So, when I used to live in the NoVA/DC area, all of the best Asian restaurants had the workers who always looked and sounded annoyed that you were there The food was always legit and worth the attitude haha We encountered that service today at Canton Chinese off of Ashworth Dr in West Des Moines. The food was actually pretty good. The restaurant could use some new chairs and booths, but the service was short and to the point. Definitely a hole-in-the-wall establishment. Food: Korean menu Tangsooyook (Korean Sweet and Sour Pork) 4/5- the dish didn't come out looking that appetizing because it was drenched in sauce but it was actually good and tasted as it should taste. They also have a chicken version of this. Mapo Tofu 3.5/5 - this was Korean-style. It was pretty tasty as well and had a hint of gochujang in it. Chinese menu Lunch Shrimp Lo Mein 3/5- this was okay. I probably wouldn't get it again as it was mostly veggies and hardly any noodles. Flavor wasn't bad at all. Lunch General's Chicken 4/5- this was delicious and chicken was crispy. This tasted more like the generals chicken from the Panda restaurant that used to be at Kaleidoscope. All-in-all, we would definitely try the other dishes, especially from the Korean menu. read more

See all

The receipt with the substitution of specks of chicken which lacked flavor was not as satisfying as the original recipe of fried rice & chicken with chunks or shredded chicken. The wait time is too long with service not as customer forward as in the past. Customers rely on consistency for a good return on their money and taste fulfillment being primary at a time when small food businesses are losing customers due to cost and food quality. The inside is well worn with decor especially the floor needing a deep cleaning which makes one spend less time in the environment. As times change businesses must maintain good quality control to retain repeat customers. read more

See all

I was excited to try this place out since a client of mine recommended it to me. I'll walk in and tell mom and Pop shop so I was looking forward to having a great meal. First of all the prices were a little steep for what I got I will show pictures. I did find a gray hair in my food which I'm a hairdresser so to me. Oh well, I'll eat it anyway. I ordered two spring rolls that were the size of my middle finger and a fried egg roll, which was not any bigger than that. Mind you the price was decent for those two appetizers. My meal, however, beef, and broccoli, Was disappointing. First of all, there was a lot of broccoli which I am a vegetable fan, but hardly any meat the taste was off and there was way too much sauce. Super salty. I do not recommend this restaurant. I will not be coming back. read more

Canton Chinese Cuisine - This was all the beef I received - Chinese Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

We order from here a few times a year for work and the food is great! I've had the fried rice, noodles, chicken, spring rolls and crab rangoons. All are delicious and you always get large portion sizes. The owners are very nice and helpful. I would highly recommend! read more

Good food. There is seating but it appears to be more of a takeout place and a lot of people came in for takeout while we were there. The portions are generous and service was friendly. read more

No water given only bottle water for purchase. Food made to order. No buffet . It is a small shop. read more

See all

I can not seem to find MY Chinese restaurant in West Des Moines. the Canton is close to home and I've found one dish that I like, lemon chicken. Normally I get Mongolian beef or empress chicken, but didn't care for those here. today i tried hunan pork, the sauce was good, didn't care for the pork in it and not a lot of pork. lots of veggies all different kinds. The crab rangoons are great. egg roll is so so. my lunch meal cost $6.15 total. They are still not opening the dining room yet. there pick up seemed pretty busy for 1:00. the dining area is small. they offer a buffet during lunch, not during covid though. lady at the counter is polite. It's not terrible, but it's not my Chinese place. read more

Canton Chinese Cuisine - Hunan pork lunch special, also came with hot and sour soup. - Chinese Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

This is such a hidden gem!! My boyfriend and I love going here for the lunch, he gets the dragon phoenix and I get the lo mein and it'sdelicious every time. read more

This is the greatest Chinese place I've ever been too orange chicken, fried rice, and potstickers there all my favorites. The lady at the front desk is great and is always so happy. The place is so well decorated and is a great experience if you want great Chinese food for cheap I would 100000% recommend canton for the best Asian/Chinese cuisine in the Des Moines metro area!!! read more

Always so accommodating and friendly. The food is very reasonable and the portions are generous. It is owned and operated by a husband and wife. They have Korean food as well as Chinese. It is a place a local or a visitor should definitely heck out as it is sure to please. Some of the best pot stickers in town! read more

