I drove from Boston to show off the Fantasy Island Karaoke to a friend of mine. That's right. From Boston. The staff was super super friendly and attentive and truly seemed to know all of the regulars and were glad to see them. We were out-of-towners, but were treated just as kindly. The regulars that go seem OK enough. Unfortunately, the only complaints that i have about the place pertain the customers who were sitting near us all night. This is not exactly a super gay-friendly area- so be warned... many a song lyric was changed by our nearby sing-along table to include some incredibly rude, anti gay and/or racist stuff. Yahoos. But for the most part, people were nice and went out of their way to compliment each other on their singing. On to the food. It is really good American Chinese food... made better by a tropical cocktail like a scorpion bowl or Mai Tai. The rice was a little dry- and the Chicken fingers were greasy... but isn't that what you WANT in Chinese food?! I highly recommend a trip up there for the karaoke nights (thu, fri, sat)- not so much for the food- and definitely not for the occasional sporadically degrading locals. I give F.I. a four, because you can't choose your customers... read more

Fantasy Island - Thurs fri sat karaoke. - Chinese Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I have 1 word to decribe: Garbage. Garbage, greasy food. Garbage, service no matter what time you go. Garbage, wierd 'envelope slipping' atmosphere. Go here if you're looking to get your feet wet in the seedy underworld of the Noth Shore. Avoid if you have a pulse. read more

Pretty good New England Chinese food. Crab Rangoon really good. Not much crab, but fresh tasting.

I basically spent close to $25 for a hot and sour soup. The rest was not edible. I got the grilled chicken rice bowl. ZERO flavor and the rice was just a big pile of mush. Chicken was way too chewy. Gave it to my cat. Whoever came up with the bright idea of putting cold lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers on top of hot food, wasn't too brilliant. You end up with a pile of wilted soggy salad fixings. Gross. Also, they state on their website free delivery for first time orders. Did not happen. I even noted in the comment area when I ordered. Very disappointed and expensive lesson learned. Won't happen a 2nd time. read more

Standard Chinese food, nothing to rave about but the perfect thing when you're craving it. The thing that makes fantasy island special is really the atmosphere at the bar for karaoke on a weekend. This place fills up and starts swinging with people singing their lungs out. Some are awful and some are pretty good but after a couple maitais (which can sneak up on you) you stop noticing so much. After it gets going it isn't long before it seems like every one is hanging out together. Great place to have some fun and get some greasy food. read more

Whenever I have a typical "American style" Chinese food Jones I come to Fantasy Island. They are great at preparing those types of dishes like pork fried rice or shrimp and lobster sauce. And those sweet spicy dishes like orange beef or General Gau's Chicken. But when we ordered the well known Cantonese dish of sautéed lobster with ginger and scallions it tasted a bit weird. Maybe nobody orders lobster here and it was dying or already dead. Not sure but the taste was strange. And it was super expensive too at $30 for a small twin lobster plate. I could only eat a few bites before I gave up on this dish. So if you want that Americanized type of Chinese food then this place is fine. However I would steer clear of the lobster dishes. read more

Food was ok. Their fried rice was wet. I went there for a bday party for 2 hours, and 1/2hr before it was over, the waitresses already rushing to pack the food not allowing others to eat anymore. read more

Ordered take out from here and after many many chances due to ups and downs of the quality of food here - we are finally done. Absolutely disgusting, flavorless, uncooked, cold, dry food. There is no redeeming this food anymore, no excuses - going somewhere else. Maybe it was just to busy on the weekend for them to actually COOK their food, I don't know or care. After a few bites everything was tossed in the garbage. read more

Well been there twice , both times takeout , FAST QUICK great food nice help front staff, go there you'll love it , I'll be back !!! 1

We order from here regularly, the delivery is always within 15-20 minutes time no matter the day of the week or time of night. The food is always delicious, my favorite's are the Shrimp Fried Rice and the Boneless Spare Ribs. We frequently order in but we also enjoy dining inside of the restaurant as well. The dining area is usually pretty quiet/relaxing. Their Scorpion bowls are nice & strong. Servers are friendly and attentive. The management has changed hands a bit since they originally opened years ago but the improvements made to the food are noticed (& favorable). Suggestion would be to add Crab Rangoons to the Pupu Platter. If you're in the Salem/Swampscott area make sure you check them out. read more

