Spices 39

Chinese restaurant · Greater Heights

Spices 39

Chinese restaurant · Greater Heights

2

626 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008

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Spices 39 by Quit Nguyen
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Highlights

Sichuan & Cantonese dishes with bold flavors & numbing spice  

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626 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008 Get directions

spices39.com
@spices39_houston

$10–20 · Menu

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626 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008 Get directions

+1 281 724 0678
spices39.com
@spices39_houston

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Oct 26, 2025

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@infatuation

The 14 Best Chinese Restaurants In Houston - Houston - The Infatuation

"When you need a massive dose of Sichuan pepper, go to Spices39 in The Heights. The Sichuan and Cantonese restaurant has a heavy hand with spice, especially dishes like the Spices39 chicken swimming in electric chili oil or boiling beef that will numb your palette for two hours—a small price to pay for a terrific, filling meal. And that doesn’t even matter because you’ll probably be too busy loading up your plate with more boiling beef and dandan noodles to notice. Try a fried garlic barbecue pork rib between peppercorn zaps for a brief reprieve before diving back in again. Or come for Happy Hour to go all in on Sichuan flavor with spiced peanuts between steamer baskets of xiao long bao and $8 house cocktails." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas

https://www.theinfatuation.com/houston/guides/best-chinese-restaurants-houston
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@infatuation

Spices 39 - Review - The Heights - Houston - The Infatuation

"The Sichuan and Cantonese restaurant Spices39 in The Heights has a heavy hand when it comes to spice, and we like it. The Spices39 chicken is served cold and smothered in a peppercorn-heavy sauce that numbs your mouth with electric heat, and the boiling beef almost renders one unable to speak between bites. But that doesn’t matter because you’ll probably be too busy loading your plate with more to even notice. photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen Pause Unmute The food is the focus here, not the ambiance. People are just enjoying a casual but great meal with their kids or having a mid-week double date with friends. Even though the windows in the second-floor dining room let in some camera-worthy sunlight, the view of a parking lot isn't all that exciting—but the food is. When you find yourself in The Heights and want a satisfying sit-down meal without forking over an entire week's paycheck, stop by Spices39 for Happy Hour and go all in on Sichuan-flavored peanuts and $8 house cocktails. Food Rundown Spices 39 Chicken Thanks to the surprising spice, this small appetizer captivated us for the entire meal. Sliced chicken arrives cold—standard for this particular Sichuan dish—and doused in buzzy chili sauce. Often referred to as “mouth-watering chicken,” it delivers as named with a delicious numbing effect. photo credit: Quit Nguyen Chengdu Dandan Noodles This version of dan dan noodles offers less spice and oil than others we’ve tried, but it’s just as good. Especially with the added texture of just-softened bok choy that crutches alongside the soft noodles. photo credit: Quit Nguyen Boiling Beef This dish may not be for everyone because the tingling sensation from the overwhelming peppercorn spice never relents. It builds on itself like a snowball until your tongue almost ceases to function. It’s savory and earthy, and we can’t get enough. photo credit: Quit Nguyen" - Chelsea Thomas

https://www.theinfatuation.com/houston/reviews/spices-39
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Tia Blackwell

Google
Visiting from out of town , Came from the Fort Worth Area ! Called in an order and service was quick and easy , pick up was quick and easy ! I will be back next time I am here ! my drive from here to my sisters house was 13 minutes and food was still warm , egg rolls were crispy !

Holly Colotta

Google
1st time here. Went after lunch. Ordered the lunch special. General Tso's Chicken was very good. Beef & broccoli a little too much garlic for me, but my friend loved it. Great staff, nice dining area, very clean. Fresh food. Note: to get to the dining area you have to walk up a flight of stairs. I would go back!

