I just HAD to share this incredible restaurant on Yelp. This is Szechuan/Western Chinese cooking like you won't find anywhere else in N. Florida! They have all the spices and spice levels down. I always make sure to have some business to do in Gainesville even though I live 40 minutes away just so I can eat here. Was in Gainesville recently so I made my usual stop in for a lunch of cumin lamb bao and beef in dry wok. Wow! It was fantastic. They'll really spice it up with lots of hot pepper and mouth-numbing Szechuan pepper corns and will not hold back if you request so (see the receipt pic I posted). I've also had the mapo tofu, cumin lamb dinner and dan dan noodles here and it's been a 20/10 every time. I posted pix of those here too. Probably the best dan dan I've ever had. If you like this style of Chinese cooking, you MUST go here! Definitely worth a trip to Gainesville or if you just happen to find yourself there and are looking for a great place to eat. If you live there, lucky you! As good as or even better than anything I've had in NYC. read more

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Definitely worth visiting. The menu has everything you want and more. The quality of food was fresh and delicious. The taste was better than most Asian restaurants. Service was excellent and prices are fair. Love love this place. read more

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Sohao is one of my favorite places in Gainesville to grab a lunch or dinner! I would definitely suggest ordering family-style to sample several different dishes (this is also how most of the food comes anyways)! Service is great, highly recommend! read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I've been coming to Sohao for years, and it never disappoints! The service is always great, and the food is so yummy. It can get pretty busy on the weekends, so expect a wait at peak times. I love the Vegetable Dumplings, Hot Dry Noodles, General Tao's Tofu, Salt & Pepper Eggplant, and Sichuan String Beans. The menu is pretty large with plenty of options for vegetarians. read more

I came here for a catch up dinner with friends and heard great things so I was excited to try them. I had the cucumber salad, pan-fried dumplings, Godmother Spicy Pork Belly Bao, edamame. The service was excellent and out server was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu with recommendations. The ambiance was nice as well. Definitely will be back! read more

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Great service,ambiance, and large portions . My favorite Asian food in Gainesville. I will be back for more. read more

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The service was great! The server let us know which soups had pork/beef/chicken broth. Food was great. Portion size was huge - easily shareable between 2-3 people. Ambiance was nice as well. read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - "Old Mother" Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Sohao Street Fare Café - Second Visit Went back to Sohao Cafe for lunch--second time around because I felt like I needed to give it another shot. Plus, someone recommended I try the Spicy Ginger Garlic Beef, and said it was amazing. Right off: Quick service. Fresh feel. Relaxed vibe. Started with the spring roll: as my Latino-American tradition goes, I need a little crunch and fried to start. Crispy outside, soft and tasty inside. Thank you! Now back to the main dish, this was either going to be a total prank or a flavor win. It was very good. Warning: it packs heat. Like, makes-you-sweat-a-bit heat. But it's worth it. The veggies were tender-crisp combo, and the beef was super tender, so full of flavor. I appreciated the carved veggie decor. Honestly, The previous visit left me wondering if I had caught an off. This time, they delivered. read more

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Came here to celebrate my birthday with my family. First time trying out this restaurant and was really impressed by the food. Appetizer- Pan fried pork dumpling Entrees- Sizzling Chicken, this was everyone's favorite Mongolian Beef was okay nothing special honestly would pass on this Sichuan Chicken was our second favorite and very flavorful The server we had was attentive but rushing clearly understaffed and overwhelmed. Can't wait to come back again but for someone eating here for the first time they may need time to look at the menu. read more

The food here is delicious and comes out piping hot! I have had their noodle dishes in the past which were always tasty, but today we went with some chicken rice bowls and both were good also! The prices are a little high but nothing crazy. There was a bit of a wait to get seated as it was very crowded, and the food took a while to come out but you could tell it was fresh. The ambiance is nice with some decorations around, but can get pretty loud. Overall a pretty good restaurant! read more

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This is refreshingly authentic compared to other places in the Gainesville area. Service was good and they took the time to ask about allergies. I was really thrilled with their spicy cumin lamb bao. Well put together with the spices at a nicely balanced level. The bao was fresh and that was really tasty. read more

