Asia Cafe is a hole-in-the-wall, no-frills Chinese food staple. Their Szechuan food is authentic. The spicy fish fillet is probably one of their most popular items and one I would recommend. We also really enjoyed the green beans; they have just the right amount of bite to them and are well seasoned. My partner loved the Chong chin chicken. It has a good balance of Szechuan peppercorns that wasn't too overpowering. I have tried their three cup chicken before, and it was alright. It didn't stand out too much for me, but if you love garlic and ginger, that might be a good dish to try. You order at the counter and pick up your own food when they call out your number, so there is no table-side wait service. Utensils/napkins are self-serve. Other things to note: they don't give you water cups for ice water, they only sell water bottles. If you end up dining in and need to take anything to go, you can get your own to-go containers, but if you need a bag, they informed us it was a 10 cent charge. read more

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Looked up this little restaurant after a doctor's appointment and decided to give it a try. Location is in a small shopping area that wasn't crowded, that had plenty of parking, easy access to the establishment. The restaurant was roomy, tables only, no booths. They hand you a menu and you order and pay for your food first. Asian cafe had a pretty good selection of dishes, appetizers, soups, and drinks. I ordered the beef broccoli and shared an egg drop soup and my spouse ordered the Chong Chin chicken containing plenty of peppercorns and Szechuan peppers. We did not have to wait long for our order. Our food arrived neatly displayed in the plates along with a good size bowl of egg drop soup. Everything was fresh, hot, and the flavors were out of this world. You could taste the ginger, garlic, lemon grass, and the rest of the delicious spices combining them all to deliver quite the punches and explosions of flavor. The portions were large and filling. My beef broccoli tasted great. The meat was very tender, and served in a brown sauce. Very flavorful. I could taste the fresh spices in the dish. Very authentic. I also got to eat some of the Chon Chin dish which consisted of tiny, crispy, fried pieces of chicken mixed in with great tasting flavors. The chicken was crispy, and juicy. It was spicy as we wanted it to be. It had peanuts that were roasted just right with thin, tiny slivers of roasted fresh ginger. Absolutely delicious. At times you could get the great taste of lemon grass and garlic. The egg drop soup was so comforting and just reminded me of the holidays for some reason. The food was the undeniably the best tasting Asian food we have had. The way they blended in their ingredients was perfect. The staff was friendly and attentive. we could not have asked for better tasting Asian food. Definitely would recommend this establishment to you all. read more

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It was just ok. I used to really like this place but today was very lackluster. We ordered pot stickers, egg drop soup, spicy fish, eggplant with pork, Mongolian lamb, crispy duck and mapo tofu. -The duck was super duper gamey and oily - yuck! -The mapo tofu was bland and just a blomb of mush. I expected more flavor. -The egg drop soup was fine. Nothing special and it was $8. Not worth it. -the spicy fish was just ok. It was not exceptional in any way nor was it very spicy. -the eggplant was fine. Nothing bad but just ok. -The Mongolian lamb was the best thing we ate and it was ok. Maybe we just ordered the wrong stuff but it was just not good. read more

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If I can pick "no star", I will! We have been long time customers for the past 10, 15 years. However, our last experience was really disappointing! Our party of 7 visited the cafe on a Saturday night at 8pm. We ordered around $120 dishes. They highly recommended a steam fish (cost $50) which we ordered. It came to us cold (steam fish being cold is ridiculous, definitely not authentic, left-over, not fresh). Our dishes came at 8:20 pm, and 10 minutes later, the cashier hurried us to leave 3 times. So, our party of 7 need to pack up and go at 8:45 pm. The 9 pm closing time is a joke. read more

It's the worst Chinese restaurant in Austin. Worst service, the cashier and her son, or maybe her husband, keep chatting and ignore customers. I happen to know Chinese, and I know they were just gossiping. The food I ordered, beef noodle, does not feel hygiene, as my stomach got upset afterwards. read more

Food and service was amazing! It is the best Chinese food in Austin hands down. I would suggest to anyone.

