We were craving Chinese food and ordered three dishes for takeout tonight...our first visit. Shrimp Chow Mein was just a handful of shrimp, tons of noodles and a couple small pieces of cabbage- basically no vegetables! We asked for crispy noodles ( they said they had them) but only got fried wontons. Kung Pao Chicken was okay but not very spicy nor flavorful. Last dish was steamed chicken and vegetables. That was fine. So, bottom line, a very forgettable meal. Disappointed for sure. read more

I had the best tasting soup today at China King Wor won ton soup was so fresh with chicken, beef and veggies. Hit the spot!! I added the hot oil and bam!! So good !! read more

I've been here twice now for lunch and am not yet a fan. The first time I have the lunch special with Chow San Sein (veggies with shrimp, beef, and chicken). It looked very fresh and colorful but the sauce was a bit watery. The lunch special also came with a bowl of vegetable soup, which was good but I am used to egg drop or wonton, rice which was very good, green salad, egg roll and cheese wonton both good, and some white concoction I thought was ambrosia but was some sort of fluffy mayo/veggie deal (no thanks). The 2nd time I had the lunch special but with Mu Shu Chicken which are kinda like wraps. They were alright but I wouldn't order them again. The white mayo concoction was gone (good move) and a blob of jello replace it (once again, no thanks). At lunch they only gave me the lunch menu. Next time I would like to just order off of the regular menu and just skip some of the lunch special items. read more

They have amazing food and serve big portion. We really enjoyed it especially the sweet and sour soup. We definitely recommend this place

Got a recommendation for the waiter for a dish - asked for something not to spicy. He said ok. Brings the dish out and says something along the lines of "it's gonna be a little spicy". It was spicy but also neither me or my sister enjoyed it. We told the waiter we did not enjoy it and barely touched it outside tasting it clearly. He brings back the check with the dish on there. I spoke to the manager and said we did not like the rec and did not want to pay for it. She said "you order food you pay for it". No compromise w/ a different order or anything. She pretty much scoffed that we were trying to dispute we didn't like it tho we asked for a recommendation... Disappointed in the service. read more

My dad and I got takeout- my dad had the Kung Pao beef and I had the beef chow mien, and we split an order of veggie rolls. All of it was really good. My dad wouldn't stop talking about how nice and sweet the Kung Pao beef was, and the meat in both dishes was exceptionally tender. The veggies also seemed really fresh, and in the veggie rolls they were soft but not limp, which was a nice contrast to the crunchy shell. My only complaint was that the sauce in my chow mien could've had a slightly stronger flavour, but that's just me being nit-picky. All in all, I would definitely go back for seconds! read more

Update, ordered from China King last night and the food was excellent, better than ever. I met the new owner who has been friends with Jennifer and Jerry since 2005. He has the same cooks, the same recipes and Jerry stops by regularly. What I really liked is he said "all our dishes are good, but there is always room for improvement". He went on to say "please give me your honest feedback, and we are going to continue to improve everything we serve". By the way, free egg rolls, and free white rice came with my order. And by the way, my food was ready exactly at the time promised, no wait! read more

The food here is very tasty and the proprietors are really nice. My go-to Chinese place in Goleta for 4 years now.

Ordered 8 dishes for delivery for over $100...received 7 items...2 were correct and it was probably by chance (chow mein and white rice). Tried using the restaurant's preferred online delivery system, it said we were outside 5 mile radius, which we are not. Food that did arrive was decent, just wish it had been correct. Not sure where the error happened, so didn't want to knock too many stars off. There are also very few Chinese options in SB/Goleta to choose from. So will try again in the future. read more

Small little hole in the wall. Decor is not the selling point but the location is decent and the owners are very friendly. The food was very good. We ordered about 6 entrees, along with egg roles and wantans to sample as we had other family arriving. The food came out in record time. We could not believe how fast the service was. Everything was very hot and fresh. We sat at the large swivel table, which is nice. They place all of the food and sauces on the swivel so that we could turn it to get at everything. I also appreciated that they provided thick quality chop sticks. That is a big plus in my book. The ice tea was the only thing that could really use improvement and if the decor was a little upgraded I would definitely give this the 5th star. Definitely worth the visit. read more

China King - Chinese food with my Sarah Bear - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

China King is the best Chinese food! The place reminds me of Chinese restaurants that I love from SF. Everything we ordered was delish!

