Mandarin House

We come here often and we’ve actually been coming to this restaurant since it was by Balboa Park. It’s about time I write them a review. Today we got the walnut shrimp and cashew chicken and they’re both amazing like always. The shrimp is cooked to perfection, not at all over done. If you haven’t tried this restaurant, please do. The service and decor are also on point.

This establishment is a gem in La Jolla. The staff and owners are gracious and the food is amazing. Pungent shrimp, salt and pepper chicken, crispy beef and hot and sour soup are some of the must haves. Thank you for the decades of tradition and excellent food. We will always be back!

This place has been my go-to Chinese restaurant for 30+ years. It’s so good and. Orbing has changed (in a good way)! The portions are huge; the flavors are delicious; they don’t skimp on the meat/don’t use a bunch of filler veggies; and the service is always so friendly and quick. I just love this place!

This our local go to Chinese restaurant in La Jolla. Sure it’s convenient, right up the street, but it very tasty and always consistent. I get takeout once once a week and I have never been disappointed. The egg rolls are crispy and tender, Kung Pao chicken is cooked perfect and has just the right amount of heat and my favorite is the broccoli and beef. I just love it. The staff is friendly the food is always waiting for me to pick it up and is piping hot when I walk down the hill to my place to eat it. Good job Mandarin House!

Dropped in for lunch. We heard this place can be busy. Lunch is a good time to go. Food was amazing! Better than expected. Thought we would have leftovers, but could not stop eating. Highly recommended. Nelson, GO BLUE

From the moment we stepped into Mandarin House in Bird Rock, La Jolla, we knew we were in for a culinary treat. The cozy and welcoming ambiance set the stage for what was an unforgettable dining experience. We started with the Salt and Pepper Wings and Fried Dumplings. The wings were a perfect blend of crispy and savory, with just the right amount of seasoning to tickle the taste buds. The dumplings were a delightful surprise, golden and crisp on the outside, with a succulent filling that melted in the mouth. The Crispy Duck was a showstopper, cooked to perfection with a crispy skin that gave way to tender, flavorful meat. But the real star of the evening was the Upside-Down Pan Fried Noodles. This dish was a masterful display of textures and flavors, combining perfectly cooked noodles with a mix of savory sauces and fresh ingredients. The service was nothing short of amazing. Attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, the server made us feel like honored guests, ensuring that every aspect of our meal was perfect. In summary, Mandarin House is not just a restaurant; it's a culinary journey that delights the senses. Whether you're a local or just passing through Bird Rock, this is a dining experience you don't want to miss. We left with satisfied palates and the promise to ourselves to return soon.

My evening started with an adult beverage, speaking to me from the menu. Reminding me of an advertisement from years past.... "Be someone" oh yahhhh It was euphoric and it well positioned me for the next stage of the experience... a warm cup of Hot n Sour soup! Yum. My taste buds in utter nirvana. Rising from the cup, I began to observe the atmosphere surrounding me... the authentic vases, Chinese symbolism throughout, and a wide array of affordable dinner delicacies on the menu before me. "Sweet and Sour Pork please..." "but of course..." after sipping on yet another of the extraordinary adult beverages, I was presented with an enormous plate sweet and sour pork. I was suddenly confronted with the dueling prospects of both fear and challenge presented before me. Can I tackle this? Grabbing a nice portion of the dinner, it was time to test this challenge. Put simply, that first bite was amazing. Few words fairly describe what I felt at that moment. Several minutes seem lost as I found myself enjoying one bite after another... after another. ....alas I suddenly realize I had finished it all. Soon thereafter, proceeding yet another beverage to wash down the amazing experience, I was approached by the wonderful waiter with the check. I was not disappointed. For at that moment I realized I got one heck of a deal! As the fortune cookie stated "you have much happiness before you." I agree, for I definitely plan to return.

