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

I was craving Chinese food and we were in the area. I just stumbled across this place on Yelp since it's near Clairemont Mesa Blvd. This place is inexpensive, you pay $6.99 for a 2 entree combo and $5.99 for a 1 entree combo, the combos come with a drink.. if you get the 3 entree combo and check-in on Yelp you get 2 free egg rolls with your purchase (I don't know how long they're having this special for but keep checking back if you're curious!) The quality of the food didn't look too appealing at first so I thought I'd just wing it. I got the fried rice, orange chicken, and beef & broccoli. The fried rice has no taste to it even if they did put MSG on it. Also, the beef & broccoli's sauce was very... yellow? I'm not too sure how to explain it, but when I took a bite it was cold and the broccoli was overcooked. My Husband got the Lo Mein with orange chicken, from his POV he thought the noodles were really good. 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

The best Chinese food I've ever had! Let me start off by saying that I've been going to this place for almost twenty years now! We tracked them down when they moved locations YEARS ago. The portions are big and the flavors are sooo good. Panda Express has NOTHING on this place. Everything I've tried here has always been so good. The cream cheese wontons are always fresh, you can special order something if you don't mind a slight wait (my mom does that for shrimp fried rice) and it's all relatively CHEAP. I've gone to so many other Chinese places and it's just not good enough. The owner has always been very sweet to my family and I- support small business and stop in here! I introduce everyone I know to this place read more

Typical Chinese Take-out; at first glance it seems like nothing special.. BUT ... The portions are LARGE and ... the fried chicken wings are some of the CRISPIEST and CRUNCHIEST I have ever had! The house hot sauce is not overwhelming with a nice kick at the end Be prepared for a wait if you are there during a typical rush period. read more

Drove by this plaza and saw the place. Sadly i had just had dinner so i didnt stop in. BUT the next day after wrk i remembered bout it and opened the yelp app, i saw that i had the choice to have it delivered to me or pick up. I decided to do pick up since its on my way home. I ordered the 3 entree, had lo mein, fried rice, orange chicken and broccoli beef, with a small soda and of course fortune cookie, hints the name of this place. Super easy to order and good price it was all under $10. Came in and was a super fast pick up! Everything was good except the fried rice. To me it needed a little bit more flavor ,but other than that everything was great, the orange chicken was crispy "yummm". I thought the portions were good! I had leftovers so guess what im having tommorow!? Hehehe...overall satisfying, will definitely come back again! read more

Fortune Cookie Express - All for under just $10! What a deal! - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I read Yelp all the time but hardly ever write a review. After 2 bad experiences at new Clairemont restaurants, I have to write a review of a place I do like just to show I'm not a picky person. :) My wife and I eat here all the time. Is it gourmet food? No. Is it good and satisfying? Absolutely. The Lo Mein is very good. It's not oily like many places. The Orange Chicken I'm sure is the #1 seller. Yummy bites. Crispy and sweet. Almost everything you can choose from is good. Don't forget to get a pack of almond cookies too! read more

We ordered a catering order an hour before and received our items very fresh and on time! Delicious food. Will order again :) read more

Fortune Cookie Express - Orange chicken, lo mein, chicken broccoli, egg rolls, and kong pao chicken - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

They open at 11am but letting you know that the food won't be ready yet because they start cooking the food when they open. You will need to wait for at least 20 minutes. Aside from that the food is good. The lady that serves the food is very friendly. read more

I got food poisoning from the orange chicken here a year ago and now I haven't had the stomach to eat it since :(

This restaurant closes at 8pm, but they close their kitchen at 730.. so no one can order garlic chicken or wontons after 730... so nice to know after walking in. 7:42pm. I finally came back after 2 years from a bad experience here, and thought to try again.. my bad. read more

This place is my favorite fast food Chinese spot. I refuse to go anywhere else since my first visit. Staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable. Food.....ah-mazing! read more

Best Chinese takeout in all of San Diego.. I live in santee and drive all the way to Clairemont just for some food! Awesome staff too.

