Ordered a phone order on a very busy Sunday night and was delayed in picking up our huge order! No issues parking, but there were 6 others waiting on their to-go order. The owner was calm and nice but was busy taking phone orders. The hostess who waits on the tables also helped out but I think they were short staffed. The food order was executed to perfection - zero complaints there. Here's the family review of the food we ordereed: Mooshoo pork - a little bland, comes with traditional pancakes and the duck plum sauce. Egg-drop soup (4) - not enough flavor, maybe they don't use MSG Shrimp with snow peas - delicious, large prawns Mongolian Beef - was lacking that dark beef with green onion it has traditionally Cod - delicious Sauteed Broccoli - delicous (BEST dish overall) Beef Chow Fun - very tasty Veggie Lo Mein - Average Loved munching on the crispy wontons - even to -go orders get it! Wahoo! read more

The 25 dollar per person soup. Look so good We got the family style dinner It comes with bbq spare ribs, fried shrimp, egg roll, beef on skewer, paper wrapped chicken, Soup: Three flavor sizzling rice soups Entree is very different stuff we got the lamb and orange shrimp. read more

Mandarin Garden - The 25 dollar per person soup. Look so good - Chinese Near Me - Blue Jay, California

Tucked inside a small old building directly on the side of the road. The restaurant seem like a locals hang out for old people. On vacation, this was exactly the pace we were looking for. Staff was friendly and was down for conversation. Food was really good. The orange peel chicken is addictive. Green tea is also nice to settle the stomach. Won Ton chips come out in the beginning and staff will be amazed if you don't eat them. At the end of your meal, they will give you fortune and almond cookie. Prices are very fair for the food portions. Would love to go back when I'm in town. Love to support small, local, tasty places. read more

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Stopped by for dinner tonight - total hidden gem! The place was classic Chinese decor, the service was excellent and the food... uff... the food was delicious!! We started with appetizers consisting of beef skewers, fried shrimp and egg roll.. we then had the sweet and sour soup - all yummy! For dinner we had sweet and sour shrimp, the beef and pea pods and egg fried rice. Everything we had was flavorful and delicious! This is a must if you're in the Lake Arrowhead area. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Food was alright. Order a friend rice and a rubber foot to something was in it. Didn't notice until I was chewing on it. read more

Mandarin Garden - a person holding a coin in their hand - Chinese Near Me - Blue Jay, California

This place is awesome. 4/5 because they need more staff and the restaurant is a bit unkempt. At one point, the owner was taking phone orders, seating customers, giving out receipts, bagging food and checking out to-go orders BY HIMSELF. He had a smile on his face the entire time; it broke my heart. All that aside, the owners and their daughter are soooo nice and the food is very tasty. Some people have complained that the portions are too small and to that, I'd say order their dinner letter-combos: one entree, appetizers and soup *We both Ordered Dinner B: _Entree choice me- beef broccoli _Entree choice him- curry beef (was chicken but they let him substitute it) _Soup choice- Assorted Wonton (because we chose the same, we got one large bowl to share. It was massive) _Appetizers- pre-picked. BBQ skewers, egg rolls and one other item that I can remember I'm telling you, everything was bomb. Also, from wha I've learned of Chinese food culture (and this goes for Filipino and many others), is that the goal is to share you're food with your table. This is not a Chinese buffet. Each plate is carefully crafted and it's BOMB. Parking is limited, but I think they have spots along the side of the building. Check 'em out! read more

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Food was great! Reminded us of the nostalgic Chinese restaurants we grew up with, and that's a really good thing. Although there's no reason to think they are. I hope they don't try to modernize, like so many other places do. They would lose what draws you to them. What's the old saying. Don't fix it, if it ain't broken! It was refreshing to not get the run-of-the-mill assembly line tasting Chinese food. The kind that tastes the same wherever you go. The interior is dated, but clean. Expect a very casual, laid back, dining experience, with good food. The owners, Wendy & Derrick, are super friendly. If you're lucky, Wendy will sing to you! Try them out. We're glad we did, and will definitely be going back. read more

This review is being written by a Chinese person. Get ready to walk into a time machine, this a cozy restaurant that feels like it has been stuck in the 70s (in a good way) it feels homey. I ordered the bbq pork egg foo young lunch special. For $12 I got a nice cup of egg drop soup, served with fried wonton sticks and hot and sour sauce, entree came up fried rice, 1 fried shrimp, and an egg roll. Portion was generous, but it to me it does not matter how much food they give you if it doesnt taste good. Everything was on point with flavor, its a great sign when the chefs in the back are speaking in chinese. I will be back read more

