The lady and the young male server were uncomfortably rude during our visit. The lady brought our water to the table and practically slammed the glasses down. The young male server was friendly at times, but other times seemed to have an attitude. Their behavior made the dining experience feel awkward and unwelcoming. We honestly felt uncomfortable asking for simple things like napkins or other items we needed with our meal because it seemed like we were inconveniencing them. Good food and service should make customers feel welcome, but unfortunately that was not our experience during this visit. read more

I think my favorite thing about this place... is everything! I absolutely love the oil splashed noodles. They are to die for. I also enjoy the spicy lamb shank. The meat falls off the bone, it is so tender and so flavorful and it's served with white rice. It also pairs great with the stirfry green beans. You cannot go wrong ordering anything here everything is absolutely delicious. read more

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This place feels like one of those spots that gets hyped by influencers looking for free food. Big Plate Chicken - I had high hopes since Houston doesn't have many Xian or Xinjiang options. Unfortunately, it was disappointing: no numbing spice at all, and the potatoes were nearly raw. Mixed Pepper Chicken - just okay. Xian Cold Noodles - decent, but nothing special or memorable. Lotus Root - also just okay; I ended up dipping it in the noodle sauce for extra flavor. Honestly, Houston really needs a Xi'an Famous Foods like the one in New York. read more

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The noodles were great and were the favorite out of everything I got. I thought the texture of the noodles were good and I enjoyed them a lot. I thought everything was a bit salty and oily though. The fried fish and wings were crispy and fried well. The service was great and the food came out fast. It's a small shop but has plenty of seating. read more

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Absolutely incredible hole in the wall spot. The sautéed mixed vegetables was actually my favorite dish here. There was a good assortment of all my favorite veggies, and the sauce that it was cooked with was so savory and delicious. The pepper beef was cooked well and packed with incredible flavors from the bell peppers. As for the chili oil noodles, I'm very picky about them because some places can easily make them too greasy, sweet, sour, or salty... but the sauce was perfectly balanced in all aspects. The noodles had a wonderful bite to them, but I think it was more like one long noodle so be prepared to slurp and bite... I will definitely be coming back to try more dishes as I think I've found a new favorite! read more

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Made an hour drive on Sunday about 3 because we saw it posted on social media, was not disappointed at all. Definitely must try the chili oil noodles, the noodles are chewy and covered with seasoning and oil..the veggies at the bottom of the noodles were cooked just right, there is a bit of heat, but not too bad. The twice cooked pork was very good. This plate definitely has heat, but again nothing that we couldn't work through. We forgot to order the green beans, but will make another trip to try those. The restaurant is small and clean, the staff is friendly and it didn't take long for the food to come out. read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Chili oil noodles and vegetable egg rools - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I made it a mission to try a new restaurant through a recommendation from work this weekend. That restaurant mentioned was Uncle Lee's Cafe. I was told I had to try it especially the oil splashed noodles which was a specialty. I visited the restaurant during a time where it was not busy. My family I were welcomed in and seated. It was a first visit for all of us but decided to pick a few things: cheese puffs, dumplings, double peppered beef, Chinese burger, egg drop soup, and of course the oil splashed noodles. Definitely the appetizers were flavorful and were great starters. A nice crunch to the cheese puffs, dumplings had the right amount of filling, Chinese burger was addicting too and the egg drop soup rounded out everything with simplicity. The double peppered beef packed the right amount of heat with a nice punch. Good spice and gave me moments where it really had me sweating haha. But the main reason for the visit, the oil splashed noodles was amazing. Very long and thick cut noodles with the right amount of spice and makes you want to go for more. I am reminiscing of it as I write this. Overall a very nice visit. What really drew me in was to hear the high praise from people at work saying, "the most authentic and best hand pulled noodles they had ever tried." I am in agreement with that statement and Uncle Lees Cafe is just that. Family owned, homey vibe and true to Chinese cuisine without a doubt. I just wished I did not have to share the noodles with family, it was that good. I noticed there were customers doing to go/pick up orders while we were dining in. I think they are missing out because I believe the food would be much more satisfying enjoyed right away from the kitchen. In short, I approve for sure and everything was delicious. read more

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This is my boyfriend's favorite spot in Houston. The chili oil noodles are a must try. Because his family is vegetarian, we requested them to make a few dishes without meat and they were so kind to comply with our wishes. The staff is super nice as it's a family run restaurant. read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Oil noodles were so good. Paired it with the cumin beef. Our server was extremely nice and informative read more

