I tried Happy Dragon after receiving a tip from a fellow Yelper that they had bubble tea--a rarity on the Monterey Peninsula. I'd been craving bubble tea like mad and decided to check out this little spot last weekend. I was so relieved the rumors were true--finally a bubble tea spot close to home. They offer about five flavors of smoothies with tapioca pearls, as well as Thai iced tea with pearls. Unfortunately, the pearls were a little too tough for my tastes, but the flavors of the smoothies and tea were pretty good, though not great. In short, it's not the best bubble tea, but it's close to home--a major advantage--and I have to admit I'd go again for the tea, which I recommend getting to-go. My friend and I came for the tea, but decided to pick up some food too. Unfortunately, this wasn't such a happy experience. The food was pretty bland: the potstickers tasted like the frozen ones I get from the supermarket; the chow mein had little flavor; the sesame chicken was overwhelmed by under-ripe broccoli. I will say our service was great--our server was very friendly and definitely made up for our relatively lackluster meal. In short, you can definitely find better Chinese food on the Monterey Peninsula--try Tommy's Wok in Carmel or Full Moon on Alvarado--and skip Happy Dragon. read more

Ate lunch here. This is a locals place with a good takeout business. Service was attentive if not that friendly. I ate here with my granddaughter and she liked it. I had the General Chicken. Good portion. Hot and flavorful. We also had the egg drop soup and she had pork dish. I didn't try that. Overall a good Chinese food restaurant in Monterey. We will be back read more

I am giving this place 5 stars because it is the first Chinese food place I have been to around here that I haven't had to dump half of a bottle of soy sauce on just to be able to eat it. We went for lunch, they have a "Business Lunch Special" where for $6.95 you get a cup of soup (egg flour and it was actually really delicious), your entre with white rice (fried rice or chow mein costs like $1.25 extra), and two fried wontons. I had the Mongolian Beef and he had the Broccoli Beef and they were both really good. The Mongolian Beef was just spicy enough without making me turn red like a tomato and there was more than enough food. The weird thing was that they were playing light jazz music while we were there. Not what I was expecting but ok. read more

A drop of rain, a puff of breeze--and most of Seaside is without power, on Christmas day, for 12 hours. So in the best "A Christmas Story" tradition, Wifey-Poo announces she'd like Chinee food (being under the weather, we must accede to her delicate digestion). So I set off, solo, to find Middle Kingdom comestibles. A cruise up Fremont towards Sand City reveals that most of that area is powerless as well, so I turn around (illegal U-ie at La Playa) and continue the search. Success at last: Happy Dragon was open! Friendly greetings, a menu, a decision. Whilst waiting, I observe. * The menu has the classic American Chinese menu look and feel, which is very comforting. The many choices make me wonder if they do anything well, as opposed to doing it all OK. * There are a few families enjoying a hot meal at one of the few places open (I would have chosen Black Bear had the choice been mine, but no complaints here). * One of the young ladies working here is very attractive, yet she has an "I am high maintenance" demeanor that would have told me to look elsewhere, back in my single days (I'm sooooooooooooooooo glad those are over!). Finally get the food, and I run off home. The food is fine--typical American Chinese fare. A bit overpriced, though, considering the quality and quantity. But it was hot, and satisfying. Will we be back? Hard telling. The Chinese food at The Noodle House in Salinas is much better, but much less convenient. Most of the time, Pho King is open, and is cheaper, so it's unlikely that this dragon will get happy from increased business from us. Still, I won't avoid it--and neither should you. read more

Best Chinese food in the area. If I could give 6 stars I would. Their Generals Chicken is amazing. I definitely suggest going. They deserve a much higher score than 3 stars. Thats just not accurate at all. Two thumbs way up! read more

Great food, great service, great location, check it out!

