My partner and I love this place. I've been coming here since I was a child and have eaten here hundreds of times. It changed ownership quite a few years ago to a nice family and the cocktails are not good at all now (Stan's mai-tais were delicious). I didn't think the food wasn't quite as good either until I discovered the traditional Chinese menu. This menu is amazing. I'd give IP five stars if they offered higher quality oolong (even if I had to pay more), no MSG in the soup and the fresh made hot mustard. To eat: Anything with their black beans/sauce is great, all veggie dishes including eggplant, black mushrooms, and bok choy, the crispy Szechwan Chicken add ginger, garlic and more oil is out of this world. Cumin beef, traditional anything you see on the western menu, the egg seaweed soup, green beans with minced pork and the spicy tofu and beef dish with the Chinese peppercorns to start. Off the western typical menu, shrimp toast, kung pao shrimp or chicken, Szechwan shrimp, princess chicken, Mongolian beef, sizzling rice soup add scallion, and black mushroom beef are all great. All the fried meat donut things like orange chicken or General Tsp's are bad good but maybe too sweet/rich to not split between a few people. Confucius chicken if made with asparagus and white pepper was always yum but haven't had it in a long time. There is a lot to discover. They deliver for a fair fee. They are fast and always pleasant. Not fancy inside but it sports some beautiful visual leftover from the original 70's/80's bling that is pretty cool. Red smushed booths could use updating. Ceilings, light fixtures, vintage shantung inspired wallpaper and old art/carvings are fun. The TV's are a bit annoying and distracting. Some traditional Chinese background music could set the mood IMO. read more

We always come here for family gatherings. The food they had for our family get together was so quick. We had the 7 course meal for the event we had reserved, it came out hot delicious and fed a group of 50! They do not skimp out on portions and the shrimp is always huge! We love it here and the prices are always reasonable read more

Lincoln's best Chinese restaurant. The foods are very authentic. You can tell they are good when you see a lot of Asian eating there. They have two menus, the regular one and the Chinese one for more authentic dishes if you're adventurous. Just ask the waitress for it. read more

This place has been in Lincoln forever and I don't know why I haven't gone as much. Classic, authentic, Sichuan Chinese. They have an American Chinese menu and the authentic but I don't know why you'd ever consider ordering off anything but the real deal. We recently went here and our server was phenomenal. Like I said, we hadn't been here in a few years so I'm sure the menu had changed some. She recommended several dishes in great detail that Iknow one I want to try next time I come in. We sampled the cumin lamb, Kung pao chicken, and chicken with hunan pepper. All were amazing and full of flavor. You'll have leftovers. Service was prompt and our dishes didn't take long to come out. They serve complimentary hot tea as a nice addition. We also sampled a bread dessert that I really enjoyed. I need to make a habit of throwing this into my regular rotation as there are many other things I want to try. This is some of the best authentic Chinese you'll find in Lincoln. read more

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant. I used to come here all the time with family and friends but alas, I no longer live near it so I don't make nearly as many trips as I used to. You have to try the peanut butter chicken and the Mongolian beef. Those 2 dishes are always my go-tos. I also love their spring rolls and crab Rangoon. Everything is so fresh and spot on every single time! A few other tidbits...When you dine-in they give you complimentary green tea which is nice. The fried rice is way better than the white. They have 2 menus: the first is the "American" Chinese menu on your table and the other "more authentic" one you have to ask for (basically their secret menu). I haven't tried the "secret" one before but I've heard good things. Every other Chinese place pales in comparison to this one. Try everything! read more

I was really pleasantly surprised on my visit here. I thought for sure I would be watching everyone else eat and I'd be out of luck. There was a server who was brought over to speak with me since her English was excellent. She knew exactly what gluten was and what I could have. The sauce is a garlic white sauce and I could pick whatever wasn't fried to have them put it on. I ordered the cashew chicken and it with the sauce was delicious. The egg drop soup was also gluten free and very good. My coresidents all enjoyed their meals as well. Atmosphere is pretty traditional for Chinese dining with a lot of decorations with red and gold, dragons, and those great Chinese astrology place mats. Everyone was very friendly, food came out quickly and was a large portion, and price was very reasonable. I'll definitely be stopping by here again sometime soon. read more

Imperial Kitchen - Egg drop soup is gluten freeeee - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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I remember going to the original Imperial Palace on 27th and Vine in the 80's. We all thought it was wonderful then!! Not sure if their food has gone downhill, there is a better selection of Chinese restaurants nowadays or our standards have just increased. Will I drive across town for this food again. Probably not. read more

