I love the war wonton soup. I will eat there at least 4 times a month... The staff are welcoming & pleasant when you walk in the door. read more

Ordered door dash. The food was really good today. We had combination chow mein. Plenty of meat in it with 12 shrimp. lol. Also had combination fried rice with green onion added. 12 shrimp in the rice as well. lol. The flavors were good. The service was fast. We had to share the fortune cookie because we were only give one. Wish me luck! read more

Ordered spicy noodles and they were delicious! I believe they custom made them for me because they are not on the menu. Perfect amount of spiciness. Egg Foo Young was good and The gravy on it is good but the old owner-Sandy's version was better. Will come back for more of the spicy noodles. read more

Golden Star Restaurant - 2026 Golden Star Menu Cover - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

I ordered through door dash and got the number 5 and the beef chow mein for $36. The only thing I really ate from the number 5 was the pork fried rice and the rest wasn't appetizing to me. The orange chicken just tasted like fried chicken, not a lot of flavor. The meat in the chow mein was very chewy. I'm glad I tried it out but I don't think I'll come back. read more

Sadly the business changed hands some time ago and the quality of taste is gone with the old business owners. Sadly, I really loved this place before, but after patronizing them once after the business sold, I immediately noticed the lack of flavor in the food. I have not returned since and until I see a review contrary to my experience in the food taste standard, I probably will not return. There's so much needed improvements , therefore, i'll be taking my business elsewhere. There's two great restaurants nearby, one almost right behind this restaurant (Cantonese Food Express, and up the street on Alisal is Eagle both outstanding food. Like I said until I hear otherwise, I'll not be patronizing Golden Star Restaurant. read more

I sat at the counter for 10 minutes before the overworked senior waitress got around taking my order. Because I sat at the counter she made my order to go, so no soup on to go orders. I said, " I'm going to eat it here, if that's OK" I mean, she was already stressed out of the game at 1 pm. By the time the food came, it was middle of the road at best. A little over priced and missing poor service read more

The food quality is very good!! Pricing is fair. But they do need to improve on customer service, communication was a bit difficult and they need some takeout menus. Online ordering is a bit difficult. read more

First time eating their food and ordered their combination fried rice for take out. I started eating their fried rice and it was tasty but there was some kind of mild aftertaste that I couldn't put my finger on until I found a whole shrimp. Upon eating the shrimp I spit it out as the aftertaste was now a stronger ammonia like taste so the shrimp was in my opinion far from fresh. The place looked clean and the person who took my order was friendly and competent but I will probably not order any take from this establishment anymore. read more

Look at the pictures the restaurant posts themselves. Empty dining room, video of EMPTY dining room. That about sums it up. When it was the previous owners both rooms would be full but now when I drive by there is never anyone in the place, even at lunch or dinner time. Gave them 2 chances. First time the Wonton soup was obviously days old as all we got was pieces of old noodles in lukewarm tastless water. 2nd chance was phoning in a take out order, being told it would be ready in 20 minutes, getting there in 20 minutes and wasn't ready. Waited another 20 minutes and then walked out. BTW..the place was empty. Don't bother going here, drive to blocks to the Cantonese place on Park Row. They know what they're doing and the food is great! read more

I came here yesterday to pick up a prepaid online DoorDash order. When I arrived, the employee charged me a second time. Mistakes happen, and I wasn't upset about that, but what happened afterward was extremely concerning. When I came back to clarify the double charge, the employee refunded me $24.04 in cash. I left the 4 cents in change on the counter since I didn't need the coins. At no point had I spoken rudely or had any confrontational voice or body language. Instead of ignoring it or simply leaving it there, she threw the coins directly at me, saying something about "don't insult me." A couple of the coins did hit my body. She didn't apologize or clarify. She just walked away as if assaulting a customer was normal behavior. I was stunned. I've never had a restaurant employee throw anything at me before, especially after I had been overcharged in the first place. It was unprofessional, disrespectful, and completely unnecessary. This happened during lunch time and there were several other customers inside the place. I tried calling the next day to speak with a manager, but was told "no manager" before they hung up the call and refused to pick up subsequent calls. I'm leaving this review because I believe customers deserve basic respect, even when the restaurant is busy or understaffed. I hope management addresses this incident seriously, so it doesn't happen to anyone else. I really hope I can get in touch with manager/owner, but I doubt it. read more

Quality of food was good. Size of potion was good. Service was excellent, we got to go order for New Years Eve.

