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    Happy Garden Restaurant

    3.7 (426 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Open 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

    Happy Garden Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    HAPPY GARDEN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Happy Garden Restaurant

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    Aileen M.

    Happy Garden is located in old Elk Grove. It's a fairly big restaurant with friendly wait staff. Their menu is extensive - you can find less common dishes such as foil wrapped chicken. The restaurant reminds me of the Chinese restaurants of the 80s (a compliment) because of how their menu is designed (nice thick cover, combo specials for the working lunch crowd). The food was decent but didn't stand-out in any way. The sweet and sour pork had a deep red sauce with thick batter on the pieces of meat. The won ton noodle soup was good; it's not common to see pieces of carrot in the soup though. And, the tin foil chicken had good flavor. We loved the ambiance of the restaurant and it's what we look forward to seeing again. In the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays, the back of the restaurant is a bar with loud music and is hopping busy with locals. Stick to beers (vs cocktails that rely on mixes/juices ) and you won't be disappointed.

    Bar is hella loud
    AmberAyame T.

    First time here. Friends recommended so came w a group of 7 after a pool party in the area. Really delicious! Clean restrooms and really friendly and efficient service. I'd come back if I were in this area again. There is a hella loud bar in here and I wasn't a fan of that. I think bc I'm old lol.

    Orange chicken was good
    Theresa G.

    We came here on a Saturday around 5pm. In the back is the bar with TVs and sports playing. We ate front in the dinning area. The waitress was super nice and quick to seat us and bring waters. It was 3 of us but we were starving and ordered way too much food. We started with the egg rolls that were super hot and crispy and the wonton soup that warmed our souls on that cold day! Lots of wontons and veggies and with the chili oil was amazing. Next we got the orange chicken that was hefty and sweet and made very good. We also tried the walnut shrimp the chicken chow mein and pork fried rice. They have wines and beer. We had white wine and lots of water. Service was great and we had a good dinner at a reasonable price. When we left the place got packed with families and couples having dinner.

    Jacoby P.

    For the most part the food was really good, heard a lot a lot this place, the only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because the orange chicken tasted like oranges I juts don't like my orange chicken to taste like that, but other then that' everything else was good

    sweet and sour pork
    Cristina A.

    After 8 years of living in Elk Grove, I am thrilled to have stumbled upon Happy Garden, which serves remarkably authentic Chinese food. It's surprising that it took me this long to discover!

    Wow! That's a large beer!!!
    Lil B.

    Oh my! The Friday and Saturday night DJ nights are back! It's my first time here. The crowd was a mix of all ages so not just 20 something's as well as the Gen X crowd. Music was R&B, Latin and hip hop. The drinks were flowing but I stuck with a beer. OMG. I said "sure" I'll take a big one - this was more than I expected but well worth it. Had a great time and took an Uber home.

    Restaurant Interior
    Ed S.

    A gold standard I have gone to for many years, Happy Gardens at 9081 Elk Grove Blvd, Elk Grove, CA 95624. The restaurant is long and narrow and has a full bar with a great selection. The interior is kept very clean and has excellent decor throughout. I came specifically for mandarin ribs and egg fu yung. I was not disappointed. Excellent meaty ribs with fresh made combo fu yung. Absolutely delicious! I also had some beef and broccoli, egg rolls and steamed rice. The portions are very generous and yes, I took a lot home. Everything I have tried during past visits has been great. Pricing is fair, service is attentive and friendly. It is a great place to bring the family. There are luncheon specials and combo dinners. When in Elk Grove, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Happy Gardens!

    Mongolian Beef
    Tiffany B.

    I drive by this place all the time, but it's taken me years to finally try it out. I ordered the Mongolian beef combo with soup, egg roll, chow Mein and rice. I thought it was a great deal and price for all that you get. I thought the Mongolian beef was really good, often times at other places you get way more onions than beef, so I appreciated this one. The fried rice and chow Mein was great as well. The only thing I wasn't really a fan of was the soup that was included. It was the soup of the day, and I don't remember what it was called, but I would have rather got an egg flower soup. The workers were kind, but also seemed like they were rushing us. Still a great place to bring your family and enjoy Chinese cuisine.

    This is the lunch combo with shrimp, chow mein, Roast Pork Fried Rice, eggroll, and egg drop Egg Flower Soup.

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    22 days ago

    Have only had takeout but yummy! I especially loved the pork spare ribs and tempura green beans

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    3 months ago

    Food always delicious. This time I got walnut shrimp. The Kung pao chicken lunch, & orange chicken lunch plates are delicious too!

