The mango salad and egg rolls were both very good, which made me hopeful for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately, the Pad Thai was extremely disappointing. It tasted mostly like onions and chili, and it wasn't even close to an authentic Pad Thai. The noodles were also the wrong type, which made the dish even more disappointing. What really left a bad impression, though, was the service. After taking only one spoonful, I politely explained that I didn't like the dish and asked if they could remove it. They refused, even though it was obvious that I hadn't eaten it. I understand restaurants have policies, but a little flexibility and customer service would have gone a long way. Sadly, because of both the food and how the situation was handled, I don't plan on returning. read more

I got combination rice noodle soup as a pho like dish because I was craving pho. However, it was very bland, and not even sriracha or chili oil could save it. I will say that portion was very large for the price. The broth was chicken, but it was not great. One person is our party ordered the vermicelli noodles, and that was much better, which is why I am giving it 3 stars. Service was good as well. Overall, 3/5, probably wouldn't go back. read more

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I've eaten at Le Lai all by myself and I've always enjoyed my dinner. Employees are always kind, helpful and polite. read more

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Tried Le Lai Eastern Restaurant for the first time last night based on trying different local Eastern cuisine locations and was pleasantly surprised. The different dishes we all tried were more than ample and very well prepared. It's on our "Definitely will be back list" read more

Food is average at best. Service is also average. But Be warned. There is a sign that clearly states there is a convenience fee on card transactions on the front door and the menu clearly states there is an 18% tip on parties of six or more. The issue for me, was when my bill came (party of 2), it came with the card transaction fee and 18% tip included...I was paying cash and was told the fees couldn't be removed, only refunded. Person at the register said the manager set the system up this way. Craziest thing I've seen. Check your tickets and make sure you aren't being ripped off here. If you're the manager and reading this you should be ashamed of yourself. read more

I have been a customer here for years . Never bad service , never a bad meal . Take out has always been on point . Which is why we've keep coming back here and stopped going to Xin Xin and Hop Tung . Order was simple , 3 plates , fried spring rolls and one Chinese egg roll . Ask waitress if it's all there , she says yes so I leave . Return home to find they did t give us our fried rice to one of the plates . I'm in north McAllen , not a long drive but it sucks having to go back and pick up what should have already been there . I call and ask for a manager . He's not there or as the waitress says " he's hardly here or ever comes in " . So you're telling me that no one runs that place . She rudely tells me I can give you a credit . I didn't need a credit for fried rice I needed my food . She has no solution to anything other than giving me a credit or I can talk to another server and see what they say . I never ask for anything free or extra food . But this time I was furious and wanted my money back . She declined stating they don't do that , but I could still get a credit . I get there , walk in , no words from any of the staff who are just sitting around while there are a few tables still eating . Get handed a bag with no apologies for their mistake , nothing . I hope the owner sees this so they can know who they have working for them. If you get take out from here check your food before you leave . read more

The food is always excellent. Always. The food is fantastic. No other summer rolls in the entire valley can match theirs, and believe me, I've looked. Their Singaporean meifun is phenomenal. The right amount of spice for spicy enthusiasts, with all the flavor of anyone who's looking to try something new. Service is great. Fidel is wonderful. The ambiance feels luxurious and clean. Bathrooms are always shiny and clean and well kept. They have a reasonably priced menu: some pricey dishes for premium food, some budget friendly dishes for those that are just hungry. But everything is always tastes great. I come here at least once a week. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - Singaporean meifun and goicun (or summer rolls) - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

I ordered a combination rice noodle bowl was charged $14 which was fine but I got home and there was only chicken. It was pretty bland, the chili sauce they gave me alongside Sriracha saved it a little but I'd recommend to check your order thoroughly to not be charged extra for something that you're not getting. I did order around closing time but that doesn't mean I shouldn't get the option to pay for what I would be getting. I understand if they said hey we can't do beef atm due to the time but I wasn't made aware that I'd only be receiving chicken and I did get charged the extra amount than for just chicken read more

No bueno, tried this place because it was featured in local news, but no!! The waitstaff was slow, food came out cold, and AC was not working. Won't return read more

Great place! We order for pickup & this is the only place you can take your food home & it's like you are eating it in the restaurant. Hot & delicious! Great service food always ready & the portion is enough for lunch tomorrow. read more

The change of ownership made a great place terrible. The food is disgusting Beef Lo Mein read more

We are frequent customers and every time we go we are never disappointed. A must try! Delicious and reasonable prices.

The food was really good and fresh. The service was excellent. Definitely worth the visit.