David Pham

Google
Nut allergy warning: Some dishes do have nuts but the ones I ordered came out fine with a notice to the waitress. We arrived the night before the storm (Sunday night) and it was pretty empty. What a shame, because the atmosphere here is so nice! Downstairs is a cozy bar and upstairs feels like you just walked into a dojo. I guess the storm made people stay inside. Order-To-Food: 13 Minutes for the soup and soup dumplings; 18-22 minutes for entrees. For 4 people, we ordered: Jasmine Tea (5/5): I'm not sure if this is charged per person or per kettle. I think it's per person. I originally got one myself and asked for some extra cups to share the kettle, but we got more kettles and eventually got charged for four teas. Chili Crispy Chicken (2/5) - Kind of more like funnel cake chicken. Some bites don't have any chicken at all, actually. The crispiness is there but it's also a little sweet, strangely. Maybe because of the rice cracker. It wasn't that spicy or flavorful, just the normal numbingness. Pork Belly Mound (4.5/5): Needs to be slightly more caramelized to be perfect, but it was deliciously tender and the small pork bites and vegetables complimented it in a delicious bao nicely. Pork Soup Bao (3.5/5): Two served broken. Nice that they provide tongs and the house sauce is some kind of soy sauce vinegar reduction. Pretty solid, but pricey. Sauteed String Beans (5/5): Perfect. Great with everything, or just rice. Hot Tango Fish Fillet (4.5/5): Lovely that it comes with vegetables and also goes great with rice. Jade Crab Soup (4/5): Needs to be served with pepper, or lime; but otherwise hits all the right parts of a crab wedding soup. Overall, a really solid Szechuan cuisine that we really enjoyed for the vegetable twist addition on most dishes.

Nick Wen

Google
Very very good! Familiar favorites and authentic surprises, with a level of care that you don't often see. Would be great for any guest or group. We tried green beans and scallion pancakes, my 2 favorite tests of any new Chinese restaurant, and they were exceptional. Will come back for more :)

Eric S

Google
I ordered the orange chicken lunch special withe egg drop soup and ice tea. Soup was great! Crab puff on plate was fried beyond being edible, actually was totally burned, how could it even make it on the plate? Fried rice had ZERO flavor, no egg or anything that makes it fried rice. Chicken was way over cooked and dry and hard to even cut to chew. I'd advise not to eat here.

David Cooper

Google
Stopped in with the wife on a Friday evening. Great friendly service, great food. Forgot to take a picture of it, but the first thing we had was the Pork Soup Bao. Great way to start a great meal! We also had the Crispy Chicken, Dandan Noodle, Spicy Cauliflower and Garlic Sauce with Shrimp. Will be back. Would recommend.

Ron Rogers

Google
Our first time trying this place. We ordered pick up using the restaurant’s website. It worked well enough. However, I was I irritated by the default lowest tip was 18% and this is after a convenience charge to hand me a bag. It looks like a nice place. I only got so far as the host stand. The hostess was very friendly. We ordered the pork dumplings panfried 4/5, garlic edamame 5/5, general tso chicken 4/5, and house curry rice noodles 4/5 (great flavor, too dry).

Clay Brooks

Google
Tried for the first time and was genuinely impressed! I did takeout, and my order was ready on time with no extended wait. Had the Mongolian beef and the house fried rice (no pineapple). The food was absolutely delicious—fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and generous portions. I will definitely be back!
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Quan N.

Yelp
I placed an online pickup order in a whim, and I am thankful I did. The ordering process was clean. The pickup was quick and the food was delicious. I ordered some standard entrees, like orange chicken and crab puffs. The ride was fluffy. The chicken was juicy and crunchy. I should be ordering from them again!
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Jooy C.

Yelp
Casual Chinese restaurant in the Heights with decent food! The place is beautifully decorated with the bar area downstairs and dining upstairs. We were promptly greeted and served. Our favorite dishes include the eggplant with string bean and the hot tango fish filet - the fish was well cooked and the sweet & spicy from these two dishes paired well together. Despite it being labeled as a spicy item, we thought it was it was pretty tolerable in terms of spicy level. The pork belly mound was slightly disappointing as the meat was dry and tough to eat. Overall a great experience. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant.
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Gabrielle C.

