We live just down the street but we had always gone downtown for Chinese. I was happy to see the lunch special is available on the weekend. Food was very good, good value, and service was excellent. read more

China King was open on New Year's Day so we gave it a shot. The restaurant is clean with nice music and comfortable ambiance, the waitstaff is very welcoming, friendly and expedient. The food was surprisingly good! I dearly miss my favorite Chinese restaurant in my old neighborhood (Hu's Sichuan in Palms, West L.A.) so the bar is very high! First of all you get a lot of food, one order of a dish is enough for 4 hungry people. We started with a small order of Hot & Sour soup which was perfect, not too much white pepper but still spicy enough, perfect balance of heat and sour, nice presence of veg and silken tofu, getting over a bad cold, this was so comforting. The house made, pan fried pot stickers (pork) were delicious! Dipping sauce was perfect, we also added some Chinese hot mustard to the sauce.... Yum! General Tao's spicy chicken was perfect balance of hot, sour, sweet, crunchy, saucy... beautiful dish! Orange Spicy Chicken was lack luster, although the chicken was perfectly "velveted" to deliver juicy results, perfectly breaded but sauce work was a bit clunky, needed a punch of citrus, a slap of sour, some heat, some crunchy onions and peppers for contrast and it would have been a super I'm looking forward to our next visit with Vegetarian kids, must try the Sichuan spicy eggplant dish with silken tofu and Crispy Rice Soup, Sichuan Shrimp... yep! We're coming back China King of Goleta.. New Year! Open 365 days a year! read more

Lunch for four today, Thursday. Started with potstickers, pork, with a sweet sauce. Entrees were Sweet & Sour Shrimp, Beef and Broccoli, Black Pepper Beef, and Chicken with Cashews. All very good. I found the Black Pepper Beef to be a bit bland, so added soy sauce. Service was outstanding, the owner doing most of it. Parking is super easy, seating ample and comfortable. My only disappointment was no beer. They don't have a license. But, the lemonade worked ok. read more

You know it has legit Chinese food when they have different menus for authentic Chinese dishes, and more Americanized ones. I was so hungry that I didn't have time to take pictures! There was a bit of a miscommunication because I wanted a potato beef dish, but the worker heard tomato beef. Honestly though it was for the better, because my family loved the tomato beef! It tasted different from the kind we make at home. I also love their cucumbers and peanuts that they let us start out with. I need to know how they flavor the cucumbers! The worker was managing all the tables by himself too, so props to him. read more

Hit all the marks! When was the last time you actually felt you received a great deal at a restaurant? It has been a while for me. China King has good food, quick/friendly service, and a nice clean dining area all at a very reasonable price. I will be eating there every time I crave Chinese food! Solid restaurant!!! read more

Food was good, HOWEVER, the lady will force you to tip. I gave her 5$ cash because it's all I had handy, mind you, tipping isn't mandatory, she printed out another receipt and told me she noticed my tip was small. She took the pen out my hand and almost started writing her own tip, but noticed I got uncomfortable and gave it back to me. I will no longer be back read more

Food is good. As a NYC born and raised, we are known for the best chinese food in the us. So if I say the food is good, it's saying something. Not amazing. But good. Fresh ingredients, good flavors, occasionally a little unusual (tomato in hot and sour soup?). So I would recommend. read more

Very nice place to have authentic Chinese food! The pickled cucumbers and the potstickers are surprisingly delicious. Service is also really good. Clean environment. Enjoyed it very much. Will visit next coming in town for sure. read more

China King - Three cup chicken, spare ribs, etc - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

Located near Bowlero, China King offers nicely prepared, delicious food & the best Pot Stickers I've ever had! Friendly owners & competent staff welcome you to their small, clean unpretentious dining room. If you have a party of 6 they have a large round rotating glass table making entrees easy & fun to share. And of course, they offer menu items to go! read more

Called up and ordered lunch to go. Most of the lunch specials were $11.50. I got Kung Pao Chicken and it was a different version than what I thought I'd get. It was very good with zucchini and a spice that did bring some heat. It was a large portion of food and the egg rolls were tasty too. The gentlemen on the phone and at the front were very kind and friendly. First time here and I'd def return. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while but just never have had the right circumstances. Well getting home from a weekend long soccer tournament filled with pizza, cheeseburgers and burritos, I still didn't have the energy to shop or cook, and desperately wanted SOMETHING different yet something convenient. Here was the chance! I waffled back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. I'd truly give it 3.49 if I could. The food was generally pretty tasty, but there wasn't any dish that really wowed me. We got ginger beef, general Tao chicken, orange peel chicken, fried rice and pork chow fun as well as an order of pot stickers. It was ready on time at pickup (25 minutes after ordering). Whole order was over $100 though which just seemed like ALOT for what we got. My slight dings were the pot sticker skins were really thick and the ginger beef had some bits that were super heavy on the ginger. The one dish that was disappointing was the chicken fried rice. That was bland (which did seem to be a theme amongst other yelp critics). I will definitely still give it another shot, and hope for a slightly better experience, and I know the few things I would and would not try again. Hopefully when I find that perfect moment on a Friday night that calls for phoning a Chinese for a home delivery, I will have a chance to update this review with a few more pluses and not as many minuses. read more

Again today another feast - each dish individually made and NO MSG.... Always a delight!