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Uncle Lee's Cafe is a Chinese restaurant located in Richmond. They have some of the best noodle dishes. The shop is tucked away in a plaza, and offers a variety of dishes. I got the oil splash noodles, double peppered beef, and stir fry green beans. There are a hefty amount of garlic in each plate, and as a garlic lover, I absolutely loved it. The oil splash noodles consisted of long noodles drenched in a spicy chili oil sauce. The noodles were chewy and bouncy, and there was a hefty amount and can definitely feed two. The double peppered beef was soft and juicy and came with a bowl of rice. It paired well with the stir fry green beans, which were crispy and fresh. All the servings were greatly portioned, and the service was great! There are also a lot of seating, as well. Overall, the dishes here are flavorful with huge portions, and I would definitely come back to try more! read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Stir fry green beans - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We didn't even get a chance to eat. After the food was brought to our table, we politely asked who the owner was and why the service attitude had been so unfriendly. The woman immediately said she was the owner and responded, "You can eat or not, I don't care," and then took all the dishes away. We were left with no choice but to leave the restaurant without eating anything. This was one of the most shocking and unprofessional experiences I've ever had at a restaurant. I would not recommend this place at all. read more

Highly recommend not coming after the lunch rush. My husband and I came around 2p on a Sunday and service was pretty slow. I heard from the table next to us that they ran out of dumplings because of the lunch rush. They were still cleaning tables, remaking food, and re-organizing their kitchen. There are a few tables in the middle and booths on the side. The Chinese burger was okay in my opinion. The bread was soft and crisply but the meat is salty. This would be better with scallions and chili oil. The oil splashed noodles is a MUST and probably the best thing on the menu. The noodles are hand pulled, thick and chewy. They add just enough chili oil and veggies to make me want more! By far my favorite and worth the hype. read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Chinese Burger - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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NOTICE!! I talked to the owner, and Uncle Lee's has only been opened for 10 Months, and there's been a major revamp to the menu, quality of the food, and management. I'd heard through the woods that this is now many Chinese people's favorite place to get noodles since it's so authentic. The owner had recommended the Xian Cold Noodles & Oil Splashed Noodles. The Xian Cold Noodles are served cold in a spicy, sour dressing with cucumbers and bean sprouts. The noodles itself is very chewy and bouncy. The Oil Splash Noodles are made with hot oil that's poured over a mix of aromatics and spices. The noodles are handmade, long, thick, and also very chewy. It's all more filling than it looks. The total came out to be $28.88 including tax and tip. read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Xian Cold Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Everything I tried there was very good,definitely recommend oil splash noodles and their cold noodles,it was very tasty and fresh.

I finally found THE SPOT to get some Chinese cold noodles. It was so delicious, no other places my bf and I tried can beat it. The sauce they pour over is really clean, can be little more vinaigrette (just our opinion), and the chilli oil is not that spicy too, just adds more flavor overall. We also ordered the orange chicken, it was cooked the American way which was what exactly my bf was looking for. It taste like the one you can order from a china express fast food place. And oil splash hand pull noodle was 10/10. Super chewy and savory. Lastly, cumin lamb was our favorite too. It was not gamy, and the seasonings are all well grounded so you won't taste the annoying pieces of peppers. Service was fast and place has spacious seats. After dinner there is a Kroger next door where can take a walk to digest all the good food just ate. read more

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Came for a late lunch and I had just missed the crowd. This place was on my bucket list but is very far from where I live. This is a family owned business and the wife of the chef took our order and recommended a few items we normally wouldn't have tried but glad we did. I can't recall all the items but assure you everything we ordered was delicious. The servings are shareable therefore we had leftovers. read more

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The food and the staff are fantastic!! It is a cozy little place with great food and staff

This was truly a hidden gem! I was told that this place had the best Chinese handmade noodles and I totally agree. The food was absolutely amazing, and I will definitely be coming back to try other items. The service was awesome and super helpful and helping us decide what to order. read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Cheese puffs - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Super friendly service and a good assortment of dishes. I also had pork egg rolls which were crispy and also delicious. When in the area are definitely will go back to try other items. Next to the Kroger. read more

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Found this place from an instagram reel. It's a little further out, it was easy to find parking, and the food was really flavorful, fresh, and delicious! Service was friendly too. We went at a weird hour but food came out fast. Portions were big and we were struggling to finish. Oil splashed noodles have a lot of garlic though, great for taste, maybe not so much if you're on a date. read more

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Best cold noodle and chili oil noodles I've had. Small mom and pop restaurant and they make sure you have the best food. The cumin lamb was wonderful and so were the smashed cucumber. The dumplings were ok but everywhere else was spectacular! read more

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Food was fresh, portions were good, we had the hand pulled noodles and crispy chicken and enjoyed it!

