This place was awful! As a vegetarian, I asked the waitress if we could order the lunch special to be completely vegetarian (wonton, rice and egg roll) and she responded that we could. We ordered our food and emphasized the importance of nothing being cooked with meat, including no fish or oyster sauce. She returned with our lunch and when I asked her what the wonton was made of, she responded "just a little bit of meat." So, obviously the waitress (possibly the owner) does not understand the concept of vegetarianism. This made me weary of eating the food at all, but I took my chances (I wish I hadn't). The food tasted like rancid oil, most of the vegetables tasted rotten, and the sauce it was sauteed in was bland and tasteless. Also the steamed rice had pork in it. Needless to say, my stomach is still sick. The service, ambience, and food was awful. The most pleasurable part was leaving. I would recommend Empress Palace over this place any day. read more

When my family does chinese, we go to Madam Lu's. The owner (yes madam lu) is always there and has come to recognize us and is very friendly. The food itself isn't super duper amazing but its definitely good chinese with fast and friendly service. Prices aren't too bad for SB either! I urge you to try it! It will become a fast favorite I'm sure! read more

Maybe I'm spoiled by the wonderful Chinese food we get here in Southern California... but Madam Lu? Really. This place could not have been more of a disappointment. My boyfriend and I wanted some incredible Chinese while visiting our friends at UCSB. We saw Madam Lu's while driving around and decided to stop because it looked like a place to get authentic Chinese, and there were tons of cars in the parking lot. Sat down and were given menus and cold tea... that I'm assuming was suppose to be hot? Boyfriend ordered a full war-wonton soup that was about 10 dollars.. I've never paid that much money for something so small. I wanted something with chicken so I asked if the chicken chop suey was prepared with whitemeat.. and they said no, only one entree is prepared with white meat and that is the chicken and broccoli. I was shocked because all items were priced 11-15 dollars in the chicken section. ELEVEN dollars for a plate of chicken thigh? Boyfriend got pork lo chow mein.. his final comment was "Panda is better". Two men waited on us. One man was nice but the other was just unpleasant to be around. I would really like to show anyone who wrote a positive review about this place what true, incredible Chinese food is. Over priced. Bad service. Poor quality food. Next time we want Chinese in SB, we'll check YELP before we go. read more

The food is good, the service is great and Lu is always there with a smile on her face. We eat there twice a month with our kids (4 and 13 mo.) they love it too. read more

Great meal! Honestly one of the best fried rice dishes I've ever had. Especially the mixed, best flavor. Good string beans, crispy bean fish, and chicken chow mein. Yum! Madam Lu often comes to chat with us and she is very friendly. read more

Kung Pao chicken to die for. Lunch buffet also really good and it includes dim-sum which mny buffets dont have. Coming back for sure!!

Santa Barbara does not have a lot of options for good Chinese food, but this place was pretty good : ). The pot-stickers (fried dumplings) were hearty and tasty and the flavors in general in the other dishes we tried (Chow fun, Crispy Chicken, Moo shu Pork) were all good, light and not overly salty or greasy like at other places. I would go again and it's the best I have tried in Santa Barbara so far! read more

Ordered the broccoli beef and king pao chicken. The food was good but on the bland side. I see why they do it that way because people are so picky. So when you order, make sure you have the soy sauce or salt and pepper ready to go. read more

Solid Chinese food. Great takeout & delivery. Madame Liu is always around. Best lunch buffet in SB. Try the sizzling rice soup, chow fun, or the happy family special! read more

We love madam lu restaurant! Great food and friendly service...

I think this is the best in SB. The Chinese menu is the one of the most authentic. Madame Lu does not fool around. Meaning, she runs a tight operation but she is generous when you get to know her. Try the Dou Miao 豆苗( pronounced dough meow), or Kong Xin Tsai 空心心脏蔬菜 (pronounced kong shin sigh) for a really delicious vegetable dish that most American palates will relish. This place is easy and casual with no "who's who of Hollywood types." read more

The manager is super nice and enjoys getting to know her customers. She always comes to see how we are doing. 3 stars because the food is only deserving of 3 stars compared to Asian food in LA. Lunch buffet is only 10.75! read more

Bomb Crispy Chicken with Garlic Sauce and Beef Kung Pow. Eggroles and won ton soup also good.