This place so good food is always fresh a little pricey but so good the service is amazing they have never got my order wrong Goleta has a great family restaurant and take out place thanks china king read more

Love this place. I've only been for lunch.....about 100 times. Our lunch group at work goes here a lot. Really nice people working there. Always very welcoming. The food is delicious too. I like the number of vegetarian offerings. Vegetables are never overcooked... broccoli slightly crunchy, etc. Great soups and egg rolls always served with the hot red chili sauce. So good. Hmmmm, I'm about due for another visit. :-) read more

Such a sweet environment. I went with my best friend for dinner on a sunday night at 8:30pm and they sat us with no hesitation.... only eagerness and smiles. I believe we met THE China King ... he was the kindest man. He diligently waited on us and made sure we felt at home--oh we did. The food was excellent and exceeded every expectation we had. It was truly a religious experience and we cannot wait for our return. Thank you China King and family. Our best wishes to China King and family. read more

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Our favorite dish is the steamed fish fillet, but everything we've tried has never disappointed. China King is a go-to local spot for our family. read more

I'm giving this place a two, because the food was at minimum, edible. No flavor. I will not digress. I personally will not recommend nor return. Sorry! read more

We got what we came for: Comfortable Chinese food, quick service, unpretentious ambience. Would recommend.

We had high hopes based on yelp reviews and were very disappointed. We ordered cashew chicken and Mongolian beef with a free side of dumplings to be delivered. The cashew chicken was burned. It was so dry there was no sauce left and 5 chunks of gristle in just one portion. The Mongolian beef was bland. The potstickers didn't taste any better than frozen ones from TJ's. On top of that, it took over an hour for delivery AND when they delivered they didn't follow directions as to which door and actually ENTERED MY HOUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION to set down the bag. I would never recommend this place based on tonight. read more

I will have to say that this is my new go to spot for Chinese food. We have ordered for pick up before but this was my first time eating at the restaurant and I was more than satisfied with my visit. We were a party of 5 and went around the hours of 6-7pm. It was a little busy but I would say that although we had a bit of a wait to be served, it was definitely worth the wait! My favorite dish will have to be the Yang Zhou fried rice! If you haven't tried it yet, please do and you won't be disappointed! It is absolutely amazing and has a perfect combination of shrimp, scallions and pork. I can't even describe how delicious the shrimp in lobster sauce tastes. It is so creamy and it comes with a generous amount of shrimp. Lastly we got the enjoy the Kung Pao chicken. Omg it was so tasty and I loved that little zing of spice! If you can handle a little spice, please try this out as it is absolutely mouth watering. We really appreciated how attentive our waiter Harry was. Coming around to make sure we had all we needed made our visit truly enjoyable. read more

China King - 99. Pork Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

Best Chinese Food Ever! My family and I were on a road trip and looking for some delicious food, and we found it! The food was flavorful and absolutely amazing! The service was quick as well, and the owner is super friendly and attentive! I recommend the black bean fish and the chicken and beef fried rice. read more

If you ask me, China King is the best Chinese restaurant in town (now that Red Pepper Restaurant closed). Never judge a book by its cover since it's located within a strip mall off Calle Real in Goleta. However, I do always judge a Chinese place by its fried rice to determine how the rest of their entrees are going to taste. China King does it right with each and every grain of rice being browned, crispy and well-cooked, without being greasy. I particularly appreciate and love that nothing on their menu comes from a can or contains MSG. They always provide huge portions of food too. I am aware that Orange Chicken isn't truly authentic Chinese, but it's one of my favorite dishes to order everywhere I go. If you enjoy it too, be sure to order China King's Orange Peel Chicken which is perfectly crisp and soaking in a homemade orange sauce. Don't be frightened by the red peppers and spice notation on the menu. It is not spicy at all--trust me, I do not tolerate spice. The lady who works take-out is always very friendly and often treats us to free egg rolls. Win-win. They deliver too! read more

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Confused why there are some bad reviews. Menu says they don't use MSG, the food seemed fresh. The chicken chow mein was good and loved the crispy garlic chicken. The man that took our order and served us was very polite and filled our drinks regularly and boxed up our leftovers for us. Will go back and would recommend to others. read more

Upon my first-time visit: We arrived for lunch service at 11:37am. The restaurant was tidy---as well as the dining room. The BBQ ribs entree is something you can't go home without; order two! The lunch service was excellent. The lunch menu is typical; HOWEVER, you will not be disappointed by anything you order. Excellent place! Sincerely, Marie read more

Excellent food!!! Service was very good. Food was fresh and hot! Will definitely be returning.

