Excellent food! So good we ate there 2 nights in a row while in town. The potstickers are definitely a must have. Friendly waitstaff and 1/2 price wine on Tuesday's was a great deal. read more

Very bad customer service and I question its sanitary practices. Our glasses had lipstick stains and the waitress was in no hurry to bring us new water. Then, we were rushed through our meal even though there were other tables available. Please change the bathroom mirror. It is very uncomfortable and disturbing when men can look into the women's room. read more

Favorite restaurant in the world. Graduated a couple of years ago and this place is what I miss most about college. Would seriously pay someone a lot of money to cook me that sesame chicken for me now. Best restaurant in Lawrence for sure read more

This place is junk. Food is subpar nothing special nothing terrible. Service was very rude and unacceptable. Restaurant was almost completely empty so we asked to be seated in a booth. The hostess said they could not do that because there was not a server for that table even though the restaurant is about 10ft wide and it obviously would not have made a difference. Instead we were forced to sit by the door which was very cold. So cold in fact my grandmother has to wear her coat while we ate our meal. Simply will not be returning for overpriced Asian food with poor service. read more

The chicken fried rice was unique and a good change from other place's fried rice entrees, the sesame chicken was ok, little more pricey than other places, interesting atmosphere read more

Best Chinese food in Lawrence. I love their House Style Tofu and their lunch time Bento Box with Szechan Green Beans is excellent. Their staff is great too. read more

I cant complain about any entree on the menu. My favorite now is their take on Massaman Curry, its fantastic

Tasty, classy, great presentation of food. Good for business meetings and dates or your parents/grandparents if they come to town. Reasonable prices. Good staff. It tends to be a little loud and sometimes busy, so think about your arrival time, you might have a 15 minute or more wait during super peak times. read more

Nice, friendly cafe with good warm Chinese food, reasonably priced. Nice location at 10th & Mass St.

This restaurant was awesome. We were seated promptly and our waitress was fantastic. She immediately brought us water on a very hot day (thank god) and took our order quickly. We had the egg rolls and crab Rangoon for appetizers and both were fantastic. I ordered the chicken lo mein and my fiancé ordered the general Tao's chicken. Both were piping hot and fresh when they came out and delicious. My lo mein was extremely flavorful. The best I've had in lawrence. My fiance's chicken was also very good. It had the perfect amount of spiciness. Overall I would recommend this restaurant whole heartedly to anyone. 5 stars. read more

Good Chinese dine-in restaurant. combo fried rice and black pepper rib-eye are my favorite.

Hands down best Chinese I've had in Lawrence.

My favorite Chinese restaurant in town! Crab Rangoon is the best! Portions are very generous, clean establishment, and good service. The only con is how loud it can get when it's busy. read more

I work downtown and really enjoy the food at Encore. The Bento Box is just the right amount for lunch. However the service is awful. It doesn't matter what day we go, what we order, or where we sit, the waitress takes forever to take our orders, it takes forever to get our food, and it takes forever to get our check. If you go don't plan on being in and out in an hour. The staff simply cannot put it in high gear over the lunch hour. read more

I honestly do not understand the semi-hype around this place. I got soup and teriyaki beef and neither were impressive. There are so many better Asian restaurants in Lawrence with better vibes (zen zero) I just do not get this place. read more

I like Encore! The food is great. Being an Asian myself, I have to admit their food is good. I live in KC metro and if I have to drive all the way to Lawrence and choose Encore as the place I want to spend my money, then the food must be good. :) My favorite dish is beef teriyaki on rice served on bamboo pot. My Asian friends seem to agree with me, too on this. Their fried rice and beef chow fun are also great. Service is still bad the last time I went there. It's about two months ago. It was slow, even though not many people were around. I think it's not because they're 'still' new. It's just bad management. I do love their bubble teas. It's awesome! Price-wise, it's still cheaper than the bubble tea in KC area, so I'm not complaining there. And it's taste better, too. However, the one thing I HATE about Encore is their bathroom. After the renovation, they decided to change their bathroom into something "hip and fun" by changing the one way mirror into a two-way mirror. What's the matter with you, Encore?? It's not funny! read more

