I don't get the great reviews here. We just got back from the restaurant and are pretty disappointed at the food served here. We ordered fried wonton and sichuan dumplings as appetizers. The filling was bland and the cover leave had no flavor. The main course, pepper steak stir-fry, had a soft texture, which was nice, but was under-seasoned. The accompanying rice was also sub-standard. We came in with high hopes, but ends up capitulating to utter disappointment. read more

The service was speedy and the food was alright, but definitely not my favorite. I didn't think the food was comparable to similar styled food I've experienced in Philly. I also felt really crammed where we were sitting as the guests dining around us were seated extremely close so it was a bit uncomfortable for me. While my experience was alright I'm unsure what the rave reviews are about this place because I just didn't get that vibe. I probably wouldn't dine here again, but I did have good company so - thanks for the memories! read more

The last time I was here, there was a large group of prominent-looking Asian businessman in the private room off the lobby. If that isn't a good sign at an Asian restaurant, I don't know what is. Then again, I suppose it is somewhat mitigated by the giant, signed photograph of Dan Quayle in the hallway. If that isn't a bad sign at any restaurant, I don't know what is. Sichuan Pavilion is our new go-to restaurant for that part of downtown DC. Their service is attentive, the prices are just right, and the food is so so good. There aren't as many individual Ma-Po items as say Great Wall, but what they do have is less greasy, with more flavor. Get the Dan Dan noodles, which will leave your mouth so tingly you think it's some new magical invention direct from Wonka's factory. read more

I hesitate to review a place after only trying two dishes, but this is the first Chinese place I've been to in the DC area that is anything like Sichuan food in China, and that's terribly exciting. The kung pao tofu is pretty much like how they make it in China (and very different from the usual rendition in American Chinese restaurants); very spicy, somewhat sour, and full of Sichuan peppercorns that make your lips and tongue a bit numb, with a few peanuts and green onions mixed in. The home-style Sichuan green beans were also great, not unusual or anything but solid. Service was really good, the decor is surprisingly classy, and we ate ourselves silly for under $20. As vegans some of the things on the menu were a bit cringe-worthy, but take heed: they know what they're doing with bean curd. read more

OVERVIEW: It is the best Chinese food I have ever had. I would go back in a heart beat for the Dandan noodles. The service was swift and accommodating. Some dishes WERE a little too salty in general though. I love trying new ethnic food. I know what you're thinking: Uhh Alex, it's Chinese food.... You've had it before. Well, NOT LIKE THIS. My roommate spent time in China in college and as a result has become a Chinese food snob (And I really mean that as a good thing). She found this place and proclaimed it her favorite Chinese restaurant in DC. Finally, she invited me to go try it with her. It was spectacular. The ambiance is nothing special, but even when you walk into the unassuming entrance you get the sense that they know what they are doing. Energy feels focused on the food, which is exactly what I like when I am trying out a regional cuisine. Their menu is daunting; I definitely did a little research on traditional Sichuan food so that I could zero in on the really authentic menu options. We ordered the Dandan noodles "peddler's noodles" - a spicy rice noodle dish in chili oil broth with minced pork, scallions, and a spicy chili pepper sauce, Steamed pork dumplings, an eggplant dish, a spicy green bean dish, and Tea-smoked duck. Everything was good. The Dandan noodles and the eggplant were the BEST! The Dandan noodles were pretty spicy (I wouldn't go so far as to say they were hot lava spicy, but it was a good amount of heat). Now, I LOVE spicy food. I mean the feeling you get when your mouth is on fire, your temple is sweating, and if feels like your lips might melt off is one of my favorite gastronomic experiences. So my idea of spicy may differ from others. The service was great. We were seated pretty fast, even though we were early for our dinner reservation. Our water glasses and tea pot were never empty. Our waiter was a very sincere older gentleman who didn't mind us trying to order in our halting mandarin. I don't remember ever tapping my foot waiting for service or feeling overwhelmed by incessant pestering, "Is everything okay? How is everything? etc." My only real complaint is that a lot of the dishes were way too salty.... This is a personal pet peeve of mine, I can't stand when good food is over-seasoned and turned into a pile of salt with some food flavor. That is why I gave 3 instead of 4 stars. read more

