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    Cathay House

    3.5 (144 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Cathay House Takeout or Delivery

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    CATHAY HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cathay House

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    Free starter. Fried wontons - very good
    Nadia B.

    Let me tell you I had big expectations and was disappointed. The ambiance and the service was great. Our food came out really fast, but it was 1/2 cold and 1/2 warm - not hot. I had pepper steak and was asked white rice of fried rice and I said fried rice - well, it was definitely not the traditional fried rice. It was rice in soy sauce or beef broth all brown with no veggies or egg - very salty for sure. My daughter did try the mochi dessert and that was good. Also the kids chicken tenders and fries were really good. Not sure if I'd go back although the menu was big it would have been better to have a smaller menu with big fresh family sized portions.

    76. Lo Mein
    Camarra B.

    I've been eyeing this place for awhile. I seen a few pictures that convinced me and the food smells really good. However, I was deceived in my opinion. I ordered the Lo Mein with shrimp and it was okay, I didn't really enjoy it like I thought I would. The shrimp could've been seasoned just a bit more. The noodles weren't that bad, but it could've been better. It all had a strange taste, especially afterwards. But that's my personal opinion, I recommend you try it for yourself if it looks interesting to you.

    Egg Drop Dark and funky, Soup.  Nasty with a back taste of something that smelled like stinky feet!  I've NEVER had e soup like this! Awful!

    When the old owners sold out the business, they were probably laughing all the way to the bank! These "new" owners don't know how to properly prepare any of the dishes they offer. My husband ordered Moo Goo Gai Pan...or was it Chow Mein?? Guaranteed, awful! Half was cold...I'm talking, cold! The "fried" rice was nothing like the traditional recipe...Just a plain dark gooey brown rice...no flavor, no veggies...nothing. I ordered Lemon Chicken...and Egg Drop soup. Greasy chicken...the soup was a dark yellow and stunk like nasty feet! I swear I've never seen anything like it! We REALLY tried to find something good about it all but couldn't. We just said nothing...paid the $37.11 + $5.00 tip (wasn't the waitresses' fault) and we left...NEVER going back. We have tried it TWICE now... Second time around, still awful. We've been coming to Cathay House since the 1960's, so we KNOW how it Should be! This "ain't" it...sadly.

    COMBINATION LO MEIN Delicious! Contained considerably more li mein than meat.

    1st time guest @ CATHAY HOUSE. The food was very very good! Lo Mein Servings abundant! Will Definitely be repeat customer. Thanks

    Pu Pu Tray, that includes with 2 eggrolls
    Michelle S.

    Food is good Except egg drops is greasy and tasteless.. Thanks to Pu Pu tray I enjoyed and the Happy House (Gulf shrimp, scallops, beef, chicken breast and roast pork blended with broccoli, napa cabbage, mushroom bamboo shoot water chestnuts, baby corn and carrots in a brown sauce) Tender and the seafood in it is not overcook.

    Pineapple fried rice

    Cathay House has amazing service and the food is delicious! We had the orange chicken which was sweet and spicy with a citrus kick, one of the best I have ever had. We also had the pineapple fried rice. It came out in a half of a pineapple. It was sweet and yet had lots of umami. There were three types of protein and lots of pineapple. It was balanced really well and just delicious! It's a hidden gem and local favorite in Waco. Do not miss it!!!

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    17 days ago

    genuinely the best service ever, come on Friday ask for Alex. I actually housed it. The food was literally the best.

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    1 month ago

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    The food was plentiful and average. The service was excellent and prompt. I will take take.out occasionally.

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    2 years ago

    I did a pickup. The food was great and the waiter met me at the door with my order. 10/10, will eat there again

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great tasting & Fresh. One of my favorite restaurants in Waco & I eat out a lot! Its cheap and the servers are very friendly too.

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    3 years ago

    Best food ever! This is definitely a little gem! The service was outstanding. We will definitely make this one of our regular restaurants!

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    4 years ago

    A great go to for Chinese food when in Waco! I enjoyed Beef with mixed vegetables. It was unmute with good portion sizes.

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    3 years ago

    Very good food and nice staff! We were served during a tornado warning and the hostess offered to guard us from the tornado lol.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Cathay House

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    If you're looking for Chinese noodle cuisine in Waco, this is it! I'm coming from California, so…read moreit was nice to have this authentic place. We tried the stir fry sliced noodles, potstickers, pan fried meat buns (bao), soup dumplings, spicy beef noodle soup with hand pulled noodles. I highly recommend the pan fried meat buns which are huge! The fluffiness of the dough is the right texture. I also highly recommend the stir fry sliced noodles. This is was on point for the texture of the noodles and how this dish really should be. This is a signature dish of northern China. The spicy beef noodle soup had the spicy heat but it was not too spicy. This was more like the China version of this soup with beef pieces vs the Taiwanese version with braised beef shank slices. It had the nice addiction of bok choy, which is a staple. But also had sliced carrots and shiitake mushrooms. The hand pulled noodles of this dish was definitely the highlight and were the real deal. Long and great texture. The potstickers had wrappers that were notably thinner and a ton of meat inside. This tasted more like Korean mandu dumplings. The soup dumplings were also bigger than what is typically had in California. The wrappers were not as super thin on these (probably due to the size) and was not as super juicy, but I'm comparing to the pinnacle of soup dumplings from Ding Tai Fung in California. Staff was super friendly and checked on us a couple of times. I'd definitely would come back.

    Okay I came here about 3 months ago and tried this place and thought I ordered the wrong thing I…read morejust didn't like what I ordered. It was the shrimp tempura and the stir fry noodles. Service was great as well and clean place. I decided to try it again and fell in love with their noodle soups, vegtable fried rice and the service was amazing!! Food was out within literally maybe 7 mins!! Staff is very nice food is amazing and reasonable pricing for the amount of food that you get!! IM IN LOVE AND WILL BE BACK!! So excited I came back and got to try it again and loved it because my husband loves this place!!

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    Everything about this place was so so good food and drinks amazing 10 out of 10 unfortunately I…read moredon't live in Waco but if I did, I'd be there all the time. I will definitely try to stop by as often as I can when I'm traveling through!! here's an updated menu for this location as well as some pictures as of the interior! Service was also very good!

    Drink: I ordered a large peach green tea with boba, no ice,…read moreand it was fantastic. The tea was brewed beautifully , fresh, balanced, and not syrupy sweet like some other boba spots. The boba itself was perfectly chewy and just sweet enough to complement the drink, not overpower it. I also really appreciated that, even with no ice, they filled my cup completely to the top. Simple, thoughtful detail and it makes all the difference. Service: The staff here was genuinely kind and patient. I asked a few questions about sweetness levels and tea bases (I'm mindful about sugar intake), and they answered every one with care, no judgment, no pressure, no upselling. They made the drink exactly how I ordered it and didn't try to push other menu options on me. That respect and attentiveness go such a long way. Ambiance: Cha Community has such a warm, creative vibe, red brick walls, cozy coffeehouse energy, indie music, local art, and stickers that make the space feel personal and loved. The whole café smelled amazing, and you can tell they've put heart into the details. It's the kind of place that feels like a little pocket of calm and connection in the middle of the day. Overall: Highly recommend stopping here if you're in Waco. The experience was night and day, proof that quality, care, and consistency matter more than anything else. Refer to my Poppa Bear review if you want the comparison, but honestly, just come to Cha Community first.

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    Cathay House - chinese - Updated September 2026

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