I like the owners of Davis Noodle City, they also own Red Orchid & Fish n Chips which are two wonderful restaurants in Davis... However, Davis Noodle City was a tad bit disappointing. Maybe I've been spoiled by authentic Beef Noodle Soup in Taiwan and at multiple Asian joints in Fremont & Cupertino, but the Beef Noodle Soup was not up to par here..it was mediocre at best. The soup was ok, but not spicy. The beef was ok, but not tender. The noodles were ok, but not chewy. So overall, everything was just OK..nothing impressive, just standard. I would come here again though, just to crave something that comes close to Beef Noodle Soup in Davis area, but if I can, I would wait to go home and just eat it there ^_^ They also carry other Chinese/Taiwanese noodle dishes, and all the prices are pretty cheap. Oh yeah, beware...they usually only have 1 waiter so expect a bit of a wait read more

For all of you people who wait in the court yard waiting for your table at Sophia's, you are missing out on the best restaurant in that crazy orange center. Davis Noodle City, or what my out of town friends refer to as "dan dan," is wonderful! When I lived in Sacramento it was my favorite place to go to and I would drive across the causeway just to have their delicious won ton noodle soup in a "tasteful broth." The food is so yummy and the people who run the place are really nice. The food is made fresh and it will not break the bank. This is one of the few places in Davis that got my through my 3 years in law school. read more

I grew up in a Chinese restaurant so this little family restaurant instantly won my heart. Although their menu runs small, their food portions are pretty large considering the prices. My father used to cook me wonton noodle soup whenever I caught a cold and once college began, I depended on Davis Noodle City for their wonton soup comfort. Service doesn't exactly offer your usual, bubbly small talk but the food should speak for itself. read more

I only go to Noodle City when I want some Chinese food that is cheap, filling, and some what authentic. The best thing to get here is the noodle soup dishes. Get either the Kimchi Noodle Soup, Pork Chop Noodle Soup, or the Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup. The Kimchi Noodle soup comes with plenty of Kimchi and comes with beef, chicken and shrimp. The pork chop noodle soup comes with plenty of fried pork chops with their standard noodle soup. The standard broth is similar to chicken broth with a little more flavor. Its a little bland, but you can add additional seasonings. Finally, the Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup has a pretty rich beef and five spice flavor. Think pho with deeper flavor with more star anise. It comes with large pieces of braised beef with not too many tendons. If you want something less wet, you can get an entree over rice or noodles. I would suggest the black pepper beef, the pork chops, or the garlic chicken. They have their specials outside and it usually includes egg plant tofu. Their egg plant tofu is done well here, the right amount of sweet and spicy flavor. Even though I like this place, I can't say that their noodles are the best. They're thick white noodles, similar to udon but not as chewy. I would stick to ordering from the left side of the menu, and I would avoid the wonton noodle soup. Their noodles are thick, the wontons are okay, and the soup doesn't have the Hong Kong wonton noodle soup flavor that I love. Its probably just a personal taste, but it wasn't for me. The service here is decent. The usual waitress here might seem a little apathetic but she is actually pretty nice (it may be because I used to go here a lot). I personally always get the noodle soup dishes because they're cheap regardless of whether its lunch or dinner time and always filling. The flavor can be a little bland sometimes, but its consistently decent. read more

I loved this place back in undergrad (2004-2008), and when I came back to visit a few months ago I was so happy that it was as great as I remembered it. The chef's noodle salad is a refreshing cold noodle dish in peanut and sesame sauce tossed with lots of fresh veggies. I also really enjoy their dumplings, and main entrees, but the price, thats what makes this so spectacular. Its great, fresh food for prices that rival McDonalds. My bills usually wind up around $5-$8 a person including tax and tip for dinner! I do warn though that their soups are a little on the bland side. Stick with the entrees, noodles, and appetisers and skip anything that is served in a broth (although some people I know do enjoy their soups). read more

