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Uncle Chen Restaurant

4.1 (208 reviews)
ModerateChinese
Closed 3:00 pm - 8:00 PM

Uncle Chen Restaurant Photos

UNCLE CHEN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Uncle Chen Restaurant

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Walnut shrimp
Mari I.

I love coming to Uncle Chen's. It is a great local restaurant and my go to is always their cream cheese wontons! Their beef and broccoli is very tasty as well and very juicy! If you have not tried their sizzling rice soup it is another favorite of mine. Service is quick because for pick up orders they are always ready very quickly.

Orange chicken, salt and pepper chicken wings (SOOO good!), beef chow mein

The BEST CHINESE FOOD EVERRRRR!!!! Omg the orange chicken here is seriously to die for. My husband isn't a huge Chinese food fan and he craves Uncle Chens! We are sure to visit anytime we're in Carpinteria and my kids also love it. The service is also incredible and the woman that is always working the front is so sweet and lovely. 20/10 recommend!!

Tuan T.

Had a delicious dinner here. Almost all the dishes we ordered came out piping hot. The sauce they used for for stir fry is very good. Great service. Friendly employees. Would love to go back again. Wife approved

The pu pu platter

The food was really good especially the pu pu platter The service was amazing. Super pretty

Soy Rainbow Chicken
Valerie Deanna C.

I'm shocked. This place was good, LOL. I requested something that WAS NOT on the menu and it tasted heavenly: Salt and Pepper Fried Tofu. Amazing. A little heavy on the salt and maybe they could have used a firmer tofu, but they pulled this request together out of thin air and it tasted great! Thank you. I also had Soy Chicken Rainbow Vegetable. Juicy pieces of soy chicken stir fried nicely with hot and crisp vegetables...and a big side of white rice. The order was messed up at first and I had to return it (they initially gave me Kung Pao Soy Chicken), but they corrected it and I was so happy. Everything was hot and steamy. I will definitely go here again.

Chow Fun
Mark Y.

There Thai iced tea is great for a homesick southerner craving real sweet tea. It's sweet! The Chow Fun is pretty good, a little better than many others in area. Not great, but pretty good. They use the thin sliced meats you often see at a Mongolian BBQ. Plenty of vegetables and sprouts, they are just a few quality ingredients from being 5 stars. Good vibe, decent prices, friendly people.

Shrimp with lobster sauce lunch special

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Photo of Keo N.
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8 years ago

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Great food and service Good menu selections Convenient on/off 101 location ............,.,..........

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

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Photo of Mike R.
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2 years ago

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9 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

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Photo of Jim M.
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3 years ago

Chow mein was good but the ribs and egg foo young were terrible.. I would not recommend this place

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Uncle Chen's restaurant is a wonderful place to eat. The staff are so friendly and food is great. It is one of our favorite restaurants.

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

Hard pass. Flavorless, greasy, low quality ingredients, mediocre service, etc. etc. You can find better Chinese food literally anywhere.

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Photo of Andria K.
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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Delicious food and good service! We really enjoyed our dinner! Vegetarian dishes are good, shrimp was tender and flavorful.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

Helpful 3
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4 years ago

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7 years ago

Helpful 4
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6 years ago

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

Terrible Chinese food. Mediocre, at best. Was met by a rude person when placing an order. I'll take my business elsewhere.

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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Photo of Bob R.
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4 years ago

Great food and service on 3 separate visits. Extensive menu selection plus they have several lunch plate specials too.

