One of the best Chinese cuisine restaurants in So Pas. My family and I have been coming to Oak Tree in for decades and the same waiters are friendly and welcoming. Prices have increased while dish portions sizes have decreased. If you go on a weekday and it's a holiday, no lunch special for you! Back to regular pricing. There is a charge for rice and tea. A must order is the fried fish and salty pork chop This place still reminds me of when we ate lunch with family; celebrating birthdays, graduations and other special occasions. It's nice to know this place has lasted this long and the food is very good. read more

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I drive by Oak Tree Inn so often that I barely noticed their sun-bleached green tarp that's been adorning their rooftop for nearly a decade at this point. Service was great and it's always a good time when I get to practice my Cantonese with one of the uncles/aunties working there. Our server was very accommodating to the fact that my husband is vegan so he recommended us getting a seawood tofu soup that can be veganized with a water base instead of chicken broth. I included other classics such as kung pao tofu, sauteed garlic & water spinach, and a salted fish and pork meatlof claypot rice - a definite childhood favorite! The food was good (they were light on the sodium and I couldn't taste any MSG, but I understood based on the clientele there) and we had plenty of leftovers. It was also reasonably priced so I don't know what others are complaining about - aside from where the restaurant is located, have they not been in a supermarket recently? Anyway, we look forward to returning. read more

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This spot delivers exactly what you want from a classic Chinese restaurant. The dining room has that old-school and comforting vibe. The service is attentive and the food comes out fast and fresh. Every entree we ordered was high quality, with well-balanced flavors and generous portions. If you're coming during the day, definitely go for the lunch special (not available on a holiday). Overall, a super reliable spot when you want solid Chinese food, good service, and that classic Chinese restaurant atmosphere. Salty Fish and Chicken with Tofu 8/10 - Flavorful and well-balanced. The small chunks of salty fish complemented the tofu and chicken, adding a rich savory flavor without overpowering the dish. Beef with ginger and green onions 8/10 - The beef was very tender and the ginger with green onions added a great texture and flavor that paired really well with the meat. Orange Peel Chicken 9/10 - The orange chicken was lightly breaded with just the right amount of crispiness, coated in a sauce that had a nice balance of sweetness and tang read more

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This is my coworker's favorite spot to get together even after retirement. His favorite is the oak tree special fish and baked string beans. There is a difference between green and string beans i think. If you order the wrong one, it comes in a saucy white garlic sauce, while the other is amazing with crispy garlic. I like how their lunch menu comes with soup and all the dishes are sharable so we can order an item each and split amongst other and still end up having too much food. They only have 1 tea and they usually double bag it so its stronger. It was a little weird when someone from another table came and was poiinting at a couple of our dishes and asking the server which one it was while hovering over us. 3.5 i rounded down because of the awkwardness. read more

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Oak Tree Inn is a South Pasadena staple and a classic Chinese eatery. The servers are always phenomenal, dressed in white shirts with bow ties, and every table is set with white tablecloths--old-school charm in the best way. The menu is extensive, with plenty of options, and the food comes out quickly. We always order beer and wine, and the prices are extremely reasonable. This time, we had the Kung Pao chicken (with extra green onions) and the barbecue pork fried rice--both incredibly flavorful. We never skip the side of spicy chili oil to drizzle on top; it takes everything up a notch. I hope this place never changes. read more

Oak Tree Inn - Kung Pao Chicken - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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Casual dining Wide variety of food items offered on the menu. Friendly and suggestive staff Does not accept Apple Pay or Apple Card. read more

I went on Sep 21 2024. It was for my brother's birthday. For the appetizer, we got fish maw soup. It was hot and helped our digestion. The spicy salted shrimp was pretty tasty. Not too spicy nor too salty. Service was fine. We got the food in 10 or so minutes. The servers took the empty plates in 5 or so minutes after finishing the food. There were at least 10 tables inside. A few were filled when we ate lunch. No music played. Lighters were bright. read more

