We order from J L Kitchen for pickup about twice a month, love the food here. Our order is usually egg rolls, War Wonton Soup, Prawn with snowpeas, Honey Walnut Prawns, Salt and Pepper Fish Fillet, Combination Pan Fried noodles and Combination fried rice. For whatever reason I haven't had great luck with their fried foods like orange chicken etc. read more

Great food at a great price! The ambiance and building is very modest, a VERY small parking lot (roughy 5 spaces depending on how others park) but the family that runs it is very nice. I've never had a bad meal there since the new ownership. read more

Love the kung pow prawn lunch special (around $9) but it's worth every penny! Has the right amount of spice and flavor. I get it with fried rice and it comes with egg flower soup I want to say although not sure, maybe it's sweet and sour soup- if that exists haha. Don't recommend the chicken kung pow. Meat is chewy and flavorless, prefer the prawns! That's all I've really tried so far :-) I call it in as the place is super small and parking is very limited. They do accept credit/debit cards. read more

J L Kitchen - Kung pao prawns Lunch special - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

Great on a budget ! Bad on the stomach. They service have went down horrible food sometimes. I told my self this was the last time I'll ever come here. Enough is enough. They didn't wash their hands after handling money. It's just local for me but it's not healthy! read more

J L Kitchen - Extra onions that was on top of 83. House Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

I love their food but this is on customer service, I ordered on grubhub and they never brought the food . Had to get a refund after waiting 2 hours and calling them several times with no answer. read more

Solid inexpensive Chinese food at a small local spot. The potstickers are not amazing, but the entrees are mostly very tasty. My kids LOVE the shrimp & scrambled egg noodles, I like the Kung Pao Prawns, my husband orders the Mongolian Beef. The service at the window during COVID has been very efficient and friendly. We will continue to support this place! read more

Mongolian beef. Pros- I liked the sauce and beef was good. Cons- a little over board with the spices, could have used what tasted like black pepper, could be the peppery onions, to strong taking over the other flavors and red pepper, it was way too spicy that my mouth burned leaving a stringing sensation which distracts you from enjoying the sweetness of the sauce. The onions should have been sauté longer as they were to crunchy, again taking away from the sauce, onions give the best flavor when well sauté they become less of an onion and more sweeter as they caramelize, adding flavor to the sauce. Chicken fried rice. Not the best effort went into making this dish. The chicken was ok, most of it was moist some however were dry and hard. The rice itself was dry, as if it was left in a fridge over night. The overall flavor of the rice was bland lacking any sort of salt or distinct flavor, ie. soy sauce, it was void of any flavor. The best thing was, the speedy delivery. I wish the chef focused on creating a beautiful meal cooked to its fullest potential. Why the slacking off? giving out unflavored dry rice, come on man. To get a repeat customer, you have to step up your game. I know it was late but you can still hook a sister up! unfortunately though, I will have to keep searching for that spot, the spot that has the greatest Chinese food and everyone raves about. read more

J L Kitchen - Mongolian Beef - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

Had the West lake Soup to start Yum then moved on to the Pepper Fish over Chow Mein Yummy for the tummy LOL. The lady that works the counter is so nice she even gave me a Hagen Daz Ice Cream for desert. . I scream we all scream for Ice Cream. read more

Ordered veggie chow mein, dry sautéed green beans, and Szechuan tofu for delivery. Food: The noodles were mildly flavored and had a scattering of a few veggies, probably no more than if you ordered with meat. The green beans were tasty although not spicy (I had ordered them extra spicy). The Szechuan tofu was hard, and the sauce was gloopy sweet, not spicy at all, although it had a sprinkling of hot chili flakes. Might get the chow mein and green beans again if I were desperate but would not get the tofu again. Delivery: took 45 minutes at 2pm, so maybe the chef went home already? I would not try to avoid lunch rush next time. read more