Not very good. Head down to China Pavilion (Chapala/Anapamu) for the best Chinese food in SB. Everything else is pretty marginal.

The food was cloy and flavorless. The service was awkward and disorganized. The bill expensive. After ordering, our entrees began coming out one by one in 10 minute intervals. Even though people normally share entrees in this type of restaurant, it's still awkward and just poor service. The food was very oily and was surprisingly very flavorless. As a local, as I'm sure some of you can attest to, the only reason I try some places is because they are on the Axxess card. When I handed this to them at the end of the meal they rejected it and explained that they weren't accepting it because it was Christmas Eve. I must have missed that in the fine print. Apparently, despite the complete lack of traffic in the restaurant, space in their outdated restaurant comes at a premium on pre-holidays. Never again. Empress Palace is 10 times better than this place! read more

We were so disappointed with the food, which was flavorless and in general low quality. The chicken in the dish we had was grisly -- totally a no go for me and the General Tao didn't have enough sauce to go around. We'd rather go to Panda Express for a third of the cost. read more

My son and I went in for dinner- not impressed, high prices, and service was very slow. Food has no taste and very bland. Unfortunately not a place Id return to. read more

NOT the same!!!! I've been to Madam Lu's before and think it's ok, but lately the food has gone downhill!!!! We came to find out that there's a new chef, which is too bad. We've given it several tries, but each time the food that we ordered has been way salty and greasy! And the sauces in the dishes like Happy Family & Beef and Broccoli, were really thick like disgusting gravy. Parking is good though, but the service is horrible. We were seated by an annoying teenaged girl who was talking on her cell phone when we walked in. Our waitress, Madam Lu, was curt and not very friendly. read more

Very bad place. People why work hire don't speak English. Food is bad . No choice of food.

This has the BEST kung pao chicken in santa barbara, you have it ask for it "chinese stlye" but it is legit! I have tried all the other chinese places and this by far has the best dishes! read more

Yo, this TAIWANESE restaurant is the FUCKING BEST. The owners are super cool and nice and the food is awesome. I have been to this place over 10 times already. If you like Asian food then I highly recommend you to come here. NICEEEEE. They also have a little buffet too, so if you are lazy then you could also try to buffet. read more

Mostly Americanized Chinese food high in MSG and definitely overpriced. Some of the food is quite good though. If you want REAL Chinese food, you can't find it in Santa Barbara, try San Gabriel. read more

We found Madam Lu's in the AAA guide while on our way to LA and San Diego. We were handed a very unappealing dinner menu: sweat and sour everything. So we asked for the Chinese menu. That did the trick. The food was superb. The owner gossiped in Taiwanese like she were still living in Taiwan. It's hilarious. We revisited Madam Lu's a few years later, on the way to SD and on the way back. It still served the same wonderful food. Remember, ask for the real menu. Try the noodle soups. read more

Cost ~ dollar more per offering but the portions are much larger than Mandarin Palace who won't include soup in your take out order unless you bring your own container! A recent dinner there - the $14.99 all inclusive dinner - garlic pork - was delicious and I had enough for a midnight snack and lunch the next day..... they are a bit timid with really spicy food, tho. read more

Madam Lu's was amazing I had a great lunch while I was working the service was exceptional

Walked in for the first time and thought the restaurant looked great. Order a few dishes togo, and the results was not the best. Felt like pretty generic Chinese food with mediocre quality. Not sure if I would try it again, maybe if I'm in the area. read more

It is just ok. The food is fine. But nothing to write home about. I am a little surprised by the amazing reviews. I felt like our spicy dishes could have been spicier. Everything could have used a bit more flavor. Service was good, location is great. read more