Ordered a couple of curbside pickups recently. Not only was the food fantastic, and the service helpful, they went out of their way to make a special request for us. We ordered a few traditional dishes, along with the best Moo-shi chicken ever! My parents would come here every Saturday night for years, and loved the place. Now I can understand why. read more

I ordered tea in the lounge and was told very rudely that they don't serve tea in the lounge. They serve alcohol. I told her I don't driinkk, and she said, "then order a soda." I do not normally drink soda. I ordered something else, and she took 45 minutes to deliver it. My friend actually flagged her three times about it. She didn't seem to have a pRoblem with serving others at my table, however. I told the woman at the front about my experience and said i am never coming back there. On a separate note, I have had much better Chinese food elsewhere. Avoid this place at all costs!!! read more

The reason they call it fantasy island is because all you do is fantasize about better Chinese food!! Terrible food and the waitress was very pushy, I can't stand when a waitress comes to pick up her tip before we leave...I won't be going back! read more

DEE PLANNNNNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **points to sky** DEE PLANNNNNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **warbly Polynesian music** Okay so I loved that show the way I loved going to this restaurant. If Mr. Rourke had a restaurant, I'm sure it would serve this kind of food. Like big, puffy greasy battered shrimp, tossed with chunks of Dole pineapple straight out of the can. Or gigantic eggrolls filled with tasty confetti-like floor sweepings. Or a big flaming pupu platter filled with crispy indistinguishable fried things glistening in the blue glow of Sterno. Glistening mediocrity. That was that show. That is this restaurant. But then, remember how the guests on Fantasy Island always had an epiphany during their visit? You know, just when they thought they were just there for fun, something happened that changed them? Touched them deeply? You see, my grandparents used to take me to Fantasy Island. I can remember my grandfather ordering the won ton soup for my grandmother and himself, only without the won tons--just the tasteless clear broth--because "You never know what they put in those won tons." I remember my grandmother waiting for the check to come before she asked the waiter for extra fortune cookies, because if you asked him before the check came, they'd put it on your bill. My grandfather passed away several years ago. My grandmother followed a few years later, leaving to me the old car they used to drive to Fantasy Island. The day I registered it in my name, I opened the glove compartment to place my new registration inside and discovered--lo and behold--an enormous stash of prepackaged Fantasy Island wet-naps! That and the matches each of my grandparents used to light the cigarettes which neither of them admitted to smoking. So what's your fortune? What's your fantasy? read more

Went for karaoke after having not been in a long while. Oh man do I remember why I don't go there. Service is awful. After having to have to deal with awful service our bill was placed on the table and 30 minutes later we still didn't see the waitress. So we brought the bill to the register to pay. Once there was money on the table the waitress circled us like a vulture while we tried to divvy up the bill properly. We got everything squared away and started to walk out. This is when the waitress grabbed my friends arm and tried to drag her back into the bar area yelling about how we didn't pay the bill. She gets to the front door dragging the waitress along. Then the manager (I assume) comes out screaming and swearing at us about how we didn't pay. We threatened to call the police. This is when he said we should he "doesn't give a ****." Good news the police said they got really apologetic when the officer informed them the waitress is lucky she isn't leaving in handcuffs. read more

If only zero stars were possible... service is terrible and greasy Chinese food at its worst. Unsure how anyone rates more than 1 star. read more

Ordered a lunch combo. Only gave me rice and general gaus chicken. Then menu said 4 items were in the plate. When I asked about it. I was brushed off. Time before I called for delivery, the guy who answered told me they didn't feel like delivering. Foods tastes great. There lack of communication and customer support or anything helping was utterly poor. I won't partake in giving any money to these folks again. Absolutely aways a rush when you go here. There customer service sucks. You guys need to step it up a bit. I work at one of the highest grocing smalls business in my city and we are nothing but amazing and wonderful to everyone who acknowledges us and stops in the shop. read more

