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    Capital Restaurant

    3.9 (1k reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Capital Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    CAPITAL RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Capital Restaurant

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    2. 6 Pot Stickers
    Chris J.

    Food was flavorful. Service was quick and easy Ambiance was old school. Not the most seats but def worth it!!

    Peking spareribs
    Allena C.

    We've heard great things about Capital Restaurant, especially their fried chicken wings! So while in the area, we were able to grab a table about 45 minutes before closing. Strangely, they close at 8 pm, which is quite early, so luckily we got there in time. We weren't the only ones in line, and the place had a bunch of patrons still enjoying their meals. But they managed to squeeze us in! ***OUR PICKS*** FRIED CHICKEN WINGS WITH SALT AND HOT PEPPERS ~ We were told you get 11 large wings! They were lightly salted and fried with jalapeno peppers. And these wings maintained their crispiness throughout dinner. It seemed like every table had them! They were gooood! And the price was very reasonable too! But the funny thing is, there are no prices on the menu?! Online, I see $13.50 - 13.95. Then a reviewer said it was $13.75. In any case, it doesn't go over $14. At least not yet! It's a DEFINITE must-get item if you love wings like we do!!! 5/5 PEKING SPARERIBS ~ Deep-fried pork ribs coated in a sweet, tangy, and dark red sauce, often made from ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar. These were still crispy with the sauce! Very flavorful and yummy! 5/5 FISH FILET WITH TOFU AND BLACK MUSHROOMS IN CLAYPOT ~ Fish was tender, and the sauce was tasty. One of our friends who was dining with us really likes this dish, so we ordered it. We thought it was good too! 5/5 SAUTEED PEA SHOOTS WITH GARLIC ~ This was the only dish that could have been better. The pea sprouts were a bit old, and so they were not tender. It's quite fibrous when the stems aren't soft, so you'd have to chew a bit harder to get it down! It was garlicky as it should be, but just tough. 3/5 YANG CHOW FRIED RICE ~ char siu, shrimp, scallions, eggs, and peas. This was also another good dish. 4/5 WESTLAKE SOUP ~ Egg white drop soup with beef. The soup was lighter than gravy, so it wasn't too starchy and the beef was soft and tender. Very warm and comforting on a chilly evening. 5/5 We liked almost every dish. We would only skip the pea shoots. Otherwise, it's a solid choice to get Cantonese food in Chinatown! We will come back again when we're in the mood for chicken wings and are in the neighborhood!

    Oxtails with Bean Curd
    Ronna I.

    I've heard so much about how good their chicken wings are. Yes, the texture is great--super crunchy, and they maintain their crunchiness after sitting out a bit. However, I didn't detect much flavor. They were pretty bland. Maybe it was an off day or a day off from the regular chef. We also ordered the oxtails with bean curd (foo jook) which was flavorful. They cut some of the larger oxtails, which results in some bone shards in the stew. The tofu with mushrooms was good. Portions were not generous but adequate. Service is pretty quick. This place is a very casual restaurant and being located in Chinatown, it has limited street parking. Portsmouth Square Garage on Kearny would be easier than searching for street parking.

    98. Shrimp Fried Rice
    Devina D.

    Wanted to update my review to be 5 stars because I've gone back multiple times. The wings never disappoint! Always well seasoned and crispy. Haven't found anything that tops it yet. I always recommend the restaursnt

    Fried Chicken Wings with Salt and Hot Pepper
    Sharon S.

    What a fun way to start the day off with a day trip to SF! Capital is tried and true. Even with the change in ownership quite a few years ago, this place is consistently delicious and reasonably priced. This is a no-frills, traditional Chinese restaurant with average service. 10 of us stopped here for lunch and my kids convinced me to order four orders of the salt and pepper chicken wings. Fast forward to the end of our meal, we got another order! We also got salt and pepper shrimp, dry fried beef chow fun, tomato beef HK style chow mein, Chinese broccoli chicken HK style chow mein, pork/preserved vegetable and fried tofu, and blackbean spareribs string beans rice. Everything was delicious and the tab came out to be around $226 with tax and tip. For 10 people and enough food for leftovers, this is a great deal. Kids weren't wrong, the wings served piping hot and crispy there is definitely 1000 times better than taking it to go.