Ayo, Kay? Yeah. This place is pretty cool. Definitely family owned and operated. I like the simplicity of the dining here. You walk in. You wait in generally short line. You shovel out 4-6 bux You get a bunch of affordable pan-heated food. Every time I walk in I feel like I'm the judge at some competition. Choose the winners carefully and you'll be surprised by the quality. "Beef n' Broccoli, you look tired and sloppy today. Next contestant. Orange Chicken, what a shining, sweet performance. You move on to the I Eat You round." If you're taking a date or some guests here, you probably suck at more than just choosing dining locations. Yet if you've worked up a hunger and don't feel like going on a mission to the supermarket, preparing ingredients, and firing up a skillet than this place works out plenty good. My fortune read "You cynical much times" read more

Very few downsides to this place. I searched for "cheap Chinese" here on Yelp and this was the best-looking option. I'm glad I decided to try it. I think this is my new go-to fast and cheap Chinese joint. The Rice King on Convoy (in Kearny Mesa) closed not too long ago, and Panda Express wants too much for the same stuff. The service is friendly. The seating area is spacious and comfortable. Parking is easy. The food is displayed in the standard steam trays. Good variety. All the standards like orange chicken and beef-broccoli but there's some different stuff, too. It all looked good. You can get a one-item bowl with veggie fried or white rice for $2.99 or two items for $3.99. Right now they have a special where you can get a grilled chicken kabob for $1. Seven cream cheese won tons are $2. A can of soda is $1 and most items a la carte are $1.69. They have a large selection of drinks, from fountain drinks, cans of soda, and even juices. We ate there in the general after work/dinner time rush, but while there was a steady flow of people, it was never crowded. We got enough food that we had enough for two meals. We each got a two item bowl, a drink, two sides, and shared a third side. For two people, it cost less than $19. Most of the food was really tasty. The orange chicken is a little sweet, but the beef-broccoli's above average. The cream cheese won tons were excellent. I'm tempted to try living off of them. I liked the sweet and tangy barbecue pork. That $1 chicken kabob was the best I've had. I wouldn't get the egg drop soup again, though. It tasted okay, but it wasn't for me. Instead of the usual egg in broth with seasoning, theirs is loaded with veggies, including what I determined is probably bamboo. It's not what I like in egg drop soup. Too chunky and crunchy. And don't forget to bring cash! There's a 10 cent up-charge per item (per item!) if you want to use credit or debit. (The plus is that there's a Bank of America and a Chase in the same parking area, if you're a customer and you need cash.) Also, in the ultimate irony, guess what item isn't complimentary here? That's right, they don't give you a fortune cookie at Fortune Cookie Express. (Kind of a misfire there.) Not every item is a home run, and the cost of using a charge card is inconvenient, but it's fast and good for the prices, which are the best I've seen. It's definitely worth a shot if you're hungry and in the area. read more

It's okay I'm the first times I've went it was really good but now I don't know why the taste has changed. It's bland

I know this isn't authentic Chinese food, but sometimes....you crave the fast Chinese food junk, i.e. orange chicken, etc...and so...this is the PERFECT time for these kinda places. I really really didn't want to go to panda and I also didn't want to pay $10 for orange chicken or sweet and sour, that sorta thing, so I yelped this place and voila! For $5.46, I got a huge takeout box full of orange chicken, Thai curry chicken, and lo mein! The orange chicken tastes really orange-y and sweet, one up from panda...but the Thai chicken is REALLY tasty and has chunks of chicken breast and a bunch of veggies! The lo mein is alright, nothing fancy, but not bad for a huge box full of food that'll probably last me 2-3 meals! Fortune Cookie Express, you may not be super authentic, but for your prices and decent food quality, I will probably be back if I'm in the area and craving junky Chinese fast food! Oh, and I used cash, but I picked up a menu and it is true, they charge $.10 PER item when you use your cc. I realized after I left that if you just want a LITTLE of anything, an entree is $2 for a single serving and rice, fried rice, lo mein is $1.69/serving. Not bad, not bad. I can also see them not refilling certain things if it's close to closing...I mean...the panda @ UCSD doesn't even refill certain crap after a certain time...so I mean, that food would go to waste. I wouldn't refill that stuff either if I were them, just saying. read more

Hidden little gem in Clairemont. It's in the same shopping center as Coco's, but in the back behind the karate place and a couple doors down from the Balboa International Market (which is amazing, you should stop by there for some Persian food too) Fortune Cookie is my favorite place to get Chinese food in the area! Their food is so so so so delicious. I love their BBQ pork, sweet with the right amount of sauce, same goes for their orange chicken. Some bomb a** orange chicken. Not a huge fan of chow mein, but will never leave here without it. Not too oily like most places and neither are the noodles too soft or too hard. Their wings are good! Salt and peppery, garlicky, crunchy.... yummy. Must try them and the BBQ pork. Other options that I would also recommend would be their chicken curry and mushroom chicken. The consistency of their food is a plus. Every time I go there, whether the time of day, the food is always fresh and tastes the same! They always make more right before they run out and if you request them to make a new, fresh batch of something, they do it with no hesitation. Service is a hit or miss. Friendly some days, other days.. Not really. Depends on who is working. Sometimes the ladies are peachy and sometimes they are moody and just want to give you your food. I guess I don't mind, it's more like a Panda Express thing where they just put your food in a to go box, as long as they're not serving me with attitude, no complaints! read more