Yelp
We got take out so dining in may vary. Picking up was easy and quick. Decent sized parking lot for the heights. I love walnut shrimp and was disappointed with the end result since it's probably the most expensive walnut shrimp I've had- totaling $20 just for the single plate. It had a sweetness I wasn't a personal fan of. Crab puffs and sesame balls tasted like any other. Boyfriend got the kung pao chicken and said it was ok. Food itself was overall ok. Nothing was inedible or necessarily bad, but nothing we would go back for. We might give dining in a try and see if that changes anything, but take out wise it was all just ok.
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Jason Z.

Yelp
We came for lunch again after last visiting a few months ago. We came in to a very empty restaurant and saw the staff chilling on the iPad. We sat upstairs and proceeded to order. Their soup dumplings tasted lukewarm and were definitely just previously frozen and quickly reheated. The Dan Dan noodle sauce was not very on par and the noodles themselves didn't taste very Chinese; it almost reminded me of prepackaged spaghetti noodles. We ordered the squirrel fish, kung pao chicken, and mei cai kou rou for the entrees. The flavors did not come off as 100% authentic / to expectations; the kung pao chicken sauce wasn't quite right and the dish had brussel sprouts for some reason (not authentic to how they cook it in Northern China at all) and the pork belly tasted very bland and somewhat reheated/ re-steamed. The squirrel fish was good but its sauce was a bit overly sweet. Overall, this was a step down from when we came by when they first opened and replaced Peony and Crane at the same location. The menu lacked some dishes that they should've had and the items on the menu weren't cooked to par, especially compared with the many Sichuan spots now inside the loop.
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Ye J.

Yelp
Came here for lunch on a week day as we live in the Heights area. Similar to its predecessor Peony & Crane, the interior is full of Chinese element and the menu focus mostly on Sichuan cuisine. Aside from the two staffs on duty keeping us company, the restaurant was very empty. Now jumping to the food... Soup dumping 1/5 - lukewarm dumplings tasted obviously frozen and re-steamed, the wrapping is thick and doughy, one of the dumplings I had actually didn't heat all the way through and had a icy cold piece in the middle Dan Dan noodle 2/5 - not the typical flavor you'd expect and the noodle texture is close to over boiled soft spaghetti Mongolian beef 3.5/5 - doesn't taste like authentic Mongolian beef, but good flavor and nice tender beef Kung Pao Chicken 3/5 - I was definitely not expecting brussel sprouts in the dish, again, doesn't taste authentic, and overly sweet Mei Cai Kou Rou 2/5 - tasted like a re-steamed water down version of the typical dish Squirrel fish 3/5 - nice presentation and the batter was crispy, however the sauce is overly sweet Sad to say none of the dishes we tried tasted authentic. Given how many solid Sichuan options are in town, I would not come back or recommend this place.
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David P.

Yelp
Nut allergy warning: Some dishes do have nuts but the ones I ordered came out fine with a notice to the waitress. We arrived the night before the storm (Sunday night) and it was pretty empty. What a shame, because the atmosphere here is so nice! Downstairs is a cozy bar and upstairs feels like you just walked into a dojo. I guess the storm made people stay inside. Order-To-Food: 13 Minutes for the soup and soup dumplings; 18-22 minutes for entrees. For 4 people, we ordered: Jasmine Tea (5/5): I'm not sure if this is charged per person or per kettle. I think it's per person. I originally got one myself and asked for some extra cups to share the kettle, but we got more kettles and eventually got charged for four teas. Chili Crispy Chicken (2/5) - Kind of more like funnel cake chicken. Some bites don't have any chicken at all, actually. The crispiness is there but it's also a little sweet, strangely. Maybe because of the rice cracker. It wasn't that spicy or flavorful, just the normal numbingness. We actually thought it was a bit sweet. Pork Belly Mound (4.5/5): Needs to be slightly more caramelized to be perfect, but it was deliciously tender and the small pork bites and vegetables complimented it in a delicious bao nicely. Pork Soup Bao (3.5/5): Two served broken. Nice that they provide tongs and the house sauce is some kind of soy sauce vinegar reduction. Pretty solid, but pricey. Sauteed String Beans (5/5): Perfect. Great with everything, or just rice. Hot Tango Fish Fillet (4.5/5): Lovely that it comes with vegetables and also goes great with rice. Jade Crab Soup (4/5): Needs to be served with pepper, or lime; but otherwise hits all the right parts of a crab wedding soup. Overall, a really solid Szechuan cuisine that we really enjoyed for the vegetable twist addition on most dishes.
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Lauren R.

