Despite the fancy decor and location: this is over-priced, extremely low-quality Chinese food. Plain and simple. I can guarantee there is a better place that does takeout somewhere in town. You will save money, time, and stomach ache if you do. FOOD You know that really sick feeling you get sometimes after eating bad mall Chinese food? I had that for hours after eating here. Everything is too sweet, greasy, and (again) expensive. The ingredients are extremely low quality. Even in the tea! I don't really need to break it down item by item because there wouldn't be a point-- my criticism is the same for all of it. It's just really, really bad. ATMOSPHERE It's very flashy and date-night ready. I liked the lifted booth. SERVICE Our waiter was always prompt and available. However, he seemed kind of aloof. I did appreciate that, he asked, at one point, how my friend liked the sauce and she said, honestly, it was too sweet. It just tasted like brown sugar. He said he felt the same way. When being seated, we waited maybe 15 minutes-- no big deal. But they seemed very unhappy that we requested a high chair. They, more than once, made it seem like a burden so we just told them we could probably do a booster if that was available? It seemed weird to be trying desperately to accommodate them because they were so put off. I don't like writing bad reviews. I like having something nice to say but, this time, I really don't. read more

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Absolutely love this place hands down. Been going here for years and it's my go to always and highly recommend. I do however wish they had a location that wasn't down town read more

I'm obsessed with this place. In college I went here at least once every two weeks. I recently visited Lawrence and went back and it did not disappoint!! I love getting the edamame, cashew chicken and steamed rice. The service is always quick except for one time during homecoming.. they were slammed so our service was a bit slow but that made sense! It's a great place to go with friends or on a date. During the evening they have "mood lighting" and its just a cozy place to enjoy a meal. I always get a main dish (cashew chicken or sesame) and ALWAYS have leftovers !! The plates are huge and well priced. This is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Lawrence. read more

Encore Asian Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

For years, this use to be our favorite Chinese restaurant in Lawrence. But sad to say it is now overpriced and low quality. Hostess was very rude. Too expensive for the quality. read more

Generous portions. Fresh flavorful dishes. Nice quiet restaurant on Mass Street. Fried rice was some of best we've had.

This place is quite popular, every time I go it's always packed but they don't take reservations. Honestly, I don't understand why it's so popular other than nice ambiance and good service. I didn't know those two things would give it such a high rating. Every time I've been there I've been disappointed by the mediocre, overpriced food. I am vegetarian and it's nice they have a vegetarian section, so I can choose between more than one or two things on the menu. And usually, I'm quite biased, I really enjoy anything Asian food. But I've still been disappointed every time I've been there (4 times) The entrees are just bland, and this past week I had the mango chicken, but with tofu instead of chicken. There were like two strips of mango in it, and the noodles were dry and tasteless. I quickly got to go box without eating it so I could take it home and put some tamarind or soy sauce or even olive oil on it. Something just to make it not so freaking dry. Last time I was here I played it safe and just got Pad Thai. But that was dry and tasteless too. But I kept going, hoping I was wrong and their positive reviews were right. Alas, unfortunately, I was right. This place isn't that good. read more

Best Asian cuisine Lawrence no arguments can be made after Beautiful cafe and Wa have closed.

Even this cowboy seemed to really like the food, he didn't want to admit it but he really liked the serving of food in a Bamboo. Taste was pretty good! Atmosphere is quiet for the most part. Probably need to go back before I finalize my star rating. read more

Encore Asian Bistro - Gooooddd tiiiime!!!! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Great food at very reasonable prices. Servers were friendly and came by our table several times to see if we were doing OK.

My son and I had a wonderful experience here. They were short handed, but you could see the level of care and teamwork everyone put into each guests experience. There are a multitude of options, but by far the bento box was my favorite. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly portion for the price. Our server was fun and efficient. Overall we had a great dining experience. To top it off we were there to visit KU and my child left their purse. She didn't realize it until the next day that it was gone. I contacted the restaurant and they shipped it back to us free of charge since we aren't from the Lawrence area. Let me tell you the appreciation I felt in just that simple gesture was great! I will definitely be back when I visit my daughter as well as I will make sure to support this business all the way through with gift cards for family and recommendations to all. read more

Great menu with lots of variety. I was attracted to the pineapple fried rice option because it was to be served in a pineapple. I added chicken and when I ordered the server said "chicken fried rice" so I confirmed that I wanted the pineapple. But as luck would have it, I did not receive the fried rice in a pineapple; nor did I receive pineapple at all. I had already asked for it twice, seemed kind of weird to ask for it be corrected by that point. However, the rice itself was good, especially with some sriracha added. All my friends enjoyed their dishes as well. I also ordered the fried spring rolls which were yummy. But I was bummed about that pineapple fried rice. The place was busy and we were quickly (although not altogether happily) served. read more