Don't let the outside deter you as the restaurant has great food. It is run down, but the food is fresh and delicious, staff is kind and they could use some business. Give them a try! Szechuan chicken, sweet & sour chicken, egg drop soup and the crab Rangoon are fabulous. read more

I ate at the new location some weeks ago. The food was OK. The service was indifferent, at best (and I was the first person in there, and alone for awhile. I sat there so long I wondered if maybe they weren't open!) I am going to go there again with a friend, and give it a second chance. The new environment is so-so, nothing special or even particularly Chines in ambience. It's basically a generic type cafe atmosphere that serves Chinese-themed food. Environment-wise it's a big come-down from the old Imperial Palace place from which this new place is derived. read more

I like the Imperial palace. It's the Chinese equivalent of a greasy spoon diner. Good Food, generous portions, what's not to love? For $7 at lunch you can get a serving of Imperial Fried Rice that could reasonably feed three people. Be prepared for the grease bomb though, you will need a nap when you're done. Also, scuttlebutt is there's a secret menu, or so I'm told read more

Horrible food! Do Not order!!! Crab Rangoon size of a silver dollar, COLD. RICE HARD & COLD!!! Coconut shrimp cold, tough, not even shrimp in most, just breading! Shrimp toast Lord save me it was something my dogs walked away from. Try any place else... read more

Check your food carefully before you swallow, as mine contained a long sharp object. The food is good, but not the same as the original owners. I miss the oriental vegetables, now they use peas and carrots. read more

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Ordered online and it took over an hour to be delivered. Chicken tasted fishy and every thing so damn salty. Egg roll box had a pool of grease in it. read more

I gave Mr Hui three-star so I have to give this place two. I bet no other reviewers of this place had the same amount of dining experience in both China and the US, well, perhaps except those newly arrived spoiled kids from China: my point is, you can count on my review! The service is good enough and the owner has typical Beijing accent, meaning this place is indeed run by real Chinese. However, there is just tooooooo much oil and too much soy sauce in every course and I'm so sick of it! I tried this place once and that's it. If there is a half star choice, I'd give it 2.5-star, due to its cool decoration, considering it's in Lincoln, and convenient location! read more

Best Chinese food I've ever had in the Midwest and I've had my fair share. Super authentic, so delicious, fast and affordable!

(This was the express location at Union Central) The egg roll was amazing along with the wontons. My problem came from ordering curry chicken and getting general tso or something similar. Just not ideal read more

This place offers the most authentic Chinese food I've ever had in the States! - I have a say as a resident of Queens in NY, as a native Beijinger (of course we always order from their Chinese menu). It's totally surprising and lucky to find such a place in Lincoln, where me and my husband temporarily work. Our conversation with owners of the restaurant explained: both of them went to a well known culinary school in Beijing before moving to US, which makes sure their recipes differentiate themselves from those Americanized Chinese takeouts. Besides delicous food, generous portions, I recognized the decor, including gate and wall reliefs, laterns, are handmade artworks from central China, adding warmth and elegance to overall ambience. Servers very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended! read more

The Imperial Palace is your quintessential Chinese food joint - complete with sculpted red ceiling tiles, dangling paper lanterns, black-lacquered wall-hangings and ornate gold dragon decor. Granted, it is a bit rough around the edges (some dilapidated booths, and a big screen TV precariously balanced in one of the larger booth seats), and the parking lot is hard to get to but I enjoy it none-the-less. The husband and I have tried several dishes - the crab rangoon is always hot and fresh, and more than just cream cheese, the egg rolls are decent - the egg drop soup is run-of-the-mill, but not bad. I like the balance of their entrees - they avoid all of my regular annoyances with chinese food places. Their meat is cut and prepared in reasonable bite-size pieces, the sauces are not sickeningly sweet, nor nauseatingly salty - they are just right, and their sticky rice is the perfect stickiness for chopstick lovers. I even like their lo-mein noodles. Imperial Palace has become one of my favorite places, not because it is off-the-charts extraordinary cuisine, but because they have good food and they deliver every night from 5 to 9 - FAST! It says something when my crab rangoon arrives at my doorstep still steaming hot. I love not having to worry about dinner - that's almost worth an extra 'star' in my book. :) read more

Imperial Palace is a good old skool type sit down Chinese restaurant. It is everything an Americanized Chinese restaurant should be...cheesy decor, minimal English speaking staff and decent American menu. However, this place does have the "other" menu...and I've found the food to be superior on this menu, though it might be a bit too far out for the average Midwesterner's tastes. I would recommend the Salt and Pepper shrimp from that menu and from the American menu the Mu Shu pork is divine. All and all this is a good Lincoln mainstay restaurant and probably one of the better Asian restaurants in the city. read more