Yelp
Wanted to try out a new place near us so we came here last Friday evening. It was about 6:15pm so it was easy to find parking in the lot. The inside is pretty cool, but I did find it odd with the upstairs seating, it was smaller inside than I imagined. The service was fast and nice. I ordered wonton soup which was pretty good, and general tso chicken with fried rice. The chicken had a great flavor. I probably wouldn't pay extra for the fried rice next time. Prices were decent too.

Erynn H.

Yelp
This was amazing! I got the Spicy Fish Filet and it was absolutely delicious. I'll be ordering from them again and again to try some of their other stuff
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Sandra K.

Yelp
Got take out from here and it was ready early and everything was steaming how. Crab Rangoon pretty good. Fried rice that came with our orange chicken was a little undercooked. Rice had that crunch. Sad day. The orange chicken however was absolutely amazing. It had slices of garlic in there and a ton of orange peel and even closed a large orange wedge to squeeze on. The chicken was hot and fresh and not some weird meat part of the chicken like some places. The assorted lo mein was good. Felt like it was missing something. Maybe more sauce and flavor? Overall pretty good. Willing to try again. I can really only blame myself because I ordered the most Americanized Chinese dishes ever.
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Roma B.

Yelp
Got the Dan Dan noodles via uber eats. The dish was very fresh and flavorful, but not very spicy. Loved the sauce and the edible flower they included in the dish. Very reasonably priced as well, was only $10.
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Mel S.

Yelp
Wonderful place! Great ambiance, AMAZING staff and wonderful tasting food. Shrimp fried rice - Huge shrimp and lots of veggies stuffed in every spoonful. General tso tofu - robust pop flavors and crispy tofu complete this dish. Definitely support this new business.
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Helen R.

Yelp
I came to eat lunch here with a friend and I'm glad we picked this spot! We ordered the lunch special which included a lot of stuff and you could add on other things for additional charge. I ordered the wonton soup and it was sooooooo yummy. The orange chicken was also yummy, the only thing I have to say is that the chicken pieces were extremely large! I'm not complaining because I will gladly take more food it was just a bit hard to eat such large pieces, especially with chopsticks. Our waitress was nice. She didn't really check up on us that often but she also wasn't neglectful, not really sure if that makes sense. The place looks small from the outside but once you walk in you are able to see how spacious it can get. The main seating area is on the second floor and I do not remember seeing an elevator. I say this because I do not think they are handicap friendly. Overall, I would return to this place for another lunch date with my husband or friends.
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Thuy P.

Yelp
Saw this place on IG and the fruity buns brought me here We were here during lunch and surprisingly no one else was there except us. That's weird. Maybe they should advertise more. Everything we ordered we love it. Food was good and the restaurant ambiance is nice. They have the lunch menu for like $10-$15 that's amazing these days for that price. I surely would come back. If you are in the area , you should give them a try.
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Amanda G.

Yelp
This was my first time trying this place and it was so good! We got the chicken dumplings and the three black pepper chicken, and everything was full of flavor! I would go back for the dumplings alone they were that good. The waiter was nice and helpful and we will surely be back!
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Jennifer E.

Yelp
We've had two meals at S39 recently and enjoyed them both. Lots of classic Chinese dishes, nice appetizer selection and full bar. The dining room is upstairs in his nice old building. Parking is easy as they have their own and street parking is an option.
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Jacob D.