Just had an awesome meal at Mandarin House in La Jolla. Super flavorful, classic Chinese dishes done right everything tasted fresh and well-balanced. The whole vibe was relaxed but still felt special. Definitely worth a visit if you're craving solid Chinese food in the area. Also an amazing event space known for hosting birthdays, anniversaries, or anything celebratory!

Worked up an appetite from swim lessons this afternoon and had a hunkering for those addicting Szechuan String Beans. I scooped up my girlfriend and popped in for lunch. We were seated at a booth. Didn't even need to glance at the menu. I just hit repeat on my solid favorites: Crab Rangoon, Mushu Pork and Szechuan String Beans. Our attentive and friendly server Justin, made sure to bring our waters and sauces before food arrived. Major bonuses points for that. He was also kind enough to bring out chopsticks. Crab Rangoons were served within 5 minutes and seemed on the larger side today. Not complaining just observant. Love the dipping sauce that accompanied it. Szechuan String Beans were on point per usual. I can honestly just eat the whole plate of those solo if they weren't so greasy. Mushu Pork was good, I didn't really care for the pancakes to wrap today so I just gobbled it up with steam rice. Surprisingly, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Which was nice. My girlfriend pointed out how spacious it is and is considering hosting her mother in-laws birthday here in the future.

We've been going to Chens in La Jolla for the last year. Thought we would give our old fave a try. We're so disappointed in our to go order. We ordered Mu Shu Pork which is supposed to come with four pancakes which basically holds the whole meal together we're missing. We order the Crab Ragoon which had very little filling. Just a total disappointment. If you haven't been to Chens in La Jolla it is amazing and they get their orders right.

I love dining in but ordering take out is easy and delicious too. The Peking duck is always delicious and my new favorite is the salt & pepper chicken (wings too). I'd skip the sweet and sour pork next time. My usual go-to is pungent shrimp. White rice is always cooked to perfection. There's a small parking lot. The inside is decorated cutely. The service is always efficient and friendly.

This establishment is a gem in La Jolla. The staff and owners are gracious and the food is amazing. Pungent shrimp, salt and pepper chicken, crispy beef and hot and sour soup are some of the must haves. Thank you for the decades of tradition and excellent food. We will always be back!

Best Chinese food in San Diego. It is truly hard to find but this place is great!! Great quality and quantity for the price. My go to Chinese spot from now on after trying it this week.

This place was delicious! My girlfriend has celiac disease so finding places to go out to eat can be challenging. The Mandarin House had tons of truly gluten free options and our server was super kind. The food was excellent, the service was great and it's cute inside. 10/10 will be returning.

A blast from the past. Love the decor. Service was great, food was very good. There was a charming detail that I will share in photos. They took a stainless steel wok and made it into a sink in the restroom. The faucet is a pot filler. I love the whimsy. Somebody was thinking!

It is quite the experience to even have dinner here. The service is a bit punchy as they go for volume here. Get you in, get you out. We saw a table of three sat, fed, and check paid in under 30 minutes. Food was fair enough. We're glad to have experienced it and appreciated them being open on Christmas.

Under new ownership this lovely business came back from being closed! I'm glad they made a few updates to the dining room and improved the ambiance. Upon HS graduation our son picked this as his graduation meal! From hearty Wor Wanton soup through a zesty Mongolian Beef to a filling Lo mein, you will not leave hungry.

Love Mandarin House, get the crab rangoon. DO IT! I miss them being in Bankers Hill.

I have been eating at Mandarin House for well over 15 years! If you have not eaten here, YOU ARE MISSING OUT on the best Chinese food in San Diego! We have come here for Many special occasions and it's Always a delicious experience! First off, their Crispy Beef dish one of a kind-crispy beef covered in a yummy sweet sauce! Then the Hot & Sour soup is just the right amount of spicy and sour. The Shrimp Toast app is my absolute favorite, and I can't find this anywhere else! Their Kung Pao Chicken is also a favorite, the sauce is so unique and has something in it that makes it one of a kind! They have so many dishes and we have never had a bad one! The service is quick and efficient! The ambiance is festive with the lanterns hanging from the ceiling! GO!

