tl;dr: Come for the Chinese food (and the ADORABLE dog), stay for the amazing service. While 3rd St. may be under construction, don't let that discourage you from walking over to Ben's and ordering some cheap, amazing Chinese food. Mom and Pop spot has been here for over 33 years, and their son David is friendly and very kind. I ordered the pork chow mein and beef & mixed vegetables over rice; less than 10 minutes later, I was presented with two HUGE steaming plates of deliciousness. Fried chicken wings are simple yet mouthwateringly good. They get their vegetables local and fresh from a neighboring business. The menu is solid, but everything is amped up by the addition of the homemade black bean hot sauce (the reviews aren't lying--it's incredible). Take some home and put it on everything you love. Plenty of seating located upstairs; avoid the lunch crowd by coming at 1pm. Don't expect fancy interiors or menu items; the magic of this place lies in its old-school location and cooking. read more

Love the place and the food they serve. I always get David's special, which is egg and your choice of meat cooked together. That coupled with the black bean sauce that they have as a condiment makes this a wholesome meal. Reminds me of something that I would get at my Chinese friends home for lunch after school! Simple and delicious for an amazing price! read more

As mentioned by many other reviewers this place is easy to miss. I surely missed this hole-in-the-wall restaurant, not because I didn't see it, but because it didn't have the appeal of a place I normally stop for lunch. This place is great! 5 stars for the friendly owner who did something rarely seen. I offered her a $2 tip, she returned a $1 suggesting it was too much. A jolly and happy server makes for a happy customer! For $5.25 a plate of rice and some meat, its a good deal. Good quantity for sure. (Cash Only). I had the Mongolian Beef which was decent, I cant honestly say it was the best, but it was decent. I'm looking forward to trying the other items. read more

Short Review: Although I just ran in for take-out, I was suprised at the super-friendly service for the brief 2 minutes I was inside! As I sit at my desk eating my mapo tofu lunch (loaded with lots of veggies, which I love), I'll admit that the $4.50 I paid for this large take-out container of delicious comfort food is worth going again. I'm glad it's a few blocks away from my office-- walking distance, in fact-- I'll for sure be back. p.s. from the outside, it's easy to miss... look for the florescent beer sign (Budweiser? Tsingdao?... I will report back). =============== Longer (and perhaps more entertaining) review: It was a cold, misty rainy day out. One of those misty-rains that it's not worth breaking out the umbrella, because the mist just gets EVERYWHERE. Anyways, it was one of those days I wanted some warm comfort food. Anything to make me forget about the weather. I called ahead of time to order my mapo tofu lunch special, and went to go pick it up. I pulled up, hit the flashers on the car and ran into the restaurant. The woman behind the counter was very sweet. She took one look at me and said, "I've never seen you here before." I corroborated her story and said it was my first time and that I found them on them on Yelp. She smiled, satisfied with this news. "Next time you drive here, i'll run the food out to you!" That's incredible. Anyways, I happily took my meal back to my desk a few blocks away, and I had already signed myself off at having yet another unhealthy lunch with no vegetables. But to my surprise, when I opened my take-out container, the dish had lots of vegetables... broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms-- perfect since I've been neglecting my gym routine. The "spicy sauce" was quite mild for me, but still savory and thick enough to make the rice stick together... delicious. Worth the trip-- and made this ABC pretty happy. And it really beats trying to deal with the Oakland Chinatown traffic for take-out orders. read more

The garlic fried chicken was amazing. It came with sauce, broccoli and rice, and each table has a container of black bean jalapeno chili. The broccoli was fresh, the sauce was tasty, and most importantly, the fried chicken was tender and moist and had just the right amount of light crunchy batter. Also, the serving was huge! It's a testament to its tastiness that I wound up eating the entire thing in a single meal. A small restaurant, but I'm super eager to try out some of their other dishes. read more

This is a review of their service only. We attempted to go for lunch. Granted, they were busy. Instead of politely giving us a wait time, the woman working the front just said "very busy", physically grabbed my friend by his shoulders to turn him around then proceeded to push us out the door. No explanation. Incredibly rude. No food is worth that kind of treatment. I will never go back. read more

