I am going to be one of the ones who doesn't like La Chinesca. Perhaps I need to try the Mexican side of the menu. The drinks were solid and the cute banera option to add spicy tomato juice and like is the bet. However you can get two shots off of the banera option. Remember that, save $. The food was too salty. I mean my lips and fingers definitely swole up. The wings were covered in the sticky salty sauce. The steak lo mein same thing. The ribs... yup. Salty. They are so so kind! They took off the cucumbers (salty and odd flavorings) and wings (not just salty but also huge!) we even tried the churros. No, not salty, but perhaps Thursday night is when they change the oil. Dark in color and ghost taste. My wife and I started looking around because it was plenty of people there. However, they were either at the bar (good drinks!) or eating from the Mexican side of the menu. This corner has bad juju for me. Juno is directly across the street. A popular place with cuteness and food that has 0 flavor. La Chinesca, so saturated in salt they could share with Juno. Staff, manager and bar are great people. I don't think we the only ones that have this reaction of their food. This menu is just not for us. read more

Want a great happy hour? In the summer? With a great big back patio with huge red umbrellas (for shade) and lots of delicious bites and cocktails? Come here. Chicken tanga tacos, fried wontons and spicy cucumbers. Delicious cocktails and house wine. This place is so good! I loved every minute of it! read more

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I'm so glad me and my family found this restaurant! The service was fantastic, the food so yummy! You absolutely must get the Wonton chips! The ambience was very chill, I loved the vibe, it was on Tuesday, so we didn't have any problems just walking in. read more

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The place is very bright and has a garage theme to it with lots of automobile repair decor. It's cute! Menu is interesting with plenty to select from and enough unique things to make it hard to pick. I've been here a few times and while I like some things better than others everything I've had was good. But I was never blown away. Drinks are great and they have a back and front patio I think it's a great place for happy hour or drinks and a bite before or after something read more

* Love the design & vibe of the whole place * Very friendly waitress & host/hostess * They were out of the dumplings, which was a bummer as we were excited to try. * We were recommended the egg rolls by our waitress, but probably wouldn't order again: they were heavy & didn't have much flavor (didn't taste any shrimp) besides heat/spicy * Carne Asada tacos were chewy and very onion-loaded * Fried wonton chips + dips were super tasty/addicting! * Our main meals all came out about 5+ minutes from each other which was interesting. * One of us had a spicy marg, but didn't taste/feel any heat or kick. We look forward to coming back and trying some other things on the menu! Specifically appetizers. read more

The food was just fine! The drinks were delicious tho! Were not rushed at all* *so it was a Saturday at 7pm and they were already out of elote which is crazy. Buttttt my table lingered and drank for many hours after our food and not once did we feel rushed. Return? Probably not soon but the experience overall was good read more

Highly recommend going for happy hour! The drinks are great and the food menu has plenty of options (vegetarian options too). Very cool ambience and the service was very good! read more

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Wow! Came here for the first time and loved it- one of the best margs I have had in a while. I got the avacado taco which was phenomenal!!!! My boyfriend enjoyed the Burria taco and carnitas taco. We also loved the fried wonton chips. Everything was so good and we will be back for more. As for the atmosphere, there is a front patio as well as back patio. It was nice and shaded in the back with turf grass and comfy cushioned benches and chairs. Plenty of space back there. The service was great and the chef even gave us a complimentary taco. Will 100% be back! read more

Came here with friends for dinner. We were seated outside and it was beautiful. I ordered the chicken tinga tacos and they were delicious. I will say portions are slightly small, which is why I deducted a star. I also tried the bao buns, which were great. Their drink menu had lots of great items that I'll have to try next time. Staff are friendly. I love the fusion concept behind this restaurant. read more

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

This was a place we stumbled on by accident, waiting for a concert at Union transfer. Small little place but the food was unique and really good! Service was a little lacking but it was a busy Saturday night. Seems to be a popular spot! Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

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First time visiting this establishment and we were pleasantly surprised! The service, drinks, food and atmosphere were amazing! The food was so good I kept forgetting to take pictures! Besides the pictures included, we also had the General Tso's chicken wings and the braised beef tacos...delicious! Will definitely be going back! read more

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I was a patron yesterday for a birthday celebration. The picnic table bench, set for 4 people, collapsed under 3 people. My friend and boyfriend hit the concrete ground as a result. They were injured and personal clothing was damaged. There was no acknowledgement by the management until we begged for acknowledgement. There was no contact information taken so they could follow up with us. The manager Alan was quite rude, despite the incident being due to fault of the restaurant. I never liked this place (the food is poorly seasoned; jalapeños cannot substitute for spices), but this experience was extraordinarily traumatizing, both physically and emotionally. We have reached out to upper management about the faulty seating and the unprofessional behavior of the manager on site. read more