Food was pretty good no complains.from out of town and was looking for a spot to stop and get a bite before going back to my hotel read more

China King - Walnut shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

Unfortunately this food was very disappointing. It was past dinner time, I was exhausted after working all day & schlepping my kids from all their sports so we grabbed some takeout. We got pad Thai chicken & chicken chow mien. The pad Thai was covered in some kind of ketchup sauce( yes very odd) you could even smell ketchup while eating it & the chicken was breaded slimy fat. The chow mien was just bad with the sane type of chicken, both of them the worst I have ever had. I even tried dowsing them both in siracha but that didn't even help, we couldn't even eat it. I thought Panda Express was bad but this takes the cake. read more

China King - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

Just my go to place locally. The food is better than most other Chinese restaurants. May not be as fancy, but they are consistent. Know the owners and was a customer of theirs many years ago. read more

Ehh. Was hoping on abit more flavor and am a lil disappointed! Albeit the service was Great and we got everything quickly and pleasantly. That being said the veg fried rice was alright. Sweet & sour soup had the most flavor out of everything but it still coulda used a little help!! Crispy pan fried noodles and veg not the noodles we were anticipating Chinese snow peas lacked flavor as did the veg noodle soup we shared.. Having to ask for chopsticks in any Chinese restaurant is also a 'note to self' that the food is not authentic enough!! They need to get their flavors and sauces out and try again!! read more

DON'T DO IT!!!!!! Service:I placed my order for delivery at 6pm. I ordered shrimp chow main, beef and broccoli, and fried rice. I was told it was going to be 45 for my delivery. I was so excited that they delivered since we don't have a lot of places that are willing to deliver. At 7:15pm my food was nowhere to be seen. I called the China king and asked for ETA on my food. They told me they had a lot of deliveries and she would call me back to let me know how long for my food to be delivered. 10min passed. I called them back about my food, she said it just left. WTF (1hr 20min I get in my car to go get my food. I spoke the manager and all she gave me was excuses and until I was out the door she asked what she could do better. Food: Got home to my hungry family and to make things worse the food was cold (probably from sitting for 1hr2min) and the food was displeasing. Fried rice was sad and poorly made. Nothing like the pictures previously posted on their yelp. I've never tasted chow main like that (that's not a compliment) and am not sure how they managed to screw up beef and broccoli. Never again to say the least! read more

China King - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Good portion and delicious food. Called in ahead of time to order the food and the food was ready and well packed in a timely fashion. I ordered Beef Chow Fun, Sichuan Broiled Beef, and sautéed fish filet. read more

Hubby and I were looking for another Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood which has since closed down. We were delighted to find China King. I asked for the Chinese menu, off which I ordered two appetizers: cold pork slices in garlic sauce, wonton in spicy sauce. Both fantastic!! We ordered a Yangzhou fried rice & three cup chicken. They were all delicious and not overly salty, spicy or oily. I especially recommend the two appetizers and Yangzhou fried rice ! Friendly staff & generous portions too read more

China King - Yangzhou fried rice 扬州炒饭 - Chinese Near Me - Goleta, California

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Sorry to post a mediocre review bc the staff was nice, but the food was just okay. I was so excited for the vegetarian/soy chicken- it was just slices of a tofu log with sauce on it. I was hoping for orange chicken (like a deep fried piece of chicken in the sauce), but tofu instead. They also did not give us silverware or napkins, which is really annoying when you order take out. We are staying in a hotel and had to ask the front desk for utensils- glad they had them. Overall not very good. Disappointed because it seemed like the owners have been in business 35+ years and was just hoping for better. read more

This new Chinese restaurant is run by Mr. and Mrs. Hong; who are the previous owners of Mandarin Palace. I came here to try out their lunch specials and decided to order the Almond Chicken. For starters I was served the soup of the day. It had flat noodles and veggies. It wasn't too bad, but it was very different from the traditional egg drop soup. Next was my main meal the Almond Chicken. This was served on a large tray that included one egg roll, one cream cheese wonton, fried rice, salad, and some kind of weird white creamy concoction that looked like it had canned veggies. I was afraid to touch it, but it had my curiosity, so I took a small bite and yet I still couldn't figure out what it was! So I asked the waitress "What is this exactly?" And she kindly replied "It's the chef's special". According to her it's a traditional side dish that's served in their family and they wanted to share it with the customers. It wasn't bad but it was just kind of weird to me because I've never seen anything like it. Interesting is all I can say! The Almond Chicken was pretty good and tasted fresh, there was nothing fancy about the fried rice but it totally reminded me of Mandarin Palace. Loved the cream cheese wonton! The salad was very mediocre. I'm not a huge egg roll fan but it was crispy and fresh. Their dining tables seat 4 people, and mostly everyone dining here during lunch was solo. It was funny to see one person at every table that seated 4 people! Luckily it wasn't busy but I can imagine if it had been busy then you probably wouldn't find a seat. Overall I would come back here again to try other items on the menu but for now I'm rating it 3 stars. BUT! I give Mrs. Hong 5 stars for her great customer service and warm welcome. read more