Didn't get to eat here. Anna and I showed up with our hungry toddler and sleeping baby girl after a long day of walking in DC. We were turned away as the guy would not allow us to bring in the stroller. Not enough space, we were told. This man's heart was as cold as his sesame noodles. Food may be good, but we did not go back to try. read more

I have a Pavlovian salivating response every time I think about their Ma Po Tofu. Yes, Sichuan Pavilion is a good, maybe even great Chinese restaurant, and from my experience, the best within DC (this is excluding all the excellent authentic choices out in the suburbs). They are great because simply, they have the best, most unusual food. At Sichuan Pavilion, you find ingredients in their food, like actual Sichuan peppercorns, that you won't find elsewhere, giving their food a unique and I'm guessing more authentic taste. The crowds of Chinese folk in the restaurant every time I've been there is also testament to its authenticity. Recommended dishes include every one I've tried, which begins with their excellent Ma Po Tofu (don't be scared meat eaters, it also comes with pork if you must have it that way), and also includes their beef duet, their Sichuan style string beans, and the tinkling bell with ten ingredients. Basically, anything on their chef specialty menu is a safe bet for a very tasty meal. As far as ambiance and service go, they are no better or no worse than your average Asian restaurant: the service is polite, but not friendly, and the ambiance is a little bit too well-lit and open, but with some small rooms to tuck yourself into, it at least doesn't have the cavernous feel of too many run of the mill ethnic restaurants. It is always crowded, but I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes, and usually a seat can be found right away (but its safest to make reservations). The only major bad side to it is its weird location. On K St, in the heart of the business district, and with no other night spots around, it is hardly a pleasant place to traipse to for dinner. But, if you are wanting authentic Chinese food and you don't want to leave DC, its what must be done. read more

This place has the best Chinese food in Washington DC. I would recommend getting the egg drop noodle for yourself if you are soup person, then get the dumpling to share for appetizer. I would recommend order a communal style so you can try different types of food. Order the chicken fried rice, mapo tofu, pecking duck, general tso chicken. Pro tip: get a Chinese American friend and help him/her to order the communal dish based on your preferences and it is amazing! read more

I can not get enough of this place, I have yet to find a criticism (even the bathrooms are perfect). I plan to go there for dinner, lunch, and, if they would let me, breakfast every day of my precious life. The food is great, the service is top notch and it is inside the district, WHAT A FIND. The restaurant is businessish, but I have definitely gone there in shorts and a t-shirt. There are plenty of Chinese businesspeople and families eating there, a tell tale sign of decent "ethnic" food. There are plenty of tables, but for large groups make a reservation. THIS PLACE IS OFTEN VERY BUSY FOR LUNCH. Hint, go directly towards the back of the menu. The section is listed as "home-style" and it is where you will find the good stuff, (See Yelper LiJia's review of good staple dishes). The descriptions in English are brief, but the waitstaff is helpful in translating a dish if you are interested. Here is an email I send to people who are interested in going to dine at Sichuan Pavilion with me: I would love for you to come, but there are a few things you need to subscribe to before you decide to come along: 1) This is "real" Chinese food, not sweet and sour pork 2) The food is hot, red chili hot. There is no option for "milder-minded" people, and the food may make your eyes tear a little 3) You need to eat pork, even tofu dishes have pork 4) You need to be able to skillfully use chopsticks, I have street-cred to maintain with these people 5) You have to be willing to at least try everything, since it is served family style I know this email sounds a little harsh, but I love Sichuan Pavilion in its authentic form. It is delicious. It is a treasure. And it is meant to be respected. read more