Great service, diverse menu. Very good hot and sour soup, great moo shu pork. Super thin and surprisingly sturdy pancakes. Also had the roasted duck. I ordered the photo on the menu which was boneless roasted duck. There was also roasted duck with bones on the menu. Two different prices. Two seemingly different dishes. Same dish. I got roasted dry duck. Wasn't worth 23 dollars. Would not order it again. With all the Asian choices available.... Great service though. read more

We visited So Hao Café for the first time and came away with a bit of a mixed experience -- but overall, a positive one that definitely has us planning to return. We started with the wonton soup, which was visually beautiful. The broth had a rich, inviting color and the wontons themselves were excellent -- thin, delicate wrappers with a very flavorful filling. Unfortunately, the broth itself was a bit underwhelming and lacked depth. A touch of hot mustard helped bring it to life, but it needed more natural flavor on its own. The standout dish of the meal was the Mu Shu Pork. Absolutely fantastic. The portion was generous and the flavor reminded us of classic Mu Shu from WoHop in NYC's Chinatown -- high praise. The pancakes were incredibly thin, almost paper-like and nearly translucent, yet soft and perfect for wrapping. This dish alone makes us want to come back. The Bang Bang noodles were another dish that looked beautiful when served, but the flavor didn't quite match the presentation. The sauce seemed watered down and there was quite a bit of liquid in the bowl, which muted the overall taste. It felt very close to being great, just not fully there yet. Overall, this was a mixed but promising first visit. There's clearly real skill in the kitchen, and when the flavors hit, they hit well. We will definitely be back and look forward to trying more dishes -- and we'll happily update this review after our next visit. read more

Authentic schezwan food at affordable prices with great service. We came on a weekday evening with a party of 7 and were quickly seated. Ordered Scallion Pancakes, General Tao's Tofu, Spicy Cumin lamb bao, chongqing chili fish filet, bang bang noodles veg, bang bang noodles chicken, zha jiang vegetables, dry pepper eggplant. Scallion pancakes were light, airy, crispy must order! Chongqing chili fish and dry pepper eggplant had similar flavor profiles but both delicious, fried crispy with salty and mildly spicy savory goodness. Bang bang noodles were peanuty and creamy (if peanut is to your liking) while zha jiang was more dark soy savory - both had the same noodles. They gave lots of vegetables with the veg options. Clean and modern. read more

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While we have our favorites like the crispy pork tenderloin with sweet ginger special (please consider bringing it back), we decided to try different dishes today. New-to-us dishes include boss chili tofu, sweet and sour fish filet and broccoli with garlic (which was on today's specials menu). Takoyaki and salt and pepper anything are always reliably tasty from Sohao! Boss chili tofu- deliciously savory and spicy curry tofu Sweet and sour fish filet- not your typical sweet and sour dish. Has undertones of what tastes like Chinese 5 spice? Yum! Broccoli and garlic- garlicky deliciousness Overall, we would order all of these dishes again! The staff at Sohao are always friendly and accommodating. Dear Sohao chef, keep doing what you're doing! Your food is always delicious! read more

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Finally! Great Chinese food is hard to find but Sohao does a great job!! Had beef and broccoli, General Tso's and shrimp and rice noodles. The portions are huge and everything was delicious. Will definitely be back. Service was excellent and they kindly let us linger. read more

visited my friend in Gainesville and she couldn't recommend this place enough! for three hungry girls we had chicken fried rice, stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, Mongolian beef, and sichuan string beans. great portions and decent prices! we went for lunch time on a Saturday, which I recommend because I heard it can get pretty busy in the evenings read more

