I just had their salt and pepper tofu and felt absolutely compelled to leave a positive review. Let me explain. I've known about Golden Imperial since it opened. Back then, I hated it. Everything I got on the buffet was super mid, borderline, yucky. I think buffets are really just hard things to do correctly in general. But then, during the pandemic, they switched to made-to-order and it's like the clouds parted and shined blessings upon them. One of my friends told me to give them another chance after the switch and I'm so glad she did! Despite how Americanized-Chinese they are, their dishes are great! The only thing that kept me from writing a review earlier is that I really dislike sweet entrees. I don't like orange chicken. Why do I want a dessert for my meal? Why would I want a sweet protein? Even my go-to Chinese-American curry dish at Golden Imperial is pretty sweet. Part of that has to do with the fact that the only vegetable they use in the curry is onion (where are the silky smooth potatoes and carrots that are usually in Chinese curry?!), but I thought it was still passable compared to everything else. And then I ordered salt and pepper tofu. I'm not a vegetarian anymore, but I still appreciate a tofu or vegetable dish, so if I'm getting take out, I usually order one meat, one veggie. Oh. My. God. The S&P tofu... So savory, so tangy, so much umami (y'all know that MSG is amazing, right? It's not unhealthy! That was just racist propaganda). It's addicting. I can't wait to have it again even though I was absolutely stuffed after both times I ate the one entree I ordered (Golden Imperial portions aren't cheap but they are filling - you can get at least 2 meals out of one order - I wouldn't pay almost $20 per entree if I couldn't stretch it). So, this is all to say, if you want Asian food that doesn't taste like it could've been on the menu at Baskin Robbins, explore what Golden Imperial has to offer. While I'm disappointed by the curry, I still like it. And the Salt and Pepper tofu just taught me that I need to see what other gems they have to offer. If you know what Homer Simpson daydreaming about a donut looks like, that's me thinking about the next time I can get S&P tofu. Yay Golden Imperial! Please keep it up and if you can, tell us which things on the menu aren't full of sugar. It would really help change what's on your "popular" list. Americans, especially small town Americans, just aren't adventurous when it comes to food. Tell us what to try and we'll try it but if you don't, we're just gonna order what we always order or what is on the menu at that drive-thru "Chinese" place. You're better than that! You're a hometown hero. We want to support you. read more

This place is awesome!!! Anything you order comes with a TON of food, and it's delicious!

My favorite Chinese Food place. The food is good, great atmosphere and great lunch specials.

The food is ok, just standard Chinese take out style. But the service is the rudest people I have ever seen, this is not about one visit. Over the course of several months, my team and I have gone for lunch and I have ordered take out over five different days. Every time it took anywhere from 50 min to 85 min to get my to-go order. And the staff told me things like "it is what it is", "you don't like it, don't order from here", etc.. Are you serious? Anyway, I will never go back with the crappie attitude they all have, oh! Especially the young man in charge, he is the worst. read more

I've eaten here many times over the past several years. The service is excellent, the restaurant is clean, and the food is consistently delicious. Also, the prices are reasonable and portions large. Highly recommend the General Tsao's chicken. read more

Food looked brown and old. Tasted bad and will never go again. Service was fine. Ambiance was lacking.

We did a quick stop here between Houston and Austin. Typical tasting Chinese food except the portion was HUMONGOUS !!! Had to have containers to go. The prices are comparable to other Chinese food. read more

Food is always great the service is always great. The portions for the price is not bad you will get your moneys worth. It is a great place to eat with family and friends. read more

This is listed as a buffet but it is not. It appears to be set up as a sit down take your order type of restaurant but it is not. As you enter, you approach a register where you are handed a menu. You must order at the counter, pay, and are then given a receipt with a number. When they call your number you pick up your own food at the register. Not sure why they ask if you want to add a tip when you pay?? My orange chicken with rice, soup, and egg roll was $13.55. Not a bad price due to inflation. The hot and sour soup was kind of sweet. Surprised me, hot and sweet ? The rest of my meal was pretty average. However the quantity was a lot. Could easily have shared my meal. read more

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Food is great!! Generous portions. Takeout is always hot and well packaged. Restaurant is always clean.

