Ate dinner at the Merry Go Round with my fishing buddy and our wives last Friday night. The two men have been patrons of the Merry Go Round Restaurant for several years and this was a first time for the wives. To start with, we almost didn't go into the restaurant this trip to Lone Pine. The signage promoted their unexpected "Chinese menu", not their regular steak and potatoes cuisine, which in past years has been 4-star good. One of the servers hailed us in. "We have a second menu, folks." Good thing. We would have misjudged the situation and walked (or is it "wok"?) away because Chinese was not what we were in the mood for. Steak dinners, veggies, baked potatoes and wine and beers were great --like the previous years' visits. Service was friendly and prompt. No waiting for the table. The prices were more than fair for the serving sizes. All in all, a great meal (notice I did not use "dining", which connotes something else) experience. And, so, a word of caution to first-timers about expectations: The restaurant is one small dining room and has 'zero' ambience; so, expect no privacy at your table and no 'wow factor' -- you're there for the food. Alas, I just wish they didn't make such a big deal about serving "Chinese". They'll lose their regular 'steak and potatoes' clientele over time. Sorry. True. read more

What else can you say that hasn't been said? We were completely shocked to find this type of quality Chinese food in the Eastern Sierras. Granted, this isn't Chinatown in San Francisco, but you won't find anything close to it in most cities. We had the Orange Peel Beef and Mama's Chicken - both were great. Would love to eat here several more nights to explore the tofu dishes, shrimp, green beans, and Curry. read more

I got their shrimp and beef fried rice and chicken potstickers. Veryyyy delicious! Will come here again when visiting lone pine.

We went to eat here because the place next door was pricey. I ordered kung pao beef which was very tasty. there were blackened chile de arbol in the dish which I really enjoyed as a fan of spicy food. My dad got the spicy shrimp and definitely got a good deal. Not just the normal six or eight shrimp, he had probably 20 or 25 good size shrimp. And the plate arrangement was very nice. Our server was very friendly and made our time in the place enjoyable. All in all a good value for good food. read more

My father and I decided to check this place out on the way back from mammoth. I usually worry about the food quality and service at smaller places, but this place took away all my worries! Service was excellent, never did I have to ask for more water or fried wantons. I got the orange peel chicken and my dad got the Kung pao house special . Food was awesome. Great spot if your stopping into down from a long trip . Friendly service and big portions! read more

While on vacation we were walking through town thinking we would try to find a dinner spot. The smell from The Merry Go Round is what grabbed our attention. We knew we had to go in. We ordered the Orange Peel Chicken and the Chicken Lo Mien and an order of egg rolls. Everything was delicious. We walked out absolutely stuffed and happy. We wish this place was closer to home because it's our new favorite Chinese food. If you're in town give this place a try, you won't be disappointed. On a side note, the gentleman that was busing with the long ponytail was so sweet and helpful. He was great! read more

great environment that has a wide selection of Vegetarian/Vegan options. Looking forward to our next return

08/27/2011 At first sight I was unimpressed by the exterior and interior of the restaurant. Truthfully, I was slightly worried about dinning here. However, I wasn't alone, team uno was along for the ride and my voice is not the sound for the group so my experience began. I ordered safe and happy with my decision. I was surprisingly impressed with what arose from the kitchen. Like I said I ordered safe, grilled chicken, side veggie which I think was broccoli and a baked potato with a side salad. It was very tasty! The guys orders chinese. Orange peel chicken and chicken fried rice which looked good but I didn't spring for a taste. However they dug it. Oh, and anything you don't eat that isn't taken to go will not be wasted. Seriously, the chef will eat the leftovers. Seriously. read more

Based on other reviews, we decided to give this place a try. Wow, what a treat. Large portions enough to share. We had the pan fried noodles with chicken and shrimp. It was delicious. This is a family owned and run business. Thanks to Jen who made our visit enjoyable and to Dan who entertained us all night. Now Dan owes Jen money. Will definitely be back when we visit Lone Pine again. read more

Very disappointed that we drove many miles to stop here to eat on a Sunday afternoon. Just to find out it is closed at 2 o'clock in the afternoon but advertisement on Yelp says open until 8 o'clock tonight. read more

First of all Thank You for beeing opened in Christmas day! We were tired and hungry after exploring the Death Valley so when we walked into this place and it was packed we almost gave up. I am glad we decided to wait. I took approximately 15 min to getting a table, and then maybe 10 min before we got the beer - so not that bad, especially that the place was packed and the 3 servers were in charge of serving food, seating people, taking orders and cleaning up. First the food: We opted for : -wonton and hot and sour soups. We got the wonton soup right away and when I asked about my hot and sour soup after 15 min I was told they didnt have the medium size which I ordered ( the chef hasn't started cooking yet, but she was willing to do so) but they could serve me the "cup" size portion. I took the cup size, it was nice and hot. Not your typical hot and sour soup, but a good American version . -sweet and spicy chicken and kung palo chicken. Both were really good. Service - attentive and friendly. The older gentlemen and the girl that was taking care of us were super nice and smiling despite the crazines. The young guy working that night was obviously not in a mood. He kept snapping at his coworkers. With the place beeing so small everyone could hear his comments, which was a little bit uncomfortable. read more