First time trying uncle Lees Cafe and I love it here! My first orders were the xian cold noodles and oil splashes noodles. They're handmade noodles that's thick and very chewy. These dishes are filled with flavors, if you like spicy you could also ask them to make it extra spicy as well. I'll definitely be coming back here for Quick service as well, I literally waited only 5-8 min at max for my food to come out. If you like thick hand pulled noodles , this is the place to go! Plus, price is cheap! read more

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TLDR: Probably the best place for authentic Xi'an food and Xi'an style noodles in the Houston area. Xi'an food is quickly becoming one of my favorite cuisines, so I was very excited to try Uncle Lee's Cafe Xi'an menu! They are a family-run restaurant with a no-frills vibe that is reminiscent of hole-in-the-wall shops in Chinatown. The hand ripped noodles served in their 油泼面 (oil-splashed noodles) reminded me of Xi'an Famous Foods in NYC, as they were thick, chewy, and yummy, with a good amount of flavor from their oil and seasoning. However, I think I still prefer the "tingly" spiciness (and Jiajiangmien) of XFF over Uncle Lee's more traditional spicy sauce. Regardless though, as you can tell from the redness of my bowl, the spicier the better . I also tried the Chinese Hamburger and Big Platter which were both pretty good, and I'd recommend checking out their entire Xi'an menu if you stop by (or they have an entire Americanized Chinese food menu if that's your preference haha). I will definitely be back! read more

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The orange chicken is so delicious and juicy. They used amazing white meat. The pieces were big. Been coming back. Tried the oiled splashed noodles and they were amazing. Good flavor and the texture is chewy and bouncy. Can't wait to try the other noodles!! read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Chilly chicken. Orange chicken. Oil splashed noodles - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came here on a Saturday evening around 6:30 on the start of lunar new year, so I'm not sure if they were busy due to an uptick in Instagram traffic, or that as well. Regardless, they weren't taking counter orders and were actually seating people as they came in. I overheard them telling people it was a 40+ minute wait. Service was very slow, but very apologetic. We weren't in a rush, so it was fine, but I wouldn't come here expecting a quick meal. The waitress was definitely working her heart out and running back and forth trying to take care of everyone as quickly as she could. My friend and I split the chinese burger, green beans, oil splashed noodles, and sour soup dumplings. I enjoyed all of it, but especially the green beans and the dumplings! The green beans had that sort of blistered look them, where they still had a nice chew, and tons of flavor from aromatics. The dumplings weren't filled with soup, but it was more like a meatball lamb filled dumpling in a delicious broth. I would describe this to be like a "wonton soup," but on steroids. The oil splashed noodles came out last after a lengthy wait, so you know they were freshly made. They were sprinkled with bean sprouts, cabbage, and spices, but weren't actually spicy for me. I really wanted to try the tomato and egg noodles, and another diner highly recommended them, so I'd try those next time. The chinese burger has a strong cumin taste, but the "bread" was tasty and held up well even as leftovers. The portions here were very generous and although we split the leftovers, I still had two more meals from my half. read more

This place was so. GOOD. I have been craving cold noodles for about a week up to this point and I took my bestie and sister out for a hunt for good cold noodles. We found this place and GIRL it was so good!! We got the soup dumplings, cold noodles, and oil splashed noodles and had a blast! It was a bit oily but the flavors and textures really hit the spot! The oil splashed noodles had this lovely smoked flavor but my fave was the cold noodles. The way we all took a bite of our food, closed our eyes, nodded and started laughing maniacally was so funny it is that good yall. They are also such nice people! Great service even though we came in a little under an hour before closing. Im surprised the place wasn't more packed but I'm glad I got a meal before it eventually blows up. Loved the no frills interior, just money spent on quality ingredients and food, no flashy nonesense just Chinese new year decorations. Uncle Lees Cafe yall WILL be seeing us again!! read more

Came to this place because I cannot find any place that sells the xian cold noodles and I was right to come here! Noodles are definitely hand made and the portion size was big. Dumplings are definitely handmade they were super juicy and flavorful! My boyfriend got the orange chicken and chinese people definitely make american chinese food better than americans LMAO. Orange Chicken was super juicy and flavorful I would recommend it for people who aren't keen on trying new things at asian restaurants. Service was great the lady at the front was super nice and friendly, will be coming back for sure! read more

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Food was very tasty and delicious. Portions were a good size for the price. Service was very helpful offering recommendations. Ambience was cozy. Will definitely be back. Chili oil noodles and lotus root were a hit. read more

