I came here on Saturday night to celebrate my friends' birthday. As always, it was a vibe. I loved the dj. We sat at the bar and danced in our seats while ordering throughout the night. If you've never been here before, the bar turns into a dance area for but you can still sit outside by the fire places if you don't want to be in the crowd. You can't go wrong with Modern China - always a solid spot. read more

How does a Chinese restaurant turn into a lounge at night with no Asians???? We walked through this place twice and hesitant about going in. That night with the girls we just finished listening to too short SJ slowpoke at stereo 41 and he wasn't it so we decided once and for all, let's get in line check it out, get one drink and bounce. We watching the crowd get in either with a bracelet already or not paying at all. Our turn, mind you it's 10:00 pm on a Saturday night, April 18th. Wth did we have to pay $20 cover just to get in??? Oh hell nah, I'm like "no thanks". What kind of service was this. One look at our id and what we too old or we don't look good enough for your party. Some people in there don't even look like they belong. lol... seriously. It was a joke and disappointing how you watch these bouncers/security take some people's money and not. Only three places in Walnut Creek downtown you can hang out at. Sucks big time. I have a better time in my home town SF and SJ!!! All standing around with nowhere to sit too! read more

I've been here twice, and it's just not very good. This last time was definitely worst than the first time. It seems it's definitely going downhill from recent reviews as well, I'm not alone in that decision. We came today during their Happy Hour, but FYI, the prices aren't remarkable during HH. Seafood small plates are still $16, and the Honey Walnut Pawns dish was particularly small! However, the orange chicken was quite large, even though it was also considered a small Happy Hour dish. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor patio is nicer as it's in front of their restaurant, street facing for ample people watching with fire pits. Plus they have more seating options outside depending on if you're doing dinner and/or drinks. The ambiance is nice outside. Inside, is just OK. I've been twice, but this most recent time, we came for an early dinner, and we were the only ones there. Our food came out immediately. Almost, too quickly, if you catch my drift. The food wasn't very good and the pricing wasn't great. Also, small pet peeve, but they only brought us forks. Chopsticks weren't even offered. No one came to our table to check on us even once. I got up and found the server to ask for chopsticks. I had to get up for more napkins too as one of the water cups spilled, which I cleaned up. For being the only ones in the restaurant, with 3 adults and two small children, I thought they should have checked in on us if we needed anything. I had to get up to ask for more water as well. I'm not sure why I had to get up several times during our meal when we were the only ones there. Also, if they sat us in eyesight of the staff, maybe I could have just waved them over, but no, I had to leave my toddler at the table to find them, and she gets bothered every time I leave, so that wasn't ideal. They didn't bring us a high chair. I had to go and find someone to get one as well. Overall, the food was just OK. Nothing was remarkable. The food was kind of bland, and it didn't even come to our table hot. Some of the dishes were kind of luke warm. One of the pieces of brococoi was still cold. Service was pretty lackluster considering we were the only people there. The charm of the outdoors was gone as we were seated indoors. I wanted to sit outside, but they didn't really want to sit us out there. Yes, it was cold, but they have great fire pits and outdoor heaters. Maybe they didn't want to turn them on for just us. I'm not sure, but we were kind of ushered to sit inside, which felt especially weird being the only ones there. They also sat us to the side, so even if someone came in the restaurant, we wouldn't be seen. Was it a hide-the-kids situation? I'm not sure. Usually, restaurants want to make diners visible to people outside so they look busier. I dunno, the vibe was just off here from the ambiance to the service. The bathroom wasn't particularly clean either, which is strange for the start of the night. They were pretty grimy and gross. I accept that at authentic hole-in-the-walls mom and pop restaurants, but this isn't that type of place. Choose your lane. Don't charge these prices, serve bland food, and have a dirty, broken bathroom. The sink was spraying water out profusely, causing our clothing to get wet. Why was the vibe more like a dive bar? So weird. This just really missed the mark this time, so I don't really have intentions of going back. read more

Ok I'm going to give it a three star, the only reason why it didn't get to a four is because I had to drink and eat off plastic. This place was know for its night club feeling, which I can here 15 years ago and it was completely different. We sat down next to the French doors so we can feel the cool air coming from inside. Our dogs were allowed to come in and they sat very comfortably. I felt bad for the server cause he had the bar and all the tables. At time point I feel like I was lost in the tables when trying to order. We had combo chow mein, jalapeño calamari, and a delicious broccoli beef. If you want haooy hour make sure you tell them that price. Btw be very careful with the med bathroom. There is no room and make sure you're covering your private parts. It's sos small that it feels like you came out of the same womb. read more