Tasty and affordable Chinese food with a super friendly staff. VERY happy to have this for a dinner option on the mountain :)

Just found this place out and will be a repeat customer! Bomb food, love their eggplant-tofu! Slightly pricey for the atmosphere they offer but they give good portions! read more

It's been 20 years since I've been here and guys...I'm blown away!! They still got it! The food is incredible. The same owners are still here running it and they are killing it. Couldn't be happier to back into my childhood memories and support such a fantastic place. How lucky are we that we have this place on the mountain? We are making a point to come back here on a regular basis. read more

Good authentic Chinese food. The place is outdated but it doesn't matter because the food is really good. Same great quality if you get take out or dine in. I like to dine in though because it is nice to eat the food fresh. Very friendly servers. I have been here many times and will continue to as it is really the only Chinese food place up on the mountain without having to drive to Big Bear. read more

Pleasantly surprised when I tried this place again after 5 years plus. Food is a lot better, service was fast and great. They have a very big menu like most Chinese places, prices are good. Health Department rating is an A. Good choice for a restaurant while you are visiting Lake Arrowhead. read more

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Always enjoy coming to this family owned local restaurant. I appreciate their good food and great service! Always willing to please. They serve great Scorpions as well! Definitely recommend! Cute decor! read more

I am not sure how they remain in business. I waited over a year before returning (I try to be a good patron ... really!) and it was: 1. Dirty and smelled like ammonia. 2. 30% more expensive (I know, this is debatable but $100 for two people?). 3. The host was cheesy and bothersome. Simply would not leave us alone to enjoy our night out. 4. The food is a SOLID D-. Everything tasted rancid or overly sweet. I'm critical. I freely admit it. I like good food and have no problem paying for food and service. Within a 30-minute drive down the hill there are better choices in dining. read more

Tofu with Black Mushrooms and Sliced Pork is ok although I wish it had more mushrooms to balance the tofu half and half. I'll just ask for more mushrooms next time. Spinach Egg Flower Soup is mild and delicious. Excellent. The only problem was the brown rice was dry and burnt, so I asked them to replace it and all they did was bring me another portion from the same batch and mixed it with a little water to try to moisten it and it still wasn't right. Had to make my own rice at home. Very disappointed that they couldn't serve me some fresh brown rice here. read more

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The owner was very kind and the food was amazing. The dining area was super neat. It felt very warm and comforting.

Charlie makes the best Chinese food on the mountain and beyond! Everything is excellent and the service is fast. They've been in the same place for many, many years. That speaks volumes. read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND! Look at their Health report on YELP, this is a dirty place it had a CRITICAL report where they don't wash their hands properly or maintain a sanitary work area. The food was so bad, just covered in creepy jelled sauce two different meals that tasted , well , no taste. The only thing that was edible was the rice. A $50 waste of money. I can't caution you enough do not eat here. Super disappointed. read more

I love the energy and food here. My friends and I rented out an airbnb in Lake Arrowhead and were looking for food options. We came across this place. The service was great. Derrick and Wendy, the owners, were so hospitable and Wendy even sang us a song. It was really welcoming and the food was great! Very reasonable prices and very generous portions. Will definitely come back to visit and dine in again! read more

Pros: Delivery was lightning fast; food tasted good - obviously, this is most important; and I didn't get an upset stomach, which happens to me a fair amount. Cons: Place is a little weird - delivery guy and lady answering phone talked about chef trying different things, without me asking; not sure about quality control - place has a B rating as of this review; and there is a $10 delivery charge which they didn't tell me about until I asked the delivery guy, however, it seems $10 is pretty standard up here. All in all, good experience but just some minor things that could be worked on for ease of mind and a 5 star review. read more

I'm not sure why anybody would eat here unless they were starving and couldn't get to another place. If you don't have an "A" health rating, there's a big problem because there's probably a lot of other violations on a day-to-day basis. read more

Super super yummy! Great little family run business. We have been to lake arrowhead several times and finally decided to try this Chinese food place! And it was so delicious ! read more

The best Mandarin food on the mountains! Quality delicious plates! Definitely worth a try, my boyfriend and I come here at least 1 a week.