My friends and I were in San Diego for the weekend. We were staying close by and could smell the deliciousness wafting out of here all day. We finally decided to get something to eat and when we walked in we didn't realize they were already closing. So we decided to leave and find something else. A very nice young man ran out after us and asked us if we needed to eat. We said "yes" and he said "come on in then". I've never had experience like this before, it was really cool. We all felt instantly welcomed. The food was beyond amazing. We ordered a lot and everything was perfect. They have the absolute best eggrolls I've had in my life. If you're anywhere near San Diego you need to try this place.

Took the family down to La Jolla this weekend. We celebrated my daughter turning 3. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express La Jolla. Right next to the hotel was Mandarin House. We just walked right over. Seated Immediately and the staff was exceptionally friendly. We sat in the booths. Very comfortable. Had booster seats and high chairs for the kids. We had the Salt & Pepper Wings, Mu Shu Chicken, Mandarin Fried Rice, and Crab Rangoon(not pictured). I would rate everything a 5 except the Mu Shu Chicken. Serve Coke products. I prefer Coke over Pepsi. Overall experience was great. Highly recommend.

The fried wontons are good and their orange chicken as well but I was quite let down when I tried their salt n pepper chicken it was lacking in so much flavor and tasted just like fried batter and chicken the seasoning wasn't there at all which is quite disappointing as their other dishes do have a decent flavor. The service itself isn't bad but our waiter almost seemed like she didn't want to be there. The place is clean no bad smells. Nevertheless you could try and see for yourself if you like it or not I would give it a try.

Service was absolutely horrible but the food was good! Our second waiter was pretty great, the people at the front desk aren't so great. If you would like to change seats even if the restaurant is empty and they say you can, it takes them forever to actually move you. It also takes a while for you to get a waiter to take your order or bring you water. Absolutely loved the food and the quality is great! I loved the Orange Chicken, Sesame chicken, and Mongolian beef. I unfortunately couldn't get the Lemon Chicken but it looked amazing!

The food is excellent. Good quality. Highly recommend. The egg rolls are some of the best I have ever had! Look no further if you want real authentic Chinese food. Some of the best sweet and sour pork I have ever had. The quality of the food is excellent. This is a 5 star Chinese restaurant. Delicious! Anyone who gives this a negative review does not know quality Chinese food. Excellent restaurant.

Love this place! On week days they have a special deal called "date night" and it's basically a giant cocktail (a bowl that the light on fire) + two entrees + two soups + rice all for $55! We had tons of leftovers too. Food was also great - got the wonton soup, orange chicken, and kung pao chicken. We went there without a reservation on a weekday and probably waited for like 15min. It was packed but service was pretty good.

Since my son and I were in the lower part of La Jolla( if you come through Bird Rock area this is where you will arrive). We decided to visit a place that we had spent a lot of time at when he was just a kid and a young adult. That's when I live there. BTW, they do have the best Mai tai's and Volcano drinks in San diego. We were greeted by we think the host / owner. This place has been here since the early '70s and has an excellent reputation for delicious Mandarin food. We came here after a nice visit at the beach. Ahh, the smell of the ocean nothing like it. We ordered Jasmine tea, sizzling chicken chow mein with no bell peppers, perfectly cooked egg rolls (4) and moo shi chicken. We let our server know that we had been there many times over the years. It seemed to help he was very friendly and smiled and served us very quickly. There was a lot of food it smelled delicious and tasted great. Talk about leftovers! I have enough food for the next two days breakfast lunch and dinner. The bill was $48 Plus a nice generous tip. I love what they did to the ceiling with all the beautiful lanterns so colorful and peaceful in there. This was around 1:00 and they were only a few tables in there so it was quiet.

The food just isn't very good. Way too expensive for the quality you get. No real flavor. We tried five different things from soup to fried rice to chicken and beef. Nothing stood out.