BEWARE: they don't use clean woks or utensils when preparing the individual dishes. That means a chicken/veggie recipe could very easily be prepared in a wok using utensils that just previously prepared a shrimp/peanut dish. A No one tells the diner this info. The advice RUDELY given us was "Eat somewhere else!" REALLY?! Does Brenham have a Health Department? read more

Surprised by these 5 star reviews. Maybe it used to be great, but unfortunately it's not anymore. I was very disappointed. The fried rice lacked flavor or any of the add ins (e.g egg, vegetables, etc.) and the general tso chicken was very chewy. Do not recommend. read more

Golden Imperial - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

I'm not gonna lie... I was very skeptical about ordering Asian food while visiting Brenham last weekend, however, Golden Imperial pleasantly surprised me! I ordered the Chicken Lo Mein (old fashioned) and it was very good! I ordered online for pick-up and it was still hot by the time I got back to my hotel. The portions are HUGE. I had enough to make 3 meals and they do not skimp out on the chicken. My order also came with Wonton Strips, which was another very pleasant surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The staff was all very friendly and I cannot think of one negative thing to say. I will certainly be stopping by again on my next trip to Brenham! *I didn't take the best picture, but you can see the generosity of their portion size* read more

Golden Imperial - Chicken lo Mein (old fashion) - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

The food was terrible. Very bland. No flavor never going back. No Buffet and no Service you have to order at the counter they don't bring you anything read more

Was a pick up order. Food was good. House fried rice was amazing. Everything ordered was correct. read more

Being new to the area, my wife and I were looking for some good sit down Chinese food. The food at Golden Imperial did not disappoint us. My General Tso's chicken was absolutely fantastic. The spicy sauce with chili peppers was superb and my wife's moo goo gai pan was plentiful and satisfying ; my only gripe with the food would be that my fried rice was obviously plated using a round scoop because it sat there on my plate like an oddly shaped igloo. The process of ordering our food was a bit awkward. After ordering our food at the counter, we paid at the counter and we were then asked to tip the wait staff before we had even sat down. They gave us a buzzer and told us we had to return to the counter to get our meals. The atmosphere of the restaurant needs a little help; we ate our meals while listening to top 40 radio hits from the 1980's. Perhaps next time we'll just oder our food to go. read more

We were really hungry for some Chinese food and being from out of town we relied on Yelp to choose. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a mistake. I ordered the house fried rice which was mediocre at best. The shrimp was pretty good but the chicken was overbooked and the pork was burned to a crisp. It also was lacking very much scrambled eggs. My wife ordered the Happy Family Meal and was satisfied with her entree. So, be warned, their fried rice is not as good as their reviews indicate. read more

It's probably the best Chinese if you don't want to drive to CS or Houston. They don't have servers, so you have to order at counter, then get your own food. The peppered steak is the best I've had in 20+ years, love the Volcano Beef as well. Their house wonton soup is great too with lots of pork and green onions in it. read more

Always Delicious & HOT! I got a To Go Order this evening. They have never disappointed me. Here is one of my favorites Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables, made spicy, per my request, & Fried Rice. Love their Egg Drop Soup too!!! read more

Golden Imperial - Shrimp & Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables made spicy & Egg Drop Soup - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

The outside of the restaurant made us a little skeptical, but surprisingly the food was actually really good. The only downfall is the BLAND fried rice and if you dine in you do not have any table service. Meaning, you order it at the front, they buzz the pager your provided, you pick it up, and if you need a refill you need to go up to the front to get it. Not a huge deal though. read more

Golden Imperial - General Tso's Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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Only giving 2 stars because they brought me the wrong food. Not just a wrong side or something, but the complete wrong entree. I ordered orange chicken and they gave me sweet and sour chicken. The portions were good size, but my chicken wasn't fully cooked and the batter was gooey. We were the ONLY ones in the restaurant a little over an hour before close and they still took almost 30 minutes to get our food. read more