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We have been coming to SoHao for over 5 years now averaging once every 3 months. And not once have we been disappointed. Food is truly delicious and flavorful. We have tried several - both the spicy to mild to no spice. All good. Pork, chicken, fish, beef , lamb. My grandson likes the takoyaki among other things. I recommend the soft shell crab with salt and pepper. But this place has a thick menu book and you can't go wrong with any. Just be adventurous! Even the veggies. Water spinach and eggplant stand out. Service is excellent - top notch. Wei gives great suggestions but we have not been lucky to be in her assigned table the last few times. This last time we had Ceci (Hua Qing in Chinese) and she was very good too. Great suggestion with the Mao Cai with lamb. Huge serving good for at least 3 to 4 adults. Ambiance is definitely casual. Not very loud even if the place is full. Totally recommending this place. Even if you're just passing thru Gainesville, stop by for lunch or dinner. Not more than 10 minutes from the exits off 75. Definitely worth it. read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Soft Soft-Shell Crab - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Good eats! Don't expect to get orange chicken and mall Chinese food, this is sichuan mala and other authentic food with an upscale casual feel. Love the painted Chinese Opera Masks decorating the dining room. Greeted and seated in the booth with a bottle of water. Service was attentive and friendly. Food was wonderful. We started with the Spicy Chili Wontons that had good meat filling and chili oil. The Grandma Braised Pork Belly was sumptuous for those seeking non-spicy option with wood ear, fried tofu, bamboo shoot, mushroom slices, potato and braised sauce that pairs well with rice. The Spicy Fish Fillet with silken tofu, salt pepper and chili sauce was excellent. Definitely will be back to try something else on the menu. Enjoy!! read more

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This place has great authentic Chinese food! I tried the double cooked pork, pork intestines in a dry wok, stir fried snow peas with garlic, butter chicken, and pickled bokchoy fish. Everything was very good! The customer service was also good and the decorations around the restaurant looked cool! I'll definitely be back! read more

My family members love going here whenever they visit from Gainesville, so I tried it the first time with them before I was leaving to go back home back in 2023 and I loved it ever since!! Ming who remember me countless time whenever I visit Gainesville always give me the best service! I always asked if she is working just to say hello to her! The food there is absolutely amazing especially the bao buns they are so yummy !!! read more

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Sohao has moved its way to my #1 Chinese food place in town. I have never had a bad experience here, whether dining in or doing take out. The food tastes fresh and comes out very quickly. The restaurant itself is spacious and has many different seating options. We always have a polite and friendly server. We typically order the green beans, fish hot pot, and the dry noodles, which are all somewhat spicy. We order fried rices or lo mein as a non spicy option. read more

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Generous portions, sturdy takeout boxes, though a tad on the salty and oily side. Beef Brisket was decent, with a slight tanginess? Dry Pot Spare Ribs: wish they could have more veggies Chicken over Rice: didn't quite resemble traditional one, but still tasty with plenty of mushrooms. Their rice bowl portions are huge and packed with veggies! White cut chicken: it comes with succulent chicken skin and a savory ginger-scallion sauce, albeit a bit salty. Overall, a hearty spot for a satisfying meal! read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I went to Sohao way back when they first opened but at that time, they only had a few street food options and were frequently out of stuff. Now, they've merged with Gator Suyaki and expanded their menu with more dinner-type options like you could get at Suyaki. The majority of the food is Sichuan, which I love, but isn't for everyone so be careful what you order. That said, I have found that their Sichuan dishes are a little milder than you might find elsewhere. My wife and I ordered the spicy veggie dumplings, shrimp bao, mapo tofu, and salt and pepper tofu. Every single thing we got was fantastic, though we both wished the salt and pepper tofu had a dipping sauce. The mapo tofu was so good, and was even better when I ate the leftovers the next day (see the photo). I felt like I got a lot of food for a great price. Sohao offers many dishes that you can't find at other Chinese spots in town, so if you're looking for something new (or just Sichuanese), give them a shot. read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Mapo tofu rice bowl - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Great vast large menu Lunch specials Dim sum items Vegetarian delights Staff friendly and knowledgeable read more