I've eaten here before but many many years ago so decided to try again for lunch. It's right on main st with plenty of parking in the back. I got a lunch special which came with fried rice egg roll wonton and I got the orange chicken. The orange chicken was bad. Very tough and stringy almost. No real chicken chunks at all. The pork fried rice was ok as were the wontons. Egg roll was not my thing. Hate to say it but panda was better. Oh also they charge for refills even though it's fountain soda not can or bottle. Really? Can't remember the last time a restaurant charged for soda refill. read more

Golden Star Restaurant - Orange chicken with pork fried rice wonton and egg roll. - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

Chow mein, fried rice, spring roll are good. Overall, the food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time. Kung Pao Chicken did not taste good. read more

A South Salinas classic has been replaced by a imposter. This is not the Golden Star of the past! Gone is the cool 60,70's dinner interior and replaced with 3 big screens. Gone forever I suspect is the smile of Sandy the owner who knows everyone by name. I ordered by phone for pick-up and had a bit of a problem since the menu had changed some. 15 minutes and I'm walking in the door. Walls are some what painted and one of the three big screens is playing above the counter. One screen is to much for a room this size. On to the food review. Bland is being nice. Zero flavor, no salt, no heat. Nothing. I had to to put soy sauce on it just to something. I asked for a new paper take home menu and he said "they were out". No matter at this moment, I won't be calling. Last words...hard loss. read more

See all

The worst food ever never ever coming here the waiter was really nice Sesame ball are not fully cooked Eggfoo Yung nasty read more

This restaurant has been at this Salinas location for as far back as i can remember. I was told since 1980, but I think even earlier, maybe the early to mid 70s. It's under new management, I am told. I've been here now for my 3rd time. The food is excellent. Check out my pics. The service is a bit slow, but that's because there's typically one servicer per shift? That said, they are generally very personable and friendly. The place is sort of dated, but I enjoy the "vintage look" as they say. That said, don't take my word and go check it out next time you crave Chinese cuisine. Alright, behave and chow down!! read more

Golden Star Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

The WORST Chinese food I've ever eaten. We ordered 8 lunch specials for staff on a Friday. Everyone went home early because the food was so bad. How people continue to eat here is beyond me! I would never recommend anyone to ever eat here. read more

The service in and of itself was fine. The dishes we ordered came with won ton soup, which was warm at best. I ordered the Chinese chicken salad. The chicken looked like flakes or small pieces of fried chicken skin. The prices were on the cheaper side, so I guess you get what you pay for. The restaurant was clean. read more

The restaurant was empty. I placed my order to go.i was told 15-20 mins the average time for take out. 5 minutes later another group of people come in. They get seated and order. I the guy kept telling me it's going to come out soon. I keep seeing the waiter bring food for the other party. I waited 40 mins not sure why i waited so long. I told the guy to give me my money back. This place was empty don't understand why they didn't get my food first. Never coming back to this place again! read more

Amazing service. Big serving sizes! The food combos are really good especially their lunch and dinner specials.

The food was delicious! The service was not perfect but they were very accommodating even with mistakes. If you haven't gone to a restaurant that doesn't make mistakes once in a while then you're lying lol. Beautiful natural lighting and gorgeous interior design. It also felt very comfortable. My group decided to order food for all of us to share. The Lazy Susans which made it so much easier to pass the food around the table. Overall, I had a first good experience and for the amount of food we ate, I felt like it was a relatively good price. read more

This is a surprise review for me, but I really enjoyed my meal after having a craving for "in-authentic" Chinese-American food. While I prefer authentic Chinese cuisine (check out Dim Sum Inn near Northridge Mall), yes, there is such a thing as good Chinese American food. I went right down the middle with sweet and sour pork, something you'd never see in any self-respecting Chinese restaurant. I ordered the dinner menu which came with wonton soup, mixed chow mein, pork fried rice, 2 fried wontons, and 1 egg roll. All around $14. The plate was overflowing with food. I started with the soup which was an honest and simple broth with 2 decent wontons. In order to cut corners, other struggling restaurants will sometimes substitute flavor with salt or leave out the meat in the wontons, but that wasn't the case here. The broth had depth and the wontons actually had a decent amount of meat. Another mark of a cheap restaurant is that they overbread their batter fried meats like chicken or pork, and choose the fattiest cuts. That didn't happen here either. The pork was lightly battered, yet still crispy and meaty. The chow mein was surprisingly inclusive of pork, beef and shrimp. Often times sides are just inexpensive carb fillers, but I felt the chow mean was almost a second main entree on the plate. The fried rice had a nice balance of peas, carrots and a little pork. The rice grains had a texture that were more fluffy like Mexican rice, so I would suggest the cook using a different cooking technique or using a different style of rice. The egg roll was tasty, but could use a bit more vegetable filling. The fried wontons were fine. There was just one server in what became a busy post-1:30PM mini-rush of people, so service was a bit overwhelmed, but still pleasant. The server said the restaurant has been around for decades, and the most recent restaurant owner has had this business for 2 years. (There was a Chinese buffet down the street that was mediocre and ultimately went out of business about 3 years ago during the pandemic.) I've driven by this place for about 20 years, never going in and writing it off as a broken down restaurant on its last legs amidst a decaying downtown. I was wrong. Downtown Salinas is slowly picking up and the new owner of this place is doing a good job and a decent business. I don't think the chef in the kitchen is Chinese, but it doesn't really matter with this type of cuisine. It works well for me. read more

