It was better than expected! I got the Orange Chicken with fried rice. Plenty of food for a reasonable price. We got take out for my step brothers belated shortly after Christmas birthday. Everyone else in my family was happy with their choice as well. read more

I have decided to come out of Yelp retirement to profess my love for Szechuan Opera, the ONLY place in Rochester to get legitimate Sichuan food, like they serve in China. I hate when someone claims to be an "authority" on a particular category of food, but I feel that after living in China for the past nine years in a household with two Chinese women, eating primarily Chinese food both at home and when dining out, I have developed a palate that can distinguish good Chinese food from not good Chinese food. This is good Chinese food...if you order right. And like spicy food. Szechuan Opera does not tone down its dishes to soothe the tongues of the uninitiated; rather, it drops them in front of you and forces you decide whether or not you really like Sichuan food. We ordered the Beef and Tripe in Chili Sauce, Peking Duck buns (gua bao with duck), Special Dry Pot, and Shrimp Mei Fun (for our toddler). Everything was excellent. We especially enjoyed the dry pot, which featured all the spices, ingredients, and ma la tingle that we expect when dining in restaurants in Beijing. The proteins included beef, fish, shrimp, and spam (SUPER authentic!). There were slices of lotus root, wood ear fungus, potatoes, tofu skin, and broccoli. There were no ingredients added to help westerners feel more comfortable, like snow peas, baby corn, or bok choy. It was like a breath of fresh (or chokingly spicy) air when compared to basically every other Chinese restaurant in the greater Rochester area. Yes, even Tsingtao House. I'm putting them on blast after spending $120 and not getting anything that satisfied my Chinese food cravings. A pro tip regarding the dry pot: combine the leftover dry pot sauce and ingredients in a wok with new ingredients the next day, prepare some rice, and now you have another meal! We had leftover imitation crab legs, lobster balls, thinly sliced meat, scallops, shrimp, and spinach from hot pot and the result was a huge bowl of delicious spicy food. The beef and tripe was just right (aka swimming in chili oil), the duck buns were probably the second best gua bao in Rochester, and my son loved the mei fun, which had the perfect wok hei flavor that is often missing in local restaurants. The 50 minute drive for takeout was totally worth it and it is safe to say we definitely be back, once our colons have recovered. read more

Szechuan Opera - Still dreaming about this Dry Pot! F21. Special Dry Pot - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've gotten take-away and dined in a couple times. I like Szechuan peppercorns for their tingling/numbing sensation and mood boosting effects. I always wake up happy the next morning after having spicy Szechuan dishes. Brief assessment followed by yes/no if I would order again. I do this for my future self. E4. Pumpkin Pies and Sesame Balls - delicious, yes Q10. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - good, could be more dry/crunchy, yes F16. Boiled Fish in Hot Chili Oil Sauce - spicy, also with wood ear mushroom, 1/2the sauce is literally oil that you need to skim off. Yes E9 Egg Custard Bun(3) - smooth and creamy, yes E9 Crispy Durian Puff(3) - expensive, depends. yes. V8. Sea Cucumber w. Mushroom Dumpling (3)- interesting to try at least once. The outside is the cucumber stuffed with mushroom. No. G5. Soupy Style Fish - spicy, oily, can't remember. V1. Xiao Long Bao (6) (soup dumpling). Ok in taste, not enough soup. No F5. Smoky Pork in Szechuan Style - slices of smoked pork with some kind of leek or green onion. Basically a plate of soft bacon. No E12 Ying Yang Lava Bun (4) - soft custard. Yes Q6. Sauteed Yam with Wood Ear Mushroom - good, simple veg dish. Yes, but way overpriced. H3. Cumin Style Lamb- two peppers =spicy. Was good, but not if you can't take the heat. #Orange chicken - good, nice and crunchy. Yes #Jasmine Milk Tea - delicious, yes. Less sweet. #Steamed Pork Rib w. Pumpkin - pork comes on the bone. Good flavor. Too much work. No #Sliced Pork Tripe w. Red Chili Oil - got this for the spice. Good spice, but didn't care for the texture of tripe. The thin sliced pork was good though. No #Steamed Pork Dumpling (8) - good flavor. Not dry. Yes #Steamed Veg. Dumpling (8) - green veg dumpling. Was ok. No. read more

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Great food, great taste, great service. Can dine in or order take out. Both offer great choices.

Food was great. Selection was great. Wait time was fine. In addition best dim sum in town.