I like the atmosphere and the drinks but the food is a little on the salty side. The only thing that I've had that wasn't too salty and tasted very good were the chicken wings. The service is always great and the ambience is pretty chill. I would prob go back if I were in the mood for wings and a drink or two. read more

Great drinks and ambiance. Highly recommend the Spark Plug. Food is an entirely different story. EVERYTHING is way too salty, and lacks decent flavor. The food is also overpriced. Would come just for drinks if you're coming out here, but skip the food. read more

Hands down my pick for the best fusion restaurant in Philly! La Chinesca is the equivalent of combining your neighborhood hole-in-the-wall taqueria with your corner Chinese takeout spot, but elevating it with seasonal but simple ingredients and a damn good cocktail program! It pays homage to a neighborhood in the Baja region of Mexico with the same nickname that has a vast population of Chinese immigrants who mix both cuisines with Californian influences since the state is just across the border. But since it's located in what used to be a garage, it also somehow manages to work that into the mix with the decor, cocktail names, and an interesting indoor-outdoor layout! The menu does see some change with the seasons. But the constants for me are anything with pork belly and their incredible baby corn elote which is a must order starter for corn lovers (https://youtu.be/_caMQpiwiaU). Another constant is delicious tacos and noodle dishes! On my spring visit my noodle dish was lo mein with savory pork belly, and my summer noodle dish was a cold rice noodle dish with crab, Fresno chiles, and all the umami! For tacos it's all about the Quesabirria with a consomme that I've even enjoyed in one of their cocktails. For drinks my go to options (when I don't see an old fashioned with birria fat on the menu) are the Hook-A-Louie with jalapeño infused vodka, pomegranate and ginger; and the Four on the Floor with rum, black coconut tea, and lime. Toss in a happy hour and late nite food options, all the mezcal and tequila, and a weekend brunch, and there's plenty of reasons to visit beyond it being the right spot to go to before Union Transfer shows. read more

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Came for a sober dinner in the winter. I feel like this would be a solid place for a group in the spring/summer months with all of the outdoor seating available! For us, we ended up sitting inside on the first floor. Service was solid! We ordered pork bao buns, and then the shrimp and duck tacos! Both had solid flavor, but did not otherwise stand out that much for us given the price. The bao buns on the other hand... fantastic! My experience is probably skewed by the fact that we didn't drink and that it's currently the winter here in Philly. Would be willing to try this place again in some warmer months! read more

Was craving churros one evening so we decided to order them from here. Quality of churros was a 4/10 which was very disappointing for me. Perhaps I got a stale batch but they did not taste fresh. It came with a chocolate sauce which was pretty good. Portion size was on the smaller side too. It came with only 3 churros for the price of $11. So I am sad I got a stale bunch for that price. I didn't get a whole meal from this place so I can't judge the food but from what I did get, I'm not sure I will go back. Hopefully I can get a better batch in the future because I would really like to try this place read more

Cute spot, walked in on a Friday night no hassle to be seated. Sat at the bar , there is additional seating downstairs as well. The spread was intense but everything was so good . On the spread , carne asada lo mein, general tsos wings, chilled cucumber, and fried wonton chips. We just wanted to try a few things other than tacos. Everything was so good . The chilled cucumbers were amazing. I couldn't stop eating those chips lol . We ordered two drinks a spicy margarita and the almost empty cocktail, both tasty. Oh! How could I forget, since everything was so good , we had to try dessert. The tres leches cake was so bangin! Well done ! Service was great , def will return. The decor is so cool here , love it ! Enjoy! read more

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The ambiance is so cute in here! Very nice vibes, super casual and I felt like we could've stayed all night. Our server was bright and bubbly even though she was clearly limping on a hurt foot. She was knowledgeable and personable and helped us decide on what to get. Truly a joy of a person! The drinks were delicious. Every one that I tried was fresh and citrusy and just phenomenal. Plus the high octane was so fun to watch my friend do hahaha. We shared a bunch of small plates: the Tijuana dogs, egg rolls, wonton chips, spare ribs and bao buns. Some of these dishes were not conceptually working for me, but the flavors were all phenomenal. The Tijuana dogs were great, but I wish they'd use a better dog than just a ballpark frank. I was expecting something a little more handcrafted, so the flavor of the meat was a little disappointing. The egg rolls were good but had a burnt taste to them so I didn't care for them. The wonton chips were stellar, but you've had that before I'd wager. The spare ribs were very messy and I don't love getting stuff in my teeth so they were a bit tough to eat. They did not fall off the bone--which I'm told is not a sign of good ribs anyway, but that being the case they were a bit tricky to eat in conjunction with all the other finger foods. The bao buns were sooo good but the meat should have been shredded before being added to the bun so when you bit into it you couldn't get a manageable bit. If they had just shredded the meat beforehand it would've been a totally different meal. Overall, the flavors, atmosphere, and general vibes are there. I'd be interested in coming back to try out some main dishes to give a more well rounded review. read more