We got there at 5.25 and waited 15 minutes and no one paid us any attention. They have private rooms where the wait staff worked. Everyone in the main dining area was totally ignored including a big table behind us who were also ignored. They got there before us. No memu, no water no greeting NOTHING! read more

Not good but also not terrible? It was really hot inside the restaurant, I'm not sure if the AC was broken or if that's just how they roll. Everything is family style but the ordering was a little confusing because some tables were brought their food and some had to go pick it up. Not a big deal but just confusing. Affordable as far as pricing goes. They were really busy so be patient. read more

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Love the Red Pepper Tofu! It's our favorite . The eggplant is also great for vegetarians. The veggie fried rice is so so . Could be tastier read more

We have consistently ordered take out or dined in almost every week since moving to the 'hood. Always spot on. Great portion sizes. Good for several meals. And so much variety...but you'll end up finding a favorite and they will remember you. :) read more

The Kung Pao chicken is probably the best I've had in a long time, and I love the amount of peanuts they top it with! I've only ordered to go. This last time I didn't have rice in my bag and was able to notice before I got to my car. The website prices aren't up to date, and I'm glad I turned around to get the side of rice before getting home. The food was amazing and we'll keep coming back! read more

I was craving pork dumpling soup like what they serve at First Chinese BBQ. However, I thought I'd give Asia Cafe a try since it was a much closer drive. I like the abundance of baby bok choy included with the wonton soup, however, the broth was too dark and smoky in flavor. The wonton wrappers were thick and I didn't like the wonton soup - would not order again. My daughter like the fried dumplings. From all the photos posted, it appears stir fry dishes are a better bet here. We arrived at 11:45 am and beat the lunch rush. Our food came out quickly, within 5 minutes after ordering. I didn't mind ordering at the counter then picking up my food and carrying it to the table since it was just the two of us. For a large group though, that ''counter pickup' concept could be odd since everyone gets their food at different times. The silverware, water, tea, napkins, cups area was congested. Need to reorganize the layout so traffic pattern is better these items. read more

Asia Cafe - wonton soup: 10 wontons and bok choy $10.50 - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Authentic Asian food Consistently good food friendly staff Lunch time super busy Big tables Yea they speak English to varying degrees read more

I love the generous portion and the Sichuan spice is on point. We normally order a dish of water boiled fish and soft tofu. Very flavorful and a great to go option. read more

I have had food from Asia Cafe in the past and it was always good. This the story: Order: Singapore Style Noodles - out of 10 I'd give it a 2 Kung Pao Chicken - out of 10 I'd give it a 4 Shrimp and Scallop in Garlic Sauce - out of 10 I'd give it a 1 Vegetable Spring Roll - out of 10 I'd give it a 2 Singapore Noodles - thrown together without any care, covered in so much pepper that it colored the noodles red. Almost nothing but noodles in the dish. Kung Pao Chicken - commons standard dish in any Chinese restaurant and they didn't even do this well. Shrimp and Scallop in Garlic Sauce - confusing...this arrived sitting in a red colored oily sauce that took over anything else. To date I have never had any "garlic sauce" dish this color or this taste and so nasty. There was exactly one scallop in the dish. Vegetable Spring Roll - had to mess this up but they did. Fry was adequate but there didn't seem to be any visible ingredients inside. Just dough. I'm sure others have had great experiences there, and the messaging is that it is "authentic" which I don't know what that means. Lived in NY and SF for many years, Austin for 9 years, and to date - worst dining experience be it Chinese or any other cuisine. read more

Asia Cafe is an authentic Chinese restaurant located in a strip mall right off of 183. Some things to note: - Being located in a strip mall, the restaurant is not super aesthetically pleasing inside and out - Not a super big deal, especially considering that I feel like some of the best restaurants are like this but wanted to point it out so that expectations can be met - There is a lot of seating inside - Asia Cafe is a family style restaurant (reference the attached picture for portion size and layout of food) - Asia Cafe is a self serve restaurant so although it is a sit down restaurant, you will order up front and wait to pick up your entrees when your number is called. This also means that you will help yourself to water refills, silverware, and extra plates for your party. Overall - not my absolute favorite but I enjoyed everything we ordered. If you plan on coming here, I would recommend the General Tso! read more

Asia Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

We ordered some food to go and it was awful. Chicken was not fresh food was oily . I ended up having a stomach ache after.

The food was so so but I really like the concept of the restaurant. You get restaurant style food but it's self serve so you're not required to tip or you can if you want to at the counter. I went during lunch which they're supposed to give you egg drop soup with the entree but they ran out so that was disappointing. Although the dishes that we ordered were not amazing, I would like to try the other dishes because I think we just got bad luck by trying new items that we never tried before. Left satisfied with lots of leftovers to last me for a few days! read more

