We stopped by Red Pepper before a comedy show, and it was the perfect spot only about 10 minutes away. One of the highlights was getting to meet the "Madame Wu" of the East Coast (as she's affectionately called). If you know the legendary Madame Wu who helped shape LA's culinary scene, you'll appreciate the nickname! She was incredibly kind, stylish, and made us feel so welcome. Here's what we ordered: * Smoked Tea Duck - So tender with a delicious smoky flavor. * Chicken Soup Dumplings - Fresh, juicy, and packed with flavor. * Scallion Pancake with Beef - Crispy, savory, and perfect for sharing. * Lamb Stir-Fry - Full of bold flavor with authentic Szechuan peppercorns. I ordered medium, but next time I'd probably go with mild since it definitely has a kick! * Poached Beef - One of the restaurant's specialties, and for good reason. Tender, flavorful, and absolutely worth ordering. The staff was genuinely friendly and attentive from start to finish, making us feel right at home. If you're looking for authentic Szechuan cuisine in the Towson area, Red Pepper is definitely worth a visit. We'll absolutely be back to try more of the menu! read more

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Food, ambiance and service The food is incredible. The place itself is beautiful and peaceful. The servers are knowledgeable and helpful What are you waiting for? Go! read more

Me and my partner of 3 years have this unintentional tradition of eating Sichuan food every valentines! And holy moly this was by far my favorite place we've eaten at so far. Despite it being busy due to it being valentines, our servers were very observant and caring! The food: don't get me started... absolute fire spot to go to if you have the munchies is all I'll say. The Peking duck wrap was phenomenal! We ordered the half duck, and it unexpectedly came with this soup. I don't know what magic powder they put in there but it tasted GREAT. It usually isn't a busy place, but I was still surprised we could get a table peak hours of Valentine's Day without a reservation. Absolutely no complaints here ;) read more

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Great place for date or hangout or family time out. The staff were very friendly, attentive, and short wait for food. The stir-fry green beans is delish! The wonton in chicken broth was a clean taste. The Beef dry pot was not bad, slightly salty, wish we ordered white rice with it instead of the fried rice but overall, good. read more

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Excellent evening visit to Red Pepper Sichuan! We had some difficult decisions at first because we flipped through the entire menu and didn't see many vegetarian/vegan options. With the help of the server, we were able to select four menu items. These ranged from excellent to very good. The star of the show was Red Pepper's Mapo Tofu. I loved the garlicky and spicy flavors. They meshed well together. I also ordered the Deep Fried Spicy Green Peppers. I was warned by the server that they were really spicy. She wasn't kidding. I'm still working on them days later because I can't eat too many at once. My wife ordered the Mixed Vegetable Dry Pot. This was very good, although there was a spice in it that I wasn't fond of. About every four bites I could taste it. She also ordered the pan fried vegetable dumplings. We loved these. Each dish cost about 15 dollars so we left with a sixtish dollar bill. But the sizes made this seem reasonable as we took some of everything as leftovers. Definitely fans of this place and we will be back. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Mapo Tofu - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Incredible Chinese food in Towson! High ceilings, plenty of indoor seating in a spacious and clean setting. Very friendly and efficient service without being overbearing. We loved everything we ordered (beef/green pepper stir fry, braised pork belly, dan dan spicy noodle) and can't wait to be back to try more of their flavorful dishes. Their menu is a book with pictures, and there are so many choices that can suit all preferences. read more

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Awesome place! Very wonderfully decorated. I had been wanting to come here for a while ever since I saw it on the ride home from work. The staff was great and our food came pretty quickly. I ordered braised pork belly and my son had tofu with mixed vegetables. We also ordered a platter of vegetable fried rice and stir fried cabbage. Everything was very tasty. Would love to return! read more

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Beautiful ambiance with quiet symphony music in the background. I love the cookbook style menu. Our waitress was very cold and abrupt. She didn't understand our questions and brought out our meals at separate times. The salt and pepper shrimp was really good but a tad bit too salty. My tea duck was cooked perfectly, I just prefer the traditional roasted flavor vs the smoky taste of this one. I would not return based on both meals and service, but if you're in the area definitely try them out. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