Of all things in McAllen, Tx, this mixed Thai restaurant is pretty tasty. From what I hear, it's most always crowded and the food is consistent. I tried the chicken & basil and was not disappointed! I would definitely return to this place if I'm back in the area :) read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - chicken & basil lunch - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Been coming here for so many years. For those reading the reviews, come see for yourself and you be the judge. Food: love their food especially their pan-fried noodles (seafood ) and their won ton soup is light. I went here during a birthday and they prepared such good food , also during a lauriat (not sure of the spelling for Chinese New Year celebration) Staff: very personable, they'll chat with you but you have to talk to them 1st. Just know they're also college students and are educated folks. Service is quick and efficient. Management: hasn't changed since 5 years ago. ( I verified with the staff.) I nearly didn't want to come to eat here today because of most the reviews I've read. I guess their loyal customers are just too happy with their food that they don't think they need to write any reviews . And the place is always full. Bon appetit ! read more

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Hit and missed with this one. Some plates are very good but others are not. I ordered the lo-mein and it was not good. The duck in the other hand very good according to my daughter. read more

We had a wonderful dinner! The chicken corn soup, hot and sour soup, vegetable fried rolls were excellent! We enjoyed orange chicken, ginger chicken with vegetables and beef fried rice! Quick and friendly service! Highly recommend!! read more

The atmosphere is nice, the portions were ample and the presentation of the food was lovely. However, I didn't think the taste of the pad Thai that we shared today was as good as some of the other dishes that I've tried here. I'd probably eat here again, but next time I'll avoid the pad Thai and order one of the other selections. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - Chicken lo mein - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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If I had to pick an Asian restaurant in McAllen, this is my second favorite after Thai red chilli's! We order the best dishes here and as a party of 5 we spent about $80 and our tummies were full and happy! We enjoyed the whole fish lemongrass entree and the shrimp fried rice. And in their chicken options the satay chicken was exceptional and we downed it in minutes. They take a while on the fish since it's made to order but it was worth the build up of appetite. the service here is very friendly and homey. We had an Asian server and he was so kind and respectful to my family. Definetely a place we would come back to anytime we are up on 10th street. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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I was hesitant to try their Pad Thai since it's a different sauce than I'm used to but it was surprisingly very good! It was pretty spicy but worth it. The summer rolls were also yummy. Very attentive staff! read more

I have loved this spot for over 10 years! The summer rolls, along with many other dishes on the menu, are amazingly good!

I'm always hesitant about writing poor reviews, the only good thing about this place was the young server. He tried his best to apologize.... only good thing I ate was the summer roll. The huge plate of Pad Thai was very red -- I asked if it had tomato sauce! It does --so disappointed. I told them that's not real Pad Thai and did not want it. The managers or people at front laughed it off and didn't even come ask me the problem. I consider myself a foodie traveling all over the world on business as well as pleasure. I didn't expect a free meal(I even left server 22% tip) but acknowledgement would have been nice. DO not waste your time here... I should have know since only two other people were dining .... read more

We LOVE the fried vegetable rolls, chicken vegetable soup and chicken fried rice! The vegetable lo mein is also quite tasty. We Recommend Le Lai! read more

Name this tune: Lai la lai, lai la lai, lai la lai Give up? It's the boxer. And while I don't think Le Lai is named after this particular song, it was an auspicious start. Especially since Royal China is all RIP and stuff. That was our fave for so many years. Now Le Lai has burst onto the scene like a favored child. We had the pad thai and a crispy chicken dish that were both outstanding. The service was speedy if a little unenthusiastic and confused about the beer situation. Then again, we were there only half an hour before closing time. The interior could use some softer surfaces since it seems a little cold but can tell these guys are religious about their cleaning regimen unlike some of the other "super gigantic china star buffets" around town. They have a live tank which hopefully means your fish is all fresh and overall I was pretty impressed by the entire situation. I'll look forward to trying more of their extensive menu next time I'm down. Christmas crispy duck anyone? read more

Very sad to report that Le Lai has come under new management and it beyond sucks. Luckily we were having a big family dinner, so the company made the experience a little less miserable, but both the service and food are now leagues away from what they used to be. Our food took an hour and eleven minutes to arrive and all of the sauces were goopy and artificial tasting. Our server could not handle the two tables in the entire restaurant (including ours) and didn't know anything about the menu. They also got rid of the cool aquariums where you could pick your own seafood. This was really the only Eastern restaurant that we trusted, so I can't recommend anything else. If anyone has any ideas, please message me! read more

Our server was nice. The food takes a bit of time (even though there were only 2 tables) which is fine w/me 'cause makes me believe that it's cooked to order. The taste was OK but, not impressed to come again. read more

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I've been looking for a home style Chinese restaurant. We were greeted with a friendly face. The service was good, food was great, Steven was exceptional. This was my second visit, and I was satisfied with the entire experience. Steven, well done. 5 Stars. read more

First timer!! I ordered for take out : small hot and sour soup, pork with shrimp spring rolls, beef lo mein and chicken fried rice. My order was out in 15 minutes and it was phenomenal! I felt like a two headed chicken; didn't know what to peck at .. Everything was so good. read more

whenever I'm craving fusion Asian food, I usually come here. I really enjoy the quiet environment, and the food is always good (especially the orange shrimp) Lunch specials are a great deal as well. recommend! read more