Yelp
New Chinese food restaurant with new menu and new ownership, this is not the previous concept that was here. The layout is still the same, you a guided upstairs to the seating area that it is modern with lots of natural light. The bar is still downstairs when you walk in. Our server was able to answer any questions we had, the menu is pretty big so kudos. The food has a good mix of American familiar favorites like general Tso's, orange, fried rice, and noodle dishes. I'd stay away from those. 1 they weren't that memorable, 2 the more authentic dishes here are way more flavorful and exciting Things like the squirrel fish and pork belly mound were great ideas that struggled getting things 100% right. Fish was slightly chewy, and the pork belly flavor wasn't my favorite. I've had better Kung pao chicken at other places, it could've been spicier and crispier I think. Everything was still good and enjoyed trying all different options that I have only seen available here. Really good selection here and the prices aren't too insane. This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in this local neighborhood.
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Matthew N.

Yelp
Not very good. Sesame chicken was good. Chili pepper chicken and popcorn chicken were both dry and tasteless. The heat level was fine, but the flavor was just salt. The chicken wasn't crispy, so much as hard and chewy. Overall very disappointing.
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Meagon L.

Yelp
We were guided upstairs to sit. It's small but a nice setup. The water tasted weird. I tried the wonton soup, and that was a 5 out of 10. I won't order again. Tried the crab puffs and they were tasty. 7 out of 10. The main dish was orange chicken and it was good. 7 out of 10. I also tasted the Walnut Honey Shrimp . It was tasty but cold. It was sent back to be reheated. 6 out of 10. I enjoyed sitting near the window and able to see a wide range. I'll definitely go back to try more. Make sure you bring a light sweater, it was cold for all of us. The restrooms are downstairs, in case you're looking. The host was kind. The waiter was attentive.
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Carlos W.

Yelp
I love Chinese food. I'm always looking for new places to try. Seeing that the reviews on here and Google were pretty good I thought I would get dinner here. Couldn't have been more disappointed with this place. The food was mid to bad. Frozen grocery store Chinese would have been just a good as eating this. Pork egg rolls - taste like premade egg rolls that you get in the grocery store, low quality Chili Crispy Chicken - kind of flavorful, but about one of the most unhealthiest things you could eat in your life. The spicy chicken was like very tiny pieces of spicy fried popcorn chicken, tasted pretty good, but the dish included chopped up pieces of so called rice cracker aka crunchy squares of ramen noodles right out of the grocery store. I just dug around the ramen. No way was I eating that. Won Ton Soup - Not your usual flavor that you get with won ton soup. Tasted kind of like beef bouilllon. The dumplings were a nice size, but not much filling inside to even taste anything. Overall the food here is just not worth the price. I won't be back.
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Robert L.

Yelp
The server seemed a little reserved, but her service was excellent and the food was wonderful. Some of these authentic dishes have a great spicy taste. The prices were a little high for the amount of food , but it was definitely enough to enjoy the next day. Overall this place is a great, we went during lunch period and it seemed a little empty, but I did see some pickup meals.
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Anna D.

Yelp
This restaurant has been on our list to try for a while and we finally did it and enjoyed ourselves a lot!! Great portion size, very reasonable prices (especially the drink prices), and good food! They were getting a lot of takeout orders but we dined on Friday night and the atmosphere was nice. Our server was very attentive. Soup dumplings were great and my bf liked the hot & sour soup. Also had kung pao chicken and garlic chicken! We will be back!!
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Jackie C.

Yelp
Was excited for another Chinese place to open in the neighborhood. Spices 39 is not bad but not standout either. Food 3.5/5 The food here is pretty standard Chinese restaurant fare. We ordered pork soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, broccoli beef, cabbage, the mixed fruit buns, and the mango pomelo sago for dessert. The pork soup dumplings were a bit bland in flavor and the scallion pancakes a bit tough. The menu said the mixed fruit buns were a must try so we got them. And while they were super cute, they were only ok flavor-wise so I didn't really understand why they were a must try. The mango pomelo sago was disappointing - it didn't have nearly enough sago. Service 5/5 No complaints with the service. Upon entering, someone came to greet us and took us upstairs. Our waitress was very nice and very attentive throughout our meal. The food all came out in a timely manner. Ambiance 2/5 While they've painted some walls and the mural on one side of the wall is beautiful, they could do more to spruce the place up, starting with replacing the stools with chairs. It looks like they just took the same tables and stools the last restaurant in this building had, which I had complained about then too. The stools just aren't very comfortable to sit on and, for women, there's nowhere to hang or put your purse. Normally I'd just put my purse behind me in the chair or hang it off the back of my chair but that wasn't an option here. We ended up stealing a stool from another table to put our purses on but that wouldn't work if the restaurant was busy and the tables around us were all taken. The stools also give the dining area a more stark look. Overall I'd say the food here needs to stand out more. They serve mostly the same dishes as a lot of other Chinese places inside the loop and they don't do it as well. They'd either need to really up their game flavor-wise or serve some different things that you can't find elsewhere inside the loop.

