We were the first Sunday brunch customers at La chinesca this weekend. We didn't know that brunch literally started this weekend so the place wasn't that busy. But it SHOULD be because the food was absolutely AMAZING! Breakfast potatoes are a hit or miss, and these were a HIT! I got the crispy potatoes tacos and added eggs (ask for it) and my girlfriend got the steak burrito which was delicious. Everything was great.....except that they don't have coffee. But that's ok, not a big deal, but I hope they add it to the brunch menu. read more

La Chinesca - Crispy potatoes breakfast tacos with eggs added - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This place has a super cool hipster vibe and it's easy to see why people enjoy the ambiance as I did. I have a few issues though. First is the food. Although well presented and consisting of fresh ingredients, it was extremely bland. Every dish outside of the ingredients listed was missing salt. Honestly, this is cooking 101, season your food and taste what you are sending out. Secondly is the insane markup they have for drinks. An entire bottle of El Tesoro Anejo can be purchased for the price of two very small pours at $36.00 a pop. Bottles range from $56-$75 a bottle. Even if it was the Extra Anejo at $150.00 a bottle, this is still a gouge for such a tiny pour. I believe in making a profit, but this is a bit overboard. read more

Came here with a friend with maybe too many expectations. I got carne asada fries, wonton chips, birra tacos, also a spiked agua Fresca. My friend got the general tsos. Wonton chips were the best out of menu, easy and salty goodness. Dips were meh. The fries were good too, basic fries, nothing too special. My first time trying birra tacos so not sure what they are supposed to taste like, they were good but not mind blowing. My drink was meh, not what I wanted at all and very little watermelon vibes. A solid 3 for this place. If you want to come to say you did, go for it, but no need to keep it on the list and I don't really want or need to come back. Lots more Mexican and fusion places to go with better options. Overall, the experience was nice in terms of the service and ambiance but the food was so so, you can skip this place honestly. read more

Really cool place with a unique vibe and cuisine. We ordered pretty much everything on the menu, and loved most of it. My personal favorites were the birria tacos and the shrimp & black bean tostadas. The staff was cool and there were good drink options, too. Great casual dinner or happy hour spot. read more

La Chinesca - Shrimp & black bean tostada - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Went for dinner on a whim. Ordered the pumpkin taco: the fried pumpkin was too sweet and didn't balance well for the dish. For appetizer had black bean fundido. It was just ok. Nothing to come back for. Staff is very friendly and good service. Little on the expensive side. Something to be expected for Philly downtown. read more

Pleasantly surprised by dinner here; I think I am just cynical of fusion places. Drinks: Loved my Four On The Floor (Rum Blend, Black Coconut Tea, Lime) Food: Enjoyed the crab rangoon dip, can never go wrong with pork belly buns, the lo mein was more sophisticated than I was expecting, high quality little carne asada bites on top of the fries, and the choco taco sundae was a fun finish Ambiance: Maybe the best part, a cute and casual vibe and we were comfortable with our toddler in a high chair here (plus the rocking love seats kept him busy while we waited the short wait for food). Lighting is rough for food pictures! Not sure how the experience would be on a cold night, we ate outside and the doors were all open for the indoor area read more

What really made this place special was the ambience and fantastic service. It feels like a throwback to the 1970's California vibe and just makes you feel comfortable. The drinks were incredible while the food was a B. I would definitely order the fried wontons again, but otherwise the food didn't steal the show and felt a little lacking. Service was fantastic and everyone was extremely friendly. This would be a place I'd go back for drinks and a couple apps with friends to hangout on a Saturday afternoon. read more

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I grew up in Philadelphia and currently live in SF and was excited to try out La Chinesca and it's "mexi-cali" cuisine. Boy was I disappointed! Every single dish was extremely salty, lacking flavor and otherwise not unique. Mushroom Tacos- Terrible dish. The mushrooms were not fresh and looked like they came out of a can. Duck Egg roll - Again nothing special, I've had better egg rolls in hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurants Quesabirria - Salty salty salty Churros - Again nothing special and oily. The only thing that was good were the cocktails. Don't waste your money here or get woo-ed by the decor. It was very disappointing and a waste of money. read more

