It's not very often you find good Chinese restaurants in the bay area but this one definitely hits it home. I would say Silver House has the best Cantonese-style dishes you can find for the price! My parents say they have a lot of "wok hay", which translates to kick-ass stir fry. However, not everything is good here so ask the waiter to recommend their specials. When I'm looking for comfort food, I can always count on Silver House. read more

i dont understand why this place has ANY good reviews. all of our dishes were greasy and flavorless. we had sizzling chicken w black bean sauce, beef chow fun and veggie fried rice. all had no flavor and were glistening with grease. how could you mess up these easy dishes? the service was just as bad as the food- slow and sloppy. the waiter took our order and that was it. he never came back. we had to flag him a few times before he brought us a coke. the weird part was when when one of the servers dropped off the chicken covered by a napkin. the napkin was stuck to the food. huh? i don't get. like, why? obviously, i suggest you go somewhere else. read more

We have been eating at this restaurant for more years than I can remember. I don't know what these people are talking about? Their chinese broccoli with garlic is really good but our real favorites are the salt and pepper eggplant and salt and pepper pork chops. These two dishes could not be made any better...just amazing! We get their lo mein and it is always excellent. We eat here at least every other week we like it so much. Happy they are so close to our home. read more

i've been dining here for over 20 years and it has always been my family's go to place for hole in the wall cantonese home style grubb. crab sauteed ginger and scallion, black bean sauce clam, live steam fish are time honored classics. salt and pepper pork chops and large pea pods sauteed in garlick are the effin' BOMB. get here early and bring your appetite, but expect to arm wrestle me for the open next table read more

consistent authentic Cantonese food. A small, at times tight, restaurant that's filled with Chinese families so you know it's got to be good. Reasonably priced, everyday dishes are solid, nothing over the top fancy or pretentious, very homey and comforting. Clay pots and all the specials on the white board are really good. Wouldn't go for the American Chinese type stuff. Service is efficient but would consider them short staffed during weekend dinners. Manage your expectation on service and decor. Allow extra time for parking. The Chinese vs English names can be confusing because their Chinese name uses the word "Gold" but for some reason the English name is "Silver" House. Be careful NOT to confuse Silver House with another Chinese restaurant across the street, almost directly on the other side of El Camino, Silver Lake. read more

Love this restaurant! They have AWESOME authentic Chinese soup - the soup that usually only mom makes and tasty and is good for you. Their food is great, service is decent, and price is very reasonable. read more

I've gone there twice for lunch, and have been pleasantly surprised with the food. The service is fast, and the prices are reasonable ($8 for a lunch plate of sliced beef with bell peppers over pan fried noodles). The portions are large, and I've taken the excess food home each time. The sliced beef dish is tasty, but a little greasy. The beef was tender and hot when it arrived in the small wok. If you look around, there are lots of Chinese people inside ... a good sign that the food is good! read more

I have been to Silver House many times. Here are the dishes that I've tried: Chicken Corn Soup: I get this every time. Its usually thick with lots of egg. There's not much chicken, but that's how I like it. Triple Mushroom Chicken: a little woodsy, but if you love mushrooms, it shouldn't be a problem. Still just so-so. Beef Chow Fun: I've had it with the gravy and without, but I definitely enjoyed it dry more. The noodles are always the perfect consistency. Mah Poh Tofu: this dish comes in a clay pot, and is my second favorite (after the chicken corn soup). It comes with tofu, peas, and I think beef in a delicious sauce. The tofu is melt-in-your-mouth soft. Even if you order it spicy, it's never really that hot. The only dish that I didn't like was one of the clay pot dishes with shrimp. It had a good flavor, but they didn't shell the shrimp or even take the heads off. I know that some people like the shrimp in the shell, but it would have been nice to have a little heads up. We felt embarrassed shelling the messy shrimp, so we took it to go and attacked it in the privacy of our own home. Other than this, Silver House has never disappointed. Service is always fast and friendly. read more

7/13/2012 It was a good restaurant for many years; however now the quality definitely deteriorated. It used to have delicious Clay Pot, but I couldn't believe the Fresh Oyster w/roasted pork we ate. You couldn't see, or even taste Fresh Oysters in this dish. A few deep fried very small Oyster. The roast pork were a few roast pork skin. The sizzling sea bass fish was deep fried too. Plus pay attention to the bill, make sure you remember the prices of the dishes when you ordered them. read more