Okay, this place has my heart. I lived in China for a year and I really miss the food. This place reminds me of living there and eating the food. I love their dry pot options specially the lamb dry pot. Also, their sautéed green bean, egg and tomato, garlic eggplant and their potato with peppers are to die for. Honestly, I've never been disappointed going there and yes their prices are a little high but this isn't regular Chinese food. Their stuff is worth it!!!! NOW GO! read more

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This is a small restaurant hidden on Park Ave with lovely food. I had the scallion pancakes and Dan Dan noodles for about 20$. I did take out Bc of the apocalyptic times in which we live, but the indoor area was beautiful. The service was fast, and parking is easily available on the parking lot. The scallion pancakes were the perfect amount of crunchy. The Dan Dan noodles looked a little undersauced, but the sauce was all at the bottom and the dish just needed to be mixed. All in all, will definitely be going back. read more

Szechuan Opera - A10. Dan Dan Noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Szechuan Opera was We started with the wontons in a spicy chili sauce. The sauce had so many different flavors going on and was delicious! We also shared the beef dry pot(more than enough for two people). This was definitely SPICY. It was the make-your-nose-run-but-you-can't-stop-eating-it-because-it's-so-good kind of spicy! For dessert we shared what I like to call "bubble tea soup." It was a warm, semi sweet wine soup with small, chewy rice balls and other things(not sure what else was in there ‍). It was not what I expected, but it was actually quite delightful! It is a HUGE serving and more than enough for two. They also give you a little fruity yogurt like drink with your bill that was quite tasty! I'm assuming it's to help settle all of the spices in your belly I seriously cannot wait to come back here and try some other menu items and I highly recommend it! The interior is incredibly and I really appreciated all of the little touches they put into making your dinner more of an experience. Instagram: @foodiewithasideofadventure read more

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The food quality and store decoration are comparably the most close to the authentic Chinese restaurants in this region Never expect I can have hometown dish squirrel fish in the United States... Amazing! read more

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The food is always delicious! and the service is amazing anytime we go there for dine in or take out!!

I ordered the beef dry hot pot. It was spicy and accompanied with peppers, mushrooms, onions and seasonings. It also came with your choice for fried or white rice. The service was quick. And the place is nicely decorated. I would recommend to try if in town. read more

This one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. They haven't been doing inside dining the last few times I've been there but I order take out and DoorDash from them a few times. I absolutely love their claypots, Dan Dan noodles, and Mapo tofu. Quality is amazing and price is great. I haven't had better Szechuan food in Rochester. A must try read more

Love this place for good Szechuan food and quick service. There is parking, but the lot is usually full during peak hours. I have tried multiple items on the menu, but some of the following stood out which i would highly recommend! the beef tendon appetizer is a cold dish with thinly sliced beef tendon in a spicy chili sauce, topped with cilantro and green onion. of the items i always get is the fish dry pot, which isn't too spicy despite the peppers. cumin beef is delicious if you love the fragrance/taste of cumin. Something I ordered for the first time is the chendu shrimp. I loved the flavors, but my husband didn't care for the fact the shrimps had shells on. Something I've been meaning to check out is the spicy soup beef! It's a must try in any Szechuan place, so I'll be back soon :) At the end of your meal, the wait staff will deliver a sugary asian yogurt drink along with the check. A yummy asian treat to end a savory meal. read more

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I had been meaning to try Szechuan Opera for quite awhile (after walking by and smelling some amazing aromas)! We got the veg dumplings, veg lo-mein and the spicy crispy style tofu. Everything was soo tasty and delicious. The tofu was hot and so crispy!! Some of the best prepared tofu I have ever had and so spicy! I loved it. Great service and friendly staff. Huge dining space and really cute decorations, even in the bathroom! I would definitely come again. read more

Worst Chinese restaurant I ever visited and expensive besides. Service and ambience was fine, but the food was awful. Maybe they were having a bad day? read more

The best Chinese/Szechuan restaurant in Rochester. I was a student at U of R, used to eat here every week. The service was great, food was great! The decoration is beautiful, and most importantly, this place is clean! read more

Szechuan Opera - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

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The flavor is there. Authentic and delicious. However, there where some compositional and balance issues. The dan dan noodles had way too many noodles per sauce/ratio. Also, there were no textural elements like green onion or cucumber. The three pepper chicken was authentic Sichuan. Great flavor. Wish they put in onion or other crunch (perhaps the chicken should be crispy). The eggplant with garlic sauce was perfection! We got a sweet and sour chicken, too. The sauce was great (with a cherry essence), but there was hardly any chicken!! I'd say the nuggets were 80% fried batter. Also, there was no pepper or onion in the mix, and only three little pieces of pineapple. Szechuan Opera could be next level if they don't cut corners!!!! read more