I found it! I found a place *IN DC* that makes next to awesome Chinese food! The real kind, not the American version. Sichuan Pavilion is incredibly nondescript amongst the K street business district and it's truly saddening not many people know about this place (myself included up until this past weekend). I've lived in the DC area for three years and JUST heard about this place after a little bit of Googling. In short, I had a fantastic experience my first time around that I'm sure I'll be a regular here in a no time. Bonus points for being 1 block away from the Orange metro line. Disclaimer: out of all the types of cuisine in Chinese (Cantonese, Shandong, Yangzhou, and Sichuan), my favorite has always been Sichuan. I had my first spicy chicken chili dish when I was ten in New York and I was hooked. So yeah, I'm a little biased. Here's what we ordered: Appetizers: - Roasted Pork with Scallions: enough to feed two people, fresh green scallions, and real pork meat! - Dumplings (Sichuan Style): about 8 small, bite-size dumplings in a bed of Sichuan spices and oils. Get this and do NOT share. It's freakin' awesome. My entree (from the 'authentic Chinese cuisine section'): - Tender Beef in Sichuan Spices: my FAVORITE. If you can't do spice, don't get this otherwise you'll really regret it - your mouth WILL be on fire. The dish comes out in a big ass bowl, enough to feed at least 2-3 people, and is probably one of the most beautiful things on the menu. Hot spicy red sauce (almost enough to be classified as a soup... almost), lots of beef, onions, fresh red chilis, and sichuan oil. Heaven. Price: most appetizers are $4-8, entrees from $8-20. For everyone complaining about service... sorry, but get real. This is a busy Chinese restaurant. Try going to a real restaurant in Chinatown either in SF or NYC and talk to me about service. But anyway, our server dude was incredibly friendly... he recommended a few dishes, checked up on us regularly, and was a pleasure. He was welcoming and smiling, so YMMV. Anyway, this place is probably the closest you'll get to true southwestern Chinese Sichuan food. All of the appetizers and dishes are incredibly complex and savory, filled with dozens of Chinese spices and fresh (and spicy!) chili peppers. I'll be back again. For sure. PS: don't look anywhere beyond the Authentic section in the menu... this is where the 'real' Chinese dishes are at this joint. read more

Mmm, Sichuan Pavilion was pretty good and I'm a fan! It's probably the best and most authentic Chinese restaurant I've visited in DC and it's not even in Chinatown! Located in the Farragut area of town, it's an easy walk to both the Farragut North (red line) and Farragut West (blue/orange lines) metro stations. I had dinner with a friend there about a week ago and I was impressed with the decor - the various different rooms and separated seating areas. It was a very unique layout. I arrived before my friend and the host asked me a very odd question - if my friend was a girl or guy. I said she was a girl and was confused why I was asked that question. I guess they wanted to let her know where I was sitting when she arrived? Other than that odd question (which I've never been asked by a host before), I was really impressed with the efficiency of the service. They took our order immediately, the food arrived less than 10 minutes after we ordered, and they came by right away with our check. There was hardly any wait at all, even though the restaurant was pretty crowded for a weekday evening. I ordered the Sichuan beef noodle stew and LOVED it! Very perfect portion and delicious broth. They were generous with the beef strips and the veggies as well. I was quite impressed! I'll definitely have to visit again to get more of that beef soup. I was overall happy with the number of options they have on their menu. Sichuan Pavilion is great. Though not my favorite Chinese restaurant of all time, it was very decent and I recommend it. read more

The food here was really good - I'd come back if only the service wasn't so crappy. We came in on a quiet Sunday afternoon, maybe 3 other tables were taken. We were seated immediately and chatted a bit before looking at the menu. Our waiter came over and my sister asked him about a few menu items. He was sooo rude! He was basically taking time out of his schedule of standing there and falling asleep to help us so why were we asking him questions??? I asked which tofu dish he liked...his answer was a stone-cold "All of our tofu dishes are good". Not 5 minutes later, I saw him walk over to another table and give them a nice run down of some menu items. Also, I don't remember seeing a note on the menu, but our table of 4 was pre-charged 18% gratuity! That's about 10% too much for a-hole service! I'm not coming back. read more

Sichuan Pavilion is YUMMMMMMMM!!! I've been going to this restaurant for 9 years and have yet to have a bad meal there. Each of my friends that I have introduced to the place has also gotten hooked. Hot tea is automatically brought to your table when you arrive and is quickly refilled - a nice touch. If there is something you would like that isn't on the menu, just ask. Odds are that they can make it for you, and if not, they apologize profusely. They will make anything spicy or mild, however you prefer, and their fried rice is THE ABSOLUTE BEST! Unfortunately, you can't get it as a side order to your meal (just about everything comes with steamed rice), so instead you have to order it as a separate dish. It is worth it though. The portions are filling so it is a good place for sharing a meal as well. Unfortunately, since their renovation last year the restaurant is about half the size it used to be, so there can be a wait during the lunch time rush. They do offer carryout from the restaurant though, and also have a carryout section in International Square, which is just outside the main door and down the stairs. From speaking with my Chinese friends, this is pretty close to authentic as well, and there are always lots of native Chinese eating there, so that is also a good sign. I just wish they remembered to give fortune cookies at the end, but they keep them well-stocked at the front desk so you can help yourself. read more

