I ordered Big Lantern through DoorDash, and the whole experience was seamless. The food arrived in about 30-40 minutes to FiDi, which was pretty quick. I ordered the garlic noodles and the BBQ pork fried rice. The garlic noodles were very garlicky in the best way and loaded with protein. I liked that they included chicken, pork, beef, and prawns all in one dish. I don't think I've ever had garlic noodles quite like this before as it almost reminded me of combo chow mein, but with a strong garlic-forward flavor. It was really good and definitely the standout. The BBQ pork fried rice was more of a classic fried rice, but still very tasty and satisfying. Overall, a solid option for Chinese food, especially for delivery. I'd definitely order from here again. read more

Big Lantern - Fried Rice - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place straight-up lies about their hours. They advertise that they're open until 11:00 PM. I called in advance to confirm. Based on that, I made the trip over and showed up around 10:35-10:40 PM. Suddenly it's: "No, we're closed." When I pressed them -- because, again, you said you were open until 11 -- the story changed to "Oh... only takeout." That was never mentioned on the phone. Not once. If "open" actually means "maybe we'll toss food in a bag if we feel like it," then say that. This is a complete waste of people's time. Late night plans ruined because the staff either doesn't know their own hours or just doesn't care. Either way, it's sloppy and unprofessional. Plenty of Chinese spots in SF actually honor their posted hours. This isn't one of them. Won't be back. read more

Big Lantern is one of the best inexpensive, good Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, in fact, I'd hazard to say that it outperforms most Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown or the entire Bay Area. It is a staple of the Mission District and the quality of the food, good service, and comfortable atmosphere makes it on of the staples of the no-nonsense restaurant scene. Prices are low, portions are large, the menu is vast, and the service is speedy. The food tastes excellent here, no matter if you are a vegan, vegetarian, or even a carnivore. You don't have to fear food being overly salted & smothered in MSG, or service being cold & staff being unfriendly, Big Lantern is a place that you can come into early or late, bustling or empty, and expect the same level of quality, taste, and service, consistently, and without fail. We came in for dinner on a late-Saturday night when the entire Mission District was really bustling with bars, music venue, clubs, and entertainment options open & packed with many, many Saturday night partygoers just ahead of the holidays. There were a lot of people inside of the restaurant, still, there was no wait. We were seated in a really cozy comfortable booth right next to the window to enjoy a little people watching and a glimpse of the busy 16th Street foot traffic outside. Big Lantern is a fairly big restaurant with a mixture of big tables, little tables, booths, and even a sheltered outdoor seating area for larger parties. The restaurant is extremely clean & comfortable and features some nice Chinese art & a full koi pond right by the front entrance. Even the bathrooms were remarkably clean & graffiti-free, quite unusual for any restaurant let alone a Chinese restaurant in the Mission District. Service was very good. Polite & attentive waitresses that are bilingual and friendly. They bring you hot tea & place settings right away, and check back often to see if you are ready to order [yet]. After perusing the vast menu with countless meatless, vegan, vegetarian, meat, poultry, and seafood options, we decided on some spicy options to warm ourselves up on a cold, damp Saturday night. We ordered the spicy sautéed string beans with tofu, the spicy yum yum eggplant, and some rice. Food came out within a few minutes, despite the restaurant being very busy with in-person dining, lots of take-out via PostMates, GrubHub, and UberEats drivers. They probably make a killing in to-go food orders alone, but this does not distract them from serving those diners like ourselves who come in person for a good, hot meal. The portions were incredibly huge, and very fairly priced. Spicy does mean spicy! The yum yum eggplant was very yum yum yummy, with a mound of eggplant chunks cooked perfectly with red pepper, garlic, and a savory type of hoisin sauce that was not too salty, not too abundant, and not too overpowering. I'd say this is one of their best dishes. The other dish was less impressive, but still equally tasty, the sautéed string beans & tofu. Tofu was a bit on the salty & drier side, perhaps a bit too fried & salted with sesame seeds coating them. The string beans were very fresh & crunchy, yet cooked & hot. They added a dash of red chili flakes to kick up that spice level, for people who love their food to be spicy hot (like us). We split a single bowl of rice between the two of us, which was plenty (even with some being leftover) to cover eating two big entrees. Food was delicious, hot, spicy, and served really quickly, despite the busy-ness of the restaurant as party hours approached. Service was great. No attitude, no rush, no struggling to communicate, and no neglect. Our waitress came back several times after delivering the food to check up on us, refill tea or water, as well as to bring out any additional napkins or utensils as needed. She was friendly, accommodating, efficient, and attentive. Big Lantern has always been my go-to late night Chinese-food craving restaurant ever since I used to hang out in the Mission District in the early 2000's. They've survived the dot-com crash, COVID, and economical uncertainties with the same formula: good tasty food, lots of it, delivered quickly & professionally, in a clean and comfortable space, at low to cheap prices. It doesn't get any better than this, whether you are on the go and need quick fuel, or are even on a date night with a limited budget, Big Lantern satisfies all needs, budgets, expectations, palates, and dietary requirements for excellent Cantonese Chinese food. Always, one of my favorite restaurants to go to when I'm in the neighborhood, and I really encourage you to give them a try, in-person or takeout. You won't be disappointed in the food or service! Big Lantern gets a BIG RECOMMENDATION from me! read more