Last two take out orders were the best ever. Food quality and taste tops in their category. Orange Chicken, Beef Chop Suey, Shrimp Egg Foo Young my favorites and I'm getting hungry writing this. read more

Ordered to-go for dinner after a long day of just freezing cold rain while sledding for hours. So far with what we've ordered we love this place and will definitely come back whenever we are in town. Ordered the egg drop soup, fried tofu with pork, shrimp fried rice and the hot and sour soup. Everything was delicious, but I have to rave about that hot and sour soup. It was THE BEST one I have ever had. It was full of ingredients and very filling. It was so good. It definitely tasted home made and made with love. Ugh. I can't wait to have that soup again. read more

Fun place! Typical Chinese restaurant with great service! I Recommend this restaurant for families.

The food is good, the service is good, the parking is limited. The restaurant has a B rating, I'm not sure why but that's always sketchy

honestly, I used to absolutely love Mandarin Garden... last time I went, not so good...I find it startling for a Chinese restaurant to no longer use soy sauce. The special fried rice, well....you heard the saying...if you have nothing nice to say...the orange chicken was okay...I see a lot of people still recommend this place...sooooo....try it and judge for yourself. I just believe soy sauce or Tamari sauce (a Japanese soy sauce) is needed to bring out the flavor. read more

Great place! Never seen anyone walk out without a smile. The waitress was very nice and helpful during our first visit. read more

Mandarin Garden - Chinese Near Me - Blue Jay, California

We just ate here 12-29-2022. The food tastes good. It's hot. Service was fast and friendly. Food came out fast even though several tables were sat at the same time. Everyone got food almost immediately. Dishes were clean. Mai Tai cocktails were good. Tea was good. Water tasted good. Lo mein and chicken was hot and had lots of flavor. Beef and broccoli was as good as anywhere. Shrimp in black bean sauce was particularly flavorful. I went outside my comfort zone and order duck in pineapple and the flavor was good. Duck in general in more gamey than I prefer but theirs was good and tender. The sauce is sweet but what I expected and what I like. I can't say anything really bad about this place. I'm from San Francisco and we eat great Chinese food 3 times a week. The food here is no worse than that. The owners are super family friendly people with a new baby. The other reviews might be dishonest but the worst thing I saw is they can sweep or vacuum more before dinner service but they appear to be doing their best based on staffing and sheer demand We found the same to be true in other local restaurants in Blue Jay. They cannot staff enough people for the holiday demand. Mandarin Garden did great in this respect, showing a real hustle to serve and fast with just one server and the owner as host. read more

The people here are always the nicest. They get your order done very quickly and make good conversation while you wait. The food has never not been super amazing even when getting it to go read more

Great food and even greater service!! these people have the kindest hearts and it shows in their food.

If I could give no stars, I would. Ambiance:: dim lights, small seating. There's a random room to the left with car seats, baby stuff and random boxes. Someone was sitting there eating but it wasn't for dining. The table in front has a tv controller and a bottle of lubiderm. Awkward. The people seemed ok, not talkative just took the order. It was super sketchy Price::: Way too expensive for a restaurant that has a B rating and terrible food! Check it out, public records show they have had a B and C only. They have been marked off for moldy ginger, improper thawing of food, even fried rice at a 111 temperature while IN a walk in fridge. Food::: Orange peel chicken was disgusting. It had a very peppery taste. There was a lot of sauce which would leave you to believe it was savory. Literally spit it back into the box. The vegetable chow mein was very bland. The shrimp fried rice tasted old and lacked authenticity. You are visibly able to see the dark on the rice from being old. Overall::: I would NOT recommend this place. Avoid it!!! read more

We came here for our first time and we loved it! We ordered combo lo mein, spicy cabbage and twice cooked pork. Everything was delicious.

All I gotta say is look at the food rating ,this place is loud and not clean . If you eat here , your opinion of cleanliness is invalid

I stayed up here for a month and stopped in a few times. They're very nice and the food was really good.

I love Maggie and Charlie, the food is always been great and the service is also great. But over the last couple of years are recipe has changed with fried rice. It is not the same fried rice that we love coming for, along with Kung pow beef And a few other dishes. I absolutely love the lettuce wraps and I do go there for those. The recipes were fantastic. I hope they can bring those back. read more

We got crunchy tofu in spicy sauce, curry chicken and honey walnut shrimp. The sauces for all three were great. The staff was great. Wendy and Tina were attentive and friendly. We're just visiting the area but we hope we come back again sometime. read more

Very well pleased with the taste of the food and also with how I was treated. I liked the aesthetic of the place and will definitely come back. read more