Black Straw is probably one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Spokane, so when they opened a location on the Northside on Market, I was VERY excited. And the best part? The food is just as consistent as their Valley location. Here's what we ordered: Honey Walnut Chicken Sweet, crispy, and breaded perfectly. Not soggy, not overly heavy, and just the right amount of crunch. This is the ultimate comfort-food Chinese chicken. Tangerine Beef -- MY FAVORITE Crispy, packed with flavor, and just a little bit spicy. And I mean a little. I'm not someone who enjoys spicy food, but they absolutely nailed the spice level on this one. The sauce is incredible and has a flavor that I haven't really found anywhere else. This is the one I'd order every single time. Broccoli Beef This one was probably my least favorite. It wasn't bad by any means--it was just... pretty standard. Nothing wrong with it, but it didn't have the same wow factor as the other dishes. Almond Chicken Another winner! The breading was just right--not overly thick but definitely not mushy. The sauce was thick, flavorful, and made the whole dish. Pork Fried Rice Seriously good fried rice. It's one of those comforting sides that you're actually happy to have leftovers of because it reheats beautifully. Gyoza Amazing. Every. Single. Time. The not-so-great... Service was okay--not terrible, but definitely not the highlight of the experience. The biggest issue for us was actually the temperature. We had been outside in 90° weather and were SO excited to walk into some glorious air conditioning. The main dining area was cooled nicely, but unfortunately we were seated in the back room, which was uncomfortably warm. It definitely took away from the dining experience a bit, especially after being outside in the heat. That said, the food was still fantastic, and I'm absolutely happy to have a Black Straw location on the Northside. Food: 9/10 Service: 6/10 Atmosphere: 6/10 Would I go back? Absolutely. If you're a Chinese food lover in Spokane, Black Straw on Market is definitely worth trying. read more

See all

The service here was good. We dined in. They seem to do a good takeout business. For a while we were the only people in the restaurant. They seemed very over staffed. The waitresses chatted loudly behind the front counter and ignored us. My water glass sat empty for a long time while they chatted. I felt the food was tasteless. The egg flour soup literally tasted like nothing. My husband said the almond chicken was good. The teas I saw people carry out looked good. read more

Hard to find really good Chinese spots in Spokane, but this place is pretty solid. The food wasn't too salty or greasy, which I appreciated. I still think the tofu was overcooked though, they said it wasn't fried, but I personally prefer tofu softer like they make it at Kuni's Thai Restaurant. Black Straw also has some insane looking boba drinks if you're into tea I'd honestly come back just to try more of the bobas. Friendly customer service, great atmosphere, just wish they played a little more music. read more

Black Straw Chinese kitchen - Vegetable Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

Blackstraw North might honestly have some of the best portion sizes for Chinese food in Spokane right now. The plates coming out of the kitchen were HUGE definitely enough to share, and it actually felt worth the price instead of getting tiny takeout containers filled halfway. We tried the sesame chicken, kung pao chicken, spicy crispy tofu, brown sugar milk tea, and strawberry matcha. Everything came out fresh and hot, and the spicy crispy tofu was especially good if you want a solid plant-based option that still has a lot of flavor and texture. One thing that surprised me was the complimentary egg flour soup. It would've been easy for that to feel like an afterthought, but it was genuinely comforting and flavorful. The customer service also stood out right away. Everyone was kind, welcoming, and patient from the moment we walked in, which honestly makes a big difference. The boba drinks are dangerously good too. I already know I'm going back for another milk tea... and after seeing someone else's honey walnut shrimp come out, that's definitely next on my order list. Big bonus points for: * Tons of free parking * Massive portions * Plant-based options * Some gluten-friendly choices Definitely feels like a spot North Spokane needed. read more

See all

Love the family style meals. Comes with a large bowl of soup and a large bowl of rice (rice is refillable). The food was great I prefer a little less sauce for my dishes, but still delicious. First time visiting the place and the waiters were nice and respectful, mainly a lot of soups and big dishes for a family. Overall a nice clean restaurant. Will definitely be back to try other dishes. read more

See all

We had lunch at 1:30 and there were still about 10 tables of customers, a good sign. Our server was attentive but didn't hover. We ordered an appetizer of egg foo young and an egg roll. Both were good and very fresh. Disappointing that there isn't a lighter menu or a lunch menu, just one with full entrees. We ended up splitting Honey Walnut Prawns that came with an egg flower soup and steamed rice. It was good but not exceptional. Hope they do well in the location but not sure it will fit everyone's budget. read more

Black Straw Chinese kitchen - Honey Walnut prawns with steamed rice. - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