They have THE best chicken wings I ever had. They are slap yo momma good. Literally. I slapped my momma because she can't make chicken wings this good. She got mad at me but after she tasted the wings she understood why I slapped her. This place is an inexpensive Chinese joint. They have Chinese decorations in an otherwise cafeteria style layout with plastic booths. But honestly, I don't go out to eat for the ambiance. I'd rather have a great meal in an alley than a crappy one in a nice room. This place seems family owned and that's a plus. The lady at the counter has always been nice. They have a hot food counter with a selection of over a dozen items you can choose from. You gotta try the fried chicken wings. It is salty and slightly sweet with an amazing crunch that can only come from frying it to perfection. Yes, there's probably MSG on there, but I don't think it would taste as good without it. If not for the wings I would give this place a 3 or 4 star rating. The rest of the food I tried wasn't amazing but decent. The chicken teriyaki was good. The meat was tender and the sauce was tasty. The BBQ pork was pretty good too. It was a bit on the sweet side. The chow mein wasn't that great-the noodles were a bit soggier than I prefer. The fried rice was a bit bland. They do have white rice and I think brown rice as well. read more

I have been going to this place for years and will continue to come back. This place is a nice family owned fast Chinese food from steam tables. Location: Great. Centrally located in Clairemont behind a couple of banks so a little hidden but plenty of parking available. You have to know this place to know it (if that makes sense.) Service: No service needed unless from the staff who gets your food. I have never encountered any problems. All are very nice well to me and have not seen them rude to any of their other patrons. Food: Their portions are pretty generous and reasonably priced and flavorful. Ultimately all Chinese Food essentially tastes the same to me weather you are eating here or at Pearl Chinese Cuisine in RB. It's in the texture I guess. A few must have items: FRIED CHICKEN WINGS! - delish! crunchy, salty, juicy...all the things you could ask for. Great over white rice. EGG DROP & HOT and SOUR SOUP - Tasty! BBQ PORK over white rice with extra sauce on top read more

GOOD STUFFS: super cheap slightly above average Chinese fast food (it beats Panda Express fo sho) fast (buffet style) family deals are a great value and can feed an army RECOMMENDATIONSSS: orange chicken kung pao chicken lo mein read more

We were craving chinese food at the office the other day and decided to yelp search what was around us. Came up with this place and drove over there to try it out. Why are they the only business with a covered parking spot? Walked in and there was no one eating in there. Bad omen? Maybe. Ordered a 2 item combo, s&p chicken wings (4 pieces), orange chicken, and chow mein/fried rice. Came with a small drink for under $6. Not bad. The orange chicken was average. I've had better. It had way too much sauce on it, and you can taste that it's been sitting there a while. The s&p chicken wings were so greasy, but that's why I love them. About an hour after getting back to the office did I feel sick to my stomach. MSG overload!!! Not worth the drive from work, and they don't give you a fortune cookie with your meal!! read more

Quick Chinese food. Good BBQ pork. Didn't enjoy overcooked broccoli in Broccoli Beef. All the flavors seemed to blend together. Pricing for 3 entrée seemed to be excessive considering there was a $1 difference between 1 & 2 entrée but significantly more for 3 entrée dish. read more

My boyfriend and I took a trip to Fortune Cookie Express in search of greasy americanized chinese takeout. This place was close to what we were craving, but did not quite hit the spot. We ordered: -Broccoli beef (meh) -Cream cheese wontons (decent) -Chicken wings (delicious but salty) -BBQ Pork (tasty) -Orange chicken (the best thing we had) The woman serving the food was nice and super friendly. It can be tough to tell how long the food has been sitting out, so we may look elsewhere for chinese takeout. read more