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Wonderful bold flavors in a chill and creative ambience. Loved the service and overall vibe here. Good while overpriced was delicious with decent portion sizes! read more

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Carl and his crew are gave us one of our best "dumb luck just happened in" experiences! Bartenders and servers alike were friendly and knowledgeable. Food selections were unique and very tasty- Great selection of beverages from mocktails to cocktails. Did I mention a cool vibe? #justdid read more

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

FOOD We came in during happy hour and were able to order items on and off the HH menu. I ordered the carnitas tacos off the dinner menu ($16) and a Fill It, Regular cocktail off the HH menu ($7). The tacos were good-- the meat flavorful, a little crisp on the outside, and soft and tender inside, but I didn't find them to be worth the price. There were only 2 tacos served, and the amount in each wasn't enough for the cost. The rest of my group ordered the quesobirria tacos (also good, but not worth the 2 for $18 price tag as well), the lo mein noodles, the General Tso's tofu (only 6 pieces of tofu!), and the Tijuana street dogs (more worth the price as you get 2 for $15). My friend and I ended up splitting one of the HH street dogs, and it was delicious and more worth the price. All this being said, later that day, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very sick and started vomiting from what I believe was food poisoning. The only thing I ate differently from the rest of my group was the carnitas, and I didn't deviate from my usual diet previously so I can only attribute the symptoms to that order. DRINKS The restaurant offers a wide range of drinks. The Fill It, Regular cocktail was a sweet classic tequila-based cocktail and hit the spot. The rest of my group ordered other drinks and had similar thoughts. SERVICE We had a reservation for 5:30 pm but had to move it to 6 pm, and the staff was very accommodating. We also reserved a table for outside, but the weather was colder than we had anticipated and we were able to get a table indoors instead. Our servers were kind and knowledgeable about the menu, and we enjoyed their recommendations. AMBIANCE We were seated in the basement, where it was quite a hipster setting. It was quite dark but the red lighting made it more intimate. The seating on the main floor is more of a 90's diner-style atmosphere, and the seating outdoors is very reminiscent of classic Californian beach vibes. PARKING Street parking is available at a limited capacity. We ended up parking a couple of streets down from the restaurant. read more

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This is a cool spot for casual dining. The space is open and loud with indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. Not ideal for intimate meals or quiet conversation. Our server Mya, was excellent, very attentive knowledgeable and friendly. We tried several menu items . The fried wonton chips with dipping sauces were very good and make a good app if you come for drinks. The mushroom egg roll was decent. The lo Mein was unique and very good. As a matcha fan , I loved the matcha tres leches dessert!! read more

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Good tacos...tried several types, chicken, carne asada, pumpkin (surprisingly good). Cheap beers (Mexican beers $4)...great pre-concert for the Union Transfer a couple doors down. read more

I like the vibe here of the outdoor seating! My fav of all the things ordered was Wonton chips with the sauce. I could go on eating that all night! Good spread of food and drinks during the happy hour. Cucumber salad and the refreshing cocktail blended really well. In entrees I ordered tacos and lo mein they were good too. The biggest disappointment was the dessert. Tres Leche was not even close to my expectation. I have had so much better that this one was below expectation and I wish had not ordered it. Overall the vibe is good, service good and would recommend for drinks and small bites read more