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Located in a strip mall, Asia Cafe is just off Hwy 183 and Spicewood Springs Road. Food: There are a decent number of Chinese food options on the menu, and various menu boards behind the counter. The mapo tofu was not too oily, and had a decent amount of spice and ground pork. Pea shoots were fresh and stir fried with garlic slices. Both entrees served with a bowl of white rice. Self service water and tea station, and ice is provided. Service: Friendly, and you're greeted as you enter. Food comes out quickly, but to be fair, we were there at 2:30pm and one of three parties eating. Cost: $30 after tax for the tofu and pea shoots, which is pretty pricey in my book. Overall: Might go back, but there's plenty of other places to try with equally fresh food considering the price point. Parking lot right outside, but spots can be hard to come by as there are lots of other eateries and shops in the same strip mall. They take credit cards. read more

Asia Cafe - Mapo Tofu and pea shoots - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

So fast, so delicious. Bone-in duck, housemade noodle soup, veggie dishes all sublime (get the off-menu stir fried water spinach). I ordered delivery at 7:30pm and the doorbell rang at 8:05. Insane. Definitely of the more authentic Chinese (specifically Sichuanense) experiences in town. read more

This was a favorite place several years ago but has suffered quite a bit since the pandemic. Menu prices have gone up 40% while portion sizes and quality have gone down similarly. They used to offer points which could be exchanged for dishes for repeat customers but now you can get some greasy mediocre egg rolls. The restaurant was never fancy but used to provide quality Chinese food, some of it quite authentic, for reasonable prices. They should at least consider buying smaller serving ware so that that don't have to bring out the food on half-empty serving plates. The final straw were the drinks. No table water is available and the only water to buy is a small bottle of purified water for a dollar. Spring water? OK, but a dollar for glorified tap water is sad. read more

I really had high hopes but overall we actually ended up walking out. The wonton soups noodles were doughy and the fried rice was mediocre at best. What really pushed it over the edge was that there was no free water and you basically served yourself. I just don't understand why there are so many tables if it's basically a takeout restaurant? read more

Asia cafe is the immediate Chinese restaurant I go to when I'm craving Chinese food. While Asia Cafe may not look like one of those trendy Asian fusion restaurants, many of their items of the menu are dishes you can't find at any other Chinese restaurants here in Austin. My favorites are blood tofu (血豆腐) and their Mongolian style lamb (蒙古羊肉). The ladies working at the counter taking orders are always so kind and helpful, and so are the ladies that clean the table. My only gripe about this restaurant would be that the seats with cushions are often cracked, and the tables are often still sticky even after it got wiped down. read more

I wanted to leave an updated review on my second visit with highlights based on tonight's experience. I came at a good time. I walked right up to the cashier to order. No line and plenty of tables to sit at. Today I went with the egg rolls and the special that had "New" written next to it - Szechuan Style Squid. We also wanted to try the Yelp fav-Eggplant with Ground Pork. Egg rolls were good. They were crispy. I did not care for the sauce. It tasted like apple sauce with red chilli pepper. I'm all about that spicy stuff so dipping it in the hot chili oil was yummy! The cashier was the same guy who helped me out previously who warned me that the soup dish would be spicy, but it was not up to the spice level I thought it would be. So today, I explained to him that I need it to be super, extra spicy. He happily obliged and let me tell you....the two dishes were so good! They DID THAT!!!! I was so happy that they increased the spices and yet it came out so good. Usually when you ask for extra spicy they will just throw some red chilli peppers, but that does not do the trick. I am really digging this spot! read more

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Best Chinese food in Austin. Very authentic. We have enjoyed them for years. Honey walnut shrimp, garlic green beans and Taiwanese rice noodles are our favs. read more

The service is good, very open environment. The food is just way too salty I couldn't eat much

This place has decent food, and normally with good food asian restaurants I would expect bad customer service as long as they are able to take your order correctly and give me food. But this place is taking bad customer service to the next level. Not only they completely omitted my order, there is no apologies. The girl who is at counter, wears glasses and tie her hair on the back, also raise her voice when I asked about my order. I don't understand how is she able to miss my order completely when there's only 7 orders? Knowing that she screwed up my orders and placed a new order, she did not even rush the order and continue to give me shitty attitude when I ask her questions. This has crossed the line. I can accept bad customer service, but not incompetent service with shitty attitude. If you read through the reviews, you would be able to see theres a ton of bad reviews on this waitress. Until the owner fires this waitress, I will not return. Here are some great alternative for those of you reading the review: 1. Asia Market Food Court (right next to asia cafe): very good food. The only reason I did not order from them is because I could not find an online menu. 2. Chen's Noodles: great food options 3. Ho Ho: Canton flavors that I really love 4. Ding Ho: Probably the best in town but a bit far from here. read more

