Sichuan cuisine is super popular but I've been reluctant to try it because I cannot really handle spicy. However, I decided to give it a try with my friends and was very surprised that the spiciness wasn't too bad. Well, I've requested very mild. To my surprise, I absolutely loved the food here. Each dish had its own unique bold flavors. The staff were friendly and helpful with recommendations. The atmosphere is chill. Definitely a must visit! read more

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one of the best general tsaos i've ever had in my whole life. the service is good but the place isn't really a fancy or luxury sit down place, it's very casual but honestly has one of the best schezuan food i've every tried. general tsaos is my favorite and im from new york and have tried it from all over so i would say i know what im talking about - and the general tsao is so so so good. read more

I returned here with another work colleague. Service was consistent with my previous visit. We ordered Sichuan beef noodle soup, Chengdu Soy bean paste noodle, stir fried cauliflower, and Sichuan Spicy chicken. Our food was delicious, 10/10 highly recommended!!! read more

Little Tao - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It has become my go-to spot in the Allston and Brighton area for authentic Chinese food and quick service. I especially enjoyed their winter specials, like the Lamb Brisket Pot, Chengdu Mini Pot, and Sichuan Signature Stew. Hotpot-style dishes are incredibly satisfying during the winter. The restaurant is located at the corner of Commonwealth Ave and Brighton Ave, with limited parking available. Finding a parking spot or a table can be challenging during peak hours. read more

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serves great Sichuan chicken. The medium spice is a little kick, but not overwhelming, which is what I like. I have gotten delivery several times and the food has been good. Went to the restaurant once at an off time and they were nice and accommodating. Highly recommend. read more

I tasted owner chef was not cooking on my 4 orders anymore For this prices it was quite wasting money Below the average experience with new chef or substitute chef. I used to work at few restaurants so I know running restaurants is very tough business, But, still, Food is art and we need good one hopefully every day. we go for chef's own creations not recipe and ingredients. Way Too Much Money for Below Average Tasting Food !! Some restaurants do like this, open restaurants with amazing experienced chef and train few chefs and quality and enjoyment go down. I was so disappointed to know this horrible pattern is on this restaurant. I hope it's temporary hiccups . . . read more