Food is cheap during lunch but the food is bland. I ordered the davis noodle special which has a sweet peanut butter sauce with it. The meal so amazing until I found a super long black hair in it! She took it and brought me out a new bowl. My friend got the beef stew with rice and veggies and it was super bland with no kind of taste at all. Kim chi noodles- just spicy but once again bland. Prices were only $5-$7 I believe that the lunch specials are until 4 or 6 I forget. I won't be returning since I found a piec see of hair in my noodles. read more

This place serves up some pretty awesome noodle dishes!! Be sure to avoid the lunch & dinner rush (getting a table would be impossible). I've tried quite a number of noodle places, but they can't seem to beat Davis Noodle City. I love their Taiwanese pork chop noodle soup! The pork chops are crispy and so good. I've also tried their orange beef; it was okay. Their Szechuan chicken noodle dish is reallllyyy spicy so it's perfect for those who love spicy foods. Their wonton noodle soup is mediocre because their won tons aren't that great. The five spice beef noodle soup is really good though! read more

This is the best noodle house in Davis but is by no means a good one. I guess i have been spoiled with good asian food since i grew up in the bay area. We had to wait about 25 minutes to get a table for four. I ordered the beef noodle soup and my sister ordered the peanut butter noodles. Although it was edible, it was WAY too salty and had a ton of MSG in it. By the end of my noodle soup, i mustve chugged about a gallon of water. I guess the only reason i would come back again is to satisfy my craving for cheap asian noodles. read more

So after a short stay in Tahoe, our friends and I dropped by in Davis to "gas up" and take a lunch break. Since two of the six guys in the van went to Davis, Noodle City got brought up, and since I'm not familiar with Davis, I didn't mind. To be honest with you, I totally forgot what I got. It was a noodle dish, for sure, but it wasn't a soup. I knew I didn't want a broth to go with it, so I went with fried noodles... there was probably chicken... a lot of vegetables... the sauce was okay. What it felt like to me was a chow mein dish in a medium-sized delivery cardboard box that got dumped into a bowl. It was okay... not great, but not horrible. The place is pretty small... they had to split up our group of six into two tables. Any one who's read my reviews know that I'm not one for a posh ambiance. This place IS a hole-in-the-wall... a dingy one, at that... but at the same time, I've had better food at hole-in-the-walls. I always go back and forth between two and three stars for this place. The food was okay, but I've totally had better. The food was cheap and you get a lot with it, but at the same time, it just wasn't memorable in a good way. And seeing as how I forgot the name of the dish, and I don't remember it being worthwhile, I have to give it two stars. I can see the appeal to the poor college kid who's looking for the cheaper deals, but when it comes to quality over quantity, this place just misses the three-star mark. I can comfortably say I'll never come back, seeing as though I don't live or frequently visit Davis. If I did come back to Davis, I'm pretty sure I'll go elsewhere. read more

Davis Noodle City is a winner. It's perfect for cold days. The food is so warm and the place is so inviting. The waitress is always welcoming and always smiling. I suggest going with a close friend and splitting two items on the menu. Their portions are so plentiful you'll be stuffed while also taking home leftovers, I promise you. I always order the pork fried rice (possibly one of the best fried rice I've ever had in my life), along with the pork-chop noodle soup. There's something about the pork that makes it so flavorful and it's always crispy and they give you so much of it! The noodles are of the thicker, udon kind. I hear they make their noodles themselves! The broth is very simple, so if you're looking for a broth with more pizazz, maybe not for you. The eggplant over rice dish is also freaking good. Anyone who loves eggplant must try it, and even those who've never had eggplant will love it I'm sure. Our friend ordered it and after our whole group sampled some of his, we all decided his was one of the better dishes. And, like many reviewers have already mentioned, when I come to this place I really feel like home. I feel like I'm at a friend's house, and her mom and grandma are cookin' up a bomb storm in the kitchen. I say my friend's mom because my mom doesn't really cook at all, haha! If you ever want a legit home-cooked meal, look no further and come here. read more

My boyfriend and I went to explore Davis hoping to experience new Chinese food. However, it was not as expected at all. We ordered garlic noodles, and it tastes really sour. We were really embarrassed to tell the waitress that the food was bad. We ended up having the food to go and throw them away later. I recommend going to "Hometown" in Davis to experience Taiwanese food instead. This is our opinion, but everyone has different tastes. read more