Probably the best option for sichuan food in the city, the service is really fast and respectful. Nothing fancy, just reliable good food. Favorites are mapo tofu, string beans and chicken with dry peppers! Never disappointed. read more

Truly awful restaurant, actually the worst Chinese food I have ever had in the 15 years I have been in the US. Went with my close family for a special occasion while visiting DC and could not have been more disappointed. Ordered five dishes and they were all bad, especially the La Zi Ji (spicy chicken) that was recommended to us, which came with more than half a plate of red chili peppers that are not edible, and deep fried chicken chunks that are hard to chew. In my entire experience of 50+ Sichuan restaurants, I ordered this dish frequently and never have I seen nearly as many red chili peppers to fill up the plate and never have I experienced worse chicken. Another dish we ordered was Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou) and that also came with half a plate of green peppers. To their credit, this meat was actually good but the dish contained way too few slices of actual meat. Lastly, we had five people and they added gratuity automatically. This is not customary as we were below the standard of six people. Overall, I would advise everyone against choosing this restaurant - even chick fil-a would have been a better choice and 1/5 the price! read more

I walked really far to eat at this place based on yelp reviews. I ordered the combination pan fried noodles which came with beef, pork,shrimp, vegetables n crispy fried noodles in a brown gravy sauce. I finished it all. It was a platter n I devoured it. Walking around DC will make u hungry!! This is a great place for eavesdropping on conversations as well. I was dining alone and thoroughly entertained listening to the people around me(mostly white) talk about their DC lives. Great place for yummy, inexpensive food surrounded by locals. read more

My husband and I typically enjoy this place and I think this is the best Chinese restaurant in the DMV area (I am from New York and he is from Los Angeles so we have tasted really good Chinese food). My favorite dish is the jumbo shrimp with mixed vegetables and my husband really likes their chicken fried rice and their General Tso chicken. The portions are quite large and we always have leftovers. We were surprised by our last trip there in December when the food was mediocre. The General Tso chicken was so dry that it was inedible. Thankfully, they took it off of our bill. The chicken in the chicken fried rice tasted like day-old chicken which was not very appetizing. Despite this last experience, we will be back because the food is generally very good. read more

Rohan P. and I decided to sendoff 2009 in style with a trip down to Sichuan. While others were enjoying pre-fixe menus on new years eve, we decided to class it up with two rounds of Polynesian drinks (the scorpion and the zombie). They were strong and came with those adorable umbrellas that I have grown to love at Chinese restaurants. We started with the seafood hot and sour soup and the crab asparagus soup. The crab soup was creamy and light but the hot and sour was the perfect balance of flavors and full of mushrooms and tofu. Very satisfying and comforting. Then came the dan dan and the ma po tofu. Dan Dan is the man man. Just get it. The salty-sour - combination is really bold and exciting for someone unacquainted with ma la. Don't be scared to have the tofu. Sichuan proves that bean curd actually tastes good. I was expecting a Dumb and Dumber moment when Harry and Lloyd hide atomic peppers in that dude's burger. But the ma la is not quite like that. Sure it's spicy, but it has a tangy taste and numbing quality that is so unique. And if you can't handle the heat, just order another zombie. The decor and service can be summed up in one word. Efficient. Before I could even get my coat off we were served piping hot tea. The food comes out very quickly and I sort of like that the servers weren't all up in my business. I came here to stuff my face. Which I did successfully. What up 2010 read more

Who would have thought that one of my new favorite Chinese restaurants would be right there on K street? I'll be the first to admit that despite being mistaken as Chinese for most of my life, I am not a Chinese food expert--let alone an expert of all the different provinces. Sichuan food is relatively new to me so when I go here, I totally sneak a peak of what all the Asian business people are eating at their power dinners or try things off the authentic menu. This has generally fared very well. As everyone says, the Dan Dan noodles and the Ma Po Tofu are wondeful. I'm also a fan of the eggplant and stringbeans. The dumplings are small but cheap, but I always order them because I love the sweet sichuan sauce that they swim in. It's especially good to have a little of the sauce to mix with the other entrees I get. The only let-downs I've experienced are the Chialing Chicken (I was expecting spicy and was disappointd) and the Tea Smoked Duck (wasn't expecting fried duck with not much meat). Neither were horrible, just not what I was hoping for. Service here is polite, the prices are good, and the menu is expansive enough for me to want to come back again. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect trying Sichuan-style Chinese food for the first time. They had an extensive menu and wanted to order just about everything! I decided on the tender beef in hot sauce and a spicy shrimp dish. The food came out almost instantly, but cooked made to order. Everything tasted pretty good, except it was lacking the level of spiciness I was expecting. Overall, not a bad place if you're craving decent Chinese food. read more

Great veggie fried rice and amazing General Tso fried tofu. This is a gem of restaurant on K St in DC.

