Love. Long time family business. Love love love the hot n sour soup (our fave) with chicken breast and broccoli entree

the food is super good, very generous portions, and they are always very kind. they are the best

How have I not come across Fortune Cookie Express until now?! I was craving Chinese Food Takeout or even Panda Express but I was too lazy to drive out for it but I saw that Fortune Cookie Express was pretty close to me. 1 item combo $6.99 2 item combo $7.99 3 item combo $8.99 (Garlic Fried Chicken is not included in the combo) I saw all the reviews and pictures talking about the garlic fried chicken so I just had to order it. It's $3 for 4 wings. It tasted pretty good too! I got a combo with orange chicken and I asked for the cream cheese wontons but they didn't have enough wontons left to complete an order so the guy working there just gave me the last two pieces for free, nice of him. Overall I enjoyed my meal. Good prices and I definitely got my Chinese food fix. I'll for sure be returning when the craving hits! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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very clean. very affordable. very friendly. similar to a panda setup with cooked to order options. kung pao chicken heavy on the POW, light on the chicken. Thai chicken has a good buttery flavor, but not too spicy. orange chicken was good but average for the area. solid 3.5* would be 4* if offered refills on fountain drinks, or a larger drink for the combo. y'all know some of your dishes are . Also.... you would think a place called Fortune Cookie Express would include a FORTUNE COOKIE! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Orange chicken, kung pao, Thai curry with rice and noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

The food here is amazing! They give you good portions and good pricing. Here's a photo of what was left after I ate half. So delicious and filling! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Two Items Combo - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband really likes this place. It has Chinese food (similar to Panda Express) but the meals are a few dollars cheaper. Also you can get a drink with your meal. The food is fresh and delicious. I got the orange chicken and beef and broccoli. The service is ok, they just do their job. The restaurant inside is ok not the prettiest thing you'll ever see. It is a little old looking but it's ok we come here usually just to get takeout. They are very fast at getting your food. They give you a fortune cookie with your meal. There are usually a few people eating inside. The vibe is pretty quiet. read more

This review is long overdue. I've been a customer of fortune cookie for years. The food is always delicious and their customer service is awesome. read more

Good, but not great. Prices went up with pandemic, making it less appealing to me. The spicy entrees, as well as the hot & sour soup, are way too hot; Kung Pao Chicken is one of my favorites, but I can't eat theirs. I like the orange chicken. The egg rolls are good, but they don't have homemade mustard and plum sauce to go with them. read more

If you want some bombass Chinese food, go here. Don't judge a book by its cover. It could use some updating or TLC on the furniture and decor. But it's not horrible. It's a mom and pop shop feel. And the food and service is amazing!! My boyfriend used to go here all the time when he lived in SD. Now that he's back living here he took me and I've asked to go back again and again. Friendly lady always serving the food. Highly recommend! read more

Ive been coming here for years. The food is always really good. They are always bringing out fresh trays of food so the food isn't sitting there for hours. read more

The BEST salt and pepper chicken wings and at an excellent price! Great service and good portions!

Bring back the chicken wings please :), service is always great and the business is always clean and well maintained.

I love Fortune Cookie Express! I have been a loyal customer for years. They're a mom and pop shop that makes some delicious food! The fried rice and lo main are delicious. My go to is the orange chicken and the beef and broccoli. They make the best orange chicken and beef and broccoli! I also love their egg rolls. The chicken wings are unique and tasty. This is one of my favorite take out places. The food is always consistent! read more

This is one of my husband's favorite chinese fast food restaurant. Favorites are salted chicken wings, bbq pork, thai curry chicken. I recently tried the salted fried shrimp and I must say I'm a fan. The staff is friendly and helpful...you can sample items you want to try. The food is hot and the trays are normally full. However during dinner its busy and you may have to wait for some items to be refilled. I can't rave enough about the chicken. It is perfectly cooked golden brown with just the perfect amount of salt with jalapeño. If you want a large portion of salted chicken it's best to call ahead and place an order. This is the number one item and it goes rather quickly. read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Bbq pork, rice/low mein & chicken with vegetables - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Wasn't thrilled about the fact that when you walk in all the items are not ready,but the items we ordered we not great anyway. Chow Mien was not flavorful. Mushroom and Orange Chicken were just avg. I like a good Chow Mien,and when that isn't good ,I probably won't return just for that reason alone. read more

Dirty Chinese food! I say that in the most loving way possible. Have you ever just wanted that cheap, "dirty", Chinese food. This is the spot. Sometimes I just have a craving for that and the fortune cookie express delivers. All the staples you would expect. Get in line and tell them what you want. I usually grab the orange chicken or bbq pork for da protein. $5 for a one item combo with fried rice or chow mein (if you skip on the fountain drink). Cheap and delicious. A massive amount of food for that price is hard to beat nowadays. Be sure to use the yelp check in for two free egg rolls. read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been coming here for years the food is good and the portions are nice. The service is always nice, it can be a bit of a long wait but it's definitely worth it. read more

