Plenty of parking outside, restaurant can use a little remodel, little dull inside. Very large menu with plenty of authentic and American style Chinese dishes. Service is mid. Stopped eating here a while back due to the inconsistency, sometimes undercooked or at times a meat order would be more fat and chewy. read more

Friendly, prompt service. Clean, small environment. Great prices. I ordered the chicken and curry sauce and asked that broccoli be added. I do not like overly spicy curry, and this was a PERFECT combination of the curry aroma and taste. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp with garlic sauce. He adds that everything was fresh and well-cooked. We both enjoyed our dinner. I was surprised to have found such old reviews, so I thought I would share a little bit of our experience. read more

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Favorite local Chinese spot. The friendliest service you will find with amazing food. I love the Shrimp Lo Mein and pan friend dumplings!!!

This is my favorite Chinese food in Lincoln! The Empress Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, & Pan Fried Dumplings are all incredible!! The staff are so friendly and welcoming - I truly cannot say enough good things about this place! I've been coming here for many years & it never disappoints! read more

China Inn went downhill a few years ago and we stopped going there. We tried it again lately and the food is great! I've had 4 different dishes off the special side of the menu and all were great. My wife has tried different dishes with the same result. Food came out promptly and portions were generous. read more

I am new in town. I love Chinese food, and am working my way through the Chinese fare offered in Lincoln. Recently I thought I would try China Inn. When you arrive, you get the distinct impression that you are on a China Restaurant ride at Disneyworld. You are assaulted by Chinese lanterns and lots of other hanging reds. I should have taken it as a sign that, but for me, the place was completely devoid of customers. Eventually a woman came out of the back and told me to sit anywhere. She left me alone to read the entire menu multiple times. I was in the mood for seafood, but there was none available for lunch. You have to break the $30 barrier to get seafood. I wasn't that hungry. I had also been craving potstickers for a few days, so I opted for that route: I'll try some potstickers and hot and sour soup. After all, my mission is to catalogue the Chinese restaurants of Greater Lincoln, and there is no better test of culinary skill than guōtiē. Eventually the woman finally comes back to give me a glass of water. Then a couple comes in, and she fawns over them for what seems like forever. I use the time to renew my search for seafood on the menu. I read the ENTIRE menu for a second time. I think there may be a part of the menu I am missing which contains the seafood. I notice that the menu entries are numbered, so I decide on a strategy of counting up the numbers to make sure I haven't missed anything. I immediately notice that in going from one page to another, they have left out #23. But I do NOT discover a hidden seafood section. When the woman finally comes back to me, I tell her I am thinking about having potstickers, but I like the Chinese style sauce. I ask her if I order the potstickers, can I get some vinegar, hot chili oil, and soy sauce on the side. I ask her if they make the $8 potstickers themselves. She tells me, "No. They are made by a big corporation," which I consider an odd description, but I get the message: They are not real potstickers. They are mass-produced machine-fabricated pieces of meat-like substance excreted by machines in a factory somewhere, and purchased locally, in bulk, by the restaurant from a Costco-like facility, and kept in a deep freeze until they are ordered. OK. But when you have a hankering for potstickers, even Price Club potstickers are better than nothing. An aside about potstickers: Historically, potstickers are very time-consuming and difficult to make. It's kind of like the unspoken agreement you have with the bartender when you order a margarita at the airport: Both you and he know he is going to have to interrupt his mass production to construct the margarita, and the silent understanding is that you will make up for it in the tip. A similar arrangement did not emerge with respect to potstickers, so they historically earned a high price on the menu. But the high prices persist even when the potstickers have become tiny excreta produced by machines. I was denied my request to have my potstickers the way I like them. Instead the woman simply said they make-up their own sauce, and I should try it. And we go back to another bout of interminable waiting. For what? The woman has now chatted-up AND SERVED the couple who came in after me when she finally brings my potstickers with a small bowl of hot and sour soup. And I mean small. My $4 soup was in one of those tiny thimble-sized bowls popular in many US Chinese restaurants, but such is not de rigueur for Lincoln, so I wasn't expecting it. Now I am hungry; I'm into the restaurant for $15 with tax and tip; and I'm going to have to stop somewhere else afterward for lunch. Oh, well. I'm looking forward to the potstickers. Maybe they will be really good. The lady brings some chopsticks, and I attack my potstickers. With the first bite I notice that the food has gone cold. Not even luke-warm, but cold. Now I know what she was doing in the kitchen all that time while I was waiting: She was letting my food go cold. To add insult to injury, their "special sauce" tastes exactly like that weird pre-packaged stuff in little plastic packets that is called "duck sauce" in little hole-in-the-wall restaurants across the US. I sit there steaming. Even if the potstickers are not. I realize that there is no way I can wait forever for the "lady" to come back. I take the plate to the servers' window into the kitchen, and say my potstickers are cold. Lady asks if they are frozen in the middle -- as if anything less should be acceptable. She takes the plate as if to investigate my claim. I return to my seat. After a while I realize the absurdity of the situation, and the amount of my time wasted. I do something I have never done before: I walk out of this horrible establishment without paying. And I'm never going back. I cannot recommend that you ever visit this poor legacy of an excuse for a restaurant. But if you do, order the number 23. And order it hot. read more