This spot has been a comfort food go-to restaurant. Parking can be difficult, but other than that it is conveniently located in the city. The staff is so nice, and the waiters make sure to clear your table often. The food comes out fast, very hot, and fresh. Make sure to get a side of their hot chili oil sauce (I'm pretty sure they make it in house). I always order the dry pepper chicken, laden with dried chilies and szechuan peppercorns. This dish will make you sweat before you know it! It is so simple, but so tasty. I also always order the spicy pork dumplings. The sauce on them is so addicting. I always save the sauce and spoon it over my rice (amidst waiters who are so eager to take the dish away). I also like getting a veggie, the eggplant in garlic sauce or the bok choy with black mushrooms is always a solid choice. read more

Sichuan Pavilion - Dry spicy chicken, Szechuan dumplings, bok choy and black mushrooms. Soo good!!! - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Recommended by yelp..we decided to make a trip out here. We ordered the Bok Choy and Black Mushrooms, Tea Duck, and mongolian lamb. I agree with the other reviewers that the bok choy they serve arent served cut and so I usually had a huge piece of Bok Choy in my mouth. However, it was delicious. Tea Duck also amazing. Its different then Peiking Duck but it was really flavorful. However, you didn't get that feeling of you just ate something so greasy filled with MSG. When we walked out of here we felt healthy and not overloaded with bunch of greasy MSG chinese food. Recommend it, great place to get Sichuan style chinese food. read more

(3.5 stars -- rounded up to 4 stars for value). Mainly we chose Sichuan Pavilion because it's in walking distance of my office, and the reviews sounded promising. Initially, we were nervous - the restaurant looked a bit like an old fashioned shabby chic dining room (oversized arm chairs, lots of extra chairs floating around the restaurant) but we tabled our anxiety and decided to stick around. The menu is really extensive - pages and pages of dishes (one page is labelled "authentic menu" which I guess makes the rest inauthentic). We ordered one dish off the "authentic menu" -- sauteed shrimp -- and truth be told, the shrimp were delicious (and sauteed, as promised) but the dish was *only* shrimp in a garlicky white sauce with some scallions sprinkled on top. I was a bit surprised that the dish was so, well, naked - not even a few broccoli heads. We also ordered the shredded chicken (off the "inauthentic menu") which had the opposite problem -- it was mostly things other than chicken (like shredded bamboo). Both dishes were tasty enough (and the shredded chicken was also just the right amount of spice - it was warm without being too spicy), but neither was amazing. The best part of the meal, though, was that the meal was cheap - the two of us ate, with leftovers (no drinks), for $26. In a city where cheap eats too often consists of empanadas, burritos, and pizza, this was a nice enough find. I look forward to trying out more of their extensive menu and figuring out which dishes we like best. read more

Good Chinese food in DC! And it's actually in the city, not in Northern VA! I will be back to this place - both to eat there and to get take-out. I can't speak for service since we got take-out, but I can definitely talk about the food! The hot and sour soup wasn't that spicy, but it had good flavor and a lot of good-quality chicken. I got mongolian beef, which was really well-flavored with tons of sautéed regular and spring onions. It's my preferred entree now at Chinese restaurants, and I was definitely not disappointed! My boyfriend got sesame chicken, which was good, but not really my thing. You can tell they used really good quality white meat though, which was nice. The coating was good, just a little too much for me. Both entrees were served with white rice on the side. Other people have complained about the prices, but I don't think you'll find much better prices anywhere else in DC - certainly not with as tasty food. Just get over it and enjoy the food! read more