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Is there's a new King in town? Maybe not. The word is out the Chinese community that there's a new family in town. With room for about 45, 15 were seated and was the only one with the English menu. Fresh paint really brightens this place up and table cloths make it fancy. The look is simple with very little Oriental decoration. I was only offered the Lunch Special menu and chose the Kung Pao Beef $8.95. Comes with a soup of the day, a vegetable noodle, salad, egg roll, wonton and rice. There is clearly another menu available as the table next to me had large piles of meat in bowls, noodles and other delicious looking food. So did others. Look like I ordered poorly. The food was fine. Not great but not bad. The lunch menu is It's typical, Americanized, Chinese food. There are better lunch spots for this type of food in Goleta. The service was quick and I was in and out in about 35 minutes. Will I come back? Sure. But only for the full menu and not the lunch specials. The food is good but I want some authentic cooking now that I know they offer it. It will be tough to beat Lucky Dragon as some of the most authentic I've eaten in the States. Best of luck to you China King. I look forward to reading more about you. read more

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Worst chinese restuarant I ever been, on top that the owner try to over charge my meals. I do not recommend coming back or nor suggest anyone to go there. The price for chinese meals should not be that expensive. read more

Great Service & Great Food! It was a little busy with three large tables, but service was still fast and friendly. Food tastes fresh and isn't too oily. Flavor of the Mango Shrimp is light and refreshing. Not too sweet. The Hunan Beef has a great crunch to it without ruining the flavor of the filet. Rice is cooked to perfection. Not dry, not wet. Plenty for your table. Fortune cookies are "compliment" cookies, easy to read. Light and tasty. I asked for hot tea, but they didn't bring any out. A bit disappointing, but it's okay. Interiors are mismatched, but tastefully done. Red stimulates your appetite. Water quality is good, no tinny taste, glasses are clean. Restroom is also very nice. It is bright, clean, and has good finishes. Would recommend to a friend. Cozy and cute inside. A bit claustrophobic when full but it's a great place to eat overall. read more

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My fiancé' and I have been looking in Goleta for a new Chinese food place to dine at and I think we found it! The experience was great. I haven't left a restaurant feeling this happy in a long time. When we first walked up, the door was held open for us as we were immediately seated at a table in the back. Our order was taken shortly after that. When it arrived our waitress served each one of us a plate and left. ALL OF THE FOOD CAME OUT DELCIOUS! We were excited for leftovers. The service was great. They were very friendly and happy (even though we came in an hour before closing). I will only be coming here for Chinese food from now on. :) read more

A special gem! The gentlemen who owns this restaurant is named Patrick. He brings the food answers the phone, cleans the table, etc. He is consistently polite and helpful in every way. I know that Goleta and SB have many Asian restaurants but the chef here is truly talented. We go at least once a week and have never been disappointed. We consider ourselves experienced in all kinds of Asian food. The food here is spectacular and we usually order an extra dish to go home-since we never have any leftovers! Please visit China King we promise you will love it!! read more

Many legs up from Panda Express, and next to forever-a-fun-time Zodo's is China King. Hailed by many as the best semi-Americanized Chinese food in the south county area, this is the place to go for inexpensive and delicious lunch specials. We came in around noon on a Saturday and it was empty. The sweet woman at the register let us sit wherever we chose, bringing water and a requested Coke in a jiffy. When a few others came in, it became clear that she was the only one running the front-of-the-room operations, leading to a little bit of slow service. This was preferable to feeling rushed to order, though, giving us time to decide on what we wanted. I ordered a $8.95 orange peel chicken lunch special, complete with hot and sour soup, an iceberg salad with citrus-y sesame dressing, cream cheese wonton, vegetarian egg roll, and a side of fried rice. Someone at our table subbed in white rice at no cost. They have a myriad of other lunch specials, including seafood, beef, pork, and soy meats for the vegetarians. Specials come in a bento box-like layout, compartmentalized with a dipping sauce in the center for your fried appetizers. Everything arrived at our table at the same time, meaning no awkward hedging or insistence that "no, you can eat without me." Although it may not look large, we were stuffed to the point of requesting takeout boxes. With our checks came four fortune cookies. In case you were wondering, they are indeed open for Christmas. read more