Good array of appetizers that will satisfy tame and adventurous eaters alike. Excellent selection of main dishes that cover a good deal of cuisines and regions. Also, quite vegetarian friendly if that is a concern or if you're just not in the mood for meat. Recommendations: APPETIZERS chicken lettuce wraps fried quail chili spicy wonton MAINS Kung Po Chicken Chicken in Black Bean Sauce Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian or with meat) Xi An Beef Cantonese Style Chow Fun Dan Dan Noodle Vegetarian General Tsao's Chicken (seriously) The prices are also quite reasonable and they have a good selection of local and Asian brews. Also, the servers are all above average, especially for a college town where that can be a problem. I've eaten at Encore roughly 50 times (I've lived a block away for the past two plus years) and I've never been upset about my service, my meal or my decision. read more

The Lo Mein is good. Prices are about average. The coconut bubble tea is excellent. All around its pretty good food. One of the best Asian food places in Lawrence. read more

Encore is great for drinks and dinner or just tea and lunch. I love this place because it caters so well to both vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I am personally not a vegetarian, but I order the Vegetarian General Tso's Chicken every time I go in because it is just that good. read more

My friends and I had a craving for Chinese food but we were tired of sitting in our dorms. We wanted Chinese but we also wanted a dine in experience instead of just ordering in. A close friend of mine suggested we go to Mass Street to a Chinese place her friends recommended to her called Encore Cafe. She said they all really enjoyed it so we decided to give it a go. Encore Cafe is located on Mass Street two doors down from popular teen clothing store, Urban Outfitters. Walking up to the restaurant, it looked rather compact. The restaurant is smack dab in the middle of several other places and you can hardly see through the black windows. The location is rather concealed and you really need to keep your eyes open for it. The outside looked plain and the cursive letters reading Encore made it look like another girls clothing store. Right when we walked inside and gave our name to the women standing in the front desk, we got a table. There was no wait at all and there was a group of 7 of us during prime dinner hours. The emptiness of the place didn't shock us because of how hard it was to find it. Our waiter sat us down at a long table right in the middle of the restaurant, gave us the menus, and said he would be right back. The atmosphere of the restaurant had a comfortable feel. The scent was a mixed fragrance of the flowers that were spread around the room and delicious Chinese food. The lights were so dimmed that it made it too dark to see the people sitting around you. Pop music played softly in the background at the perfect volume. It was just enough so you could hear the song playing but also hear the conversation you were having with others. It was also very spacious all around you. For such a small outer appearance of a restaurant, it was quite immense on the inside. There were several tables and booths around the restaurant, but they were so spread out that there was plenty of room to push out your chair and not to have to worry about a waiter running into you with a tray. The only thing I can protest about is the bathrooms. The mirrors in the women's room are looking into the men's room. When I was washing my hands, I nearly had a heart attack when I looked up to see a guy looking at me through the mirror. Looking at the black velvet menus, there was a large range of options when it came to food and beverages. I have never seen such a variety of drinks. There were sodas and a large assortment of teas. Something I found interesting about the menu was they offer boba. Usually, its hard to find places that offer the gooey tapioca pearl but at Encore, they give you the option of putting boba in any of your teas. The waiter came back shortly and took our drink orders. He was very polite for a man dealing with 7 annoying college students who were there an hour before close and asking a million of questions. He was very together and answered any question to the best of his ability. We wanted to be quick so we ordered our food at the same time as our drinks. The menu has a miniature picture of a red pepper next to any item on the menu that was spicy which was very convenient for me because thats what I wanted. I decided to try the General Taos chicken. Not only was getting a table fast, but the food came out in a less the 20 minutes. It felt like we got only a few words in before a group of waiters all came out with their handful of our orders. After trying the food, I can honestly say I have never had Chinese food that was so tasty for such a responsible price! The chicken had a crispy outer coating and a soft juicy interior. It was drenched in the perfect amount of sauce that would taste semi-sweet and leave a spicy aftertaste in your mouth. What I found the most delightful was the fried rice. It was not like any other type of fried rice I have ever tried that is runny with soy sauce. It had a very light tasting and had a slightly lemony taste to it. My friends and I would go around the table and let us try each others food. Everything I tried was so magnificent. The spring rolls had a very crispy and flaky outer coating, and were loaded with warm fresh vegetables. My friends pot stickers would drip with juice after every bite. This restaurant definitely deserves a solid 4 out of 5 stars for both the food and for the chilled out atmosphere. You could tell by eating the food that they had to of gotten some of the highest quality ingredients money could buy that made every dish a work of art. My meal was only a little bit over the price I payed for gross and bland Chinese food I would get when we order in. This was triple the quality for only about 5 dollars more. Thats including the extra dollar you have to pay for fried rice. At the end of the meal, I paid under 15 dollars for everything. I fully recommend going to Encore if your looking for a high quality Chinese restaurant here in Lawrence for a reasonable price! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Lawrence! Delicious Asian American style food with novelty twists and excellent variety! Came here for my birthday and they were very considerate, placing my birthday cake in their cold storage, and still providing me a little birthday dessert of their own. No better restaurant on Mass Street! read more