Came here because someone told me that the hot oil wonton and 4 spice beef soup noodles were awesome. Instead I got the 5 spice Beef Lo-Mein dish. I think I choose well. Although the noodles were ok, they felt squishy. Like they were ramen noodles dunked in the water long enough for it to absorb a ton of water, before taken out before serving. The vegetables felt out of place, as they didn't chop them up into tiny manageable pieces. Like if I took a big cleaver, did 3 quick chops to a board full of vegetables, I would have been left with the veggies in my dish. I'm not in Davis often, but everytime I try a Chinese restaurant I end up feeling disappointed. Maybe it's because I have eaten at decent Chinese places, that I feel that Noodle City is lacking. I'd rather just try to make the food myself... read more

Went here with our son for a late lunch. My son got the Sichuan Chicken with Noodles, I got the Sichuan Shrimp with Noodles and my wife got the Dan Dan Noodles. We also got an order of Pork Pot Stickers which were quite good. Wonder if they are owned by the same folks who run Dumpling House a few steps away? My wife and son really liked their lunch. So why the low rating? Because I am the one writing this review and I did not like my dish at all. Instead of Sichuan Shrimp it was more like Sweet and Sour Shrimp and I do not like sweet and sour Chinese dishes. If I go back I will try to find something on the menu that is more savory. Or maybe I'll just go to the Dumpling House where I have had a few very tasty (and cheap) lunches. read more

This place definitely gives you all the food you could ask for, and more! I got three meals out of my one dish of eggplant tofu with noodles--which was delicious. I have only been here a whopping two times total, but each time I have not been disappointed by the food, the establishment, or the service. Yes, they are a tiny bit impersonal, but they are also busy and the food comes out quick. This is a good place to go for noodles and all around good Chinese food. I have tried (via roommates' and friends' dishes) the orange chicken, curry chicken, mustard green chicken, black pepper chicken, and garlic hot chicken--which are all really good! I definitely recommend this place if you are in Davis and looking for inexpensive, good, Chinese food. read more

This place is amazing, I always get scared trying new restaurants as I find many are inconsistent but I've ordered here three times now with my partner and we refuse to eat anywhere else!! They offer many vegetarian and vegan options, which is always a plus. My partner is vegan and highly recommends the vegan fried rice with fried tofu. I have stuck to a simple beef chow mein (I'm not an adventurous eater) and it's super tasty!! And did I mention I'm picky too? When I realized the chow mein came with carrots I knew next time to as for it without, and they did that for me! (I also highly recommend the hot oil veggie wontons, although if you can get a side of vinegar, GET IT AND DUNK THEM IN THAT INSTEAD if ur not a fan of peanuts, the red sauce that normally comes with them tasted like peanuts and I'm personally not a peanut fan) The customer service, pricing, and quantity is top notch here. read more

Still love this place. The most convenient and cheap option to go to on the way to SF. It's pretty much right off the freeway and there are many options, noodles or rice, vegetarian or not. The food comes out quickly and is always piping hot. My newest favorite is their special Eggplant with tofu on rice. The sauce may or may not be authentic, but it's absolutely amazing. Giant chunks of fried tofu, eggplant, in a vinegary sweet and spicy sauce. The mound of rice that accompanies it is the perfect medium to soak up the sauce. Good enough that my bf finished my dish after eating all of his 5 spice beef noodles. The portion sizes are huge and the price is quite right. read more

BLEGH. The food was overwhelmingly greasy and tasted dreadful. My boyfriend and I ordered the chicken chow mein and the vegetable noodle soup for myself. My boyfriend, who LOVES chicken, was so disgusted by the flavor of the meat in the chicken chow mein that he refused to eat it. I took a few sips of my soup and tried the vegetables and noodles. It was so greasy and had absolutely NO flavor. NONE. it was as thought they had forgotten to add salt. The waiter was very rude to me and told me "You shouldn't order it if you don't like it. It didn't have flavor because there was no meat." !!!!??? i'm a vegetarian! how are you going to get mad at me for not ordering meat and then tell me it's MY fault for it being flavorless?!? RIDICULOUS. TERRIBLE. NEVER GOING BACK. read more