Bad experience. I specifically called and asked the owner if they added anything to the brown rice, she said only water. I asked three times since I can have a reaction. Next morning was awakened by a migraine and severe nausea. It was all I had eaten that day.I was sick all day. I called back and she lied again. It had been loaded with some oil. For 2.00 DOLLARS she'd lie! Very cruel if you ask me. read more

A tidy little resturant with nice decor. We ordered from the lunch menu, Tofu and string beans. The dishes come in a Bento box, very nicely laid out. The food was fresh and tasty. Very friendly staff. read more

This is a nice little Chinese place with delicious food. Of course I needed chili paste with my Chow Fun, but they brought it right away. My husband said his chicken and vegetable dish was the best he's ever had, and we've had hundreds! Sweet owners and chef seemed to care about our food! We will be back! Thanks for such a pleasant meal! read more

I ordered take-out food for ten people tonight. The food was ready at the time I requested and it was fabulous. Everyone of the ten people thought the food was great! read more

Service is very slow. We saw the water being poured from the sink and it doesn't taste good at all. The tea is also sink water and tastes horrible and not fresh. The fried rice was really plain and not good. Overall the food is low quality, not worth it!!! read more

This Chinese restaurant was a huge disappointment. The "fried rice" was just white rice with soy sauce. They take no pride in the presentation of their food. Our vegetable chow menu we asked for spicy, they literally just dumped chili flakes on top of the noodles. The prices were very high for the low quality taste, presentation, and service. I won't be coming here again. read more

I am writing this review because while the food is fine at this restaurant, they have very sneaky business practice, and I feel the need to warn others. They post coupons online to entice customers, but they do NOT honor them. We dined in and tried to use the coupon shown at the bottom left of their website (see photo) that was supposed to give us $5 off, but it was refused by the owner. She first claimed that it was for takeout only, but as shown in the email (see photo) containing the coupon, it was clearly for dine-in. Then she ultimately refused to honor it by saying she didn't know of such a coupon... but the coupon came from the restaurant's official website! How can an owner not know what she posted on her own site?? It is very deceptive, and I hope she stops doing this for the good of her own business and customers. read more

China King - Owner refused to honor ad on her own website - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

No flavor when u get to go. An Asian auntie can cook better than this. The boss was a nice guy though.

This is my favorite spot for local Chinese food. The food is always consistent and the flavors are delicious. The staff and owners are also friendly and very accommodating. read more

I love this place. Everything I've ever had is delicious. This restaurant came to new ownership about a year ago. It's one of the best.

We have been eating Jerry's Chinese cooking for 3 decades- he made the Mandarin the most popular Chinese restaurant in SB...

Amazing food! It was my first time ordering from here and had ordered Schezwan Chicken, rice and a Chicken Chow-mien and will definitely order from this place again...I recommend this place read more

Me and my partner fancied something other than fish and bread so we decided to try this restaurant, honestly I was disappointed by a ungleeming welcome. The poor man that was waiting us looked bored! Not surprising as there was nobody in the place, we ordered drinks which were plesant and I ordered beef with curry sauce and plain rice. ( decent) The food was ok but you could definitely tell this was put in a microwave and heated for a few minutes. ( cheap takeaway food) This place as a takeaway on its own would be good but with the Decor of the place looking better than the food on my plate it didn't feel like I was eating like a king. Probably wouldn't recommended. Ok service from the waiter/ boring atmosphere/ ok food/ nice Decoration/ poor selections. I work in a restaurant back in the UK and if we would have served that I'm sure the customer would have wanted a full refund, but I'm not that harsh. 2/10 read more

they got their swag back! I love this place. Best Chinese food in goleta no doubt!

This restaurant is one we can count on when we want fast and really good Chinese food. We especially like the steamed fish dish. Tonight we had pork fried rice, garlic broccoli, Szechwan shrimp, and a few more dishes. All agreed that our food was very good. Definitely going back again!! read more

Tucked away in this little plaza is a true hidden gem of Taiwanese cuisine. The menu is full of traditional Taiwanese dishes whose authentic flavors hark back to their culinary roots in Taiwan. The beef dish that I enjoyed (水煮牛) along with the soup was flavorful and had depth that brought me back to the crowded night markets and street vendors in Taipei. I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for authentic Taiwanese cuisine to sate your appetite! read more

Absolutely delicious with super duper nice service! Highly recommend the "veggie triple delight and egg"!