This is our favorite Chinese restaurant in Lincoln. Greatest hits include the duck and the wanza. The staff is friendly and helpful. We are always greeted with friendly smiles and banter They have taken COVID seriously too. Staff is masked and seating is limited. We have only been doing carry out since COVID became a thing and their carry out is fresh and they include all of the expected accoutrements. Highly recommend! read more

I'm updating this review because I got to eat China Inn for the first time in years. I read that they changed owners and also changed their menu, with disappointing results. I also read (and heard) that they went BACK to their old menu. When I went this past weekend, they had the same old menu. If you eat China Inn, I HIGHLY urge you to try the Crispy chicken dish instead of your normal American Chinese dishes. It's one of my favorites in Nebraska. China Inn is still a great restaurant and I will try to hype this place as much as I can. read more

China Inn - Crispy chicken and Wan-za, a spicy seafood dish. - Chinese Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Always love what I get from this restaurant. The customer service is always great and the food is as well. I like the fact that I can see them cooking my food, nothing is hidden. I'm headed there right now!! read more

Absolutely THE BEST CHINESE in Lincoln. I was introduced to this place by friends years ago, and I still can't get enough. The location is unassuming and the decor is a bit "hole in the wall," but the food is always great. This is not Chinese-American food like many people think of when they think "Chinese" (though those dishes are certainly available and great), but honest, authentic Chinese food. Some favorites for the less adventurous: Crispy Chicken (fried whole bone-in cutlets cut up and served in a sweet mild chili sauce), Peanut Butter Chicken (fried bite-size pieces). Moderately Adventurous favorites: Ma Po Tofu (spicy and flavorful with ground pork), Peking Duck (on Fridays and Saturdays), Stewed Fat Pork (pork belly in a sauce of pork fat and soy), Fish With Crispy Bean Sprouts. ...and my absolute favorites, for the true foodies: Salty Shrimp (eat head-on and shell-on, as they come), Spicy Intestines in Hot Pot (half tofu, half intestines, all delicious). Really, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Everything on the inside of the menu is traditional Chinese-American favorites you'd find on menus everywhere else in town. These are well-made renditions. But by far, my favorite dishes at China Inn come from the back page of House Specialties. Be adventurous and try one (or see my recommendations above)! I'm still working my way through the list - for the adventurous eater, you can't go wrong. Perhaps most importantly, YOU WILL FEEL GOOD HOURS AFTER YOU EAT THIS FOOD! I guarantee you can't say that about any other Chinese restaurant in town. Go ahead, take the challenge. They use restraint in their use of oil, salt, and starch, so the food is healthier and you feel better. My stomach is always happy when I leave, and this feeling continues throughout the day/night. Service is friendly (if a bit scatter-brained) and prices are incredibly reasonable: under $15/person for a great, filling meal with leftovers to take home. Meals are served family-style, so go with a group to experience the most variety. You seem to get bonus points for using chopsticks and ordering the more adventurous dishes - these things will only enhance your meal. I have introduced probably 20 people to this place in the last year. After you have a great meal, be sure to tell your friends and post another review on here. They could always use the business, and they deserve great success. If you have any doubts, take a look at the clientele and tell me it's not a sign that the food is really, really good :) read more

