Craving Chinese food so decided to go to this restaurant on a Thursday evening at 6:00pm. Located in a strip mall, parking wasn't bad. Walking in, there was no one at the lobby and it wasn't busy. It was pretty quiet and a few tables were occupied. The lighting was low and the decor was that of an upscale Chinese restaurant but with a casual feel. We waited a couple minutes when a lady came out and asked if we were dining in or carrying out. We were then seated at a booth and given menus. There were many, various dishes on the menu, which made it a bit difficult to decide. With no pictures of anything, we opened up our Yelp apps to try and see what some of these dishes were. We ordered the Tangerine Chicken and the Braised Eggplant in Basil to share. The steamed white rice arrived before the entrees and we were told not to open the rice that came in a bowl with a lid. Our server Sharon was nice and efficient. She brought out our food in a timely manner. Both the Tangerine Chicken and the Braised Eggplant were absolutely delicious. It was exactly how we expected it to be and it satisfied our cravings. Overall, although the food was really good and the decor nice, IMHO, the place in general didn't feel welcoming or warm. But we got our Chinese food cravings met, which we were happy about. read more

See all

The thing I like about Chins ... it's never crowded and there's never a wait. It's comfortable, quiet and you get quick service. It's also really clean. The ladies who've waited on us have been great with suggestions and are no-nonsense. Getting them to laugh is fun as well. Try it. ;) Everything I've ordered is good. But my favorite is the salt and pepper fried chicken. I love the seasonings! This is a great place to order soup when you're sick as well. I get the chicken and noodle soup. Soooo yummy when you're not feeling well. I like that it's close by and easy to walk in, sit and start eating in no time. read more

Chin's Gourmet - Always clean and ready to seat - Chinese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

If we want good fresh Chinese food, Chin's Gourmet is the place we go!! The Black Pepper Chicken is delicious! Grilled white chicken in onions and orange slices. read more

Well where do I begin. I placed an order and was told 20 min 40 min pass and I'm still waiting. The lady that told me 20 min kept saying it's almost ready. It's almost ready. It's almost ready. 50 min now and still waiting on this uncomfortable chair. read more

Such bad food. Spent 100$ today on three orders of chicken skewers and fried rice and a soup. The chicken skewers were completely OVER cooked DRY and HARD. It was like eating beef jerky. The fried rice tasted like fish because of the shrimp? Eww. Go to the real Chins restaurant and skip this. I spent way too much money on food my family couldn't even eat. read more

Chin's Gourmet - Chinese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Ms. Pimg/Ping and Ms. Cai provided the best customer service I've experienced in a long time. It's so rare when a host is able to have customers interact with each other and Ms. Pimg/Ping did that effortlessly. The service was so good that it "felt like family." They went above and beyond to make us feel taken care of. For instance, I learned that fried rice is reserved for lunch and white rice for dinner, but they made that request of fried rice for dinner, happen. Now, you can say that they acted this way because it was my birthday (which is why we came in due to their birthday advertising), but that wasn't the case as their energy of care, consideration, and character carried from table to table. As for the food, the dumplings were delicious! I got the steak for my birthday and my friend got General Tao Chicken that was also good! If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd bring all my potential clients here because their service and food was so good! Thanks again to Ms. Pimg/Ping and Ms. Cai for their kindness and generosity! read more

Excellent food. It might seem pricey but it's worth it. The service was fast and takeout was ready in about 20 minutes. The walnut shrimp was excellent, so were the noodles. I haven't eaten at the restaurant but the interior looks nice. read more

We arrived there and there were only 2 tables that had customers. There were 2 customers waiting for their Togo orders. It took about 10 minutes for the waitress to come to the front and seat us. One we were seated, we waited for about 15 minutes for someone to return to our table to give us menu's and ask about our drink orders. After we got the menu's, we decided and had to wait about 10 more minutes for someone to take our order. after waiting 25 more minutes, our food arrived. The Appetizer PuPu plater was subpar. The paper wrapped chicken was burned inside the tin foil, the BBQ chicken on the skewers were burned as well. The fried battered shrimp and the egg rolls were greasy. then about 20 minutes later our dinners arrived. My crispy noodles with vegetables was bland and flavorless. The Mushu pork was adequate, but not great. After we were done, we waited for over 30 minutes for the waitress to bring our check. In the meantime, we watched her clear 3 other tables (that were seated after us and finished eating their meals AFTER we were done). She also brought them their checks, and they paid and left BEFORE we even got our check. Then when I paid with my credit card, they did not provide me with my copy of the credit card receipt, only the restaurant's copy that I had to sign and leave. I AGAIN had to wait to ask the waitress for a copy of my credit card receipt. To summarize, the food was bland or burned, and the service was the worst that I have ever experienced at ANY restaurant, EVER. What is the worst part is that they were not very busy. Only 2 tables when we arrived, and then 3 tables after us, yet the service was abysmal. I WILL NOT return to this restaurant again, ever! read more

