I have been here dozens of times and food is always consistent. Their smoothies are amazing as well. Pictured here is the spicy and crispy chicken, it is my go-to dish. Chicken w/ 3 peppers is almost the same, just with bell peppers along with it. I also have the shredded beef with chili pepper. It is spicy, beef is a bit crispy on the outside, but chewy. The meals here come with white rice. Usually one dish gets me 2 meals. Containers are also microwave reheat-able and I've never had anything leak on me unlike at other restaurants in the area. read more

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I heard about this business from a colleague of mine when I lived and worked in Georgia. He knows the family who opened the restaurant and told me it was authentic Chinese food. Naturally, I was looking forward to trying Szechuan House. The restaurant is a nice space with lots of seating. Menus on the wall are in Mandarin (I think) but the printed menu has both English and Chinese characters. Now, I only got take out for lunch so I can't comment on wait staff or service, but my order was ready in less than five minutes after ordering. That's pretty impressive. I ordered the broccoli with beef lunch special. The meal was very tasty, but there were a few minor areas that could be improved. First, the beef is sliced very very thinly. That's nice, the beef is very tender and not chewy. Sadly, that meant I couldn't really taste the beef under the flour coating. I also got a lot of fat. The broccoli though was nice and crisp, just as I like it. The sauce has soy and garlic, as you would expect, and isn't overly salty or sweet. It's nicely balanced. In addition to the bits of gristle, I'm deducting one star because my to-go package didn't include any sauces, chopsticks, or a fortune cookie. Also, the lunch special isn't what I would consider a traditional lunch special. The "special" is the price; the meal does not come with anything other than the main and rice. No eggroll, soup, or drink. read more

Delicious. Huge portions and hot steamy food. I was intimidated by the menu at first cause I hate going ti new chinese food places. (Ive had bad experiences paying alot of money for awful food) but this place was worth the money in my opinion. read more

I've tried most of the Chinese restaurants in Ames, and this is top 3. It's my go-to Chinese restaurant for a few reasons: 1. The food is great - Seems like a no-brainier, but I can't speak highly enough about their food. I've never had a bad meal here, and I try different things each time. 2. The portions are large - I've never left here hungry, and usually leave with a second meal. 3. The price is right - Prices are good here, not Panda Express good, but I wouldn't expect that. When I consider the portion sizes though, it's a great value. Biggest area for improvement is service. They tend to be understaffed when busy, and their service suffers. I recommend going during slower times, as service is fine then. Overall, don't hesitate to stop here! 4/5 stars, but would be 5/5 if their service improved. Try the Spicy Crispy Chicken or Pan Fried Pork, as both are incredible! read more

Szechuan House - Potstickers - #18 on the menu - Szechuan Near Me - Ames, Iowa

We ordered for carry out and it was ready fast and food was good. Staff was friendly and food seems authentic. Crab Rangoons were fantastic. Would recommend. read more

I like this restaurant now and again. The portions are huge. I like the unique options. Seriously, the ox tongue is delicious. I understand some may not like this choice but it is well executed and I find it delicious. Adventurous eaters should be reassured. I get the rabbit dry hot pot. The peppercorns are fragrant and floral almost. Do not choose the rabbit if you want your meat deboned. Its time consuming to eat. The same meal is good with different meats. I find the portion sizes to be enough to share. I have had many things on the menu and it has been hit and miss from ho hum to good. I stick with the hot pots now. The steam buns with meat were good but I have had better. It would be a good try for a table to share as an appetizer. read more

I don't like to post negative reviews but the quality of the dishes we had here were very poor. Staff was nice and the quantity was very generous but the Basic Chicken Pad Thai was clearly just a ketchup based dish. And every other dish including the soup was not good flavors and very oily. read more

Loved the hot pot! It was the perfect for 4 people. I'll definitely return to continue exploring the menu!

My husband and I stopped here on our way to Nebraska for the August 2017 solar eclipse. The food was so good, we wished we'd had about eight other people with us so we could order a wider variety of dishes. We had fish and tofu in spicy/numbing sauce and dry cooked string beans. Both were as good as any versions we've had in the Bay Area--but we were in Ames, Iowa! How cool is that? Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. I will stop here again on my next road trip. read more

If I could give this a zero I would. I highly recommend not going in because the service was the worst I've ever had in my life. They stopped at our table once for our drink and food order, and never came back. Nobody ever came to ask how our food was the entire time. We found hair in our food and rice. The sesame chicken was mostly breading and no chicken. The only other time the waitress come to our table was to drop off the check. Once we went to pay, we told them about the chicken and she brought the plate to the front of the restaurant to argue with us, then proceeded to swipe the credit card. They didn't do anything to address our terrible food and service, just argued. read more

Still absolutely love this place. Comfort food to the max. Speedy service with a smile. Pretty authentic.

