We ordered a variety and none of it was great, or really even good. The egg rolls were soggy, the fried rice had zero flavor, the sweet and sour chicken was tough and all sugary sauce, the cashew chicken was the same - very sweet and seemingly overcooked. We ordered take out, but the restaurant itself seemed decent and the people were nice. That said, we won't order from here again, so I won't learn! read more

Ride or die Chinese. Get the pungent shrimp and volcano drink for two! Been coming here since I was a young lad over 25 years. Still the same great food and friendly service read more

I'm mostly writing this cause of the previous three reviews. There is absolutely nothing wrong with MSG, unless you're allergic to it. There are some people who die from eating peanut butter, but I don't see know-nothings demanding that it be eliminated from school cafeterias. Please research MSG before showing Western ignorance. It is a natural substance that has existed for thousands of years and is used in the finest Chinese restaurants throughout the world. Booths in Chinese restaurants were extremely common from the 1940's through the 1960's, especially on the East Coast. I lived on Bonair Place (near Mandarin House) from 1981 till 1983 and thought it was quite decent, though when I moved to Prospect Street I didn't think it was worth the one-mile drive or walk. I ate there in 2007, while visiting from New York, and felt it was still decent, though I was surprised they didn't have brown rice, which is all the rage in New York by Westerners who don't like being constipated. You really can't do better in La Jolla with Chinese food and the service is quite professional. read more

The service is very good, the atmosphere is kinda 1950 semicircular booths with white linen. The food was OK. Mu Shu pork was pretty good. The Kung poa chicken was gummy. It was pretty expensive for what it was but in La Jolla it's a good deal. read more

Fabulous! We had a party of 12 and ordered 4 apps, and 10 different entrees & everything was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend! read more

I fixture in the neighborhood and really good Chinese food. Not much else needs to be said. Our Favorites are the kung pow chicken which is completely different than any other place I've ever had and the Mongolian beef is solid. read more

I ordered the orange chicken and my husband had sweet and sour pork. He thought his was really good and I liked mine, but I realized I just don't like orange chicken that much. I should've ordered something with veggies. This was just chicken and rice. The chicken was good white meat and fresh, I just ordered wrong. read more

I ordered the General Tso's chicken with fried rice. The chicken was average. The fried rice was truly terrible. It was dry and unevenly cooked and seasoned. It tasted like they just poured soy sauce over dry rice and scrambled part of an egg and added it to the rice, but parts of the rice were still plain and did not have anything on them. It tasted like the soy sauce was just put on top of the rice (it did not taste like they had cooked the rice with the soy sauce whatsoever.) It was just really bad. I don't think I'll order from here again. read more

kind of disappointing. For starters... we ordered take out the moogoo gai pan and the sesame chicken, each was supposed to come with it's own egg fried rice. what we got for 31.00: 1 large fried rice that looked and tasted like it was just tossed around on a hot plate in soy sauce. Very bland and plain and NO EGG whatsoever - not good. The sesame chicken pretty good, tasty. The moogoo gai pan was decent enough. White meat chicken with some tasty vegetables in a tasteful sauce. It was less than we expected and the fried rice...nope. The host was nice enough courteous and helpful but the quality of the food...not good. I am regretful I ACTUALLY tipped 5.00!!! We will probably not go back even tho it's very close to our home. We will continue our search for Chinese food. This place is just NO Silver Dragon. Hey!! Mandarin House!! ...Google: "Mar Far chicken & pink sauce" and "pork fried rice"! You may want to incorporate this into your menu! its Fuqin AMAZEBALLS! read more

Mandarin House - This is our 31.00 Chinese Meal! The more I look a it the more I regret it! - Chinese Near Me - La Jolla, California

great food and service. Best in LJ

I called the Mandarin House to help cater my sons red egg and ginger party. The manager was very friendly and helped me choose the right order. The food was excellent, on time, and easily fed the whole family. I ordered the vegetable lo mein, broccoli beef, and kung pao chicken...each in 10 person orders and my dad picked it up at the restaurant. (You can order anything on the menu in 5-person or 10-person orders). I called the manager a week in advance, but really probably only needed a few days in advance. My family and friends loved the food. If we have another event, I will choose mandarin house again. read more

This place never disappoints! Get the drink on fire served with a song. Also, I had to double order salt and pepper shrimp, not on the menu, but a wise choice for your deserving palette. read more