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i ordered delivery, so my review will not encompass service/environment. i ordered the mapo tofu, bok choy, and green beans. the green beans and mapo tofu were very good, although i do think the mapo tofu could've used more spice. the flavor profile was very nice. the bok choy was not my favorite, it was very greasy and didn't taste like much except for a hint of coconut oil? definitely wouldn't order the bok choy again, but the others are great! read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Stir-fry Green Bean w.Minced Pork Mapo Tofu Stir-fry Bok Choy - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, you no longer have to drive down towards DC to Rockville or the surrounding areas. This place was fantastic!! I lived in China for 10 years, and my wife is from China. We both agree that this place is one of the most authentic and best tasting Chinese restaurants hands down. The only place I've had better was in Las Vegas... and this restaurant could hold its own in that market as well. Peking duck was awesome and they serve you soup left over from the bones... a pleasant surprise. The beef and pork tripe (fuqi fei pian) was fantastic. The poached fish in chili sauce... ma la de hen! Outstanding work from the chefs! We are going back with the family!! read more

Been craving Szechuan since I left Memphis (shout out to Petals of a Peony) and what better time than now! The chicken with the Szechuan pepper is delicious, rice cooked perfectly (didn't expect anything less) and the sweet and sour cucumber salad was just okay but I needed a veggie! I love how each time I visit a Szechuan restaurant the cucumber salad is different but good! The interior decor was clean and very similar to other like restaurants with this delicious cuisine. It was a slow night & close to their closing time .... I grabbed my food to go, but it was comforting to see all of the kitchen staff sitting down breaking bread! Great pick for dinner! read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Chicken w.Szechuan Pepper Sweet & Sour Cucumber - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

The first time I ate here many years ago, pre-COVID, the food was so good. Sichuan peppercorns lit up my tastebuds. It was spicy in the best way. Now the food is still good but not spicy, more oily than spicy. I'm not sure if they changed recipes to fit a more American pallet or what, but it's not the same as it was. I added all the chili oil they gave me to my leftovers and I had to add more when I got home because it still wasn't spicy. read more

The pork belly was super tender and I could not stop eating these green beans. I wish I came with more people so we could try more dishes. The place is nicely decorated and the staff were friendly. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Most authentic Chinese food we've had in a long time! Service was great, prices right and the food was incredible. Environment was nice and very welcoming. Only regret is that we didn't have time to order one of every dish on the menu! read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Beef Brisket Chunks Noodle Soup, Stir-fry Egg & Tomato, Shredded Potato w.Vinegar - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

This is my go to place in Baltimore for authentic Szechuan food. Large restaurant, ample seating, busy takeout service. Parking is tricky.

I went to Towson University when they first opened up and have been going back even after graduating. This is the most authentic Chinese food in Towson. I especially love their spiced chicken dish and their sautéed string beans. Lately, I've been also trying their house special shrimp and it's 10/10!! The owner is always dressed very nicely and I love her sense of style. It's a great experience and also they sometimes have cool events. One time there was an auction for paintings from kids and I bought a bunny painting. Great spot for the community read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

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This is a cool restaurant to go to . You can do family style dinner . They have so many options to choose from . A lot of flavors and spices read more

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The fish in light sauce was excellent. Fresh, hot, and succulent. The restaurant has a well-designed, picture-filled menu that makes ordering easy, though recommendations from the waitstaff would have been nice. The staff tend to be quiet and somewhat reserved. The BYOB option seems like a great option for large groups. read more