I've been here before and their food has been good. This time the food was just blah, mine had a lot of raw chopped garlic and overly spicy. I do understand that it is in a garlic sauce that it is spicy. I am totally okay with spicy, but when I can no longer differentiate the taste of my food, then why eat at all? The egg rolls were good. The fried rice and chow mien were bland. It was also just all one color- beige. I ordered via their menu on their website, wrong move. I mean the price difference was about $6.00. Their website is out of date so if you call in an order just double check the cost before bringing cash and being short. I'm disappointed in a way, but the prices are still decent for Monterey. It had been about 4-5 years since I've been back here and decided to give it a try again. My whole mouth is overpowered with garlic and spice as I write this review. Somehow the Chinese restaurants in Monterey are all dwindling. it is either a lack of quality over quantity or the price is just a bit outrageous. Maybe one day I will come back, but not anytime soon. read more

The food is tasty and fresh and hot. They make it when you order and are very nice when you pick it up. Great place to stop in for good food and not have to plan ahead to order way in advance. Convenient too read more

We were a little nervous about eating here since the place was empty, however there were at least 7 take-out orders durning our meal. We enjoyed the Won Ton soup, Lemongrass Tofu, Garlic Chicken and Cashew Nut Chicken. Everyone loved their dishes even though we noticed there was a lot of filler (celery, onions, etc). Our waitress was very friendly, the food arived quickly and was hot. Perfect meal after a long day of diving. read more

Visiting from the Bay Area and had the Hong Kong Style beef chow mein & Lemon Chicken filet. Amazing and service was great! Will be back before I leave! read more

I would like to start by saying that Chinese food is not my all time favorite but my boyfriend loves it. The atmosphere is so-so. Not fancy and a little weird but definitely unique. It looks like it would be good for a big group. The prices seemed about right for Chinese food in Monterey/Seaside border. Next to the bowling alley and batting cages so location is a plus. Food: My boyfriend said it was good but not out of this world. I also think it was just okay. I would say that if you are in the area and want Chinese then go for it... but don't go out of your way. read more

Ehhh.. it's OK. Rather greasy and the flavor profile was underwhelming. The wife and I have done take-out from here a few times and after the last substandard meal, I think we're going to look elsewhere. Lots of grease and sauce, but not much flavor or heat. Even Panda Express is better. read more

The guy answering the phone was rude, impatient, and even hung up on me without a word while I was in the middle of saying thank you and good-bye. And I don't think they were too busy, because he didn't sound rushed. The food was ok, but not great. read more

I love this restaurant. The delivery is fast and the food is sooo good!! Me and my husband have been eating here for about 15 years and will definitely keep coming back read more

I was on lunch with more than enough time to sit and eat. I walked in and I was the only one there, I looked back at the door to make sure they were really open, they were. Thought I'd be in and out. I was seated, I ordered...then waited a very long time!!!!! I was the only one there!!!! No one came to tell me why it was taking so long!! I was seriously ready to leave!!!! But I had wasted so much of my lunch there I didn't have time to go elsewhere! The finally showed up. It was average and overpriced!!!! $23 for one person!!! All I had was dinner and soda. Nice waitress but I won't be back after being the only one in there and waiting that long without being told what was going on. My usual spot (two cities away) gives huge portions of great food at prices us regular people can afford. read more

The beef fun noodle soup was not good at all. The only thing that slightly saved it, was putting some chili oil to mask the absolute nothingness that it tasted like. Overall the noodles, and the beef chunks tasted like water. The sweet and sour pork was soggy and did not taste fresh. I think it is a bit overpriced for soggy meat and tasteless noodle soup. The Szechuan green beans were 3/5 and tasted very garlicky, but weren't too bad. read more

In the area for work, a colleague that grew up locally suggested we try Happy Dragon. It was a Sunday night, so our group of about 8 were easily accommodated due to the fact that we were pretty much the only ones there. Sharing with Caren F, she had the roast duck and I ordered prawns. I'm not sure which ones, as I was trying to figure it out and our server, Luisa, made the suggestion. I had told her that I was craving seafood and spicy. The duck was really good, but maybe just a little on the salty side for my tastes. The prawns on the other hand hit the spot - exactly what I was craving. They were nice and spicy and cooked to perfection. Everyone around our table had a good time and seemed to enjoy the food, but once again, this is another instance where the staff was just as good as the food and added to our experience. They were more than friendly and attentive. Luisa, the "Philo-rican" (as she puts it... one of the boys asked), was the prefect combination of sarcasm and sass and was an exact match for our unruly group. We find ourselves in the area from time to time, as work dictates, and we'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu. read more