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Checking out this place has been on my bucket list and I finally got to try it. There are so many options you can choose from that we did not know what to order. Hence, we took recommendation from the server and ordered various foods (not all shown in the photo). Enjoyed the portion and taste of the food here and this is now my go-to Chinese restaurant in town. If you are in town, recommend checking it out! read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Sichuan beef cucumber - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This place has authentic Chinese food, but I do think some of their dishes were lacking in flavor. I've ordered takeout from Sohao a while back, but this time around, I ended up dining in with my friends. The service was great and the restaurant decor is fun and modern with all the painted Chinese opera masks. My party ended up ordering their salt and pepper pork ribs, lychee chicken, and the sweet and sour pork. The salt and pepper pork ribs were overcooked and lacked some of the flavors I've had in renditions of the same dish at other Canto restaurants in New York and south Florida. The lychee chicken ended up tasting very similarly to the sweet and sour pork, and both were overly sweet without any other flavors balancing it out. I feel like this place might be better for Sichuanese dishes. I'd probably give this place another try and order new menu items next time. read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Great find in the Gainesville area! Food was yummy, good portions and good price, absolutely no complaints except that we had to wait but that just attests to how good it is. We got the dan dan noodles and the braised minced pork rice bowl. Both items were $12.95 each and each item could definitely have fed two people. The dan-dan noodles are tossed with Sichuan but it doesn't really have the Sichuan flavor, just a slight spiciness. Really great flavor and good amount of toppings. The braised minced pork was a generous portion of rice, pork and an egg. I really liked the fact that the minced pork was already mixed into the rice and that there was a good amount of pork. Sometimes, places will just put it on top and it ultimately ends up never being enough pork to rice ratio but since Sohao mixed it in, I had pork in every bite. Service was quick and efficient and the overall ambience was quite nice. A lovely aroma of well seasoned food permeated the air and it was brightly lit and well laid out. Great bang for your buck and delicious too. We got what are, arguably, basic dishes, and I think that if they can perform so splendidly for such simple dishes, their finer stuff should definitely be delightful. read more

This is one of my favorite spots in town! I love to dine family-style and order several plates for the table. Usually each person picking one dish is more than enough food! My must-have dish is Szechuan eggplant, it's so dang good. If you like flavors from that region or eggplant, do yourself a favor and order it. The scallion pancakes are usually a crowd pleaser as well. Service is usually prompt and efficient, appreciate that! read more

We had such a delightful and delicious experience!! This was our second time in and we will be back!! Upon walking in we were greeted and Sat immediately and the server was warm, sincere and efficient. He got right back to us and took our drink order and offered help with the menu. We were checked on often but he never hovered and we never felt like we needed anything because he was always two steps ahead Sesame balls-- this was our first time trying these and now I am hooked!! Little dough pillows warm and soft with a slight honey coating filled with slightly sweet bean paste -- LOVED!! Pan fried dumplings - these were filled with pork and were among some of the best I've ever had. Cooked to perfection with a great sauce - LOVED Spicy dumplings- Delicious and not too too hot- the heat came at the end- LOVED I had the pineapple-chicken fried rice. The portion size was generous and it was very flavorful. This was not a spicy dish. My son had the dry noodles with chicken and we were all quite shocked at what a creative and delicious meal it was. Like the dumplings they were not super hot but had a heat at the end. The peanuts were clever and delightful- noodles cooked to perfection!! Hubby had the Szechuan chicken and he loved it. I did not try it but he chowed it down so fast it was like he hadn't eaten in days!! Be sure to try the ginger iced tea. It was unique and very memorable!! read more

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Such a gem of a restaurant in the area! The food is so good and the portions are massive for the price. Service is quick and easy and there's options for everyone on the menu! We got the boss tofu and I can't stop thinking about it. read more

First time to Sohao yesterday and it was great! The food, atmosphere, and service were fantastic! The food is shareable style. So between my husband and I we had braised pork bao buns for appetizer and to share we had the chongqing chili chicken and shrimp noodles. The bao bun was nice and soft and the pork was very tender and flavorful! The chicken was delicious and spicy and the shrimp noodles were well balanced with protein, noodles, and vegetables. The service was quick and effective! The ambiance is more of a casual vibe for a bite with family and friends. read more

