There's something timeless and comforting about traditional American Chinese cuisine. From the fortune cookies, to the duck and soy sauce packets, to the instantly recognizable boxes for rice and noodles, it's a cultural mainstay that we grew up eating. I remember as a kid being so excited when my parents decided to order some Chinese take out and the feeling of opening up the bag when they got home. Everyone needs to have their go to spot for take out, and I have found mine just a short walk from where I live. Lai Lai is a small and cozy spot located on Montford Drive. There are a few tables but it is definitely primarily a take out spot. The prices are reasonable, and the food I've had is very good. My particular favorites are the bourbon chicken and the boneless spare ribs. I love knowing that they are right down the road from me so if I'm ever craving Chinese, I won't have to look far! read more

Lai Lai Express - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Lai Lai was pretty good, ordered their dinner combo for around 20 bucks. Comes with two entrees and side of rice. Good value honestly. I judge places by their Mai Fun and it wasn't too oily either. Decent spot! read more

Solid Chinese takeout spot. Singapore noodles had great flavor, plenty of protein, and was at least two servings. My partner enjoyed his orange chicken lunch combo as well. Easy online ordering and pickup. read more

The delivery guy didn't speak English. Spent more than 10 minutes trying to explain to him & the store. On top of being frustrating, it was cold outside, they asked me to walk around to look for the drive. I hope they truly refund. read more

I'm visiting a friend who lives close to this restaurant. Consequently, I ordered takeout from here for lunch today, and it was a pleasant experience. Although I was disappointed that they didn't serve 'Honey Walnut Shrimp,' I decided to try something new. I was bit hesitant after reading the mixed reviews, but, the food was actually pretty good. I ordered the Shrimp & Broccoli lunch combination and some Crab Rangoons. The main meal was good. The Crab Rangoons, however, were a bit lackluster, but still enjoyable enough that I finished all of them. Overall, the food was not only tasty but also reasonably priced. If you're close by and looking for a quick and affordable lunch, this place is worth a try. read more

Lai Lai Express - Crab Rangoon - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

so good so yummy I took a bite out of the Singapore noodles instantly loved it food service is so good. Good price.

Small little Chinese place, with ample parking. Extensive menu - there truly is something for everyone. You can dine in, carry out or I believe delivery. I did a to-go order on Sunday. Food came out quick even though they were very busy with to-go orders. I got the chicken & mixed vegetables (spicy) with wonton soup. I think the soup got packaged up first so by the time I got it home it was just warm not hot - not the biggest deal. The chicken with mixed veggies was good and flavorful. I don't think it was spicy at all though. All in all I would definitely come back. I think this will be my go to Chinese by my house. read more

Lai Lai Express - Wonton soup - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Stopped here on my way home, drive past it all the time. Decided to give it a try. Ambience: Located off Park road on Montford in a small strip mall. Unassuming and no frills. The food: Nothing to write home about. I ordered the chicken and shrimp with garlic sauce, and a spring roll. Large portions, but lacking flavor. The sauce was very thin and left a lot to be desired. The spring roll, though small, was flavorful. The service: I opted for takeout. The cashier was pleasant. The restaurant was clean and organized. Bottom line: I may visit again and tried the shrimp fried rice. That's usually how I gauge Chinese American restaurants. read more

First, I think a 3 star review from this kind of Chinese take out place is a good review (I never trust ones with lower or very high reviews). The General Tso's chicken was good, fried rice was good, wonton soup is good (although I think it's labeled as chicken and is pork) and the Mei fun noodles are good (try the Singapore style - YUM). It's basically exactly what you hope and expect Chinese take out to be in America! read more

10/10! I have lived right behind the road for 5 years and just discovered this gem! Staff is so friendly and helpful, clean inside, and prices are great especially when you see and taste the quantity and quality! new weekly stop! read more