Only thing i can say is my favorite thing to eat there is cheese wontons and honey walnut shrimp with Broccoli with rice its very big and chicken wings and chow mien and fried rice is good and mushroom chicken is good read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Honey walnut shrimp with Broccoli - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Good food for a fair price. Sometimes Chinese take out food just hits the spot. I got the 2 item combo with bbq pork and broccoli beef with noodles for 5.49. I also got 2 chicken skewers for 2 bucks. I enjoyed the food and the skewers. If you check in on yelp you receive 2 free egg rolls. read more

I was really hoping this place was going to be better than Panda Express but it just wasn't for me. I was excited to try out a mom and pop spot in the neighborhood. The price is exactly the same as PE so I can't say that you get what you pay for. Pros: teriyaki chicken, orange chicken, friendly staff. Cons: Noodles were too thick for Lo Mein, black pepper steak was too chewy, fried rice was lacking flavor. I always try something twice because there are always off days so I'll be back on my next Chinese food craving. My husband liked it more than me but agreed the noodles were too thick. read more

I've been coming here for four plus years, its my favorite take out chinese food. The family that runs has always been great to me. I always get the 2 item combo, and they load a good amount of food on it. I recommend the red bbq meat, chicken wings, and that curry chicken. You will get food coma though, worth it tho. read more

I've been coming here for the past couple years and it's been amazing every time. I love their bbq pork, orange chicken and cream cheese wontons!! They always fill up our box and we get enough food with leftovers for lunch the next day! It's a little hole in the wall and I suggest this if you're craving some quick Chinese food! read more

I found a new favorite Chinese place near the house it is Good food and fast definitely go with the hot and sour soup

Good food. Long line but they make it go fast. Conscientious staff with attention to each customer. They work very hard to have a thriving business and it shows. read more

My favorite hole in the wall Chinese place in SD. And I mean that in the best way possible. They don't have the biggest selection but it's good quality and CHEAP. $9 gets you a 3 item combo and a drink. That's a steal for the amount of food they give you (you can get 2 meals out of 1 tray if you aren't starved.) Their BBQ pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Chicken, and chicken kabobs are my personal favorites. The important thing I need to mention here is the great service and the guy at the front. Pretty sure the guy at the front works here for his family because he's here everyday and he works his ass off. This place gets really busy sometimes (5-10 people in line) and I've firsthand seen him hold it down and run the whole front end by himself. If you get a chance, tip this hardworking fellow, he works long hours and tirelessly. Definitely skip Panda Express or Pei Wei (absolutely disgusting, barf) and grab a bite here. read more

I got sick after eating here, it's not a fresh made food place ! Everything sits unde a glass case for hours !!! I'll never go here again!!!! read more

Bought the "family deal" that came with family-sized lo mein, fried rice, beef and broccoli, orange chicken, sweet and sour pork (or chicken, you choose), egg drop soup, 4 cream cheese wontons, 4 eggrolls, and 4 fortune cookies. All for $28. Sweet! Pros: - the place was busy on Sunday around noon, so I wasn't worried about old food sitting there - substituted the fried rice for brown rice WITHOUT an extra charge :) - broccoli was crisp, beef was soft, flavorful - flavoring of the sweet and sour pork was just the way I like it - soup was delish! - the lady filling my order was really nice and even loaded everything into a big box for me so I didn't have a bunch of bags to carry! - food lasted me a whole week! Cons: - the lo mein was a bit soggy in my opinion - the orange chicken was lacking in flavor and some pieces were chewy - filling inside the cream cheese wontons was extremely lacking (the ones I'm used to have some imitation crab meat, these only have cream cheese and a tiny bit of it) - eggrolls were a soggy combination of steamed cabbage and corn - substituting one of the entrees for another one would have cost an extra $3 Overall, I'd come here again when my cravings for chinese take-out come around. I would stick to the beef and broccoli though and maybe try the chicken chop suey next time. read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Family meal, substituted fried rice for brown rice - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Fortune Cookie is located down the row from Balboa International Market, but I go to the market and never realized it was there. I'm glad we yelped restaurants in the area, and decided to try it. I wanted to order the BBQ pork, because several reviews mentioned that it was good. Unfortunately they were down to the dregs, and it was all fatty left (bonus points to them for warning me about it ahead of time). The 3 item was $8 with a drink, and we shared it. The orange chicken tasted good, but it wasn't very hot or crispy. The lo mein was good, quite a bit of cabbage, green onions, etc. The superstar was the chicken wings! I'm not a fan of buffalo wings, preferring the asian or bbq wings. These wings reminded me of kettle corn, being salty, peppery, & sweet at the same time. I'm glad we got double wings on the combo, because we would have been fighting over them if we only had a few. The decor is very basic, but that's not a big deal. It's family owned, so I'd rather they put the money into the food. I will be back for BBQ pork and more wings. I'm still pissed at Trader Joe's for selling BBQ pork for 2 months, getting me addicted, and then getting rid of it! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Combo with wings! - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

