Wheat 麦茶

Wheat is my go to spot for delicious authentic Chinese noodles. Their spicy and sour beef rice noodles are packed with bold flavors and the perfect balance of heat and tang. The broth is rich the beef is tender and the noodles have just the right texture. While this is my favorite their other options are just as impressive. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is cozy. Definitely a must visit for noodle lovers.

Everything was fantastic, the service, the food, the price. I would definitely recommend, and the bowl was a lot bigger and had a lot more food than I was expecting👍🏾.

The beef noodles and spicy hotpot at this restaurant are delicious! The broth is rich, the noodles come in generous portions, and it’s really satisfying. The hotpot is also fantastic, with a great variety of ingredients and excellent flavor. The service is friendly and attentive. Highly recommend!

The food is fantastic and tastes very authentically Chinese. I ordered the braised beef noodle soup and was initially disturbed when it was brought to me because it looked like it would taste too oily. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. The perfect amount of spice, and it did not feel greasy in my mouth at all. My partner ordered the chicken, and I thought it was a bit bland. The pork rib appetizer she got was pretty tasty though. Parking isn't great, but that's to be expected for the area. We parked in a deck not too far away and hiked the distance. Biggest complaint is the restaurant was unusually warm, which made the meal less enjoyable. Not sure if that is their usual atmosphere since it was our first time there.

Pork Potstickers and Sesame Chicken were "good" some might say "OK." Hainanese Chicken and Spicy Stir Fry were pretty bad. Hainanese Chicken was pretty cold along with cabbage. Tried using chili oil to add flavor but it did not really help. Do not recommend. Waste of money and time.

I enjoyed eating here. The food came quickly and was all delicious, no misses. I ordered cucumber salad (fresh and tasty), scallion pancakes (normal, good), noodles with szechuan sauce (really yummy), and general tso's chicken (not my choice, but friend enjoyed). Portion was good, we left with enough leftovers for a solid lunch the next day. Price was really fair for all this food. I would come again and maybe try the desserts next time.

2nd time coming here, but probably not returning for a third. My girl & I entered to see a less than ideal Sanitation Score (low A), and we got seated right away. Our original plan was to get 1 Braised Beef Noodle Soup and 1 Beef Filet & Tripe that we'd both share, but we only got half of that plan fulfilled this time. The waiter said that they are out of the tripe appetizer, which we enjoyed in our first visit few months ago. So we were really disappointed that they were out of their best appetizer. Wheat is a small indoor restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill, on the same spot as where another bad Chinese restaurant used to be. Its cramped space and uninviting ambiance make Wheat an unpleasant spot to eat. It took around 15 min. for us to get our 1 order of Braised Beef Noodle Soup, which tasted the same as we remembered when we first tried it. It comes with about 4 chunks of braised beef, 1 egg. 1 baby bokchoy, and noodles in spicy & sour soup with chili oil. $14+ for a beef noodle dish like this is not bad but I can think of other restaurants in Triangle NC that serve a similar beef noodle soup with better ambiance and customer service. Overall Score: 2.4/5

The food was delicious! I especially enjoyed the salt and pepper shrimp. My friends really enjoyed the soup pot as well. I would come here again because everything was so good. Service, quality, and atmosphere were wonderful. Thank you, Wheat!

Food is delicious, worm hot and makes you feel good, Service is kind and honest The environment is comfortable and enjoyable for me A well place for lunch!

We typically order from Jade Palace but decided to branch off and Wheat didn't disappoint. I appreciate being able to order delivery directly from the store and it arrived promptly and fresh! We ordered the beef "burrito," which is beef wrapped in a scallion pancake, with Peking duck sauce, the General Tsaos chicken, and noodles with scallion oil. We added on a soup and the cucumber salad to get the discount and it honestly was amazing. Everything had so much flavor and there was so much we wanted to try! The only thing was that the noodles were a little bland and clumped together but I was able to doctor them up, and I wish the beef appetizer came with a dipping sauce. Overall though, I cannot wait to order again and this might be our next date night. Definitely a hidden gem in Chapel Hill!