Tonight is the first and last time I will EVER eat at this restaurant. Our party had a table of eight that consisted of two Cantonese speaking families and an aunt whom we were seeing off because she is returning to Hong Kong. First off, UNLESS you are planning on tipping at least 20%, you should not expect ANY service. My aunt had secretly went to pay the check and the waiters decided to bring the change back to our table. My aunt then asked the waiter why she did that because the bill was paid at the counter, and the waiter basically told her that she hadn't tipped enough AND that the amount she had thought was tip was actually "tax" in a really loud voice. Okay, as if that wasn't rude enough, after we placed additional tip, another waiter came by and took the platter back to the counter and they proceeded to sneer at us over the tip. Second, horrid service aside, the food is absolutely HORRENDOUS. We had ordered chicken, stir-fried beef, fried crab, catfish with black bean sauce, lettuce wrap with diced beef and green beans, and mayonnaise shrimp with walnuts (I might have left out some dish or other). The chicken we originally ordered was chicken cooked in wine. When we ordered it, the waiter had announced it would be an extra $5 for the dish. Okay, fine, we're still ordering it. He goes into the kitchen and then comes out to say they're out of stock -- we're gonna have to change it to another type of chicken, and he suggested we get the Baked Salt Chicken. We asked if the $5 extra would be changed, and he told us "No, because all the chicken dishes are like that". When it came, the chicken was more like "Chicken Soaked in Salt Water". The crab we ordered was not fresh -- I was surprised it had not liquefied when I bit into it. The soup was mostly pepper and MSG (as was the stir-fried beef) and, as I'm writing this review, my throat is actually burning from the chemicals. The desert was a one-biter. As in, one bite and I realized how bad it was -- it was SUPPOSED to be taro and tapioca desert, but it tasted more like taro flavored sewer water and half watery blobs. The only saving grace was the lettuce wrap dish, and that was probably because the lettuce wasn't cooked. The tea that we got was not tea at all; it was water pretending to be tea. It wasn't even brewed because they used TEA BAGS. There is a term for these kinds of restaurants, actually. They're coined the "Foreign Chinese" restaurants because they exist for the sole purpose of cheating foreigners out of their money by claiming they have "authentic Chinese food". If I could give negative stars, I would. read more

Decent authentic Cantonese food in a restaurant that's a step up from the average hole in the wall Chinese place. Go for the salt & pepper squid, but don't expect to get service with a smile. read more

This is my favorite Chinese place in California. It is so authentic you can expect to feel very out of place as a non Asian person. I love their bok choy and beef over rice. It's off menu but seasoned and prepared like a pro. All of their dishes are great. Wonderful! read more

This was our first visit to this restaurant and it was based on some selected reviews on yelp. All the dishes were very good. Seafood (clams) and the vegetable dishes were very fresh and cooked to perfection. The service was quick and the food was served piping hot straight from the wok. Definitely will go back to try their other menu items. Especially the seafood. read more

this was a great traditional chinese restaurant. the food all came out really quickly so we didn't have any waiting or idle time! the restaurant was clean and welcoming, with a fresh air to it. read more

If I had a favorite chinese go to restaurant this would be the spot. I was introduced to this place by my then at the time boyfriend. The food is consistent and everything on the menu is good and I really mean anything you order is good. This place is always filled with chinese patrons so what does that say. LOL!. Parking can be alil hard since its just street parking and the lil space they have in the back of the restaurant. Hint if you have a lowered car maybe u dnt want to park in the back..the road is uneven and filled with pot holes. But besides that I love this place. Its very family style home cooking. The things I always get is the mapo tofu, eggplant dish( cant remember the name), the beef chow mein but with the thin noodles. My son loves the salt and pepper bass fish. Oh and how i love when they bring out the sweet bean soup after but only during dinner time. I went during lunch and was sad to find out I wasnt getting my sweet bean dessert. Its the place to go cuz I see my patients eat here all the time. You ask any chinese person in foster city/san mateo...this is where they go. Yes service can be cold...but umm what chinese restaurant is not like that..atleast they have a reason ....they are always packed and busy. read more

A very good place for Cantonese style food. Prices are decent, service is your typical Chinese restaurant, non descript and not much to be expected. Parking can be a challenge. patience is a virtue. Food wise, tastes are up to par, portions are ample. read more

this by far is my all time favorite chinese restaurant... their beef stew, sizzling eggplant w/ beef claypot, sizzling seabass, salt & pepper shrimp, honey walnut prawns is delicious! and i always have to order their beef or chicken chow mein with yellow thin noodles - that's a MUST! read more

Consistently delicious Cantonese food. Food has not changed here in years and always hits the spot. Foot is tasty and comes out fast. Service is good, minus one of the owners that has zero personality...but who goes to a Chinese restaurant for service or ambiance...come for the food. read more

Pretty good. Had the mongolian beef, I like the way they add bamboo shoots to this dish. Service was average and quick. The soup that was given was yummy. It was a lot of food $7. I'll be back. read more

Great food, very authentic. Eat in ambiance is typical Chinese (aka lack of ambiance, updated furnishings) but I'm here for the food...again, very Chinese. The steamed tofu with mushroom, pork, shrimp and peas is awesome. You'll need to order it off the printed menu, I think. read more

Authentic Chinese food just like those you get in Hong Kong. Why do Chinese restaurants over here usually have pink interior walls? Recommended. read more

the food here is good. i like the prices across the street at silver lake better.