I've been going to this place since I was a kid and the quality and goodness of the Chinese food served has not changed since! Yes, it's a quaint restaurant and a little run down, but their food is delicious. Food is always made right when you order. They serve excellent shrimp fried rice. Not heavy on the soy sauce and just enough shrimp. The beef with oyster sauce is also very yummy and has been a favorite of mine since I came here after my middle school graduation ceremony. It is not too salty and the oyster sauce is not at all overpowering. The wait for food is also not that long. 10 minutes tops. You can also order ahead of time and pick up if you're not fond of waiting like me. Julie, the cashier, is such a delightful person and she has exceptional customer service! read more

I moved away from the East Bay eighteen years ago, and hadn't been to J L in that long. Last weekend I happened to be in Castro Valley, going to my friends house in Oakland when he suggested J L Kitchen for dinner. I didn't think it would be open, as it was Sunday! WELL, I was wrong! As I pulled in the driveway, I had flashbacks of going there with my former co-workers from FH Daily Chevrolet and getting take out on a Friday night. When I walked in the door, the aroma of food being freshly prepared brought a smile to my face, and I was promptly greeted. We had garlic chicken, sweet and sour chicken (they do it right with veggies and pineapple), veggie rice, veggie chow mein, pot stickers, won tons, and something else ... but I can't recall what, it doesn't matter, the food was DELICIOUS!!!! Somewhat expensive for my taste, but worth it after 18 years. Before leaving the man claimed he didn't charge me enough, and added another $8.00 to my bill ... I made it clear I hadn't been there in 18 years and had driven well over fifty miles to get there ... one would think they could afford to throw in $8.00 worth of food, based on that alone, I won't tip next time. Ha ha! They did go out of their way and walked me to my vehicle with all the food. Not really sure if they do that for everyone, but it was a sweet added touch. Go, go, GO NOW ... they close at 8:30!!! read more

This is my local neighborhood Chinese restaurant (everyone needs one). After I moved into town, this was the first place I got to-go food. They have a lot of your regular Chinese food, but some Filipino dishes sprinkled in as well. I recommend the dry fried ribs appetizer and the hot & sour soup (my wife's favorite). And if you're having a party, you can't go wrong with the friend chicken wings. We've gotten the "small" party tray a few times, and the tray seems to regenerate itself. And with my picky nieces and nephew, they keep on going back for seconds! If that's not a recommendation, nothing is! The dining room isn't much to look at: 5 tables and 16 seats, with a very small parking lot. Most people get food to go, but a few will eat inside. The food comes out pretty quickly, and it's always the same lady manning the register. But the food is great, and I'll be coming back for more. read more

We decided to drop in after driving by this place for 5 years. We had high expectations after reading some of the reviews. Ordered the deep fried flounder they said they don't make it any more. We asked for the deep fried tilapia as a fall back, and the waitress said they don't make that anymore. Not sure why they just don't cross out the ones they aren't making? G to the salt pepper pork chop, salt pepper fillet and the Singapore noodles. They gave us 8 fried crab wontons for ordering more than $20. The salt pepper pork shop was good. Not coated with flour. Not thin like at other places. Served with slivers of site fried onion and jalapeño peppers which added nice flavor and heat. The Singapore noodles were really salty and dry. Only a couple of shrimp. We prefer the New HK version with sauce and a lot more shrimp and a lot more flavor. That being said the portion size was huge. However, we prefer quality over quantity. The S&P fish was coated with a flour batter. It was crispy and had good flavor. The batter was too heavy so we won't order that again. The crab wontons were make with the think skins and didn't fry up as crispy as other version. read more

This place was great! Best Chinese I have had in Oakland so far. Combination Fried Rice is Great. Pot Stickers Awesome. The wings are ok. I will for sure order again. Chinese I have had in Oakland normally has been sub par. This place I was pleasantly surprised. read more

J L Kitchen - Wings. Combination Fried Rice. Pot Stickers. Was a yummy dinner for a Tuesday night. - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

I go here all the time and never order anything but the Honey Walnut Prawns they are to die for not to mention they are HUGE and you get a nice amount for 11$ they are definitely a must try item read more

J L Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

This review is for my boyfriend who lives by their Mongolian Beef. If he's going, I usually get a Hot & Sour Soup...especially if I'm sick. They're closed on Sundays and are unlike other chinese places who actually take a vacation and close during the Xmas holiday. It's really good for them...except not for me when I'm sick and craving their soup :) read more