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Small little place on Comm Ave, with about a half dozen tables. Authentic Sichuan with a good mix of dishes mostly appealing to a Chinese clientele. Service is unpolished but friendly, and they'll guide you through the menu with enthusiasm. Dry Chili Tiger Shrimp: Shells on, flavor in, and stays on even if the shells come off. Nicely spicy but well rounded. Plump shrimp and lots of them. Soft Tofu Fish in Chili Sauce: Very delicate fish, with force heat, some oil, and some herbs and peanuts. I could do without the peanuts, but interesting addition. Sichuan Twice Cooked Pork Belly: A standard dish at Sichuan places, and this one is as good as anyone's. Moist, tender, thin-cut pork with a light coating of spicy, slightly oily sauce, celery-like veggies, and some chile peppers. Flavor, crunch, and heat. Great with white rice. Spicy Cumin Beef: Similar to the lamb dishes with cumin had elsewhere, this was tingly spicy, with tender beef that still had some juices. Nice contrast of spices and fresh herbs. Signature Kung Po Chicken: Probably geared for less adventurous diners. Usually the Americanized stuff is a little sweet, but rather than swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction, they leaned in harder and made it even sweeter--with loads of honey, not sugar--but tempered that with an extra potent dose of fiery red peppers. Looks like a lot of peanuts, but many of them are actually large slices of garlic. Braised Beer Duck: This hearty, stewy dish is perfect for the colder weather. The duck is soft, on the bone (requiring some tentative eating, but no less enjoyable), and spicy from the rich broth. Lots of large chunked lotus root and some other vegetables along for the ride. Great on white rice. Wontons in Chili Oil: Wasn't expecting so much broth, but a nice surprise. Spicy stuff, and by no means blow your face off spicy, but the peppers and spices divided a constant tickle to the throat (a la Gene's wonton soup dish for those familiar). Smoky Tea Flavored Duck: Quite possibly my favorite dish of 2022. Great color (inside and out), great texture, great juiciness, great smoky flavor. Signature Fish: High ticket price ($37), but high quality, high voltage flavor, and even high theater (served in a huge coffee-table-like tray, hot and bubbling), even though it's tilapia. Fried to a crisp and then simmered to keep it both flavorful and tender. Lots of peppers for heat and lots of herbs for both textural and flavor contrast, along with a thin, chile peppery, oily sauce that had none of the sweetened brown glop found in most suburban Sichuan whole fish dishes. Decent amount of vegetables (mostly lotus root, jicama, onion), tofu, and aromatics. Twice Cooked Pork Belly Noodle: Ordinary noodles not much different from linguine, but served with a lively, thin, spicy sauce. Studded with leeks and onions in addition to the slightly charred, slightly wobbly pork. Satisfying. Tao Tao Noodle: Flavorful, with beans, nuts, and herbs, and the noodles sometimes soft, sometimes more pleasantly al dente. Basil Eggplant: Sweet, spicy, herbal. Melt-in-mouth tenderness. Somewhat oily sauce, but very doable. Sichuan Stewed Pork: About a dozen sizable slices of pork belly, stewed to become very tender, and with a very similar texture to Jewish deli brisket or pastrami. Nice saltiness and vegetal complement from the little chopped pieces beside it. Leafy, beany, salty, delicious. Basil Eggplant: Mildly spicy but more sweet, though a restrained sweetness and a nice blend. Very tender. I'm not much of an eggplant guy but I always wind up taking more of these than I expect, because it's very appealing. Beef With Cumin Lunch Plate: Seemed different from the entree, as the lunch plate version had more sauce, less spice, and less cumin. I did like the extra sauce for use with the rice. Had I not had it their previous way, I'd love this dish. I'll still get it again, but prefer the entree version. Stir-Fried Garlic Pork Ribs: Very crisp and very succulent bone-in pork, with garlic, ginger, and herbs adding flavor. No sauce to speak of, but juicy enough not to need one. Not necessarily an appetizer, but it makes a good makeshift one. Chengdu Stewed Duck: Tender pieces on the bone, in a very spicy thin broth balanced by herbs. Lots of poultry flavor in the broth. Under what's visible are glass noodles, bean sprouts, soybeans, and other vegetables, but it's mostly a meatfest and a delicious one at that. Some offal in there too, but minor. Eggplant in Mashed Chili: A cold appetizer with the feel of a tapenade, only spicier. Lots of green color from slightly pickled peppers, with purple eggplant underneath. Overall, fantastic. Not every dish is what you expect, so always ask about the preparation and whether it's hot or cold. But more often than not, the meal will have at least one and usually two wow-factor dishes. read more

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Great place for a quick Sichuan meal! I found this place is very convenient to park and have a quick lunch/dinner stop. Paid parking is available right outside the door of this restaurant. We found the food was epic : special shoutout to the fish! Ambiance is good, but space is congested. Service was quick but our server missed a few requirements and we needed to re-ask them. Overall, moderately recommended. read more

Little Tao - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We were going back and forth on where to have a weekday lunch in Allston and finally decided on Little Tao. I'm so glad we tried it! I'll definitely be coming back. The food came out very quickly and was all delicious. We got the weekday lunch specials, which range from $14.95 to $15.95. They all come with rice, which was really delicious! The rice has the perfect balance of sticky and al dente, and paired wonderfully with the food. The complimentary pickled vegetables were also delightfully mala, savory, and crunchy! I got the pickled fish fillet ($15.95) which was amazing! The soup had an addicting savory flavor without being sour and the fish was very tender. I usually don't eat much rice but the soup + rice combo was so good! I would come back just for this. The Sichuan spicy chicken ($14.95) came highly recommended by other reviewers, and I'm happy to share that it was amazing! Great flavor, big pieces of chicken, very fresh and crispy. The chicken took slightly longer than the other dishes, I assume because it was being freshly fried. I would definitely get this again. We also tried the braised beef brisket ($15.95) and braised chicken ($14.95, bone-in). I think the brisket could've been better, and what I tried was a bit tough. I think the other dishes we got were better than these. It's a small restaurant and there aren't many tables, so I imagine it gets quite busy in the evenings. Can't wait for my next visit! read more