I love this place! The food is reasonably priced, especially if you go at lunchtime, which is $6.95 per person. Dinnertime is more like $15 per person plus beer and sake. I usually go with the Kung Pao Pork because it's a whirlwind of flavors in your mouth. The first time I went there, the waiter recommended it to me and I have only ordered that ever since. My boyfriend will usually get something else and then eating all of my Kung Pao, it's just so delicious. It's not as spicy as I prefer, but a little sriracha makes it perfect. read more

Ate here for my friend's birthday party. First time I ever had sizzling fried rice soup! It was good! Other dishes were good as well. I would rate higher if there were more that stood out at this restaurant. It is an overall solidly delicious place to visit. read more

I like it for carry out. It's not fancy. It's not special. But it is perfectly fine Chinese food for a reasonable price.

Hot & Sour Soup - 2.5 stars General Tao chicken - 2 stars (I can taste the MSG) Service - 4 stars Prices - expensive read more

Good Chinese food - I go here when I'm in town. Good price and service is friendly. I love the walnut prawns! Had a large family party here on a Sunday and the food was delicious, everyone was happy. Thank you! read more

They are close to home so we eat here a few times a year, they SOMETIMES deliver which is another perk. They are a little inconsistent with the food, sometimes it's exceptional and sometimes it's so so. But we stay loyal for the Mongolian beef and the chow main yum! Egg rolls are good and so are the pot stickers. read more

All the dish we ordered were great except the walnut shrimp. It was overcooked. The shrimp shrunk, and it got dry. Still recommend this place, BUT the cook or staff should've replaced our walnut shrimp order for another dish. read more

My husband and I decided to go to the Happy Dragon at the last minute and did not expect much but we were pleasantly surprised. This place is clean, bright and has great food. Our waitress Judy was great...she gave us enough attention but not too much. We ordered hot and sour soup and split Spicy green beans with chicken entree. The green beans were not very spicy but the beans were very crisp, flavorful and light. The hot and sour soup that was supposed to feed 2-3 could have easily fed 4. We enjoyed the experience and will be back soon. read more

My experience here wasn't horrible but I wouldn't say that it was as great as I'd hoped. To start with, I was greeted by a woman who really seemed as though she didn't want to be there. No smile, no eye contact, and very monotone. She took my drink order (i just had water) and came back to take my food order. I ordered egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken. The egg rolls were absolutely delicious!! The sweet and sour chicken on the other hand was made with chewy, fatty dark meat and was extremely mushy. The woman refilled my drink when she saw it get low about 3 times, and cleared dishes. Overall, the food was decent and the waiter was okay, but it wasn't extremely inviting. read more

So, I've lived here since June 14, 2019... I have been searching for a Chinese food restaurant since I've moved here and FINALLY! I've been pleasantly surprised. The staff is so nice and patient over the phone and they do deliver during this pandemic, just make sure to verify your address. This play is really underrated, I got the General Tso Chicken with Veggie chow mein and crab Rangoon with two bottled sodas. Food was hot and freshly made. I will be ordering again! read more

I love this place. The lunch plate are so reasonable. The food is delicous and the service is so friendly. They are always willing to cook to order. My daugher likes more beef than brocolli and they are always willing. read more

Enjoyed our food. Service was attentive. My husband had the spicy eggplant with pork and I had the small seafood soup, which was enough for 4 people...really. read more

Service at this restaurant was attentive and prompt. The food was all right. The menu is full of standard Cantonese and Szechuan dishes. If you want adventurous Chinese fare, look elsewhere. I've had better meals at many, many other places in California, New York, and Texas. read more

I ordered the seafood soup and it was delicious. I will definately be going back very very soon.

Super friendly staff! We got some of the most popular items on the menu as well as some extras. The General Tsao's chicken, green beans, pork spring rolls, and lettuce wraps were amazing. Definitely come in and enjoy a good meal. read more