Fantasy Island - Chinese Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Fantasy Island gets one star for the karaoke and one star for the strong vodka sodas. Karaoke - Fun, but unfortunately very political. Regulars are able to sing five, six and seven times, and newbies (like me, even though I'm a singer) can sing one, maybe two songs. The owner, a cute older man sings several times a night, and usually brings down the energy a bit with his slow, old fashioned ballads. Another thing I noticed was that a woman who sang several times would go up to the karaoke booth while other people were singing (including me) and just mess around with the stuff on the table, or dance behind the TV with the lyrics on it. It was super inappropriate, and I wish the host would have said something to her. Also, for all you Salt 'n Pepa fans out there, their version of "Shoop" was terrible. Food - I enjoyed the chicken wings thoroughly. Until the middle of the night, that is. I had a MAJOR reaction to the level of sodium or MSG in the wings and my heart palpitated and raced all night long (this happened to two other members of my crew as well). I slept like crap. MSG is a seasoning, people, not a main ingredient! Drinks - the vodka sodas I ordered were strong, but they didn't come to me nearly enough, which brings me to... Service - Sucked. It was too busy on a Friday night for the number of servers scheduled. Would I go back? Maybe, if my cousin talks me into it again, but I will not be getting wings again, and if that woman dances in front of me when I'm singing, someone's gonna have to slap a bitch. read more

Given the name of the place, the look of the building and the signage I was hoping for a bona fide tiki experience, but inside the place doesn't look quite as cool. Interior decor is dim and a bit of a tiki-karoke joint mix. Having said that, the service is good, the food is decent, and the drinks are pretty strong and reasonably priced. I really like their mai tai and their Headhunters. Karoke crowds usually don't get in until after 8-9pm. read more

I can't believe this place doesn't have a picture up! I am totally taking one next time I go. The sign outside alone was what got me in the front door. I've been trying to talk my bf into going there for moooonths. But he thought it looked terrible and cheesy from the outside. Exactly! I love it. The food is actually pretty good too. I like greasy chinese food, and this place satisfies that urge. The chicken for General Gau's is actually white meat. Score. They give you tea when you sit down. Lovely. They have a dinner combo plate that is pretty big. BONUS: the karaoke in the lounge spills over to the dining room so you can have some mood music while you dine. read more

Went here regularly years ago (about 30). Thought about it yesterday even though we don't live near anymore, about 10 miles away. Wanted to try it once more, went for lunch. Very helpful and friendly hostess. Got a couple combination plates, and some individual orders. Food was the BEST Chinese we ever had!! I thought our hometown place was ok, but now going to travel to Fantasy Island from now on.! Outstanding meals! A++ Well worth the trip. Outstanding meals!! Just went again. Tremendous!!!!! Every single item was superb! read more

worst chinese food place EVER. terrible menu selection, rude waitress, bad food. Chinese food isn't even difficult to make! I love greasy chinese food but its like they tried to make greasy - fancy with cherries and pineapples? the only thing worth while is the zombie drink and at a whopping $7.25 even that is worth a pass. we ordered the sweet and sour shrimp - it tasted like it had been pre-cooked left out for a few days then thrown into a fryer when we ordered it, then when I said something about it they refused to take it off of my bill and instead gave me 5 dollars off (we ate ONE piece.) so disappointed, i REALLY wanted to like this place because every time we drive by it looks so fantastic with the big fantasy island sign... but thats the extent of the fantastic-ness. really wouldn't consider ever going back. spent $21.48 on white rice, shrimp we didnt even eat, and two drinks. zzzzzZZZZZzzzzzz. read more

subpar food given the price. too greasy, not fresh. ambiance is odd inside because there is such a lack of windows/natural lighting.