Merry Go Round - New American Near Me - Lone Pine, California

Be prepared for some strange fusion if you eat here! We read the AAA book, and I was expecting American, almost diner style food, but the first thing I noticed was that the place was decorated with Chinese restaurant style placemats, and that soy sauce an hoisin sauce were at each table. Confused, I said "Oh, this is a Chinese restaurant!" I said to my boyfriend. "We serve both. We have two chefs" replied the very pleasant greeter, who turned out to also be our server." All the other people in the small restaurant were eating Chinese food, so I opted for that. My boyfriend ordered chicken with vegetables, and I ordered moo shu chicken. Boy, was I surprised when the moo shu came out prerolled -- in tortillas, not moo shu wraps! read more

This would be the best Chinese restaurant I have been on the road. I loved that they had an American and a Chinese menu. I could get a soup and a salad with my spicy dishes. The owner was very warm and welcoming. The waitress was very helpful about suggesting items based on our preferences, I.e., warm soup, spicy. They portions were quite big. They were helpful and helped us get the right size of soup. The spiciness in the dishes were well blended. They tasted cooked in and not an after thought like other Chinese places. I would highly recommend this to anybody traveling though Lonely Pine. read more

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We liked the food, the cook was super nice, the food was in big portions, we shared one dish for two people and we felt like we ate too much. The price was on the expensive side per dish (but we shared it with 2) read more

Merry Go Round - Curry tofu - New American Near Me - Lone Pine, California

We loved this place. The food was excellent and the staff were very nice. We especially liked a young man named Jed. He was very friendly and attentive. He even entertained us with some card tricks. read more

This is a restaurant with two chefs, one preparing American dishes and a woman cooking Chinese. They have an American menu and a Chinese food menu, the Chinese menu is larger. I went with Chinese because it tends to be vegan friendly and often gluten free. When I told our waiter that I needed to eat wheat-free he asked if I meant gluten free, then said "She (the Chef) knows all about it" I had Vegetables With Tofu, my husband had Tofu Lo Mein, MIL had a breaded chicken dish (gigantic) and FIL had Chicken Curry. We were all pleased with our meals, the service, and the restaurant. Went with a party of four at dinner time. The wait staff were very friendly and even engaged our group and others to sing Happy Birthday to a woman at another table. It was an eccentric, fun experience, good food, pleasant all around. I will go back again. read more

This place is a must!! My group decided not to eat on the mountain so we came down to shower and this place is right next to hostel. She was just opening up gave us great service and great food. Plus it's cheap!!! read more

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I didn't really like Merry Go Round, but it's kinda my fault for ordering cheese enchiladas at a Chinese restaurant. On the other hand, don't put it on the menu unless it is great! At $15, the enchiladas were waaaay over priced. They actually weren't that bad tasting, but the $15 price tag just about killed me. The menu also said it came with salad and bread, but I didn't get either of those. If it actually came with salad and bread, I would've been more okay with the cost. (All "American" entrees come with salad, warm bread, vegetables, and potato, fried rice, or enchilada - the enchilada entree, however, does not come with vegetables, potato, or fried rice. So...it still should've come with the salad and bread.) Service was fast and friendly. Everyone else in our group seemed to enjoy the Chinese food. A meal for four people cost $65 - and that's just for four entrees, no appetizers or dessert, with water for drinks. Pricey! read more

I've experienced a few meals in Lone Pine -- this is by far my favorite. Even in comparison to San Francisco, the Chinese food at Merry can hold its own. The beef with green onions was excellent and they'll adjust the heat to your taste. The wait staff was very knowledgable and nice. Patient with the toasted hikers and families too. Bonus - The large portions really hit the spot after hiking Mt Whitney in a day! read more

Service was a little rude, but I think that might have been because we aren't local (I need to find the restaurant in Lone Pine that actually likes business from tourists!). I felt very deceived by the excellent reviews for this place. The Chinese food is edible, but it isn't anything to write home about. Won't be coming back. read more

I've come here twice. The first time we were really pleasantly surprised, the second time less so. The staff is super friendly and we'd come back, but not in love. This time we enjoyed the chicken and mushroom fine and the fried rice was tasty. We didn't love the lo mein (it was fine) and the beef with snow peas. Sorry that i don't remember the good stuff from our previous visit. read more

