We make sure to hit Lilis every time we're in the area--just thinking about those hand pulled noodles with stewed pork is making my mouth water. Amazing food and the friendliest people read more

Fantastic meal!! The best Chinese food we have had in a long time! Better than many places we have eaten in NYC. Highly recommend the dumplings. Looking forward to being back in the area and going again. read more

Omg gosh so good! Handmade noodles being made on the spot! Delicious flavors! Staff super kind. One of the women working came by the tables asking all the customers if everything was ok. Small inside but clean. They also do take out. I highly recommend this gem in downtown Amherst. read more

Lili's Restaurant - Homemade noodles one with veggies and the other with stew pork. Yum! - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

I can understand why this has 5 stars because yum! The menu is small, no more than about 10 items and they all range about $6-12. Everything is homemade, even the noodles, yum! They're a cute mom and pop shop and very homey. It's more of a take-out place than a dine-in restaurants but there are tables to dine at and they'll bring your order over to you. It's very small so seating is limited. We were lucky to be able to snag a table though! We order the Saozi noodles (spicy with pork) and the chicken with hot pepper combo. YUM. The homemade noodles are sooooo good. It tasted exactly what a family would make. We are forsure going back! read more

Lili's Restaurant - Saozi noodles, spicy with pork - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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The male owner who takes orders at the counter, threatened to call the police on me, because I unconsciously took in total, around 5 napkins to blow my nose and cough in, and then was going to take the 5 napkins that I had already wiped my nose and coughed in, out of the restaurant with me. I have chronic rhinitis/sinusitis with days when it gets worse than usual, all of which he knows about. When I was in the process of heading out after I had finished my dinner, he repeatedly snapped at me to put the small stack of napkins that I had already coughed in and used to wipe my nose, back into the restaurant's clean napkin pile, and threatened to call the police on me if I didn't. Under his terrorism, I put around 3 of the napkins that didn't fully touch my face, back on top of their napkin pile. He still screamed at me to put the 2 napkins that I had in my hand back on the clean napkin pile so I put more back and only kept the one napkin that I had coughed and blew my nose directly in. I believe it's unsanitary to put napkins that were already taken and touched on your personal table, back into the clean napkin stack for other customers to use, so I always take the napkins that I already coughed in and touched, that I haven't completely finished using yet, with me, after I'm done with a meal. They told me that I have taken napkins that I didn't finish using, out of the restaurant with me the last previous times that I was there too, so I explained my intentions(what I am wrote in this review) to them and the man still threatened to call the police on me. He repeatedly yelled at me, a frequent loyal customer ever since they opened, to not come here again, because I took a couple of napkins with me, out of the restaurant a few times. The man who owns this place also repeatedly attacked and insulted my character and repeatedly screamed at me:"Do you know what you're doing?!" "You don't understand anything!" "You don't understand what everybody else means!" "You don't understand anything about what other people say!" The full exchange was done in Chinese and the owners were beyond aggressive, overreactive, and petty. If they had a problem with my behavior, they could've brought it to my attention by communicating kindly and respectfully to me instead of snapping and yelling at me with their malicious assumptions that I was stealing napkins. Out of the hundreds of meals I've had there, I've only used an average of 1-3 napkins per meal. The man who owns this place treats Chinese customers terribly but drowns non-Asian customers in flattery and smiles. I have been a frequent customer since they first opened and have probably given this place, thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars of business. read more

It doesn't look like much from the outside, when you walk in it's small and crowded, and the menu is unassuming, but once you taste it you will be blown away by the flavor. I did not expect this humble little Chinese place to be so good. Truly a hidden gem. The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food they give you, you will easily have enough to take home for a second meal. As far as service goes, they are FAST. If you are super hungry you will not be waiting long for your meal, and it will be tasty and satisfying. Don't judge a book by its cover, I highly recommend this place! read more

Obligatory review on case anyone doesn't already know: Lili's is INCREDIBLE and you should spend all your $$$ here. Manhattan-level handpulled noodle dishes. Stewed pork soup noodle is unreal. Everything is great. This place has to stay open forever...check it out read more

We ordered several dishes. They were delicious. A welcome change from the usual. Very casual atmosphere. Not fancy. Order at counter and food comes to your table. read more

Absolutely perfect. The food makes me cry it's so good. The owner is so friendly. We asked him once why the menu is so small (only 17 items) and he said he only wanted to serve people food that he himself loves. read more

Home-made Xi'an food complimented by warm owners/chefs. Their price has gone up a bit since Covid, but still, it's worth trying given the quality and flavor. Recommend their "cold skin" noodles and lamb burger. read more