I lived in Swampscott for a year, and this was definitely my spot for Chinese food (dine in or take out). Plus the bar area has a slightly "dive-y" feel to it, which I'm always a fan of. Surly staff, strong & cheap drinks, and plenty of grub to lay a bass down... oh did I mention they have karaoke here? Perfect! Throw back some liquid courage and a good portion of a Pu Pu Platter, and belt out your hardest Rock Screams to a crowd of complete strangers. I can still randomly be caught here treating the barflies to one of the most mediocre Elvis impressions in the Boston area. Hail to the King baby... read more

Best Mai Tai on the North Shore. Hands Down The food is pretty good here, and the portions are very large. Food Prices are very reasonable. I'm surprised there aren't more positive reviews for this place. Peter and/or Joanne are normally the bartenders at night, and they're both friendly and funny. Food is good. They make tasty, strong drinks (I recommend the Mai Tai). And the drink prices are also really reasonable. I think this place is great! read more

The place is so dirty and the waiters never wash there hands before severing food!!! Food is ok

If you simply MUST fly your broomstick all the way out to Salem, at least make it worth the trip and check out this place. You'll get a great meal for a good price and leave full and happy. I especially enjoyed lobster sauce and Hester Prynn says the scorpion bowls are simply sinful! Arthur Miller says people all over town are accusing this place of being a great restaurant, and for once they're right!! If you're wondering 'witch' place to eat at in Salem stop wondering and head to Fantasy Island!!!! read more

Hands down the best Chinese food in the area. The best I've had that has come close to this is all the way up in Wells, Maine which is too damn far to drive for a decent chicken finger. There's a thousand reviews for this place so there's no real reason to go in depth but I'll just throw my two cents in: You know how every Chinese food place you go to the food tastes the same? Like every restaurant in the known universe orders their frozen food from the "cheap Chinese food warehouse" or "super cheap Chinese food warehouse." Fantasy Island isn't like that. Fantasy Island's food tastes homemade and that's why I love it. The rice is good, the spareribs are big and beefy with little fat on it (unlike most places) the chicken fingers taste like they were freshly battered in my mom's kitchen, and holy crap fanta-steaks. They are just steak tips with teriyaki sauce but it's such a fantastic concept that I get it every time. Food is cheap (about 20-25 dollars for 2 people) and the servers have always been on top of things. I recommend it to anybody in the are and if you don't like the food I'll eat your leftovers. read more

Wish I could give Fantasy island 3 1/2 stars. I've been coming here for years, and they are good, but just not consistent. I love the shrimp toast and the fantasteaks. Another favorite of mine is the hot and sour soup.....yummmmm. The family that runs it is nice enough, but not very friendly. read more

This is my favorite chinese food place in the area and actually the only place I get take out. Now don't go here expecting gourmet food and service, because you will leave disappointed. They serve all the normal, heavy chinese food and it is scrumptious! I have never been a fan of crab rangoon but I gobble up fantasy islands every time! Their fantasteaks are wicked good too, kind of like the beef teriyaki on a stick but cut up into bite size pieces and more tender. Everything I've had from here has been good except their egg rolls, I'm not sure what it is about them but they taste... funny. Like I said I usually just get take out, but if your looking for some cheap entertainment they have karaoke in the bar a few nights a week and there is almost a guarantee that there will be some interesting characters there, haha. Like most chinese food places that I know, their drinks are pretty cheap and pretty strong. If you live in the area or are just visiting craving some chinese food, this is the spot! read more

This place is not as good as it used to be when I was young. The last time I went the rice tasted so bad, it was like dirt with a soy sauce flavor. But then their egg foo young is amazing. I guess it depends on what you order. I believe the only good thing about this place is the bar. 1 Scorpion Bowl and you are gone. They have Karaoke which is always fun. Who doesn't love Karaoke read more

I don't understand why more people in the area don't come here. Salem's chinese food is TERRIBLE. But this place is actually really good! One of the Yelpers said it was the best Chinese food etc etc, so we went and checked it out. Totally is! For ONCE a good Chinese place closer than Kowloon, and the prices are great! Watch out for really annoying karaoke on Friday/Saturday nights. Also, someone below said they're really pushy with drinks, and they really are. These people want you drunk. I'm 23, and have absolutely no complaints. They make strong, delicious drinks, and their food is reasonably priced, large proportions and actually really good. I still dont know how this place isnt a strip club, but I'm glad it isn't. Love coming here! read more