Food was PERFECT! I was afraid to try this place but it was exactly what i expected. I will most deff return to this place. Very fast and friendly delivery. read more

I've been ordering delivery from J L Kitchen for a couple years now, and their food always arrives earlier than expected and piping hot. Their Spring Rolls are crisp and delicious, stuffed well with just enough grease to seem extra indulgent. I always get the salt and pepper fish filet, it's a huge portion and super light and flaky. The chow fun noodles with shrimp are fantastic and flavorful, never over cooked, and the shrimp are huge. Fried rice is delicious, more huge shrimp, and not greasy at all. Sesame chicken is ace, as is the orange shrimp. My go-to delivery spot and I will continue to happily give them my business. read more

I placed an online delivery order from this restaurant and when the driver arrived he demanded I give him a tip. I told him I didn't have a tip and I paid the delivery fee. He held my order hostage at my door and insisted I give him a tip. I don't ever have a problem tipping but I am not obligated either. He finally gave me my order and told me he would take me off of the list for delivery and if I wanted to order again I had to come and pick it up. He spoke with a heavy Asian accent, then asked if I understood. I definitely smiled internally. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from there again. I honestly only selected them because they have delivery service. I give the food 3.5 stars and if I'm leaving home to get basic Chinese, it had better be 5 stars in my opinion. read more

Estimated delivery time was 50-60 minutes. Got here in 25 minutes. Food was piping hot and delicious! read more

I really liked this place until I came upon this review. I'll let the video do the talking. read more

J L Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

I order every time I'm in town. It's near my friend's place and it's quick to order. The prices are very reasonable. Friendly owners, they don't speak good English, but it's understood. This is my last minute, on the go, everyday go to spot. I haven't tried another place yet. I'm in town weekly. The egg drop soup was different for me. It tay hot hot for long long time, be careful not to burn yourself. It gets me full fast. The beef and broccoli is on point. Must try when in town. read more

Ordered the lunch special. Very quick, and was a full container. Tasty and freshly cooked with fresh ingredients as well. Good deal! Especially with the huge inflation going on right now. Great place for Cantonese food! read more

Great option for takeout in SL, the walnut shrimp was amazing, I didn't love the potstickers, but everything else was really good!

Out and about in San Leandro for business and ate the lunch special here (1145am). I had the mongolian chicken w/chow mein (I asked for it to be extra hot/spicy) and some hot tea. Parking is VERY limited in the back of the building (maybe 5-spots and they are small/compact spots). Started with hot/sour soup (small cup). It was decent tasting and very hearty (lots of veggies in it). And it was hot (temperature). Many establishments serve it warm (wrongly). The mongolian chicken was good too (but a bit greasy - I think asking for extra hot/spicy, incurred more chili oil/paste and I believe this is why it was a bit greasy). The chow mein was a bit bland, so I used the chilli paste on the table and that pepped it up. Overall, the meal was good and the service was competent/cheerful. I was surprised (for the time) the place was empty (except for me). There were also some take out orders too but I was the only one eating lunch there. Maybe the lack of parking? The food is worth visiting/eating. But parking may be tricky? This place would definitely be described as a diamond in the rough. Prices were reasonable ($7-$8 per lunch/meal). I was charged another .75 cents for hot tea. read more

Tucktaway in the cut and yes it is a hole in the wall. Some of the best authentic Chinese food I've had in a long time. It was so good I had leftovers and I actually ate my leftovers which is unusual. I returned to the restaurant two days later with my friend and her and I Truly enjoyed our meal. It's easy to miss this place. So slow down read more

J L kitchen is something reminiscent. They cook fast and on point! Ordered from them for a couple scenarios and they just do no miss! I recommend their fried rice or stir fry noodles! It'll have you salivating' read more

Great food! The portion is huge. So yummy!!!. Mom and pops restaurant so you are supporting the small business instead of the big franchise. read more

J L Kitchen - Egg Foo Young $7. Huge! - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

