I absolutely love this restaurant, the food amazes my taste buds every time! My hostess, Theresa, was so sweet and friendly from the moment I stepped into the restaurant. I ordered a boba to-go and she made it perfectly! I will definitely be back soon. read more

One star for the awesome Egg rolls, and for the take out order being ready on time, everything else gets a ZERO. Cashew Chicken = 3 cashews and mushy chicken. Ordered this with Brown rice, got brown ICE. Shrimp fried rice, again with brown ICE. This brown ICE looked good, but was horrid, half cooked, hard, cold. How the heck does a Chinese restaurant not know how to cook rice?!? How the heck do they have the nerve to charge and extra $1.50 for this brown ICE? Look at other reviews, several other patrons have complained about your under-cooked, cold ICE. Figure it out! We have eaten at the St. Charles location, was quite a bit better, but I will never eat at this place again. I'll drive the extra 8 miles to Liu Brothers (Chamber Red) in St. Charles. So much better, trust me. read more

I have been coming to Silver Lake since I moved to Elgin in 2004, and it is not only a fantastic Chinese restaurant, but the delivery service is awesome too. The waitstaff is always friendly and even remembers you when you come back. They are very helpful and receptive if you want to have less sauce or change the order a bit. As for the delivery, it's very fast! I never have any problems. They say within the hour but sometimes I think it's more like twenty minutes. I must say something about the egg rolls. I normally dislike egg rolls but Silver Lake is the only place in existence to make me not only like them but crave them. Nothing else compares. They are the best. Recommended!!! read more

Probably will not go back. Went this past Saturday with the family since I was craving Chinese food (obviously). Ordered the Orange Beef for myself, and my wife ordered pot stickers and crab rangoon. The beef was really tough, not much 'orange' flavor. Everything seemed over cooked. Place seems friendly, but the food needs to be good. Will try someplace else - not impressed at all. Sorry. read more

My family and I have been going here for years. The service is great. We love their General Tso chicken, lo mein, cashew chicken and shrimp and lobster sauce. They have a wide variety that is sure to be pleasing to the taste buds. When we have out of town guests this is one of our go to choices read more

I wanted to order online, so it sent me to another app, well it worked out fine, at first. I got it home for tasted like chewing on cardboard, will actually. No taste at all. Just plain gross. I woke up this morning and saw that the restaurant charged me, without my knowledge, an additional $1.62, no idea why. I call the company and they said they charged me for the request of add pineapple to the sweet and sour sauce,I said no where did they say that, when I picked up my food at the restaurant no one said anything so no I didn't authorize this. They called the restaurant and they said they showed me the receipt and I knew they would charge me. Liar's. Never never again read more

The BEST milk bubble tea! This restaurant is not far from my job. I frequently come in for the milk bubble tea & everyone is always very nice. Today, (not aware that they open at 11:30), I showed up at 11:05. They heard me trying to open the door- let me in & took my order. A business w/ great customer service will always get my patronage. THANK YOU!!! read more

We've had food from their St Charles restaurant several times. We just moved to South Elgin and this is our first time at the Elgin location. We got carryout last night. Wow! This is some of the best Chinese I've ever had, and I love Chinese. The food was delicious and very well seasoned. There was plenty of sauce, which is something my wife really likes. The portions were huge. I got Mongolian beef, and every place I've ever had it serves it on top of the dry noodles, so you actually get less in the container. Their container was full and the noodles were on the side, which I really appreciate, since I don't really care for them. Excellent egg rolls. We also had the Garlic Pepper Chicken which was terrific. Really great food. Our new favorite Chinese place! read more

Came here today for lunch. I had the worst egg roll that I have ever had in my life it was like it was filled with cinnamon spiced dog food. I had the Mongolian beef and it was flavorless with gristly crunchy beef with an awful sauce and Mexican rice too. I think the thing that makes me upset about all these asian restaurants around here is the use of "Mexican" rice vs "Asian" rice. Idk I guess I gave it two stars due to cost(you get what you pay for) and speed. To follow up. I eat at a ton of different "Asian" restaurants and I have noticed that at all the good restaurants, the workers come out and sit at the tables to eat the food they cook. Here the workers went out and came back with Portillos to eat. Says a lot for their confidence in the food. Go down the road to Thai Town for better food and better atmosphere. Sorry guys. read more

Went here on a Saturday night and was disappointed. They were short staffed on servers so the attentiveness was lacking considerably and they screwed up our order. Plus the shrimp was smaller than what we got in the past *and* it was slightly overcooked. The kicker was that the manager didn't seem to care. He just sat at a table with some people he knew and let the poor service take place. It will be a while before we even think about visiting again. read more

Just no. We have ordered from here for a while but no more. I ordered online. I was given "chicken" fried rice. The order and confirmation reported beef, what we wanted. When I opened up the "chicken" fried rice it was full of these tiny diced mushy clay colored cubes. We called to let them know there was a mistake, that's when we were told it was chicken. It was gross. They replaced the order, which was fine, except there was maybe a tablespoon of beef mixed into 2 cups of tasteless brown rice. My Kung pao shrimp had a thin sauce, 7 or 8 shrimp and lots of green pepper, even tho the description included bok choi, there wasn't any. The last order I had was general tso chicken, which was mostly breading and stringy dark meat "chicken" The crab ran goons are mostly sugar and cream cheese in a wonton wrapper, not yummy . I'm done with you Silver Lake. Your food has gone from mediocre at best to simply garbage. I can buy frozen P.F. Changs and it would be better. read more