Today my husband & I were planning for a nice dinner date but the waitress who served us was so impatient, rude and did not take the time to listen to what we want to order. She definitely had an attitude that we got up and left the restaurant. We will not recommend this place to anyone& will not be back! We will rate this place zero which we have never done in the past. read more

This chinese gourmet restaurant is a great with delicious food !! Ambience of the place is very nice and quite to talk with friends and the Server Sharon is very friendly host and great to order the food with. Most of the time i order take out as always loved its hot food. highly recommend family and friends for this kind of chinese food!! read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. The food comes out piping hot but the service was okay. It was very dark so we didn't notice the nats/flies until halfway through eating. I got the plum tree beef and it was very tough and chewy. My mom got the sweet and sour shrimp and that was amazing. I also feel like the lunch specials are great for the portions you get. But then we got the complimentary soup and some of the eggs were still clear and raw, so that was disgusting (for me) because it was like drinking mucus. Overall, it's not bad but I think the most important thing is being mindful about what you order. The shrimp has always been good but I wasn't fan of the beef or even scallops the time we came before read more

See all

Excellent food. Better than the other Chins restaurant. Cheaper also. Do not order on holidays much to busy

Sharon is the greatest server/host. She made great suggestions and we loved it. My Tofu dish was a 10 and my wife's Crispy Shrimp dish was fantastic. The Quiet conversational dining room was welcoming and a nice break from loud restaurants. Highly recommend! read more

Tried this restaurant for the first time from other helpers and it did not fail! My family and I ordered crispy duck, lo mein, house fried rice and chicken skewers and they all taste delicious! Customer service is superb. Sharon is very attentive to us and great with kids. Highly recommend this place treats you like family. read more

Great food and awesome service ! I picked up food last night and they offered me a free soup. It was delicious. Thanks again! read more

How do you not get any utensils or even a napkin when ordering from legoland? We had nothing to eat our meals with. I don't think I've gotten to go food without utensils in a while! I wish there were more pics of each entree so you know what you are getting which is why I try and post pics. Also I forgot west coast Chinese food is not like east coast Chinese food. And I don't know the area but another post said chin's Szechwan Is better? read more

Chin's Gourmet - Da Ru Noodle Soup (not my fav) and side soup I think 3 Flavor Sizzling Rice Soup (good) - Chinese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Absolutely disgusting. I picked up dinner after work and it was so bad I could barely eat it. I posted a pic of what I order and the pic of the food is supposed to be to be the chow mein. It had almost zero noodles, had a large about of water/liquid at the bottom of the container, and was basically unseasoned vegetables. The tangerine chicken didn't even taste like citrus and was barely edible. The egg rolls were the only thing I ate. What made it worse is it was not busy at all. read more

Chin's Gourmet - Order - Chinese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

This area in North County doesn't have many good Chinese food options... But this is the best you're gonna get! It's pretty good depending on which dish you get. I mostly get shrimp fried rice or Hunan fish or chicken. Occasionally, I feel like having the walnut shrimp which is a great portion and it comes with rice. I think all dishes are meant to be shared because it's a pretty good portions for most things. I've only ordered out, or gotten it via food delivery, so I'm not sure how the service is inside. There are multiple locations in the San Diego area, but I guess they're not all on by the same people. This location versus the next nearest... in Encinitas, is better. For me, the food seems to be fresher! read more

The food came out hot, and it was honestly pretty great! We ordered general Tao's chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, and tangerine beef. We got a few appetizers as well. The food was extremely filling. The flavor was great! My server wouldn't let any of us finish our water without her filling it. Only issue I had, is the menu was a bit hard to read because it was a little dark. Other than that, this place is great! From a certified foodie. Not sure why the rating is not in the mid to high 4s. Definetly deserving of it. read more