    9. Fried Chicken Wings with Salt and Hot Pepper & 96. Salted Fish with Chicken Fried Rice & 93. Mustard Greens with Garlic
    Megan W.

    BEST SALT & PEPPER WINGS IN THE CITY... My partner and I have always gone here since we were children and remembering all the photos on the walls. My go-to order is always going to be the Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken ($13.75), Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice ($13.75), Mustard Greens with Garlic ($9.95) or Pea Shoots ($13.95). It's the perfect amount of food for two people. If you're feeling greedy, order some wings to-go but tell the waiter before paying the check. Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken ($13.75) - The chicken wings are super delicious, crispy and tender on the inside. They're always piping hot when they arrive at the table. If you're sensitive to salted foods..maybe avoid? but it's literally in the name.. Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice ($13.75) - It's hard to come by since salted fish alone can be expensive. A great sizeable portion with bits and pieces of salted fish and chicken. It's great to pair with the crispy chicken skin

    107. Pork with Cabbage and Shanghai Thick Noodles
    Melody L.

    Capital is a true San Francisco staple and I have been coming here since high school. It is an authentic Chinese restaurant that never misses the mark. We visited on a Friday night for dinner and it was pretty busy. However, we were seated right away and the service was still very quick and friendly. They are famous for their salt and hot pepper chicken wings, which are an absolute must. The wings were so crispy and good that we ended up ordering a second plate for the table. Since everything is served family style, it is a great place to bring a group. Even with the Friday night rush, the staff kept things moving efficiently. It remains one of my favorite spots in Chinatown for a reliable and delicious meal.

    18. Salt and Hot Pepper Spareribs
    Raymond C.

    Cantonese style cooking that seems very popular amongst locals. My favorite was the salt and pepper spareribs. Right among of salt and crispiness. The prawns were good but the walnuts were not well presented. Overall this is one of those hole in the wall spot. Would come to try what other locals recommend

    honey walnut shrimp
    Benjamin N.

    Ive gone many times and like a lot of their dishes This is definitely a group meal restaurant since i dont prefer their lunch special concept. I always get a bowl of rice here and eat primarily meat and vegetable dishes. Ive ordered: Best: Salt and pepper chicken wings Fukien style egg tofu Beef with mixed vegetables Honey Walnut shrimp Mongolian beef Alright: Beef chow fun Chinese Broccoli Bad: Egg soup Chow mein Their combo dishes Salt and pepper chicken wings are the best when eaten with rice because of how salty the wings are. The salt and pepper work so well with a crispy skin, making this dish addicting. (you know its popular when you walk in and see to go boxes of only chicken wings) Fukien style egg tofu is my favorite dish on the menu with a seafood sauce and soft egg tofu. One of the ingredients is mushroom which I understand people would avoid due to the strength of the specific mushroom they use but I love it. It tastes best again with a bowl of rice. Beef with mixed vegetables is the most balanced dish and simple with a tender beef and good portion of greens. Honey walnut shrimp is great and simple with nothing special compared to other places that make this dish Mongolian beef is tender and saucy and is a good addition to a meal. There are however still more mongolian beef dishes out there that beat capitals. Beef chow fun was saucy and oily and had tender beef in it. Chinese Broccoli was simple and seasoned with salt Egg soup didn't have much flavor nor egg Chow mein has a mix of meat within the noodles but the noodles aren't good compared to other chow mein restaurants Reasoning for the combo dishes is that I feel the portions they provide with carbs and protein isn't enough compared to buying a single meat dish and a bowl of rice. Its much more worth in price and flavor to do the latter.