Jami G.

Yelp
The BEST Chinese food I have had since childhood. General Tso's chicken, chow mein and crab puffs are all I have had so far and they are perfect. So much sauce with chicken. Crab puffs perfectly fried, chow mein great flavor. Price isn't bad either. 10/10
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Emerson Y.

Yelp
The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived so we were seated right away and ordered mapo tofu and soup dumplings as a snack. The soup dumplings came out quickly which was nice but they weren't super hot but the flavor was great. However, even with nobody else in the restaurant, the mapo tofu took almost 25 minutes to come out, but it was still really good and the rice was fresh. The service was also not great and not super attentive but overall not a bad first experience.
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Lauren G.

Yelp
Great food! The house special beef is great if you like spice, and both the steamed and soup dumplings are good as well. Service is quick and the restaurant has a modern industrial vibe.
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Hannah C.

Yelp
Top quality ingredients, this is the kind of takeout you hope for every time! Delicious, great price as well
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Amal S.

Yelp
We have dined in and ordered from Spice 39 and really enjoy their food. Would recommend the kung pao chicken and beef special.
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Madison B.

Yelp
Had lunch at Spices 39 today and it was delicious! The hostess and our server were both very friendly, upbeat, and attentive. We were the only ones seated in the upstairs area when we went, and the ambiance is very cozy. Parking was super easy, there is an attached lot. We had the hot and sour soup, the mixed fruit buns, and the pan fried chicken dumplings to start. The hot and sour soup was the best I've had in Houston, my new favorite. Perfectly spiced with a sour tanginess and not just broth, plenty of mushrooms, egg, tofu, etc. inside. We also loved the dumplings. Very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The fruit buns, though very cute and fluffy, were a miss for us. They were very blend and the filling was just kind of "eh" but again.. they were SO cute. The sesame chicken and the kung pap tofu were both delicious. Generous portions, fresh ingredients and everything came out hot, and lots of flavor in the sauces. They do bring the food out as it is ready, so my boyfriend's food came out a bit before mine. This was not a problem at all for us and I personally prefer restaurants that do this, but I do know this annoys some people so I figured it was worth a mention. I saw a few posts on here about how good it was, so had to share as well. Will definitely be back there soon!
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Ally V.

Yelp
This place, food and ambience WAS SOOOOO GOOD. Me and my bestie went and it was so empty we couldn't believe it. Will definitely go again 10/10 in my book.
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Mj G.

Yelp
Went here on a spur of the moment. Looked on yelp for good Chinese food. And by the reviews we went here. It was nice ambiance, polite service and good dishes. The dumplings and fried rice were my favorite dishes but it was all very tasty. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star is because table side service could have been better with refills on drinks. My food was spicy as I ordered it, but the lack of drink didn't allow me to enjoy it as I could have. Other than that it was a nice lil mom & pop restaurant and good decorations and vibe
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Kunwal A.

Yelp
This place has a cute little dining area. After trying it accidentally we ended up adding it to our regular take out rotation. Food is great!
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Marina J.