Excellent , authentic and noodles made to order ! Staff are very pleasant and real noodle makers. read more

This place rocks! The term "hidden gem" never applied more than here. Their noodles are absolutely as good as it gets - so fresh it's ridiculous. Every single item I've had on the menu has been top notch. And the owners are super nice and appreciative. Could not recommend high enough. read more

Fantastic place in Amherst! Specializes in the cuisine of Xi'an, looks and feels like a quintessential local place. It's a great spot for lunch. Lili is so sweet! Try the biang biang noodles, you won't be disappointed. read more

THIS PLACE IS SOOOOOOO GOOD. I don't even know what I ordered b/c 1. never ordered it before and 2. was ravenous but not in a way that would sacrifice the quality. Dishes are not greasy, super flavorful, and generous in portion size. Get the cold noodles and noodle soup. I love that their menu is simple, to the point, no frills, packed with flavor. Not to mention, lovely hospitable service. Amherst gem, for sure. read more

Lili's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Great food! Only have taken out but it's been great. Take out can be tricky so I was happy.

bang band noodles with pork excellent chicken fried rice great scallion pancakes wonderful Called in and picked up order as always great quick service and hot delicious food! Still a hidden gem with a wife basic menu. read more

A must try!!! This is the Authentic Chinese food from Xi'an. Xi'an cuisine a staple of traditional Chinese food. Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province in Western China. Handmade noodle is one of the famous dish. Small kitchen, but big flavor! read more

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delicious soothing food and awesome service. lovely people!!!! definitely recommend!!!! read more

Lili's Restaurant - beef noodle soup 10/10 - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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Extraordinary hand-crafted noodles and dumplings, served in an intimate family style storefront restaurant. Love it.

When we went in the first thing we noticed was how authentic it felt. We could see the chefs cooking and hand-pulling the noodles, which was cool! We ordered the biang biang noodles, sao zi noodle soup, tomato egg on rice, and a rou zia mo. The biang biang noodles were really chewy and fresh; the sao zi soup was pretty good but we didn't expect it to be slightly tart; the tomato egg was sweet, fluffy, and light; the rou zia mo was amazingly crisp and succulent. The portions are also generous! The space is a little small, but the host, who was also our cashier and server, was really friendly and made pleasant small talk with us. Overall, 5/5. Cozy little spot with delicious food and nice people. read more

I'm Chinese and the Biang Biang noodles are some of the best noodles I've EVER tasted in my life. I live in NYC so that's saying a lot. MUST MUST stop. Believe the hype and do yourself a favor - order the noodles and you'll be hooked like I am. read more

Truely authentic Shanxi food. Get the Biang Biang noodles. Thick and chewy drizzled with chili oil, it's like heaven on earth. Makes me want to sing a highland folk song. Imagine a Chinese equivalent of yodeling. I'm hungry just typing here. read more

The noodles (I had the Biang Biang Handmade Noodles with veggies) are exactly as described: fresh, soft and absolutely delicious! The scallion pancakes were, really, the best I have ever tasted. I am already looking forward to eating there again. read more

The best food in Amherst, and best Chinese food anywhere. This isn't the overly sweet fried Chinese food most American restaurant serve. It has amazing flavors and great ingredients. Highly recommend. read more

My favorite place in town for lunch besides Formosa. It's a family owned small restaurant. You can see their cooktop. It's all Xian food, a very good representation of food from there. *Pork Burger : My fav and classic, ask for green pepper! It's a must have! Even it's not that authentic, it's still great. *Pork and Leek dumplings: Handmade dumplings, flavor tastes like home! *Biang Biang Noodle: Handmade noodles with special spice, try it if this is your second time here. read more

Lili's Restaurant - Biang Biang Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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GREAT FOOD!! I love the tomato egg and rice with pork on top. Reminds me of Hong Kong. Great service and friendly!!

Unreal freshness and flavor...noodles with veggies and tofu and side of scallion pancakes....mmm mmm mmm

Friendly owners, unbelievably delicious and fresh food served quickly. Cozy atmosphere with a simple menu. This is one of our favorite places in Amherst. read more

Staff is super! Friendly, hard working, and helpful. Space is small, but comfortable for a quick meal. Clean. Food was good but for us Not outstanding Scallion pancake - good, freshly made steamed pork and leek dumplings were good, didn't love the dipping sauce The pork roll/bun was mediocre. Bottom of Bun became too soggy to eat, top of bun crispy; The noodles were fresh, made in front of us with a delicious sauce---almost bland - could have used even more heat Pork and rice just OK The biggest thought -- tasted like pork was the same shredded pork in every dish so not a lot of variety in taste across the dishes Wanted to love the food more, drove in from eastern Mass just to try restaurant based on reviews read more

