I tried this historical Spokane establishment with my family for dinner, as my Mom has been in the hunt for Moo Shu Pork. The ambience was a throwback, and I would love to see a restaurant this large bustling. It was clean but dated, in a charming way if you can appreciate its history. We had the boo boo appetizer platter which was good, although the quantity of food wasn't quite worth the price and it was tough for each person to try each item. The favorite was the fried prawn and egg rolls. My husband ordered the No 1 and I ordered the No 2. My dish was great! The fried rice lacked flavor. My husband's dish, while elements were good, was overall unappetizing from the plating and what seemed to be a pile of steamed cabbage taking up half the plate. My mom's Moo Shu pork was disappointing to her, but as someone that has no frame of reference for what it should be I thought it was good. I will say, I loved that nothing was super greasy and everything seemed fresh. It was not the best tasting Chinese food, but I also didn't leave with a gut bomb and feeling gross. I'll probably be back given its convenient location and fresh options! read more

I haven't been to Spokane in a couple years. My Mom and I use to frequent this restaurant for 25+ years, if not longer. My Mom lived 3 blocks away and it was convenient and so very good! The best sweet and sour chicken I have ever had in my life!!! The chow mein is made with vegetables such as celery and onions which are my favorite along with the crunchy noodles. The bbq pork is sliced and best with the hot mustard and sesame seed. They have a great lunch special that won't break the bank. The service is outstanding the same lady, Stefanie is still here waiting on me! It's the first place I go when visiting home! If you haven't noticed yet, it's my absolute favorite!! read more

Cathay Inn - The best chow mein, sweet & sour chicken and BBQ Pork Ever - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

See all

What has happened to the Cathay Inn? The chow main was thick with cornstarch and no juice to it. The sweet and sour ribs were fat and light brown sauce, didn't taste the same at all. The fried rice was very dry. This is the second time it has been like this so I guess after 50+ years we are done. I don't know if they have different ownership or family members have changed everything to make it less cost to them. It used to be my favorite but not now, sad it changed! read more

Today I tried out the Cathay Inn again. The food was good. It could have been better. It was filling, the food. The waitress was very attentive. I was waited on right away. I received fried rice. And some kind of chicken dish. Plus some good pork slices. I come in at near opening time. But there wasn,t very many people there. There is many places to sit at The Cathay Inn,in the big serving area. read more

Soggy tempura, fried rice not good, almond chicken was flavorless. Don't waste your money.

The food is excellent and love the portion sizes. It my absolute go to for Chinese food. Went there last night and the hours on the door stated they close at 10. it was 8:50 when we arrived the server sat us and a few minutes later a guy came out of the back and stated they close in 5 minutes so if we were going to order we needed to order now.... I hesitated to respond at first and just said we will go and he said ok great. We asked why and he said because of Covid they close early.... Ummmm that seemed off to me and the hours listed on the building stated they closed at 10.. So why seat us if you had no intention of serving us???? I was very disappointed. that's not how to keep customers. read more

Visiting family for the holidays and ate lunch here after our flight. If this place was any indication of how our stay was going to be I would have been very afraid. I ordered crispy almond chicken lunch plate , it was supposed to come with pork chowmein. I asked for chicken. Appearance : When I got the plate , the crispy almond chicken looked decent, the gravy looked sketchy, it was dark and thick.. it was edible but nothing great either. the chowmein .. oh my I still have PTSD The chowmein had cold deli chicken meat slices And the " chowmein" were crunchy noodles weird things . I want to say they're like fried egg noodles but packaged... maybe? I'm not sure what it was but they were anything but chowmein or real noodles. ( instant noodles would have been a better bet) The sauce on top was this clear thick gelatinous concoction with a crap load of onions and celery. Definitely wouldn't recommend. It was absolutely horrible read more

Skyrocketing prices, much smaller portions, barely any cars in the parking lot at 5:00pm on a weekend and only a few people in to eat, mold on the metal stall framing, filthy floors, bad lukewarm tasting food. Need to have Spokane County Health inspectors out there for the kitchen and bathrooms. Recommend closure of this place.. read more

I got on the Google app to check out the menu. Found what I wanted to order . Substituted rice for sweet and sour pork . For extra charge . Which I knew about. When I went to pick up my food it was almost $10 more than what the Google app said! I asked the gentleman and he said oh you must have went to Google the price on there that's is not right . Well if you know it's not right why don't you fix it! And actually the food was not that good either.. read more

Probably not the worst Chinese food restaurant on the planet. I'm sure there's at least one other somewhere. My first clue should have been when the waitress described all the sauces as gravy. We were visiting friends in Spokane. The consensus was - never again. read more

No, no, no, do not go. I only ordered the large wonton soup! Originally my bill would have been over $130 but I decided to try soup first thank goodness! And that cost $19.71 before tip! The soup was thin, watery, tasteless, canned mushrooms, and the few very small wontons were a funky taste? 2 square pieces of bbq pork I presume? Extremely dry& could not chew and a few water chestnuts, that's all! read more