I've passed by this place dozens of time and finally decided to go in yesterday. Judging from the outside I didn't expect much but the inside decor is actually pretty nice...and so I got my hopes up, and was sorely disappointed. For 12-15 bucks a dish you get tiny pieces of chopped vegetables and cube size spare ribs. Really? you can't give people decent size food for that price? I don't know how this place can compete but than again, there is not much competition in Santa Barbara, how sad. read more

We came here about 530. Kinda a hole in the wall. I'd guess they only have maybe 16-20 items and none of the pans were full but everything tasted fresh....they do a high turnover in the kitchen so the food doesn't sit out on the line for hours like some places. Food tasted like someone's Mom was in the kitchen....loving it. Lots of Asians eating in there and they were eating off the buffet....good sign. Bathroom was super clean....another good sign. Heard no spanish in the kitchen, just asian(couldn't pick out the language)....another good sign. I saved this place to my GPS. read more

My review for Madam Lu Atmosphere: Most Chinese resturants I have been to are dark with heavy brocade like tapestry or decor. Not Madam Lu: spacious dining area, white walls and white tables and chairs. Elegant glass etchings of Asian empresses adorned the walls and entry way. Service: We were seated promptly, we did go on a weekday night and there was plenty of seating. Our order was taken promptly and food delivered quickly. Food: We ordered two soups: Wonton and Hot and Sour.The server (owner?) came to our table to serve the soup, gave it a stir and quickly dashed back to the kitchen with it. We wondered why the quick exit, and after we asked, she told us "No wontons. I had to find them." The soups were hot and tasty. We ordered a dish with scallops which had a tasty gravy and also curry fried wontons as an appetizer. These had no flavor and the 'curry' part were two side small bowls with a hot mustard and a sweet sauce in another. Summary: the overall experience was a positive one, however I will say I'm really wanting to find Chinese food in the Santa Barbara area that knocks my socks off which I have NOT found. Oh well, I guess that is what a good trip to the city is for. read more

No more Madam Lu for me. I used to think the food was really good here. But the last order of Orange Chicken (something my kids will eat) and string beans was horrible. The orange chicken at Panda Express tastes better and is 1/3 the price. Madam Lu serves chicken that is dry and tasteless. The green beans were obviously frozen and went straight to the trash. What a waste of money. This place is not the same as it used to be. read more

Unhappy experience because of the bad service. The waiter appears to be impolite and mercenary. Never gonna come again. :(

Best Chinese food whenever wife and I visit Santa Barbara.

Reasonable price ! But the food was cold and some chickens are so salty. I had have to drink much water.

Pretty good chinese on upper state street. Have eaten in and ordered for delivery, it has always been good as far as it goes. Quiter setting for a little date night. Owners are friendly as are the staff and the restaraunt is clean and orderly unlike a few of the local spots. Good local reputation overall and track record for good reason. read more

Best Chinese food in town! This place keeps me coming back every time I eat here. Best staff with such amazing food! I absolutely LOVE Madam Lu's!!! read more

Madame Lu has the best Chinese food. The owner is really nice, the food is great and always comes fast. The lunch buffet is good but the dinner menu is amazing. I would recommend 3 cup chicken and the sizzling rice soup. read more

Has been a long since I have been here. Came a few weeks ago for a quick lunch and was not disappointed. The food was good and the service was descent. read more

I love this place. I live about 45 miles away but work nearby. I routinely pick up food on my way home, and it's often still too hot to eat by time I get home! Food is consistently good. They also have two rooms for small parties. We had a baptism reception here. Reasonable banquet prices (and Lu will work with you to choose a menu in your price range) and no cake cutting fee. Another Chinese restaurant in town wanted to charge $2.50 per slice! read more

Love this place. Have been going to it since it opened. My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner here. This is what I would consider a "meat-and-potato" type of Chinese restaurant -- good, hearty, tasty food. All you can eat lunch buffet offers several different types of steamed dumplings that are fantastic. When I was single, I used to get take out once every week. Madam Lu is always friendly, and makes you feel welcome as she greets me by my name whenever I walk in to the restaurant. read more