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We went on a Monday night and hoped to get a quick dinner before a show at Franklin Music Hall. We were "greeted" by an apathetic host who said we were "free to look if there were seats at the bar" but clearly wasn't making any effort to help. The outdoor area was about 1/2 empty but I was told they were full. Ok. We sit at the bar and order an app of fried wonton chips and each order tacos. The chips come out fine. My tacos came out...and I waited for my date's tacos to come out. And I waited. And waited, trying to be polite. After 25 minutes, the bartender looking to see I wasn't eating mine about 3 times but scurrying away each time so I couldn't say anything, my date finally asked where his tacos were--like obviously he forgot them. No biggie...just own up to it. The restaurant was about 3/4 empty at this point and the bar had 4 guests besides us. He explains with attitude that the restaurant is really full and the kitchen is slammed. Um, ok. He then says the restaurant is the type where things are brought out when they are ready. This isn't tapas--this is tacos. I have explained that I've been here before and this wasn't ever the case. He doubles down and said, "Well it's always been that way." I said, "It seems like, having worked in a kitchen before, if someone orders an app and each an order of tacos and one set of tacos takes longer, you don't make the ones that take less time until after." He shrugs. My date asks for the check...miraculously now about 35 minutes after my tacos come, his tacos come and we ask for them to go and the check. My tacos of course were totally cold. The bartender didn't take anything off the check and said he was going to buy us shots...my date said "it's Monday. I"m not doing shots. I just wanted dinner and she wanted hers warm." The bartender begins chastizing my date and asking him if he wants to see the manager. Finally he and the manager speak...the "manager" is the host at the front station. He does absolutely nothing. The bartender then says to my date, "GREAT WAY TO NOT GO ALL KAREN." Needless to say, a nice homeless man got some tacos and we will never ever ever go back to this place. read more

I've always drove by this place and saw a lot of people, so was interested in seeing what it was all about. The menu is interesting and most plates are shareable. I had the battered fish tacos and they were good, the fish needed a bit more seasoning. The drinks were good & strong. The churros, however, were a disappointment and the reason for my deduction. I wasn't sure if it was the churro or the chocolate dip, but it had a burnt after taste. read more

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

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Great place to hang out with friends, pretty sure it was an old jiffy lube, reimagined, it has a lot of open spaces including 2 big back patios, a front patio and an indoor area. The menu is small but pretty impressive. This is not a Chinese Mexican fusion restaurant, just a a place that serves both Chinese food and Mexican food. We ordered a bunch of things, the salad had a nice kick to it, the dry spiced wings were not on the menu, but after asking, we were told that they were a part of Happy Hour menu, needless to say they were my personal favourite ! The portions are perfectly sized and service is attentive. Beautiful addition to spring garden ! read more

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Wonton crisp $8 - very crispy. Not too oily Five spice chicken wings $14 - big wings! Really enjoyed the dry rub Beer battered fish tacos (2) $14 - good size fish! read more

La Chinesca - Five spice chicken wings $14 // Fried wonton chips $8 - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a fun spot in a former Jiffy Lube station. Delicious apps and tacos. Servings were bigger than we expected. Birria tacos were the star. Only bummer was the shrimp tacos which were unexpectedly fried and dry. Service was impeccable. We had a BIG group and they served us so well. Thanks Niecy! read more

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

The ambiance and vibe stood out the most and I will come back again just for that. The decor, music, and theme was so unique and fun. My friends and I came here for happy hour and had a pretty good experience. I ordered the spiked agua Fresca, which was very refreshing and light. We all shared the fried wonton chips which were addicting. The three salsas all tasted great and it was a fun app. Nothing mind blowing but it was a unique twist to the traditional tortilla chips and salsa. I ordered the shrimp and black bean tostada, which all my friends agreed was the best thing on the table. Filling, fresh and delicious. The beer battered fish taco was good, but very fried. The mushroom taco was also good, but extremely greasy and left massive residue of straight grease. Get the black sesame flan! Not too sweet and very addicting! Two things I didn't love. No food on the happy hour menu. The waitress told us the happy hour special, which were wings for $14. Sounded more like special of the day because that does not sound like happy hour prices. At least lower the price for the wonton chips during happy hour. Only other thing was this restaurant was supposed to be Mexican/Chinese inspired. Not much Asian influences. Not sure how any of the tacos had Asian influences. I thought the flavors would be more of a fusion, but it's more of a fusion of concepts. Again, the music and vibes were everything. I would come back here again! read more

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Chris S. took care of us and he was absolutely amazing! The service was excellent before water even hit the table. Came here with a friend that was having a rough night and between Chris' kind spirit and the amazing food we both left with smiles on our faces. 10/10 place! read more

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

The service was prompt and friendly. Had a fun, casual atmosphere, and the outside seating was nice for a spring afternoon. I got the birria tacos and the spark plug cocktail for lunch - it was delicious! Would recommend a visit. read more

I was weary of this place at first because what is even mexican-asian fusion?? However, I was pleasantly surprised! First off, the location is ADORABLE. It gives off "Mid-century modern California in the 60's" vibes. The staff was really nice and answered all the questions asked about the menu. Finally, the food was GREAT! I wasn't sure about the wonton chips, but I kept snacking on them throughout my meal. I ordered the tinga tacos for myself and changed out the flour tortilla for corn. I should have gotten a double tortilla, but the tacos were amazing! A little spicy, but still pretty good. read more