My boyfriend and I always will stop here after a busy day on Mass St. It is consistently good quality, unlike other Asian cuisine places in Lawrence. My go to meal consists of black milk tea (with boba at the bottom), Gyoza, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. The restaurant is always clean, the wait staff is courteous, and I have never had a problem when it comes to waiting for a table. While the exterior aesthetic of the restaurant is not exciting, you can definitely count on a good meal. read more

I have eaten at Encore Cafe many times and it is honestly the best Chinese food that I have ever eaten. Great choice if your in the mood for chinese food. read more

Great atmosphere. My waitress was named Shannon. She was great! The food was amazing. I will definitely return.

It indeed has the best Kung Lao chicken in Lawrence, but wow, was it slow. I don't know if a server failed to show up, but whatever the reason, it took forever. Ordered a cocktail and glass of wine for sipping while we looked at the menu. The glass of wine sat on the bar for at least ten minutes before the cocktail was ready and our server could bring them. Then she made the mistake of taking our food orders and stopping at other tables before dropping the order off for the kitchen. (As a former server, I learned not to ever do anything between when a guest asks for something and you do what it is they asked for, especially if one of those things is to stop at the next table and walk them through the menu.) We'd showed up about 12:45 thinking we'd miss the lunch rush and so could make or 1:45 movie a block away. Well, we missed the movie start time by a good 45 minutes. The food is solid, but I couldn't recommend going unless you have plenty of time to spare. read more

Apparently, I have had the same experience at Encore Cafe as some previous reviewers. I ordered a dish which I had order multiple times before, and when I tried it I discovered that this particular time it was too spicy to even consume. I wasn't even going to say anything since I enjoyed the dish usually, but my friend chimed in and informed the waitress-in-training who was serving us. She politely apologized and offered to get me something else, only to have the actual waitress return 2 minutes later with a menu telling me that I "ordered an item with a pepper next to it, indicating it would be spicy" and that if "I didn't pay for it then she would have to". Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I told her I knew exactly what I ordered, since I had had it many times before, and that it was not prepared right. I asked her to go speak to the manager and explain the situation directly. When she returned she harped on about how the "recipes here are consistent" (basically attacking my integrity), and all that can be done is to have my dish taken back into the kitchen to "make it less spicy by watering it down". No thank you, I do not want to eat a dish that has been "watered down". My friend, who has been in the restaurant business for years, then went to the manager directly (who not once approached our table himself to see what the issue was), and all she got out of him was to get the dish discounted 50%. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO A RESTAURANT WHO FORCES THEIR COSTUMERS TO EAT/PAY FOR SOMETHING SO UNUSUALLY SPICY THAT ONE BITE BURNT MY MOUTH FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. You are in the SERVICE industry. Making a new dish would have cost you $5 MAXIMUM, and now you have lost multiple $50+ opportunities from us in the future. GROW UP Encore, seriously. read more

It's a really nice restaurant. The taste of meals are awesome! As a Chinese, so lucky for me can have dinner here.