Don't come hungry! The place is cute, I'm not gonna lie. I see why people like this place, there's a vibe and the outdoor seating is cute if the weather is nice but seriously don't come hungry unless you want to order the whole menu. Me and 3 of my friends went on a Thursday evening for a 7:15 reservation. I was really excited to try this place and I thought I was going to be obsessed, instead I left unimpressed. Fried Wonton chips $8 - the wonton chips were great but who doesn't like fried anything? The 3 salsa or what they call salsa was just that. Where's the flavor? Duck Egg Roll $9 - Don't waste your money. Where's the duck? $9 for 1 egg roll ???!!! Not worth it. I know we are experiencing surging prices but seriously? $1.50 veggie or pork egg roll at any corner Chinese restaurant beats this overpriced fried mess! Octopus Tostado $14- it was alright but we were hungry so we ate it. It really lacked flavor. Decent amount of octopus on it. Lo Mein $15 add chicken + $4 =$19 It wasn't bad but I wasn't great and for that price, it was not worth it. The added chicken was the best part, nicely seasoned, tender with a crunch. The sesame oil was over powering leaving an after taste. Marinated Skirt Steak $22 - soy ginger marinated? More like soy sauce marinated, it was missing something. Again, nothing to celebrate about. It just does not live up to what you are paying. Make your own at home with Kikkoman soy sauce, it would more than likely taste better. It was cooked medium and tender so we give it that. It came with a bowl of over cooked white rice. I know my rice and this was over cooked that the grain exploded on its way to becoming a rice pop. Quesabirria Tacos $17 - we cancelled this order. It took too long, the rain was starting and we were sitting outside. Cancelling was probably the best decision we made! Drinks We ordered 3 margaritas and 1 mezcal margarita, for $11 a pop, again, not worth it. Overall, you don't really get Mexican flavors, I feel like the Asian taste despite lack of flavors overall comes through more. I see their concept but the flavors did not fully transfer into the food. Again, it's not about the price but for these prices you should be getting something worth the money. All we left with was a pricey bill for a meager amount of food that had you questioning your choices in life. It wasn't the servers fault, she was fine and we left 20% tip but I think she knew we weren't impressed with the food. We literally went back to my friend's house and threw popcorn shrimp in the air fryer and made cocktails to forget about wasting our money and time. read more

Loved this funky restaurant in what appears to be an old garage. Food and drinks were great and starters are definitely made for sharing. This is a great place to come for vegetarians and vegans - lots of choices for non meat eaters. read more

It's a fun vibe, modern hipster aesthetic, nice people working there, and location has plenty of parking....but....so so so expensive. Drinks are mostly ice, food portions are literally small plates - they do tell you they are small plates from the beginning, but for the prices, it's deceptive. Again, if you have money to splurge I do think it's a nice time. I just can't justify the cost with so many other cheaper bars around the area..... read more

Food & ambiance rock! Staff is very friendly as well. A great date spot for a casual yet vibey night! read more

La Chinesca - Corn, chips - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food is totally overpriced and not good. I got the fish tacos and it was very bland and mediocre. Don't recommend coming here.

Underwhelming. I had really high hopes for this restaurant given how I've seen this restaurant on various social platforms. The decor and vibe is cute and sweet, but the food was very underwhelming. I could've made it myself! The fried wonton chips are standard and forgettable. The fish tacos were forgettable as well. The fish was and fried and well cooked though. Both of these items were recommended by the waitress who said these are popular menu items; however, I would not recommend these dishes nor this restaurant. If you're looking for good food, this is not it. read more

La Chinesca - Fish taco - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Wonton chips are too good! the fish tacos are delicious. Beautiful crispness to the fish. Def always try to stop here if I'm in this part of town. Cute outdoor section as well. read more

First time at La Chinesca. Friday 8pm dinner reservations and the place was packed so we were seated in the basement area. Still lovely but would have loved to have sat outside on such a nice fall evening. We ordered the wonton chips and pork bao buns to start, and shared the chicken tinga tacos and carnitas tacos. All the food was amazing but I think the highlight of the entire meal were the pork bao buns, would definitely recommend. Overall great experience, and I would love to go back! read more

This is a really cool scene that used to be a jiffy lube and they kept some nifty vibes when designing the restaurant. The food wasn't my favorite, I got the birria tacos and chips with sides with salsa. The dips were great but I didn't like the chips. The food is Chinese-Mexican fusion, so it was interesting, just not my fav! Def worth a try for the restaurant design and different food options. read more

