Joseph S.
Yelp
LaBori China is by far the best Chinese food in Waterbury and the surrounding area. When it opened a while back, it had lines out the door. I soon learned that a year+ later, it still maintained those lines out the door (at least on weekends). So it wasn't just that initial "new" thing that had people flocking to it, but it maintained that customer base.
So why? What makes it so special? For starters, it offers a mix of both Chinese (American Chinese) and Latin cuisine. You can get Orange Chicken and a side of Fried or Sweet Plaintains. The food is FRESH. It doesn't taste like old oil or a reheat.
Next, it offers generous portions when you order the combos. Typically, with a Chinese food combo, you get the food in the little split tray or single tray plastic container. Well, at LaBori China, they give you a full Styrofoam takeout container with enough pork fried rice to feed 2-3 people or split amongst a young family. This makes it family affordable, so it's perfect for families on a budget who want to get takeout.
Lastly, the place being new is BEAUTIFUL inside. It has ample seating (except when it's mobbed), and it has off-street parking to avoid that hassle in Waterbury. They did a great job balancing the decor inside, and it looked above/beyond your standard Chinese takeout restaurant. While you wait for your food, you are given a notifier device, or they will call you when it's ready (so if it's busy, you don't have to stand in the store).
Why I didn't give it 5 stars has nothing to do with the food or the facility. 100% recommend to anyone based on the food. However, they set up a website that you can order from, but that always says they are "closed," and it will not take orders. This initially prevented me from eating there because I thought they went out of business. Not to mention that phone number goes straight to voicemail (like a personal one) any day you call. My assumption is that the website was set up before they knew about the demand or foot traffic and, after the popularity, no longer needed it. So, not having the ability to call ahead or order online is inconvenient. A member of the staff, when I went there on one of the 3 occasions (so far), was rude for no reason. I politely waited for a couple of hours, and they had an attitude when placing an order.
With the above being said, it doesn't deter me from visiting LaBori. I would recommend if you are new to the restaurant, you will want to avoid visiting them on Saturday and Sunday when they typically have massive lines going out the door (at least at the time I write this). I did one of these long Sunday waits, and it was just about 2 hrs total. Instead, go on a Wednesday or Thursday. You won't regret this advice.