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I am not new to Modern China. My homegirl and I came to MC over the weekend because we hadn't been in a while. I notice they have changed the menu (added fries, veggie small plate options, etc). I appreciate the menu. I sat at the bar. Chris and Henry served me and they were both cool in my book. We order veggie chow main, Mongolian beef, sushi (that was a first for me) the sushi needed a little cream cheese and veggies dumplings (pan fried). read more

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Came for a birthday party, and we had the whole side section. Although it was a lot of ppl, if ppl are getting drinks from the bar, we need to be able to eat. When I returned from the bar, I tried to order as I knew it would take a while to get my food from all the previous orders before me. But, the server was overwhelmed & asked me to wait. Well... no can do! I went to the front to order, but they recognized I was with the party & was hesitant to let me order since they said it's to go orders. To go worked for me to avoid asking for box/bag later after eating. At one point ppl were tryna order from anybody that worked there lol. Last update I heard was over an hour for ppl who just arrived food to come. yikes! s/o to Chang!!!! He took my order & got me situated. I had steamed pork buns, salt & pepper shrimp, & salmon. Ate some, took rest to go for leftovers. Food was good! And s/o the bartender for my spiiiicy cadillac! read more

Price gouging during a government shut down . The ambiance was ok, people had great energy for Halloween but to charge $57 for two margaritas. That is ridiculous!!! Bad business for this place. I probably won't be back because they are non ethical for increasing their pricing during this time. I most likely can come tomorrow and pay half of what I paid for the same thing. read more

Modern China - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Lost my 10 person reservation that I made over a month ago. If I could put a zero out of 5 for service, I would. Food was decent- my main concern is it took over 1.5 hours for it to arrive to our table of 10 (which was a reservation I had made over a month in advance and upon calling to confirm 30 mins prior, they told me there was no such reservation!) I don't know about you, but having my friends walk out of my birthday party after not getting any food for over 2 hours and barely even a glass of water is beyond unforgiveable and ridiculous. I only was calm because I had some good drinks to pass the time. So thank you for ruining my birthday dinner! Definitely a memorable event. Gordon Ramsay needs to come in here with his TV crew for kitchen nightmares and figure out what the fuck went wrong. How are you people stay in business is pretty surprising. $250 for a bill with multiple dishes not arriving? That's fucking reprehensible. But of course a $50 discount for everything totally makes up for this cluster mess. Thank you once again for my bad birthday experience. -Scarlett. read more

Modern China - My 'lost' reservation. - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Came here a few years back and had a decent experience eating, however that's completely different now. I'll never come back again. Ambiance: If you like a weekend party, great. There is a live DJ spinning some fun tracks but with the music, decor, cleanliness, gaudy booths it feels more like a bar than a restaurant. To top if off, the cheap and mismatched cutlery and plastic mixing bowls contribute to the "bar" experience. Food: The food is concerning - my stomach flared up within ten minutes of eating it (I've never had that before). I was convinced I was going to have food poisoning because the quality and taste were so awful. The hot and sour soup is palatable but it lacks any kick or spice. The kung pao tofu and tofu claypot were similar - the tofu and sauce lacked flavor, it felt like you were eating soy sauce water rather than any discernible flavor. Service: The service was... interesting. I saw a server dressed in gray sweats and a beanie. But the kicker is that they cheat you on the bill. Similar to other reviews, they added an extra dollar to a dish on our bill. When I called this out, they said it's stated on their menu about "price difference after 7 pm" however when I asked them to point it out they couldn't. After fussing that it was not possible to take the $1 off, they finally did. They also added 18% gratuity for atrocious food. In short, this place is not what it used to be. I would be happy to see this place go and have some new business take its place. read more

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They have indoor outdoor service as well as nice fire tables. It's a very nice experience when you have a big group. Great place for celebrations. As far as the food I would give the food a seven out of 10. read more

Modern China - Chow mein, walnut shrimp and cocktails - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Went here for the first time with a friend It was a nice warm evening so we decided to sit outside. We had two cocktails and ordered one entree. We did tried to order another entree later, but couldn't get the staff's attn. When we left we added a tip and didn't realize they already added 15% service fee without telling us. We sat outside so it was a bit dark and hard to see. I didn't notice the automatic tip on the receipt until I got hm. I called following morning and left a vm but never heard from them so I called again later in the evening. A guy answered and said he'll look for the bill and get back to me. Never heard from him. 3 days later I called again and stated I had called several times prior but they never got back to me regarding the tip issue. I told him that it's not about the $$ but rather the principal. They could have told us tip was included like other restaurants I've been to. It wasn't like the service was awesome and they deserved 30% tip. The guy said it's noted on the menu and I said I didn't see it and if that's the case the sever could have informed the customer so they know what to expect. In addition there was just two of us so why is there an automatic 15% tip included on our bill? We never expected the service fee to be added automatically when it's just 2 people. read more