    Capital Fried Chicken!
    David L.

    My buddies and I came here last Sunday after an intense BP tournament nearby, and they've never had a chance to come to this place and I was pretty shocked. I've had there food here for a while, but also have not been bad recently, so we decided to come here around 7 pm that Sunday. The Ambiance was as expected of this place, EXTREMELY busy as there is a lot of hype on the fried chicken, and don't get me wrong, Its still one of the best in the city. The service itself was a bit slow that night, but I can't really blame them, it looked like they had a large family gathering with a preset meal already happening so I'd imagine they had to get those out, our food took a bit longer then we'd had hoped, about 20-30 minutes, but when they came out, I'd say it was well worth it, The Fishmaw soup came out first and we devoured it pretty quick, honestly really good; I added a bit of hot sauce to give it a bit of heat, but the soup didn't need it. The Capital fried chicken came out about 15 minutes, and wooooo were they hot, flavor was there, crunch was there, and the 3 of us couldn't resist eating it up. The Mongolian beef came right after and we asked for a few bowls of rice to complement it, which came out quickly. I must say, this is up there as one of the best Mongolian beefs I've had in the SF, not too oily, great flavor, great portion, great taste and meat extremely tender. If Capitals were closer I may go between here and my favorite place, but its a bit out of my current location. We had Singaporean noodles, which I forgot to take a photo of, and thought it was okay, not my favorite item to get but my friend wanted it. He did enjoy it! Overall, a must for their fried Chicken and I would say to try some other items out as well (especially the Mongolian beef if you like it!)

    Anthony S.

    Made a quick stop by Capital and ordered two orders of the salt and pepper chicken wings. It took me around an hour to get home, so I reheated the wings in the air fryer. They were still lightly crispy and had the perfect puffed up texture, with a lightly briny and spicy flavor from the jalapeños. Absolutely devoured them

    chicken wings
    Debbie W.

    This place is known for their chicken wings - salt and pepper style, crispy skin, not very spicy which is perfect for me and no sauce needed. It's very flavorful. Of course we ordered it - 11 wings for $14,75 Depending on what time you go, it gets very busy - especially on the weekend. We were there a little after 5pm and had to wait and ended up sitting at the counter which is fine for the 2 of us. The phone was constantly ringing for take out orders too. If it's very busy, sometimes people share a table if needed just so they can seat as many people as possible. Since we sat at the counter, we can see the take-out orders pile up waiting to get picked up and not surprisingly, many orders were chicken wings. We also ordered Hung Tao Yee Foo Won Ton which is fried won top in sea food soup. That hit the spot. Not all chinese restaurants offer this on their menu. This costs $15.75 (about 10 won tons) One surprising thing is there are NO PRICES on the menu so you have no clue how much each item is. This is the only restaurant I know of that has no prices posted. I guess it doesn't bother people and everyone just order whatever they want and pay the bill when they get it. Most items will be in the $13 - 19 range. Service was good considering how busy they get. They definitely have a following as I heard one wait staff tell some customers as they were leaving - "See you next week."

    106. Beef Chow Fun
    Crystal X.

    Came here with friends for lunch and thought it was just ok. They're known for their fried chicken wings, lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and jalapenos. They were very crispy but too dry and bland for me. The beef chow fun was the best thing we ordered. It had a nice wok hei flavor, wasn't too oily, and the beef was tender.

    The view of the Transamerica Pyramid

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    22 days ago

    Chicken wings are okay. The quantity is small. Taste is not as good as expected. I won't go there again!

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    Capital Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Capital Restaurant

    Is a restaurant close for the whole week?

    They have been closed for almost a month now. They are on vacation. Should open towards end of the month or first thing Nov. I forgot what the exact date was when I walked by.

    Do they take credit cards?

    Yes! Not all types but they do accept some.

    Are the chicken wings good?