This is truly the best Chinese food on the planet. If I had to choose a last meal, their salt & pepper chicken would be it. Our waitress Janyne is the best. But all the people here are great. read more

This is the worst place ever! Food was horrible dry chicken, dry shrimp, I just dont recommend anyone here looks like they put everything in the microwave! If I could I would not even give them a star! read more

Their service is amazing. The service is like having a personal butler to service you throughout your lunch and or dinner experience. Their orange chicken is exceptional and is far beyond the quality and taste of Panda Express with the Yang Zhou fried rice complements it like hot fudge on ice cream. If you ever have any opportunity to go to and get the amazing cuisine of Mandarin House you should order a lot as you will definitely want to have seconds and left overs for the next day. read more

The food was ehh. They got the order wrong. Overall the place was clean and the service was well. Food came fast.

Great food, darned good service and generous helpings - I so understand why their local nickname is 'the kitchen' - why would you cook if you can get your dinner (and possibly have left-overs!) from here? I had the Walnut Prawn - sooooo good! read more

Staying at the Travellodge across the street from this place, decided to order delivery. A bit pricey for comparable places, but the food is decent and delivery arrived in half the time quoted. Got the orange chicken, crab rangoons, beef & broccoli, shrimp lo mein, and bbq spare ribs. Orange chicken was generous portions and lots of nummy peppers, although a bit dry. Beef and broccoli was also good and not to heavy on the veggies, strips of ginger were a nice touch. Bbq spare ribs I was really not impressed with, though, too dry and fatty. Lo mein wasn't old under the heat lamp chinese, it was fresh and filling. Crab Rangoons were HUGE, although the sweet & sour sauce had a weird texture to it-almost as if water chestnuts were added to the sauce cups. I'd give this place 8/10 for service, 6/10 for food, so, meh, it's alright- probably better in-house, but I'm not complaining. nom nom. read more

The food is above average, compared to other places. Plan on paying close to $20 per person. Best part was the waitress. She was super great with my kids. Very accommodating for adjusting spiciness level of dishes. Best dish was human scallops. read more

Came in between lunch and dinner and I was starving. Was welcomed by a waiter who was sharp and had big smiles. I liked him, his service and mannerism immediately. He asked if I was hungry and I asked if it showed and we both laughed. When asking about a dish he answered that it has been a customer favorite for 41 years. Hard to beat a 41 year track record. read more

This is my favorite Chinese place in La Jolla. The service is fab and the food is great. You can't go wrong with the kung pao beef and string beans with garlic sauce. 10/10 recommend! read more

just had the worst chinese food i have ever had from mandarin house. orange chicken was over cooked, kung po chicken had no sauce only powdered seasoning with no taste. bland mongolian beef. and walnut shrimp with white coating that was like a paste. years ago the kung po chicken had a rich sauce that was amazing. what happened here. read more

Similar to Jeremy's comment below. Chicken is mushy and weird, like it was cooked 5 days ago and thawed out today for my order. The Kung Pao and the Cashew Chicken were EXACTLY the same, tasted like old chicken dipped in brown sugar with soggy breadcrumbs. Sorry. Gross. Yuck. read more

Great find today in La Jolla! We were looking for that neighborhood restaurant that everyone knows and loves. We found today at Mandarin House in La Jolla. Greeted at the front door and welcomed in just before lunch was over (2pm) we took a seat and looked forward to our first meal here. An extensive choice of classic menu items is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. We had so many choices and wanted to try it all. Believe me certainly we tried. Classic Won Ton soup to start followed by the house's special combination fried rice, beef lo mein, sweet & sour chicken and General Tso's chicken. They were all freshly made to order and simply delicious. Classic menu items done right. The portions were healthy and we knew we were set for dinner later tonight. Lots of history here at this restaurant since 1975, great that it's back in business and open for all of us to enjoy again. Our host was so gracious and polite sharing nuggets of history throughout our meal. We loved every bite and can't wait to return another day. If you are looking for great Asian cuisine this is the spot in La Jolla. read more

Awful service waited 20 minutes to have a waiter assigned and wasn't busy. Poor menu selection and very pricey.