Not a lot of dining options in Lone Pine - we chose this place based on it's cool neon sign and the allure of Chinese Food. We were promptly seated, brought menus (for both Chinese and American food) and some crispy fried things with hot mustard and sweet sour sauce. We ordered spicy beef and lemon chicken - both were both delicious, filling, and reasonably priced. read more

My Sweetheart and I read the reviews on Maggie's Merry Go Round and decided to give it a try. After a nice day up in the Whitney Portal, we came back to Lone Pine for a nice relaxing dinner. Our host was gracious and asked us to take a table any where as there were no customers in the restaurant, an observation that concerned me. But within half an hour, the place was nearing capacity. Dan, the "busboy" (as he introduced himself to us), was obviously the cook and probably the owner. He took our order with a great sense of humor. We are dieting, so we thought we'd split a cup of won ton soup and the House Pan Fried Noodles. Well, I think we actually gained some weight that evening. We couldn't finish that single order. And it wasn't as if we didn't try as it was quiet delicious! So don't let the higher prices fool you! A single entree will feed two! Then, to make our evening better, Dan sat down with us and using a map, showed us all the places we could travel along the 395 corridor and photograph the golden aspen. He had just made this journey last weekend and gave us some great hints as to where the colors were poppin'. Finally, he gave us the map to keep and use on our last day in Lone Pine. Next time we're here, we'll make a point out of dining here again. Next time, we'll try some of the American cuisine as Dan was telling me that he makes GREAT steak, too! read more

This is the most special place that my (new) husband and I have come upon in a long time. The food is delicious - hot, fresh, and so tasty! The atmosphere is what really sets it apart. It's family owned and family run, and that is what makes it so special. You are one of the lucky ones if you choose to come here! read more

We have been visiting Lone Pine and vicinity twice a year for ten days at a time, twice a year for the past seven years. Most of the restaurants serve what might be termed "American Frontier Food." This is predominantly beef, pork, chicken, beef-pork-chicken products (and their derivatives), French fries, and salad (light on the salads). Merry Go Round presented an alternative menu, so we gave it a try. The wife's plate of tofu and vegetables was seasoned like Glatt Kosher kasha - which is fine if that's what you ordered. My chicken egg foo young was extremely salty - almost to the point of being inedible. The waitress was gracious enough to ask if I wanted to exchange it for something else. But I didn't. Give them a try if you are in town; just ask them to go easy on the salt. read more

Holy smokes! Best. Food. Ever. We rolled into town weary from a San Diego to Lone Pine roadtrip in a not-so-comfortable Jeep. Every instinct in our body said to take a nap but we decided to eat first and Chinese won over pizza. Amazingly enough, this place was a whole 200 feet from our hotel so about 75 steps later, we were there. We ordered the family dinner which comes with soup and a bunch of other stuff. Well worth the extra few bucks. We ordered the Kung Pao Shrimp and Imperial Shrimp...both so good! The Kung Pao sauce is so light, not heavy and syrupy (if that is a word) like so many others. Finished it off with green tea ice cream and two really good fortunes from the fortune cookies. Add in the friendly service and this becomes a must hit in Lone Pine if you like Chinese food. Well done! read more

Anytime I need a healthy and delicious dinner in Lone Pine after a big day in the mountains, it's the Carousel hands down! Amazing Chinese food. Super clean and healthy and soooo tasty. Amazing customer service too from the very friendly staff and to boot it's in a repurposed carousel!! Love it 5 stars all day read more

Best hot and sour soup I have ever had in my 50+ years of eating Chinese food in the Bay Area and beyond. Fresh veggies, not too thick nor vinegar-y. A special greeting from the cook after our meal solidified that we will be back again and again. Mushu vegetable was also very tasty. Bring your appetite. read more

On our way back home from a weekend up in Mammoth and have worked up quite an appetite after a day on the slopes earlier last month. We didn't feel like fast food and found this restaurant via yelp. Maybe we just lucked out, but we were the only one's there on a Sunday night around 7pm & experienced excellent service. They serve Chinese food as well as american food to appease a wide range of palates. We were craving lighter fare and chose a couple dishes from their Chinese menu. Fresh, not greasy, and the service was very attentive. We began our meal with tofu veggie soup which was awesome packed with variety of veggies & tofu. We ordered the Imperial shrimp (lots of shrimp, fresh authentic veggies, bok choy) & kung pao chicken. This is a true mom and pop with a welcoming whimsical atmosphere that has maintained the "merry go round" theme, (the restaurant is shaped in a merry go round) complete with carousel horse figurines allover. From the warm greeting upon first stepping into the restaurant by the owner and staff, attentive service from the waiter who refilled water, offered many options of hot sauce (must try their homemade hot sauce, as well as offered Chinese hot mustard, and my all time favorite sriracha!) and the wife who is also the chef even came out of the kitchen to greet us & chat with us. This will definitely be a regular restaurant stop between OC and Mammoth. Cheers! read more

This place continues to be outstanding. Get the Chinese. It's super fresh and nothing at all like what you'd expect to find in a remote town at a place called Merry-go-Round. We had snow peas with Chinese sausage and moo shu vegetables. Absolutely delicious with crisp fresh veggies--no soggy steam table fare here. They have bottles of homemade spicy soy sauce on each table as well. Trust me on this! read more

Great option for a family meal. Consistently good Chinese food. For a healthy option, try the Asian chicken salad.