I've been dining here for close to 20 years. So Young was my favorite server when she retired I met Nute. I work in the restaurant industry and it is always A pleasure to dine here they take great care of you in A speedy fashion. The food is always good and consistent as with the service and in this industry that's very hard to find. Our entire family that can be quite large at some visits is always pleased with the food, cleanliness, and accommodations and service provided. Nute is the best server FYI. Niki read more

Cathay Inn - Our family - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

Went for dinner alone. Was so darn good, I went back the next night. Have to be back in Spokane in December and I will be dining here! The Moo Goo Gai Pan was spectacular! read more

I intended to never go there again but a friend wanted to try it, so I met her there. It was even worse than before, although the service was fine. She ordered a #6 combo... good BBQ pork w/hot mustard and seeds. Egg drop soup barely had any flavor, 2 limp and greasy shrimp, "fried" rice (I'll speculate it was yesterday's steamed rice with a ton of soy sauce added nothing fried about it), Almond chicken topped with crumbs from the toaster (tasted like it), their "Special" chow mein with white noodles that had absolutely not been fried (like if you bought pre-cooked ones in the store and served them straight from the package.j I ordered a #4 Combo. Same awful rice, General Tsao's chicken, which was not crispy and covered with ketchup, (it smelled like ketchup and it tasted like ketchup), and a spring roll that looked fine but I left it. We told our server it was inedible and she took our full plates the kitchen to show them. Someone made the decision to not charge us and for that we were grateful. I hate giving such a terrible review but maybe they will do better for you. read more

Cathay Inn - "General Tsao's" - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

See all

Everything was amazing. The staff was exceptional and the appetizer platter was to die for. My son loved cooking the beef on the fire at the table. Our waitress Newt made our experience so great we can't wait to come back again. read more

Cathay Inn - Appetizer platter - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

Another top notch meal at Cathay Inn!! We also tried the Bobo platter with beef kebobs appetizer....PHENOMENAL!!! I always go for the #1 with adjustments and it comes out perfect every time. If you enjoy almond chicken, Cathay Inn is the best in Spokane, easily. The Monday gravy is light and refreshing and their sweet and sour sauce is out of this world delicious. It's darker and thicker than any other place that I've been to....do yourself a favor and head over to Cathay Inn and try em out. They also have a secret authentic Chinese menu if you are looking for traditional!! I also want to give a massive shout out to Newt! She is the absolute best in the industry!! read more

Been going here for over 40 years. My favorite Chinese restaurant. Excellent food & service.

The Cathay Inn is my all time favorite Chinese restaurant in Spokane. I ordered a half order of chicken fried rice yesterday to pick up. They had it ready in less than 10 minutes. I didn't even ask about the price . When I was ready to pay, I was a bit surprised that it was $17.95 plus tax which came to $19.58. If you take out the price factor, my review would be 5 stars but due to the high price , my review is 3 stars, an "OK". I deep detailed records of all my purchases. In May 2020 I bought a half order of chicken fried rice from Cathay Inn and it was $10.92 with tax. Yesterday's price reflected an increase of 79% in a little over 5 years. The chicken fried rice mainly contains rice, chicken, eggs, and green onions and there is no way prices on those items have increased anywhere near 79%. Perhaps part of the problem is the state we live in. High taxes and a high minimum wage probably have something to do with it. In CDA, Idaho the China Inn charges $13.95 for a full order of chicken fried rice. I'll still get chicken fried rice from Cathay Inn but likely only once or twice a year instead of 5 or 6 times. I'm on retirement income and I don't make 79% more that I did in 2020. read more

The food was awesome I love the sweet n sour sauce ( it's brown) our waitress was awesome, wasn't busy.. I wish it was closer to home

Ambiance and service were good but the food each of the 8 of us ordered was not good. The fried rice was just rice with a bunch of soy sauce added and super dry and bland, the special chowmein had soggy noodles not pan fried as advertised... and the only vegetable in it was broccoli and a few pieces of celery. All of our group was very disappointed as the prices for these lunches were no bargain. We will not be going back anytime soon. read more

Just bad service, food was overflowing with celery. Was not enjoyable. And overpriced read more

Service and ambiance were good, but the portions were about 20% smaller, and the some of the food lacked taste this time. The chicken was over cooked, and the batter on it was undercooked. The prawns seemed to be batter with little pieces of prawns in some parts of it. For over $21 each with the tax and tip it seemed overpriced for a lunch that wasn't made well. read more

I usually get the Roasted Pork Egg Foo Young because it's absolutely delicious and not full of filler. But decided to try the Shrimp Egg Foo Young. The three perfect sized patties were light and full of shrimp, onion & bean sprouts covered in a delicious gravy topped with green onions. Comes with a cup of white rice. The combination of the patty with the rice and gravy is just sooo good! I keep forgetting that I had an egg roll too that was just fine, nothing exceptional. But when I bit into it, hot oil dripped down onto my shirt. Thank goodness for Dawn dish soap! The food is just okay if you only come here for the same old Americanized Chinese Dishes (and stop complaining when you're disappointed!). But I encourage you to go outside and try the dishes where they really shine: Hot & Sour Soup, Cathay Pecan Shrimp, Pineapple Chicken (ask for extra pineapple), Moo Goo Gai Pan, Tomato Beef, Ma Po Tofu (ask them to reduce the amount of peas), any of the Egg Foo Young, and Siam Chow Mein. All of these dishes stand out! read more