Pretty authentic Szechuan food if you know how to order. Dinner menu is good but beware there are many traps that you can order which are basically just takeout Chinese food. For example sweet and sour or pork, don't get it there! On food quality I'd give it 4 stars. I think panda gourmet has similar quality but 20% cheaper and more selection. But I understand location is better so higher price is somewhat justified. What dropped them down to 3 stars is the fact that the lunch specials are only available for carry out. I've never heard of that. So beware you have to buy from the full priced, dinner menu at lunch time. So the takeaway? Don't come here for lunch. read more

Wow...so this is what real Sichuan food tastes like? Awesome! Been there 2x now. Can't wait to go back again. This place is the perfect marriage of flavor and heat. My new personal favorite is the chicken in hot chilies (its listed under the special sichuan heading). Its perfectly friend chicken pieces in a bowl of diced chili peppers with some pink peppercorn to numb some of the heat. I love this dish! The service is quick and polite, and they have tea waiting at the table for you. Overall a great experience. read more

Went there after reading may glowing reviews. Not sure where these reviewers come from - certainly not from the SF bay area! Food is mediocre at best. Nothing had any real taste - they were just blah or chili hot. Ambiance is very nice and service was good, however. Quantities are HUGE! At least the waiter could have alerted us and not have us waste so much food... nothing was worth taking away to our hotel. read more

This restaurant looked the best among all the Chinese restaurants in the area when I was looking for one on yelp. Very dedicated service, a good place for a big group (I took a group of 15 for my friend's birthday), and quality food! We order almost the entire restaurant. As far as I remember, we ordered; egg drop soup, ma po tofu, Sichuan shredded beef, some fried rice, and Peking duck. They all were pretty good. At the end of our dinner, the manager gave the birthday boy a present! A tie!! What a friendly man! read more

Shittttest service had ever seen in my life!!! The food tasted great!!! that's really chinese food!!! Been there twice and last time with my friend. After a great meal, we decided to take out and i asked them if its ok i like to pack a bolt of rice with that. After 20 seconds, there is a old waitress come to our table angry and asked me did i asked for the rice. And i said yes. Then he made a really bitching face and said it's 2 dollar. At that time we already paid and i give a really high tips. so i asked him how should i paid for that? He said: in cash! you guys are lucky i don't charge you tax,because it will be 2.2 bucks~ After our talk ,my friend was really confuse because even he doesn't know chinese but he can tell the waitress is talking shit to me. So the food was highly recommend, but i am not suggest you go there until they fire the guys. It will be really sad thing that get angry after a great meal. read more

Sichuan Pavilion is like my very own Soup Nazi - the food is SO GOOD, the manager is so not good. I'll start with the good - egg drop soup with corn, mongolian beef, pan fried noodles, kung pao chicken.. it is all so clean, and fresh, and reasonably priced. You never have the "what part of the chicken could this be" thought. It's hands-down the best Asian food I've had in DC. I haven't had much off of the authentic menu, but my friends who have loved it. Now, to preface - the wait staff are incredibly sweet and helpful as is the delivery guy - such a sweetheart. The manager, however, seems to not like us. I can only assume it's us, as I've seen him treat other customers wonderfully. He regularly acts annoyed when we ask for a table (especially if it's for more than 2).. he told me they didn't take reservations during lunch, so we waited 30 minutes while multiple groups of people (with reservations) came in and were seated.. he asked our party to leave on a busy Friday evening (we had just signed our receipts and were in the middle of packing up - no need to ask us to leave).. But again, the food is just so good - whether you dine in, carry out, or get delivery - it's hot, fresh, amazing. read more

I miss this spot so, so much during COVID. It's my favorite in DC. The hot pepper chicken, the cabbage chicken, dumplings, everything. We would go here every week, and always did birthdays and all here. Love it and hope it comes back after all reopens! read more

This is actually a chinese buffet/fastfood since all orders came extremely fast. Although, the taste is not too bad. BUT very very bad service. There is a middle-aged waiter, looks like a waiter manager since he wears differently from all the others, treated us very impatiently and impolitely. Crowded environment. No high chair for kids. Relatively high price. Forced to tip (service fee) at a high level. read more

By far the best Szechuan food we've ever had in our lives. We got the Shredded Pork and Ma Po Tofu with Ground Pork. We're from Toronto and the NYC area and, with plenty of Chinese Szechuan restaurants around, this beats them all hands down. As always, the thing that turns this review from a 4 star to a 5 star is the price. Nothing beats having amazing food at a decent price. Can't wait to go back to DC! read more