I first went to Red Pepper in 2019 when it opened as my Chinese colleagues told me it was really authentic, and I fell in love with the sour cabbage fish soup. I've had it a few times during the pandemic to go (once we got whole bones of fish which made the dish hard to eat. It's more 3.5 now but it's local owned so rounding up! I will say, it's not very consistent but it's good. When I went recently after visiting friends who live in the area, I learned it was BYOB - so we got a bottle of wine from down the street. The complimentary beans and carrots were lovely - and the staff are super helpful and friendly. The menu is like a cook book with gorgeous pictures but hard to browse and it's not organized by meats. The best thing we ate this time was the garlic eggplant - it come piping hot. The staff got our lo mein order wrong, I asked for veggie but it came combo meat. I did enjoy the chicken and scallion dish as well. The sour cabbage soup was lacking depth of flavor but still decent. It tasted more oily than usual. As we over ordered we got to go containers and the staff will come pack it up for you. It's a solid choice in Towson - I don't think I would make the drive just Red Pepper as there's options in the city now. read more

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~ Love the staff here! Love the vibe & ambiance as well. I just wanted to test the waters to see if I'd come back to explore the menu more & they passed. Very clean... Perfect timing when it comes to ordering & they were very helpful with the menu. I didn't know they had so much pork in thier dishes. That its self limits a lot for me to try next time. But, it's all good. I went basic & ordered General Tso & Orange chicken first .. Then doubled back with some shrimp fried rice. The orange chicken and shrimp fried rice came out well. But the Chicken was a little dry and way too hard with the General Tso's chicken. Spring rolls went anything to dance over either. I'll be returning to see what else is tasty. Hope you enjoy it. #TeamDiesel4Evaaaa read more

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Location and food was beyond my expectations. This place definitely needs to stay in business. Staff were friendly and prompt and i was full very quickly. Ideal for date night or even hanging out. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Phenomenal restaurant. This here is the Pork Belly. It was worth it in flavor and uniqueness. I couldn't even finish everything. - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Red pepper is one of the three chains with orient express and tea horse and I would say it's middle of the road between the 3. Boasting a wonderful interior with lots of natural light and the feel of an elevated Chinese restaurant, it's a classy dining experience that contradicts the traditional mom and pops shop aesthetic associated with Chinese food. Speaking of the food, it tastes very authentic but as a Chinese individual I've had much better. I would absolutely bring someone here to try authentic food for the first time as it also has nice service but would I go raving about it to all my other Chinese friends? Probably not. It gets the job done when needed and is nice to sit down and chat read more

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I remember this place used to be good when they just opened. Revisit again today. The egg tomato noodle taste so plain no flavor at all the fried egg already soggy looks like been sitting there all morning. There are mushrooms in my dish guess what. The mushroom is rancid taste very bad. No wonder heard a lot of people complain that place. Definitely will not go back again. read more

the place was good atmosphere the food was ok I did order home style pork ribs that was not flavorful, the bone broke apart in my mouth and I didn't like it. it kept it on the bill ($17.95) so I still paid for it. didn't take it home cause who would eat it. the lunch orange chicken was good not great the stir fried green beans were the best thing I had. smh. I don't know if I will come back. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Great restaurant nice & bright very clean . The staff were helpful. The food was very good. Had a variety for starters we had the dumplings which were tasty & flavorful. Then we had ribs, clams, shrimp, string beans & fish all which were cooked perfectly & very flavorful . I will definitely revisit this restaurant. read more

Let me start by saying, the ambiance is very beautiful. The service to order was a bit slow considering we were the only customers. We came in at 2:53 and our order was taking at 3:06, I asked to get the lunch special and was told it was after the time of 3:00 but was accommodated anyway. My first gripe was the baby shrimp. I'm very particular about shrimp sizing in dishes. The taste was great for both of us until half way into the dish, there was a strong metal/chemical taste that I couldn't get past. I ended up just eating the white rice. The same happened with my son, half way through he had a strong metal taste in his food. By the time we got home he had became ill (headache, vomiting, etc.) I threw away his leftovers. We won't be back. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - 1036. Chicken with Szechuan Pepper 1138. Shrimp Broccoli - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

The most authentic Szechuan in Baltimore. Moving from NYC, I missed decent Chinese food for years. Then, Red Pepper opened and it's filled that gaping hole. The best is going in-person with a large group but takeout for 2 is also great. read more