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    4 months ago

    Always fresh, delicious food and good service. Everything I've tried has been great. I love their wonton soup and chow mein.

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    9 months ago

    Happy Garden consistently serves exceptional food. My favorites are the shrimp egg foo young and pot stickers.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Happy Garden Restaurant

    Does Happy Garden include tea in their Family Dinners? Or is is extra?

    Yes, tea is included but not to go-- only if you eat there.

    Do they deliver?

    No but Red Chopstix uses door dash and maybe food jets. Red chopstix was originally opened by family member of happy garden so the recipes are very similar.

    View All 3 Questions

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    Chef Bo is a current favorite place for dine in and future to-go orders for fresh, well portioned…read moreand prepared quality Chinese food in Elk Grove. The Braised fish filet in clay pot and sizzling combination platter are standouts when dining in. Their chow fun dishes are crowd pleasers and if you like eggplant, don't miss getting the Eggplant in spicy garlic sauce. All their dishes that have been ordered have all been very enjoyable and looking forward in trying more of their menu which is sometimes hard to do once you find your favorites. When dining in, the staff are friendly, personable and attentive. Our order was served up steamy hot and promptly. Hot tea was also served up fresh and hot. The restaurant is clean with modern decor and is located in a mid-sized strip mall right next to REI and a few other restaurants and shops. Parking was ample and easy with plenty of shaded areas,

    Chef Bo has become a regular dining spot for us, and overall the experience has been consistently…read moregood. The service stands out as friendly and attentive, and the area itself makes it a comfortable place to sit down and enjoy a meal. It's the kind of place that works well for both casual dinners and routine weekly visits. Our go-to orders usually include the honey walnut shrimp, beef chow fun, and beef fried rice. The portions are satisfying and the dishes come out reliably enjoyable, making it easy to stick with the same favorites each time. Overall, it's a dependable spot that we find ourselves coming back to regularly.

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    Pork fried rice 10 out of 10
    Pork fried rice 10 out of 10
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    Golden Dragon

    Golden Dragon

    3.7
    (337 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Sunday night dinner. Was not the most hungry, ordered…read moreshrimp fried rice, general chicken and salt and pepper wings. Came out to be about $70, which is absolutely crazy to me, but considering we're in Elk Grove I guess I'm not too surprised. I really liked their shrimp fried rice, it had crunchy rice pieces. The salt and pepper wings, along with the general chicken are pretty standard, nothing amazing. These are safe options that we get for my son. I know when we're hungry we would've ordered more but we didn't this time around. The waitress was really nice, always came to check on us and fill our drinks. The inside was cozy. Really enjoyed the wicker chandeliers and the overall aesthetics of the restaurant. I feel like this establishment is overpriced but again, with the items I ordered they're portioned generously. I will be coming back to try the other menu items that veer off the norm as I think it would be more reasonable price wise. I would say check this establishment out for yourself and try out their items overall to see for yourself.

    02.18.2026 - GOLDEN DRAGON - ELK GROVE, CA - I've always wanted to try this place but I'm always…read morepassing by and make last minute decisions and ended up just passing - I finally thought it would be a great opportunity since I'm now in the area - family members have mentioned how much they liked it - I ordered take out and got their lunch special half/half chow mein and fried rice with Honey Walnut Shrimp and I ended up getting an add on of their crab won tons. I'll be bringing it home as a takeout. The woman at the register was really friendly and nice. Restaurant inside was clean and well maintained. AT HOME: when I got home, it came packed in a container with individual sections to add food. There was chow mein, fried rice and honey walnut shrimp. I had a side order of Crab Won Tons. Chow mein - tasted good. Maybe it was because it was taken out the noodles was a little soft. The noodle mustve bloated by take out. I prefer it being slightly chewy and al-dente. Not bad. Still good. Fried Rice - it tasted like it should. Fried rice was good to eat. Honey Walnut Shrimp - its good too. It tasted typical. I think I shouldve ordered something with beef. But no regrets, just maybe at the time of eating I was not craving shrimp. Crab Won Ton - its a typical flavor. It wa delciious. Would be great if they added Sesame Oil in the filling. Like mixing in sesame oil. Its still good. I really enjoyed being here. It was good.