I wanted to try this place because many of my friends raved a bunch about their menu! The set up of the restaurant requires you to order at the counter and then you bring your food to the table. They have a water and hot tea station along with extra cups or silverware that you can grab. You can also buy drinks from their fridge like soymilk or soda. This place is great to order family style so you can try a bit of everything. Their spicy beef soup was very tasty! I liked that abundance of vegetables in the soup. Good amount of protein as well. The water spinach dish was good. It's not hard to make it anyway. My friend ordered the spicy beef fillet and it was surprisingly good! A bit on the spicer end if you you can't handle. The shrimp and scallops dish was very savory and had an abundant amount of veggies as well! I did not expect that. All the portions for each dish were very generous. We had lots of leftovers. I'm giving a 4 star review because our table was uncomfortable while finishing our food when the bus boys were already sitting at a nearby table with their cart waiting for us to leave. They weren't just waiting they were staring us down... which was incredibly rude lmao. It was 8:45pm and they close at 9pm. I would understand if it were already 9 but our table did not order at an inappropriate time. We had plenty of time left to enjoy our food. I'm not sure what kind of dining experience the restaurant wants us to have but I guess it's cool to make customers feel uncomfortable... Other than that, I'll be back to try out their mapo tofu and spicy crispy chicken!!! read more

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(This is based on my pre-covid experience) Asia Cafe is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants I have ever tried in Austin. This restaurant is the type of restaurant that you can bring your Asian family to and know they will love it. They have multiple seating options for small groups or large parties. My to go order will always be the eggplant dish, the lo mien, and their chicken and broccoli. If you never had eggplant before, try it here!! It changed my life. Their menu has so many options you'll go crazy trying to decide. Which is great for me cause I love options. When ordering here please take note that the portions are basically family size so that you can eat it family style. Meaning it's a lot of food! I have had friends who did not know the portion size and struggled to finish their plates. Of course you can always take it home for leftovers! read more

Actually I feel this place has the best Chinese cuisine in Austin. We ordered Fish, pork liver and fried rice. All very good taste. It's just the fish is kinda small and expensive. The disappointing part is the service. The person who took the order was very cold read more

I've been wanting to try this place out for years, but the restaurant always seemed packed (pre pandemic times of course) or the phone line was too busy when I tried to call for takeout. I finally gave them a shot, and I have to say I quite liked what my husband and I ordered. First, about the restaurant itself. It appears to be strictly pickup only and no indoor dining (all the chairs were stacked up and everything was pushed up against the walls). Hand sanitizer is located at the entrance, the floor was marked with social distance stickers, and all staff were wearing masks. I'm thankful for a restaurant that follows strict guidelines for the safety of its staff and customers especially during pandemic times. The food itself: my husband and I ordered the Szechuan Style Pork Intestines and Pork Blood, Szechuan Duck (bone in), Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork, and Zhong Dumplings. Upon picking up our order, the staff was impressed with how authentic our order was (we usually try to order similar dishes like these when given the option since we're big fans of Szechuan cuisine). The Mapo Tofu was not the best I've had in Austin- it was still good but I've had more flavorful Mapo Tofu dishes that were more a sucker punch to my taste buds. I'm a big fan of Mapo Tofu, and I try to order it anytime I see it on a menu. There was a very very slight buzz and bit of heat, so if your spice tolerance level is on the lower side then this should be fine for you (I personally really like pretty spicy food so I was hoping for a lot more heat and this was on the mild side for me). The dumplings were also okay, the flavors didn't stand out to me. The winners though were the Szechuan Style Pork Intestines and Pork Blood and Szechuan Duck! The Pork Intestines were packed with flavor and very tender. It always impresses us when a place can cook intestines just right, for many places often overcook them and the texture turns out pretty rubbery. Asia cafe is one of the very few places in town that nailed cooking the intestines right, so order from them if you're on the search. The Szechuan Duck had deliciously crispy skin and really good flavor. Overall, from our order there were dishes that were just good and others that were impressive. Will order from them again and would like to try more dishes. read more

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Thank you Carl and Jai for taking me to this wonderful place on or amazing road trip. Y'all told me to grab a table while you ordered and you got use some amazing plates of deliciousness. Y'all picked some amazing dishes. We had zhong dumplings, spicy fish, eggplant stuffed with pork and twice cooked pork with black bean sauce and dumplings, Everything is just beyond wow delicious. The place is nice and clean. Plenty of table. A big menu with lots to choose from. I would and will so go back her to try more delicious delights. read more