2nd time coming here, but probably not returning for a third. My girl & I entered to see a less than ideal Sanitation Score (low A), and we got seated right away. Our original plan was to get 1 Braised Beef Noodle Soup and 1 Beef Filet & Tripe that we'd both share, but we only got half of that plan fulfilled this time. The waiter said that they are out of the tripe appetizer, which we enjoyed in our first visit few months ago. So we were really disappointed that they were out of their best appetizer. Wheat is a small indoor restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill, on the same spot as where another bad Chinese restaurant used to be. Its cramped space and uninviting ambiance make Wheat an unpleasant spot to eat. It took around 15 min. for us to get our 1 order of Braised Beef Noodle Soup, which tasted the same as we remembered when we first tried it. It comes with about 4 chunks of braised beef, 1 egg. 1 baby bokchoy, and noodles in spicy & sour soup with chili oil. $14+ for a beef noodle dish like this is not bad but I can think of other restaurants in Triangle NC that serve a similar beef noodle soup with better ambiance and customer service. Overall Score: 2.4/5

Located in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill on Franklin Street, Wheat is a convenient spot for anyone strolling along UNC's campus and looking for a satisfying meal. I recently visited with friends on a Sunday morning, right as they opened, and we were seated immediately. Service was quick and friendly, and we decided to try their famous braised beef noodle soup, a dish I'd heard good things about. The presentation was inviting: a generous portion of noodles in a flavorful broth, topped with bok choy, a hard-boiled egg, and chunks of braised beef. The broth itself was tasty, but it arrived warm rather than hot, which was a bit disappointing as I prefer my soup steaming. The noodles were plentiful and well-cooked, but the hard-boiled egg had a gray ring around the yolk, suggesting it was overcooked. The braised beef, while flavorful, lacked the tenderness I'd hoped for. Overall, it was a decent bowl of noodles, especially for the price, but not quite the standout experience I had anticipated. Next time, I'll explore other offerings on their menu to see what else Wheat has to offer!

I give Wheat 麦茶 a solid four stars. The food we had here was good, especially the noodles, and service was excellent. This is a great spot for "authentic" Chinese food on Franklin Street. This is *not* an Americanized Chinese joint (you'll have to look elsewhere for that). Wheat opened in April 2023. It replaced Shanghai Dumpling: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wheat-chapel-hill-chapel-hill-2 The hundreds of old Yelp reviews for Shanghai Dumpling may be merged into and inherited by Wheat, so if you see reviews referencing dumplings, that's why. I was told that Wheat is a completely new and separate business from Shanghai Dumpling, with different owners. Wheat has a slightly older sister location in Durham: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wheat-%E9%BA%A6%E8%8C%B6-durham-durham It opened in December 2022, replacing Secrets Pho & Noodle Bar. This Chapel Hill location is small, much smaller than the Durham location. I guesstimate this place can seat about 30, maybe 40, people comfortably. No outdoor seating. The atmosphere is simple and casual. Various street, surface lot, and parking deck options are available nearby. At the time of writing this review, street parking is enforced Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm. Lot and deck parking are enforced Monday-Saturday, 8am-8pm. Parking should be free otherwise. For this visit, I parked next to the Ackland Art Museum for free. The menu offered a decent variety of noodles (soups and "dry" noodles), rice plates, and other Chinese cuisine including plenty of Sichuan fare, apps, and cold dishes. If I come back, I'm interested in trying their Hainanese Chicken Over Rice ($13.99). Outside on the sidewalk, they were advertising Monday and Wednesday chef's specials. However, the items actually appeared on the regular menu, available seven days a week. Drinkwise, the menu had Asian drinks like Roasted Rice with Green Tea ($4.99), Lemon Yakult ($5.99), and Mango Pomelo Sago ($8.99). They were out of most of these drinks during our visit, though. Here's what my wife and I had: Appetizers * Beef Filet with Tripe in Szechuan Sauce ($7.99) * Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs ($6.99) * Pickled Cucumber ($5.99) Noodles * Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($14.99) * Crispy Minced Beef Noodle ($14.99) Both noodle bowls were very good. We preferred the Crispy Minced Beef Noodle - a "dry" noodle bowl with no soup/broth - over the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. If you're craving Chinese noodle soup, the Braised Beef Noodle Soup is certainly worth ordering. What shined in these bowls were the noodles themselves. They tasted very fresh and had outstanding texture. After mixing all of the ingredients (noodles, beef, greens, scallions, garlic, sauce), the Crispy Minced Beef Noodle was full of flavor/umami. It was filling, comforting, and satisfying. Along with the noodles, what impressed me about the Braised Beef Noodle Soup were the large, tender, quality chunks of beef. The broth left a little something to be desired. I don't think it was rich nor complex enough, but that was OK (may be unfair to expect too much of this place given the location and price point). The apps were good. The Beef Filet with Tripe in Szechuan Sauce included beef omasum and beef tendon which you can order separately if you want. If you order the "Beef Filet with Tripe in Szechuan Sauce," you get everything (filet, omasum, tendon). This is a typical Sichuan cold dish which I like to order. I enjoy the different textures, the savory and spicy flavors, and the rich mouthfeel (oily, but in a good way). Wheat's version had generous portions and the quality of the ingredients was fine. That said, the dish lacked certain flavors. My wife expected there to be more sour/vinegar while I would've loved some Sichuan peppercorn for the "numbing" effect (of the "mala" spice). Minor criticisms aside, I'd order this dish again and I recommend it if you're generally a fan of these types of dishes. The Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs were recommended to us by our server. The ribs were a good recommendation. They were quite tasty. The ribs were served bone-in and had a good combination of fat and lean meat. Red chili powder came on the side. The ribs were yummy with or without the spice. The portion size was kind of small with eight bite-sized pieces, but for $6.99, I'm not going to complain much. The Pickled Cucumber was very typical of what my wife grew up eating (Chinese household). It was a bit salty, but crisp and refreshing overall. Our server Ricky was fantastic. He was the only server for the entire place. He was super friendly and attentive. Wheat is lucky to have him. During our Friday visit around 6:45pm, the dining room got moderately busy. There were a few online takeout orders as well.