Food needs to be cooked more. They didn't have this issue months ago. I'm not sure if it's different chefs but it's totally noticeable and taste different. Other then that it's ok. read more

Food quality has gone downhill since the new owners took over. I don't believe in wasting food/throwing food away, but I really couldn't bring myself to eating what I ordered. I have never had bland Chinese food but there's always a first for everything. Both the fried rice and chow mein lacked seasoning and MSG! Even the hot sauce could not save it. There was large amounts of egg in my chow mein and the chicken consistency was questionable. The cut of the chicken was irregularly shaped, color was off, and had weird elasticity. However, the fried wonton and egg roll were tasty, so I ate those. I would not eat here again, nor do I recommend this restaurant. Try elsewhere. read more

Golden Star Restaurant - Chicken chow mein from the lunch menu - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

Sadly disappointed. We don't eat out often, but this has been our go to for great Chinese take out. The portions have always been generous, with great prices. Neither was the case tonight, small portions and our order rang up $15.00 more than my math. They don't itemize so it wasn't worth the fuss after waiting inside 30 min for an order I called in at 4:30 was told 30 min. When I asked if would he much longer at 5:20 the waiter said, " They're working on the chowmein now." We were still waiting at 5:30 for our food. It did not appear busy and there were 2 servers, phone did not ring once while we were there, 1 table with 3 1 table with 1. Food; more disappointing. Pork Fried Rice zero flavor, chow main same no flavor, S&S Chicken over fried hurt to bite it, Broccoli Beef SOOO salty and broccoli was not even cooked, went in the trash, and egg roll order we were shorted 1. I know shorted 1 egg roll not a big deal if you don't have two hungry teenagers! Sad the previous owners are no longer there, they knew how to run a restaurant. The ladies were always so nice, food came out quickly and was always delicious, with generous portions. Had high hopes the new owners would not bring the business down not the case. Sadly we will not be back, other choices in salinas with better tasting food. Prices are high for the portions you get. Definitely no longer recommend this establishment. Had to add a star in order to post. Definitely would say zero star worthy. read more

We came here after a suggestion, we found out that Fredy a chef from a local Thai restaurant was working here. We came as soon as we heard. We are happy to inform that he brings Thai flare to this Chinese kitchen. We ordered pineapple fried rice, Grilled fish with seafood, and he never disappoints! It was so yummy and flavorful. We are so glad we found chef Fredy, needless to say we will return. Karla our hostess/waitress was so nice she gave us a welcoming feel. We felt so comfortable, we stayed until we finished our tea, And chatted with Fredy a bit. read more

See all

Don't go to this place, found a sunflower seed chewed in my food as I was chewing my friend rice I felt like I had chewed something hard so I spit out my food and found a sun flower seed. read more

Golden Star Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

Food was good. Good serving sizes. Service was a bit slow, due to understaffing that particular weekday night..only one service staff person who also helped a lot of take-out orders. Food was worth the slightly extra wait. Met our expectations... we'll return. read more

This place was good for a long time, but since there are new owners, it's terrible. The 'chicken' meat in my won ton soup was like some kind of rubbery chicken or pork skin, it wasn't really a meat. Only 1 shrimp in my soup. Don't get me started on the wontons - hardly any feeling and they looked like a kindergartner squashed them together. read more

Pretty gross to be honest. The beef and pork had a fishy taste and rice had no flavor even the orange chicken was bad and super soft not any crunch. read more

I remember my first time eating here. I really wasn't quite sure if I wanted to eat here. But I quickly changed my mind and found myself having lunch here quite often. Staff always remembered me. Food was always hit and fresh. And I loved the quick service. Loved everything on the menu, really. Hard to pinpoint just one item. Stir fry items are my favorite. I really loved the place. read more

Excellent service, clean place, it has a nice view to Main st Food is delicious and affordable prices read more