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I love this place. A go-to lunch special spot. Huge menu with many options for all dietary needs. Super friendly staff. Great delivery as well. The Hunan fish is my favorite. They also have dim sum options. Highly recommend for good old American style Chinese with some interesting choices. read more

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We came after watching "A Better Tomorrow" at the Roxie and it felt fitting to eat Chinese food after seeing this John Woo and Chow Yun Fat classic. There is a famous scene in the movie in a Chinese restaurant with potted plants and this had a very similar vibe. One of our friends is Vegetarian so we only ordered vegetarian, even though it was meant to be just a light snack we ended up over ordering but the food was so good we finished everything. Just browsing on yelp I see the owner with an award in 2019 for the best Asian Food in the US! Vegetarian Fried Rice: This was excellent and it did not make me miss meat at all. It was well seasoned and had that wok char taste that makes Fried Rice like this taste unique. Imitation meat Cheung Fan: The rice paper was not too thick and the fake meat tasted great. Fried Turnip Cake: Also with fake meat, tasted excellent and everyone who was not hungry had a bit and kept eating after tasting how good this was. We had a bottle of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc and it was surprisingly good as well! read more

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I loved the food, it was perfect. The service was amazing, both ladies were so kind and welcoming. The ambiance made the place 10x better and I loved how there was a small fountain with koi fish in the entrance. read more

Excellent food, service and an overall fun experience. Reminds me of the Chinese restaurants in New york.

Big Lantern became the spot for a Thanksgiving lunch this year because of their plentiful veggie based dim sum options and Cantonese dishes. Nearly everything on the menu can be veganized especially with using their faux meat. There is already a lot of plant-based options available to choose from. We went with their Vegetarian Dim Sum ($13), Mock Chicken Congee ($10), Rice "Tamales" as they called them ($6 for two), and an order of their Kung Pao Faux Chicken. The congee, cha siu bao from the dim sum platter, and their 'tamales' were all fantastic. It reminded me of what I used to eat back in the day. Their kung pao could've been a bit spicier but I appreciated being able to enjoy it with their plant-based chicken, which seems to be made from seitan. Some of the vegan faux meat items though weren't as exciting. The Chicken Siu Mai was the biggest letdown and I wouldn't get that again, but everything else where they used the faux chicken was great. Aside from the food, service here was incredible. Everyone was super sweet and checked up on us often. Fun fact - they were once ranked the best restaurant in all of the U.S. by a publication and you can find their accolade proudly displayed inside. read more

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Came here for the various meatless protein options in the menu did not disappoint. They had a full page dedicated to meatless or vegetarian options, which was really appreciated and unique to this type of cuisine. We did order the crispy garlic, meatless, chicken, and accidentally received the curry meatless chicken, which was still phenomenal, but would be very interested to return to try the crispy garlic. Also enjoyed the Mongolian beef. It was super saucy and very well cooked. We also ordered the numbing spicy noodles and it was interesting and definitely made our mouth tingle, but would maybe pass on it next time. Did appreciate how saucy it was. Last week we ordered the hot and sour soup. I wish it came out a little bit hotter, and it was more spicy, but it was still comforting, and I liked how chunky and thick the tofu pieces were. We were served by a very sweet waitress, who was really kind and took the time to explain the different menu options. read more

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Classic American style Chinese food, with just the right amount of vegetables. Excellent lunch specials, I like the Szechuan fish, the mushroom medley, and the Chinese medley. The sesame beef is very crispy but good if you're into that. They make a vegetarian version of pretty much any dish. read more

Big Lantern - Big Lantern Flaming Szechuan Chili Fish - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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very solid place! ambience was good and food was pretty affordable. not my favorite dim sum but it was decent and we also got the green beans with tofu which was excellent! quick service, wish they didn't charge for tea but overall still good value for the meal read more

Big Lantern - dim sum combination - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Of all the Chinese spots I really pick this spot every time. The dim sum is delicious and affordable. The sesame beef is a must order. No matter what you order the portions are huge and delicious. It's never too crowded and it's has a vibe of a mom and pop restaurant. I want to gate keep Big Lantern but it is too good not to share! read more