love wheat! my favorite place for Chinese food in Durham. the tomato egg noodles and the braised beef noodles are both very good.

I have severe food allergies to dairy, nuts (including peanuts), and fish. I made this very clear to my server, who assured me that the minced beef dried noodles were perfectly fine for my allergies. Upon receiving the dish, my friend noticed that the sauce looked like peanut sauce, and I inquired further about this. After checking, the waiter informed me, quite nonchalantly, that there was in fact peanut sauce. No apology was offered, only a recommendation as to what other dish to get. If you have allergies, I would recommend staying far away. The dish I did end up eating wasn't very good. The noodles were fine, as was the broth, but the meat was incredibly chewy.

I have not been here for a long time and there services are improved so much from last year! I add the vegi and it's finally not only one tiny bit! I appreciate this place on f street cuz we need good Chinese food out here!

The food was delicious. We got the Braised Beef Noodle Soup and it was really good. The ambience is fantastic too.

So good! Authentic Taiwanese food and best noodles ever. Service was very attentive and restaurant was very clean. I'd come here regularly if I lived nearby.

After eating inside the restaurant, I'd like to say that it's a little bit better than 3 stars. I switched it up and got the chongqing noodles which were spicy and had a lot more flavor than the braised beef noodle soup. They only still gave me one sad bokchoy and very little beef. But it was still flavorful and they give you a big portion of noodles that will fill you up quite nicely. The waiter there was also super kind and had the best manners!

Tried out this noodle shop today. Tried the shumai, shrimp dumplings, seafood soup and pork belly soup. They were all good. The noodles were fresh. Just with the broth in the seafood soup was a bit richer / had more depth like the pork belly soup. Would go again.

Wonderful staff, the food is amazing! Great menu in a great spot on Franklin street. Will be coming back again!!

Great homemade noodles! Fast service and chill environment. Recommend it to people missing chinese food

Came here for the duck. It's like their Chengdu bowl but with duck on top. This much processed meat doesn't agree with me but it does taste great. I was surprised by the stinky tofu on the menu. I had to try it. The sauce was nice and it had a nice crispy coating. I'm excited to see the sticky rice cakes on the menu, too.

Great Chinese food! Especially the beef noodle. The best on Franklin Street! Service is also not bad and it's right at the center of Franklin Street and very close to campus. I would recommend going!

Nice environment. I always like their rice bowls. They always come with large portions. The soup is also pretty good.

Very quick service, the food came out quickly and the pork and potatoes were very savory! I will be returning to try a soup later on.