    Capital Restaurant's salt & pepper chicken wings are wonderfully spiced, perfectly fried, and the oil is left in the pan in the kitchen where it should be.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Four Kings 四大天王

    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2
    (457 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    I saw online that this place is one of the most sought after reservations on Open Table. I tried my…read moreluck at getting a reservation and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to get a reservation! Reservations open 3 weeks in advanced at noon. Walk ins are also welcome. One note is that parking can be a bit challenging so get there a bit early. The inside is lively and filled me with so much nostalgia with the decor. The staff is really attentive and friendly. I also appreciate the free peanuts and cucumber salad that you get when you're seated. My boyfriend and I ordered a lot of food because we wanted to try so many things! The lamb skewer was super moist and had a nice flavor. The XO escargot with milkbread had a nice buttery, garlic taste. The milk bread was fluffy and when dipped in the sauce it tasted very rich. We also got the clay pot rice and it reminded me of when I had it in China. The rice was crispy at the bottom and well seasoned. My favorite dish of the night was the squab. It was cooked excellently and the skin was really crispy. The five spice powder on the side really brought out the flavor of the meat. The eggplant was cooked well and portion was good but it didn't stand out as much as the other dishes. Overall, I would visit this place again. It definitely lives up to the hype. The squab and and clay pot rice were the stand outs to me but all the other food was really tasty as well.

    I saw a random 9:15pm reservation for 2 available, so I snagged it, excited for this very hyped…read morerestaurant. Was it worth it? Honestly, I think I have to readjust my expectations for the SF food scene. If there were no wait/reservation, I would think of this as a very solid restaurant (hence the 4 stars). The beef chow fun is on par with ones I'd get in NYC Chinatown, and was actually not very overpriced. Our server was very sweet but only recommended things that my friend did not love (seafood/spicy food). I was excited for the spicy cabbage, hoping it'd be comparable to the addictive spicy cabbage at Uluh (NYC). I was disappointed. The popcorn chicken was a bit dry; I would not get it again. The mapo spaghetti had heat, but not much flavor, and it was okay for me - worth getting because it sounded intriguing, but fell short of my expectations, especially since I've made mapo udon, mapo ramen, and mapo pie at home that were better. The escargots with milk bread was definitely my favorite; sourcing escargot alone is a plus and it was very well-executed. The milk bread was fantastic, pillowy and soft. Our server was very nice and offered to move us to the cute window seats after we were already seated at the counter, which I really appreciated. However, would I spend energy trying to get a reservation here or waiting in line? Absolutely not. It makes me sad to think that this is the pinnacle of Cantonese food in this city full of Cantonese people, but I guess it makes me extra appreciate food in NYC.

    Photos
    View of kitchen
    View of kitchen
    Sichuan cabbage
    Sichuan cabbage
    Fish fragrant eggplant

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    Fish fragrant eggplant
    Palette Tea House

    Palette Tea House

    4.1
    (2k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Speaks Mandarin

    Strong five star experience…read more I came here for a work dinner and it felt like the food just kept coming. I wish I had a better memory of everything that I ate, but there was too much. I do remember that I absolutely loved the Peking duck. They came with very thin, I can only describe it as tortilla crêpe things that you would put it in. I love this so much better than the standard buns. I also loved the fried string beans. It was tempura fried and very light. It didn't taste greasy at all. Out of three places we went to dinner for work, this was my favorite by far. It is right in Ghirardelli Square so there's a lot of things you can walk around and do either before or after. Service was great. They were very attentive. The restaurant itself was very open and lit well. They had us in a back area so it was easy to chat with my coworkers. There wasn't a single dish I didn't like so I would highly recommend coming here.