Went here cause of the great reviews but it's meh. The side salad was super basic: some ice berg lettuce, chopped tomatoes (flavorless) and a bit of purple cabbage. My son's lo mein was ok. My pan fried noodles were below average - sauce was everywhere, even on the tongs. Wait staff is nice - they try. Ambience is not great even for Lone Pine. read more

We ate inside 9/27/21 because the smoke and air quality from the Sequoia fire was so bad that day. My husband and I split a small bowl of Hot and Sour Soup that was plenty big for two (4 cups each!) and had lots of chicken in it and also had the Sauteed Green Beans with steamed rice. Was happy to see so many vegetarian options on the large menu. The hot tea is a special loose tea brew the owner makes and it is served with a metal strainer. Our waitress gave great service. read more

First of all I want to say that the waitress here was really kind and gave really A+ service. They were really busy for a Monday and I think the cook was overwhelmed with the amount of pick up orders and a full dine in. I felt bad for the waitress as people were really giving her a hard time about the delay in meals but they were really doing the best they could. There weren't very many places to eat in Lone Pine and I was personally delighted to see they offered gluten free options as posted on the signs as you enter. It was almost too good to be true. We sat down at the table and there was gluten free soy sauce on the tables which was a really good sign. The waitress was very accommodating and knowledgeable about the gluten-free options. It took a while to get our food as they were obviously busy. But when I got my meal it smelled and tasted delicious. I was really happy with the choices. The chicken in my Mushroom Chicken was very tender and the rice was very tasty. However in believe in the midst of the chaos the cook may have forgotten to switch out the soy sauce in my meal to gluten free and just a couple hours later I ended up in the ER with an IV in my arm and an anaphylactic reaction to the meal I had been so excited about earlier. All the restaurants were a little expensive in town so it was disappointing that I had throw my meal away because of the soy sauce mix up. So if you're gluten free and its an ALLERGY please BEWARE. And know you're taking a real gamble eating here on a special diet. read more

I have been frequenting this restaurant for several years. This is my favorite restaurant in Lone Pine and I have patronized all of them. My experience has been that their customers are their life blood and are treated that way. The food is fresh and hot when it is served and is priced very fairly. There are other restaurants near by that are also good but this one beats them for value and customer experience. They are an anchor business in Lone pine and any time someone staying in the same motel I am staying in asks where is a good reasonable place to eat I recommend The Merry Go Round! read more

Amazing food ! The costumer service was excellent . Would defiantly go back ! Check out this spot you won't be disappointed:)

Have been here several times for lunch and dinner. We have had both their American fare and the Chinese. Both are really good choices. Dinning area is small, so try and make a reservation for dinner. They have a Chinese food buffet for lunch that is pretty good and a quick sit down choice when passing thru town. read more

Growing up a snowboarder/skier you get used to long road trips to find POW. Now living in LA I find myself on this beautiful 5hr drive that makes me want to slap all the drivers who drive 45 in the left lane and don't use directional's when turning. This Being said, I usually drive straight up as fast as i can to get to the condo/hotel to decompress and prepare. Some of my riding crew stops here quit often and convinced me it was a good idea to split up the drive.... Sometimes it does pay to Listen, The Hot and Spicy shrimp(I think) was really good, The Duck was on point with crispy skin and delicious fat! The place was empty when we got there and the staff was chill and hilarious! They suggested their ribs with their dry rub... Listen to them. These were fantastic and reminded me of a french dish more than anything else! For a random restaurant in a tiny town this place is worth the stop! read more

With two vegetarians (one vegan) in tow we decided this was the safest place in town and were not disappointed. The staff was fun and helpful and when they said "...oh she does like to make tofu dishes out of almost anything on the menu" we decided to try the Lemon Pepper w/tofu, green beans and the rice noodles. All were excellent- the lemon pepper was super tasty, I like my green beans al dentè & they were perfect, and the flavors were light, not too sweet or overpowering. And they gave us a house made chili paste for seasoning that was good too- a little smokey and spicy. This was definitely some of the best Chinese food I've had in a long time- we will definitely come back. read more

The food is pretty decent but the staff is amazing. You feel welcomed instantly and they are always cracking jokes. Feels like eating with the family... Except they give you a bill at the end. read more

Merry Go Round - New American Near Me - Lone Pine, California