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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Shang Hai - Soup

Shang Hai

4.5(308 reviews)
10.3 mi
$$

I came here last minute since madam Lu is gone. I loved their crispy fried rice soup. So when I…read moreentered "crispy fried rice soup" in yelp I saw this place Ambiance is casual and the staff is very hospitable and not intimidating- I read what that "elite" reviewer wrote- she may have a case of long haul COVID where her sense of taste is a bit off. Complaining about details of sour? Girl that's just tongue being superior to your smell response lol I ordered a similar plate of the trinity meat dish and I loved it. MSG has been debunked for years now, read more girl so o don't have to read you here on yelp lol this is a persons business, mincing words like the way they did was very irresponsible as a community member Anyways I loved this place. - I ordered the same meat dish in their lunch kung poa special I paid 11.95 I think pre tax? With a meal I wiped clean lol I mean hello "the zucchini was sour" "the shrimp was ugh" that's a lot of audacity - sounds like she is on another planet- I did not notice anything like she described - I tend to eat my plate mixing the items for the story of food to collide. Sounds like she was taste testing each individual piece- lol girl that's a personal thing abiut yiur personality - regular people like me eat our food passionately hungry lol Everything was delicious- comforting and the spice content perfect. I'm going back again and bringing my family The soda comes in a can and glass with ice- just how I like it

Cozy old school interior with friendly staff…read more I ordered the Triple Delight lunch special. The serving size was generous. Very Americanized food with heavy use of MSG. Beef was unfortunately inedible, shrimp was average and chicken was okay but tasted like warmed up chicken so not the best. Veggies were okay though the zucchini tasted a bit sour. Rice side was okay and egg roll was okay. Fried wonton was tasty. Soup was okay. Overall, I have had much better quality lunch specials at Chinese restaurants. Food was a bit below average in taste and quality. The lunch special price was cheaper than average for California. There were Chinese customers dining and I noticed they were not getting the lunch special. I was only given the lunch special menu so I guess they assume that if you are not Chinese you are going to order the lunch special?

Photos
Shang Hai
Shang Hai - 02. Chinese Style Spicy Chicken 13. Saute Green Beans

02. Chinese Style Spicy Chicken 13. Saute Green Beans

Shang Hai - Pork Bao

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Pork Bao

Meet Up Chinese Cuisine - Veggie fried rice, Broccoli Beef, Zesty Orange Chicken, Chicken Chow Mien, Sauteed Green Beans(Pork), egg Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Meet Up Chinese Cuisine

4.2(340 reviews)
12.7 mi
$$

Wow...I came back here again, and my waiter John mentioned that they will soon be adding Dim Sum to…read moretheir menu in May. Lo and behold, he brought to our table a complimentary sample of these delicious morsels. The lunch special again was plentiful and I truly appreciate the value here and the kind service. Thank you!