I don't normally write reviews, but the service here was so atrocious that I had to. We had a table of 6. 2/6 people came in before the other 4 people showed up (we did not take long, max 15 minutes because of Houston traffic and it was not busy in there) and wanted to order for the table. Our waitress, an older lady, scolds my friends and said that that they should wait for everyone to arrive before ordering anything even though we had asked her to order ahead of time. I could understand that she wanted our food to be fresh, but she could have watched her tone. She proceeds to ask my friends if they were Chinese. At first, I thought maybe there was a language barrier, but once I noticed how she was tending to certain tables more frequently and attentively than our table, I realized why she asked that question. Most of the tables inside were Chinese as well. She proceeds to ignore our table after I tried to get her attention (walked right past me when I kindly said "Excuse me", and she 100% saw me because I was a few inches away from her). The only reason why I'm not giving this place a 1 star is because there was a man who single-handedly made the restaurant feel more inclusive. He was the only reason why I walked out of that restaurant without so much resentment. He dropped our food off to our table and even made sure to explain to us the proper way to eat the oil splashed chili noodles (pretty good but very filling fast). Besides that, the lady who took our order completely ruined my mood. I'm a server, so I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but her attitude was uncalled for. I didn't get the chance to try enough food because we did not want to spend any more money after what had happened, but I would not come back primarily because of her. It's a shame really. read more

Super fresh noodles. My whole family loves it we usually order this if we didn't cook for dinner. If you love spice you need to try this hidden gem. read more

The hand pulled oil splashed noodles were amazing and the crispy chili chicken delicious. It was a drive from the southeast side, but well worth every tasty bite. Portions were generous if for one person, or could easily be split if two dishes ordered. read more

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Before I start this review--note that every single one star review is from someone who 1) clearly does not have an understanding of the fact that this restaurant is not a place to order your Americanized, fake Chinese food, and 2) what this restaurant actually specializes in. So for that alone, take those other reviews with a grain of salt. They're clueless! This restaurant is a family owned mom and pop shop specializing in shanxi, or xi'an style Chinese food. If you're coming here to order your sweet and sour chicken or your beef with broccoli, there's a Panda Express in the same plaza that'll meet those needs. Do not fault this restaurant for being unable to cater to your poor taste (and your lack of knowledge of what clientele this restaurant is catering to). Anyway, this place is phenomenal, if you know what to order and how. Speaking Chinese is a must here. This is as close to Xi'an Famous Foods from NYC in Houston as you can get, for better prices and larger portions. Their liang pi, lamb soup with bread pieces, lamb "burger," lamb dumplings in a spicy and sour broth, and any of their biang biang style noodle dishes are absolutely amazing. Their noodles are hand pulled and cooked perfectly. This place is extremely popular among those who are familiar with native Chinese cuisine and they sell out of items regularly. All this to say, don't come here looking for fake Chinese food while being unable to appreciate this place for the jewel that it is. Come here for an authentic experience and for flavorful, spicy, and delicious food. read more

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I had been to Uncle Lee's in years. Even though the lady who helped me was super friendly there were problems O could not over look. This place needs a face lift. A good cleaning to make everything sparkle. The grout was not clean, there was an empty cellophane container on the floor, and the egg rolls were soggy. I could taste the oil they were fried in. The chicken dish looked great,, but it was missing the depth of flavor Asian food is known for. read more

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What a place, I had more flavor here than any other place, ever. Everything was amazing, and the staff were awesome as well. We tried to go all out here, but it was a lot of food read more

Uncle Lees Cafe - Table top - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Lovely place to eat seafood i recommend you to try uncie less cafe and you will enjoy it

Just ate here 5 days ago and couldn't wait to come back and bring my mother. Everything was so delicious Still absolutely loving the texture of the noodles. Lotus is so tasty. Highly recommend. read more

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Xi'an food is always special, and it's hard to find, so I was excited to see the menu here. This wasn't the best iteration of Xi'an (in Houston, I prefer the oddly named Northern Pasta), but the portions are generous and service is friendly, with ambiance moderately nicer than Northern Pasta. Get the lamb with bread soup; let the bread absorb the broth for a dish like you've never had before. Maddens me that the Instagram food influencers never mention this. Good rouge ma ("Chinese hamburger"); ok spicy noodles. If I lived near here, I'd come a few times a year, but not worth the half hour trek from inside the Loop now that I've tried it once. read more

Went here from a recommendation on the oil splashed noodles and they did not disappoint! The staff were amazing and we enjoyed the wonton soup as well. glad we stopped by! read more

We loved it! Super far for us from the Heights. But the food was great and the service was speedy. Recommend the Xian specialties - cold and hot noodle dishes read more

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