Must try Ben chow men or beef with oyster sause . ^^

This warehouse district restaurant is the living embodiment of the mom and pop - hole in the wall - Chinese restaurant. It looks like it's run solely by a mom and pop in a kitchen no bigger than your own. They are ably assisted by what appears to be their young adult son who helpfully suggested that if were in a hurry, I should order a rice place. I noticed that the son would run orders out to cars double parked outside. Evidently, telephone orders by persons who would drive up and pick up their orders. This is a popular place, given the crowd that was there for lunch. I ordered "off menu" with ingredients on the menu, and it was just fine. $6 out the door. read more

Just started working in the area and this is an awesome place with great food and very friendly staff. You need to try this for your lunch time Chinese food cravings. read more

This place is subpar at best. Granted I've only been once, my first experience will probably be my only experience there. Came in for lunch and ordered the mongolian beef rice plate. For 6 plus dollars in a hole in the wall chinese place, I was hoping for a meal that makes me want to tell all my friends about this little unknown chinese restaurant. My mongolian beef, however, forces me to do the opposite. The mongolian beef tasted more like a tomato beef. Not spicy, not savory. Just sweet and chewy. Almost like they add ketchup to the saute. Better places can be found in Chinatown and surprisingly, for cheaper. read more

Be prepared to wait, even if you call ahead. But I think the kind of confusion and mayhem of this place gives it its personality, so I really don't mind the wait. :) I've only ever eaten their shrimp fried rice and vegetable fried rice, and I pretty much just get one of these two dishes each time i go. Don't want to mess with a good thing. I've heard their Wednesday Fried Chicken lunch special is the bomb. Don't forget to tip! read more

4 and half stars you have got to be kidding! (the number of stars upon my review). Easily the most tasteless Chinese food I have ever tasted. There is no charm in the charmless rough looking second level dining room; calling it a dining room is a stretch. This may be a traditional eatery but I could not find flavor in anything I had; the Broccoli was Bronto-sized; no caring in the cuts; just "let's fill 'em on fillers." A four and half stars restaurants needs to show they excel or care about the food or service they are offering. I had to nearly beg and plead for service; I had to get up and get my own water; I was there with a friend and we waited for everything and it was late in the lunch service--after 1:30 p.m. A place to miss. read more

Love this place! We order an off-menu Curry Chicken Fried Rice nearly every time! The Shrimp with Scrambled Egg over Rice is fantastic; the sugar peas that are sauteed with the shrimp come out super crunchy and when you top everything off with their fresh pepper/black bean salsa you can't go wrong. Mrs. Fung is a sweetheart and is appreciative when you call in your order in advance and eat there; she'll have your order waiting for you at a reserved table by the time you arrive (~12-15 min). We usually end up walking out with some sort of fruit or vegetable that she has given us as a sign of her appreciation for us calling in the order. I highly recommend this place, but again, be sure to call your order in advance or you should expect to wait. read more

1st star for the service 2nd star for the price 3rd star for the wednesday special (garlic chicken) For 5.50 I would come back for their garlic chicken, and to try out their other dishes. The chicken was pretty crispy, and the garlic sauce was pretty decent. read more

This friendly mom and pop restaurant serves generous portions of solid, tasty Chinese-American style food made with fresh local ingredients for very reasonable prices! You won't find anything novel or earth-shattering on the menu and the ambiance is lacking, but everything is well executed and tasty - perfect for a everyday, weekday lunch! I love their hot sauce - a combo of black bean, jalapenos, and pickled Chinese veggie - and usually finish close to an entire jar every time I eat in! read more