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A cozy little spot specializing in traditional Chinese cuisine from the Canton region. I must it's pretty good if we keep coming to the same place when we have gatherings and special occasions. The service always seems to be good every time we come and maybe because they remember the tipper in our group, LoL. Let me run down all the boring dishes we usually order. Egg Drop Soup, Fried Fish, Green Beans, Fried Pork Chops and the Oak Tree Special Tender Beef Filet which happens to be my favorite. I probably missed some items but you get the picture of our boring unauthentic lazy Susan set up, LoL. Overall it's a place we go to when we have gatherings and the food is pretty decent. Parking is limited so you'll probably have to use the lot next door. And that's my take on this Chinese spot, Peace... read more

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Steady and consistent quality and good service. Reasonably priced too. Highly recommended

Best Chinese food in South Pasadena! I usually order walnut shrimp, crispy noodles, soup with sizzling rice.

Came for great Cantonese food! Such a nice banquet and great service. Happy lunar new year! read more

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I used to come here years ago with my grandpa. The other day my uncle/neighbor invited myself and some friends over for dinner. I was happy when I found out that he ordered take out from Oak Tree Inn. Our feast consisted of: Spring Egg Rolls, Seafood Rolls, Sauteed Baby Bok Choy, Oyster Mushrooms with Bok Choy, Fried Rice, Honey Glazed Walnut Shrimp, Seafood Chow Fun, Sweet n Sour Seafood, and Braised Bean Curd with Black Mushrooms. The portions were generous and even though there were five of us there was plenty of leftovers. Everything was as good as I remembered. *Small Parking lot or residential street parking. read more

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Oak Tree Inn is one of my top favorite Asian restaurants in South Pasadena. They offer lots of great Asian food, such as a delicious orange chicken or some shrimp fried rice, or some calamari. But of course, there are still many choices to choose from on the menu. They are all good. They never miss a beat. The service here is very well. Very welcoming to customers and very helpful as well. And that they are always smiling. It's like you entered a fine dining Asian cuisine. The ambience here is very nice, clean, welcoming, and spacious for maybe a party of 20 or so to enjoy dinner together. My family and I always come here to bond together while eating fresh and delicious food prepared by the chef. I highly recommend this place to anyone who is interested or curious on trying some Asian food. read more

I used to come here a lot with my family when I was young. It has been a very long time. I recognized that some of the same staff still works here and are still pretty friendly. The ambiance is still as I remembered it with the white linen over the tables. The Oak Tree Inn special beef is still my favorite. As with most places, it has gotten so much more expensive. I was happy that they still gave out the white chocolate covered fortune cookies at the end. Parking is pretty easy since it's in a plaza. It was nice to return to a childhood spot. read more

Oak Tree Inn - Oak Tree Special Beef - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

Still a good spot to go to for Chinese lunch specials. Their honey walnut shrimps are always delicious. Their hot and soup are always flavorful. Their garlic sautéed string beans and beef chow fun are also good. Love that they don't charge you extra for brown rice. Nice and quick service as usual. It's not crazy packed here when we arrive for lunch so that's always a good thing. read more

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Drove all the way out from Rancho Cucamonga, because the website says they're open till 10pm... they aren't! When we arrived at 8:55 an older gentleman walked up to the front door and changed the sign from OPEN to CLOSED and walked away. I tried to tell him the website says they're open till 10pm, but he ignored me and kept walking. As we were looking for something else just outside he came out and walked passed us to smoke a cigarette, and still said nothing. No apology for the website and zero empathy. (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) (((TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE))) read more

Oak Tree Inn - Front view of restaurant - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

Their website says they're open till 10 PM. Their Apple Maps entry says they're open till 10 PM. Their sign said "OPEN." We drove all the way here from Ontario on the recommendation of a friend (with apparently questionable taste) and walked in at 8:50 PM. The owner silently turned the sign to "CLOSED." He gave us a dirty look and then walked away, making clear that we were not welcome. It would be comical if it weren't so unbelievably incompetent and rude. I'm sure we'll laugh about it someday. But we'll never return. read more

Oak Tree Inn - Hours - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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Solid dinner make sure you get the hot tea it's a great compliment for dinner and the egg and shrimp is amazing it never fails it's a must have every Christmas Day for me and the squad they always provide us with great hospitality. read more