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    The place is a hidden gem.
    The place is a hidden gem.
    Egg rolls
    Egg rolls
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    N’Joy Cafe

    N’Joy Cafe

    3.4
    (262 reviews)
    2.8 mi
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    Thought I give this place another try but this place failed me again…read more Got the half roasted duck to go. I thought they would give me one from the display and cut it in half like at the supermarket. Hot and fresh. Got home in less than 5 minutes, opened the to go container and the roasted duck was fridge cold like it's been sitting in the fridge for a few days ago. Duck is supposed to be fatty, juicy, and greasy. This duck was at least a day old and cold. Disappointed and do not recommend. Makes me really miss the duck from all the Asian supermarkets like 99 Ranch, SF, and Peoples Market.

    Great little spot in a super busy shopping center near Costco. There are lots of restaurants to…read morechoose from, but you should give N'Joy a try! Tbh, I was a little nervous since there haven't been many recent menu photos or reviews. We took everything to-go, but it was piping hot out of the kitchen and only took about 10 minutes from ordering at the counter to leaving with the goods in-hand. There is plenty of space to dine-in as well. Their menu is huge - almost overwhelming - but they have a little bit of everything. I stopped in specifically for BBQ Pork steamed rice rolls, which can be tough to find at most places outside of a dim sum menu. The price was reasonable (I think $6.75) and it was a great portion. Very flavorful, tender, and a delicious sauce! We also got an order of steamed BBQ pork buns (3 total). Surprisingly, I don't think it was the same meat from the rice rolls but that's OK because it was almost shredded consistency with a good flavor. The bun is a bao-style bun, so less fluffy than my preferred steam bun type but perfectly steamed nonetheless. We ended with an order of sesame balls (3 piece). I was surprised at how much oil was in the to-go container, and a little disappointed that there wasn't more of the sesame coating, but they were so FRESH! I assumed the inside would be red bean but instead it was jelly cubes that reminded me of square boba jellies. Possibly pineapple flavored? It was not my thing but also my fault for not confirming it what was inside. Will definitely be coming back for rice rolls!

    Photos
    Dining room
    Dining room
    Salt baked jalapeño pork chops spareribs! So good!
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    Tea Garden

    Tea Garden

    4.3
    (402 reviews)
    5.9 mi
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    We've been going to Tea Garden for so long at this point they know us by name, which honestly says…read moreeverything. This is easily our neighborhood go-to for Chinese food because the food is always fast, consistently good, and somehow still hits every single time. Our regular order is pretty much set in stone now. The barbecue pork chow mein is always a must, along with the salt and pepper wings and salt and pepper shrimp, both with no jalapeños, but the real secret is making sure you get that little onion mixture with them because it completely makes the dish. The wontons are also so good, although honestly I might like them even better the next day straight from the fridge and you really can't go wrong with either the honey walnut or orange chicken sauce on the side. Everyone there is always super friendly, and the restaurant itself is consistently clean, which I always notice. Helpful tip: If you order the salt and pepper dishes, don't skip the onion mixture. That's the best part. It's one of those places that's become part of our routine over the years, and we still leave happy every single time.

    My family and I come here for dinner or an after school snack all the time! The workers are always…read moreso kind and remember us and greet us with kindness every time we walk through the doors. You can truly tell that everyone involved truly enjoys what they do, they all always have smiles on their faces and if you listen you can hear their laughter and connection from the kitchen. The ambiance is always very pleasant and never overwhelming. The food is amazing and clearly made with much love, we have never complained nor been disappointed with the food but are only consistently impressed with the quality. Food is amazing, service is amazing, and I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone interested.

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    Loved their "Tea Garden" wall mural!
    Loved their "Tea Garden" wall mural!
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    Nathan's Chinese Cuisine

    Nathan's Chinese Cuisine

    3.5
    (537 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Finally tried this place out as I've heard good reviews from this place. Thought it was going to be…read moreAmericanized Chinese food due to the name but was amazed when I found out it wasn't. Ordered quite a selection of items and they were all pretty decent sized and amazing. They give you a pot of tea to start. Spareribs were a little over fried but well seasoned. My favorite were the mixed vegetables in garlic sauce as they had a good variety in the mix. Service was decent, as you would expect at any Chinese restaurant. Tight squeeze in the restaurant itself, as there are a ton of tables and in a small space.