An amazing modern Chinese food restaurant that offers a bit of everything for everyone. I found this place by word of mouth up here in walnut, and everyone raved about the food and the entertainment. We ordered a few appetizers, and ordered a few of their specialty drinks (they have so many great choices). The appetizers are perfect sized for sharing, and the outdoor atmosphere makes it a relaxing find. The food prices are completely reasonable and their service is amazing, checking on you through the evening. Their nighttime has karaoke and some musicians, so they have plenty to offer all week long. A great place to check out! read more

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It looks fun from the outside but don't be fooled, the food was overpriced (nothing special) and the drinks were bland. Not to mention the bouncers are HORRIBLE They pick certain individuals to pay, they're scammers and not welcoming. Don't waste your time read more

We were greeted right away when we walked in with a welcoming smile. The dining room was packed so we ate in the bar area. Way too cold to sit on the patio which I'm sure is nice during better weather. We ordered the chicken chowmein, tempura broccoli and the salt n pepper wings. The wings were slightly over cooked but the flavor was good. I would have to say all in all the experience was really good and they have a full bar with plenty of tv's even on the patio. read more

I wanted some late night Chinese food and Modern China Cafe happened to still be open. I purchased three items, the pork pot stickers (which were the stand out), the broccoli chicken, and the sizzling rice soup. The three pork potstickers were quite large, however the broccoli chicken was definitely a cheaper version of the dish then I'm used to and I didn't end up having much of it. Finally, the sizzling rice soup was rather salty and missing my favorite ingredient - the water chestnuts. Super easy to source because they come canned but not included in this version. All in all, I would say three stars is about on the nose for this location. It's lower quality Chinese food but they're open late and the price is reasonable for what you get. read more

We ordered the orange chicken, lemon chicken, sweet and sour pork, house fried rice and veggie tempura. Everything was a weird color and tasted salty and weird. Not horrible but not worth the money. read more

My friend and I decided to step out for some drinks and good vibes, so Modern china came to mind. We had a bite to eat, tried honey walnut prawns and some sushi. Out of the two we enjoyed the prawns. We sat outside under the heated lamps which was really nice, and got to people watch. Everyone there seemed to enjoy themselves. Lots of laughter and smiles. This place gets busy and the music is always great. The owner is often there which I really like to see. Loved seeing him greet the guests. At one point he checked in on my friend and I to see if we were enjoying ourselves! He even offered us a shot on the house. That was so nice and appreciated. I definitely recommend this place for vibes and eye candy!! My first review, I mentioned the drink cost which threw me off, but obviously I returned for more drinks and more vibes! Vibes so good I drove an hour to be here! I most definitely will return with friends. read more

Modern China - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Service was quite slow. It took 30 minutes to get water, and it took 90 minutes to get a small cup of soup. Some portions of food looked pretty good, but others were small. It was alright quality, but they largely forgot what we ordered after 90 minutes. If it wasn't a birthday dinner, I would have left after not receiving my soup and appetizer within the hour. read more

My friend was celebrating her 50th birthday and needed a place we could eat and dance after words and all hang out about 20 or so people. This place was perfect. They had outdoor seating right off the street with flames coming out the rocks on the table. Real cool ambiance. They reserved 2 tables to accommodate our large group. The server's were all polite attentive. The food is either appetizers or sharing plates. So we tried a bunch of different things. I personally loved everything. All the food came out pretty quick and hot. I can't get over everything was delicious. The teriyaki wings, the chicken skewers, the lemon chicken, the fried coliflower. I had friends that are vegan so they was happy because there was vegan options which was great. We hung out and chatted and danced all night. It was a great vibe and lots of fun. Will definitely go back and recommend anyone else to go have fun there as well. Pro tip: they allow up to 4 credit cards to pay per table. What we did was each person add up their share plus tip and all of us zelle the money to one person in our group so they can pay for on one card. It made it easy for us. read more