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Mmmmm this place is delicious. Seating - They have outdoor seating but only some of it is covered so a heads up on that. The indoor seating is under what looks like a retractable garage door so it is very well ventilated as well. The wontons - fabulous but def needed more sauce. You get small portions of each salsa Vegetarians - the snap peas are so freaking delicious and with rice you could make a main out of it. I highly recommend the General Tso's Tofu and so does my mouth. It has a bit of everything - crunch, good sauce, perfect tofu. The crispy potato tacos were delicious, my only critique is they definitely needed some sort of sauce or more salsa negra because they ate a little bit dry. One other small critique... They bring the food out all at once so your appetizers are jumbled with your mains and it can be a bit overwhelming! read more

Wow! This was one of the most unique and amazing food combinations I have ever had (Mexican street food and Chinese). First this place has the coolest laid back, fun outdoor picnic vibe. It's has an awesome indoor and two outdoor areas that are full of lights, blankets and colors. We tried pretty much everything and it was all unbelievable. I loved the crudo, the chips and dip, the mushroom taco was insane, the calamari salad. Everything was amazingly flavorful, savory and unique. In addition the margaritas were fantastic! I loved the watermelon one, easily can do 5 of them (unfortunately they are not doing margarita pitchers right now). Also in the future there will be a speakeasy downstairs! This is definitely a must to check out in Philly with friends! Highly highly recommend ! read more

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Excellent vibes, Dakota was our server and was so helpful and made great recommendations. Pro tip: go during happy hour Sun-Fri 4-6:30 -- drinks are $7 and some apps and tacos are about half price too. I loved the fried wonton chips and quesabirria tacos (also available on the happy hour menu!) read more

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Came to La Chinesca with a few friends for dinner to celebrate a birthday. It just so happened to also be our server's birthday so we all celebrated together! The atmosphere and cheery attitudes of the staff were enough alone to ensure an enjoyable evening, but the drinks and food certainly sealed the deal. Food came out very quickly and most of the dishes can be treated like a tapas-style meal. I ordered the steak tacos without onions and the kitchen was more than happy to acquiesce to my request. La Chinesca should be on everyone's Philly Must-Visit lists! read more

Food is very interesting and tasty at the same time. Combos like sausage and shrimp egg rolls with Chinese mustard and duck sauce. And quasadilla tacos with dipping sauce. Next time looking to try the duck crispy tacos. Converted garage very 50s retro. Nice surprise in northern china town area. read more

We went on Saturday for brunch. Menu was very limited and service was poor although the restaurant was pretty empty. Food was ok but overpriced. Flies everywhere. We won't go back again... read more

La Chinesca - Just ok tacos...pricey for two tacos. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Love the vibe & entire concept and the service and drinks were fantastic. The birria tacos were absolutely insane. The best birrias I've ever had. The Mongolian beef was a new menu item and I think they were trying it out...it was kind of drowning in the sauce and unfortunately it overpowered the dish. Too much sweet and sour. Other than that, very very cool spot and worth going back to try and experience more! read more

This place had a lovely outdoor atmosphere. My friends and I dined outdoors and had a good meal. We shared the wonton chips very crispy and they came with 3 difference sauces my favorite was the salsa verde. I ordered the birria tacos and they were juicy and very filling to me. The order came with two. My friend ordered the fish tacos and they looked so crispy. I would skip out on the green beans they weren't as tasty and I would have preferred them deveined. read more

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The atmosphere, concept, and menu are definitely unique which prompted us to go in and try since we live in the neighborhood. The drinks, appetizers, and tacos were all pretty tasty. Their happy hour has decent options. It isn't the best I've ever had, but we're glad we went in to try. read more

La Chinesca - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great ambiance, definitely memorable in the Philly food scene. I'd recommend the hot peppers, Chinese long beans, and either the quesabirria or fish tacos depending on what you're feeling. Good drink selection and creative cocktails. The timing of food that came out was a little bit off but hopefully that just keeps improving the longer they stay in business. read more

The vibe and decor is fab and service is great, but limited menu is packed with heavy fried items. Hey, I like a good french fry or some other crispy thing, but why deep fry a tortilla for a taco? Tacos are delicious on their own. You don't need to dunk them in fat. I had the mushroom tacos and for some reason they came with slivered almonds. I often like weird combos, but this one didn't work. The black bean tostado was good and ingredients are fresh and high-quality, but too much fried food on a limited menu was a problem. I'll skip it next time. read more