I really wanted to like this place because people I know really love it. However, I didn't have the best experience here. I sat in a booth with an ant farm under the table. The hotpot didn't come with dipping sauces so I ordered sauces with an upcharge and they were gross. I don't even know if they were meant to dip in as you normally would when eating hotpot. They also charged me for rice. The bill came to about $65 for two people. Overall, the food was worth about 3 stars. The dining experience earns about 1 star due to the ant farm. I am a bit disappointed because I was hoping it was authentic Chinese Food . . . But it wasn't a place I would refer my friends and family to based on my experience. read more

Best, most authentic spot in town. We find ourselves getting the same thing every time we are here, but that's because they're so good.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Whenever my friends or coworkers want to go out we come here and eat family style! The dishes are so authentically Szechuan. I came home from a month in Sichuan province in China and Szechuan house really hit the spot when I was craving that food! The staff is friendly, they don't always speak a ton of english but they'll always try their best. read more

I've been to this restaurant a few times before and have never had a problem with the food or experience. Today I went with a friend and he ordered the Pad Thai. When we got the plate it immediately turned us off, we could see the noodles were orange and it made us leery. He was optimistic and decided to try it. It tasted terrible and he coule immediately taste a ketchup flavor. He asked how they made it and they said the ingredients and that they put ketchup in it. So basically my point is don't order Pad Thai because they make it with a disgusting sauce which includes ketchup. read more

Szechuan House - *see review* we ordered pad thai and it has ketchup in it. Very gross, do not suggest it for anyone. - Szechuan Near Me - Ames, Iowa

The best Chinese food in Ames and surrounding areas. Authentic Chinese food and they have dishes that other places do not have. Highly recommended. read more

My husband I live near this restaurant, and wondered if it was possible for yet another Chinese restaurant to succeed in this area - I mean, there are at least 5 other Asian restaurants within a mile or so (not counting the HyVee!), some of them pretty good. Our experience at Szechuan House made us optimistic for them. Yes, it's definitely more expensive than the others. But it's also a much different experience - as someone else noted, there are menu items that you just don't get elsewhere. My husband had the dry braised lamb hotpot and I had tofu with vegetables, and we both absolutely loved our food. The decor is improved from the Cazador (may it rest in peace), and we did not have any service problems at all - prompt seating, prompt and courteous service, checking on us, all the things you would want. The photo menu was helpful, too - ask for one if you are having trouble deciding and they didn't give you one. Can't assess the bar offerings yet, as they are not yet licensed, so we just had water. I looked longingly at the bubble tea, but ate too much! Will this be our "Go-to" restaurant? Well, yes, definitely, at lunch, or when we feel flush with money and have budgeted for a nice dinner for guests or the family. (But we will probably still trade with our other neighboring providers, as well, as sometimes you just need fast, cheap food. Plus, we believe in supporting local vendors.) So, to sum: If you're willing to try something fresh and delicious, and can spend $30-40 or so on dinner for two without agony, you should ABSOLUTELY GO! In fact, take your lunch to work 3 days this week, hang on to the 18 bucks you save and put them with the $20 you would spend at a lesser place, and give yourself a treat for a dinner date. read more

just dont go there, we order a slicedin special sweet and sour sauce there. The flour is all over the fish, even more than the fish and it's not crispy at all!! The Dry Braised Frog Legw Spicy Sauce in Hot Pot is full of green paper or mushroom, only a little bit frog leg, and it costs u $20, just dont't try! The Ox Tongue and Triplew Chili Sauce, is not spicy at all, taste sweet. Overall, we dont recommend it. read more

Wow--finally a good Chinese restaurant in town. There's stuff on the menu I haven't seen since I lived in the SF Bay Area and was able to go to Chinatown for my Chinese food fix. I've tried several things here now (it's the first Chinese restaurant in town I've been to more than once) and I haven't been disappointed yet. The food that is marked as "spicy" is more midwest spicy than authentic spicy, but last time I asked them to bump it up and it was great. They do have a picture menu, but it's not as robust as the actual menu and it seemed to include more common dishes rather than the more unusual ones. The service has been good both times I've been here, but I guess I've gone at less popular times because the restaurant has never been full (as reported by some other reviews). Yes, the food here is a bit more expensive than some of the other Chinese places in town, but the quality and portion sizes are worth it. Try it--you won't regret it! read more

Hands down the cleanest looking Chinese restaurant in Ames and get this ... even their food is great quality! The higher prices are well worth the quality of the food. I have been here a few times and have tried the Mao Po Tofu (spicy tofu with pork bits) and Sichuan Eggplant. Both were great but the best menu item I have had is the Shredded Beef with Spicy Capsicum. The serving sizes are large and I have never left without a to-go box! read more

My brother has been raving about this place for hot pot place for awhile but I haven't had time to check it out because I live all the way in West Des Moines. He also has a habit of over hyping places so, its not that I don't trust his review but I don't expect it to be as great as he says. I will only be reviewing the hot pot and the service. Service was great, she sat us at the table but once we told her that we wanted hotpot she politely asked us to move to a table to be more comfortable for the hot pot. The person who brought out the hotpot was also cool. We got checked on often and we were able to order more after we finished our first serving. I accidentally dropped a shrimp on the floor because I'm bad at chop sticks and she was nice about rinsing it off and bringing it back. Hot pot was great, we got the half to half combination, the spicy, and the normal side, I forgot what the specific flavor it was but it was great. I would have to say the spicy is pretty spicy, there is a ton of peppers and pepper corns in there. I think next time (when) I go, before we start putting stuff in there to take out all the peppers and pepper corns. Its just way too much stuff in the the soup. We kind of got a mix of everything on the hot pot menu but I will have to say the fatty beef was the best. I do like the tripe also but fatty beef is what makes it better than doing it at home. Sometimes tripe can taste a bit bad if you don't clean it correctly but that was not the case here, still taste fresh. All in all it was pretty good and I would put it as a 3.5 if I could but rounded up. Mostly because so much pepper and peppercorn in the spicy soup but that preference I guess. read more