The mandarin house has been here forever, and for good reason. I have a few go to favorites, but even when I've ordered out of my comfort zone I have never been disappointed. The quality is just really consistent, it gets made really quickly, and the service is really professional and efficient. If you're looking for some fancy Asian fusion, go elsewhere. But if you want consistently good food that comes out quickly then this is your spot. read more

I always wonder why you barely see a hip, colorful, cozy, Mediterranean looking joint that serves decent Asian food. In most Chinese restaurants I feel like someone with an OCD-clean obsession just escaped from rehab and went over the whole place (unfortunately sometimes skips the kitchen though) and also removed all the windows (wazzup with that fear of light?). And then even in the dark the interior... from table cloths to lightening, it's often eye-hurting painful ugly. The worst color choices (pink and grandma's curtain style are popular) and even worse when combined. I doubt the profession "Chinese restaurant interior designer" exists, but if it does then I am glad that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Other than this I like eating Chinese when I'm in the mood for a not too fancy and decent meal and when I don't care bloating from all the salt, although I will never become a frequent visitor. The interior from Mandarin House is no exception from the ugly standards. The couches are comfy and you have your privacy here, but beauty and quality/comfort go not hand in hand here as well. That's different for the food though. The food is not expensive considering the portion sizes and it both looks and tastes good. This place has been in business for years, and the interior dates probably from then too but the place is decent for sure. They have a downtown location as well, and why I come back is the oriental sesame chicken. That dish here is so good and I end up craving it every once in a while. There is another dish that is addicting but I forgot the name. But it was something like "two three-letter words- shrimp" so that should help eliminate about 1% on the menu. You can opt for brown rice instead of white if you think it makes any freakin difference like me. I also wonder (yeah I wonder a lot) if there is anyone that actually eats fortune cookies instead of cracking them open. I would love to be a fortune cookie writer, although they would probably not hire me b/c it has to fit on a tiny piece of paper. But how much fun would that be. I would make them a little bit more realistic and not so cheesy (not everyone can win the lottery after all), would be good to shock things up a little bit after dessert. Oriental sesame chicken. read more

The food was great! Our waiter Ben was so wonderful. He helped us select our food choices. The Kung Pao was the best I've had.

Reading all the reviews for this place it's either you love it or hate it. I have to say most of the negative reviews are from younger yelpers or teenagers. I'm no old fart myself 30 thank you! However this place does have TOP NOTCH chineese food!! My girlfriend and I love this place and dine there not semi regularly. We are both big time foodies and have eaten everywhere all over the globe. Some 5 star hotels can't compare to the food here! The chicken lo mein is one if not the best I've eaten anywhere in San Diego. One review compared it to the good ol chineese food from the East Coast and I certainly couldn't agree more! When the last time you ordered chineese food and the shrimp in the entree was larger than a silver dollar? or ordered a beef and broccoli only discover they gave you 30 pieces of broccoli and 5 peices of beef?? Not here! The restaurant is campy, dequor and lighting outdated, but service is good and very friendly. This place has been here for a long time. That says alot especially in La Jolla! This place hands down beats any chineese food place in La Jolla or PB! Getting sick from the food here is poposterous! My girlfriend has the most sensative stomach and has gotten food poisoning many times and NEVER FROM HERE! This place is worthy seeking out and your wallet will thank you. Portions are generous and prices are great! They deliver in the La Jolla area so if your looking for a better atmosphere than the restaurant thats an option or getting it to go and walking down to wind n sea for an evening sunset with chop sticks in hand is not a bad call either! read more

This is my boyfriends best place to eat Chinese food. He has been enjoying their beef and broccoli since he was a little kid. They also have other great dishes you gotta try like chix cashew dish, asparagus wrapped with chix and their egg drop soup is the best i have tasted anywhere. read more

Dinner here again last night. Janine was hilarious as our server. The place was full. Made me feel good. Tonight we tried the Sesame Chicken, which was awesome and flavorful and not breaded which some may like. We also had Mu-shu (spelling) pork, and my standby Crispy Beef. All were amazing! We didn't realize they had steamed dumplings and so we got those as apps. They're big and delicious too!! So now a few meals here and all have been delicious and not one ounce of ever being sick. I think some people must have sensitive stomachs or it was coincidence that they got sick here??? Who knows. I'm now a regular!! :-) read more

Came at lunch for take-out at 2:45pm. Yip Y took my order - Vegetable Lo Mein with 2 chicken wings lunch special $10.24 (tax included). He was welcoming, friendly and served with a smile. Within a few minutes, my food was ready. It was delicious. Did NOT leave a bad oil taste in my mouth nor give me gas (like most Chinese restaurants). The restaurants is very nice inside with tablecloths. I recommend this place. read more