I ordered from here for New Years Day and picked it up quickly. The Lemon Chicken was delicious, and the Sweet and Sour Chicken was great. Mandarin House used to have a location in Bankers Hill that my wife and I used to love ordering from when we were dating so to learn of and order from here again brought back great memories because was as good as we remembered it.

We LOVE Mandarin house and have truly never been disappointed on our visits. The decor is lovely, the service is quick and the food is delicious. They have tofu and other vegetarian options such as veggie egg rolls. Although we did not try one of the fancy drinks, I can see how this would be a fun place to go for a celebration. Super kid friendly, we saw many kids during our meal there! Love that they have "plain noodles" a kid favorite for sure!! We will definitely be back. : )

The service was great. Despite how packed it was they still were very attentive and the food came out fresh and quick. Our server had great recommendations as well. I loved the salt pepper shrimp. We got the upside down noodles but they just weren't for us. But others really enjoyed them. The inside was clean and great atmosphere. We will be back!!

What a wonderful and nostalgic place! I happened to drive my Mandarin House and saw the retro signage and "world famous" notation so I had to try it. We came back that night and had dinner there. This place is loud and there's a lot happening here. Mandarin House has a lot of history and nostalgia. The man at the front told us he's been there over 46 years! Wow! He was nice and professional and has great pride in his restaurant. There's cute paper lantern lights all over the ceiling and a row of old school high backed booths along the front window side. When we walked in we saw an award sign behind the front counter that said "Voted best place to celebrate a birthday". While there, we saw at least 2 birthday parties going on. They certainly live up to their award! The food is wonderful. Among us, we had an appetizer of Salt & Pepper fried chicken wings, and for dinner we had Walnut Shrimp, Orange Chicken, and Crispy Beef, white rice and fried rice. All were very tasty and we had ample portions and enough for leftovers. I will return here one day when back in the area. I think it's a gem for the La Jolla neighborhood.

My mandarin house review... My evening started with an adult beverage, speaking to me from the menu. Reminding me of an advertisement from years past.... "Be someone" oh yahhhh It was euphoric and it well positioned me for the next stage of the experience... a warm cup of Hot n Sour soup! Yum. My taste buds in utter nirvana. Rising from the cup, I began to observe the atmosphere surrounding me... the authentic vases, Chinese symbolism throughout, and a wide array of affordable dinner delicacies on the menu before me. "Sweet and Sour Pork please..." "but of course..." after sipping on yet another of the extraordinary adult beverages, I was presented with an enormous plate of sweet and sour pork. .. and suddenly confronted with the dueling prospects of both fear and challenge presented right in front of me. Can I tackle this? Chopsticks in hand, I grabbed a nice portion of the dinner. It was time to test this challenge. Put simply, that first bite was amazing. Few words describe fairly what I felt at that moment. Several minutes seem lost as I found myself enjoying one bite after another... after another. ....alas I suddenly realized I had finished it all. Soon thereafter, proceeding yet another beverage to wash down the amazing experience, I was approached by the wonderful waiter with the check. I was not disappointed. For at that moment I realized I got one heck of a deal! As the fortune cookie stated "you have much happiness before you." I agree, for I definitely plan to return.

The food was amazing! They have a nice atmosphere, and their own parking lot! Can't wait to go back.

Busy restaurant. Lively and loud. The first Chinese restaurant I've ever been to that has a full bar. There were gigantic cocktails served in cauldrons of fire!! The service was fine. Food took longer than what I'm used to at Chinese restaurants. Probably because there were tons of people. We ordered: Veggie egg rolls - tasty. Arrived very hot. Salt & Pepper Tofu - good Buddha's Delight - 10 kinds of vegetables. It was good. Mushu Pork - okay Crispy Beef - loved this! Overall, everything was decent.