The General Tso's chicken was disgusting. Small grisly bits of chicken that was clearly NOT fried to order but was merely reheated with some horrible overly-salted sauce drizzled on as an afterthought. The two pieces of broccoli included did not taste fresh. Even the rice was off- not sticky good like every good restaurant. The beef chow fun was only slightly less crappy and mixed assorted veggies were OK, nothing special- no flavorful sauce, no love. One and done, they will never get another cent of mine. The only positive I can say is that the the delivery was fast but, as per the above, my review would have probably been kinder if they never showed up. read more

I wouldn't even give them one star I just spent $55 on food here the rice was dry and old could definitely tell it was sitting for a long time. read more

Not the same since the original owners left but still good.oh one thing I didn't like is how the waiter couple months ago asked for a tip. A tip is a costumers choose n staff just need to earn it. Other then that everything was good. read more

-They managed to find and deliver to my place, which is very difficult. -The salt and pepper Fried tofu is awesome. It comes with jalapeño slices. It's not greasy or too heavy. Crispy, tasty, and light. It's a perfect tofu snack. -Hot and sour soup was also pretty good. read more

I am very sick, too sick to cook and just wanted a mild tasty dinner so I ordered out for cashew chicken. It arrived and I sat down with my bed tray to eat. At first bite I nearly retched. It tasted like FISH, the LAST think I can handle right now! The flavor was dreadful, this is the worst Chinese dish I have had in nearly 60 years of regularly eating Chinese food. It is not even edible. My son's orange chicken was dry, the only decent thing were the veggie rolls. To top it off they refused to refund the entire order regardless of the fact that their Cashew Chicken made me violently ill due to the fish flavor on my already sick stomach. I complained to Grub Hub for only the second time in nearly 15 years! Had they done the right thing I might have given them a second chance, but now they have lost my business and gained this well deserved poor review! read more

Although they told me they'd been open only three years and are obviously on a busy thoroughfare a mere 1/2 mile from my house (5-min drive), I was made aware and visited them for only the first time last weekend. A friend was visiting and we discovered it online and decided to try (I wasn't happy with one two blocks away). We were glad we did. We ordered a couple of standard lunch specials, the Mongolian beef w/fried rice and kung pao chicken with chow mein, and supplemented those with a side order of four eggrolls which we devoured first. They were very crispy and obviously fresh; some of the best I've ever had! As for the earlier-mentioned lunch specials, both were generous servings and sincerely quite tasty. The hallmark of a decent low-cost Chinese restaurant is their meat; and in both instances, the beef and chicken (resp.) were both delicious and entirely edible, that is NO fat that you sometimes must "discard" from other low-cost restaurants. Since I paid, I asked my friend (an ex) to serve the food up at home -- we split everything. After I'd finished -- and I'd had quite enough -- I was surprised when she said there was more left in the kitchen. How's that for value?! In the form of making a more complete review, I might comment that being on a corner with a behind-restaurant parking lot, it made access very simple and easy. The inside of the restaurant is plain and nondescript; I would therefore recommend taking the food home. Lastly, the workers were very friendly and efficient. Have I had better Chinese food or a better experience elsewhere? Certainly, but mostly for a more premium price. That said, for a fast, inexpensive Chinese take-out food "fix," I would rate J L Kitchen leaps and bounds above average. The most honest or sterling testimonial I can give is that I WILL be back tomorrow (for NFL playoff food)! Also, I'm retiring next month so I'm REALLY glad I found this place now because they'll be seeing me regularly!! :-) HIGHLY recommended! read more