Yelp
We went for an early dinner on a Friday, not crowded at all. There's maybe 10 tables upstairs (oh yes the stairs, so be cautious if you struggle with stairs about this place) and one downstairs or you can eat at the bar. Patio did not look open that day. The food was great and came out quickly. We had the sautéed string beans which was still crispy and so flavorful and the triple pepper chicken. The chicken was delicious but the chunks of thigh meat was so small. You really had to scoop up 2-3 pieces just to enjoy the texture. Lo Mein is a meal staple for me and we enjoyed it. Overall we will be going back. Prices I suppose are normal for the area, $47 for 3 entrees but could be enough to feed 4 people, so I see it worth it.
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Diem A.

Yelp
Another Sichuan Chinese restaurant has emerged where Peony & Crane once was. Most of the decor is still the same with a few changes. The server was very attentive but the wait time for some of the food was excessive. We ordered soup dumplings first as an appetizer but got them almost at the end of our meal. They were also not soupy at all and very disappointing. The orange chicken was very orangy. The house special beef was decent and the sautéed string beans was the best dish we ordered. The pork belly mound lacked flavor and took so long to come out. I may be back to give some of the other dishes a try but was not too impressed with my first visit.
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Richard N.

Yelp
Spice 39 is a fairly small but cute Szechuan/Chinese fusion restaurant in the Heights. We ordered the Chicken soup bao, pan-fried pork dumplings, and mixed fruity buns (our dessert) from the list of appetizers. For the entre/chef specials, we ordered the Dan Dan noodles, lychee shrimp ball, chili crispy chicken, and chili pepper boiling fish. The chicken soup bars were good. I kind of wish I got the pork ones instead. The soap was good, but I think the pork soup bao would have been better. The pan-fried pork dumplings were okay. Just your average pork dumpling, and the mixed fruity buns were very cute and picture worthy. Now for the entre and chef special dishes. My favorite at the table was the dan dan noodles. Nice silky noodles when you add the chili oil, and the meat is very flavorful. The lychee shrimp balls were beautiful, and the presentation was excellent. It could have been hotter; it was a little cool when it came to the table. The chili crispy chicken was good, but it had a little too much salt; overall very good, and the chili pepper boiling fish was great, but I wished there had been more fish and bigger pieces of cabbage. Overall this place was great. I would give it 4/5. The service was great, and the food was good. I would return if I were inside the loop craving my fix of dan dan noodles and spicy crispy chicken.
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Greg M.

Yelp
A great lunch special. For the price, the best I have had for an affordable Asian restaurant. Best hot and sour soup. Come here. Best Chinese lunch special in the Heights.
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Benji M.

Yelp
TLDR: Good, slightly Americanized Chinese food that's priced for the Heights ($$) I really wanted to like the food because the ambiance and service were so lovely, clean, and friendly. Food was good but not particularly special. 9/10 green beans with garlic are 6/10 kung Pao chicken was sticky sweet and hot, though the flavor didn't have much body to it 6/10 angus beef was so good!! But just too expensive for how much food we got
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Ron R.

Yelp
Our first time trying this place. We ordered pick up using the restaurant's website. It worked well enough. However, I was I irritated by the default lowest tip was 18% and this is after a convenience charge to hand me a bag. It looks like a nice place. I only got so far as the host stand. The hostess was very friendly. We ordered the pork dumplings panfried 4/5, garlic edamame 5/5, general tso chicken 4/5, and house curry rice noodles 4/5 (great flavor, too dry).
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Eric M.

Yelp
Very solid Chinese food. Hot and Sour Soup - Very good but exactly the same as every other Chinese restaurant I've eaten at the last 40 years. I swear they all buy this in 55 gallon drums from the same factory in China. 7/10 Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings - Tasty and great dipping sauce. 7/10 Chicken Lo Mien - Standard. Tasted the same as most other places. 7/10 Sesame Chicken - This dish stood out as one of the best versions I have had. Chicken breast pieces but very tender and great sauce. 9/10 There was no spice in any of the food so we asked for chili oil. The chili oil had absolutely zero spiciness! The only other option was sriracha so I added that to finally get some needed spice. Really strange, but overall it was a good meal. The service was good and the restaurant is very nice.

Erin C.

Yelp
Cool little place! The food is great. General Tsos plate comes with awesome veggies. Crab puffs are amazing too. I've been a handful of tons and they're consistently great!
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Angela H.