I love this place. My boyfriend and I go here every time we want something that tastes homemade and has tons of fresh veggies in it. We love the chicken and shrimp dumpling noodle soup and the chicken chow mein. Currently I am down with a cold, but conveniently, I have leftovers!! It's cheap, delicious (I disagree with a reviewer who said the broth is bland. He may think it's bland just because there's no MSG / overseasoning) and because the portions are huge you always go home with an amount equivalent to what you just ate!! read more

Cheap and tasty noodles! I ordered the chicken & shrimp wonton noodles soup which was great and cost maybe $6. I think there were 12 wontons in the bowl, and they were really, really good. My nephew got fried pork chop noodles soup. Holy guacamole! They brought him a whole plate of pork chop slices and a large bowl of noodle soup. The fried pork chop was super tasty. I was able to trade some of my vast wealth of wontons for pork chop slices. In this way the local barter-based economy was maintained and the citizens were well fed. read more

I have been to this place once; however, I will never go there again. Absolutely horrible customer service. I am a vegetarian and ordered a vegetarian dish. However, when my food came the wonton I ate tasted like meat. So my friend went over to them and asked about it and they just told him that it was tofu and not to worry about it. They did not even come over to check! Then my friend opened up one of his wontons and sure enough it was filled with vegetables. They switched our plates around and did not even bother to come and check! Also, since they were closing soon and we were the only customers left, they had us pay early and stood there and watched us waiting for us to leave. The woman even "accidentally" turned the lights off for a second. Horrible place and I will never go there again or recommend it to anyone! read more

Have to say, I'm surprised how low of an overall rating this place has...I think it's for sure the best Chinese place in Davis. Tucked in the back behind Sophia's, setup is homestyle and very modest. The only thing separating the closest table and the kitchen is five steps and a curtain. The waitress is really nice and seemed to remember us whenever we stopped by for dinner. Usually it's just her and another guy working the tables but there's not more than 10 parties that can be accommodated so that's never a problem. Refills have a slight delay as whoever is doing it makes rounds with the pitcher only occasionally instead of on an individual needs basis. That's pretty much the low-point of this spot. I've had the chicken soup and other various dishes and while they may not be stellar, they remind me of something my mom would make me...if she was Chinese. None of the food here is refined but it's always good enough to make me feel like my money was well spent. The rice is cooked correctly by Chinese standards, the meat is pretty decent and the sauces and flavorings are damn tasty. It really feels like a meal that would be cooked at home for you, but you were too damn lazy to do it yourself (or didn't have the ingredients or knowledge) so you came here to pay for someone to do it for you. Prices are pretty fair by my standards, and really fair for Davis standards considering the other options. Don't come here expecting eye-popping quality -- I wasn't kidding when I said homestyle earlier. read more

Eh. so-so, in my opinion. Whenever my dad comes up and visit me at Davis, we always end up here because he just loves soup noodles. Service is great, and I've never been disappointed. One time, after eating the cold noodles, the owner gave me a container of the sauce because I told him how much I loved the flavor. That was generous of him! Anyway, Davis Noodle City is the perfect place to eat during a cold, winter day. Everything's pretty good, but here are my top picks: If you're a... 1. carnivore - go for the beef noodle soup. Tons of meat with a nice touch of spice! 2. spice-avore - kimchi noodle soup. get your sharp, zestful korean fix! 3. person dying in davis's hot weather equivalent to Hades's inferno - definitely go for the noodle salad. It's very refreshing! 4. vegetarian - vegetable dumplings. Pretty good! read more

My mind is absolutely blown BLOWN! Agh! My friends and I were celebrating a birthday and after drifting around a few blocks we finally settled on noodle city. I ordered the kim chi noodles, birthday boy ordered the 5 spice noodles, and the vegetarian ordered to curry sans meat. Oh my god. I've never tasted so many dishes that were so bland, ever. Not one dish was tasty/well seasoned/ whatever! Sure, the serving size was huge but you can't buy me off that easily, noodle city! Anyway, this place was a huge disappointment. I don't even care if it's not authentic or whatever too, it's still bland. read more