The five stars is for chicken wings only--BEST fried chicken wings ever! They are crispy golden with batter, with jalepeno, garlic, ginger, salt and so darn tasty. I always but the "family portion" which is 16 pieces (I think it costs $6 plus tax or so, definitely under $7) versus 50 cents for one. They are best really hot and they remain hot for a long time (and are tasty kind of cold). Yum..finger licking good! The Chinese food on the "hot steam" table is okay. You get brown rice as an option! I think the chicken wings (4 pieces) can be one of your sides if you get the combo plate. The restaurant is hard to find because it's in the back of the shopping center. Closes at 8pm. Get those wings!! read more

I am a regular here and I seem to ALWAYS order the fried chicken wings because its the best wings here in convoy without having to drive far down to National City. I would pick this place over Panda Express or Rice King. They have alot of options and are always busy during lunch hour. I also really like their fried shrimp, fried rice, chow mein and bbq pork ! They also give very generous portions at cheap prices ! P.S. Be sure to ask for a frequent visitor card for stamps for free meals ! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Chow Mein/Fried Rice, Fried Shrimp & Salt/Pepper Chicken Wings - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Been going here for over ten years and it's one of my favorites! The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. Great fuel after a workout or long day out. read more

Great to go Chinese food... And it's even better when the pricing is super affordable. They also have a decently large menu you can order from if you don't want what's available in the steam table. Food is always fresh and we have never been disappointed. Highly recommended! read more

I had to buy party platters for July 4th but they were closed so I had to get them on the 3rd. She helped me pick out food that could be warmed up the next day , she says some food wouldn't be the same after reheating it and told me how to warm them up. I appreciate her not letting me pick whatever items just for money.. the food was really good and the prices were way better than I thought.. definitely coming here again read more

There's a sign that says please wait here until called. I waited 10 minutes. The lady had a few orders to process and then instead of acknowledging me, she started to refill food instead. Panda Express is nearby and at least they have a good workflow read more

It's ok. I agree with most of the other reviews. It can sometimes not be fresh. It can sometimes taste a bit bland, and every so often it's like "DAMN!". My biggest problem is the little extra charges - what the hell is up with ten cents per item for a debit charge? Silly... Plus, like others have stated - where the hell is my fotune cookie? Oh yeah, that cost extra too... read more

After seeing the sign, I had to check the place out. I must admit, I was hoping to find a shop dedicated to fortune cookies, but it's just as well as I was starving and had to get some lunch anyway. This is a great shop. I had the Lo Mein with teriyaki chicken which was a great price and very flavorful. The restaurant is small, but well kept and laid out nicely so there is plenty of seating. Most important to me, the staff were very friendly - great customer service. Since the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore moved and is now located just across the parking lot from the restaurant the Fortune Cookie Express will be on my list of places to stop at. read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place does not greet you, the tables were dirty and now it's so expensive for what you get. I was coming here for years and years. They no longer allow you to choose chicken wings in a combo plate. So, I asked if I could include it as an item and just pay the difference from a regular item. The big male said "No, it's 4 for $3.50." Not accommodating. Not very customer oriented or friendly. I ordered the one item combo for $6.99. I got 1/2 rice and 1/2 noodles and BBQ Pork. They cut it up and there were 5 pieces (what a rip)! Oh you get a drink with NO free refills. The rice was dry, noodles were drenched in soy sauce and the pork was like candy (pure sugar). I will definitely not be going back. read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Overpriced! $6.99 - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

This place has really went downhill. Specifically waited for new rice. They gave me the old rice at the bottom. They didn't cut the bbq meat when asked I had to cut it at home which isn't a big deal but 3/4ths of the BBQ pork was nothing but fat. I asked over the phone to come in and get a new plate and the lady was only willing to credit the rice . Are you kidding me !!! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Fatty meat , Old rice, broccoli and beef was good . - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here to pickup an order for Postmates, and I still had to place the order. I got there at 7:30pm (they closed at 8pm), and they said that kitchen was closed. I wasn't able to place the order for the customer I was serving through Postmates. If you are open till 8pm, your kitchen should be open till 8pm. Poor service and I won't be returning. Both workers were extremely rude. read more

The food is very good for the price. Service can be faster but they are always nice and respectful. The ambiance reminds you of an old school Chinese restaurant. This is my go to place for Chinese food. I love the bbq pork!!! It tastes amazing and I can't find it anywhere else in San Diego. They also have catering and party plate size options that are affordable in comparison to other places. They are not comparable to Panda Express in anyway. They are way better in my opinion. read more