Best hot and sour soup ever and my favorite waitress of all time. The orange chicken was good but the crab wontons were great

i finally got to try mandarin house after driving by it so many times, and was very impressed! first off, the ambiance of the restaurant was so cozy and beautiful, i love the lanterns inside and it felt upscale but still comfortable. for food, we got the cashew tofu and the orange chicken-- both were DELICIOUS! everything tasted very fresh and the portions were amazing, we definitely had more than enough to take home for lunch the next day. the service was also super quick and friendly. want to come back here soon!

Pretty basic and old school. We loved the food and the service was great. Pretty large size servings meant to be shared

I like this place. Food was so good and I'll definitely be back. I wish it was closer to Hillcrest.

Came here on Christmas Eve and it was packed!! Luckily we were seated right away as we were just a table of 2. They were out of the lo mein unfortunately so we got the chicken with vegetables and the kung pao chicken (our favorite of the two!). The rice was kind of dry but we let it slide since it was such a busy night. It's a big restaurant with plenty of tables and it's nicely decorated.

This was the most epic dinner of my week long trip. I sat down and ate dinner with Paulie Shore, Mike binder, bob Wheeler who are all comedians who performed at the Comedy house in La Jolla. The place was a vibe! We ordered and shared food. The walnut chicken was Misty Shore's favorite and it didn't disappoint. We shared wonton soup that was the best I've ever had along with a few other dishes. My contribution to the order was the kung pao shrimp and it didn't disappoint. Started with egg rolls and they were some of the best I've had. Sitting here typing this makes me want them now! Everything I tasted was amazing. This is a must if I return. The service was great. She handled this slightly fickle group with ease.

I had Shrimp Kung Pao, and it was delicious. The staff were attentive to everything, and the restaurant was spotless. They have hot chili oil the table, which made it nice to spice it up even more.

The food was great. The problems started with the bill. First they added an entree we didn't order or receive. They removed the extra entree and presented us with a new bill. So instead of an extra entree they increased the price of everything $2-$3....and they added brown rice which we never ordered. CROOKS!!

I ordered delivery today from Mandarin House which I have not been to in a while but I always used to love their food. I was quite disappointed with the food that got delivered. These shrimp toast was burned and way too crispy. The egg roll was still as good as I remembered. The big disappointment was the shrimp and lobster sauce. They used to have these really nice big shrimp. Now they're all this little teeny shrimp that don't have a lot of taste. It is so full of water chestnuts and bamboo shoots that it feels like that's the main ingredient. There was nowhere near enough sauce in it and all in all the dish just didn't have much flavor. It was extremely bland and I was very disappointed in it. This was always one of my favorite meals at Mandarin House. I don't think I will order from there again after tonight's experience.

This was our first time at Mandarin House and we did Take Out on a Wednesday evening. The lobby was was filled with people waiting to be seated and a handful of those waiting to pick up their orders. The hostess was also a server and bartender. It was a bit crazy and waited 10 minutes just to get my takeout. We got our usually two favorite dishes to compare. Kung Pao Chicken and Fried Rice as well as Chicken Wings. The Kung Pao and Fried Rice were decent. However the Chicken Wings were extremely salty that after a couple bites we set aside. All and all I would say it was okay. I am sadly disappointed because we have been trying to find a great old school Chinese restaurants that we can keep on going to. However, it might be worth trying one more time and dine in!

We were visiting the San Diego area from Chicago. We stopped here for lunch, and it was delicious. The homemade egg rolls were excellent. The orange chicken was very good, too. Highly recommend.

We've been going to the Mandarin House for 35+ years. The last two visits have been less than satisfying. Both times i ordered the hot and sour soup and the crispy beef - my standard order... The hot and sour recipe seems to have been changed. Not the same crisp taste that has been the hallmark of the restaurant. The crispy beef again something has changed and not as crispy and smart taste I'm use too. It's not bad... I guess just not the consistent taste I look forward to when I go for Chinese. Frankly it might be my tastes have change or something may changed in the kitchen. I'll give it one more try and make the final report.