Upon entering, we found our way to a booth on the far end of the restaurant. The dimly lit space was welcoming on a cold, wintry night. Light flashed through the ceiling fans as if a film noir was being shot; if only a man in a fedora and trench coat had been smoking in the booth behind us! In all seriousness, the food is great. Fresh, crunchy veggies and succulent meat. The chicken we ordered was fried crisp without the inch-thick breading that comes on most other Chinese-American restaurant's chicken. Noodles had a great pan scorch on them that gave extra flavor. We ordered our dishes extra spicy, and they had a fantastic balance of flavor (as opposed to the burning your palate without delivering a modicum of taste). On my radar for the next visit is the crispy duck. Be sure to check out the back page for tasty authentic treats. My husband and I ate our fill and the bill was under $15. Definitely one to put on your list. read more

Lincoln Journal Star has listed China Inn as the best Chinese food in Lincoln. Every item is delicious on the menu. Everything is pretty cheap, but if you want to splurge, you can get a whole fish (steamed or fried) for $22. Favorite items: Duck (half a duck, peking style for $10), Wan Za (battered and fried sea food in a hot sauce), Triple delight with pan-fried noodles, Jum Bong (Korean seafood noodle dish). Crispy chicken, general's chicken and peanut butter chicken are favorites among the American guys I know. The restaurant is very vegetarian-friendly: Tofu mushroom, family style tofu, eggplant with basil, water spinach, chinese squash tofu, green beans w/o pork. The service staff is also very friendly. read more

Authentic and delicious Chinese food! The green beans are incredible and they have plenty of vegetarian options, which the owners happily recommended to me. It is clear they care about their customers and their service is excellent. The food is authentic, not your typical Chinese take-out! Definitely a favorite :) read more

China Inn - Fried fish in spicy sauce - Chinese Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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When you google this place, you notice that it has 3 stars. Do NOT buy that. This place in my opinion deserves at least 4.7/5. You just have to order the authentic Chinese dishes at the back of the menu like three flavored chicken, crispy chicken, spicy boiled beef, seasonal green beans, and best of all, crispy salty eggplants (not on the menu). Easily the best Asian food in Nebraska, and possibly all of the Midwest outside of Chicago. read more

I heard a rumor that China Inn is owned by the same folks that run Windchimes. I'm unsure if it's true, but they both have FANTASTIC Chinese food, & this place is cheaper than Windchimes. I highly recommend the Peanut Butter Chicken. My complaint: If you ever eat here in the winter, don't take your coat off, or get it to-go. The door opens directly into the seating area (no vestibule), and it's freezing! read more

We found this place probably about ten years ago when my brother was playing in a chess tournament in a nearby hotel. I remember being very impressed back then, and last night my mom and I were in Lincoln to go to a lecture and decided to refind the place. She remembered it being kind of close to Cornhusker and I remembered it being near some sort of grocery or big box store, and we both turned out to be exactly right. It's one of those really unprepossessing hole-in-the-wall sort of places that turns out to be really good. The menu is a mix of Chinese and Korean dishes, with the very authentic selection of Chef's Specials on the back. I was not brave enough to try the Spicy Intestine in Hot Pot and I don't have the faintest idea what Peppered Cattle Baiye or Shredded Luffein Tofu even are, but I ordered the Triple Delight with Panfried Noodles, which the waitress claimed was her favorite. When it came out, I could see why. A nice, varied mix of tender-crisp vegetables in a good sauce with plenty of seafood and meat and nice crisp noodles. The crab ragoon were also yummy, fried nice and crisp without being too greasy and well-stuffed with filling. The disappointment of the evening was my mom's dish. She was curious about the Pork Chop Noodle Soup and probably should have asked the waitress, but her English did not seem that great so she just ordered it and it turned out the pork chop was fried, like really thin chicken fried steak. Neither of us likes fried meat that much and the whole soup had a fried sort of aftertaste from the pork so it wasn't what we expected and wasn't to our taste. Otherwise, a very good experience and the other solid dishes we passed on the way out looked as good as mine, so we will definitely go back sometime when we're in Lincoln again. read more

China Inn is one of the best Chinese restaurants with close-to-authentic Chinese food. I am a Chinese from Malaysia and I really miss the food from back home. Thus, I am always craving for good Chinese food, the closer the taste is to the food back home, the better. The price is very reasonable for the food quality. Even though the food tastes good, the cleanliness might be a little lacking. I remember a friend and I getting a horrible stomach pain after eating at that place during lunch one day. (Note: we did not eat breakfast, and it wasn't food from the night before, because we felt pains right after dinner, which meant it couldn't be dinner we just ate. And we eliminated all other possibilities.) One more downside about this place is the hospitality and service. Not the best I know of all the restaurants I've been to. To me, I'm quite used to this unfriendliness and "strictly-business-attitude", because quite a number of restaurants back in Malaysia have that sort of attitude. But China Inn's main boss can be quite unfriendly and mean, and could care less about me (because I've worked there before for a short while and couldn't take the stress and unfriendliness). Other than that, the food is pretty awesome for Chinese cuisine. I say that because even though I've been treated really badly before by them, and do not enjoy working there, I still go there often to have my fix of Chinese food. That does say something about the food there, I suppose... read more