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this place before. We come here for lunch fairly often. We came here even more often when it was the Chinese place that was in this location before Chin's (Peking Garden I think) - I still miss them! Anyhow, great lunch special. Interior is very dim/mood lighting. Nice interior decorations, feels very classic old-school Chinese restaurant. The menu reflects that too, a lot of classics. They also offer a pretty generous loyalty program, you just have to keep a little business card and they give you credit for what you order. We get free meals from it pretty often. Some of my favorites are the Ku Ting shrimp (crispy fried shrimp, but not quite as good as Walnut Shrimp), Szechuan shrimp, Garlic chicken. I had mu shu pork as a throwback choice a few visits ago. I would not suggest getting the scallops - my friend said some of them tasted a little fishy (the one I tried was not great). Their potstickers are really good, so if you like appetizers that's a good option. They also do pretty good steamed soup dumplings, but they take awhile, so it depends how long you have to spend. Their soup that comes with the lunch special rotates. Last time it was Hot and Sour. Time before that we got Rice and Pork soup I think. A lot of times it's Egg Drop. Only real negative I have is that they tend to over-thicken the soup and the sauces with a bit more cornstarch than I'd like. It can be a bit gloppy. In the summer they really blast the A/C, so be aware you might be a little chilly! read more

See all

Delicious, authentic Chinese cuisine at the La Costa/Carlsbad restaurant location. The staff is friendly and service is quick. I highly recommend Chin's Gourmet restaurant for those who want great Chinese food. read more

If I could, I would give this place 2 1/2 stars but I rounded it up mostly for the good service we received. The food could be better. When we came for lunch we ordered the Shanghai steamed dumplings and wonton noodle soup. It's not called wonton noodle soup on the menu but I forgot the item name. We just wanted wonton noodle soup and the server suggested something on the menu. This wonton noodle soup had a lot of different vegetables and chicken which may sound good but it made the bowl very chunky. We would have been okay with this dish if it tasted good but everything in it was bland and I don't mean that it wasn't salty enough but that there wasn't much flavor to anything including the few pieces of wonton. And the noodles seemed overcooked. So this dish itself gets one star. The dumplings were okay. The skin is thicker than most other dumplings we have had elsewhere or made on our own. The flavor for these dumplings was also lacking but better than the noodle soup. I would rate this dish 3 stars. The restaurant is comfortable and parking was pretty easy. We need to find a better Chinese restaurant in this area. read more

Had Chin's via GrubHub. Chin's serves very good old-school Chinese American cuisine. The potstickers are served with two excellent sauces and are some of the best I've ever eaten. Five stars for the potstickers. Also had Kung Pao, Chicken with Walnut and Mongolian beef. All were very good or excellent. One suggestion for improvement would be to leave the super hot chilies whole in the Kung Pao and Mongolian beef so they'd be easier to remove. Would certainly eat here again!! read more

Food was awesome and the people were so kind. Mongolian beef was some of the best I've had Some of the bad reviews are from people that don't know the difference between chow mein vs lo mein (side note, the chow mein was great)... ignore the ignorance and and enjoy the food! read more

Super yummy. Traditional Chinese; Kung Pao shrimp, chicken and scallops were delicious. Mu Shu Chicken was a favorite as well.

Utter disappointment. The vegetable fried rice is just awfiul. The vegetables exclusively the contents of a bag of frozen peas and diced carrots--limp and slimy. No garlic, nothing leafy, no snowpeas, no green (or any) onions; peppers?--sorry, nope. Just a frozen bag of peas and carrots dumped in. Also, I requested and offered to pay for 3 extra eggs in my fried rice, she said "Okay, extra eggs" and of course it was just the regular, paltry amount of egg. Maybe they put more effort into the meat-meals, but this bland fried rice was far below par. The fast-food places like Panda Express or Pick-up-Stix could probably do better and cost a good deal less. Sad, because I live so close and really wanted to like this place. read more

We've been here a few times, I think it's best to give a new restaurant a few visits before making a review. First, the atmosphere is great! When you walk in, the interior stands out from most of the restaurants you see in El Cajon. It looks very upscale with a waiting area that is separated from the dining room. The only thing I find odd is the three outdoor umbrellas scattered in the dining area but I'm not a designer. I've been there twice for lunch and once for dinner and found the service good. There were more people working at night when it was busier than at lunch but each time the service and food were quick. Each time I've been there, there were more people than I'd expect at my regular Chinese spot. Food is good...probably geared more to western tastes than traditional Chinese food you might find on Convoy. Favorite entree so far was the plum beef and we really liked the soup dumplings as an appetizer. The lunch options are a great value! Overall, I love that this place is so close, the staff is very friendly, and the service and the food are good. I look forward to coming back often!!! read more

Food, service and ambiance were all top notch. Had Moo Shu Pork and Egg Rolls which were excellent. Our server was very pleasant. Would highly recommend going. read more