Love that we have this restaurant that offers wonderful xi'an cuisine in our small town. I have tried the #1 rou jia mo, #2 biang biang noodle, #4 stewed pork, #8 stewed pork soup noodles, and #9 saozi noodles and they are all delicious, though the soup dishes are on the saltier side. read more

Lili's Restaurant - New items on menu (Oct 2020) - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

This is the real thing. Get the hand-pulled noodles with spicy pork. The more standard-fare scallion pancake and dumplings are also great. The owner recommended the pork "burger" to me, which I will try next time. Every dish is great, and the owners are also extremely friendly. Go eat there. read more

Quick service, food was hot and delicious. Not a place one would want to spend lots of time in, but it gets the job done. I wish there were more tables outside. read more

Lili's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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What a great spot. In an area with oodles of options for great eats, most of which are farm to table or boasting fresh ingredients, this little hole-in-the-wall eatery offers hand-made noodles, great service, and a simple menu with delightful options. When you walk in, you'll notice the place is spotlessly clean. There's not a ton of tables, and we went at an off time (3:00) so it was empty and we had our choice of where to sit. I imagine it might get tight around dinner time, or lunch, so plan accordingly. The ladies behind the counter who helped us were super friendly. You can tell there's a lot of love in this cooking. We ordered Biang Biang noodles with pork and pork and cabbage dumplings. We split everything between us, my husband, my toddler and myself. Everyone loved everything, including my son-- the pickiest eater on the planet. He loved the noodles so much, we ordered one to go just for him (we might have a couple bites, too). I rarely see a spot with so many perfect, 5 Star reviews. I get it now! Just remember- this place isn't meant to be fancy. But for what it does, it does perfectly. read more

It's definitely worth stopping in at Lili's for some home-cooked, authentic Chinese food. It's over an hour's drive for me, but worth it. This is a family-owned and operated restaurant serving authentic Xi'an cuisine so don't expect typical American Chinese food. The prices are great, at around $10, and everything is hearty so it'll leave you feeling satisfied. (The dishes here are not greasy at all and Lili doesn't cook with added MSG if you care about that). I recommend EVERYTHING here because it's all homemade with high quality ingredients and delicious, but my favorites are anything with Lili's homemade noodles - Sao Zi Noodle Soup and Biang Biang Handmade Noodles. I have to stop myself from eating all of them, the noodles are that excellent. read more

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Been back a few times for takeout during covid-times. I know they've always been popular for takeout before, but I personally always preferred eating-in. Everything I've ordered so far (biangbiang, liangpi, dumplings, luroufan) has held up really well for having sat in a container. Usual smiles and attentiveness to order requests (extra veggies/extra spicy/etc.). I love this place so much. read more

Intensely, wonderfully good. Biang Biang when you can, Cold Noodles when you're hot, Lamb Soup when you're cold.

Awesome place with fresh, handmade noodles. They are a simple, no frills establishment with only a handful of menu items. But everything on the menu is fresh and lovingly made by Lili. She makes each dish to order, rolling out the dough and pulling the noodles right in front of your eyes. It's a real treat. And vegans can partake as well, as they have a couple of vegan options on their menu! read more

Lili's Restaurant - Veggie Biang Biang. Big portion, good flavor, made with care. - Chinese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Who would imagine in small sleepy college town of Amherst would you find a small owner run restaurant that offers homemade hand pulled noodles. This place is a real jem. I'm in food service and let me tell you hand pulled noodles of this quality are only found in big cities like New York. The menu is small for a reason. These people try to perfect every dish. The taste shows. The owners take your order, make your food with precision and even bring it to your table. I'm sorry to say but sometimes smaller is better. Try this fantastic restaurant and enjoy the fantastic affordable flavors they are ready to create for you. read more

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Wow. If you're in Amherst please come to this restaurant to eat amazingly delicious food cooked/served by the sweet owners. My husband and I got the Biang Biang noodles with stewed pork, Liang Pi cold noodles, and the pork dumplings with Chinese Leeks. Our favorite was the Biang Biang noodles. Everything was homemade and was the best Chinese food I have ever had. One thing to note. When they say it's spicy, it's s.p.i.c.y. We asked for medium spice and definitely felt it but not to the point where it ruined the food. There's also free parking in back! read more

The name and outward appearance may not lead you to think they serve authentic Xi'an food, but they offer some of the best I have had outside of China. It is comparable to Xi'an's Famous out of NYC. I highly recommend the cold skin noodles, the beef noodle dishes, and the dumplings. The scallion pancakes were great and made fresh right in front of you. It is worth a 90 minute drive to enjoy this food. read more