On Saturday, 3/28/15, my girlfriend and I ordered some Chinese food to go from J L Kitchen since we were in the area visiting a few friends. We drove by this place numerous amounts of times but were hesitant to eat there because it looked like a hole in the wall. Well let me start off by saying I'm glad we finally ate here because the food was delicious! Atmosphere/Décor: When you look at J L Kitchen from outside it doesn't look like much. But when actually go inside it doesn't look that bad. There were plenty of tables to sit at inside. Even though the restaurant is on the smaller side it's spacious inside. The restaurant looked clean as well. Food: We ordered the Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, Vegetable Chow Mein and the Pork Fried Rice. Everything was excellent and tasted very fresh! We got Mongolian Beef with mild spicy sauce but you can order it very spicy if you want. The beef tasted really good. There wasn't one piece of fat in it. The beef was tender and flavorful. The Orange Chicken tasted really good. There was no fat in the chicken and the batter tasted good. I liked the flavor of the orange sauce. The Vegetable Chow Mein was some of the better chow mein I've eaten. It was very fresh and clean tasting. The noodles were cooked perfectly and I liked the veggies a lot. There were tons of fresh veggies, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, just to name a few. My favorite was the Pork Fried Rice. This was definitely some of the best Pork Fried Rice I've ever eaten. It was so good. The pork tasted so so good. It wasn't fatty at all. It was all meat. I've eaten at a lot of Chinese Restaurants where the pork in the fried rice tastes old. That wasn't the case at J L Kitchen. The pork was sensational! The rice was seasoned and cooked perfectly. I also liked the veggies and huge pieces of egg in it. Service: The lady that took my order over the phone was very nice. When I picked up our food to go I found out that they also offer delivery. That's a good thing to know especially for people that live in San Leandro. Our food was ready within 15 minutes. We got there and picked everything up and had no issues. The service was great! Overall: Don't listen to the people on here that gave this place a bad review based on the food. J L Kitchen is excellent and tasty! I literally felt very light and clean after I ate their food and let me tell you I ate a lot! The food at J L Kitchen is up there with some of the high end Chinese Restaurants I've eaten at in SF. Do yourself a favor and go give J L Kitchen a try. It's really good! read more

J L Kitchen - Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, Vegetable Chow Mein & Pork Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - San Leandro, California

Me and my friends used to call this place JAIL Kitchen. Reason be? Well because Mrs. JL herself locks you in with her great tasting Kitchen and doesn't let you out till your fully stuffed with delicious home cooked chinese food!! When you think of Take Out Chinese food you think of Panda Express, Chopsticks Express, Kung-Fu Express, Bruce Lee Express, Express Express, MSG Express, Emperor Express, I think you get my point. But JL Kitchen cooks up Chinese food they way it's suppose to cook.LIKE HOME! No gimmicks. Just raw ass cooking skills. Hai-Yah! I usually order off the menu, because I'm special, and I'm always taken back with the cooking! The cooks can make anything u want as long as they have the ingredients in the back! I've done a couple party trays here and friends always leave satisfied! One friend found that their eggplant dish was exceptionally awesome! San Leandro doesn't offer many bright spots but JL Kitchen attracts me like a fly to neon lights. BZzZzZZz. read more

I was training for my new job in San Leandro. We had a 50 minute lunch and this place was only a few blocks from the building I was in. I tend to get lost, so the closer the better :) It's a tiny little place but actually had parking! I went inside and the lady at the counter was really nice to me. I asked her, "Um..I love chow mein. Do you have anything spicy?" She smiled at me and asked how I wanted it made. We concluded with a Beef Chow Mein with a crap load of onions. I paid around $7 and I kid you not, in 3 minutes my food was ready. Apparently, I beat the rush too. As soon as I paid, 3 more people walked in. I got my food and she gave me some chili sauce to go with it. I walked over to a table and poured a crap load more into my chow mein. My chow mein wouldn't have been spicy at all without it, but overall my chow mein was wonderful. I don't know if the portions are different for to-go orders, but my to go box WAS COMPLETELY PACKED with chow mein. I was so happy. I ate half for lunch and half for dinner, and then went into a strong food coma. WIN. read more

we have been going here since my daughter jasmine was 3 1/2 years old .. we knew the owner for a long time! And now that it changed owner, we decided to come and have dinner! read more

See all

Huge quirk of mine: if you have a face to face customer and you are taking their order, DO NOT make the face to face customer WAIT when a phone order comes in! The customer WHO WAS THERE FIRST should be honored. Pick up the phone and place them ON HOLD! I'm heading to Little NamKing read more

Neat little clean place hole in the wall. Blink and you miss it. Food is tasty and service is awesome. So many stars cause prices were so reasonable cheaper then Panda. I would come here again. I would like my spicy items spicer but there is hot oil on the table. read more