Just went there for my break , as I walk in the hostess was in LaLa land , I wasn't sure what to do , it was empty and I ask for a menu , I sat there and no one came up to me and ask if I was thirsty like they usually do , they started talking there language and so I still sat there for a couple more minutes and I left. Communication total disappointment, read more

Bottom Line: Another over priced, mediocre spot Orange peel beef - $13.50. Thirteen.....Fifty. This is not Beverly Hills... this is the 93117 next to a BOWLING ALLEY I'm sorry but that is a lot of money for a small plate of beef. For that money they should have thrown in the trash what I was eating yesterday and made it again. I have worked in a kitchen in the past and if that plate had come by me before heading out of the window, I would literally have thrown it in the trash and had them try again. For that money I was surprised at how tough and "burn-y" it tasted. Pretty disappointed. Wife had chow mein with some beef in it that was nice a tender. The noodles were good and our kid was stuffing his face with the stuff. The cream cheese wontons were good - we all enjoyed that. The server was good and attentive. The overall the value of this place is certainly lacking. read more

The food was not good..I asked them for spicy food and I felt I was just eating chilies...not recommended at all..I wish there was a negative rating. read more

The owners are very sweet and the portions are great. It isn't fancy Chinese food but it is always consistent and solid. Try it and you will probably go back. read more

This is our favorite Chinese food in town! Very welcoming atmosphere. Great food and great service! You could never go wrong in ordering anything from the menu although we always order the Mongolian beef and the Clay Pot Tofu. The entrees was packed with flavor and not oily! read more

ridiculously understaffed. 3 people working on Christmas Eve. I have waited for 2 hours and still no food yet.

Friendly staff, the woman owner is very nice and strive to make your order right even though she doesn't speak english very well. It's a quiet place to eat and there is not that many clients, which is very enjoyable. I have tried the orange chicken and their fried rice. The fried rice tasted okay, it was a little bit too oily and greasy for a fried rice in my opinion. However, their orange chicken tastes very good. I will be back! read more

Food is so good you won't regret it. Worth going to over panda or any other cheap place.

Tried the soy chicken with orange peel some time ago and bear paw shaped tofu today. The tofu and veggies had a pleasant, full-bodied smell although there was no real presentation. The sauce was savory, lightly sweet, a little sour, and a bit salty to taste. The veggies tasted fresh and crisp, something that is hard to find in most restaurants. The sauce paired very well with them and the rice. The tofu was not complemented well by the sauce in my opinion. I think the oil with which it was sauted did not meld well with the saucy flavor. The soy chicken, from my memory, had a strong, sweet taste. Its crispiness impressed me. Many of the dishes can be substituted with soy meat, so vegans and vegetarians can appreciate the place. The store has a homely atmosphere, and I think the service might seem rude to people only used to more American-style restaurants. However, the employees and store owners seem like polite people. I was glad to read the large review from Santa Barbara Magazine (I think) kept in a poster on a wall. The restaurant is owned by a couple; the husband worked under a famous chef somewhere in Asia and founded this restaurant after founding another Santa Barbara one. There is a menu in all Mandarin with traditional recipes, while the English menu has more American-style ones. The poster mentions that this restaurant doesn't use frozen ingredients, instead opting for fresh ones, and it shows in the taste. Overall, I was not blown away by my meals, but the value is good, the cooking quality is good, the ingredients are fresh, and the vibe is homely. I think I just have a slightly different taste; I usually like more subtle flavors, whereas Chinese flavors are often strong. I might order from the Chinese menu next time (with some assistance). read more

Come and check this new restaurant in town. It's clean and nice. The food are so so so so delicious. We ordered spicy fish, eggplant and Kp vegan chicken. The restaurant is packed and many pickup orders, and the owner still take time to check on us. The service is excellent. I will definitely come back！！ read more

See all

I'm still sitting in the restaurant writing this review because dinner was SO DAMNED TASTY!!!!! Their use of spice, the texture of their meats and new and surprising flavor combinations are amazing. No gross, gloppy sauces or tiny pieces of meat thickly battered. The food is simple, fresh and there's lots of it! Its a small place with cheesy decor but, it's family owned, which I love. Go for the food!! read more

This is the best Chinese food I've ever had in Santa Barbara. The General Tso's Chicken was awesome. The beef skewers were cooked perfectly and delicious. They even threw in a free order of veggie egg rolls. I grew up eating east coast Chinese food and this is the closest I've ever had to it in SB. Plus, the staff was super-friendly when I picked up my order. read more