Great stop. Our food came out in a matter of minutes on a carry out order late at night. Great flavor on food and some exotic dishes I want to try on my next visit. read more

The food is authentic and always consistent. This place ruined Chinese food for me anywhere else.

This place used to be good when it first opened. The quality of food has declined and the food now does not justify the rather expensive prices. They used to give extra bowls of rice free of charge but they apparently have stopped. Our bill for 3 people was around 50 dollars, I figure that at least warrants an additional bowl.... When we asked why there was an extra charge, the server was very rude. The food is alright, but more expensive than many other places with the same quality, not to mention almost all other Asian restaurants have extra free rice or soup. I would pass on this place as it has greatly declined in the quality of food and service. read more

Very great food, and portion sizes. Went on a Wednesday evening and was seated and served immediately. We ordered apps and one entree but got everything at once. Happy with everything. read more

I had the lamb and cumin and it was delicious. The atmosphere was chill and there was a huge selection of food even for the more picky eaters. The only problem I had was that they had no music playing. One more authentic Chinese restaurant in Ames and the portion was worth the price. Will recommend to friends read more

Excellent food and the staff if tuna nd kind. I would recommend for families and business or dates. Great place.

Greasy and loud. Too bad, because food seems authentic. Won't go back again. Got to keep writing to post, but have nothing more to say

If you like chicken and spice, you have to try #72: Chicken w. Spicy & Sour Garlic Sauce. IT IS THE BEST AND YOU WILL NOT REGRET I get this dish almost every time I come to this restaurant. Their fried rice is also one of the best in all of Iowa (coming from an Asian person, I'd say that is credible enough!) They have a lot of other amazing dishes as well! This restaurant has the typical American-Chinese food which I have found is ok. Their food that shines are the authentic Schezuan cooking. If you are willing to try something out of your comfort zone, definitely try it! I live 30-35 minutes away now after college and when I am in Ames, I make sure to stop here and grab something that will satisfy my craving. I have a saying that if service is slacking then the food should make up for it. And that saying rings true here. Their service is closer to the service that would be provided overseas, but their food makes up for every little bit. read more

Amazing food and great COVID procedure. We order here more than our wallets can handle because it's so good. 10/10 highly recommend

No service. Add 15% tips, still had very bad attitude to customs. Not authentic Chinese food. Do Not recommend.

Excellent service, food, & experience. Server was very helpful in suggesting options. Crab rangoons were the best I've had. Chicken spicy & sour garlic was amazing. Perfect mix of flavors. Will definitely be back! read more

A perfect place for spicy Chinese food. I am from China, and I would like to have food in this restaurant for every meal. The lamb they have is the feature. read more

One of the best Asian places in town! Food is authentic and they even have hot pot! One of the first places I ate at when I moved here. The service is very good as well! They also do delivery which o have definitely splurged on. read more

Went there today and got the orange chicken (fantastic) and the beef pad Thai. It was the worst pad Thai I had ever had and I couldn't even eat it. I politely told the wait staff and they refused to replace the meal or comp or discount the bill because 'they already made the food'. I've been before and the food was good this instance was just horrible! This is the first time I've written a review on Yelp because the food and the service was just not up to par. I work in the service industry and I know it's hard to please everyone but if a table says they're food is inedible you at least TRY to fix it, not just wave it off because I didn't order the 'right' thing on the menu. read more

Good place. Food is really authentic. So it may not be suitable for all. It can also be a bit greasy. Having said that, the staff are great, very gracious. Good tasting food and service is good. Will go again. read more

Showed up around 6:30. Waited in the front with no other customers. Watched several staff members walk by without making any sort of contact with us. Eventually I asked if we should seat ourselves. The staff person told us to come back a different day and that their kitchen was too busy. By the looks of it, only a few tables were occupied. I also noted a handmade sign on the door saying the restaurant was closed from 3:00 -4:30 as they needed a break. I will give them one more shot in a week or two and change my review if it's warranted. read more

Best Chinese in town, in my opinion! The Chicken with spicy sour garlic sauce is my favorite. Their bubble tea is the best, too. I would come there for that alone! Definitely recommend. read more

Szechuan House - Peach bubble tea - Szechuan Near Me - Ames, Iowa

It is the largest Chinese restaurant in Ames, I think. But, there is no surprise. A little sweet Sezchuan dish and rude service are ridiculous. Expensive price with low quality, don't waste your money. read more

Great place probably best Chinese food in Ames. Affordable lunch & dinner, good service and close to campus. Check this place out!