I've lived here a long time and finally took the advice of my neighbors..."Get take out from MH!!" So on Valentine's Day and several times since we enjoyed the truly delicious dishes created by our local spot. We ask for low salt (No MSG) and everything is really tasty. Service is fast, friendly and super accommodating. I love the bustling noisy dining room with plates and glasses clinking, chatter snd satisfied chatter. It's exactly what a good Chinese restaurant should be.

We ate here about two years ago and it was great. Tonight is was absolutely horrible. Lettuce blossom was mushy and no flavor-we did not eat it. Pork Fried rice was wet, soft, sticking together and the pieces of pork were very fatty. Cashew chicken was undercooked and tasted almost raw- it was really bad. Mongolian beef was not very good either - very soft and mushy too. Sweet and sour pork was the best of the orders but had big hunks instead of nicely cut pieces. Not sure what happened to this place but tossed the food out when we got home. Maybe they had a diff cook tonight of maybe just a bad night, but either way, I would never ever go back to this place again. Total waste of $110

It's really pretty simple. Mandarin House serves the best Chinese food in San Diego. Period. The portions are generous. The service is friendly and fast. The prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere is fabulous. In a world where it seems you can't get dinner without taking out a mortgage and getting lousy service, Mandarin House is a breath of fresh air! Absolutely love this establishment and recommend it 100%.

Reminded me of my favorite Chinese place that closed down almost 20 years ago. Good food, generous portions, and nice servers.

I ordered takeout so I can't comment on their customer service. I walked in and ordered some salt and pepper wings and egg drop soup. The wings weren't a flat or drum, more like a whole wing. I liked the flavor but I didn't like having to pick at a whole wing. The egg drop soup is a good value at $8 for 32oz and a bag of crispy noodles. But to me it was a little too salty.

I was looking forward to trying this restaurant. I was disappointed The host/manager asked us how many? We said three he grabbed menus, then the phone rang, he grabbed the phone and motioned us to follow him. Not a welcoming start. The service was attentive, friendly and efficient. Food was served quickly. Portions were generous. We ordered the following: Wor won ton soup - the broth had a strange flavor and it needed more stuff in the broth Hot and Sour soup - just ok. Fried Dumpling - they we plump and perfectly pan fried. There was a lot of meat in the dumplings but not much flavor. Upside Down Noodles - this was the best dish. The noodles were too chewy. Sesame Chicken - breaded chicken with a sweet sauce. It was just ok. Overall it was an ok dining experience experience. They have a full bar. Prices are reasonable. Parking can be a challenge.

WOW! This place has some seriously delicious food, a surprisingly extensive drink and cocktail menu and great ambiance. The decor/interior is very pretty and not what you might assume from the outside (which is also very cool looking but a very different vibe). The servers were really nice and the food came out fast! We enjoyed sake, the lychee martini, dumplings, wonton soup, beef lo mein, and orange chicken. Everything was great, will be back and would highly recommend!

Food totally Americanized. The steamed wontons with chili sauce were overcooked, gummy, and there was not enough sauce. The kung pao was overky sweet and not spicy in the least. But the broccoli was crunchy! Service was unreliable, although all the employees were friendly.

Service? What Service? I can't even start with the food cuz i've been waiting for my takeout half hour since it was supposed to be ready. I didn't leave just because it's paid for. I

My friend lives within walking distance from this restaurant, so we decided to check it out one night. They were open for dining in, but there were still tables and decor that was not put up yet. We ordered the wonton soup, noodle soup with tofu, walnut shrimp, salt and pepper chicken, and Yang Zhou fried rice. Everything came out as it was ready and the food was decent. The wings were a little wierd and nothing really stood out, but the service was nice. Our server was friendly and made some good recommendations.

Service was great and the food exceeded expectations. I really appreciated how clearly the menu items were marked as gluten-free--it made ordering so easy, and I felt great afterward. Our family ordered a ton of food, and not a bite was left behind. We'll definitely be returning.