3.5 stars Reading the reviews, I was really excited about the Dan Dan Noodles -- but I thought they were disappointing. The best Dan Dan Noodles in the area are still Hong Kong Palace. At Sichaun Paavilion, it is a soup -- it is spicy but also quite sour... The dumplings are good enough to order on multiple visits, though not in my list of favorite place for dumplings. The menu is extensive and most things I have tried have ranged from good to very good -- but the Dry Pepper Chicken is by far the best. Not quite as good as China Star in Fairfax, but very good and certainly the best option for Chinese in the West End/K Street area. read more

This review is for their customer service only. I called at 12:30 for a 1:15 work lunch reservation. The guy on the phone said fine, asked me number of people and name and hung up. When I showed up, the lady said no such record existed and passed me onto the guy, who was obviously the manager. He first said yes, I spoke with you on the phone but we don't accept reservations after 12pm so you'll have to wait (and there were at least five parties before me). When I told him that he ok'ed my reservation on the phone, he back tracked and tried to deny any recollection of our phone conversation. What pisses me off is that if you have a certain reservation policy in place, let your customers know ahead of time instead of yessing them and making them wait in the name of money making greed. I understand you don't want to turn customers away, but tell the truth and let them decide whether they want to wait or not. Your food may be good, but the way you run business is what is wrong with our society: profits before humanity. So you can stick it and I'll let karma take care of the rest. read more

This place is located a block away form the Farragut West exit in the land of generic Western foods a la Subway, Pret a Manger, Au Bon Pain, etc. It's a part of town that isn't known for the best ethnic cuisines. In this land, Sichuan Pavilion is a beacon of light. Now don't get me wrong; it's not perfect. First, the cons. - The prices are on the higher end - about 12+ bucks per dish for lunch. After tip, tax, a drink, and maybe a refill of rice, you're dropping 20 bucks for lunch. - A coworker that I came with got the sweet and sour pork - mesmerizing spheres of pig in a reddish orange glaze. I've never seen anything like it before. It looked like it belongs in a modern art museum and not on a plate. - I came with a group of 4, all ordering differently priced items. At the end of our meal, our server would not split the bill based on what we had ordered. But all these things I can ignore because - The prices are pretty on par for this area. And if you get your food to go, it's not that bad. - I don't tend to order the Americanized Chinese food anyway. - Tell your server when you first arrive that you want to have separate bills and they will be able to accommodate. I should probably know this at this point in my life but I'm a slow learner. And the reason I ignore all these minor gripes is because when Sichuan Pavilion does it right, they do it really right. They're one of the most authentic Chinese places downtown. I've been there a couple times and I've had the opportunity to try the chicken with dry peppers, twice cooked pork, and the mapo tofu. All of which are super authentic and full of flavor. In fact, when you come here, make sure to only order from the "Authentic Entrees" page. They have an asterisk next to the spicy dishes. Do not ignore this. The dishes definitely pack a punch but are not so overwhelming that you can't enjoy it. And lastly, you get a pretty good amount of food for your dollar. Enough to make those afternoon meetings a struggle. read more

Fantastic sichuan food...the mongolian beef was great, the spicy tofu was wonderful. The pan fried noodles were also very tasty. The crispy duck was eh, but maybe that's bc I was expecting peking duck. Highly recommend! read more

This is the first Chinese place in many years that I can actually say is different. By different, I mean you can get something more authentic than: heavily breaded chicken with a thick glaze sauce mixed with broccoli served over rice. You can get chinese veggies, you can get it spicy, there is a diversity of food that you wouldn't expect. Truly refreshing. (delivery slow, as is everything in DC, expect the usual 1 hour delivery time) read more

A 4 star yelp-reviewed Chinese restaurant is quite unusual for DC so I figured I had to give the place a shot. I was definitely satisfied- always a good sign when the only other clientele in the restaurant when we went were also Chinese. Their fish with spicy sauce is about as good as it can get, and their dumplings are pretty solid as well. The only thing I'm irritated with is the fact that whoever packed my food to go filled the container so full that it leaked spicy sauce through the container and bag minutes after departing the restaurant, which forced me to discard it (quite a sad ordeal for me, a person who hates wasting food). Their la ze ji (chili chicken) also looked very good- I will definitely be back to try it (and just pack my own to-go container next time). read more