We had a group of 12 and were seated in the backroom/bar - it felt like we had kids in the bar (with some obvious regulars) and it was great! This is probably the 2nd or 3rd time we've been there since it was the Inn Bin, I didn't realize it had been Ballard Mandarin for 10 years. Service was fast, friendly and homey. The food was American Chinese but well executed: not overly saucy or salty, rice and noodles were fresh and tasty. They brought us an extra bowl of white rice for the table, fresh and fluffy. We had about 8-10 dishes, all of them were good. I ordered the General Tso's chicken spicy, and it actually brought the heat. Definitely enjoyed our evening and will go back. Did have one cocktail and it was strong. read more

We went for an early dinner. The food was very fresh and good. The waitress was sweet and helpful with suggesting what to order. This spot is more of a lunch diner than a restaurant, but if you just want a good meal it's a great choice. I recommend the prawn and broccoli. read more

Best place on the planet. You can't beat it. Amazing selection, fried rice is so good, honey walnut prawns are incredible, and overall I've never had bad food. Because it is a local establishment, it's like cheers, 'everyone knows your name' read more

Ballard Mandarin - Mal & I enjoying our last meal at Ballard Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Super cheap, friendly service, and great food. Don't be deceived by the exterior. Weird that they put corn in the hot and sour soup, but it works. Great flavors. read more

Ballard Mandarin - Mongolian Beef - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is the type of horribly unhealthy yet delicious hole in the wall Chinese you expect from a place like this. Serving sizes are always more than enough, with takeout containers always bursting at the seams. Service on the other hand, from the times my girlfriend and I have dined in, could easily be better. The majority of servers tend to be short with you, rude, argue with you when they bring out something not remotely sounding like what you ordered (lo mein as opposed to the ordered house fried rice as an example), and have from time to time been known to forget to place orders, only going back and correcting their mistake once you threaten to walk after waiting for an hour plus. If you're looking for delicious Chinese food I'd highly suggest this place only on the caveat that you take it to go. read more

Yo, cook! Don't you want to be my mom? I've been here several times, which gave me a happy satisfactory experience with taste and good service. read more

American Chinese food. Went @2pm on a Wednesday, completly empty. The host\waitress acted like we ruined her day, was not friendly, bleh. 2 choices for combos, and I rate new Chinese places by their Almond Fried chicken. I was very disappointed, but so much food! I can eat for days, so thats good. read more

I have ordered from Ballard Mandarin 5 times in 3 months, and I have never been disappointed. The food is fresh and delicious. The portions are fantastic for the price, and I always have leftovers. My favorite dish is the Salted Pepper Chicken and is usually my default order with an order of steamed white rice, and a piping hot bowl of Hot n Sour soup. I have had a few other dishes there and they are equally as yummy, but my weakness is the SP Chix. I also told a friend about this place and she recently ordered some take out and was so pleased she messaged me to say thank you for the referral and to tell me immediately after eating, she left a 5-star review. read more

Holy crap. Best. Chinese food. I've had in years. Hot and sour soup is spicy and flavorful. I had the house combo fried rice and asked if I could get extra veggies, she did for $2 and the portions are HUGE. I can't wait to eat my left overs already. read more

Ballard Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Maybe 3 1/2 stars would be more accurate. This does the trick if im craving Chinese food for white people. The won ton soup was really good, I like how they serve it family style and love all the veggies in it. The almond fried chicken was decent, wouldn't recommend the Mongolian beef though. The thing I like the most is that it seems to be a family run business, and that's always going to get me in the door before a corporate place. read more

We've been here a couple times. Good Chinese food, definitely no complaints. Sometimes, decent Chinese food is difficult to come by in this area. Broccoli Chicken is really good, so is the cashew chicken and the potstickers. Reasonably priced. We'll definitely go back. read more