I had a little bit of free time during lunch today, so I decided to try someplace new. I'll be honest, I had never heard of this location, and only found it because of a standard yelp search. The restaurant was spacious and clean, with very modern furnishing. The menu is creative and fun in terms of layout and presentation. The Menu options/items are incredibly diverse and interesting! There are many dishes here that I have never seen anywhere else... The several bullfrog dishes jump out as an example. I had the steamed dumplings as an appetizer, followed by the shredded pork and garlic sauce with steamed white rice. The steamed dumplings were dense, and hearty. Personally, I prefer less dough, and a dumpling that's easier to pick up with chopsticks. Having said that, they were very tasty and the dumpling dipping sauce was great. The steamed rice was very well prepared. The shredded pork with garlic sauce was very tasty. It had some obvious red peppers in the sauce, but it was not too spicy. Personally, I would've preferred the pork to be a little more well done (if not necessarily crispy). Overall, I enjoy this location and will certainly come back again to try some different dishes. From a lunch perspective, I was seated quickly, waited on quickly, served food quickly, and given my check and take away container quickly when it was time to go. You could very reasonably do lunch here in half an hour. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - 1085. Sauteed Shredded Pork in Garlic Sauce - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

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My husband and I shared a phenomenal meal here. We'd had Red Pepper on our list to try forever and just never found ourselves in Towson, it was worth the trip! We'd made a reservation a few weeks in advance but found ourselves waiting in the vestibule with all the walk ins because there's no real host area. Once we got the attention of a waitress and mentioned we had a reservation, they did their best to seat us promptly. The menu is a beautifully bound book complete with glossy colorful images. We ordered spring rolls, Dan Dan noodles, kung Pao chicken, and grilled spicy fish - a nice mix of things we eat regularly and things we can't order elsewhere. The Dan Dan noodles were the star for me, perfectly spicy and filling! The whole grilled fish was actually crispy (?) but arrived beautifully presented in an elevated dish surrounded with loads of veggies (the cauliflower and bamboo were my favorites). I like my food hot, not just spicy but temperature-wise and a couple of things were carted out just warm/cooler than I'd prefer. Also, as a heads up, you'll need to be aggressive about getting your check. We had to ask three times. I think they're used to folks wanting to just sit and enjoy, or they were busy because it was a Friday night. Overall, a delicious food experience! read more

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Service is slow, waiters are condescending and rude. Waited over 45 minutes for our first dish and another 30 for our other dishes. Staff kept giving wrong dishes to the wrong tables. I overheard other customers having to wait 30 minutes even though they made reservations. As for the food, the best dish is the whole fried spicy fish and the eggplant dish. The beef dishes we had were very poorly seasoned. Not sweet enough too bitter. I would recommended Kung fu 12 (another restaurant in the area) instead read more

I come here quite frequently. Honestly the food is great. The service is also really great I enjoy all of the servers there its truly a lot of fun. I tend to be quite picky but this always does it for me. read more

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We love Red Pepper so much and had been searching for a Sichuan place since moving to Baltimore area. We especially love that most of the menu is Sichuan and there's a small American Chinese menu. The spice is just right with tons of flavor. The portions are family style and very tasty. We've never had a bad meal there and everyone is very nice. We always have leftovers for a few days as it's usually just the two of us. The quality of the food there is fantastic. If you have a large party, they usually seat you at a bigger table and I think there's a spinning smaller top in the middle for sharing. Definitely come hungry. Favorite combination is poached beef with fried rice and a little bit of white rice on top. We always get a veggie and the eggplant is FANTASTIC. We've only gone in a few times, but there's never been a wait but we know they're popular because of how long it can take for a takeout order to be ready. The Chinese broccoli is one of my favorite dishes and we've even seen some things on the menu we can't wait to try that we've never heard of. read more

Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro - Chinese broccoli and chicken fried rice - Szechuan Near Me - Towson, Maryland

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Towson's premier restaurant was just named as one of Baltimore Magazine's Best Restaurants. Authentic Sichuan that you can't experience anywhere else. We love the Peking Duck. I'm read more