Food is gross!!! My dog food looks & probably tastes better than this food. We decided to order delivery, and they were very timely and accurate with order...that was the only thing pleasant about our experience! The crab Rangoon was dried out and the cheese was a powder consistency and chewy. We also hand the General Tso's Chicken, and I couldn't find the chicken; it was basically fried chewy, mushy batter. We also tried the Kong Pou beef, and my fiancé nearly choked on the beef since it was so tough and flavorless. Needless to say we tossed out the entire meal, and will never go back. It was inedible!!! Don't bother with this place! read more

This place is always great. I was looking for a great, local Chinese place once I moved out to the Elgin area. We tried a few places but were always very disappointed. But then we found this gem...it's always great! When we've dined it the service has always been great and helpful. We have also done take-out as well. This is the best Chinese food we've found in the area. Great quality, not greasy, always great portions as well. I also like how they ask for the heat level of the food so it's not too spicy (or to make it more if that's what you like!). Yum! read more

Went back. Ordered a Singapore Rice Noodle w/extra curry: for those not familiar, it's a dry, curry flavored noodle dish made of very thin rice noodles, like vermicelli, bits of fried egg, bbq pork, tiny shrimp, slivers of onion and green pepper. This was competently executed as if I was back in Chinatown. But $11 for a large portion, which is a plastic container about 2-4 cups size, what would normally go for $9 around here. May try other things. read more

We used to be a consistent customer of this restaurant, but after several consistently bad meals we will no longer be a customer at all. This place has really fallen through the floor on quality. read more

Stop for lunch on a Sunday sign on door says opens @ 1130 no lights on doors locked at 1200. Hours on line listed opening at 230. Please update your hours on your door. read more

The food was very good. Im a snob for fried rice and egg rolls, and theirs passed the test. We ordered the small portions and still had plenty to take home! We will definately be returning. read more

We used to love going here for Chinese food. It's close to our house and the food was always good. We went here last night, it was the first time in a while that we've been here. We usually order the group meal that comes with chicken fried rice. The food came out and looked fine until the "chicken" fried rice came out. There was some sort of cubed substance mixed in that had the texture of tofu. When I asked the server what that was he was at a loss for words. He then asked the owner/manager to come to the table where he explained that even though the menu said chicken it was in fact some sort of turkey roll and if I wanted "chicken" in the chicken fried rice I needed to specifically request chicken. Needless to say I was dumbfounded. The owner/manager did ask if we wanted it remade with chicken but we were almost done eating. He didn't even offer a discount. At least on the rice. I can honestly say I've never had an experience like this where a switcharoo was done with an ingredient and I can honestly say I will never return back to this restaurant again. read more

I love this place for Chinese! I almost always get the Beef Chow Fun and it's great. The people here are really nice too, always polite and quick. It's a pretty little place also, very nice decor. Now I'm getting a craving just thinking about it, might have to go tonight. read more

I ordered delivery. The food came relatively quickly and was piping hot. My father ate sesame chicken. I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai. I was not overly impressed with my dish. It did not taste like any Pad Thai that I have had in the past at all. I would not recommend it. The sesame chicken wasn't great, but it was not bad either. The highlight of our experience was the eggrolls and the the wonton soup. Both were definite hits. I would recommend those two items from Silver Lake to anyone. read more

I'd go back. It's a little more upscale than your run of the mill Chinese restaurant around town. Portions are ridiculous, you will always go home with food. read more

We have been anxious to find a new Chinese take-out place since Chinese Express in South Elgin converted to Green Mango and went downhill. I have heard mixed things about Silver Lake but we tried it one night. I was pleasantly surprised. My daughter really liked the chicken lo mein (this is what she orders everywhere we go). I didn't think the orange chicken had enough orange flavor but she liked it. And the sweet and sour chicken was good (this is the one item hard to screw up). The won ton soup was very good. We tried it a second time because she wanted to cater Chinese for her 18th birthday. Again, it did not disappoint although I would say the portions are smaller than I am used to. My husband loved the Mongolian beef, egg rolls were really good, chicken fried rice was a little greasy but had a good flavor. So, we catered for her party. The pricing was very reasonable compared to other Chinese places in the area. They were also very accommodating and let us substitute lo mein for fried rice in our catering package. They included plates, forks, napkins, chopsticks, tons of extra sauces,etc. which I was not expecting. We also had the orange chicken, Mongolian Beef, Cashew Chicken, egg rolls. They included a large tray of white rice. My guests really enjoyed it and we were happy! Maybe the other Silver Lake locations are different due the chef but give this one a try! They also seemed to appreciate the business and gave me 5% off the catering order as they have a coupon circulating right now for that. read more

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This was my first time trying this place. Very disappointed. When I went to go pick up my order they didn't give me everything I ordered, and when I was 3 minutes from my home, they called me telling me they forgot to give me my whole order. I had to turn around and go back. By the time I got home my bubble teas were warm. They blamed me when I came back telling me I forgot my order when they handed me the bag and told me to have a nice day. I asked them for compensation for the inconvenience, and they told me there is nothing they can do. Food was nothing special. Will not order from this place again. read more

The soup and egg rolls are fantastic. But the main dishes are either too greasy or just not good at all.