This is a tasty place to order Chinese food from! The price is great and they prepare the food in a timely manner! I really like that they made my beef and broccoli a little spicy, as requested. It wasn't burn-your-mouth-off spicy, but just the right amount of heat! The flavor of the brown sauce was a little different from what I'm used to, and the egg drop soup was pretty much broth - but the crab rangoons were great! Only real down side was they wouldn't give me lo mien noodles as a side instead of rice - all other Chinese places I've ordered from have accommodated that. Overall, not bad. I'll be back! read more

We were visiting from out of town and found this place. We decided to try it based on the reviews. The food was great, prices were even better! Great little take out or eat in Chinese restaurant! Great service too! read more

For awhile I have been looking for good, consistent Chinese food that was on the west-side. I stumbled upon Canton and OMG is it good! Everything is fresh, hot, and excitement for your taste buds if you will. It's a family run operation, and sometimes there is a wait, but it's definitely worth it. It's not quite like Sam's Fine Food and Eggrolls, but darn close! Keep it up, Canton! read more

See all

Delicious dishes and friendly staff. Highly recommend the general tsos chicken and veggie Lo mein

Pretty middling - decent, not-terrible carryout, but could certainly be better. We sampled a wide variety off the menu and were underwhelmed. Kung pao chicken - oddly smoky, not many peanuts, none of the typical celery or water chestnuts. I think my hubby called it right - this was made with Korean gochujang rather than Sichiuan fermented chili paste. Weird flavor. Mongolian beef - too sweet, a bit gristly beef. Not my favorite. House delight (beef, chicken, shrimp) lo mein - very bland and no wok hey (char). Limp noodles. Just not great. Vegetables in garlic sauce - overcooked veggies in a sharp, gloopy garlic sauce. Best mixed with the kung pao. Steamed pork dumplings - good hand-crimped wonton skins, a bit too sweet dipping sauce and somewhat soggy White rice - well made, no complaints Beats the crappy Chinese we had in Grimes but still leaves much to be desired. Long wait for takeout. read more

See all

Great local Chinese restaurant! Their food is consistently fresh, hot, and delicious. We typically order for carry out in the evenings and it is around 15 minutes every time. When we come in it is a very popular place for carry out but our order is always freshly made and piping hot. My go to is sesame chicken in their combo special for $6.98. This includes a spring roll, crab Rangoon, and fried rice. Truly one of the best deals in down, especially when it is for dinner. read more

I went to Canton for General Tso's chicken. The take out time was less than 10 minutes, which was great. The service was fast. Unfortunately the General Tso's chicken wasn't great. In general, the General is most often deep fried and then blended in a rich, brown sauce that is spicy with a hint of sweet. It usually consists of soy sauce, vinegar, sometimes pineapple juice or wine, cornstarch, chili peppers and garlic. What I received was in a red sauce and instead made it taste like chicken sausage. If you have a strong desire for chicken sausage, then this is the dish for you. The crab rangoon was pretty normal. It was a good size unlike some tiny ones you get in the places you avoid. The hot and sour soup was sour and did have tofu along with perhaps some bamboo shoots. But it wasn't great, lacked mushrooms and scallions and tasted more like thick vinegar soup with a few chunks. The rice had some egg and soy sauce in it for sure. On the plus side, lunch specials were only $5.75ish and I have read reviews of dishes other people have really liked here. That alone will have me go back for a second try at Canton, though I'll ask for white rice. I do miss the one that was right across the street from it before their kitchen caught fire. So, if you like unique takes on delicious favorites (which aren't nearly as good as the originals) or just enjoy a fast, relatively inexpensive lunch...head over to Canton. read more

Canton Chinese Cuisine - General Chicken, 2 crab rangoons and hot and sour soup - Chinese Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

See all

I ordered two beef dishes and both of them had hardly any beef at all. Only tiny pieces, some smaller than a dime. I know food prices have gone up, but this was ridiculous. They should raise menu prices instead. read more