Luv luv luv this place! been here at least once a month for their authenticity. No wonder every time we go there, it's always busy and with lots of Asian looking folks!! If you want real Chinese/cantonese food, this is the place to go! read more

I love it here!! Great portions and they give soup and dessert!! Love their walnut shrimp and tofu dishes!!! Real authentic chinese food doesn't get better than this! read more

Controversial, actually; it is very oily and greasy, so if you like that, this is the perfect placed

We've been coming here since they first opened some 20+ years ago. Food was great, then went downhill, but they've made a comeback. The chefs have changed, but there are still dishes that they do really well, that we come back for. The crispy chicken is on the money every time. Also consistently good are their Hunan style eggplant minced beef in clay pot and braised bean curd with vegetables. Other stuff can be hit and miss. They are your run of the mill, "normal", daily Cantonese food. So avoid things like Peking duck and those snazzy seafood dishes, and you will not be disappointed. read more

Solid food. Consistent service. Not friendly but not unpleasant. Best ma po tofu around.

Surly front of the house, as others have reported. Not much for talking, but he does his job seating guests efficiently. Dinner was three plates. Chow mein with BBQ pork (slices were large, but not profuse in number, chewy and good). Tender greens with rock cod was the best of the three--tasted fresh, but portion size not overly huge. Quails were great too. Complimentary black bean soup for dessert. No house soup (maybe we didn't order enough dishes to get it). read more

We've had many meals there and we were always happy afterwards. They offer authentic Cantonese style food and there are lots of special dishes on the white board. The waiters there are all highly efficient, amid not entirely friendly. The quality of their food is as good as some of the other pricey restaurants but for much less. The only drawback is you will have to arrive early for dinner on the weekend or the wait is very long. read more

I came here with my cousin and I found the food to be really tasty. I read what other Yelpers' say about being racist; however, I don't know about that since I am Chinese. We ordered the sliced chicken with ginger and scallions, rock cod fillet with tender greens, snow pea sprouts, and beef chow mein. All the portions were pretty generous and had a good flavor to it. We didn't have to wait long for out food either, but that might be due to the fact that we went at 5pm when the crowd wasn't there yet. Price of the dishes was also reasonable as well. They did have free dessert, a red bean soup and it was delicious. I would go back to this place if I am ever in this area later on in the future. read more

My cousin and I were passing by and decided to have a late lunch. We both live in the East Bay and usually prices for Chinese food is very reasonable. When we looked a the menu, the prices are double for what we normally pay. We ordered the family dinner A, which includes won ton soup, pot stickers, pork fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and cashew nut chicken. The won ton soup's broth was very good and had pieces of broccoli, my favorite veggie. The pot sticks were soft and pan fried nicely. The cashew nut chicken was okay but the ingredients used were kinda odd, I never had green peas and so many water chestnuts in it. The sweet and sour chicken's sauce was a little too thick to eat. Overall, the meal was okay. If I were to come here again, I probably order the most popular dishes the other yelpers recommend. read more

not a bad thing on the menu, but don't miss the oxtail in red wine sauce, surf clams in garlic sauce, peking duck, and salt and pepper spareribs. read more

Awesome Cantonese food. I ordered a dish with crab meat, vegetables and egg whites. It's so tasty. The kung pao beef is very tender. The yan chao fried rice came with big prawns. Nothing is greasy. There's a Chinese menu on the wall. read more

is the best chinese restaurant around san mateo,

I have to vent even though many folks gave this place a high rating. We went there for my father's birthday and order their banquet dinner that cost $300+. It was the worst banquet meal I ever had. The peking duck was chopped up rather than having the meat carved. So, we could not easily put the meat on the bun. The lobsters were small and hardly had any meat. We ordered yee-mein noodles which came out soggy and tasteless. We won't go back again. read more

Truly one of the best Chinese restaurants in terms of tasty traditional food (no new creative twists here). However, service staff attitude is unfortunately typical of Chinese restaurants so expect ambivalence bordering on rude. We still come here often because it's still one of the best in the mid peninsula area. The salt and pepper fish fillet dish is the gold standard for the Bay Area and worth a trip just for that dish but all the other dishes are solid and many are outstanding. read more

recommendatios: chicken pan fried noodle knife clam fu-kien rice braised tofu lemon chicken read more

Food is fantastic, service is above average, the dining room is clean but very old. I wouldn't take a date there but I would go back more than once with good friends. read more

We've eaten at Silver House many times in the past and really enjoyed it - good flavor, variety, and a pleasant restaurant. We were really disappointed on taking family there tonight - the portions seemed much smaller, with lots of filler vegetables (onions, celery, pepper), especially the more expensive seafood dishes. The restaurant was also much less crowded than in the past. Maybe the economy? Anyway, tonight certainly wasn't worth the cost, and I'm not certain we'll be back. read more

I've come here numerous times with my family and the food always a treat. And its a plus having a good chinese food place thats so close.