Family restaurant with excellent service and yummy food. We get the vegetable chow fun and spicy string beans and are never disappointed. We go here because the people who run the place treat us like VIPs and care about us. read more

This was only our second time ordering from here. The first time was fine, but this experience was extremely concerning. We found a large metal nail inside our food while we were halfway through eating. I'm honestly very worried that I may have swallowed something else without realizing it and hope I don't get sick. This could have easily resulted in a hospital visit--finding a metal object in food is both dangerous and completely unsanitary. Since this was a takeout order and we were already home, we tried calling the restaurant with no luck. My husband then had to drive back to show them what was found and request a refund. At first, the person at the register only refunded the orange chicken that contained the nail. My husband had to specifically ask to speak with a manager to get the full order refunded. It was frustrating and disappointing that we even had to push for that given the seriousness of the situation! read more

Oak Tree Inn - Orange chicken had a giant metal nail inside! - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

Some of the best Chinese food in town. A little pricey, but worth it if you're splurging.

Overall a solid place to get Chinese/Canto food where you can get a reservation or get seated easily. We came on a Saturday night and while the restaurant was fairly full, still plenty of room to get seated. Lobster was fresh and tasty; chicken decent but needs the sauce dip; vegetables and fried pork with sweet sour sauce all will hit the spot. Servers are helpful and friendly. Chill vibe with the usual requisite fish tanks. Plaza parking is plentiful. Great alternative when you want to avoid the crowds at NBC or Henry's read more

I went on a sunday night and the wait wasn't that long maybe 15minutes. I ordered crispy noods my go to everytime i eat at chinese restaurant n honey walnut shrimps. Also, tried the beef chefs special. I want to def try mongolian beef next time and their lunch special menu. Interior is roomy and nice and service is top notch anytime i need something they were quick to serve and helpful. Can't wait to go back for the lunch menu read more

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Oak Tree is a very busy restaurant even right before closing. I was so ecstatic to find a Cantonese restaurant fairly close by. I really wanted to order one of each dish, but I got three dishes just for me. (Disclaimer: I did choose Americanized tourist dishes) Soup was the main priority as I am still battling this cold bug. I ordered Wor Won Ton Soup, and yes it did warm the throat as it was blazing hot temperature wise, but a bit bland. (They were out of the bitter melon soup.) My second dish was Vegetable Chow Fun, dry style. It was more flavorful and boasted tofu, broccoli, China peas, carrots, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, a few water chestnuts and mushrooms. It had a good portion of the rice noodles which is always a plus in my books! It was my fave of the three. The last dish was the Chef's Special pan fried noodles with three flavors. They were kind enough to ask if I wanted the gravy on the side which preserves the crispy noodles. It too is blazing hot! Yay for the bok choy, char siu, chicken breast and shrimp. This one too is perhaps geared toward mellow palettes and low sodium diets. Good thing I asked for extra sriracha and hoisin sauce. Overall I am pleased that the menu carried additional authentic Cantonese flavors for my next go around. I'll give Oak Tree another whirl! read more

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We stopped by pretty late and ended up ordering orange chicken and fried rice in a bit of a rush. The staff was friendly, and the portion sizes were generous. It's close to home, and even though we'd only passed by before, this was our first visit. The kids really enjoyed it, so we'll probably come back from time to time. Nothing overly fancy, but solid, reliable food done right. read more

The place is elegant and clean. The staff are all friendly and helpful. They were prompt with every request that we made which is awesome. Not all restaurants are like this. The food was served hot, just off from the stove. Everything that we ordered were delicious and servings were generous. They also have a private parking lot which is a plus because in Chinatown, you can never find parking. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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This used to be one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. Obviously, it does not compare to Mr. Chow's, but we enjoyed Chinese classics at a bargain price. Service was (and still is) always nice - the ambiance reflects the price point they have. Over the years, my wife and I have surely been 50+ times, and I have awarded five stars almost every time we've gone. Sadly, we watch the quality constantly decline. It's still "not bad" - particularly considering their fantastic lunch menu prices - but not bad is ... not bad. We are now at a point where my wife and I would favour the Express fast food place with the Chinese bear ;-) over having lunch here. A shame, really. read more