Used to be repeat customers. Went to find they had made huge changes to the menu and taken away a lot of the things we used to love. The food was not good: ma po tofu, general tsaos, & Szechuan chicken. No one ate much of their food. The Szechuan chicken was slimy and tasted possibly bad. Service was even worse. Our waitress did not care that the Szechuan chicken was hardly touched. She also didn't offer to compensate for it even on such a large ticket. Won't be going back-can't tell if they've changed ownership or what but until it's restored to its former glory, we won't be eating there. Wouldn't recommend now. read more

Try their Thai style edamame, chili spicy wonton, vegetarian gyoza! They are great appetizers! I always like the Cantonese style chow fun or beef chow fun, and my husband loves their beef teriyaki and Szechuan chicken. Brandon is a great server. You won't be disappointed. read more

Great Asian fusion place with lots of options. Everything I tried was good, crab rangoon, teriyaki chicken, beef chow fun, all of it delicious and the servings were quite large. Just watch out when you go to the bathroom...there's a little surprise for you there. read more

The food is excellent. Many of the dishes that were ordered at my table appeared to be very good. The ambiance is nice for an Asian restaurant, but the service could be improved. read more

Great food, great service. Vegetables in the Szechuan Chicken were cooked perfectly. Lunch price was very reasonable. Will go back.

I have been here many a time and as always I get great service and especially great food. As a guy that used to travel often and eat out, I can easily tell the real deal vs. the pretenders. Encore is the real deal. My go to item I usually order is the Shrimp Pad Thai but I went out of my comfort zone this last time and got the bento box and definitely was not disappointed. They also have private rooms in the back for larger parties and a very interesting "mirror" in the bathroom. read more

Three words: Xi An Beef. Ohh so satisfying. You also get a lot of it, so you better have a big appetite or ask for a box! The birds nest is also very tasty...you just have to be open to an interesting (but delicious) meshing of consistencies. I also love their Kung Po Chicken...mainly for the green beans! read more

The beef teriyaki, rice in the bamboo pot is one of their best dishes. Service is great. Food comes out fast. And very clean.

Be advised people, we had suspected they have back to back two way mirrors in the bathrooms. When you look in the mirror your see someone else-the person in the other bathroom. We confronted the manager whom confirmed the mirrors and told us she thought it was a fun thing being a college town and other BS. Even if the mirrors are small, imagine the privacy issues when the person in the other bathroom turns off his or her light and watches you! I'm calling the city attorney in the morning. read more

As far as Asian cuisine in Lawrence this is my new go to place. Flavor packed food served clean and simple with all the goodness you should find in the flavors of the east. Simple clean interior, well lit and comfortable with nice windows for people watching on mass street. Good drinks, fair prices and a hidden gem I am glad I finally made myself drift into and give a try boy am I glad I did. Though I am not vegetarian my girlfriend is and was delighted at the variety of options found here. I like that is simple and unnoticed along mass street and you might walk by without noticing it being there call me selfish but I want it to remain a mystery to people passing by it assures me a seat when I go in to dine. The food is consistant, fresh and good portions Five stars all the way. read more

Ate here at 5:30 on a Saturday evening. Immediate seating and our appetizers were out within 5 minutes of ordering!! Staff very helpful, interesting cocktail menu and great food!! Best eel I have ever eaten! read more

Fabulous food and atmosphere. The service was good too. However, we will not return because i was charged for a dish that I sent back because I didn't like it. I have never experienced this in a restaurant before. We were stunned and saddened that our great experience was dampened by the manager's attitude. What a loss. read more

I love this restaurant, the ingredients are fresh and there are many dishes that I really love, the servers have always been very nice and attentive. However, as many other reviewers have said the owner/manager whoever was very rude when I sent a dish back once. I have eaten there dozens of times and have only had one dish that I found to be inedible and I sent it back. I will rarely send dishes back, most of the time if I do not like them, I just do not order them again, but this one was (to me) inedible, the manager came over and lectured me then said "I will take this off your bill this time, but if you ever come back here, you had better order something you will eat and pay for". I found it to be incredibly rude and vaguely threatening like she was trying to intimidate me. If it weren't for the fact that I really enjoy most of their food I most certainly would never have gone back. read more