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

Ok I have to get this off my chest before I get into the good, DO NOT ORDER THE CHURROS. The churros were absolutely not good, I'm not sure if it was just the ones we ordered but 1/5, the chocolate sauce also wasn't good, no sweetness to it, bitter, and the churros were a bit tough. Everything else about this place was dope, they had indoor and outdoor seating, with the outdoor bubble spots to protect from rain and weather. Indoor had a front section, back section, and a bar section. My favorite thing about this place and what would bring me back would be the quesabirria tacos! You only get 2, but they're very flavorful and the juice literally burst and trickles out your mouth a bit, add lime juice to the consomé and dip, you'll love it. If you're a drinker, this is the place for you, the prices aren't crazy, and the drinks are strong so I could tell it wouldn't have taken many to get me lit. read more

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I was so excited for this place to finally open! The layout is clutch. The design is everything. It is an Instagramers dream. The neon lights welcome you, and the layout provides such a cool vibe that anytime you go, it is a good time. We went for happy hour and the drink prices were ok. There were no food options for happy hour, but that is ok. I ordered the watermelon marg and it was so fresh. It tasted like they cut the watermelon right away and poured it into my glass. We randomly asked our waitress what to order and surprisingly the Cesar salad was amazing. The fried calamari was perfect. I will say we got the shrimp egg rolls and the baby corn, which weren't amazing. The Quesa Birria Taco with the dipping sauce was a heavenly experience. All in all, it is a fun place to go, I would not run back to it, but I also would never say no on returning. read more

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So excited to have a new spot in the neighborhood! La Chinesca mixes Mexican and Chinese cuisine together with small plates that pack a huge punch. The decor is super fun and the outdoor seating is so comfortable. If you can, request one of the outdoor lounge areas. Sitting on a couch outside eating tacos while vaccinated is a PLEASURE. We were a group of 3 and ordered a variety of dishes. The wonton chips came with three different salsas that were each surprising in their own way. My favorite was the salsa made of sesame and pumpkin seeds. We took the option to order more wonton chips to make the most of the salsas. The chicharrones were heavily seasoned and really pack a punch in terms of heat! They come with a spiced Mayo that was complex in flavor. The baby corn elote was so fun, the corn tasted fresh and sweet and the black bean Mayo was craveable. For entrees, I ordered the fish taco. The fish was perfectly crispy and basically fell apart with how flaky the flesh was. My friends said it was the best fish tacos they've had in the city. My friend also ordered the birria tacos with the consomme. It was his first time having birria and he really enjoyed it. I did not taste it but they looked pretty traditional vs the other plates that we had which had a twist. My friends also had cocktails and enjoyed them! Enough to order four rounds! I would definitely come back to this place. The food is simple and approachable but thoughtful and super flavorful. The service was very friendly, the ambience is great. Good vibes overall! Looking forward to them expanding the menu so I can try more things! read more

Such a unique and creative restaurant! The decor was absolutely on point. The food was a fantastic mix of both Chinese and Mexican flavors. Love love love! read more

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Have been here 3 times in the past year. Great location for dinner before a show at Franklin Music Hall, The Met or Union Transfer. Excellent service. Fun atmosphere. Drinks are delicious and imaginative. Small menu but everything I've tried has been tasty. read more

Fusion food done right! Made a reservation for dinner and absolutely loved the environment! The interior design is fun and the space is a lot bigger than what it looks like from the outside. There is a front patio, a back patio, bar seating, and table seating. This location actually used to be an old Jiffy Lube! I am pretty hesitant about fusion foods, but La Chinesca does fusion so well! I didn't really know what to expect with Mexicali and Chinese, but I was well pleased with the dishes we ordered. We started off with fried wonton chips which came with three different dipping sauces (one was a cilantro base, another was seat, and the third was a spicier one). The chips were a great side addition to eat in between the other dishes we got. The pork bao buns were so good! The bao was incredibly soft and served as a nice vehicle for the meat. I also loved the cucumber salad dish - refreshing with a little kick from the fresno chiles and szechuan peppercorn! The birria tacos were just okay, imo. A little heavy on the cheese and salt. I wouldn't recommend ordering this one. Would recommend La Chinesca for a fun, casual date night spot or a place to catch up with friends during happy hour! Pros: fun environment, awesome staff, unique flavors Cons: pretty pricey for what it is, food was fun to try but not something I would go out my way to eat again read more

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