I was utterly disappointed by the poor, inexcusable lack of service at this place. Even though the normal consensus is that Asian food establishments overall have pretty dismissible service, I have no words to describe my horror here. I came here at about 8pm on a Wednesday night. The place wasn't super packed or busy, all the seated patrons were already slurping up their noodles; there were a couple tables open and no one else was waiting to be seated. My boyfriend and I stood there for 15 minutes....NO ONE acknowledged our presence, greeted us, or told us to please wait a few quick minutes while they clear a table or something. NOTHING. How could you just straight up ignore your patrons? Do you not need more business? I'm guessing not. Extremely upsetting, so we just left. If you don't feel the need to give me an ounce of respect, why should you deserve my business? It's probably a good thing that we didn't get to try the food because I bet I probably would have ended up with food poisoning or some kind of digestive issue. NEVER STEPPING FOOT IN HERE AGAIN. We went to Wok of Flame instead. read more

Food: The noodle was really soggy. My boyfriend, who always eats everything, could not even finish half of his bowl because it tasted really bad. Service: There was only one other table beside us. The other table sat two and we are a table of three. 2 of our plates were sent to the other table. After the other table mixed and ate some of our food, they realized that there was a mix-up. The waitress took the plate to the back and came back a second later with the same exact plates that the other table ate from and gave us the already partially eaten food. I felt bad not leaving tips but WTF. NOT COMING BACK EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Good noodle choices for brisk cold days. Fast service. Wish beef in noodle soup was more tender. Overall, good soups. read more

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It's not often I venture to Davis for dinner, but last Friday night I did so with a few friends. I was excited about Davis Noodle City because the look and smell reminded me of my travels through China. For the price, I really shouldn't complain. This place is dirt cheap for a filling meal. The taste though, was so-so. Three of us got noodle bowls that were fine, nothing special. One girl got a noodle soup that was so bland it required lots of hot sauce to add flavor. We did, however, LOVE the pork dumplings. I wish we'd ordered several and eaten them as our meal. Service -s fast--maybe because they were trying to close--and friendly. We chatted with the waitress about our travels in China. She was eager to hear about where we'd gone. I'd go back if I needed a quick and cheap lunch, but probably not for dinner. read more

AVOID! The most foul bowl of Chinese noodles I've ever eaten. I hate wasting food; finishing the bowl of noodles was fucking torture! People who rave about this place as the greatest noodle joint in Davis need to get their asses out of Davis and venture to Sacramento's Stockton Blvd. for a bowl of PHO or go to Richmond's Daimo for a yummy bowl of won ton noodles. I don't care if you don't have a car, bum a ride from a homie, make some effort to get out! Here's what happened: I spoke to the waitress in Cantonese and asked for won ton noodles. She answered, "Huh?" I spoke to her again in Cantonese and asked for won ton noodles. She then answered back in Cantonese if I wanted pork or shrimp won tons. Not one smile on her face --- hmm ... rude much? This big ass bowl came and I saw slices of carrot and chunks of broccoli swimming in this vat of chicken broth --- OH SHIT! I shouldn't have ordered it. The noodles were overcooked --- super soggy and flavorless. I kept piling scoops of chili sauce in my noodle, still no flavor, ODD! AND it was the wrong type of noodle for won ton. NORMALLY, at a Chinese restaurant, when one orders won ton noodle, egg noodles are used. This joint used ramen noodle. And the veggies are normally bok choy --- not carrots and broccoli. The won tons were alright. When the hubby and I left the restaurant, not one thank you from the workers. I should have thrown the bowl of noodles back at the waitress ... read more

Basically come here if you want a big Bowl of piping hot oil. And not even the "good for you" oil. Not Coming back...