    We came in at 7 pm and the kitchen closes at 7:30, but no problem. We ordered some wine and our…read morevarious dumplings. The mango kissed Seafood crispy came out first & it was so delicious & it really set the tone for a positive & flavorful dining experience My favorites were the classic Ha Gow Shrimp Dumplings & the Chicken Soup Dumplings "XLB", but everything we ordered was very good. Service was attentive and kind. The dining area is colorful, bright & upbeat. This location is also in Ghirardelli Square, so it is a fun, bustling area with lots to see and do before or after your meal. If you'd like a more authentic dim sum meal, perhaps you may enjoy heading to Chinatown to experience a more traditional set of dim sum offerings, but for our purposes today, this was more than adequate. Peace!

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    Palette Tea House
    Palette Tea House
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    Hon's Wun-Tun House

    Hon's Wun-Tun House

    4.1
    (696 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Little bit small interior. Nice big XLB (xiao long bao), crispy green pancake, flavorful Sichuan…read moredumplings (could be spicier), and good eggplant/green bean dish. Service was pretty fast, in and out quick with food being served quickly as well

    This is the kind of restaurant where you need to go in knowing what's good here, so let me break it…read moredown. Get: - house special wonton noodle soup - any wonton noodle soup but try the house special first - pan fried pork dumplings; watch your tongue, it's HOT - curry beef stew - spicy wontons (appetizer); the sauce slaps Pass on the hot and sour soup, it's neither hot nor sour here. I'll report back when I've tried more of the menu but if you somehow need to order more than what I've listed above on your first visit, you're built different from me. Try to come for an earlier lunch, like before 12:30pm, because a line tends to build up outside. There's a tablet for you to join the waitlist when you enter the restaurant, make sure to join the waitlist!! If you're a solo diner (or even a party of 2), they may ask if you're willing to skip the line by sharing a table. Communal dining is fun, say yes! The inside is clean and spacious, but very noisy and hectic-feeling with waitstaff rushing about.

    Photos
    Interior, there's more seating behind that partition.
    Interior, there's more seating behind that partition.
    Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot
    Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot
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    Harborview Restaurant & Bar

    Harborview Restaurant & Bar

    4.0
    (1.9k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    Harborview serves premium food and their dim sum are seemed to order; always fresh and super tasty…read more I've been here numerous times for yum cha (dim sum bunch) before, and trying their HH (Happy Hour) for the first time today.. and it was just simply excellent!!! The quality dim sum that we've come to expect.. plus two delightful bonuses: Excellent Margarita and their OMG - so Tasty and Addicting Tofu Fries!! YUM yim yummmmy!! Service is excellent and their wait staff checked on us every now and then, and everyone is always friendly and helpful. Nicely located in EC4; the restaurants is always super clean and comfy for hanging out. Their balcony seating also very nice, weather permitting. Bonus: they also validate parking, at (I think ) $6 off your parking rate at the Embarcadero's. Great good + Great service! Recommended!!!

    I'm posting this review a little later, but this experience happened during a visit about a month…read moreago and it has stayed with me. One thing that stood out was the restaurant's mandatory 18% gratuity, which is automatically added to every bill. While I understand and respect service charges, I also believe they should come with a reasonable standard of service. During our meal, we politely asked our waitress, Lily, if she could please bring us some soy sauce whenever she had a moment. In response, she audibly sighed, turned her head, and rolled her eyes, which felt unnecessarily rude and unprofessional. Throughout the rest of the meal, whenever we thanked her for bringing our dim sum, she didn't acknowledge us, and simple requests like refilling our water were ignored while she happily chatted with other coworkers and the table immediately next to us (which appeared to be people she knew outside of work). The rest of the staff seemed normal-friendly, which made this interaction stand out even more. Had the gratuity been optional, I would have tipped based on the service we received. Because it was mandatory, paying an 18% service charge for an experience that lacked basic courtesy and attentiveness felt particularly unfair and disappointing. This was my second visit here, but it seems bad service is not uncommon based on other yelp reviews.

    Photos
    Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut
    Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut
    Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!
    Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!
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