Poor quality, it was fine in 2019. Now it's just disgustingly annoying. They must have changed the chef or something. PLEASE DO NOT GO THERE. The price was high as usual, they reduced the portion and quality. Some dishes are extremely salty and they lost the craftsmanship. Just avoid this place!!!!!!!!!I am beyond disappointed and frustrated. read more

Ok, I'm late to the party...this was my 3rd time here & I had never been on this side of the restaurant before! I was blown away by the decor, absolutely loved it, I mean look how stunning! This place is such a hidden gem, who would have expected this to be in a strip/plaza, surely not me. The other side of the restaurant is nice too, but this side is just so bright, cheery & esthetically pleasing, while the other has a more dim/demurely lit vibe. Ok on to the food...we ordered SO MANY things...crab & cheese wontons are some of the best, pork fried dumplings were fantastic! The sesame chicken was plump & delicious, not sicky sweet. Rice cooked to perfection! Pork bao buns were good. All slush drinks ordered were nice: apple (tasted like a jolly rancher), passion fruit, and honeydew with added strawberry boba...Was not impressed by the amount of beef in my "beef" lo mein, but it was cooked perfectly and tasted good. Also, didn't care for the sesame balls & pumpkin pie, but OVERALL those little things don't make me like this place any less. read more

I haven't been here since the pandemic and I really missed it. The service is fast, the food comes from the kitchen with speed and the taste (and sometimes heat) is out of this world. We started with lettuce wraps, steamed dumplings and Sticky Rice for appetizers. The Sticky Rice was a real treat. They make it very well and it is not standard in many local Chinese restaurants. The Singapore Mein Fun had the familiar curry flavor and just enough spice to make it interesting. The Dry Fried Whole Fish (四川干烧鱼) was plentiful and perfectly presented. I was surprised by the spicy pork sauce but that is part of the name I forgot. It was excellent to share. They serve beer and wine. There is parking but the restaurant does not own the parking lot and the new owner is charging to park. [It is an unpleasant change for the folks who enjoyed free parking for years.] Nevertheless, we shall return to the Opera. read more

One cannot force customers on how much to tip. First forced us and later after few back and forth on it is customers who determine the tip amount, waitress serving us got very furious and angry. She angrily stared at us and was constantly forcing us to increase the tip amount. Later, she rudely took away the check and threw it in the trash bin. We dine out very often and have been to this place numerous times but never had such experience. It was very shocking and we were disappointed that our evening was ruined. Also, sad that we will never return to this place despite the food being really good. We've talked to the front staff and hope they will rectify their service and train their associates well. read more

I have mixed feelings. I'm glad that a Sichuan restaurant exists in the city of Rochester, but the food, at least what I ordered, was really just ok. Compared to the many Sichuan restaurants of Pittsburgh or Chicago, very underwhelming. But perhaps I ordered wrong. Dish 1: spicy and sour pork intestine noodle soup. Pork intestine was nice and tender as it should be; it's my favorite part of the pig. The noodles were adequate, not too fresh. But the broth was just...missing something. It was quite sour, and bright red, but lacked a certain kick that I've had when I get similar dishes elsewhere. Dish 2: lotus leaf sticky rice. Admittedly not a Sichuan dish, new to the menu. It had the wonderful fragrance of lotus leaf, but didn't taste that fresh; the sausage and shrimp inside both just seemed prefab and stale. Again, it's totally possible that I just ordered wrong; maybe the dry pot dishes are better (and some friends have implied as much to me). And there isn't better Sichuan food in the Rochester area that I know of. But there's better Chinese food from other regions. read more

Honestly was not expecting to find delicious authentic Szechuan food during this trip to Rochester but glad I did. Can't want to come back!