Ordered the 'house special rice noodle' and 'tofu and broccoli dinner combo' tonight. Both are really delicious! Price is reasonable for nowadays. The star for me was the hot oil. Super spicy and adds another level. The lady was really nice and friendly. Go try it out for yourself!!! read more

The Mei Fun was horrible. Took one bite and threw it in the trash. It had an old oil taste. The subgum wanton soup was delicious. I got a quart which made a nice meal. Lots of veggies. I would swing by and get the soup again. read more

Ordered delivery tonight and about half way into my meal I found this bug in the rice. Safe to say I won't eat here again read more

Lai Lai Express - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Solid Cantonese takeout from a locally owned Chinese place, making me very happy. I got the chicken and mushrooms and my husband, who usually likes the super spicy, wanted chow mein. All really good, if basic, stuff. We added egg rolls and Rangoon and were perfectly happy with what we got. read more

Actually a really nice take out place. This is my regular place when I visit Charlotte. The food is good and reasonably priced. Have yet to be disappointed. read more

If you do put this 2 stars Chicken broccoli was a 3, but the chicken wonton in clear broth was PORK ! The wonton was SUPER GUMMY sat all day and made from store wontons! 0 STARS FOR THE SOUP! read more

Very delicious Chinese food. Theyve got a separate authentic chinese dish menu as well. The roast duck was quite good. Skin was crisp and the meat tender and fresh. Sauce was flavorful. Great chinese food. read more

See all

Charlotte has got something special that I'm now jealous of. Yes, this review is a little late. Well, let's say I've been here multiple times and just well, haven't gotten to writing this review due to my laziness. But, alas, my thoughts on Lai Lai. I was turned onto this place by my parents who, well, said that this place was better than the Chinese restaurant that I frequented to in Knoxville, TN. After the first time I ate here, I was sort of hooked. So now, instead of them coming to Tennessee to see me and eat and order take out from the restaurant, the tables have turned and it's me going to Charlotte to bring some take out home from here. This place is a hole in the wall, fast food take out joint. If you don't take a second look on the menu, you might just miss out on the delicious dishes that they have here. I had a plethora of dishes, as you can probably see through my photos. But let's just say... these dishes are authentic. And that's really rare to come by nowadays, with sugar added Chinese restaurant dishes that float around the place. By the way, the Lobster isn't in the menu and the lobster had to be brought in, in order of getting it cooked that way. I will be forever coming back this place, and I would definitely suggest that if you're looking for some authentic Chinese food in Charlotte, to check out this place. My favorite dish has to be the Singapore Noodles. I have not tasted something this great in a long long time. This dish is especially hard to make it correctly because of the way the noodles are cooked. It usually comes out wet and sloppy, but Lai Lai makes it the best. I would suggest to order it 30 minutes before to get it correct because it takes time to get the noodles prepped for the dish. read more

See all

Taste: Delicious! I haven't found a solid, steady Chinese food place around here, but after last night, I think I found it! We all had a variety. We obviously started with some crab Rangoons that were very tasty and I personally had the Singapore Noodles. Traditionally, this would not have been my first choice, but my buddy who has been here before recommended it and I'm glad he did! It was very tasty! They also had great sesame chicken! Lastly, our order was over $35 and there running a deal if it's over that $ amount you either get a free order of Rangoon's or Chinese donuts! Since we already had rangoons, we went with the donuts! They were tasty!! Service: Friendly and loved the authentic feel of the hole-in-the wall place. We ordered takeout. Cleanliness: No real issues here Atmosphere: Hole-in-the-wall, but we all know, those are always the BEST places Overall: I feel like I've finally found a solid Chinese food place and we will certainly be back! read more

Tasty and inexpensive food. Always hot, fresh and on time. We love their lunch combos!

Lai Lai Express on Montfort gets four stars from me. Everything was very good Used Uber eats, which worked well. Kids had pineapple fried rice, which also had chicken and shrimps in it. Very tasty and they liked it a lot. I had the hot and sour soup and Sha cha chicken. Both really good. The chicken was milder than expected but had good flavor. Veggies seemed fresh Will definitely order from there again. read more

Lai Lai Express - Sha Cha Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Not good Chinese food. Never seen red sesame chicken before and the fried rice was tasteless.