There is not enough good I can say about the Mandarin. My family has been frequenting these guys since they had their old location in Greenwood--my mom is over 60 and remembers going to the Mandarin as a little girl. Indeed, every time I come in, the staff (and even the owner if she is there) ask about my family and my job. Ballard is really changing these days, but it's so nice to know where I can still get some good old fashioned customer service. My grandparents were the first in our family to fall in love with the Mandarin. When my grandma turned 90, my family had a big party for her in the back room (now turned into a bar, I believe) at the Mandarin. We arranged our orders ahead of time, and in the chaos of the party we could tell that there were several other dishes being brought out in addition to our food, never mentioned anywhere on the bill. The staff at the Mandarin were so sweet to my grandma and treated her like a queen every time we brought her in, and I still think back on the kindness and generosity they showed my family at that party. It was the last party we threw for her and I am so happy to say that it was also one of the most impressive shows of customer service I've ever seen. Beyond my personal anecdotes, the food at the Mandarin is the real reason why we keep coming back. While this is in most ways a fairly standard American Chinese restaurant, there is an edge of Asian fusion in the cooking. There are subtle flavor differences that make their dishes a step above. Everything also tastes like it's made to order. My favorite is their kung pao, which I usually order with chicken. There is no sticky breading in this dish; it's a very fresh flavor. Besides meat, you get chopped zucchini, mushrooms, and green bell pepper, topped with peanuts. Chinese chili oil isn't a flavor that one would expect to taste so fresh, but it's a really lively sauce. Rich, but not greasy. This one can also get pretty spicy if you ask for it, but there are several similar dishes without so much chili. read more

This place is unclean, the food is meh at best, and they currently have only an "Okay" rating by the health inspector. (I don't understand why anyone would go to a restaurant -- the place that is serving food you put in your body -- anything less than a "Good" rating. Gross!) Maybe if the food was irresistible I would understand, but Ballard Mandarin's food is bland, with an underlying freezer burn taste. Oh! And they charge for rice. Rice! Who doesn't include rice with their Chinese meals?? I'll be looking elsewhere for Chinese food. read more

As much as I hate to leave a bad review I feel it's my duty to warn you. Avoid this place. Note... this is my first negative review and I feel it's quite warranted. Over the years I've tried to like this place but it never gets better. Let's skip the first time I tried it for lunch . Flash forward 8 years I tried it again and left in horror. My girlfriend and I walked in to be seated but that was an ordeal. We waited patiently for 15-20 mins for ANYONE to seat us. A small man finally came stomping by but his body language was obviously hinting annoyance. We smiled and said "hello" as he frowned and mumbled under his breath. The table he sat us at hadn't been cleaned nor did he care. Another (friendlier) staff member walked by and noticed this. She told him to wipe the table down. The man grumbled, got a rag and did a half assed job. Ehh... it's alright. I'm not the type to complain or make anyone's job harder so I just sat. We ordered food and when it came I wasn't sure what to think of it. The egg drop soup was bland, reheated briefly only to be served cold. The sweet and sour chicken was grey inside and unbelievably chewy. The rice had bits of food that neither one of us ordered. It isn't hard to imagine maybe leftover rice was "reused" from previous dishes. My girlfriend got cashew chicken and it had been smothered in some god awful starchy gravy. Disappointed I just sat there, drinking beer hoping to fill up on something. We paid and walked to our car in the back. We both heard a whimpering, like a small dog whimper. We looked over in the car next to us and saw that very same server repeatedly hitting something violently in his car. He stopped as soon as he noticed us staring. As he stopped, the whimpering stopped too. I proceeded to get out of my vehicle but he stormed off in his little sedan faster than I could open my door. Guess his shift was over? That was 2015. I vowed never to return and I never did. . Neither did my then girlfriend. Driving by it makes me cringe. 2019... My wife (different girl) went out to get food but didn't say where. She came back with Chinese takeout. The food was bland and almost sickening and then it hit me. "Honey where did you get this?" I asked. Her response: "BALLARD MANDARIN"... -_- I should have known. At least the local crows ate it. Heed my warning or don't. Who knows, maybe they've gotten better? Personally, I'd rather starve. read more

I love this place. Large portions and delicious food. Lunch specials are such good value the place is packed during the week so get there early Kung Pao chicken is my favorite. They have been around a long time and I have eaten here for almost 20 years. The decor is not the reason to come, it is a bit of a hole in the wall, even a bit grimey. But the owner gives personal treatment as she remembers her clients and the food is consistently good and more affordable than many Chinese restaurants. The veggies are fresh and cooked just right. Will always come back...loyal and satisfied customer. read more

My parents were literally told to leave as the server started boxing up their meal, which only arrived at the table minutes before. The server said they were busy and needed the table. So we're never going back. There's a table! read more

I enjoy having lunch here once in a while. The service is great, the place is clean but a little worn. Lunch prices are LOW & include tea & hot & sour soup. The deluxe​ veggies & shrimp are really good! read more

Edible though incredibly Americanized crap that shouldn't be classified as chinese food. They are nice to you if you are white, which I'm not. Service is fast, front of house clean (kind of). They were too cheap to give takeout boxes for leftovers. If you know what real Chinese food is supposed to taste like or if you actually like being treated like a human being, stay away. read more