I have been here twice in the last few weeks. Once was an online order and once was a dine in experience. Both were very positive. My take out order went very smoothly. Their online order system was very quick and easy and when the food was picked up it was packaged well and they even included the crunchy noodles for my soup. The food was flavorful and well cooked and very generous. I had enough for dinner and lunch the next day. For dine in that experience was pleasant as well. Note it is counter service so be prepared to pick up your own food. The restaurant has a nice ambience which is definitely elevated from a normal Chinese counter service restaurant. We ate off the lunch menu and the portions were generous and well prepared. The menu is standard Chinese fare with no surprises. Note if you have food allergies, they do post a sign regarding their inability to accommodate those in their kitchen so be mindful if that is an issue for you. That said based on my recent experiences I will happily eat here in the future read more

these plates are huge, it could feed three people. lo mein is on point, served hot and done right. enough said. read more

Golden Imperial - lo mein is huge as hell and served hot and flavorful. - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

The service was very good, they were very friendly. The cheese puffs were excellent. The pepper steak was also very good. I highly recommend this place. It is not a traditional sit down place. You order at the counter. After about 10-15 min you get your food and everything was great. It looked very clean as well. read more

The food is always pretty good but their portions are substantial. By far the best bang for your buck in town. The service is usually superb as well, I have not ever had an unpleasant experience. read more

Golden Imperial - Vegetable Lo Mein (Old Fashioned), Cashew Shrimp, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Egg Rolls, Chicken Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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Excellent quality and freshness. Sauces are authentic, protein is cooked perfect. Hot and sour soup is nice and spicy! You won't be disappointed. read more

Ok, Brenham...lucky to have the Golden Imperial!! Absolutely beautiful restaurant and top notch food. Along with an incredibly friendly staff! We definitely be back! read more

Great food and good prices. Always clean and has the best Chinese food in the Brazos Valley by far.

Came from Sealy, it was worth the drive. Cashew Shrimp was delicious. Egg rolls excellent. I ate so much shrimp I was too full to try the wonton soup. My husband ordered the Curry Shrimp. He doesn't usually like "yellow curry" but said it was delicious. Hot Sour soup had chicken in it, hubby loved it too!! read more

Golden Imperial - Cashew Shrimp Curry shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

Food is absolutely delicious. Been here several times and it's consistently great. Portion sizes are really good. Highly recommend

Great food. Fast service. Friendly and polite. Place is always clean. Eat there a lot

The service was horrible and the food was gross. Don't waste your money. The restaurant was disgusting.

We went on a Friday night it was busy but the food came quick. The best Chinese food we have had it's fresh and delicious! Kids got chicken lomein with thin noodles hubs got kung pow and I got schescwan chicken and broccoli, all a fav! Fresh and they give you a ton of food! definitely recommend read more

Every meal I've had at Golden Imperial has been perfectly cooked and always hot. Not just hot like you breathe like a dragon when you take a bite, but more like you licked the sun level hot. The flavor is top tier on every entree, and I've tried a bunch of them. Their soups are great, egg rolls are addicting and I don't think it's possible to leave hungry. The staff is super friendly and always helpful. Overall, best place in Brenham to get Chinese food. Hands down. read more

Good is always great, and lots of it! They are always very friendly and helpful. I'm a big fan of the wonton soup & moo goo gai pan.

Food's ok, but God forbid you have an emergency and can't pick up your order. They'll just keep your money AND your food. You owe me $66.

Always good! Hot soup, crispy egg rolls and delicious shrimp dish with crunchy veggies and sauce!

Short answer: We will NOT be back. Long answer: The positives are that staff were friendly and efficient. Our food was served promptly. Portions are huge. The meat in each dinner was certainly enough for 2 people. The place was very clean. The food was served hot. Cons: So salty! The flavor was only salt, sugar and red pepper. No complexity. Nothing pleasant. The meat dinners were only meat and rice. No vegetables. read more

Portions are huge! The orange chicken is sweet and not too breaded. The kung pao chicken has just enough spice to it. My husband gets the house special fried rice every time and has about 3 meals' worth. The egg rolls are crispy and the potstickers are amazing! read more

Golden Imperial - Orange chicken plate, house special fried rice and kung pao chicken plate. - Chinese Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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Reasonable prices for lotsa food. Flavors are good to very good. They've been know to make minor errors with the order, so check their work before leaving with a take out. read more