I've been eating here for years and never had a complaint till today. If the owner is going to LA for the week shouldn't you have someone in the kitchen that can be at least halfway consistent? The "Pad Thai" I ordered today was disgusting. Sugary, sweet, inedible gloopy mess. 4 waitstaff standing around talking while one dude did all the work. Never coming back. read more

We came on a Sunday night for dinner. Sitting was fast but waited almost one hour for our main dish to come out. When the server brought out our first dish, it was missing chicken (we ordered chicken Lo Mein). He politely apologized and took the dish back. After that, we waited for another ten minutes for all our meals. The three tables around us all came after us and were enjoying their food already. When we told our server, he again, apologized and told us they were waiting to get everything out at once. But the thing is he had already brought out the Lo Mein by itself. Food is expensive and portions are small. One small tiny edamame appetizer cost almost five dollars. read more

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Excellent food and good service. I highly recommend the Mongolian Beef entree! The website stated they weren't open for dine in until 4 PM although that turned out to be incorrect. read more

Great environment Xi an Beef, like this restaurant, nice service, lovely waitress. Strong Chinese culture read more

Encore Asian Bistro - Beef noodle - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This is a vegetarian paradise! Before their redesign, Encore seemed like a bit of a hole in the wall. That's a good thing because you were always able to get a table. The redesign is spectacular with bamboo artwork, running water fixtures and full windows onto Mass Street so you can do some serious people watching. Now the place tends to be busy, so you can expect to wait a while for a table which is fine with me. The wait is totally worth it. My favorite dish there by far is the Vegetarian General Tso's Chicken. The same sweet and spicy sauce that makes this General so sought after is drenched over tasty bits of a tofu mix and then served with broccoli and hot chili peppers. Pure delight. They are extremely accommodating to vegetarian requests with vegetable fried rice, pad thai, etc. I also appreciate their willingness to provide brown rice inside of white for those of us health conscious. Ok, how healthy conscious can you really be if you order General Tso's chicken, but you get the point. No matter what flavor of Asian you like, they've got it here. Bobo teas, curries, thai noodles are all available. Service is acceptable for a college town: spotty at times but competent. A full bar makes an excellent complement to any meal. Highly recommended! read more

Encore Asian Bistro - The new interior looks great - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

went to encore tonight, and when I first got there I went into the restroom. I noticed the mirror was foggy and thought it was weird, and tested it with my finger (a trick I saw online) and noticed it was one-way glass and not a mirror at all. Right after, my fiancé went into the mens restroom and told me he could see clear through into the women's bathroom. I thought this was odd, so I contacted the manager and was told several times this was just a fun decoration. I see it as a safety concern. I figured most people wouldn't notice that this was not a regular mirror, so this is a heads up to be cautious when using the restroom, especially the women's. the food was fine. read more

Solidddd 4 stars. I got the Teryaki Beef & it exceeded my expectations. The physical restaurant was underwhelming. Not decorated very much at all, just a room with a bunch of tables & a bar with a few bottles when you walk in. This had me kinda weary of dining in. Lately I've been to so many trendy restaurants with outdoor seating, I was dissappointed & considered dining elsewhere. But, back to the food. It took my breath away & I sunddenly couldn't care less about what the restaurant looked like. The beef was seasoned well & was very tender. The vegetables were delicious & I'm temped to say the rice was THE best fried rice I've ever had from a chinese restaurant. It reminded me of the delicious fried rice you'd get from a hibachi grill, that ends up costing about $16 for the meal. Welll, this my friend - was only $9. Highly reccommend this joint, may give 5 stars once I try other items on the menu. And hey, they say not to judge a book by its cover, right? #PointProven read more

Encore Asian Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This is Asian food on the main drag in a college town and it's pretty much what you would expect. The menu features the normal variety of noodle and fried rice dishes. It's good food, not stellar food, but good food, especially for the price. My service however was stellar. The college-aged gentleman who took care of me made sure why drink was full and checked a couple of times on how I enjoyed my meal. I didn't have any issues, but if I did he was in perfect position to catch them and take care of them. I'm glad he was around. read more

Really good food and drinks. Especially the drinks! The service was also very good. Quick and courteous and a nice atmosphere in the restaurant. Would highly recommend this place. read more

Encore is fantastic. They have several vegan/vegetarian options. My only two complaints are that: 1) They are a little pricey so it's hard for me to go often 2) While vegetarian options are easy to see on their menu, you have to ask questions about what is vegan because their menu doesn't have any sort of vegan indication. Sometimes you have to swap things around (which I'm fine doing) but I wish I didn't have to bother the wait-staff with questions every time I want to try something new. read more