Good comfort food, comes out to your table quickly and the service is friendly. Love the pot stickers, garlic green beans, and moo shu pork(awesome pancakes)....but I haven't had a bad meal here, so everything is pretty tasty. read more

This place is by far one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Seattle. Lunch special is under $10 and gives you huge portions. The house rice has big prawns, vegetables are always fresh and anything you order will be made fresh and comes hot to the table. Not to mention the owners actually work there most days and service is always excellent. Seattle people wouldn't know good Chinese food if it literally jumped in their mouth itself. All they know is Teriyaki and can't even get that right..This coming from a East Coast/Southerner home of good cooking. read more

Ballard Mandarin - $8 and I already ate half - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Some of the worst Chinese food I have ever had. I wanted this restaurant to be a good one as it is very convenient to my home and they have a small parking lot behind the building which is very convenient. But the food has fallen short on the two chances I have given this place. Both times, I have ordered take-out. First time was mushu vegetables and mongolian beef. The food was poorly seasoned, mushy and limp.The ingredients appeared to be anything but fresh or freshly coooked. I threw most of it away as I couldn't even eat it with any pleasure. The second time I gave them a shot, it was a harried last minute decision in a pinch, so I figured ... ok, let's order something 'safe" and hope for the best. So I chose the General Tsao's Chicken and steamed rice. I only live a few blocks away, so it was maybe 5 minutes after picking it up that I opened the container. I mention this as my food was, again, kind of disgusting. I can't tell if they didn't fry the chicken properly before saucing it or if the sauce was too watery ... but it resulted in a mushy (not crunchy) coating over the chicken, rendering it difficult to eat without feeling that I was doing something wrong. It's too bad ... I wish I could have something good to say here ... but I just don't . Well, the lady who took my order was nice. But that is the best I can muster. read more

Called in and pleased to have a clearly spoken and understood English conversation. Lea and Casey are your point people for gluten free questions. They use Tamari by request and know what changes need to be made in general and people from other neighborhoods drive out of the way for their food. Fresh ingredients and affordably delicious. read more

We have a new manager at work. He LOVES good food and has declared Ballard Mandarin's egg foo yung the best he's ever eaten. I note this just because I was SO lost looking for great EFY and want to make it easier for other EFY fans to find their egg foo yung heaven, too! read more

I like the egg rolls except for the sauce they give you. I get the egg drop soup a lot but it's pretty bland.

The best service! The food is tasty and the portion sizes are huge. Our favorite place to go for Chinese food.

Came here on a whim with a co-worker who was in my area. We wanted some greasy cheat day Chinese food and that is exactly what we got here. We got lucky and it was happy hour which was another plus. We ended up getting General Tso Chicken and Orange Chicken along with some white rice for our main din din. For the happy hour specials, we ended up getting the chicken wings, crab ragoons, and pot stickers. The portions you get here are HUGE. Had I known that our main meal was going to have such a huge portion, I maybe would have only gotten the wings! The wings here are their best-kept secret as even the bartender who helped us told us. The ragoons and pot stickers were good but left more to be desired as for my main course the General Tso Chicken was exactly what I expected! Delicious. I basically had leftovers for days! Yes, it's not the best Chinese I've ever had but it's definitely worth coming back to! read more

This is my go to Chinese restaurant in Ballard! I love their Hot and Sour soup- perfect for fighting off the winter cold so prevalent in this damp town. Their fried and coated in sauce dishes (General Tzao'sb etc) are fried hot enough to still be crispy instead of soggy. They're only lacking 1 star due to a server of a certain age INSISTING on making you have rice in one form or another. Maybe that's part of their charm to some. read more

Quite tasty food, large portions and not too expensive. I ordered a couple dishes, all of which were very good. I'll definitely be back.