Amazing food!! Sweet people :) we got the sweet and sour chicken and sesame chicken! Along with the crab Rangoons, did not leave one drop of food left! You have to try this if you are in the Charlotte area!!! read more

Best place to get Chinese takeout delivery in clt , big portions, egg rolls are awesome too

Love Lai Lai! Small and homey Chinese takeout but my family and I come here for big multi-course dinners. They have the BEST roast duck in town (they actually supply BaoDing with their duck!). My favorite dishes include their salted fish fried rice, lobster (you have to bring your own lobster for them to cook Chinese-style), salt and pepper fried shrimp, and fried spar read more

Lai Lai Express - Salt and Pepper Fried Shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Not bad Lai Lai, I definitely have to give kudos to the customer service the owner at the register was super nice and made sure we received an authentic chinese menu to come back and try a dish. This alone deserves a full star . Mmmmmm, they have Chow fun , not many chinese take out spots have the yummy Chow fun noodles , gotta get that next time . I ordered the curry chicken and it was good, could've used a little sugar to balance the flavors ,but it wasnt bad . I loved that the to go box wasn't packed with unnecessary amounts of rice . Perfect portion sizes for your Chinese food craving . The spring roll actually had flavor and wasn't just bland cabbage stuffed into an egg roll wrapper . Food wasn't greasy , and personally loved the spiciness in this dish . read more

See all

Very mid tier. I grade every Chinese place on their wings and house fried rice. I'll go back again if I really want Chinese food but it's nothing to write home about. read more

Sometimes the best surprises are the ones that you stumble upon. (I like that sentence, I think I'll post that on twitter or my fb status.) Anyway, after a full day of work I was in dire need of inexpensive, don't have to dress up, Chinese food. I remembered that I'd passed a hole-in-the-wall Chinese food place on Montford not too long ago so I thought I'd search it out again and give it a try. It was a great stop and just what I was looking for. There are a handful of booths in the small dining-in area. They have a pretty extensive menu and fast service. I've been there twice in one week and they even made me a dish on request (veggies with pan-fried noodles) and it was really good. The portion sizes are right at that middle ground...enough to share if you are not too hungry or if you try to eat it all you'll walk away feeling a bit too full. This place won't break the bank, nor will it impress a first date. It's great for a quick lunch, casual dinner, or a take-out order. The owners are nice and get your order quickly. The one drawback for my lazy self is that they do not deliver. read more

Lai Lai Express - Chinese Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Probably the closest Chinese restaurant near my house but we always seem to forget about it. The food is good but definitely not the best. Unfortunately with Covid, I think putting anything fried in a togo container that is piping hot, will not end up crispy as what happened to my general chicken. Not their fault just the nature of the beast. The sauce for the general chicken is really good though their fried rice didn't seem to even have egg in it or anything else besides soy sauce. Their crab rangoons are awesome and came in a bag so those stayed super crispy. Unfortunately they didn't come with the sweet and sour sauce I love dipping them into. read more

Got the garlic sauce Shrimp lunch special with fried rice and egg roll. Over all I like it. Lots of veggies, fair amount of shrimp. Sauce tastes really good. Next time I'll ask for extra rice. But I really enjoyed my food. I'll be back for sure. read more

Great food and great service! Food is always ready very quickly- hardly ever running behind, and the service is quick and friendly. Strongly recommend. read more

Food was under seasoned, bland to be honest. The soup was like past and the wonton was much. The whole duck was just off...can't put my finger on it and the calamari was very fishy. Pretty bad first experience. read more