I agree with a tip on here that they seriously have the best hot & sour soup! My parents used to own a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant in the Bay Area, and this is the only place that has hot & sour soup that comes close to theirs! Not to mention how bomb the orange chicken, BBQ pork, and curry chicken are as well. And surprisingly not very greasy considering it's Chinese take out. The lady and son (I assume) are always friendly and patient (I always have trouble deciding what to try next) even when there's a line. Definitely my go-to spot and recommend! read more

In inexpensive Chinese take-out category, it's 6 stars. The quality of the food is very good. Best hot and sour soup in town. Huge portions, modest prices, and most importantly, the food is fairly light too, you don't feel you've drunk a gallon of lard an hour after the meal as with most Chinese places. The serice is fine. They of course don't spend much time smoozing you, they rathet spend it on service, plus it's a take-out place. They are very clean and professional. read more

You have to think of this place like a fast food restaurant, and then it makes sense. Is the food amazing? For the most part, no. But for the amount you pay, it's ridiculous value, and the people are nice. This is a guilty pleasure place. An "I have eight bucks and I want to feel full for the rest of the day" place. This is not where you take the girlfriend, the parents, the picky eater friends. And as much as it sounds like I am trashing this place, I love it. My go to is a 3 item combo with half & half Fried Rice / Lo Mein, Black Pepper Beef, Orange chicken, and cashew chicken. With no drink and a bag of almond cookies? Under 9 bucks. Boom, done, out the door and off to somewhere where no one can judge my questionable life choices :D. read more

YUMMY!!!!!!! My first visit today after visit with Notary. OMG food was so delicious!!!! I will most definitely make many return visits, and bring family. I have been searching for good tasty food like this. I made my wish on the Budda Will be using my coupon, ummm like tomorrow :) read more

I love the Thai Curry Chicken, pepper beef and mushroom Chicken, the three item combos are a good deal at 7.99.i get half and half white rice and lo mein noodles. Chicken Fried Rice is perfect here. read more

I ordered the shrimp fried rice. It was made pretty quickly, and they gave a pretty generous portion and weren't stingy with the shrimp; I was able to eat it for two meals. Taste was pretty good, though the rice was a bit dry. It was great with some sriracha and soy sauce. Staff were quick and friendly. read more

I always love to eat here! The food is very Americanized Chinese but nevertheless, it is very good and the portions are really good for the price. I usually get either the orange chicken or the bbq pork. You also need to get a side order of the ginger chicken wings. They're the best! read more

I loved the food and quantity for the price. The lunch special one item is what I got and I also had some wontons from my friends order. It's a little mom and pop shop in a corner of the Balboa International Market. Its décor is a bit dated but it seemed clean. The food is what I was here for and I had kung pao chicken which was just the right amount of spicy and had lots of veggies in it. I liked that I can choose between white, brown or fried rice. My friend ordered the orange chicken and said it was really good. I give it four stars cause this is an upgrade from a chain Chinese restaurant but minus a star because I got the moody lady at the counter today others have mentioned. Too bad she was my first impression of the place but, the food more then made up for it. read more

I work down the street and was looking for a new place to eat lunch at. I stumbled upon this place and I'm so glad I did! They serve great portions, fried rice is nice and fluffy, the quality has always been great every time I've come in. The customer service is great! I think it's family owned and the two young men who usually work the front are very polite and excel at customer service. I've seen one of them speak Spanish to Mexican customers. Plenty of seating. Good soda selection. Even offer baggies of cookies and crispy noodles for sale. I love spending my lunch hour in here. read more

Best chicken wings ever!!!! Shrimp fried rice is exactly the way God intended it to be! The food here is amazing.

It's cheap Chinese food, the server who is normally there is kind of rude. I I come for the convenience.

I'm actually suprised. I was a little skeptical trying this little hidden resturant but it's quite good! What I love is the price. I ordered the 3 options and it totaled to $7 plus a drink. The portion is huge too. Good deal for good food. Love it. read more

Friendly workers & great food. I get the same thing every time and highly suggest you get it too. 2 item combo half fried rice & half chow mein. The bbq pork & chicken wings. Eat the wings first, chow mein second then mix the rice w/ the bbq pork. YUM! They will cut your bbq pork & poor sauce on it after it's cut. Great combo. GET IT! read more

Call it weird taste bud but this place will always be preferred over panda express! Most Chinese food nowadays are americanized. Everything catered to that umami taste bud. Everything was heavily flavored and filling. Very oily and greasy. Again, normal for Chinese food. I love their chow mein and honestly everything else they're is delicious. The employees are also very friendly as well. read more