The scallion pancakes were yummy and pork noodle soup was super good!! I will come again soon

Hainanese chicken had way too much ginger on it. I would probably ask for it to be on the side to be safe. Otherwise very well cooked chicken. Chicken with szechuan chili oil ended up having peanut butter in it which I did not expect and did not like. Scallion pancakes are the kind that the skin has bubbled up. Decent.

Food was good! Good portion sizes and nice food and service. I got the braised beef noodle. Definitely get the scallion pancakes!

good food and service, very nice and good for a night out. great ambiance and would recommend

Came here for Shanghai dumpling and was surprised to find a new restaurant in its place. Very cute new menu mostly focused on noodle dishes. There is another store in Durham on 9th street that also recently opened. We got the braised beef tendon noodle soup and sweet and sour beef noodle soup. Loved the noodle texture and was told that it is hand made in house! Also thoroughly enjoyed the braised beef broth, very flavorful and the best I've had in a while. The the only negative is that both broth were a little salty. Also, be aware that the sweet and sour soup is spicier than what you would expect (for a menu item with only one pepper sign next to it).

The food is not good, especially not the noodles. Appetizers are okay. They bribe you for reviews (free appetizers)

Pleasantly surprised by Wheat. Had a couple of noodle soups, one with beef one with lamb, and the cucumber salad. Soups were very tasty and I loved the cucumber salad, it's not like any cucumber salad I've had before, spicy and lots of umami flavors. Looking forward to my next meal.

I loved how filling the food here is for the price. I got the Hainanese chicken over rice and it was delicious! The service was great as well! I will definitely come back to try a noodle dish next!

Food was delicious. We got the beef with vegetables, sesame chicken, and chicken lo mien. Food came out fast and was very tasty. We will be back

Me and my mom decided to stop here for lunch after a tour of UNC. It was a cute little shop with good music. I got the braised beef noddle soup and it was really good. The only thing was that the beef was reaalt fatty so if you dont like fat i recomend you get something else. The server was nice and the food came out quick. Overall I eould come here again, they have alot on the menu that I wouldnt mind trying.

Heading to yaya milk tea, but I see the advertisement for Hainan chicken so I stopped by. Restaurant is quite clean. I asked my waiter for noodle soup recommendations, but he doesn't understand english. We communicate by Google translate and he recommends me the Braised beef tendon noodle soup. I have very high hopes on this. However, the soup is not hot, just lukewarm. Tendon is too soft and cold in the middle. There are total 3 pieces of tendon in my bowl. Noodles in the other side is chewy - good. The half of egg is hard boiled. The soup is a little salty to my taste. I can't even finish. Hope they can improve it in the future.

Went to the location in Durham so decided to try out this location. Taste is very similar with authentic menu items. The scallion pancakes are a must get! If you want authentic Chinese handmade noodles this is the spot.

Ordered the hot and sour beef noodle soup. $19 on the menu, delivered via DoorDash so $30 all in with tax and tip. I received a bowl of gristle, fat and un-chewable meat, a large quantity of noodles and a little soup. Extremely disappointed. Will not choose this restaurant again.

Absolutely fantastic meal. Great service. Very reasonable prices. I will go back again and again. Please support this restaurant.

food is mid at best, service is okay, but the food really ruined it for us. especially for the price we were charged

Tried Wheat for the first time tonight. Really enjoyed the house made noodles with crispy beef. If you like spicy (like, Shanghai spicy), this is your place! Mapo tofu was also very good, and the portion was generous enough for 2! Kids ate vegetarian spring rolls and shrimp and pork shumai. Our waiter, David, was very helpful in recommending various dishes. We will be back, and please go for genuine Chinese noodles with sauces that don't hold back the heat!

What a yummy surprise. We came her for college tour and popped in for lunch. David was so nice to us. He recommended dishes that we absolutely loved! The noodles were amazing!

Men this place is absolutely awesome, stuff are kind and well trained, patience, this will be my personal dinner cafeteria lol

Great tasting food for a good price what else can you ask for . Also the service is impeccable.

Delicious and fairly priced authentic food. I got the braised chicken and it was delicious. Well marinated and fell of the bone. It came with rice and a side of veggies(Cabbage). Staff was attentive and the atmosphere was chill and calm. Highly recommend!