I don't know what to make of Encore. If anything, they're (stay with me) consistently inconsistent. One visit will be awesome and the next will make me want to run for the hills. We always order the calamari, which comes with two dipping sauces, and the Szechuan green beans. The squid is top notch, but the green beans will either be fantastic or subpar. I've asked for extra Szechuan sauce in the past, but have been told that it's not available. Say what? Then put more sauce in the bean pot, for sobbing out loud. I've heard good things about their vegetarian tofu entrees, but I haven't sampled them, myself. I'm pretty particular about my tofu and don't care for their tofu appetiser. I just don't get the servers here. Seriously, I've never had anything other than lackluster service. The employees aren't rude....they simply seem to walk around in a fog of apathy. I shouldn't have to wait twenty minutes for my drink and when I do, you shouldn't pretend the bar is slammed. I mean, I can see the gosh darn empty bar. Just admit you forgot my order and let's move on. It would also be nice if you'd bring the check(s) when you bring the to-go box(es) so we wouldn't have to wait another ten minutes for you to wander over again. Can we talk about that weird ass bathroom mirror thing? What is that about? Seriously. Anyone? Bueller? read more

Every meal I eat here is nothing short of amazing. Food is always delicious, staff is all great, they have a nice COVID-19 curbside pickup system. read more

I just had the most delicious vegan General Tso's chicken! It was cooked perfectly, great temperature and the sauce was fantastic. The texture was just like real chicken and was not chewy or gross. They even prepared it in a separate drier away from other meats. I'm just passing through, but would make this a regular part of my diet. Lol. read more

The food at Encore is always a hit, and always delicious. I have been a patron since before their renovations--it has been a hangout since freshman of college, nearly 6 years ago. We typically get the same server: tall, Pacific Islander who is always attentive and great. This time around, I ordered the clear wonton soup with bok choy, and a lychee bubble tea with coconut jelly. The bok choy was perfectly cooked and crunchy; wontons were full and meaty; soup was savory and light. The jelly tea was a bit sweet for my taste, but once the ice melted a bit, it was just right. I love to order different things every time, all of their items on the menu come out delicious. Meats come out tender, and vegetables are fully cooked and crunchy. read more

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food is AMAZING! best place in lawrence. hostesses are very rude and snobby and sit people out of order when there's a wait. I see y'all!!!!

The best vegetarian general tso I have ever had, from New York to LA. I highly recommend any vegetarians in the area to stop by and try some. read more

Best cashew chicken I've had in forever! It was ready for pick up on time. Fantastic!

I had General Tso's chicken and it was very tasty. Just go already this place is gud.

I came to Lawrence for a concert at the Granada, and a local recommended this place because it's close to the venue. However, I'll be coming back for the food because it's amazing!! I got the Mango Tofu, and while I took some leftovers home, they didn't make it to the next day when my late night hunger hit-- the tofu was crispy, the sauce was super flavorful, and the veggies were perfectly cooked. They also provide plenty of rice that you can mix in on your own, which is perfect based on what you're hungry for. My boyfriend got the Beef Ma Pow Tofu, and it was also delicious; however, the tofu was really soft and melted in your mouth, so if you want crispy, go for the Mango Tofu. Otherwise, the menu has tons of different options, both with and without meat, and the 7 people in my group all found different things that they really enjoyed. The service was fast and prompt, even on a pre-concert Saturday rush (shout out to our server Brandon!), and the price was very reasonable compared to downtown KC prices. I will be returning for sure! read more

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Our favorite place in Lawrence excellent service, the owners are very friendly and the food is outstanding! We love to order beef and broccoli with fried rice and crab Rangoon their Vietnamese coffee pairs so good with a tiramisu cake. You got to stop here for lunch or dinner if you visit Lawrence, KS read more

Encore Asian Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Large portions, fresh ingredients, friendly and efficient servers, one of our favorites!

Encore is slowly becoming my new favorite restaurant in Lawrence. I haven't been in a few months and BAM now I am craving to go again and again. The huge windows out front are very romantic to sit in front of. My favorite foods are General Tso's chicken and the crab rangoons. I came for restaurant week and tried their hot and sour soup for an appetizer. It warmed me up after a cold day walking around. The mango ice cream is refreshing and delicious. This is coming from someone who usually doesn't like mangoes. The food is spectacular, but it's what I would expect from a restaurant in its location and menu selection. If you are gluten free - beware. One of my friends had a very hard time finding something to eat. read more