Had the lunch buffet here today and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. For $6.50 you get some really good buffet food. All the dishes were packed with juicy meaty goodness. This place is pretty small and can probably fit 25 people total, but for a small group for lunch during work hours it is perfect. I can see myself getting takeout here next time because if the buffet is yummy, I can see the regular menu being really good. read more

Canton Chinese Cuisine - Yum! - Chinese Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Four of us came here for lunch during the middle of the week. We were told to get there early as the place is small and fills up rather quickly. The location is truly rather small. They have less than 10 tables/booths, a buffet, a cash register counter and a place for drinks. We had the lunch buffet which is all you can eat. It had quite a bit of selection. You can ask for steamed rice and they will get it from the back for you. I thought the Mango Chicken sounded rather interesting so I had that and Kung Pao Chicken. I also had a crab rangoon. The rice was good but I found the other items to be just ok. I will say that you do get a lot of food for what you pay. The place does get rather busy and they run out of tables. There is no bathroom (at least that we could find) so make sure to hit the loo before you arrive. read more

This is a little hole in the wall place on my way home from a job site. I did carry out on a weekday. They do not offer done in yet. All necessary precautions are in place. I got three staples for us. Human chicken, chicken fried rice, and beef broccoli. My food was ready and fresh. All three dishes were less than $25 in total. The Hunan was spiced just right. It had a lot of chicken and fresh veggies. The chicken fried rice was very good. It had bean sprouts which was a pleasant surprise. The beef broccoli was good. Lots of tender beef and broccoli. It came with two pints of rice steamed perfectly. It is easy in easy out and tasty. I will be back. read more

Straight foward good Chinese food. We have been ordering from this family owned business for 5 years. Consistent quality everytime. You won't be disappointed. read more

we go here so often the lady at the counter knows our orders. they are always so nice and ask how my family is doing. the food is pretty good. it's always really busy so it's not the fastest but worth the wait. i highly recommend! read more

Canton Chinese at 50th and Ashworth in West Des Moines. It's not probably going to win any awards for being "the best", but the food is solid. I've stopped here many times. They have a lunch buffet that, as far as bang for your buck, is pretty hard to top. All you can eat from 1100 AM to 130 PM for $6.59. If you don't have time to dine-in they do a takeout version of the buffet and pile a to-go container full for you. It's not a self-serve buffet though. Everything is at the front behind a sneeze-guard and the owner's wife dishes it up for you as you tell her what you'd like on your plate/in your container. It's a small place with limited seating. Four four person booths and two six person tables. Bottled drinks or free water. Takes cash or cards. No high chairs or public restroom as far as I can tell...I've never asked though. They deliver. If buffets aren't your thing they have a regular menu too which includes some Korean options. One of the best hot and sour soups in the metro. The food always seems to be fresh...and it's not too hard on your budget. read more

See all

This place has a very rude woman answering the phone, I placed an order through Grubhub, they confirmed the order, she denied it came across... told me no substitutions Evan though I have allergies that said order could cause allergic reaction that could put me in the ER. Said they never received any order and "they put whatever items in the food they choose" again very rude and an extreme liar. Grubhub confirmed that they received the order three times.... Driver also asked why there was three orders for the same customer.... Don't order from here if you want any sort of customer service read more

I've ordered food from Canton Chinese 7 times this year using Grubhub. Tonight I ordered food and they told the driver they didn't get any order from me. Grubhub confirmed the order was sent. The first driver left and the second driver was dispatched to the restaurant. They still did not have the food ready and told the driver there was no order. I finally called the restaurant and the woman who answered the phone could not have been more rude. She told me she didn't have any order for Grubhub and then hung up on me. I noticed the restaurant all of a sudden reported to Grubhub they were closed at 7:30pm. I ordered the food at 6:15pm. So no food. They just lost a good customer. Grubhub had to refund my order and both them and I can see the order. read more