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They lost the reservations for a party of ten made a month in advance and verified the week before. It took over half an hour to even get a glass of water. After two hours almost no food had come to the table and what little did arrive was incorrect though they were happy to sell more over priced cocktails. Almost no interaction with wait staff except for them to say they were really busy with neither an apology nor any kind of offer. Tables seated after us got their food and left as did the stream Door Dash drivers which were clearly the kitchen's priority. Half our party finally cancelled their orders and left after 2 1/2 hours of being ignored. Those that remained had cold food that tasted like bad Panda Express, incorrect orders, and were still hit with a 15% tip for crap service. I will never go there again. I really don't know how they stay in business. Avoid at all costs. read more

Nice ambiance and very friendly wait staff but the food was average at best. Poor quality ingredients and very big portions. Bland flavors. We ordered plenty of food expecting leftovers (expecting it would taste better -- it was our first time) but absolutely none of it was tasty. Very disappointing. read more

Today will be our Last time here. Food is mediocre, service is pretty slow. We had 9 plates and 9 empty cups no one ever bothered to clear the table the entire time we were there. We ended up putting additional empty plates on the table behind us. The first waitress/bartender came to take our order while chewing food and left before we completed our order. Rude. Best thing about the restaurant is the location and outdoor seating. Needs management to care about the customers experience. read more

Disclaimer: 18% gratuity is automatically added to all parties no matter the size! I made a reservation to celebrate my friend's birthday on a Friday night thinking it would be packed, but it was surprisingly pretty empty and it didn't seem necessary to make a reservation. I decided to sit on the patio outside and loved the heaters and seating available. The menu was very unique in the sense that they offered all-day dimsum items and various Chinese dishes. I started with a Lychee Cosmo and it was super strong so I definitely got my moneys worth in alcohol. My party ordered the salt & pepper cauliflower, calamari, and chicken chowfun. My favorite was the cauliflower it tasted like tempura and had a unique sweetness to it. My only complaint is that only after I paid and tipped did I realize on the receipt that 18% gratuity is added to all parties (no matter the size). I unfortunately tipped twice- even though the service was decent it wasn't deserving of 36%.. the server did not mention this and it was written very small on the menu. I feel pretty deceived although this is most likely on purpose. read more

Modern China - Vegan Salt & Pepper Cauliflower - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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After a few years, we visited Modern China. They have added a vegetarian menu and replaced some of the chairs and tables with booths. The place looked messy, and since our original choice was closed, we decided to eat here instead. We ordered hot and sour soup (which was decent), tofu clay pot, kung pao tofu with steamed rice. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. The tofu claypot, instead of being served with a lid, came in a plastic bowl with fried tofu floating in soy sauce - it was easily the worst dish I have had in years. The kung pao tofu wasn't much better either. Overall, the food was subpar. The cutlery was also a letdown - there were no proper serving spoons for the dishes, just tiny spoons for everything, and the soup spoons were ridiculously small. They included an 18% gratuity on the bill, and then charged us an extra dollar for each dish. When we pointed this out, they denied it, and after asking to see the menu, they removed the extra charges without offering any apology. Be sure to check your bill carefully. The bathrooms were dirty, the service was average, and the overall environment was unkempt. I will definitely never be returning to this place. read more

Modern China - Hot and sour soup spoon - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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This whole experience was so unprofessional and needs more than just some improvements. Came for a birthday event which my cousin rented out all of the back room. We left and re entered the restaurant and the security claimed he didn't know us. Mind you we rented out the whole back space for this birthday party. On top of that when we first entered he asked my friend if she's ever had a gun pulled out on her ?!?! What type of question is that and why would you be asking that to a young lady?? He ruined our mood before we could even walk in. Will NOT be coming back. The only good thing about my experience was Sydney she was amazing with all the people that attended the party she made sure everyone was waited on. read more

Modern China - Unprofessional Security - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Food it's horrible the only good are the drinks. I never coming back. The service really slow you need to rise your hands asking for something thing read more

I ordered dim sum for delivery. It was okay but not great. I'd give the har gow 4 stars, the pork potstickers 3.5 stars and the pork buns 3 stars (and that's on the generous side wrt the pork buns). While it wasn't a 5-star experience, I was thankful that the restaurant is open late and delivers on DoorDash. read more

Stumbled across modern china and forgot it still existed! Haven't been here in years! We ordered everything on the happy hour menu which is surprisingly huge. The portions were perfect for 3 people to share family style. The prices were reasonable. The food was nice and hot. I recommend the spicy garlic eggplant. The dim sum was ok. Drinks are strong Love the vibes here! It's almost a nightclub lol read more

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I didn't eat here but have been to Modern China twice for late night drinks and the ambiance is fun. They played a lot of Bay Area Hip Hop and people enjoyed it. I like how it is casual and fun but I do wish they play a bit more of a mix of artists. The beat sounded the same after a while. read more