So I wanted to love it, reading all of the reviews about the black bean sauce had me traipsing through the dumpsters of Third street in my most expensive shoes to get there from my office. Ordered, patiently waited while they cooked fresh. Noticed a few minor food handling issues but was willing to overlook for the goodness that awaited with my black bean chicken and potstickers. Get back to my office, eat a few potstickers and were really good. However she grabbed them from upstairs so not sure if they make fresh, make fresh and then freeze, or if they buy packaged. Whatever, they were flavorful and juicy and cooked to perfection. Pop open the clamshell and I see...tons of broccoli. Like mounds of it. And I hate broccoli. Hop on yelp to see if maybe my idea of black bean sauce is different, nope I definitely have the wrong item. Which is terrible because no way am I walking back there. Also it's several items below the chicken I wanted on the menu so not sure how that went wrong. I will say the chicken I did have was very good, cooked well and not fatty. My co-worker who I gave broccoli to also said it was good. I hope the next time I walk down there I can manage to get the right dish! read more

Ben's is a staple for me in Oakland. Cheap, delicious and filling - a three word combo that we see less of month over month. For a single chef there's a wide variety to choose from. The Wednesday chicken special is a favorite. Do yourself a favor; swing by and grab some comfort Chinese. read more

Don't expect your typical, overly greasy and over cooked veggies here. These guys do it right. The owners are kind and get to know you. The food is great and inexpensive. Its the vegetables that really make this place shine. Located in the produce district, they must pick the best of the best every morning. A lot of people recommend wednesday's special chicken dish but its the chicken chow mien that keeps me coming back. This is not a 5 star experience, this is a hole in the wall so don't expect ambiance but it makes up for it in quality and price. read more

Service + food was EXCELLENT! They have extra seating upstairs if downstairs is too full. The people were friendly and prompt. They only lost a star because it takes a little while for the food. But, it's understandable. It's a popular place for lunch! It's nothing too fancy but I really enjoyed my food. I went on a Wednesday meaning i got the Wednesday Special Fried Chicken. Was yum!!! Working around jack london square and the industrial area can be frustrating, there are not too many food options. I'd def go back again. Even the worker gave me a mango to go! read more

I have had Ben's twice now and have loved the consistency. With most Chinese restaurants, salt seems to be the main ingredient, however Ben's makes the food stand out. I have ordered both time the chicken in black ben sauce, and am always satisfied. Thanks read more

Customer service is excellent! However the kung poa chicken didn't taste that great (in my opinion). Prices aren't that bad either, I'd try it again. This place is CASH ONLY! Their yelp page neglected to provide that info read more

Best Chinese food place in whole Bay Area. Food tastes amazing and the price is really reasonable read more

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Hands down the best chinese food in Oakland. They have a great reasonably priced menu, and every dish I've ever had here has been amazing! It is owned and run by a wonderful family who work hard to make sure everything is always fresh and delicious. (Located in the produce market of downtown Oakland so all the veggies are super fresh) Give this place a try and leave a nice tip :) Treat others the way you want to be treated and enjoy a tasty meal. read more

I've been walking by this place for years on my way to/fr work and it wasn't until I saw a couple co workers in there that I decided to check it out. OMG, what a treat! Last Thursday I tried the Curry Chicken Fried Rice not on the menu. It was a huge portion for $7. It lasted both Thursday and Friday lunch. I called in my order and it was ready upon arrival. Mind you it was 1130am when they first open. I headed everyone's advise to go/call early. Today (Wednesday) I got the Garlic Fried Chicken Special for $5.75. WOW you get as much food as a loco moco platter in Hawaii for that price. Mrs Ben was chopping and I thought she had two orders of chicken there but then she dropped half of chicken in my box. Fresh veggies included with the rice. Such a great spot. I called in early and got there at 1130am...there was already 10 people in line waiting! Now I have enough food for lunch tomorrow and Friday. I need to try the mongolian beef next week. It's definitely a hole in the wall Chinese spot but wow you get so much food for your money and Ben and his wife are absolutely wonderful. Thank you for a new lunch option in the area! read more

Got the Wednesday fried chicken lunch special. This is very much a hungry mans lunch. Wow! All this food and a Snapple, didn't even break a ten. Easily a couple days worth of food. That's a deal. read more

Ben's - Wednesday Fried chicken lunch special - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

Always friendly and their Wednesday Special Garlic chicken, is always on point. I also like their Salt & pepper chicken wings over rice.