I had the General Tso chicken, the house fried rice, and the eggrolls. The eggrolls were fine, pretty standard and crispy. The sauce on the chicken was good, but the chicken was tough, and the breading on it wasn't very fresh tasting. The fried rice tasted like it had been sitting for a while. I'll go elsewhere next time. read more

I can't believe there is such a dichotomy in the reviews for this restaurant. My son and I went here for the first time tonight, since it had been highly recommended by his co-workers. Sure, the exterior is nothing to write home about, but we decided to give it a try. We ordered the Citron Dinner. In addition to the main entrees of General Tsao's Chicken and Mongolian Beef, we ordered Vegetable Egg Foo Young. Everything was so fresh and tasty, and had little, if no, MSG added to it. The Egg Foo Young was the best I ever had. It tasted like a freshly made vegetable omelet/frittata with Asian undertones, not like the oily versions I've had in the past. The other options were extremely fresh and delicious too. If you are looking for truly authentic Chinese or Asian Fusion cuisine, this is definitely not the place for you. But if you like the Americanized "Chinese food" that has become a "soul food" for many of us over the last 50 or more years, then this is the place to try. I would go to this place at least once per week if I lived in Seattle. read more

Good Chinese with good ratings and reviews is hard to find in Seattle outside of downtown. This place is actually good and reasonably priced. Portions sizes are just right. read more

They get five stars for superior customer service. I walked in at 9:05pm on a Wednesday, knowing that getting some takeout was a longshot. The lovely woman there said that the cooks had gone home for the day--but that she would make me something if it wasn't too complicated. I was a very happy woman. The food was solid american chinese, nothing exotic but it fed my belly. Give them a try, they're good people. read more

First timers in Seattle..so its hard to decide where to eat after a long day of traveling. We were craving Chinese food. This place was excellent and very well priced! The woman that waited on us was friendly and so sweet. She recommended her fave dishes and we had plenty to eat! Left overs for the next day were just as good. This is a small but quaint little place. Nothing overly fancy but clean and delish! Yes...go here and enjoy. read more

Solid Chinese food--a great place for a quick stop or takeout. The service is great and the prices are just right--a great deal. We've ordered a bunch of different plates and haven't been disappointed yet. read more

Are you looking for authentic Chinese food? There are dozens of other restaurants you could visit in the Seattle area. Are you looking for delicious, affordable, Americanized Chinese food? If so, you just hit the jackpot. Ballard Mandarin is the type of "chow mein" restaurant that used to be found in every neighborhood, but is now a rare find in Seattle. The owner/server is friendly, fun and she will guide you through their extensive menu. Free parking, low prices, tasty food, great leftovers for lunch the next day and friendly service. Just the right combination. I am a regular at this restaurant. read more

We had a good experience. General Tso's chicken was good and we also liked the Mongolian beef. 4 start hot is recommended.

Highly recommend this friendly family owned Chinese restaurant, their Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef are delicious! read more

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We've been coming here Christmas day for years. Here or Chinatown, depending on the mood. We pretty much always get the same thing: pot stickers, wonton soup, broccoli beef, honey walnut shrimp, and pork fried rice. If I didn't know better I wouldn't enter due the rather grizzly and industrial feel of the entryway. It is plain and bare inside, with a treacherous journey through the building past a windowless bar, a dark hallway, the cash register area, and finally into the dining area, which though plain, has big windows and lots of booths. It is small in there, but it doesn't feel like everything you say is for all the room to hear. The staff are very kind. They bring delicious tea and keep the water glasses full. The food comes quickly. If I was to rate this place prior to my last visit it would have five stars, but alas, I was disappointed. The pot stickers looked amazing, but they were cold. My sister requested that as a Christmas gift to her I do not send them back. Apparently I have done this and she was traumatised, so I abstained and went so far as to say they were delicious, to make nice with my sister. Then there was the one long hair draped across the shrimp, and I pretended not to see my sister fling it aside. It could have been one of her own hairs from the looks of it, and the shrimp was delicious as always. The broccoli beef was great and the fried rice was good. The wonton soup was steaming hot, but the broth was straight water and the vegetables had an off taste. We scooped the wontons and ate them with a little say sauce. If I were here for the first time I would give two stars and be grossed out, but this lovely little hole in the wall gets four stars overall. I will return. read more

I have eaten there a lot, and it's really good! They tailor my food exactly the way I like it each time I go there, with a grin. Even before I started tweaking my orders for my new, weird diet (no gluten, no greenpeppers, no MSG, etc), they always cooked the vegies just to the right point (NOT overcooked). Their fried rice is light on grease (hurray!) compared to many places, and they now offer brown rice, as well as white or fried rice. I order a lot of scallops and shrimp, which are always fresh and delicious there and never overcooked. Plus the staff are genuinely friendly and go the extra mile - some have even memorized my most frequent order, plus they make a gluten-free garlic white sauce for me. And it isn't just me, everyone I take there really likes the food as well. Their lunch prices are also excellent. read more

I was incredibly disappointed in the service and the food. Prices are very high for what you get... No value in this experience. Marked on my list of places to never return. read more