My husband and I visited this hidden treasure while out riding our motos last evening around 8:00…read morepm. We had noticed the restaurant a few times before, after stopping for gasoline at the corner station directly across from Meet Up Chinese Cuisine. We had intended to stop by long ago. No more waiting. Last night, we made it happen. Ample parking is on site, and another perk in a city with a shortage of this feature. They also maintain later operating hours than most SB restaurants, another HUGE plus in a city which seemingly shutters before sundown. The restaurant interior is bright, airy fresh, clean and inviting. The two large robotic table attendants wore white attire with cheerful red aprons. They exude a special kind of whimsy and add another level of delight rarely experienced in dining. These capable assistants greet you at the front desk, and proved a novel and intriguing welcome (especially in today's landscape of our ever-increasing AI functionality). The adorable stuffed pandas are a great addition as well. The vividly colorful and impactful tile tapestry behind the entrance doors is a spectacular selfie spot and work of art. It sets the tone for "Meet Up Chinese Cuisine" ~ and is telltale of the effort and authenticity invested in everything they do. There is a live stage off the central dining room - where band equipment quietly awaits to spring to life and provide additional enjoyment to an already beautiful dining and seating arrangement. We were greeted by a kind and polite woman who was working at a nearby table as we entered. She promptly and warmly greeted us, and patiently assisted us in placing our order. This included an item not located on the menu, which my husband loosely described. (THANK YOU!). We were invited to wait comfortably in the dining room while the order was prepared. The scents emanating from the nearby kitchen were heavenly, and so enticingly to our already eager appetites! We placed an order which included three mains and a large soup. It was prepared accordingly to order, and in due time. Bagged and carefully carried to our table, where two young male attendants used the receipt to double-check the contents and asked if we needed any condiments or items. Exceptionally attentive and aware team in this eatery. We were truly excited to get it home and dig-in. Before I describe the dishes, I cannot PRAISE this next feature enough. I've never seen it before, and it is a game changer for take-out (especially saucy dishes and soups)! Once home we carefully unbagged the items...anticipating some leaks and spillage (as we transported it in the cargo attachment on the back of a Motorcycle! Not a DROP!! I carefully removed the plastic lid from the Pork (soft noodle) lo mein with vegetables. Over the TOP of this container, and UNDER the plastic sealing top lid -- we found "SARAN WRAP" which cleverly sealed itself utilizing the heat reaction caused by the HOT food (hence the term: shrink wrap). I was stunned, in a giddy excited manner! I carefully and easily removed the Saran Wrap to a beautiful burst of FRAGRANT steam and delectable noodles with an abundance of meat and FLAVOR! Every bite was flavor-packed and the meat was "melt in your mouth" tender. The temperature was MOST notable. It was as HOT as if the dish had just finished cooking in the kitchen. Splendid! Each subsequent dish (ie: moo goo gai pan, spicy beef with select peppers and veg, hot and sour soup, and the BEST steamed rice) were literally some of the most authentic, flavorful, and delicious Chinese fare we have ever enjoyed. In the top "5" for sure. "CRAZY - GOOD." The kind which lingers pleasantly on your palate and maintains a solid place in your memory vault! For a little tucked away haven, "Meet Up" surprised us in the BEST of WAYS, and now we have a solid genuine gem to enjoy whenever the urge for the ULTIMATE CHINESE FARE hits. Pricing is affordable, with generous portions for the prices paid. Even the steamed RICE is complimentary and provided WITH the dishes (where most in our city seem to charge as ala carte nowadays). There is no skimping here on the rice either (or any dish), and the fresh, tasty, superior locally sourced ingredients shine through in every single bite. Thank you to all who helped us last evening. You represent the very BEST in restaurant hospitality and food service. Santa Barbara is blessed to have you amongst our ever-changing restaurant culture. We became loyal patrons the moment you extended such grace, kindness, and professionalism as we held the menu and discussed options and selections at the register. We are grateful, and appreciate you and your five-star staff, food, and memorable restaurant. Beyond exemplary all the way around. Bravissimo!

Photos
Meet Up Chinese Cuisine - Band area

Band area

Meet Up Chinese Cuisine - Kung pao shrimp

Kung pao shrimp

Meet Up Chinese Cuisine - Meet Up at dusk

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Meet Up at dusk

China Pavilion - dumplings in hot chili oil

China Pavilion

3.4(461 reviews)
11.1 mi
$$

I find the ambience and food at China Pavilion to be great. And they have a bar as well…read more The service is very professional. I'd recommend it if you are craving Chinese food and in the Santa Barbara area.

Hands down the BEST Chinese food in Santa Barbara. There is no comparison!…read more If you're looking for incredible Chinese food, this is the place. My husband and I come here all the time, and every single visit is outstanding. We have our absolute favorites: the chicken fried rice, spicy pea pods with oyster sauce, and the sizzling rice chicken soup, which is a must. When we bring our son, he always orders duck, and this restaurant truly shines in how many amazing ways they prepare it. He loves every version. When we have friends or family visiting, we explore even more of the menu, including Szechuan dishes, noodle plates, and so much more. Everything is consistently delicious. But it's not just the food. The people who work here are fantastic. They are warm, welcoming, attentive, and genuinely happy to have you there. They make you feel like a regular even on your first visit, which is rare and so appreciated. We've tried the Montecito location, and while it was fine, it simply does not compare to the Santa Barbara restaurant. This spot is something special. If you haven't been yet, do yourself a favor and go. You won't regret it, and you will definitely be back.