See all

Mary and I stopped in for lunch today, our first visit. We were greeted friendly staff and seated. Menus and water came right out. We order Tso's chicken, crispy tangerine beef, and pork fried rice; egg flour soup was included, standard. The tangerine beef was delicious as was the Tso's chicken, the fried rice was good but standard. You should give this place a try. read more

See all

And yet another Black Straw to love! They did right by waiting, and being absolutely ready to open in this building. It looks amazingly different, which I believe is important. This is a guess, but I think they are partnering with the Hillyard school system to have local teens getting experience in the hospitality trades. All the servers were pretty young, with big smiles and an amazing willingness to help/check on us patrons. Believe me, I watched them all, and it was impressive. The food? Heck, it's just as delicious as the mothership on Sprague. If it wasn't, that would've been the first line of my review, Gunga Din... ;) read more

See all

The food here is amazing. So fresh and flavorful. We ate it so fast, we didn't take photos. Don't pass up the egg flour soup...yummy. We did the Kung Pao Chicken and the mixed Chow Mein. Portions are great and plan on taking food home. read more

Picked up our meal to bring home to eat and fir the most part was not disappointed. Unfortunately there was one glitch, they did not put in the container of sauce for the almond chicken. I called right away and was told they would put my name on a list and the next time I came in a had a free almond chicken. We don't live in Spokane so we haven't yet been able to come back. We definitely will be coming back because the food did not disappoint. Hopefully when we are able to come in my name is still on that list and we can try the almond chicken with the sauce. read more

I'm so sad to have to mark Black Straw in Hillyard down to 3 stars. Why?!? Failure on my take out order. According to the order receipt, order went in at 7:35pm. Yes, I realize this was close to closing at 8pm (double checked when I ordered) which is why I did take out. Ordered 1 egg roll, 2 Egg Foo Yong, and 1 order of Fried Wontons. Got home and discovered no gravy on the Egg Foo Yong. It's just okay without, but, no where near as good with it. Thought maybe they packed it separately...nope. Also, there was only one very small container of sweet chili sauce for 10 fried wontons?!?!? Oh, maybe that was for the egg roll? Cuz there wasn't any other type of sauce included. Thank goodness I still had some hot mustard from Red Dragon! Come on guys! You did so awesome opening weekend. Don't fail us now!!! Also, they turned off the OPEN sign as a couple were walking up to the door & as I was backing out at 7:45pm. Thought you were open until 8pm??? ***seriously, who doesn't put gravy on Egg Foo Yong...??? read more

Black Straw Chinese kitchen - Order went in at 7:35pm. Plenty of time to do it right. - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

See all

We ordered the chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and kung pao chicken. Every entree was delicious and each had a healthy portion enough for 2-3 people. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. The interior was well lit, clean and has lots of seating. I'm definitely coming back to try a different entree! read more

See all

Great food, my husband and I love it! They have the good portions you love to get from Asian-American cuisine and they include egg drop soup with each meal, which is delicious and gives the authentic touch. I can't speak for the atmosphere as I have not yet eaten in their establishment (have ordered delivery several times) , but look forward to going soon read more

This place is probably the best Chinese food I've ever had in Spokane! Service was great, we ordered a lot of food and it came out pretty fast. The quality of food was so good, I usually feel like Chinese can often sit very heavy afterwards but not with this place! We ordered four plates of food to share between five people and have soooo many left overs! Definitely recommend this place! read more

Avoid ordering online from Black Straw. I placed a $90 food order through what appeared to be the Valley location's website, only to find out after paying that the order was actually sent to the North location. When I contacted the restaurant, they refused to refund the order, transfer it, or remake it at the Valley location. I didn't have time to drive 45 minutes across town to pick up food from a different location, so I was simply out $90 with nothing to show for it. To make matters worse, the employees I spoke with were rude and showed no interest in helping resolve the issue. If you order from Black Straw, double-check exactly which location your order is going to. My experience was frustrating, costly, and the customer service was extremely disappointing. I won't be returning. read more

Everything was great! The food is good and priced appropriately. (Drinks are way over priced). Our waitress was very attentive! We will be back for sure! read more

Excellent food and service....no combo plates..tables a bit small for our group of 5..Will go back..

Food was just ok! We think they could try to get it to the table a lot hotter. Would like to be able to order a plate with a variety of different foods. Service was very good. read more

We have takeout from there every month. Everything has been very good! Kung pow chicken and orange chicken is our favorite!

I was so excited to try black straw after so many positive reviews. We picked up Mother's Day dinner & brought it home to eat; orange chicken, general tso chicken & chicken fried rice. Portions were generous. The taste however, everything tasted pretty much the same, overly oily. I ended up getting sick from our dinner soon after eating. Overall, would not come back and would not recommend. read more