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Unassuming storefronts are often the sign of a good authentic Chinese restaurant. There are only about 5 small tables, but each of them was full on a cold weekend afternoon around 3pm. The menu has solid traditional Chinese options and the portions are amazing. We tried the Sichuan beef noodle soup, yang chow fried rice, crispy cucumber, and kung pao chicken. Even though those dishes sound basic, each one tasted like the true homey Chinese dishes they are, and not the American-taste adjusted versions. Next time, I'd love to try their spicier dishes like soft tofu fish fillet in chili sauce and lamb marrow pot. They seem to do pretty well in takeout orders as well. I'm glad to see there's strong demand for this in Boston so hopefully more and more authentic Chinese spots stick around. read more

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This was exactly as the reviewers have said--fresh, flavorful, and perfect! I wanted to go back again the next day but it was too far to drive. Next time I'm in Boston!!! read more

Food: I thought the food here in very tasty and authentic. Sichuan Dumplings: I really liked the sauce. It reminded me of the dumplings that I had in Chengdu. Tao Tao Noodles: I'll admit, I've never really seen chickpeas in much of Chinese cuisine. But the overall flavor of the dish is great. Mashed eggplant: The sauce on the eggplant was great. Ambience: The restaurant seems tidy. It's not the most romantic of the atmosphere but it's nice. Service: We came and it wasn't very busy. So it was easy to order. Food came out quickly. Overall: I highly recommend this restaurant if you want tasty Sichuan cuisine. read more

Little Tao - Sichuan Sichuan Traditional Dumplings (8PCS) - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The food here is good but I find the bathroom placement right next to the kitchen very unsanitary. Plus the bathroom smelled bad

I absolutely love Little Tao! My personal favorite Sichuan style Chinese restaurant in the Boston area that's affordable. Why does this place stand out to me? It's because the food here especially the dry pot, isn't too greasy or oil! I never leave with an upset stomach. Food always comes out fast, hot, and flavorful without being too overwhelmingly spicy! Everything about this place is enjoyable from the food to the cozy atmosphere. It's a tiny place, so perfect for grabbing lunch with a small group of friends or even dining alone. Staff is quick and attentive to customers. Can't wait to be back. read more

Little Tao - Dry pot Stir-Fried Fish Fillet with Dry Chili - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Food here are delicious. We enjoyed them very much. The restaurant looks nice and cozy. It likes family restaurant. There are meter parking in the front. read more

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Just may be the best Szechuan (Sichuan) restaurant I've found in the Boston area. This is probably not a secret either as on a Sunday night the restaurant was packed. Space is small but service was very polite and quick. The food was very well done with well balanced spice and not just an 'attack on your taste buds' barrage of peppercorn and other flavors. For two people we ended up getting an appetizer (wontons in chili oil) two dishes (tea smoked half duck and twice cooked Szechuan pork belly) with the house special cabbage and a side of rice. This was enough food that we took half home. read more

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Small place but packs a punch. Authentic Chinese food (says the Chinese friends I went with) with big bold flavors. Feels like a mom and pop shop where the staff are close knit and very kind despite a little bit of a language barrier (not enough to make it hard to order). Highly recommend read more

The Tao Tao noodle and stir fired pork intestine with dry chili was a home run. So happy we found this place! read more

Little Tao - Stir Stir-Fried Pork intestine with Dry Chili - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Amazing food wood definitely come back again can't wait to eat here again best lamb chops ever !!! read more

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I can't believe I hadn't heard of this place until now!! Little Tao is a hole in the wall Sichuan restaurant in Allston. The food is BOMB...literally every dish is a flavor bomb. We got a huge spread: the garlic cucumbers, tao tao noodles, twice cooked pork belly, spicy chicken noodle, pork trotters soup, and pumpkin pancakes. The spicy chicken noodle dish was insanely good.. I've had both these dishes separately (chili oil noodle and dry fried chicken) but never together! It was a total explosion of spice. The chef can go super but is also happy to adjust to mild too! The pumpkin pancake tasted like sweet fried mochi with a chewy center. It was the perfect end to the meal. Definitely would order both noodle dishes, the pork belly, cucumbers and pumpkin pancake again. I really want to go back to eat more noodle dishes and also try the beef noodle soup. Overall a wonderful experience and the staff are so kind and treat you well! We'll definitely be back for more noodle dishes. read more