We needed a break from Turkey and decided to eat something different The best place for Chinese food. Our server was Newt she was extremely helpful and super friendly. The food fresh and tasty a great place to take our family. read more

Unfortunately, the food was mediocre. Sweet and sour chicken sauce was brown and tasted more like a mole' sauce. Pork chow mein has minimal pork and was mostly onions. Waitress was the best. read more

The food is so much better than the Chinese restaurant we've visited over the past nine years. Very cheerful wait staff and they check to see if we need anything. Super clean bathroom. Clean carpet and tables. Just can't say enough about this new, favorite restaurant! read more

I'm sad to see the Cathay inn change... the food is gross the service was terrible and the prices are high looks like our family spot is now china dragon read more

Wow! What a disaster! I have never seen prices like these for chinese food. It's vegetables and rice for gawd sakes. The quality of the food was mediocre at best. I felt the worst for my sister who ordered vegetarian fried rice. Please, no onions or green peppers. It was loaded with both. Drive on by! read more

This is not Chinese. This is not food. I would not give this stuff to inmates. The chow mein was just soggy cabbage. No noodles. I saved my wife from taking any bites. I took one bite of what they call general tsos chicken and was left with a foul taste in my mouth. It was soggy and had zero spices in it. I honestly don't know how this business survives. I returned the food and got my money back. As I write this that single piece of junk meat is still disturbing my mouth. I give any place a chance. This place will not be getting any more. read more

After a sub-standard previous outing, we decided to give them a second chance and were rewarded with an exceptional dinner. The special chow main on the #6 dinner was outstanding and enough to share on a future visit. Our server, Newt, was very social and represented the Cathay Inn with outstanding customer service. We will be back!' read more

I was reading the reviews about your restaurant. The service was okay and the staff were friendly. The restaurant was very clean. The reviews were good so we decided to give your restaurant a try. We were extremely DISAPPOINTED with our meal. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. read more

Really enjoyed my recent visit to the Cathay Inn. Food was great but the star is Newt! She is vivacious, hands down the best waitress ever.

Got all kinds of food. Nice, clean and friendly place. Loved that they brought us tea. Overpriced. Meat tasted frozen and was mostly breading. Lots of salt. Good fortunes. read more

Cathay Inn - a plate of food on a table - Chinese Near Me - Spokane, Washington

See all

Food is still pretty good but nothing worse than taking an order home and it's not the right food. No reason for it! read more

Employees are friendly, quick, and attentive. The place is clean, but the food is subpar. The chicken fried noodle is likely made of chopped deli meat and the rest of it is mush. The fried rice is more of a brown colored flavorless rice. The sweet and sour pork has a brown colored sauce that tastes of spoiled food. If you've never had great Chinese food or even fast food type Chinese from Safeway this place may taste decent. Coming from an area of high Asian population with great to excellent Chinese, this is by far the most disgusting food I may have ever eaten. read more

We ordered to go and was very disappointed. The chow mien was a glob of overcooked vegetables, and the soft noodles came separate. There wasn't even a full cup of noodles. We asked the small egg flower soup be changed to won ton. We got two huge containers we did not order wanting the small ones. The Special chowmein my wife had was not Special at all. The sweet and sour ribs were very small and with the bone, very little meat. All costing $67 for two meals. The quality of the food has gone down as the price went up. Will be looking for a new Chinese food restaurant. read more

Incredible food and great service, too. Everything was so fresh. We'll definitely be back.

We're from Montana and Spokane has been our occasional weekend getaway for over 20 years. We've always driven past Cathay Inn on the way to the mall and said something to the effect of "Wonder what THAT place is like?" Well, last night we finally decided to try it, and we're so glad we did. The exterior has a pagoda-style roof and a big parking lot. The inside of the building is huge - they could easily host large parties. The decor is outdated but kind of adds to the charm and is quite clean. Our server quickly brought us complimentary tea and water - the tea was well-flavored. We ordered the #6 combo (special lo mein, fried prawns, almond chicken, BBQ pork and fried rice), the chicken egg foo yong, and chicken fried rice. The food was absolutely a cut above what you'd expect from an American Chinese restaurant. My 10-year-old is picky about fried rice and loved it. My almond chicken was very tender and the fried prawns were great - I was given an array of dipping sauces for them. The egg foo yong was also delicious. Our server was incredibly sweet and attentive and even brought our child a bunch of extra fortune cookies. I give it 5 stars because it well exceeded our expectations and was a fun experience. Skip PF Chang's and try this local delight. read more

Best Chinese in Spokane. Been eating here my entire life, well over 100 times. I'm actually going today for a Pickup Order & I'll go again in a few weeks. It is my favorite restaurant in town and the only place I go for my Chinese food cravings. Worth every penny as no other restaurant tastes even close. Cathay Inn is the very best!! read more

The food was good we went there for lunch when we were visiting Missoula. It came quickly the food was hot and was good.