This is the first chinese place we've ordered from, since moving to this area. We thought it was great. I love the online ordering, 10% discount was nice too. Food arrived hot. The spicy shrimp with cashews was my favorite. I didn't give it 5 stars because it is a little pricey. The portions were big though. Plenty of leftovers. I would definitely recommend this place to try. read more

Service pretty good, food needs improvement. Ordered take out, Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Chicken Fried Rice, and Egg Rolls. Chicken was tough overly chewy on most pieces. Beef was limited, way too much vegetables. Rice was pretty good but could have used more seasoning. Service was friendly, order done on time, restaurant looks nice and clean although just picked up. read more

Take out food was a little bland tonight. Ordered 4 different meals with same flavors. They also forgot to pack my drinks that I paid for. It wasn't busy so not sure what happened. Usually not this disappointed for over $50 expense. read more

Barely moved to the area and let's say noodles were dry and had a horrible after taste and the shrimp tasted disgusting. Food tasted like it's old and sitting out for a while. Plus I paid over 40 dollars and the amount they give you is a ripoff . Never again. Let's try another. read more

I used to order from here when I lived at my parents house back in 2004 when I was in highschool. Always loved the food and service (always take out or delivery). The food was always amazing and had a better taste than those fast food asian cuisines such as panda express. So now its 2015 and I've moved back to STC and have ordered delivery from there 3 times now on their website (which is super cool by the way) and have been 100% satisfied on both service and food quality each time. Even their delivery drivers are respectful and keep customer service in mind. I could not recommend a better place than here. I wish I could give 6 stars but im sure you get my point. The only down fall (and its my fault) is its is after 10 and Im craving some amazing food! Haha looks like lunch tomorrow will be silver lake! :) read more

I don't know what happened to this restaurant, they used to be somewhat decent. The last couple times qe have ordered from here the food has not been good. We ordered some general taos chicken yesterday and it tasted fishy like they were using one oil to fry everything. I couldn't take more than one bite. read more

iI love Silver Lake! I worked here when it first opened as a hostess and became friends with everyone. I am still friends with everybody to this day going on for 9 years. I have lived in 2 other states and I always come back to Silver Lake. Nothing has ever compared and they will have my business for a lifetime! The empress chicken is to die for as well as Mao pao spicy tofu! Leon and Cesar are amazing! The lunch is an awesome deal as well! read more

Our office orders from here regularly and they don't disappoint. Staff is always super friendly and we always have a good time when we sit in for lunch. The reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5, is because when we ordered take out everything was amazing and huge portions. When we sat in the portions were just a tad smaller, it wasn't a huge difference but noticeable. Otherwise awesome place to get Chinese food in south Elgin. read more

I love eating chinese food in Silver lake. The service is great and there is quality food. Te portions are hige

placed a large order and they nailed it. the food came promptly and was still piping hot. order was exactly what we asked for. if you want great Chinese this is a great option, worth every penny. read more

I really like the Silver Lake. I truly enjoy the orange beef, not terribly authentic but very tasty. They also have a nice spicy hot and sour soup. The Chef's specialties are their better dishes. read more

First of all, it is important to note that we were the only table in the restaurant. After waiting 45 minutes for food, the order was wrong. Once the right food was brought to the table it was ice cold. The waiter spend the entire time sweeping dirt and dust in the dining room while we ate, so once we received our rice (the only thing that was served warm) we were too grossed out to eat it... all the while the entire kitchen staff sat a few tables away enjoying a warm meal... terrible service, worse food and the manager didn't bother to apologize. Definitely will not return, and will not recommend this place to anyone. If zero stars were an option, I would have gladly given them none. read more

The worst Kung Pao I have ever had. Most of the meals are very salty and have a thick gravy like sauce on them. I am a big fan of Chinese food, but not from Silver Lake. read more

Just had the worst Chinese food I've ever had - off of their lunch menu. Would never go back. read more

Very shocked. Ordered the chicken fried rice with extra chicken. As I started eating the fried rice I became very confused as to what I was eating. The chicken was cut into perfect small cubical chucks with black dots on them. They were spongy and didn't resemble any chicken that I know of. I was even thinking that it was probably tofu and not chicken. I was so disgusted that I called the restaurant to find out what it was that I was eating. Shocked, the girl on the phone said she wasn't sure what it is and had to ask. After a few minutes she came back on the phone and said it was some sort of a TURKEY product and that I have to ask for white meat to get chicken when ordering chicken fried rice! OMG, I still don't know if it was actually even meat. I will never return and might even call the health department. read more

My husband and I are new to the area and have tried a couple different Chinese restaurants. This one has been the best. Great sweet and sour chicken. The sesame chicken was really great also. read more