I tried this for the first time and it didn't really have any wow factor. I had the lunch special which comes with an egg roll , fried rice, and a free can of soda. I had the Crab Rangoon appetizer which was cooked well with a light crispiness and the flavor was fine. It came with a home made sweet and sour sauce and that was good. The egg roll was pretty basic. I also had hot and sour soup, it had 5 small button mushroom and had a spice to it but not too spicy . I am accustomed to sliced radish and different mushrooms niy it was okay. The fried rice was more like seasoned rice , i could see a little egg, this wasn't even a teaspoon worth and i found a few slivers of onion. And the main course was Hunan Beef, almost all vegetables, lacked flavor and a few slices of beef . I would like to see more beef and a little more spice. Not terrible just not the best. Today Is the second time i have ordered form here and this time i can give a better review. I had the Lunch Special comes with an egg roll cooked well and tasty. comes with fried rice that has almost no egg, and hard to find any onion but the flavor is fine. The main course chicken with vegetables , nice mild flavor with a good mix of vegetables to chicken which was cooked tender and delicous. I also had steamed dumplings that were delicous. This trip was much better read more

The best Chinese restaurants, or any Asian food really, will always be hole-in-the-wall establishments. Look passed the teriyaki chicken or the orange chicken, and order the real Chinese food: curry, black bean sauce, salted tofu, ribs, etc. You won't be disappointed. read more

Always Fresh Cooked Authentic Cuisine. Staff always greets you warmness. We pass 7 Chinese restaurants to go specifically here. Once you try them, you will taste the difference! read more

This is a little tiny hole in the wall to-go cheap Chinese place but they have enough space for a few dine-in tables. Is it anything fancy?? NO. But it sure is cheap and solid. Where else can you find a lunch special for $4.50 with rice and egg roll (I personally like spring roll better)? The portion isn't big, so I feel bad for eating the whole darn order in record time since I normally split my food into 2 meals to justify all the craps I eat. But a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do to fill her belly. Just FYI, when I eat with my parents here, we actually order a little more authetic Chinese... like Ma Po Tofu and salt & pepper spare ribs, and they are actually really good. If you don't speak Chinese (assuming that you don't), I wonder if you can still ask for it. read more

Great Chinese food place. Good little spot for quick take out, I love it. The inside is a bit old but still comfy, though I usually get the food to go. They can make more authentic Chinese food if requested but know what you want though and they can make it really well. read more

Quick, standard take-out pretty much sums this place up. I got the chicken broccoli and the bf got General's chicken, both with white rice. Sadly, the rice was a little overcooked, but not inedible. My chicken and broccoli (my standard take out request) was really good. The broccoli was cooked nicely, as was the chicken, and the sauce was great! Not too thick, not too thin and had a nice sweet and salty taste. I sampled the General's chicken and thought it had the perfect amount of sweet vs. spicy; however the bf thought the chicken wasn't crunchy enough. Overall, the food was pretty good and, since it's close to where we live, we'll probably go back. Nothing fancy, but worth a shot if you live in the area and are looking for decent Chinese food. IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: They do NOT deliver! Carry-out or Eat-in only!!! We asked for delivery on the phone and were told they do not deliver and promptly hung up on. read more

I did find them by googling "best Singapore noodles in clt" but have to say I don't agree with them being #1. IMO from working at Fujo in downtown many moons ago, theirs is way better. I will say the tofu is great quality. Cabbage primarily included as mixed veg was a little odd but their flavor is good, 2 pieces of cut mushroom in my order but I guess I can appreciate little but fresh mushrooms instead of an abundance and old mushrooms. 3rd dish for my household was the bf&broccoli which my son's father liked but I thought was too thick and strangely sweet. Their complimentary egg roll is pretty good actually. Big size. Good seasoning, well cooked, so nice and hot! My 2 year old loved it and I don't blame him bc it was apart of a small highlight to me too. read more

Great spot for good "old fashion" reasonably priced Chinese take out. So thankful at least one place left in South Charlotte where the food is a higher priority than pretentiousness. Nice people too! read more