. Food was ready in 5 minutes! 10 minutes prior to online determined availability. As I hav stated in previous review, I have been a regular customer since 1994. In the past 30 years, I've only been disappointed twice, and that was during Covid. Highly recommend Hunan Lion for standard fare.

Disgusting food, bland flavoring. Lo Mein was basically dyed spaghetti noodles. Panda express would be a safer bet. Save yourself the money.

Your food is on the delcline....you as a owner, need to randomly check the quality you are sending out on doordash.... Wonton soup was just broth and poorly made won tons...HORRIBLE... And your meat was burned... August 12th 5 pm Their are better chinese food places, that actually care about quality....make sure you check with your assist chef

There's a reason Hunan Lion has been in business for so long: they serve up good Chinese food at a decent price. Nothing really new or innovative here, and that's okay. If you want tried and true dishes, you've come to the right place. We ordered two appetizers--Salt & Pepper Calamari and Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. The calamari was delicious, but the steamed dumplings were pretty bland (I would skip next time). My main dish of Kung Pao Shrimp was tasty and satisfied my craving for Chinese food. I'm glad some things in Austin remain the same!

I've been patronizing this establishment since it opened back in the 80s. The food has always been great and the staff has always been very friendly and attentive. When we had the power go out on February 1st due to the severe weather, I needed to find somewhere to get dinner, and very few places were open. Not only was Hunan Lion open, but they were slammed with business and had set up tables in the middle of the dining room for take out orders in order to get everyone in and out efficiently. I was able to place an order as soon as I arrived, and the my had it out to me in less than 10 minutes! There's a reason this place is still going strong after all these years!

Not a huge fan of the food here. The wonton soup was too salty and the broth wasn't great. Plus the wontons were just mediocre. The green beans were just ok. The eggplant was mediocre as well.

Hunan Lion in South Lamar is a classic American-Chinese food establishment that doesn't give a flying fork about food trends. It's got all the classics, from sweet and sour to General Tso's. While there's only a small vegetable section and no Buddhist mock meats, the handful of vegan options are strong enough to stand alone. Take for example, the garlic eggplant. Cooked to soft, silky perfection, lacquered with your standard savory brown sauce, it's the kind of comfort food I grew up on. So far, this is the closest I've come to east coast-style Chinese takeout; inauthentic and proud of it.⁣ ⁣ Note: the spicy cucumbers at the top are a HUGE miss. I have to be honest and say that they were absolutely dreadful, like limp, watery twigs swimming in duck sauce that someone accidentally spilled hot pepper flakes into. NEVER AGAIN.⁣ ⁣ Otherwise, I'm a fan! It's just a case of knowing what to (and what not to) order.

I was a little bit hesitant because of the 3 1/2 star reviews but I ordered the Mongolian beef and if you've ever been to P.F. Chang's lately MB -it is just so gross but at this restaurant the Mongolian beef was absolutely delicious and looks like real food versus that commercial plasticky sweet over-the-top disgusting Mongolian beef and P.F. Chang's. It was very good.

I've never been so disgusted at a restaurant. I ordered to-go, only to open the pepper steak and find a roach cooked right there. And it was a small roach so it's the dirty place kind. I was too disgusted to even look through the items I ordered. Literally sick to my stomach. I will never ever eat here again

Very respectful and inviting people. Everything tastes good and they follow directions well. Im coming back for sure.

What a pleasant surprise this restaurant was. We walked in and it felt like we were time traveling back into the 70s. It's very old fashion Chinese like restaurant. We sat down and we were instantly served. We tried the egg drop and the hot and sour soup, both of which were very good. We followed that up with honey crispy chicken and Sizzling shrimp. Both were very tasty as well and the portions are very generous, And the prices are very reasonable. If you've got a hunger for Chinese food and you're on South Lamarr in Austin, give this place a try.

Ate here with a large group on Sunday for lunch. Great service and excellent value. Lunch special includes choice of soup with egg roll and wonton on the side. For my entree I stayed with my go-to General Tso chicken and fried rice. $11.37 feels like a steal for all that food and every bite was delicious. Plenty of parking and seating. Fortune cookie included.

I ordered sweet and sour chicken and they give me chicken tenders with egg roll sweet and sour sauce on the side I mean who in their right mind would want chicken tenders with sauce on the side aswell as the vegetables are completely raw and it looks like they threw my order together in 10 seconds wouldn't order here again.

The 5 star reviews that I read here don't represent the food we had. All flavors were off and 2 of the dishes we ordered were way too garlicky.

I don't know why this place has mediocre reviews, I love it. We've ordered Togo food here probably 10 times. My favorites are the hot & sour soup, beef & broccoli, sesame chicken, and honey chicken.

Their lunch options are on point. I am vegetarian and their Szechuan tofu with vegetable fried rice is on point! I would recommend checking this out!

We came to a bit too late. We feel so bad but they gave us great service. Didn't make us feel rushed or were rude at all. My son was so hungry. I used to bring my other kiddos when they were babies. Now they are 16 and 12. They will be so happy to come. The food was did not disappoint. We ordered Orange Chicken and combo Lo Mein. It was delicious and tasted homemade for sure. The restaurant looks so nice after the remodel. They had some relaxing music that made it so chill. My son who is 8 said to give them a 5 star review. He said it was great and yummy. I didn't get pics. We ate sooo fast.

Been coming here for years, and have loved it! The food has been consistently good, and they have a wide variety. The service for dining in is okay, they check on you quite consistently but sometimes get your order a bit mixed up. If you're dining in you have to try the hot tea! The interior is dated, but I think it adds to the experience. Lots of little knick knacks and they have a fish tank! It feels very cozy and welcoming. Overall I love this place, and if you want large portions of tasty Asian cuisine, I would highly recommend.