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Happy start of Asian Pacific Islander heritage month!! I have heard mixed reviews about Sohao but wanted to give it a try when my parents visited town. I was mind blown by the traditional Chinese entrees that were on the menu, and so were my Chinese parents. If you miss or want to try a glimpse of ethnic Asian food, definitely give Sohao a try. The menu is also translated into Chinese:) You must try the Dan Dan Noodles, they are a childhood favorite of mine and are made so deliciously here. There's bits of pork and peanuts sprinkled in the noodles, and a slight sweet and savory flavor. The Eggplant in garlic sauce had such a rich flavor, almost like a sweet and tangy taste. The Sichuan Spicy Boiled Beef has a spicy kick to it and tasted just as it should. Finally, the Pork intestine in Dry Wok was surprisingly very yummy, the chewiness of the pork balanced well with the added vegetables. My only complaint is that we waited around 40 minutes for our food, but I'd say it was worth it! read more

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Their attitudes towards different races, wasn't welcomed in here not even for take out, never again. Food wasn't good.

This experience was great. We loved every item and the service was great. We came in for dinner on a Friday night and it was busy. Eventhough we ordered a soup and dumplings for appetizer we got our main dishes first. I guess their strategy is to send the food out as soon as it is ready so it doesnt sit there and get cold which is reasonable. read more

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I have been meaning to stop here for a while now, I enjoy Sichuan cooking very much and have passed by this restaurant over the past few months. Thankfully I finally stopped by because the service and food at stellar. The tables are spaced well apart and feels spacious, which is not extremely common in Asian restaurants. I ordered the Sichuan wontons and the fish fillet in dry pot, both were amazing! They peanut sauce and spicy chili oil they serve with the wontons is a combination of sweet and spicy! Th dry pot fish was flavorful and had a bit of "ma-la" or mouth numbing through spice flavor. Highly recommended! read more

Sohao Street Fare Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I came here with two friends after work and it wasn't too crowded so we immediately got a table. Our waitress was very friendly and made good suggestions from the menu since we had never been before. I ordered the sichuan chili wonton and the Huan pork belly. The portion sizes were large and they were bursting with authentic flavor. Warning, it was very spicy (well, for me at least, your average Caucasian). My friends ordered the eggplant in garlic sauce, soya tofu bao, spicy edamame, and the General Tao's tofu. Everyone enjoyed their meal with some lychee sake as well. Overall I was really impressed all around with the food, atmosphere, and service at Sahao, and I look forward to going back soon. read more

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I was first introduced to this restaurant by a friend who had it featured it for a takeout dinner. All of the variety of dishes, fish, eggplant, chicken, tofu, wonton, were so incredibly delicious that I KNEW I had to experience in person. Fast forward to dining in, and I was not disappointed. The spicy wontons are outstanding. They were indeed quite spicy but not blister-your-mouth hot. For dinner I opted for the Chonqing chili chicken with extra spice and friend rice. Superb. By far the best Asian fare in Gainesville. There are actually real pieces of chicken and they are fried to a crispy perfection. For me the only downside is that the service is quite slow, but that's par for the course in this climate so I excused it. Another plus is there are choices for every palate. Can't wait to try more! read more

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Authentic Szechuan, friendly service! I missed Gator Suyaki when I moved away from Gainesville, and was dismayed to see it gone when I returned. When I found out Sohao Street Fare Cafe merged with Gator Suyaki, I knew I had to try it. Szechuan chicken, my favorite dish, was still on their menu, and I was delighted to taste that it was prepared the same way! Real Szechuan peppercorns, unlike other restaurants around here that seem to think Cayenne is an appropriate substitute. Thin slices of tender chicken melted in my mouth with the deep slow burn of Szechuan peppercorns I missed. Carrot stars and green beans also cooked perfectly--not overdone. Ordered as bento, it came with a spring roll, rice, side salad, and spiced egg. Spring roll was delicious! The salad was pretty unique, I've never had one like it before, very tasty. The egg is the only reason why I deducted a star--overcooked and bland. The service was exceptionally friendly and fast! Everyone smiled and tended to our needs. It didn't take long to receive our orders. Atmosphere was pretty quiet midday, it would be a great place to bring friends to talk! read more

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Consistantly good. One of my favorites in gainesville. Original and tasty dishes that you don't find elsewhere.