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China Pavilion
China Pavilion - Har gow.

Har gow.

China Pavilion - Sweet and sour tofu.

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Sweet and sour tofu.

China Kitchen - Sweet & Sour Shrimp lunch special

China Kitchen

4.0(290 reviews)
18.2 mi
$$

First time here... came in around 1:30 in the afternoon and there were only two tables occupied so…read moreit was very quiet. I wanted to grab something to go and the lady at the counter was very helpful w/recommending the chicken and broccoli (which was excellent) The reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is because I kind of got a vibe from her when I went to pay, I didn't feel compelled to tip as it was a simple/quick 1 item take out order...she looked at the slip after I signed it and made a "hmmph" sound? I found that to be a bit unprofessional. Definitely rubbed me the wrong way! I'd recommend giving them a try, based on the dish I ordered as I said was excellent.

What an AMAZING restaurant. Hats off to you China Kitchen…read more First, the food -- China Kitchen has a diverse menu with high-quality vegetarian options that many competitors lack. The dinner combos are a great deal and all the side dishes were great - the egg roll was crispy and fresh, the shrimp was delicious, and the fried rice was well-seasoned, fluffy, and moist. The entrees were truly the star of the show. We got Ma Po tofu (traditional style) and dry wok veggie-chicken. The tofu was soft and creamy and the Ma Po sauce provided the sichuan numbing we've been searching for in Southern California. The dry wok was deeply flavorful. The veggie chicken was moist and savory and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. the ambiance - China kitchen was well decorated and elegant. The traditional artwork and attention to detail, down to the light fixtures made this a dining EXPERIENCE, not just a simple meal. The service-- Our waitress Ms. Vivian was warm, welcoming, and had a great personality! She frequently checked in on us and made us feel right at home. It was Ms Vivian's delightful personality that sealed the deal -- we will be coming back to China Kitchen soon. Thank you for a great dining experience!

Photos
China Kitchen - Chicken & Green Beans lunch special

Chicken & Green Beans lunch special

China Kitchen - Egg foo young!

Egg foo young!

China Kitchen - House chow mein!

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House chow mein!

Peking Restaurant - Sizzling seafood combo

Peking Restaurant

4.1(511 reviews)
19.0 mi
$$

Drove into town from the dessert this evening and wanted Chinese. Checked out a few reviews and…read moreonly 2 places popped up that had at least 4 stars. After looking at menus and comparing we decided on Peking. Sure glad we did too! I have to say if you are ever in Ventura please give this place a try! First thing I noticed is this place is simple yet has a quality about it. I would bring a date here, rather maybe a second or third date. It's nice inside. Wait staff was amazing. Now to the good stuff! I ordered chicken chow fun and partner had Mushu pork and for the appetizer we ordered the paper wrapped chicken. The chicken hit the table first wrapped in tin foil. That didn't deter us at all. This was served with duck sauce and spicy mustard. The mustard was amazing but i love spice! Both were good but the mustard opened up my nasal passages and made me go wow!! Awesome! The two main dishes hit the table and we dug in. Both were great! Let me tell you how hard it is to find a good Chinese place that isn't swimming in soy and oil! This place seasoned correctly and was not greasy at all!! I will tell you this; if you like fast Chinese food like Panda Express and that is what you think of Chinese food then stay there. Here you'll get properly seasoned fair. Over all I recommend and when back in Ventura will visit again for sure! The pictures don't do this place justice.

Come here often for their lunch specials as it is close to work. One of the more authentic Chinese…read morerestaurants in Ventura. The food is consistently good. Everything is flavorful without the greasiness. I like that they don't over season or drown their food in sauce so it seems healthier too. Welcoming staff and attentive service. They serve dim sum on the weekends so will have to come back to try that.

Photos
Peking Restaurant - Interior

Interior

Peking Restaurant - Dim sum menu

Dim sum menu

Peking Restaurant - Imside

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Imside

Uncle Chen Restaurant - chinese - Updated June 2026

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