We just ordered delivery tonight and I was surprised it was at my door in 18 minutes! However when I opened the food the first thing I noticed is the shrimp toast was burnt, and completely grease soaked. The potstickers had a thick rubbery skin and the filling with a stiff off tasting meatball. The egg drop soup had so much canned corn in it that was all I could taste. The Lo Mein was pretty good, and my husband liked his beef & broccoli. I work food service and very rarely complain bc I understand that things happen and sometimes a person may just not like certain foods, but this was such a huge disappointment I felt compelled to share. $30 later and half of it is going in the trash... read more

Imperial Kitchen - Burnt greasy "shrimp toast" - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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My review is solely based on takeout. Passing through town and stayed at the quality in for the night. Imperial delivered to my door. Not the quickest delivery but I'm not sure how far they were and in their defense, there was also a storm that night. My house lo mein was the best I've had. I sporadically order lo mein from Chinese restaurants, usually to be disappointed by a greasy and unsatisfying dish. On the contrary here. Noodles, meats and veggies were cooked perfectly, noodles were super flavorful and not overly greasy. My boyfriend and I devoured the dish. Unlike his curried fried rice. Bland. Required two packs of soy sauce just to give it enough flavor. read more

I am honestly surprised by the bad reviews because this place is AMAZING. I grew up eating Chinese food (I'm ethnically Chinese) so looking for an authentic Chinese place in the Midwest has been such a challenge. I thought I'd never find one but Imperial Palace is truly the real deal. Their food is always on point and delivery is fast with a reasonable price too. I love this place! It's my go-to Chinese restaurant. read more

Imperial Kitchen - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Food either tastes like soysause or ramen noodles the sweet and sour chicken is red food is prity mediocre and the staff is rude a lot of the plates and untencels seem very old and beat up I think the place feels very run down read more

Imperial Kitchen - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

We ordered delivery to our hotel, three miles away from the restaurant, on a Saturday night. An hour and a half after placing the order, I called to check on the status and was told that the driver had already left and would arrive in ten minutes. Half an hour later - two hours after placing the order - I called again to get an ETA. While I was on the phone, the driver finally showed up. The food arrived at room temperature - soup, entrees, rice, noodles and soda. The Mongolian Beef might have been enjoyable half an hour earlier. The Broccoli with Chicken was utterly bland and tasteless. Perhaps the dining-in experience would have been appreciably different, but delivery was an abject failure. Fortunately, we were in town only for one night while traveling and won't be tempted to try a repeat. read more

This has been a nice place for Chinese delivery in Lincoln. Food has always been great! Typical expected dishes, plus some their own style. Delivery speed at dinner time is about 45 minutes to an hour, but that's usually average for Chinese delivery and they're N. 27th, and we live around 27th and Old Cheney. So, it's great that they will come all the way out here too. Thanks! read more

The foods are not good and fresh enough. Too slaty and sort of refrigerator flavor, means keep in the refrigerator for a long time. Sooooooooooo disappointed! read more

Great, authentic Chinese food at great prices! Lunch specials are $5.75, and come with 2 crab Rangoon's and a bowl of soup. There is a selection of entreés to choose from. read more

Just passing through town and they delivered to my hotel. The shrimp toast was the only excellent thing about my meal. The garlic broccoli, egg roll and pot stickers were mediocre. I didn't realize they put mushrooms in the wonton soup so I didn't touch that and the "fried" rice I ordered was plain white rice with brown sauce, no vegs or eggs. I wouldn't order here again, but like I said don't have to worry about it since I'll be home tomorrow and back to the chinese I know. Just leaving this here so hopefully a visitor doesn't make the same mistake I did. read more

Tried them in 2010. Staff was great; food was terrible. Tried again, on 12/14/20. I got sick for a week and Kitchen Nightmares Gordon Ramsay-angry! Everything tasted like spoiled, microwaved seafood; smelled like old, musty socks & feet. The Happy Family & vegetable fried rice were gooey and tasted like they should've been thrown out a month ago. The vegetable egg rolls were the worst that I've ever put in my mouth. One star is too high for this experience. read more

Imperial Palace is our favorite spot when it comes to Chinese food in Lincoln. The food always comes out quick and is blazing hot. The staff keeps the drinks refilled, the hot tea is brought out straight away. Sesame beef and princess beef are my usual go to. My wife like sesame chicken and typically sticks with that. One of the owners typically is there - nice guys! Occasionally we even get a piece of cake brought to our table. My wife says it gross, but the weird coffee flavored cake is bomb. read more