Didn't realize until I got there that they have no indoor dining! Oops... but they took orders there and the food was ready to take home in about 15 min. I had the garlic chicken that comes with peppers onions mushrooms and celery sautéed in this amazing sauce. John had the sesame chicken which was also good! Both were decent sized portions and came with white rice. read more

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If you're a fan of spicy food then this place is for you! The restaurant is very unassuming since it's in a plaza but when you enter the restaurant is very well decorated. As other reviewers have mentioned it really is detailed to the max and transports you to a place that is not park ave. The service was friendly. It's always very awkward for me to go to a Chinese restaurant and they'll greet and ask me questions in Chinese and I have to say sorry I don't understand anything. There was what I am assuming was the manager in a full on suit and wandered around with a displeased face. Weird....but anyways... We started off with the scallion pancake and the wonton in chili sauce. The scallion pancake is not a good value for your money. The pancake is thin and very greasy. There was little flavor. The wonton in chili sauce however was delightful! The chili sauce is VERY oily, but I just loved the sweet and spicy flavors I didn't really care. Make sure you really smother the wontons into the sauce. The wontons themselves were soft and the filling was nicely cooked. For entrees I had special dry pot. The presentation is impressive. It comes on this huge pot with four legs and under the whole thing was a portable burner to keep everything sizzling! There is a LOT of food. I loved all the variety of veggies, especially the mushrooms. I usually don't like peppercorn but in this dish I didn't mind it. It didn't numb my tongue too much. The fish are tender, the spam I could pass on since it is just spam, the beef and shrimp were also cooked so well. This is also so spicy, like a lingering spicy! It really satisfied my need for spice that night. I forgot what my boyfriend had so won't comment on that. But overall, I will definitely be returning if I'm craving spicy!! read more

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Szechuan Opera is easily the best Chinese restaurant I've been to, ever. You wouldn't really expect it from the outside though considering it's in the same plaza as a 7-11 and Zoom Tan. But do NOT let that deter you. This unassuming restaurant is a jewel of the Park Avenue neighborhood. The amount of incredible detail put into the atmosphere and decor here is something you don't see very often at all. It's a small space, but the very high ceilings make it feel large and welcoming. And the detail! There's so much to look at, from the art on the walls, to the pillows, to the inscriptions on the tables. Thought was even put into the utensils! The gorgeous blue seating gives a luxurious feel. The service was super quick, attentive, and friendly. The menu is large, which is just slightly off-putting. They do have a section of traditional Szechuan food, but I feel they would be better off limiting the other offerings and focusing on their speciality! We ordered the spring rolls (which are fried AND vegetarian - yum!) and at only $1 a piece, they make an awesome starter. We also tried a bowl of egg drop soup (which was only $2) and it was good, but different. I could totally be wrong, but I think it contained seaweed in addition to egg, which gave it a bit of a fishy taste. No complaints, though! It was a cool change. Oh yeah, and draft beers are only $3 while glasses of wine are $6! Such a steal. For our meals, we got a mixed vegetable lo mein and tofu dry pot! Both portions were huge, and we were able to have leftovers the next day. The lo mein managed to maintain a delicious flavor without dripping in sauce and oil, which is rare. The dry pot came in the coolest bowl that was still heating it up on the table. It contains a LOT of chili peppers, but they're easy enough to eat around if you need to. After dinner we were presented with these little bottles that are the Chinese equivalent of drinking milk after eating something spicy! It's kind of like a more liquid-y yogurt. It's definitely a nice touch, as I imagine most people need it after their meals! I can't wait to go back to Szechuan Opera, and I'm also looking forward to trying their $8.99 lunch special Monday-Friday! Thank you for such an amazing experience! read more

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Finally made it to this place! And, it is as people say! It is one of the best, if not the best Chinese restaurants in Rochester. The ingredients are fresh, the vegetables are prepared just right, not soggy and overcooked in sauce, the selection is great. There are some quite exotic items to try for the more adventurous tastebuds (chicken feet being one of the less exotic), but the dim sum items are definitely "top notch" for me and the platters are awesome, too. No cart, but no problem. It's a little pricier than most Chinese restaurants in town, but worth it considering the quality of food and the service that you receive. I'd encourage people who tend to order just one dish "American style" to take a chance and eat family style". Sooo much better. read more

This place hasn't even had their grand opening... but I heard about it and I was there! It opened sometime the week of April 15th. It is absolutely beautiful inside. The owners said they spent a lot of time remodeling the space and brought decorations over from China. You can tell that a lot of hard work went into it. It's a very warm, inviting, cozy place. They booths are huge and very lush. I just can get over how gorgeous this place is! Now to the good...we got the fried dumplings and spring rolls for apps. The spring rolls were good, but the dumplings were delicious! We also shared some dishes: *Kung Pao Chicken-one of my 2 favorites *Garlic Sauce Pork-my other fave *Sesame chicken-it was sesame chicken, a little tough for my liking. * They do have a bar area and as of right now, they have quite a few beers and only 2 kinds of wine-Chardonnay and White Zinfandel. I don't know if they plan on having booze or not. The people who took care of us were all so nice and happy that we were there. I think this place is going to be a big read more