Ordered the Mango Chicken expecting something really delicious. Instead was served a big pile of slush which included small slices of spicy chicken and raw mango all seated on top of two hollowed out mango halves, also seriously raw. One of the most disgusting meals I have had in a long time. And the service was one star at best. read more

Lived in Salem 1998/9 now in San Francisco... All I can say is miss my east coast chow mein....celery,onion,sprouts that glop over white rice and crispy noodles...soy sauce a plenty. You are LUCKY in MA. I do miss Fantasy Island....ike being in a 60's movie scene..cool. CA chow mein is terrible!! read more

Last night I ran into an old buddy of mine and him and his friends were headed to the "legendary" Fantasy Island in Salem near Salem State College for some karaoke. The bar we were hanging at was low key, so we packed up our things and headed out because we are suckers for karaoke. Fantasy Island's parking lot was full so we had to park down the street. It seemed to be a happening place. We walked in to the place, which is a Chinese food restaurant. There is a dinning room off to the left and a bar/medium size room/dinning room to the right. It was PACKED! Me and my two friends were able to find a seat at the bar and promptly ordered some chicken fingers. They came out with in 8 minutes and where very crispy. In the realm of Chinese food, these chicken fingers were excellent. Prices for beer were average. The crowd was basically either 21-22 year olds or 50-60 year olds. Way too over crowded and probably broke several fire codes for being over capacity. The karaoke area was jammed in a corner and there was not much of a space for singers to differentiate themselves from the tables. Maybe it was an off night but the song selection and the people's ability to sing would make dogs howl in agony. I don't expect people to be great or superstars. I don't even expect them to be good. But the 7 or so people who sang while I was there should have been dragged out back and shot. Especially that old asian guy. Ouch! I didn't really get much of a taste for the food other than the chicken fingers but I did enjoy what I had. This isn't a place I would want to go to again really to hang out. There are dozens of other better options with in a 5 mile radius. read more

Fantasy Island was the North Shore's version of San Francisco's old Trader Vic's. Except without the celebrities and hoopla. I haven't eaten here in years so this is a review based solely on memory and my mid-1980s taste buds. I went on a first an last date here. He tried to lure me with Scorpion bowls. I happily drank but he didn't get lucky. Poor fella. The pupu platter! Chicken fingers covered in a gloppy batter that sucks up incredible amounts of oil and fried until crisp. BBQ pork ribs with a sweet sauce and pinkish hue not found in nature. Don't forget the Scorpion Bowls. All so bad for you. All so damn delicious. Calories be damned. We had tons of fun at Fantasy Island growing up. I miss the wet naps. read more

The food had a super strong smell which I'm not used to. Everything just didn't taste right and the spare rib was basically all fat and I'm not used to just straight cuts. The chicken fingers look like they were just thrown into the deep fryer then to my plate. Super disappointed ended up eating a few bites and throwing the rest out. Got this through UberEats. read more

We ordered dinner to pick up tonight. Awful. Burnt Peking ravioli. The crab Rangoon was filled with only plain cream cheese. The generals chicken had One little stalk of broccoli and hardly any taste. The fried rice was fair. Plus now there is a service fee charge and tip requested for pick up. Time to find a new place. read more

HOW have I NOT reviewd this GEM?! The food is delicious, the servers are attentive and polite, and they have AWESOME saturday nights in the bar section. One half of the building is a restaurant and the other half is the bar/ karaoke lounge. This is a place where you and your MOM and all of your friends go to have scorpion bowls (dangerous) or a beeah. Such a delightful mix of colorful people. One night the owner was there, a man who sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" you can actually sing ANYTHING and people will clap. They also do good takeout. Get the crab wontons and steamed dumplings. DO IT! read more

The Karaoke and is fun to watch, the food is okay, but the staff is kinda always in a bad mood. The drinks will get you drunk and it's not that expensive. Very good for large groups and birthday parties and the like. Most of the crowd gets rowdy and the place is loud. It definitely can be fun if you go with the right people and don't mind making an @$$ out of yourself on the Karaoke stage. Or to just watch. read more