The food here is decent, and the Taiwanese menu looks particularly enticing. Service is fast, and our food came out hot. You get a choice of fried rice or white rice with your meal. Booths are comfy, and they have a nice little vegetarian section on the menu. Heads up, though, that the staff here doesn't seem to be aware of the posted Yelp check in deal for free spring rolls. Both the server and the other gentleman she pulled over to consult (a manager?) seemed confused when I showed them the deal on my phone. I ended up giving up on the spring rolls--oh well, it's healthier without, right? There were also mushrooms in the title of one of the dishes I ordered, but they didn't appear in the dish. After the extended confusion with the spring rolls, I decided not to call someone over. It tasted okay without. Glad to have a Taiwanese restaurant in town! read more

This is the "new" China Inn - I imagine they will start calling it "Mr. Fan's" given the new menu. The focus now seems to be on Taiwanese food (see menu posted in pictures). I found the spicy boiled beef to be just as good as the "old" China Inn - extremely tender beef, and cabbage, in a broth served in a clay pot. Not as spicy as in the past, but you can ask for some chili oil on the side. Will have to try it a few more times to see what it is really like (lost stars because it was so hot inside for lunch today, even though the outside temp was only 72. Maybe waiting to fix the AC? read more

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This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in town. Cheap ($5.95 lunch includes drink), order at the counter, fast, good taste, good amount, CANNED pop instead of fountain, which I think is a plus. Family owned I'm pretty sure. Nice people too. read more

Excited to find out that Lincoln finally has authentic Chinese cuisine! Reasonable pricing as well! New owner Mr. Fan has been a chef who worked with and awed ambassadors for years mastering in Chinese food (Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwanese, Sichuan...etc). Order from Mr. Fan's House specialties menu and your taste buds will be satisfied by his authentic cooking. Better yet, he doesn't use MSG in cooking and insists on selecting quality materials for the dishes. For example, he uses Nebraskan beef for beef noodle soup and imported quality pork from Poland for the braised pork dishes. We recently discovered Mr. Fan's cooking and have been coming back every week! We like his Beef noodle soup , simmered chicken thigh rice, salt and pepper chicken, steamed fish, and tea-smoked salty duck. The exploration continues... read more

Fun place to visit on a rainy night...provided it's 2001! Why is this place still open? Didn't that dysentery scare in 2003 ruin this place?

Not just some of the worst Chinese food I've ever had -- probably the single worst dining experience of my life. Note the date of the reviews listed here. Years ago, China Inn was hands-down the best Chinese (Americanized and authentic) food in Lincoln. The line during lunch hours was nearly out the front door. No longer. Now, you can wander in right after noon and get any table you want with zero waiting. In other words, other people have figured out just how bad the food has gotten. Unfortunately for us, it took two visits in mid 2012 to figure it out for ourselves. On both visits the food was cold, poorly timed (one person got their food 10 minutes before the other on both occasions) and simply terrible. On the first visit I opted for one of the authentic Chinese dishes. Bland and tasteless. On our second visit, I thought I'd go the safe route -- there is no way in hell anyone can screw up sweet and sour shrimp, right? After 20 minutes of waiting in the empty restaurant (and listening to some confused, angry bickering in the kitchen) my dish finally appeared. And let me tell you, we could not get out of there fast enough. The fried rice was simply a glob of greasy brown rice reeking of peanut oil. I tried one bite cautiously and nearly spat it out. The shrimp was hardly fried with tons of watery breading slimed onto it. But I am nothing if not persistent. Seeing as how we were starving and in a rush, I figured I'd drown this nightmarish concoction in sweet/sour sauce and gulp it down. But China Inn has apparently fallen into such dire straits that they are watering down the sauce and even the spicy mustard. Both were literally soupy and tasteless, as if they'd been cut several times over with water. Upon seeing this, I shook my head at my wife and then headed to the counter. I told the woman that the food was terrible and that we wouldn't be paying for it. She apologized profusely (but without any surprise on her face at all) and we walked out. We loved China Inn during its heyday. Very sad to see it has fallen so far. read more

Rangoon was good. Kung Pao Chicken Flavor was okay but there was hardly any chicken in it and it was extremely greasy/oily. Floor was filthy and from what I could see of the kitchen, it was as well with dirty dinner dishes stacked around. Server was prompt and polite but they missed it on the food. read more

I personally don't recommend this restaurant because they serve Asian carp as bass. Besides, their cooks couldn't cook the fish well. This is my personal opinion. read more

The food was not tasty; not a good chinese restaurant. I tried the beef with garlic sauce and it was a disaster.