I came here with my big bro and I realized that this place is pretty small. I thought it was huge, but guess not. I didn't know what to order, I wasn't in a starving mode or anything. I think I go the chicken noodle or something. It was under House Specials! It was noodles that were like ramen but like 5x thicker and there was fried chicken over it, kind of like katsu chicken but without the breading. It was pretty good and decent. I wanted the chicken salads that I see people post pictures of, but I guess I ordered the wrong thing! The people in the next table had the pile high ginormous salad and i wanted that!!! I shall get it next time! And the man charger me .75 instead of 7.58. I tipped 2.00 making my total 2.75, what a deal :) read more

The Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup and the Pork Chop noodle soup are both worth a try. Flavorful and filling. The pork chop slices are crispy and flavorful and goes well with the soup. The service is good and the food comes out fast. When I went, the waitress was friendly and asked about our food, and even recommended some of their popular dishes. read more

Wife and I went there for dinner and really like the noodles there. Yum. I wish they would give you more meat/protein with the noodle plate. Appetizer were okay. Fresh. Could use better dipping sauces. The broth in noodle plate was delish. It's an older building and the decor is not much to see small dinning area. Overall okay place to try once. read more

Great college town food without breaking the bank. We had a party of 12 (6 adults/6 kids)... for a small restaurant, party this size can be very intimating. There only server was very accommodating and managed us like a champ. We ordered Macro Polo- tasty. Warm. Kids wish it was cold noodle. Orange chicken noodle- chicken was soft, not over-fried. Sweet & sour chicken noodle- S&S sauce was 5 spice beef noodle- extremely tasty, tender meat DanDan noodle- wow. Peanut butter noodle overall quality of food was good to great.. very down to earth mom and pop restaurants. Will return for more in my next Davis trip. read more

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This place is a hidden gem of Davis! The atmosphere is very quaint and cozy. I love bringing my friends here! The food is great! Big portions for an affordable price ! I highly recommend this place as well as their dan dan noodles and cream cheese wontons ! read more

Coming from someone who lives in SF with a variety of delicious noodle places, this place was nothing close. It's definitely not the most delicious but it's doable when you're in Davis since there's such a lack of Chinese food! I love coming here for comfort food and when I'm craving something light and soupy. It's a break from all the heavy (burgers/pizza/sushi/pasta) food offered here in Davis. I typically order the Beef Noodle Soup! I'm a big fan of noodles so I love their thick chow mein type noodles they have! As for the beef, it's nicely cooked so that it's soft and simply flavored. The soup is not too overboard with flavor nor is it too bland. It's just the right flavor for me, but then again I usually come here for something light. Occasionally, I order the Garlic chicken noodles - another one of my favorites here. Cheap noodles! I have to say that it's a great price for the noodles they have! They come in pretty decently sized portions! read more

The food was good but not all "home made noodles" as described. Pork buns had obviously come from frozen. Service was quick and friendly. My biggest complaint was that it was dirty. Sticky table. Sticky floor. We had to ask for correct silverware. I'd give it a thumbs up for college kid food, not so wonderful for the grown ups. read more

I love noodles. I mean, seriously, love noodles. And I love the noodles at Noodle City. They're thick, and soft, just the way I like it. (I'm so tempted to say that's what she said.) Noodle City is this tiny little local owned place in the back of a courtyard. The actual restaurant has very limited seating, and there was only one waitress when we got there. Took a while for her to take our order, but not that long for our food to come out. The menu doesn't have that much, but there are some appetizers and a great vegetarian selection. There are also some spicy selections, so beware non spicy lovers. I ended up picking the black pepper beef, and man, it was spicy. I ended up running out of water and stopped eating just to bear the heat. Not good since there was a to of food and I just wanted to keep eating. Great for anyone who wants some cheap noodles. read more

This is a staple for me...delicious and hearty with HUGE portions. If you're on a budget and starving, come here. When a friend was visiting (for a frisbee tournament) he asked me for "cheap and sh*tloads of food". I took them here and everyone was happy. I would especially suggest the taiwanese porkchop and the hot oil wonton. Can't go wrong with those. It's a small place, so not too good for groups. Service can be a little slow when it gets crowded. read more

Decent noodle place with reasonable prices. The noodle soups are above average, can't say anything for the dry noodle dishes yet though.

Small cozy noodle house cheap for students. Not exaordinary food. Good for student groups