Little Tao - Pumpkin Pencake (4 Pcs) - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Little Tao is a very underrated Chinese restaurant located off one street from the busy Allston Asian scene. I ordered take out after seeing an advertisement on Uber eats. The menu is comprehensive and has some of the best finds in terms of Chinese cuisine. I ordered the sour stir fried potatoes, five spice braised beef, and bang bang chicken is sesame sauce. Overall very reasonably portioned for two people to eat. The veggies seemed fresh void of the sogginess or poor odor. The beef paired excellently with the house dry rub. The bang bang chicken was very saucy with a hint of spice if you're into that kind of chicken. Would definitely order again! read more

Little Tao - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Little Tao is my favorite restaurant in the city. It has had consistently delicious food the 5-6 times I have been. We always order more than we need because we can't help it (and want some leftovers). Nice staff and quick service. It is a great little spot and I'm so happy to have it in Allston! read more

My husband and I came here for a late lunch on a Saturday. It is a small place with a few tables. We sat at the counter table along the window - a good spot to people watch. We ordered the tofu fish fillet in chili sauce and the beef and broccoli. Let me just say that the beef and broccoli has to be one of the best I've had. The brown sauce was flavorful, the beef tender, and the broccoli crispy. Tofu fish fillet was good, but nothing that stands out. Haven't been able to find a place that makes a fish chili dish with tofu since hot eastern in Chinatown closed, so this was a nice surprise. Price points are on the higher side but given prices everywhere, it's not that much more. Service was prompt, no complaints. read more

Little Tao - Soft Tofu Fish fillet in Chili Sauce - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I got the twice cooked pork belly noodle to go through uber eats and it was SO good. The portion is massive and even though $18 on uber eats is a lot for two full meals it's not bad at all. I will definitely be back for more food soon. I can't say one bad thing about this place except for the fact that I can't eat it everyday! One thing is I wish they had dry pot on the menu because I love dry pot. read more

This place is fabulous - try spicy Szechuan chicken and Shanghai dumplings. aAl the noodle dishes tea great too.

Got takeout from here and it was as expected. The food was still warm after being delivered and tasted great. I especially liked the fish! Will try to visit the actual restaurant in the future! read more

We went to this restaurant because I had heard many good things about it. Being from Sichuan, we have a good understanding of authentic Sichuan cuisine. However, the food was overly salty, which my friend joked about if they need to buy salt or if they get it for free from somewhere, because it was quite excessive. On a positive note, the service staff were friendly and helpful. Overall, I would rate it primarily based on the quality and taste of the food. read more

Really good first experience. Super tasty Will return to try other items in menu Definitely worth a visit read more

food and service amazing, it's not an ambiance place but doesn't have to be the food is so good. Best cold noodles and beef brisket, every dish we had was amazing. I can't wait to go back again and will recommend to all!!! read more

I'm glad to find this small Sichuan restaurant to have authentic dishes (which are far more than just "ma-la"). The dishes are reasonably priced, with decent potion, but more importantly, they are flavorful (and not simply numbing-spicy in everything). I've had their soup, intestines, beef tripe, egg yolk dish and a few others, and they are all delicious. I'll definitely visit again for more. read more

Very rude service and did not deliver what I ordered. If you want anything with flavor or spice (any level) go to another place.

staff/boss is a Chinese, every cold, face, we don't feel we are welcome. We don't want to come back again.

Ordered the Tao tao noodle which was amazing! Loved the pickled vegetables that came out first. Would come back read more

Little Tao - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Delicious food! The Sichuan beef noodle soup was fresh and flavorful and full of beef. Perfect balance of ingredients and quite nice for a chilly/rainy day. This place just opened up a few weeks ago and I can't wait to come back to try more of their menu. Attentive staff and simple modern decor/vibe. read more

Little Tao - Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Been wanting to try for a while and finally tried it. Outstanding. Food is great and so is the service. Excellent!!! Next time I'm in Boston, I'll be back. read more

The pork intestine tastes very fresh. They cleaned them well too. I didn't experience the weird smell like some other places do. Overall a great experience. read more

Sichuan spicy beef noodle soup. The taste very good and spicy. Beef is very tender. read more

Little Tao - Sichuan beef noodle soup. - Szechuan Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Underwhelming experience. 1) rice: stayed overnight 2) a cold dish: not fresh 3) they entered 18% for tips on my behalf. I was like at first confused and then I was disgusted at this practice. read more

We have in the past had very high-quality Chinese food in this restaurant. Recently, however, the same dishes that we previously really enjoyed turned out very greasy tasting. We will not be returning. read more

Awesome place everything there is really good. Be careful is very spicy sometimes but I love it.