Yelp
We usually order to go but this time we decided to eat inside. Place is really nice, service and food was great. Plenty of parking during the day and afternoons from what my boyfriends says can be packed. We usually go to bellaire for Chinese or Katy (Off of 99) but we finally found a great spot in our area.

Molly S.

Yelp
We order takeout at least every other week and it's been delicious every time. Good packaging too, not your typical styrofoam leaky containers. Loved the Lo Mein we got last week. Keep up the good work!
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Lia A.

Yelp
I normally order take out from this place but decided to come and dine in yesterday for the first time, a tall asian server who was working there around 6:00-7:30pm was one of the rudest people servers, I have ever had in my life, which is crazy because I love tipping, and I never had a bad experience like I did yesterday so I decided to get up and leave, because I strongly believe in not eating food that is being served by a rude individual like that. I can see why this restaurant is not a 5 star.

John B.

Yelp
My wife and I ordered Chicken Fried rice and Kung Pao Chicken with Fried rice, dumplings and egg rolls. The Kung Pao chicken was full of peanuts, peppers, and undercooked/seasoned Brussel sprouts. The chicken was tasty but not enough. The real problem is the fried rice. 30yrs eating random Chinese restaurants and always ordering fried rice, I cannot tell you what the flavor was in this rice but it was gross and inedible. Almost like something rotten had been made in it. Both were this way and one of them had no protein in it. For $60 delivery, including free/discounted appetizers, the quality would have been better at a buffet.
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Brooks B.

Yelp
Came in for date night last week, first time there and I loved the style of the restaurant. You're greeted on the first floor and then brought to the second to eat which was pretty cool. I had absolutely no complaints about the food at all, it was delicious but the very best thing we had was the pork soup dumplings, the flavor is unmatched. I shall return.
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Eric C.

Yelp
We absolutely loved our experience at Spices 39! The menu had a great selection of our favorite Asian dishes. The Wonton Soup 10/10: the broth had a nice body to it and the wontons were fresh. Scallion Pancake 10/10: came out piping hot and was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I dipped the pancakes into the wonton soup broth and it was a fantastic combination. Orange chicken 10/10: iv never had orange chicken this good in my life! The sauce was noticeably made from scratch and had the best notes of fresh oranges. The chicken had a nice bite on the outside and tender on the inside. House Curry Rice Noodle 7/10: the meat and noodles were cooked well and the curry had a nice spicy flavor! The curry sauce did however dry out the dish and I needed to have water along with the meal. Overall I am really excited to have this restaurant in the heights and will return very soon to try out more items on the menu.
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Lauren H.

Yelp
Authentic Chinese food 1) Squirrel Fish - 5/5 2) Sauteed Mixed Vegetable- 4/5 3) Sizzling Rice Cracker with Pork Belly - 5/5
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Lydia N.

Yelp
BYOB No corkage fee!! This new sichuan/Cantonese spot is an awesome location for a delicious and casual date night. The service is top notch and everything comes out super hot and fresh. The egg rolls and soup were nothing to write home about and I wouldn't order again, but we enjoyed everything else! Do yourself a favor and order the boiling chili beef. It is rich, brothy, perfectly spicy, and filled w delicious vegetables and meat. Use the extra sauce to throw on some white rice. So so good!

Patricia S.

Yelp
The food is good, don't get me wrong, but the service is abysmal. What we experienced should have been a viral video that shut the place down. We ate our food to celebrate my parents and received the check to pay. Seeing that there was tip already on the recipe l, we asked the waiter to take it off and we will place our own tip and he said no, and started yelling and complaing the they dont receive a descent payment. But, the thing is as long as you sit the take the order, pick the food and doesn't check if you need anything and if you need anything it's always no or some nasty attitude. I wish I had the make a video, because the guy is out of his mind!
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Shareka C.

Yelp
Food wasn't seasoned well, wonton soup was greasy and chicken wings rubbery. The instructions to come to the back gate to hand deliver were ignored and left at the front door on the ground.