For long time Des Moines residents, you may remember a couple of Chinese restaurants that had inline spaces at Valley West Mall. This was one of them (I asked the lady in charge). Lunch buffet is cheap at $6.35; tea is an extra $1.50 and you make it yourself (tea bag). Just like the old mall store, an employee serves the buffet to you (just like Bishop's used to do). There was hot and sour soup, fried or steamed rice, about 10 different entrees and appetizers available. General Tao's chicken was spicy and had the crispiness that many other locations don't get right around here. Kung Pao Chicken was primarily chopped celery and carrots and isn't very authentic. Crab rangoons had a sweeter filling, which I prefer, but I know not everyone does. It didn't appear that authentic mustard was available. Also, the lack of a bathroom hurts the star rating--you should at least be able to wash your hands. A nice option if you're in the area, the buffet is a very good value and you can also do the buffet to go. Update 3/18/16: spicier mustard is now available! In the beverage cooler! read more

This is my husband's "go to" Chinese place. I am not as in love as he is. As far as takeout goes, it's ok. No better or worse than most other "Chinese" places in town. The location is tucked away in a strip mall just off 60th and Ashworth. You can dine in, and we have before. It's clean, but outdated. The owners are friendly (I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the entire place is staffed by the owning family). They have all the regular stuff. I do feel like their meat is fresher than some of the competition. I enjoy their Singapore style street noodles. Mongolian beef isn't my favorite dish there. Egg drop soup is underwhelming. Overall, if you're nearby and craving American style Chinese food, go for it. I, however, am still on my search for the area's best Chinese takeout. read more

I got there sesame chicken and tasted like it had been sitting out all day. Some pieces were so chewy I had to spit it out. Also got the chicken fried rice and that was really good other than there was hardly any chicken to be found and what pieces there were they were so small u couldn't tell there was any. The crab rangoons hardly had anything in them. Definitely not impressed. I'd try somewhere else with fresh food and give you what you order. read more

This place is awful- buffet- all food cooked who knows when- dried out. Not worth time or money read more

Canton Chinese Cuisine - Chinese Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Great family owned place. Solid dishes. Favs are mushoo and any chicken dish. Alway on time and friendly.

Horrible is the only word to describe their food , I got the happy family and the brown sauce was over abundant and tasted bad. The few pieces of shrimp were chewy, I could go on but hopefully you get the point. I'd give it 0 stars if I could. read more

Probably my favorite Chinese in the Des Moines metro. I love the chicken egg foo young, and if you get the lunch buffet, the grilled chicken is excellent. read more

Heavenly! I have never had something here that I didn't love. Nice owners and very friendly atmosphere. Best Chinese in W DSM.

We grew up eating from here when our parents ordered chinese food. I have tried a few others in the area but this has been the best tasting in my opinion. We drive over from Merle Hay area to get it now! read more

We have been ordering from this restaurant a lot since being confined at home due to the Covid-19 virus. Doordash provided really fast service and the food was HOT when delivered. Their food is consistently good and their hot and sour soup is perfectly crafted. Dragon Phoenix dish is our favorite. Definitely will continue to eat here. read more

I've gone here a few times for the lunch buffet, so I can only speak to that experience. It is on par if not slightly above the quality I would expect from a buffet style Chinese restaurant. The main woman who usually works the register and mans the buffet line is always pleasant. It has a small interior with seating that feels more fast food than sit down, but it is overall clean and well kept. My only complaint is the quality of the food is around Hy-Vee Chinese to Panda Express quality, but for $6.50, you know what you are getting into. That said, there is a fairly large amount of selection of not only different flavors and spices, but of meat variety as well. There are common staples like chicken, pork, and beef in Szechuan, General Tso, and Orange, but also on occasion duck and shrimp as well as more exotic flavors like mango Szechuan and fire pepper blends. I have gone multiple times and I will continue to go in the future. read more

Tried the orange and the generals chicken, with fried rice. Was fairly good considering I enjoy panda express and not much else. Quickly made, took back home. Will go there again but its more expensive than panda. read more

YUM‼‼‼ Highly recommend the Sesame chicken and lo mein! Great local family with great Chinese food Also great special with an entree, steamed or fried rice, and a crab Rangoon or egg roll for $6.99! read more

Tried this place for the first time last night. I got take out, which was ready 10 minutes after I called in the order. The restaurant itself is a hole in the wall, but whenever I go to a hole in the wall Chinese place the food is amazing! The spring rolls were nice and crispy and I got a huge portion of chicken with broccoli. Will be ordering again soon! read more