Stopped by for a quick lunch on Sunday and the food and service were great. Food came out quick and you get complimentary hot and sour soup as appetizer and fortune cookies as an after meal snack. Both were good. We ordered 3 dishes: honey walnut shrimp, green scallion beef, and eggplant. All three dishes were delicious, a little on the oilier side but it's normal for Chinese food. Parking: there is a dedicated parking lot and also street parking is available. read more

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Delicious! Fast and quick service! Came on a weekend and they had lunch specials! Super nice staff and nice interior. Hidden gem in Pasadena . Love the fortune cookie with chocolate coating after the meal! read more

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We go here ALLLLLLL THE TIME...FOR YEARS!!! Our families love this place. The food is great. The service is great. We know that whenever we come here, we're going to eat good. read more

Prices have gone up, but portions are smaller and the food quality has noticeably declined. The staff is always friendly, but these changes make it hard to keep coming back. read more

love this place!!!!! food is so good! customer service is fantastic!!! will always come back!

We stop here after comong from the hospital and the food was tasting, the service fast and great and ambiance nice. read more

Oak Tree Inn - Shrimp Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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This is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in LA County. The food is very good, tasty and good portions. Their servers are the best and they help each other out so you feel that you are waited on by all of them and all of them have each other's backs. The servers even pack your leftovers if they are not so busy. That is a service you do not find in most restaurants. Spicy salt pork chop or anything spicy salt is a staple order and you can never go wrong with it. All of the items in their menu are worth a try (not finished ordering all though because I keep going back to my staple orders!). If you are craving for Chinese Cuisine, this restaurant will not disappoint. There's also a free parking lot (on Sundays though it is packed so come early for lunch or come later. read more

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Oak Tree Inn will always have a special place in my heart. Back when we lived within walking distance, this was our go-to spot...especially during the pandemic when we ordered from here constantly. The food was always consistent, and service was quick. Like any other Chinese restaurant, it also has an extensive menu but my favorites are the crispy pork chops, beef chow fun, combination fried rice, and perfectly seasoned string beans. Chinese comfort food at its best. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and the dishes are always hot and fresh - even when picking up. It's straightforward, no frills, delicious Chinese food that you can always count on. Now having moved out of the area, I miss having it nearby! read more

Can be a little crowded, but the food is great! Expect to wait a little during the dinner rush. I highly recommend it though. We've loved everything we've tried there so far. read more

This review has been long overdue. Years back, on Halloween of all days, my friends and I had lost track of time, and ended up desperately searching for a dinner place that was still open in this area. We arrived only to learn that the chef had just left for the night. While we stood in the parking lot searching for another place, the chef took pity on us, got out of his car and ushered us back in the restaurant! The dishes we ordered were definitely authentic and wonderfully scrumptious. Thank you so much!!! Our tummies left so happy and grateful! read more

We were craving some authentic Chinese food and stopped by Oak Tree Inn. It was nice to see white tablecloths on tables for a change. They have fresh live shrimp, crabs, lobsters all in water tanks as you walk in. We ordered 3 meat sizzling rice soup and it was delicious!! Amazing clean broth, the shrimp were so fresh and tender, of course the star of the show was the rice, nice and crunchy soft mixed in with the broth, I actually wanted more. Next, we ordered the steamed dumplings, juicy ground pork with spices and scallions and we couldn't miss adding the best chili crisp oil for the best bite. Our final dish was the 3 meat rice noodles that packed tons of flavor. The waiters were all so courteous and on their game, always checking on us for anything we needed. Oh and before I forget, we enjoyed the best hot oolong tea. Please come and enjoy some amazing food, and great service. read more

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Can't believe I've never tried this place before! Nice sit down Chinese restaurant. Ambience was nice and relaxed with severs being attentive. Loved the oak tree fish special!! It was not greasy and had so much flavor. The eggplant was also delightful. Finishing off with a white chocolate fortune cookie was awesome! read more

We always passed by this restaurant and was curious so we gave it a try tonight and we were glad we did. The restaurant was well lit and clean. The wait staff were very attentive and kind. They constantly came by to refill our waters and attend to our needs. The food was delicious and ingredients were fresh. One of the better Chinese restaurants we've tried. read more

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