Their vegan chicken kung pao is a standout dish. We ordered a dish with garlic and spice and received a sweet and sour one. When we asked the waitress about it, she pressed on that it was the dish we ordered even though it was not. We also ordered the vegan eggplant dish, which was too oily. We will just stick to their stand out dish from now on when we eat here. The ambiance is nice and it's nice that they have a vegan menu however, our experience has caused us to not want to try other dishes. read more

The food is amazing. Specially kung pao chicken, chicken chow mein and pepper beef. Their service is also really good. read more

We go here all of the time for their lunch specials. I get the mandarin eggplant It's really good read more

Big lantern is a mission classic with later hours and in stones throw of live music venues and bars . Ample seating and infinite patience a very extensive dim sum menu that is one of the best in town. The portions are generous and it's a good atmosphere. I highly recommend this if you like dim sum I prefer the stuffed mushrooms but most of the options are pretty delicious. read more

Got food poisoning from their prawns. Stay away from this place. Don't really need to say much more.

Amazing food!!! Not over-salted, and nice balance of flavors. Kudos on keeping the veggies nice and crispy in that wonton soup! read more

I just had the best Chinese food ever at this restaurant. The food tasted really good and the service was really amazing and the ambiance of this restaurant was great and was really decorative. I did not leave this place hungry. I highly recommend people try this place out if you are in town. I can definitely see myself coming back here read more

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It's hard finding a decent Chinese spot in the Mission, and sadly this was not it. I will not order from here again. I ordered takeout and got the baked dim sum combination, Shanghai baby bun (pork), string bean with beef, and chicken porridge. The baked dim sum combination was disappointing. I hate being wasteful, but the curry chicken puff tasted rancid and was so bad that we had to throw most of it in the trash. The BBQ pork bun was bland, and the egg custard was just okay. The Shanghai baby bun (pork) was really just 4 pieces of soup dumplings, or xiao long bao. The naming was super confusing. Unfortunately, there was barely any soup in these. The string beans with beef was so ridiculously salty that it was difficult to eat without downing multiple cups of water. The chicken porridge was actually decent (for the most part) but a bit too oily. Everything was pretty pricey here. For the high price point and low food quality, I don't recommend this place at all. For now, I'll still have to resort to places farther out in the Richmond and Sunset for decent Chinese food. read more

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Honestly, not sure why this place gets such low scores. Food is perfectly fine- it's not the best, it's not the most authentic, but it's decent and they're open late! I order here for their vegetarian dim sum options and their "meatless" dishes. their meatless dimsum: The pan fried turnip cake with meatless chicken is one of my favorites! "Bbq chicken" bun is good- not super amazing, but good enough to satisfy my bbq pork bun cravings! The bbq "chicken" puff is sooo good. It's usually made with bbq pork. This is a winner for me. I love taro puffs too, but this one is too greasy for my taste. The meatless Siu Mai is a pass. I always get the salt and pepper tofu. Tonight, it was ok. I don't remember if they always did this and I just don't remember, but there were lemon wedges with the tofu. It kind of ruined it for me. Even tho it was on the edge of the box, I feel like it made the crispy tofu soggy, and the flavor of lemon just didn't taste right with it. Note to self: remember to tell them NO lemons. I got the meatless sweet and sour chicken. Pro tip: anytime you order something deep-fried, and it comes with a sauce, ask them to package the sauce separately. This way your fried items aren't gross and soggy by the time you get it. And Yum yum eggplant was pretty good too! And it was packed to the brim! Hot and sour soup is how and sour soup. lol I think it could use a little more "hot and sour" though. But it's my personal taste. I just add more white pepper and a bit of vinegar at home. No big deal. I've never eaten in. Always delivery. read more

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Old school Chinese takeout / Americanized Chinese style food. Big portions, low prices (in this economy!), fast but old school service. Old school furnished-in-the-90s style decor. This place is like a time capsule of late 90s, early 2000s Chinese hole in the walls, but not in a bad way. Could you find better food for maybe better prices elsewhere in SF, especially in Richmond or Sunset? Probably. In Mission? This is probably as good as it gets for this style of Chinese. read more

Its open late. The food is very good. The only downside is when you order online for pickup through their web site and pay with a card you have to also call them and give your card again. Yes. Otherwise you show up and they run your card and THEN start making your order. In a crowded restaurant (deservedly) that can take a while. read more