Five stars for a restaurant that can whip me and my all girl posse up a couple of my very fave Chinese dishes! Woo-whoo! Here's what to order and why sexy - gotta get Salt-n-Peppa's Chicken, extra spicy. Get extra chili oil on the side and ask the girls to sing "Push It" a capella But seriously, it's pieces of tender, moist, premium white chicken lightly battered & flash deep fried. Wok up some young stalks of green onions until they're wilty, saute the bite from minced garlic and toss it all together and they've whipped up a lil indulgent heaven on your tongue! How much? Who cares when its this good - a bargain at any price (under 15 clams, ya knucklehead)! Next up - Chicken wrapped Asparagus! It's kinda like a meat n veg lollipop. No silly, it's snappy crisp stalks of ass*per*a*gus wrapped up all cozy-like with thinly pounded chicken breast, served in a brownish opaque sauce which, in all honesty, I pay little attention to. (Ending that sentence with preposition bugged me more!) I dig the Kung Poa Chicken, with extra Pow! ('Thats extra spicy if you don't get my joke!) Vv(Don't get my jokes? There's an app for that!) One food thang that I say don't purchase - appetizer of deep flied (haha) shrimp. The shrimps are wimps! I'd guess they're like oh 80 count, idk, but for the price they're lame-o! They use an ancient Chinese secret to bread and deep fly them so they look bigger. Okay kids! This babysitter is outta here! Kiss kiss! read more

I'm a little biased because I can get a bowl of flaming Hawaiian punch and rum. They have to give you a two foot straw and you can barely walk when you are done. So- this is a win in my book as long as you have a DD! The sizzling rice soup is absolutely delicious! I agree with the people who love the crispy beef and the po po platter (something else on fire!). It is great. read more

We are new to PB and struggling to find a good Chinese restaurant nearby. A friend recommended Mandarin House, telling us that it is kind of old school, but we like that so we gave it a try. What nice surprise to find big tables with table cloths and pretty Chinese decor. Our server wasn't very chatty, even a bit gruff. But he was attentive and got our order right. The food is very good. A little different than other Chinese places but in a good way...i suspect these are family recipes that have been altered over the years into their unique version. We got one of the family dinners so we could try a variety of things. Lots of food for two people! The cashew chicken was unlike any I've had before but I loved it and will order it again. Not so thrilled with what think was crispy beef. Too chewy. Really liked the appetizers, especially one that I think was like a crab toast. The fried rice was a bit bland. Needs some veggies or meat. Overall a good meal and not too expensive. We will go back again for sure. read more

Mandarin House - Mandarin House restaurant - Chinese Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

I grew up in La Jolla and have been enjoying Mandarin house for 15 years. The owner Nelson recently took over the family business and he makes us feel special every time we come in. The food is delicious, service is great, drinks are yummy and they have fast delivery too which we use. We like broccoli beef, pungent shrimp and salt and pepper or Kung pao chicken. If you want to support a local restaurant go to Mandarin House! We have 3 young kids and Nelson and staff always make us feel at home and my kids both wear their Mandarin House t-shirts proudly read more

East coast transplants - this will remind you of chinese back home. Love this place. I get take out all the time - not sure what other folks here are talking about. Sure, if you are looking for super authentic Chinese - go to Convoy. For some reason, I find that the La Jolla location has much better food than other locations. read more

Was the first Chinese restaurant I ate at in San Diego and 20 years later, I still go there religiously! Amazing food.

My son and I ate here after reading reviews on Yelp and it was walking distance from our motel. This was probably the best Chinese food I've ever had. Everything was fresh, hot and delicious. Even though they were packed, the service was excellent and our meal arrived quickly. We will definitely eat here next time we visit La Jolla. read more

I have been to this place many times, every time taking someone who hasn't been there. The times I've eaten there it hasn't been crowded and usually a big comfortable booth is available. I love this comfort. Once I went off time and it was empty so my date and I enjoyed privacy from other patrons. The service is ordinary, but set your stop watch you will get your dinner in 5 minutes! Piping hot and delish! I love cooking Chinese food and love it. Mandarin House ROCKS GO CHECK IT OUT! read more