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Szechuan Opera really is the most experiential way to eat Chinese food! This place is very authentic. We forgot we were even in Rochester! It was like we traveled to China as soon as we walked in. Super homey and welcoming. The food was super flavorful and delicious! My favorite dish is Sliced fish w.boiling spicy oil and Orange flavor beef. Thanks for a wonderful experience you guys!!! I'll definitely be spreading the word in a post on my website read more

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I didn't have a great experience with a take-away order. Walked in, placed an order. 20 min later... The order was mixed up, and I didn't find out until I walked about a mile to my residence and opened it. Called to correct, they wouldn't deliver it. So....another schlep to and fro to retrieve dinner. They added an egg roll order for my trouble. The meat dish was requested to be mild. It was way over-spiced. Spent 15 min scraping and dabbing the pepper flakes and chili oil until I gave up. It's in a cool location, tho. read more

Found this place on Yelp and it was a delightful lunch. Food was fresh, well prepared, well seasoned and delicious.

I ordered the sesame chicken which is one of my fav dishes and enjoyed it! We walked in without a reservation on a Friday night and sat down immediately. I really liked how the bathroom was decorated as well, there was a very pretty sink painted with fish. read more

The location is convenient. The environment and decor were very pleasant. I went at about 8-9 pm on a weekday and it was quiet. The flatware and plates were all cute too. I got the mapo tofu and it was decent, but definitely not the heat mapo tofu I've had around Rochester. There wasn't much heat to it and the chili oil/sauce's flavor didn't add much for me. My husband got a vegetable noodle dish (the mixed vegetables meifun) and it was extremely bland. There was no added sauce to it. The vegetables were extremely lacking. Definitely would not order that again. I would give it another chance and order different dishes. The vegetable dishes didn't sound very appetizing so I don't have my hopes up about it. read more

Szechuan Opera - Mapo Tofu - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Terrible service. Great Food, although it was 30 min late for one round, and 20 min for the next. Owner wouldn't comp the very delayed and cold meal. I protested and she refused. Terrible service. Great food. read more

Food was good but small portions. Very very slow service. I think they need to hire more waiters or have their waiters do their job. Some people were either standing there doing nothing while 1 person is attending all the tables. read more

Szechuan Opera - A7. Chengdu Style Mung Bean Noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

Tried something new this time and bought the chicken garlic sauce style and side of fried rice. The fried rice wasn't amazing but the chicken was sooo good! And as always, I love the pan fried dumplings. Yum! Update: We order again last night and bought several "new" items. We bought the beef garlic sauce style, pork lo mein, pork fried rice and wonton in chili sauce & they were all so good! Wonton's were spicy when eaten solo but mix in with rest of items, more tolerable. My boyfriend and I love the dumpling dipping sauce and poured it over our plate, made it so much more flavorful. Also, side fried rice is bland but pork fried rice was delicious. All of it was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

If you have to ask "is this food hot?", then it's probably too hot for you. If you look at their printed menu, there is a fire-spewing dragon right above the cumin dishes, which I would take as a gentle warning. Holy shit, was it HOT!!!!!! Unfortunately, it was dry, too. They take those hot red Chinese peppers that most szechuan places put in whole (as to make it easier to remove before eating), but not this place; they chop them up into small pieces, making it nearly impossible to remove all the tongue-burning pieces from the food. The garlic-style dishes are more like what Americans are used to (and aren't nearly as hot or dry). read more

Overall amazing food ! I've dined it once in person and the restaurant has a clean, close knit interior. Since the pandemic, I've gotten take out multiple times and every time the food is consistently fresh and delicious. Their portions are similar to when you would dine in person (which people overlook often times). My favorite dishes are the garlic style sauce dishes, which you can order with various meat options or tofu. To me, it's a perfect balance between sweet, savory and the right amount of heat kick in the end. From what I hear, it's one of the most authentic Szechuan food choices in Rochester! read more

Doesn't look too exciting from the outside but the inside is a whole different world - very cute and so many meal options!!

I had the egg drop soup & chicken lo mein. Very tasty and service was friendly and efficient. Located in a very cute area of Rochester, I was happy to find street parking while I was passing through. Very close to the Eastman Museum. read more