Food and service is really good. Large menu, but we eat the same things when we go in. It's not too loud and seems like a local spot. We have been coming back here for a couple years now and still enjoy it. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of veggie options at Big Lantern! I've never had so many options that I was confused on what to get at a Chinese restaurant before! They gave us free soup which was yummy and great for a rainy day! We got the veggie dumplings to share and it was a great option! I loved the one filled with veggies! I ended up getting the lunch special with Garlic Eggplant and added tofu in there. It was good and came with rice and a side salad! The only thing I would improve/wished for is for more spicy options. The sauce in the main dish was a sweet sauce even though I asked for spicy so I wish there were dishes with mainly savory and spicy bases. read more

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Big lantern is a gem. They have amazing service, and their food is always great. I've eaten here quite a bit, & they never fail to deliver quality each time. To say the least they're consistent! The portion sizes are generous for the price, & if you're a vegan or pescatarian like myself, they have a plethora of options. Probably the biggest and one of the best vegan menus in SF! I love Big Lantern and will frequent them for life. read more

A lot of vegetarian options. Food is tasty seasoning is a little heavy but acceptable. I appreciate they have vegetarian dim sum which is hard to find elsewhere. Service is quick and friendly enough. This place deserves more recognition. read more

Way overpriced poor quality food. Worst lormaigai (sticky rice in lotus leaf) I've ever had in my life. I've had some bad ones. Skip this place and go to literally any other establishment. I want my money back. Ridiculous small frozen egg rolls $3 each. Skip!! read more

Great for some decent Chinese-American food takeout. Even dining in was a positive experience and enjoyed that drop egg soup. Service was friendly and attentive. I believe the owners used to own Jasmine Tea House on Mission St. before it went downhill. It's my go-to for Chinese delivery that doesn't break the bank. read more

I'm vegetarian so I enjoy their vegan dim sum selection. However, I do link their entrees are a bit overpriced for what you get.

I had a terrible time at this establishment today, I got salt and pepper chicken and it was extremely hard and not edible in the slightest, and I had the employee tell me her chicken was amazing and ignored the fact that it was hard as a rock, the people are extremely rude here and I do not recommend people eating here. read more

Big Lantern - This is the salt and pepper chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ordered a variety of dishes to split. Everything was really flavorful, not too oily or bland. The string beans were my favorite! Staff was so sweet and friendly, and working really hard! It was super full by they were still very attentive. read more

Big Lantern - Chicken Chow Mein, beef with string beans, chicken with Mixed Vegetable - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

The owners are very nice! I haven't been here in over 8 years and they still recognized me and my family. If you're looking for Chinese food, this is the best spot in the mission. Their menu is massive so there is something for everyone. If you're looking for saucy wings, just the braised chicken wing (Joyce style). My favorite thing this time was the salt and pepper scallops! read more

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so lucky to live close to Big Lantern. Great food, good service and all around terrific. It's hard to get back Asian food in SF but not every restaurant is a stand out. This one is. read more

Solid dim sum and reasonable prices! I really liked the upscale Chinese decor. We got all the classic dims um items, including steamed BBQ pork bun, pork siu mai, shrimp dumpling, sesame ball, BBQ pork rice noodle roll, and pork and chive dumpling. These were all tasty, and service was good. read more

Big Lantern - Rice Noodle Roll, Sesame Ball - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for lunch with family Saturday at 1pm and got seated immediately. We got onion pancakes and the sweet rice tamale with meatless chicken to start. Then the spicy chow fun with meatless chicken, eggplant with tofu, and wood ear mushroom with meatless fish. The sweet rice tamale was the best! The onion pancakes were okay and came with a sweet peanut sauce which was a little weird of a pairing. Eggplant with tofu was delicious and saucy but definitely needed rice. Spicy chow fun was a solid choice, a little kick but not too bad! Heard the veggie dim sum is not that great aside from the sweet rice tamale so we steered away. Great mix of both vegetarian/vegan and meat dishes. read more

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Best vegan dim sum in the USA! Soft, fresh, delicious, amazing perfection! All homemade and our new fave! Worth the four hour drive! read more

They offer many meatless options including in their dim sum! Homely style Chinese food offered in clean, non stuffy atmosphere! Check out their lunch specials! Ordered Lemon vegan fish and it was delicious. I'll try them again for their other meatless options they offer! read more

Big Lantern - Lemon Vegan Fish Lunch Special Menu - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is like your American suburban mom-n-pop Chinese restaurant, just in SF. It's certainly not winning any awards here... look to San Tung, YH Beijing, maybe Mama Ji's for that. Do beware that if you call in an order, they try to charge you eat-in prices for it. It's better to just order from their website, you'll save about 10-15%. read more

They have really good food. Very delicious. I go there all the time and most of all their fast.