THIS PLACE NAILED IT!!! literally hit the spot for my mom and me when we went here for a late lunch early dinner!! I had read some of the negative reviews before I came just to see so I was a bit worried like oh no would this be bad would I not feel good. But I cant tell you for at least what we got it tasted amazing and I definitely will be back!! The price and for what you get is totally worth it! Im a college student and so I got leftovers from this dish and am so excited to eat them today minus how smelly its made my mini fridge lol. I got the cashew chicken, never have gotten this type of dish before but was totally delish not too rich had a nice nuetral taste not too in your face or spicy, this is probably a favorite for the people who like a more mild dish but it did the charm for me! My mom got the Beef teriyaki which I tried as well and ohhhhh man it was so so good and Im definitely getting that next time because the flavor was so there and just was a bit more rich! The fried rice was superb if someone would have just given me that I would have ate it as my meal haha. We split the mini veggie rolls that were well crispy and fried, the filling was more of. blended con-caution of all the veggies! Still tasty spring rolls but nothing like omg wow! the entrees however were omg wow hahaha. read more

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Encore has consistently been providing fantastic service, bringing out your food pretty quickly and tasty. Their prices are unbeatable and will keep us coming back! read more

Not good food. I got the Cashew Chicken. Made me super sick 20 min after eating. If you want to save your stomach and soul from torture, do NOT eat here. Cashew Chicken read more

eh.... okay, okay, first off, I am Asian, and I'm from California, so my standards are pretty high. I DO give this place props for trying to bring a variety of Asian food to little Lawrence, Kansas. Came with a group of 6 people, and we all ordered different items ranging from curry (which they call Kari here...), Xi An beef, General Tsao chicken, and cashew chicken. I decided on the Kari (curry....) tofu, and was glad I did, since the curry was the only remotely Asian looking dish. It was overpoweringly spicy, however, which surprised me considering prior reviews. I think I'll have to search for Asian food in KC or just stuff my face when I'm back in Cali. Sigh. Or maybe I should drop grad school and open an authentic Chinese restaurant? Yes? read more

When I became a vegetarian about ten years ago, I pretty much resigned myself to boring Chinese food choices for the rest of my life. Typically you only have a handful of options, most of which involve either no protein choices at all or tofu, which I don't mind but also don't wish to eat every time I get a hankering for chopstick fare. I just added it to the long list of sacrifices I'd have to make if I wanted my ethics to trump my tastebuds. Imagine my excitement when I moved to Lawrence and discovered that Encore had veggie dishes that included either faux chicken OR faux shrimp! You don't see that many places, and being able to order old favorites like General Tsao's chicken or shrimp and broccoli again felt great. No longer was I relegated to Family Style Tofu. I had OPTIONS! All of the veggie entrees I have sampled at Encore have been delicious. I've even tried a couple of their tofu dishes, and they definitely know how to make it both flavorful and pleasing texture-wise. Don't feel limited to the vegetarian section of the menu, either; there are great meatless options elsewhere, too, like the veggie tofu soup, the Pad Thai, and the pineapple fried rice, which comes served in a hollowed out pineapple. Their bubble tea is really good, but since trying the coconut jelly in a glass of green lychee tea, I'm pretty much hooked on that. And if you're not a fan of chewy bits in your tea, their flavors are great on their own. For appetizers, I usually go for edamame or the veggie gyozas, both of which are always tasty. However, Encore would have my eternal gratitude if they'd start making vegetarian crab rangoon. That's one thing I still can't seem to find replicated in any Asian restaurants, and I miss those little golden-fried pouches of cream cheesy heaven. If you're in the market for desserts, my favorite option is the green tea ice cream. It's sweet, but not overpoweringly so, and the tea flavor brings refreshing to a whole new level. The only reason I can't bring myself to give Encore five stars is the decor. I hate the font they chose for their signage (I mean, come on. Curlz? Really?), I find the interior colors a bit garish, and the bathroom situation straight up freaks my shit out. Instead of a mirror above the sink, there is a window that looks directly into the same spot above the sink in the men's room. I'm sorry, but bathroom time--even the part where I'm just washing my hands and checking my hair--is private time, and I don't want some strange man watching me wash my hands. It's just creepy. read more

Four words: Bug. In. My. Food. Sure, it happens. Bugs fly where they please, including dining establishments. But, when I told our waiter, he asked the woman in charge to come talk to us. She asked what she could do to remedy the situation, and because I had no interest in eating after that, I asked her to comp our drinks. She said of course - but when the bill came, so did the charge for the two drinks we'd ordered with dinner. I complained and the waiter informed us that she told him she meant she'd comp our NEXT round of drinks (because everyone wants to hang out drinking after they find a bug in their food) - this was definitely not what she told us initially, and she wouldn't even come back and tell us she'd had a change of heart herself! I really really wanted to like Encore, and I've given them more than one shot, but this was the last straw. Seriously, who does that?! read more

Delicious! Crab rangoon was hot and very tasteful. I had the pineapple chicken with white rice. It was plentiful and chicken pieces were nice and not gristle-ly. read more