    Came around 12:30 on saturday for lunch, fully packed, we waited like 10 mins max. Service not…read moregreat, no welcome no greeting or anything, had to figure out that we need to write our name and party down then jus wait. Expected for chinese restaurant. They have same dimsum as joycity right by I5, we mainly wanted to try their other dishes. We ordered hargow, suimai, gold shrimp cheurng fun, beef cheurng fun, pineapple bun, stir fried rice noodle, beef chow fun, and salt n pepper spareribs. Before tip total ~$81. Most things came out after like 15-20 mins, some things took over 30-40 mins to come out when we were basically done eating. Pineapple buns (3), and gold shrimp cheurng fun were the best thing. Har gow decent as well, others wtv. Beef chow fun not good, very very oily, tasteless, the noodles were chunky n mushy. Rice noodles a wee bit better, less oily but still oily, a wee bit more flavor. Spare ribs good flavor, not crispy, weird color (old oil?), too thick tho wish they pounded it thin or smth. Overall would rather go to joycity, its closer, same if not better. Not a great spot for chinese food.

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    Lotus leaf sticky rice & siu mai
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    Hidden Dumpling House

    Hidden Dumpling House

    4.2
    (589 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$
    Speaks Mandarin
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    My husband wanted some soup after a dentist visit so we found a place with soup…read more Oh my goodness! What a sweet hidden gem in Elk Grove with a cute simply decorated ambiance. The food was outstanding! We had hot n sour soup, spicy pork dumplings and sesame balls. My husband is still talking about the sesame balls today because they were so good. Their portions are very generous. The soup spoons were a pretty coated ceramic and the silverware was heavy weighted and comfortable, not forgetting to mention they were gold plated. It was like dining at a friend's house instead of a restaurant. The service was prompt and friendly and the three men in the kitchen were working tirelessly. The prices were reasonable. We will definitely be back. I highly recommend Hidden Dumpling House.

    We've been here a few times and this was one of our go-to Chinese restaurants in Elk Grove. First…read moreoff, the parking lot here sucks at times and we always had a plan B to go somewhere else if we couldn't find parking. The staff here was nice and helpful. The decor was simple and cozy. Their menu has changed a couple of times since we've first been here a few months ago. We ordered a lot of food over the times we've been here from Shrimp Siu Mai to Pork And Cabbage Dumplings to Xiao Long Bao to Beef Noodle Soup to Mongolian Beef to Garlic Eggplant to Chow Fun to Salt And Pepper Tofu to Honey Walnut Shrimp to Spicy Garlic Green Bean to Mapo Tofu to Mixed Vegetables to Black Pepper Beef. The Xiao Long Bao, Pork and Cabbage, Mongolian Beef, Chow Fun, and Mixed Vegetables were all delicious to us. We tried to order something new each time we ate here to try more of the menu. The restaurant can get busy but we haven't been when there's people waiting to come inside to be seated. Overall, I thought this restaurant was good and we'll be back in the future!

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    Sunrise Chinese Restaurant

    Sunrise Chinese Restaurant

    4.2
    (395 reviews)
    6.4 mi
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    The honey shrimp is the best thing here. I come back time after time. It is perfectly seasoned,…read morecrispy, and tender. The sauce is sweet, savory, and thick. It is very easy to eat, and you can't stop eating it. It is everything that you would want. It's so crispy that you don't even need the walnuts. It stays crispy for a long time. It's fresh every time. Everything else is alright.

    Second try with this restaurant. This time I wanted to try the salt and pepper fish. While I was…read morewaiting, 3 other people ordered the fish as well, and it gets good reviews here on Yelp, so I made the trip to Mack Rd at night once again. The good - my order was prepared quickly, and the amount of fish was very generous. The fish was tasty and spicy. The house chow mein that I also ordered had decent (read below) flavor. The bad - the salt and pepper fish had a great batter, but I feel they're battered too much, and the actual fish piece inside is tiny. My house chow mein didn't have a single shrimp in it. Lots of beef, which was good, but the char smell from the beef was the only thing you could taste on the noodles. It's almost like the chef cooked the noodles on whatever the beef was cooked on. The noodles we had ordered from here a month ago had very good flavor, but not a one note beef flavor. There was a lot of beef and chicken in the house chow mein, but zero shrimp means the cook either forgot or they didn't have them and thought it would be ok to add more beef. Either way, I paid extra for my selection, and didn't get it. Am I Pissy? Yes. Am I honest? Also a Yes. 3 stars this trip, probably my last.

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    Take-out only.
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    Salt & Pepper fish (cod)
    Salt & Pepper fish (cod)
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    Happy Garden Restaurant - chinese - Updated July 2026

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