If anyone has a copycat recipe for their spicy chili sauce please let me know. It's a must have!

So almost every Wednesday a group of us from work order Chinese from Ben's and someone picks it up. They have a special fried chicken that comes with rice and broccoli for $5, (well now it's $5.50) on Wednesdays, which is why Wed is Ben's day. The woman who works there is so nice, and loves our returning business. She always throws in something free-baby carrots, plums, a cantaloupe, apricots, it's different every time. My favorite things are the chicken with veggies and the chow mein, which is $6, still a great deal. The portions are huge. I've only actually been in the place once, about 2 years ago, but I hear it's better to get your things to go, otherwise you may not want to order there anymore, if you know what I mean. read more

For what Ben's provides they do it real well. If your looking for fresh, delicious Chinese takeout during lunch hours in Jack London Square-Chinatown-Downtown Oakland area, Ben is the spot. The black bean chicken is the best Ive had in Oakland. It doesnt look like much on the outside, but the flavor...It'll get ya...It'll get ya real good. read more

Mom and Pop are so cute here! Ben's is situated in between two big warehouses, but the food is simply amazing and affordable. The veggies are colorful and fresh, and the fried chicken I got was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside (just how I like!!!). I'll be coming back here again for the tasty food and Mom and Pop's singing too! read more

Ok. So, it's not fancy. I mean it's NOT fancy : ) But I LOVE it at Ben's! The food is fresh, clean and delicious! The family is heart warming, sweet. It's like going to eat at a Chinese friend's home...truly. Throw is the amazing prices and their smiles, and this gets 5 starts! I work in Jack London and this is truly one of the best places to get lunch. I only wished they had delivery dinner! read more

Good. Good price. Nice portion. Good meaty pieces of chicken. May need to be saltier but I can live with that. read more

Ben's - New Menu as of 03/31/2015. Page 2 of 2. - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Super friendly proprietors, funky little space - and Singapore rice noodles to die for. They are superior to my old favorite, Ming's in SF. Be sure you get the little tin of hot sauce they make. It's made of sliced chilis, chili oil with that dark funky seed stuff, black beans, and a touch of magic. Highly recommended if you're in the area. read more

Ordered the bbq pork fried rice and it was good! Make sure u get their hot sauce jalapenos and it feeds two people cuz they give you a lot! read more

Ben's - Chinese Near Me - Oakland, California

I love bens! Word of warning, their hours have started getting very sketchy for some reason. Too bad. Not sure what's up but I've been in at 1 p.m. and told they were closed as well as at 1:30 p.m. unfortunately. read more

This is has good has it get!!! .. fast and cheap but, taste great..!! A must try.. AAA++ read more

Not so hidden JLS neighborhood gem. Now I know we're only a few blocks from Chinatown...and I have my favorites there too. But Ben's rivals all. From the outside it doesn't look like a clean, good quality ingredients type of place...but trust the reviews. I used to walk by and would say to myself who'd eat there. But then I stumbled upon all the positive Yelp review. I must say trust em! I went on Wednesday for the Chicken Special = Yum! And then went back Friday for Kung Pao Chicken = Yum2! I'm now hooked on Ben's!!! For ~$6/rice plate you really can't beat the taste, ingredients quality and friendly greetings. read more

I had the Fish and Greens from this place and it was FANTASTIC! Be sure you get extra chili sauce :D

Great hidden local spot for delicious Chinese food in the Jack London Square area. The place is sparse, but the food is great and affordable. Check out the daily specials! read more

I should not write this review because.....Ben's is quite possibly THE best kept secret in Oaktown...the pot stickers ( a mere $4.25) are fucking out of this world. If you get to know the sweet couple that run the place you will be a customer for life....This is a working man's place. kick back outside with the Produce worker guys and have a cold BUD. Make sure to get whatever is the special of the day cause' its gonna be tasty...after you read this review forget you did because I don't want you to go flap your neck hole and tell everyone how good thas place is...i read more