Easily in the top 5 best eastern restaurants in the RGV, have tried many dishes from this restaurant and have not come across a bad dish. Only reason this isn't a 5 Star rating is because of the sometimes awkward staff. read more

My buddy said the Pad Thai was excellent, and I had their equivalent to Kung Pow. Pretty good, and we always get good service there. Side note, stop mopping the floor with and dirty mop, smelled like mildew when we walked in at 11am. Other than that, try it read more

When we went the restaurant was empty except for one table. That should have been enough to turn us away, but we were hungry so we sat down anyway. We got the beef pad Thai and the roast duck. The pad Thai came out covered in some red sauce, and it was really spicy. This was not one of the items on the menu marked with the spicy sign, so that was a surprise. It tasted like the chef didn't think there was enough flavor in the dish so he/she decided to add some Sriracha sauce last minute just for the heck of it. It was awful. There were also green and red bell pepper pieces, of which the green ones tasted rotten. There was plenty of beef, but the texture was mushy and even kind of powdery. So I picked those out and didn't touch them. The roast duck, which was pretty pricy, was just bad. The skin was crispy, but that meat was old. It tasted like it'd been made a month ago, and was reheated just before being served to us. I suspect they bought a cooked duck from Houston, kept it in a fridge, and reheated it whenever it was ordered. Overall we hated everything, and everything was completely overpriced. Don't be fooled by the fancy appearance. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - On the left. Pad Thai. Not Pad Thai... On the right. Old roasted duck. With watered down mysterious sauce - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Good food reasonable prices. Large portions thsy could easily be split unless you are really hungry. Attentive and polite staff. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - Pad thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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Good food, generous portions, friendly service. My "go to" for Chinese food. Not "fast food".

This is the second time into this restaurant since I discovered, I come from out of town to work I like to try different restaurants Le Lai is an amazing restaurant great food great service and good prices my recommendations first is the Shrimp Mango Salad as an appetizer enough for two. Follow by the Curry Chicken sauce is enough of two so you can have a great appetizer and a great meal for $31 for two did I mention the great service. read more

Never Again! At first, this place sounded like a very good idea. My friend and I were very excited to try it out since all the reviews here were pretty consistent and seem trustworthy. Coming in I was not impressed, serviced proved to be bad right from the start. Sat down and asked the server for recommendations since it was our first time there. The server was rude and nothing else. Our food arrived and everything seem just fine, until my third bite on a spring role. To my surprise, there wasn't only shrimp and veggies in my role, there was also a long HAIR! When i say long, I mean like 5 or 6 inches. I immediately put it down and didn't want to make it a big deal either. A server finally came when I called him, and simply took away my dish without even asking if I wanted anything else, or to speak to the manager, it was as if it was no big deal, which IT WAS!! There was no manager in charge and i simply asked for them to not bring the rest of my food. I refused to pay a cent and left for good. In conclusion, I had the WORST restaurant experience ever!!! read more

This place used to be one of my favorites. Food was always tasty and well seasoned. I am not sure if cooks have changed up in the kitchen but food is nit as flavorful as it used to be. Wait staff is also not as efficient as they once were. i watched four staff watch TV while our beverages remained empty. read more

Chicken and double mushrooms can't be beat. I still say this is the best Asian food in the Valley. The serves is fantastic, the pricing is reasonable and the quality of the food is phenomenal. You will not walk away from Le Lai disappointed. read more

Le Lai Eastern Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - McAllen, Texas

This review will be short as there is no need to elaborate too much when the service is sub par; I have been a patron of this restaurant for over 10 years and on May 21st. I decided to take a friend, who is a restauranteur, to this place to enjoy a nice dinner; as he really doesn't like to eat much at other restaurants, I had to convince him because the food "was" excellent and I was hungry for some fried flounder. We get there, walk in and grab a table; as soon as we sit, the owner/chef who is sitting one table in front of us makes a face and gets up and leaves and then a waiter, whom I've never seen before approaches our table and tells us the restaurant is closed. When I tried to approach the waiter to ask him why basically we were being "kicked out" if we had arrived on time before closing hours, he was evasive and walked away. All this happening, while the "manager" was just standing there behind the counter watching the "action"; I mention the manager because she knows me as I had been to the restaurant 2 times in the preceding 4 weeks with some friends. This was "the last stand"; no more visits to this restaurant and that includes all my family friends and neighbors as well as all the family friends and neighbors of my friend. What a disappointment but fortunately there are better choices in the area now. To future customers to this place, just beware and keep in mind there are better choices with more affordable prices and much better customer service. read more

I have been at Le Lai 5 times now. The service has ranged from fair to excellent, but the food is consistently good. I highly recommend the spring rolls and the salt and pepper cuttlefish. read more