We moved to the Monterey Peninsula full time twelve years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area. Obviously, one of the benefits of living near and working in SF is the availability of quality Chinese food, regardless of your preferred style of preparation. As I love to cook, we would generally only eat out for Chinese or Mexican for dinner, but we certainly ate more than our fair share of Chinese lunches from San Jose to San Francisco over the course of twenty-five years. While we had owned a second home in Monterey for years before moving here, we didn't often dine out for Chinese when we were in town. On occasion, some very dear friends of ours would suggest dinner at a very large, well-known, Chinese (for lack of a better term) restaurant on Fremont Street near the fairgrounds. To us, the food at that location was less palatable than that served by Panda Express or other mall chains. It was tasteless and overpriced. For years, we tried a number of the local Chinese restaurants in Monterey and Carmel. At best, mall food. Then, one day a girlfriend and I were out shopping and she suggested we try the Happy Dragon. What did I have to lose? At worst, it would be yet another mediocre meal. Wow, was I surprised! I adore Schezuan string beans with chicken. I asked for this, spicy, and it was quite good. The vegetables were crisp, not overcooked, the chicken was UNbreaded chicken breast and very tender, and you could order fried, steamed or brown rice. My only criticism (and this is all personal taste) is that my idea of spicy is appreciably spicier than the chef's. My girlfriend (also a transplant from the Bay Area) enjoyed her meal, as well. I couldn't wait to get home to tell my husband about this place. No longer would we have to buy Chinese food on our trips to the Bay Area, and haul it home with us in Thermos Bags. I am delighted to report that we have eaten at Happy Dragon at least a dozen times and have never had a bad meal. My husband loves their hot and sour soup, we both adore the seafood chow fun. I generally have the string beans with chicken or pork and my husband loves their sweet and sour (fill in the blank - they are all good). There's no MSG or that horrible residual MSG smell in the restaurant. Service is generally very good. The staff is accommodating and tries to ensure that you have a pleasant experience. Pricing is reasonable and in line with other Chinese restaurants. In fact, it is less expensive than the well-known restaurant that we think is so poor in quality and service. There are lunch and dinner specials available. The lunch options are quite extensive. If you are accustomed to SF (or good) Chinese, give this place a try. Don't think you will be disappointed! read more

Friendly service, attention to detail, amazing food, delicious boba smoothies. My family and I have been here multiple times and we are never disappointed. read more

Talk about bad service and bad food. The waitress was not friendly at all, my food was ready in (I'm not kidding) one minute? What did they do?? Put it in the microwave?? I ordered almond chicken and my chicken taste old like it had been sitting for a long time before they cooked it and the almonds were stale, 1/4 of my rice was hard like it had been sitting with the lid off all day. Oh and my soup (egg flour) was sweet? With Tofu? Just weird. I will never go back. read more

Spent fathers day here and Judy was our server. She was attentive in every aspect. The food arrived and was spectacular we had some Mongolian Beef and Chicken Fried Rice, oh yeah and we had some really tasty Egg Rolls. I wish Bob Marley was there as stated in a past review, I like the fact that they hire a diverse crew. I can't wait to go back to Happy Dragon again, I hope that our server once again is Judy, she really paid attention and made this experience even more memorable. Thank you Happy Dragon for being awesome! read more

My review is for the service only. I was travelling in Monterey and needed to do some laundry. The laundry had no customer restroom so I walked across the parking lot to Happy Dragon. I was faced with a sign proclaiming "restroom for customers only" I was fighting a cold and needed to go so I inquired anyway. The gentleman behind the counter said no as well so I offered to buy a soda and an almond cookie. Still no, then I offered to buy an entree without actually taking any food (I really needed to go if you know what I mean) so I was basically offering to pay 8 bucks for the restroom and the answer was still no. I understand it is their restaurant and thus their rules, but as a potential diner with lots of choices in this area, knowing that this is how they treat people is enough to look elsewhere when dinner time comes. read more

Authentic Chinese food. Always tasty with fresh vegetables. I've eaten here for 5 years and it's always very good. Try the Asparagus with mushrooms or the garlic green beans. General chicken is also very good, but my favorite is the Mongolian beef. read more

All dishes are just superb.. I would say this is the best chinese place in Monterey California.Quality and quantity both are equally justified. read more

Delivery was adequate... within 45 mins. Food was cold, very soggy and lacking in flavor. It wasn't fresh. I ended up throwing the orange beef and the fried shrimp appetizer in the trash. I heated the wonton soup up in the micro so it was OK. The singapore chow mein was bad... I bit into a chicken bone in one of the slivers of meat. The sweet and sour sauce was the highlight of the meal... For $37.00 I should have bought a share of face book and eaten at Panda Express :/ read more