See all

I'll give it 2 stars because the restaurant is clean and nicely decorated and the wait staff is helpful. Was in Salinas and the wife wanted Chinese so she found this on Google and I already knew before we got there that this was not going to be good. There are no Asian people working there or eating there which is a big clue. There may be some dishes there that are good but we got was a cheap imitation of Chinese cuisine. I got a combination plate and the chow mein was greasy and I could not identify the meat. Only ate a portion. My wife got a dish that was on the cover of the menu and that was a little better but you could see it was just flavored with soy sauce. I was worried I was going to get sick but fortunately that didn't happen. Live and learn is my motto. read more

My first time going there during my lunch was a good experience, I had ordered in advanced and once I got there it was ready. My soup was delicious. Second time, I ordered in advance and when I picked up my order the place was crowded and ONLY ONE person helping about 7 tables. I had to wait another 25 minutes before I got my food, but once again my wor wonton soup was yummy. read more

I love going to this restaurant. The food is amazing and the place is clean. The times I have gone with my family of 3 the service is great but unfortunately when we have taken more family members such as relatives and siblings of a party of 10, the service is lacking. The restaurant does so good they do 3x the orders to go than to dine in so the server has a lot on his plate bagging and take out. My suggestion is to call ahead of time and let them know you have a big party coming and if you know their menu order ahead so when you get there food is ready and service is fast. Tony will take care of you. read more

Traveling with family, a good rule is to eat before they get hangry. So on a trip to Monterey we all stopped at Golden Star right in the old downtown of Salinas of Hwy 68. So happy we did for a couple reasons. First reason the food. Old school way of preparing Chinese Food. Growing up in the 70's this is the type of food you could get. Chop Suey and Egg Foo Yung, which are basically what you have leftover throw it in a wok add some sauce done. Done right so tasty! Which they get right! We tried combo dishes too which come with fried rice, fried wontons, egg roll and whatever you choose. I got sweet and sour pork, little pork nuggets lightly battered goodness and chop suey, fresh veggies cooked perfectly with chicken onions, bean sprouts. The standout dish for our party was the grilled fish. I have no idea why it's called that because it's really a giant, did I mention GIANT(!), plate of noodles, veggies and assorted seafood. It's a banquet size serving. At $23 so worth it! Everything was cooked very well. Brought me back to old school Chinese Restaurants. Look this is exactly what it should be given the restaurant and that is happiness. Reason #2 of happiness was talking with the owner and server and cook. They are so nice and so proud of their place and their food. This is a good place with good food prepared right. It's 5 stars for the reasons above. read more

See all

To bad the restaurant was sold. Poor quality in food that no way can compare to the long time owners. Would frequent this restaurant about 3-4 a month but after this first with the new owners won't go again. Chicken wings were burnt and beef stick tasted like propane while the other barely hung on the stick like someone chewed it. There was one table with 3 ladies and although the owner/manager asked them 3 times if they wanted a beer he never lifted a hand to clean any of the 5 dirty tables even though there were just 2 tables occupied one of which being ours. Appetizers came out way after the food and we're cold. Owner/manager never came out to apologize about the poor food quality. Sorry but after supporting this restaurant for years will never go again. read more

See all

I heard that the previous owners retired and that it wasn't the same, but chanced it anyway. I ordered to go, Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Rice and Broccoli Beef, picked it up and went home. First thing I noticed was the old paper style boxes with wire hangers gave way to plastic clamshell containers, similar to the way Strawberries are packed. Next the Sweet and Sour was tough and old, the sauce turned hard, the Broccoli Beef was slimy, The Fried Rice had no taste and had peas in it, which made it worse. I couldn't finish the plate and took the rest which would last for the next day in the garbage, Terrible food, If I owned that place I would hire the previous owner for a couple of days to teach me how to properly prepare Chinese food. I see this place gone in a year. read more

I use to eat here years ago, and food was so delicious. I decided to order pick up today. My usual com pao chicken lunch special. I brought it home, and I was so disappointed. The fried rice was tasteless, and the chicken had a slight spoiled taste. THE WORSE CHINESE FOOD EVER! I gave it 2 stars because the egg rolls were good. My plate went in the trash. I couldn't eat it. Just lost a customer, and any recommendations. read more

Golden Star Restaurant - Com pao chicken and fried rice. Went in the trash - Chinese Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

Used to come here a lot in the 80's when I was poor. The food was good, inexpensive, and plentiful. When we came back to town, 30 years later, I was pleased to see that they were still around. If you're familiar with this area then this place is comparable to Chong's in Monterey, good solid Amero-Chinese food. They closed down for a while for remodeling and when they re-opened I honestly couldn't tell the difference. The place looks the same, and the food tastes the same as well. While not the best place in town, there are times when nothing will satisfy like Golden Star. Their Hot & Sour Soup is the best thing when you're sick, their Fries Rice is a huge portion that is guaranteed to satisfy and, if you eat in, you can have a nice adult beverage to compliment your meal. read more