Modern China - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I and a group of friends had a reservation on March 7 which was lost in the system. The service was extremely slow, so much that some people ended up not getting any food in our group. The food did not come out until almost 2 hrs later. Our food also did not come out together . The birthday celebration was ruined. read more

My poor review is based solely on the food customer service was five out of five. Security staff were extremely polite and help phone. The waiters and servers were very attentive. The venue is amazing. They have endured outdoor and a bar area and fire pits that kept us warm on a winter evening. Firecracker chicken 3/5 The flavor was not the worst. It is definitely a healthier option if atempting to avoid fried food. The vegetables are sauté and it's served over a light sauce. A highly suggest this restaurant, add or offer a side of white rice. With this dish it seems like a no-brainer Spicy Krispy chicken 3 out of 5. This dish is literally the same as the firecracker. Chicken except it is lightly breaded and fried with a little less sauce. I prefer this dish over the fire crack or chicken. I will say choose according to your eating habits fried vs sauteed I'm not sure if this is a new city or it is or not. But an 18% service charge was added to our tab. When we were a table of 2. This is really unfortunate because my bill was about $60. And I definitely want it to tip the server More than ten dollars The added on fee Seems to negatively impact staff on the receipt it indicated that the fee was waived for to go orders. And we ordered a dine inn and to go order but was still subjected to the fee. On a Saturday evening this place was a restaurant lounge plane. Really good music with a 25 and up crowd. I would visit this venue again but would not order food A Margarita cocktail was $22. Not sure if this is normal but it's seemed a little outrageous to me My true disappointment was in the veggie dumplings. they took the longest to come out and I really wish I would have just canceled the order. They were disgusting and dry on the inside. I have 8 a lot of dumplings. And I'm not sure what these were besides a waste of money read more

Modern China - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Food was delicious, healthy portions with an awesome outside patio area. But what made the experience top notch was Davina! She knew the menu well, made awesome food, and drink recommendations!! Friendly & Service on point!! Come see her! read more

Modern China - Outside Patio Area - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Absolutely amazing experience! The vibe is really cool here, super chill and welcoming. The drinks are super good, I had the watermelon Paloma as recommended by the server there. The server was Devina, who was absolutely on it that night. She kept the drinks coming, as well as super friendly and was overall super friendly and helpful with the menu. She also was great at conversing, you can tell she enjoys working there. Great place for drinks, music, and meeting really cool people. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a nice place to get food and drinks. read more

Modern China - Watermelon Paloma - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Be super careful, they add 18% tip to the bill and don't tell you before giving you the machine to tip (which makes me not want to come here again on the principle). Afterwards, our server said she only gets 2% of that tip, which sounds like a management problem. Easiest way to ruin a night is to be sneaky with the bill. Also, on the bill itself, every food item was billed $1 more than it's listed on the menu. Not a huge deal, but again, just sneaky. read more

Modern China - Added 18% and didn't tell us u til after we double tipped. Also food items listed as $16 on the menu, charged $17 on the bill - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Walnut Prawns dinner portion was so small with only shrimp for $22.00. The shrimp was really tough with a slight after taste. Crowning moment of my experience was when I bit into a stale fortune cookie at the end of the meal. read more

The food was okay at best but MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR RECEIPT and before you pay . They automatically charge 18% doesn't matter if you're just one or two people dining and will charge you extra for stuff you didn't even ask for. Definitely getting over on people here and poor servers probably don't even get the tip they are mandated . Shady charges from here BE CAREFUL. I should've checked the reviews ‍‍ read more

Great service and delicious food! I stumbled in while looking for a good lunch and this was a gem. Would strongly recommend. read more

Modern China - Lunch special- Eggplant w/ Shrimp & Scallops - Chinese Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I've come here a few times and it's never been a worthwhile experience. My first visit everyone at my table got their food besides my friend, when she eventually had to ask where her food was, they told her they were out of her dish and forgot to mention it to her. The second time they almost gave another friend of mine honey walnut prawns after she specified she had a nut allergy, the last time I came here we kept getting forgotten about. They forgot our plates, never checked in on us, forgot to take our check, forgot our to-go boxes. All of these visits were many months apart, don't think I'll ever come back. read more

Just ordered this place through uber eats. I cannot say how bad this was. Everything was soggy, tasteless, portions tiny... sauces garbage. I wish I read about their 3* rating prior to ordering. Do yourself a favor. Stay away. read more

HELLA GOOD food was amazing 10/10 , service was immaculate. Me and bae are definitely coming back to try more read more

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