Excellent service and very quick delivery. I have only tried their delivery service so I cannot speak about the restaurant atmosphere itself. Their delivery service on the other hand is outstanding. The driver is always quick and polite and they have some of the best peanut butter chicken in Lincoln and by far the best coconut shrimp I have had here. I highly recommend them. read more

The shrimp was very good, the fried rice wasn't fried, tasted like white rice and soy.. Won ton sauce was horrible. Noodles were like rubber, broth was like water. They don't carry honey or brown rice!! The staff are friendly and polite, the atmosphere is nice and its decently priced read more

This is the first time I have ordered from here and the last the food was not good at all. Chopsticks is a hell of a lot better

I read several reviews that gave one or two stars. The interesting thing is that they all had the same type of misspellings in them. It was obviously someone trying to punk the restaurant. I have also eaten great Chinese food all over the world, Hong Kong , numerous china towns, all over the far east and while I can't say that the Imperial Palace is better than all of them, it is, in fact, one of the best that I have found in the US. I have a hard time finding a Chinese restaurant that will make a dish with enough spice in it , but their Beef in Hot Red Sauce was truly special and the Sesame Chicken and Shrimp Toast (hard to find everywhere) were great. We got delivery and they were right on time since they specified the exact time. Don't miss this Lincoln special place. read more

Hits and misses! Having lived in China for several years, I was thrilled to see their Szechuan a la carte menu which is loaded with authentic Chinese dishes. I ordered takeout and got A45 & A52, Mapo Tofu & the Yu Xiang Eggplant. Yummy! It's the first time in the USA I've had Mapo Tofu at a restaurant that used the authentic "ma" spice. I was transported back to Beijing & I wished I lived in Lincoln so I could try everything on this menu! The misses - I ordered soft noodles for one of my dishes but noticed I was given rice instead when I got back to my hotel. And, the A59 was light on the seafood (didn't see any crab meat at all, and maybe one scallop?). Otherwise, a great find on our swing through Lincoln! read more

Ok, after the former owner died (or so I heard) and this place changed hands everything went downhill horribly. First of all, where they used to serve fresh mushrooms, both brown and button, they now serve canned mushrooms...sick. Secondly, they no longer serve bean curd or tofu (as I was told tonight on the phone when I tried to order). I am astounded that they would cut such an important staple from their menu, so stupid. I was always willing to put up with the tacky and stereotypical fake Asian theme and sticky table cloths for the food that used to be decent but now it's really gross. Seriously, someone who knew what they were doing should have laid claim to what was a half way acceptable place to eat. It might be a better idea to turn this establishment back into a "Big Boy" like it was when I was little. Don't go. read more

I took my mom here for lunch, and it was absolutely horrible. They sat us down and ignored us for 10 minutes they even served the people after us. Finally he came over and we told him our order and. I got my freezing cold soup and they forgot moms. We told him twice she finally got her "Sizzling rice soup' which to be honest looked like some cleaned out of the kitchen sink and put it in her bowl.when we got our food it was covered in this salty brown gravey. I got the Beef and Broc and mom got something else. I was so dissapointed we paid the bill and left. Than went to Arbys cause we were starving. I heard so many good things from friends and even on here but to be honest I'll never go back. We got sick after that place! I don't complain much but OH MY GOD I had to warn other people don't go for lunch the server was a jerk and the food was freaking disgusting. read more

I have been going to Imperial Palace since I was a kid. I stopped going to the restaurant regularly because: a) the service is not as good as it used to be, b) I would usually go on the weekend, but it started to seem like the restaurant was constantly closed for weddings, and c) Golden Wok across the street has a children's menu, which is very nice. I do, however, still always order my delivery from Imperial Palace. As others have noted, they have an authentic Chinese menu, which is great. We like the beef in hot oil. The old Chinese standbys like Mongolian Beef are also tasty. Delivery is usually pretty fast, but not necessarily inexpensive. I do not live at all close by though, and they still deliver to me, which is great because all of the Chinese places near me suck. read more

Worst place i have ever eaten... waitress very rude and acted like we bothered her with questions... what made it worse was the owner asked when we were paying, "how was the meal?" and we told him... he ignored us and said "thank you" read more

Princess delight and Mo Shu Chicken were great. A little bit pricier than expected $9.25 and $8.25, but great service and food came out quickly. read more