I USED to believe Baltimore didn't have a restaurant that could satisfy my craving for Chinese food-- something that was flavorful, comforting, but wasn't served a "small plate" cause sometimes you want a GIANT helping of saucy, piping hot, Chinese food! Red Pepper Sichuan Kitchen fixed that belief! Though it's very different than the Hunan-centric places I grew up around, this food is GOOD! Everything was freshly prepared, HOT, and full of flavor. Staff brought our food to us very quickly and made payment easy. The restaurant itself was super spacious, clean, and I imagine it can be very lively. Love the large windows at the front. read more

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One of our favorite restaurants! The go-to spot for authentic Sichuan cuisine. If you are a fan of spice (especially Sichuan peppercorn, ma la spice), then you need to go here. Our favorite dishes are the pork wontons in chili oil and the mapo tofu. They also have great American-style Chinese options if you want to go for something more mild and comforting. read more

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I have been waiting for a longtime to try Red Pepper. Stopped by on a weekday and ordered the House Combination Lo Mein . If you like Brine Shrimp, you might like this : Not!!! Very little flavor , roast pork was tasteless. We also ordered a Crispy Beef that was soggy and over sauced. But worst of all , no rice with the entree. I understood the Lo Mein but with a main , no rice. Called up to ask about the rice and was told that it doesn't come with rice. Wow First and last , a shame read more

Tl;dr: Amazing Chinese/Sichuan food and I have enjoyed this place every single time I have come. My only regret is not discovering this place sooner. Ambiance: Nice decoration, clean restaurant, lively on weekends. Service: Friendly service overall, and have had no issues. Sometimes you might sit with a larger group at a slightly crowded table if they have a busy night. Pretty easy to set up a reservation, though. Food: As a vegetarian, I have enjoyed plenty of options here. -Green beans: Delicious every single time -- the way they cook their beans just feels uniquely better than other places somehow. -Mapo tofu: Amazing! Their version isn't overwhelmingly spicy, but has great sichuan peppercorn flavor, with some green onions, and great mala flavor. -Dan dan noodles: Delicious noodles, plentiful sauce, spicy, and feels like the mala -Braised bean curd home style: One of my staple favorites with fried tofu served with vegetables in their brown sauce. -Spicy incense pot vegetables: These are delicious! Each component is cooked well in this light spicy sauce. The variability in spiciness sometimes varies, and this dish can sometimes get quite hot. -Sweet and sour cucumbers: Great flavor with the sauce, refreshing, and much better than I expected! Red Pepper falls in my top 3 places in/around Baltimore! read more

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Decided to give them a try when I was in the area. Placed a pickup order. Got the General Tso's, shrimp fried rice and shrimp lo mein. Everything was just ok. The lo mein had a weird taste, like it was stale or old. I won't be going back. The restaurant itself looked nice but it was a few days after it snowed and the temps dropped dramatically and to walk on the side walks in front of the restaurant was extremely dangerous. I had to take my time and walk very slowly. Did not feel safe at all. read more

Strong, aromatic seasonings. Rich, flavorful meals. Generous portions. Excellent atmosphere. Definitely a must-try. read more

Recently had the pleasure of going here for lunch. Food was delicious, but prices can be on the higher side. The restaurant is located on the busy main street of Towson. There are parking lots not too far from the spot. Interior is clean and simply decorated. We ordered from the lunch menu - green beans with minced pork, and the spicy fish and tofu. The set comes with a bowl of rice and choice of soup or spring roll and a decent portion of the entree. We also wanted to try something different so the server told us of the fish stomach stir fry which is not on the menu. Should've known it was gonna be pricey when we saw the bill, but we enjoyed the flavor and texture so we were happy to pay (it just would've been nice to know how much it was before we decided to order). The lunch menu is at a fair price, so if you're able to come by, be sure to take advantage of that! What I really enjoy about Red Pepper (and their other restaurant: Tea Horse in Ellicott City) is the authentic flavors that you aren't able to find in the area. Sichuan cuisine at its finest without having to travel far. read more

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