The vibe is cool.. atmosphere, decor, music.. both fun & chill. The food was tasty but some of the items (carnitas, tinga egg rolls, kung pao wing) are far too salty in our party's opinion. So if you're sensitive to that, be sure to ask. My biggest issue was the service. Super sweet staff, and plenty of them. So not really sure why 20-25 mins goes by between their check ins. I'd suggest ordering everything you think you'll need at once... I think if they could improve those few things, it'd be perfect. Otherwise.. Enjoy! read more

Love the new spot in town! They have a small menu but everything we got was delicious! We got the peppers, baby corn elote, mushroom tacos and fish tacos. The food literally came out in minutes after we placed the order. The vibes and decor were nice! And our server was super attentive! I want to come back and try the rest of the food on the menu! Great mix of fusion food and very interesting concept! read more

La Chinesca - Mushroom tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food & drinks are good can't complain with happy hour however the service is horrific. Our server came over once tried to flag down another waitress just so we could get the check after 25 minutes of waiting she she smiled said hi and walked right by with not a care would have been lovely if someone ever checked on out table to be able to leave or get another drink read more

We found this place on a whim and it was amazing. I'm vegan and my partner is not- we both found snacks to enjoy! The food is tapas style and the drinks are great. The staff is really friendly and they allow dogs outside. We will be back! read more

La Chinesca - Smashed Cucumbers - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Went here twice when staying in downtown Philly. Food and atmosphere was amazing. They had a heater at every table for the outdoor seating. Wait staff was very friendly and amazing with recommendations and food came out fast. Food was fresh and had only good things to say about all the items. read more

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Really nice spot for some Mexican/Asian fusion. Birria tacos were pretty good and the service was amazingly fast for how busy they were. The server I had was very knowledgeable about the drinks and the quality of food coupled with the outdoor seating was a solid vibe. Would recommend. read more

La Chinesca - Quesabirria Tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Would definitely come back for the vibes and drinks, but would hold out on food. Everything was okay, just kept waiting for that wow factor with each dish. They have drink happy hours everyday but Saturday! read more

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We were excited to try out La Chinesca, one of several new restaurants revitalizing the Spring Garden area. We got the baby corn elotes and fried peppers as appetizers and the beef birria tacos and fish tacos. All tasted great, and we even got another round of the beef birria tacos. Our waitress was very attentive and the decor of the restaurant is very nice; there are several tables outside including two larger patio-style spaces for larger groups. We look forward to returning again, especially when Union Transfer reopens for shows. read more

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Old jiffy lube converted into an awesome Cali-mex fusion restaurant with toy story pizza planet vibes. Outside seating is awesome and basement seating has a nice speakeasy vibe. Food was delicious and drinks were solid all around. Tecate and tequila city wide is the move. Take advantage of HH if you can! read more

I've been wanting to try this new spot in town and managed to get a table quickly on a late Wednesday night. As previously mentioned, the decor was fun, colorful, and retro. The service was very fast, albeit it was late and not busy when we were there. Onto the food: portions are pretty small, but very flavorful and unique. We got the fried wonton chips, corn esquites, fish tacos, and birra tacos. The fried wonton chips were fine, a fun snack to share, dips were tasty, I wasn't expecting much from them. We didn't have the baby corn with our esquites, (not sure if they ran out?) but when combined with the sauce that was coated on the side of the bowl, they were very tasty and has a little Asian flair. The fish tacos were cooked TO perfection. I'm personally not the biggest fan of the smoky chipotle taste, but the way the fish itself was crispy, light, and fried, was perfect. I've eaten a lot of fish tacos and these were probably one of the best. The birra tacos need to be dipped in the sauce to get the full flavor, and we're pretty tasty as well. I can't drink, but my husband had a few cocktails and enjoyed them. All in all, I had an enjoyable experience. I'm not sure this would be my regular go-to-taco place, but I felt a lot of the flavors were very special, and it's definitely worth a try! read more

Absolutely great! We ordered the octopus tostada to start, tacos birria and Lo mein as entrees. I also got a spark plug cocktail. Everything was delicious, I highly recommend the Lo mein with crispy tofu added to it. It's pleasantly spicy. read more

La Chinesca - Sesame Lo Mein - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Really nice time at la chinesca on Friday. Came for happy hour and ended up staying much longer! Cool vibes, interesting and delicious menu and very tasty margaritas! Will definitely be back! read more

La Chinesca - Birra tacos were delicious! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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