I am happy to write this 5 star review: First the service. The person who took my order over the phone was very polite and kind. What I ordered was exactly what I took home. How efficient. Second the ambiance- the resturant was clean and displayed a relaxed environment. Third the food- I love to cook so I am pretty picky. The first time I ate here I ordered the Ma La Three flavors. The shrimps were nice size, the beef was tender and so was the chicken. The sauce and all the flavors were delightful. The second time I ate there I ordered their Wor Wonton soup, it's not listed on the menu but the have it. The dumplings with pork was not over cooked. This was a very flavorful soup. If you are sick and don't know what to eat, order this, you won't be sorry. I tried their shrimp with garlic sauce. This dish was excellent. The portion sizes are fair Overall, the chief takes time to compliment the meats, vegetables with the sauce. It's not just thrown together with corn starch. You will not be sorry if you eat here and you will leave satisfied. read more

We got food to go so I cannot speak to dinning in. The food was good portions and flavor, kind of an old school Chinese food place. The service was great, took the order, got it right and the pickup time was correct. I know that sounds basic but so many places aren't reliable for these things. They also have a frequent customer program. I would go again. read more

I'm totally STOKED they opened a Chin's Schezwan location by my house! Yes, they are related to the other Chin's in the area with the same awesome menu! As someone whose father was a cook, owned a restaurant, was born, raised, still works in SF, and has worked thoughout Asia, I'd have to say I know my Asian food. Peking Garden that was here before was okay but, well they used canned vegetables in some of their dishes. Chin's has totally renovatied the place since they took over. The interior is now more sophisticated, intimate, and comfortable. We came here today, Christmas Day, and were happy they were open. There was a sign on the door saying they were short staffed for the Holidays and that they couldn't honor lunch specials or make certain dishes which was totally understandable. Still, many diners who came in didn't read the sign on the door, sigh. Their Won Ton Soup was excellent. It was filled with fresh veggies, no msg, and perfect on a cold rainy day. I also loved their Chicken Salad because it had large, tender cuts of breast meat and wasn't drenched in oil like other Chinese restaurants. Their Hand Made Dumplings were made to order and were the real deal! Perfection personified! Their Red Red Shrimp (aka Hon Hon Shrimp) is truly deserving to be one of their signature dishes. Excellently fried and dipped in sweet, spicy, tangy sauce! Thank you Chin's La Costa for finally opening. I see a long, loving, future relationship with you! Your biggest challenge will be if you can satisfy the demands of local vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and wannabe Asian foodies who erroneously compare hand prepared Chinese food to, gulp, Panda Express, ROFL!!!! read more

Chin's Gourmet - Red Red Shrimp! They give you a 1-5 spicy level choice! - Chinese Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Bland mushy food. Long waits. Don't waste your time and calories on this one. Preparation is how they like it not how you order it. Quality of vegetables not good. Skip this one. read more

Great food. And nice there red red srimp good soups chow main etc. And egg rolls , veggies.

Nothing special. $15 lunch Kung Pao chicken - very oily, like swimming in oil, the white rice was soaked in soy sauce - I ordered white rice. Egg roll was full of mushy pasty vegetables. Tasted like what you get from a mall food court. I'll give 3 in the case it was just a random case. read more

Food is very good. Tastes are authentic. Nothing clever, just good old fashioned Chinese food. Ambiance is nice and quiet and cozy. Service was prompt and courteous. I took away a star because during our second visit, they told they were out of red meat and all dishes were chicken. Apparently night before was really busy. We made due but that was a first for me. Come here but call and make sure they have a variety of meat available. read more

Our go to Chinese spot in the area! Love the sweet and sour shrimp. My fav dish. Normally order take out, so not too sure on the inside experience. read more

This food is almost as good as the original Chin's restaurant. I took out and ordered a garlic chicken dish. It arrived hot still when I got home. Loved it. Will return read more

Order was delivered. Husband and I just didn't like it. All chicken in dishes was flavorless and dry to the point of resembling cardboard (no, I have not eaten cardboard since I was a toddler). read more

Subpar food -- vegetable fried rice had sour snow peas, a few scraps of carrots, and uncooked egg. Vegetable soft noodles had a few snow peas and soggy cabbage. No broccoli, mushrooms or anything you'd expect. Egg rolls were overcooked inside, overcooked outside, and soy sauce packets had MSG. And all packed in styrofoam. Will not be returning. read more

Definitely coming back for the Kung Pao chicken - didn't like the general Tsao's chicken as much.. They were open on Christmas Day so we went to grab lunch here. They served us dirty plates for our appetizers so that's why I'm giving them 3 stars. Would give them 4 otherwise! read more