I love China Inn! My favorite item is the Spicy Boiled Beef. I also love many other items on their menu and enjoy trying their more authentic dishes. The prices are also very good. I wish I still lived in Lincoln so I could eat here more often! read more

There is no significant negatives I'd say about this place; I probably would give similar review to the one I wrote for Mr Hui. Just another average Chinese restaurant in Lincoln, you can try it: not that bad, just don't assume you have tasted authentic Chinese food. That's it. read more

China Inn is probably my favorite restaurant in Lincoln. Don't be fooled by the first couple of sections on their menu which is the typical syrupy American stuff. Go for the specialties and the dishes on the back. Their green beans are my favorite and my husband (normally the kind to go for meaty stuff) will kill for their tofu and black mushrooms. (And I agree with the previous poster about the kim chi--excellent!) Best of all, this is a family-run business and if you go as regularly as we do (about once a week) they really get to know you. The friendly woman who runs the restaurant recognizes us now and always goes above and beyond to make our visit great. They have completely secured our loyalty. read more

The lady behind the counter was very friendly. The food on the other hand was not up to par. The sweet and sour sauce had absolutely no taste. We ordered the Generals Chicken and it just was not good. It didn't even look appetizing. The prices are very good compared to other similar establishments, but the quality lacks big time. We ordered $30 worth of take out, and are now eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. read more

Yelp has lost a lot of credibility to me, simply by allowing this place to be called the best Chinese food in Lincoln. Wait staff was slow, and I have never before been served General's Chicken that was actually dripping grease off the chicken, washing away the spicy sauce. I know that to be fair I should go back and give them another chance, but the dysentery I suffered after one trip will keep me from doing so. Best word to describe the ambiance? Dump. Best words to describe the food? Garbage from the dump. read more

Chinese food is good. The lady in the front desk is nice. The only negative thing is that light is too dark.

Great food and I have ate here for years, tonight I ordered pickup and was charged the wrong amount, given the wrong food after being reassured it was correct and tied up so If i opened it, I would need another bag or atleast a few sets if hands. Then once I made them aware of the wrong order they argued that I made the mistake. Yet my confirmation email matched exactly what I wanted yet differed from what they said I ordered. So I'll have to pass on a repeat until they can make this right. read more

Best chinese food around, and the prices are great. They serve giant helpings, you definately get your money's worth. Only down side, no one speaks fluent english, so if you have a question.... good luck! read more

Best Chinese in Lincoln. Peanut butter chicken and four seasoned green beans are a staple every visit

I cannot believe this restaurant is still running. The only good point is cheap price. Other than that, crowded tables, tiny space, rude service, poor sanitation, terrible room decoration, and more are all terribly poor. read more

I used to recommend this restaurant because the food IS really good. However, I don't think I will every return. The lady that waits on you is extremely forgetful. You order a specific dish and out comes something completely different, worse is that she thinks you should accept the wrong dish. This is just not acceptable, no matter how good the food tastes. She wasn't always this way, we ate there a lot, but now, it is just ridiculous and not worth the hassle to get what I really want! Sorry and good-bye. read more

Great experience. Food was fresh and very tasty. Very kind lady taking the order. Beats all their competitors in the area. Overwhelming happy from everyone at our house. Great job. Highly recommend and can't wait to go back. Awesome job China House! read more

Used to love this place. But oh how they have fallen. Used to be the absolute best in town. But now so dirty. Standards have fallen in preparation as well. Sad to say the new crown goes to the Imperial Palace about a mile to the south. read more

Pleasantly surprised to come by this restaurant on a long haul from Chicago to San Francisco. The food is quite authentic, even for Chinese! But it is bit salty but no saltier than other Chinese restaurants. So if you don't like your food too salty, perhaps you can tell them to be a bit light on the salt. Otherwise, no complaints. The waitress was nice. read more