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I'll be honest this place is a complete hole in the wall and I love it. I have loved this place for years. And recently we tested that love by ordering just anything on the menu. I looked at my boyfriend and said order anything and we'll see how it goes. You know you're at a good restaurant when everything you try, on a whim is delicious. This is one of the very few places where you can do this. I dare you get the menu shut your eyes plop your finger down and order what ever your finger hits. I promise you it's going to be delicious. The only exception to this rule would be the level of spice that you enjoy. Some of the dishes here can be very spicy so you have to use your better judgment for that. Out of everything we ordered that night, my favorite was an eggplant dish with pork it had a tiny amount spice but was just completely delicious. read more

This isn't your traditional Chinese sit-down restaurant. You head to the front and order your food after looking at the menu and pay up front. They call your order number and you go and grab your food. I went with a group of friends, and we ordered the Beef Flat Noodles, Spicy Fish Fillet, Salt and Pepper Calamari, and the Seafood with Tofu. Overall, I definitely liked the Spicy Fish Fillet the best. It was highly recommended in the reviews, and I thought the fish was very juicy and tender. My next favorite was the beef flat noodles. The dish definitely tasted better than it looked, but the portion was a little small. Overall, I enjoyed my experience, and I think it's a good place to try out a variety of different Chinese food at one time with friends. read more

If you live northwest, it's hard to find a better spot than Asia Cafe. A menu that does not quit, is not over Americanizad and is not fried mystery meat floating in a bowl of grease and cornstarch. Asia Cafe is straight forward Szechuan cuisine. Their greatest dishes are the spicy ones. Mapo tofu, spicy pork, etc. Their fried whole fish is magnificent. Are you still learning? Ok, then try the shredded chicken with mushrooms, the orange flavored beef, and yeah they have General Tso. The food is fantastic. And if you get delivery these days, your food will be well packed and piping hot. Try something new and support a local! read more

Asia Cafe - 59. Shredded Chicken with White Beech Mushroom / - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I think I've found my favorite Chinese place in Austin. This is conditional, as I've only had a couple items here - the spicy fish and the egg rolls. The latter were excellent - not too greasy, with a thin and crispy shell the way it's supposed to be done. The spicy fish (according to the cashier, they're by far the most popular dish) was one of the best Asian fish dishes I've had since San Francisco's Chinatown. Yes, it's spicy - I ended the meal with the sniffles and watery eyes - but it was oh so good. The fish, which is Basa - aka Swai - is fried in a light coating and served in a molten-looking sauce. And it's pure delicious! I will be returning with an eye to try their Zhong dumplings and cumin beef, among others. This place pegs the 'CTJ Scale' at 5 stars, as noted below. 5 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Jesus good. Would be OK passing away after finishing a plate here. 4 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Mary good. Would be OK being seen eating here by Mother Mary. 3 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus' Dad. 2 out of 5 stars: Come-to-the-Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn't have my last supper here. 1 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Nobody good. I wouldn't have my penultimate supper here, either. read more

Asia Cafe - The Spicy Fish! Dare I try it... - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

My son's favorite restaurant of all time. His favorite is chicken broccoli and spicy fish fillet.

The Mapo Tofu, y'all... I was lucky to visit mainland China in 2019, specifically visiting Chengdu in the Sichuan region. I had never had mapo tofo before so my first try was in the home of this dish. My travelling companions told me that it would be impossible to find it that good back in Austin. Well... I was BLOWN AWAY by how good this dish was. There's lots of great Asian-owned restaurants in this part of town, but none of them rock a mapo tofu like Asia Cafe. Order it! read more

The service is great. The portions are big and all of the employees are super kind. When we are craving Chinese style cuisine we come here

I live right next to that Asia Café, how come I have not submitted a review yet? I absolutely love this place for the sheer largeness and excitement and deliciousness of the food. Be prepared they give you huge huge generous portions. Almost everything on the menu is wonderful. I love the beef with the broccoli, or the General Tsao chicken. The menu has a lot of Chinese classics on it, and some other things I have never heard of. You can order a large steamed basket of vegetables, you will have so many leftovers, it might last you for days later. It is very healthy. The price is right, and the atmosphere is very typical for Austin. It is a weird atmosphere. When you enter the restaurant, you walk through the dining area and order at the back. They have the menu on a big video screen. After you pay, you wait and when they call out your number, you feel like you are the contestant of a game show going to claim your prize in front of an audience. This place is a charm to dine out during the lunch rush. Parking is a tad bit difficult but you will do it, if you were able to find this place, you will definitely enjoy it. read more

Asia Cafe - All steamed!!!!! - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas