Had a restaurant.com coupon, ordered some takeout, Coupon stated that I only needed to spend a certain amount ($15.00.), nothing about dining in. I got to the restaurant and was told coupon was only good for dining in. After much deliberation, I offered to include an 18% gratuity, even though I was not sitting down to eat, The seating lady called her boss, wanting to charge me the full amount, I informed her that this was not fair, and she could eat the food herself, I was not about to be bullied into paying full price, we deliberated 5 minutes over a small discount. Why offer a coupon?, if your not going to honor it? Food is 70's style chinese food at best. Mediocore food I can deal with, just don't try to screw me. An embarrassing moment for all involved. If you can't trust the front of the house, should you trust the back??? read more

I have always enjoyed the Sesame Chicken dinner combo while listening to Poppa Chubby and other great acts. The food reminds me of Boston style Chinese food we often had when I was a kid. read more

Grew up going there as a child. John's parents did a great job of introducing solid Chinese food to the people of Woonsocket and surroundings. Now it's disgusting food, non existent service. Shame. read more

This is a tough place to review. There NEEDS to be a place like this for live music in every city and Chans is totally committed to this. The cost of ensuring this venue stays in business is you have to eat the worlds worst Chinese food. It's a high price to pay for top shelf live entertainment but we all have to do our part. I think the "food" is exotic because it is not American Chinese food. I'm not sure what it is but my teriyaki steak seemed more like tiger meat than cow. The crab Rangoon is synthetic and the pu pu platter under the truth in advertising law should be named pooh pooh platter. It's inedible. But it's all about the music. A place where you can see allman brothers or sue foley while trying to chew tiger meat must always exist so do your part read more

The food was mostly lukewarm. The service was very slow. The chicken wings were greasy.

Came to Chan's Saturday night for dinner and the Through The Doors tribute band. Place is on the dumpy side - ladies room is cold, small, it smells and it's a fire trap. I had to laugh at the dinner plate I was served. Sesame Chicken IS NOT 4 chicken fingers with sodium infused sauce sprinkled with a few sesame seeds. Vegetable Low Mein had 2 VERY SMALL pieces of broccoli. Even the gummy bear I ate beforehand couldn't make this food taste good. I will never eat here again - I'd rather have a PB&J sandwich. read more

Chan's in one of the most popular spots and most talked about restaurants in Woonsocket - I guess all the people who are really into the jazz just consume the drinks there because this last trip is the WORST food I have ever had. I have not gone there in years, had an MSG allergic reaction (hives) as a little kid from the food from this place, but yet still wanted to give this place a try. And it has really gone down hill because I couldn't even eat the food. One of the people I was with took a bite of fried rice and had a long hair danging from his mouth. He had it returned and received a fresh plate. I ordered shrimp in lobster sauce. When it came out it was not at all what I expected, three over cooked dried shrimp on top of a plate of tasteless ground beef in this gravy sauce. It was disgusting. The Chow Mein was again this horrible brown sauce with only celery in it. The fried rice was over saturated in soy sauce yet had no flavor. I could not bring myself to eat any more than about 15 bites of this food before I gave up in disgust and went home hungry with a stomach ache. I tried to force myself to eat it as money was spent, and if the people I was with and myself were not kind mannered, we could have made a scene - about the hair or if I was impulsed enough and with fewer people I would have gotten right up and walked right out. The food was served on plastic plates, some tacky Chinese patterned plates they sold at Ocean State JobLot years ago. Out of date decor, I felt like the place was a time warp back to the 80s or 90s with 70s styled furniture. Or a warp into the alternate universe of 70s bad Asian action flicks. Rundown. It really is a shame that this place is such a popular and culturally and historically iconic place in Woonsocket. I wonder if the local people who eat there religiously and praise it have ever gone up far enough out of town to eat other real American Chinese food. The food is shameful alone. I guess like everything else in Woonsocket it has been rotting from the inside out over time and now it is 100% in the dump. Such a long lasting place that is still active in this dying city really needs to shape up. It could be a decent place as they have a following and the jazz shows going for them, but are totally failing. read more

The Servers are old - and seem quite miserable. The food is mediocre. And Refills are not free which is disgusting to me. The Restaurant is also dirty. This place is a woonsocket staple due to its Jazz roots but it is little more than a crappy chinesse restaurant. You be better served to go to Ho Kongs, The only tiki style chinesse restaurant in RI. Serves good food, and Great drinks. read more

Not sure about all this vitriol directed at Chan's. . . but here goes: I've gone to this place off and on for decades (I'm 33 now, so you get the idea). I always really dug the retro decor and huge amount of food they give you. Now - let's fast forward to today. . . I haven't been here in years, but my wife saw an ad for a Lithuanian-born jazz singer performing at Chan's . . . SOOOOOO - we went and it was AWESOME!!! The food was really, really good, as were the drinks. The show room was amazingly decorated, too. Nice and kitschy but tasteful. It could have been airlifted out of NYC during the 79s/80s/90s (that's a huge compliment). The owner, John Chan, sat us and came over to make sure we had everything we needed and were enjoying the show - it was all awesome. Now, a few things to address from other reviews Does the place smell and/or look dirty? NO!!! The foyer smells a bit like an old timey building that's been in business forever (it has), but I like that about places. The dining rooms have no odor, and were immaculate. Are the servers rude and inattentive? NO!!! Our server was a hilarious, slightly salty lady who made us laugh the whole night and was super helpful. Now, how about the food? Is it "fine, gourmet" cuisine? NO, but it's no frills, down to earth food. In all honesty, the Buddha's Delight we had was the FRESHEST we've ever tasted, and, yes, we've been to "finer" restaurants. If you're looking for craft-artisan brewed scallion pancake dipping sauce, you're in the wrong place. I want to thank Chan's and John Chan for doing something different in this state and keeping something cool and original going for so many years. We'll be back next week for JLW!!! read more

Cant believe they stay in business horrable food! good blues and jazz tho, good for a night out but don't eat the food

What a great evening!! Dinner, The BlueFOs, AMAZING!! Thank you John Chan for a memorable evening, pairings are incredible!

Chan's has, without question, the worst Chinese food I've ever had in my life. Period. I've had microwave frozen dinners that were considerably better than our overpriced meal was tonight. Luckily the portions are small, otherwise you'd feel guilty for wasting entire inedible entrees that you find yourself unable to choke down. A complete disappointment. read more

One of my all-time favorites, I've yet to find a place that does better crab rangoons or chicken fingers than Chan's. And if you're a jazz or blues fan, the shows are hard to beat. I'm not a fan of their General Tso's chicken but I do love their five-spice chicken. read more

Born and raised in RI and never been to Chan's? Crazy. I went for the first time last Sunday to see my boyfriend's band play. I imagined it would be typical RI Chinese food, meaning white rolls and butter before your chow mein, but I was pleasantly surprised. I opted for the buffet and enjoyed the vegetable lo mein and scallion pancakes, while my sister-in-law chowed down on spare ribs, and my parents got drunk off the scorpion bowl. Cute place, friendly service, and good times. The only complaint we had was with my friend's mom's dessert: freezer burned ice cream. She had to use a knife on it! That's not right. read more

I'm sad to report that my experience at Chan's left a lot to be desired. From food that many of us ended up not eating, to service that left a lot to be desired. The rice, which is so basic, tasted like really bad tap water. And the severs were quickly overwhelmed. Unfortunate, especially because so many people said so many good things before. read more

Not a big fan, went to eat there and will not be back. Not very nice inside needs renovating ASSP

I came here to see one of my all time favorite Blues guitarist and vocalist, Popa Chubby on May 8. I'm from San Diego CA and it just so happened the stars collided and I was close to Woonsocket and checked his show schedule and lo and behold, he was playing here, 2 shows on a Friday night, 8 PM and 10 PM. I bought two tickets for me and hubby for both shows ($25 for both vs. $22 for just one, so $50 for 2 people) because I was so excited. The only reason this place gets 4 stars is because of the music venue. If it was just food, it would get 0 stars. First, I read all the reviews about the place, noting the discrepancies between people who came for music and those who came sadly, now in my opinion, for food. I tried to be as objective as possible. The food sucks: there is no other way to say it. But hub and I went for it because we thought it was fun for character purposes. Hub had the buffet, and it was pretty much MSG globbed food. I had a mixture of fried rice with even with my highest level reading glasses I could not discern some of the "meat" in the dish. The teriyaki beef appetizers? An hour longer and they would be beef jerky - seriously! The chow mein was, no kidding, those old almost cracker noodles with the omnipresent MSG goo with just celery pieces. I have had a lot of chow mein and the noodles, while fried, are not from a can. The drinks: hub drinks beer and they had no IPAs which he didn't appreciate but he survived and the prices were "reasonable" (but not as good as another Woonsocket neighborhood bar, Michael's, which totally rocked and was really fun if you're into that kind of thing). I had one beer then asked for just a Mai Tai (as I'd read and taken to heart the other Yelpers who said their "Polynesian" drinks (to use that term very loosely)) were all juice and no alcohol. The server, who was very friendly and super attentive, said they had two: one that was less sweet with light rum and no grenadine, and another with dark rum and grenadine. I picked the latter and it was served in a pint glass. It was pretty much like a rum and pineapple juice with a stirrer with a cherry and a piece of canned pineapple on the end. Seriously, canned pineapple? You can get something just a bit fresher but guess that's just me. But, it tasted okay and did have some alcohol in it which was just the amount that I needed. I ended up having two total and drank water too. The music venue: in a word, awesome if you are into a small very intimate venue but with no dancing. I did my normal seat dancing, with a lot of upper body. There is a pretty long stage and the acoustics are surprisingly good. Popa Chubby was a trio, with him on lead (and oh did he lead) and a bass guitar and drums. My hub always wears ear plugs and enjoyed the sound level but I did not for this and it was great. We sat about 5 feet away from Popa Chubby and could see every move on the fret board, every pick and switch. Amazing. The last thing that I would note is that there did not end up being two shows: only one. So John Chan the owner ended up milking an extra $3 per ticket so I would just be cognizant of that. That said, I would have paid double that to see Popa Chubby so up close and personal performing his latest album. I will probably not ever have that experience again (until we go see him in Tacoma WA which looks to be the closest venue to CA), and he did play from about 8:45 PM (traffic on the 95 and yes, Popa drives his own van himself!) until about 10:55 PM, and every song just rocked. So overall, people that have been going to Chan's for a long time or are just plain hungry would probably like the food for those reasons, but I am super generous in my food reviews and this was quite possibly the worst not only Chinese or Asian food I've ever had. But, the music venue was great, so you have to balance it out. I was concerned about getting a good seat (as John Chan does greet you and seat you) by being early and thought eating there would help but I would probably try to avoid eating there at all costs unless you think your music show is going to be heavily attended. read more

Gave 3 stars solely based on the entertainment which can be very good. Food is low grade chinese and should be avoided. read more

In my opinion and everyones entitled to one chans is more for live music and drinks with is defenitley great but the food eaaaa not so much for me anyways read more

Ugh; fairly inexpensive and huge portions of greasy and tasteless food. However mega stars for being an awesome jazz/blues club. I would go again for the music..but eat somewhere else first.We saw Anthony Gomes...who was awesome; intimate space. read more

Not bad. Nothing.spectacular. We sat in the bar area which is dated. We sat at the bar and had a Scorpion bowl and pu pu platter for 2. The food was good. The bartender was very nice and gave great service. read more

I went to Chan's last weekend with a friend to see a show, so we sat in the large dining room with the stage. We had an assortment of appetizers, including calamari and crab rangoon, which were good. The selection of wine and beer were extensive and the shiraz I ordered was nice. This place is quite unique- not a run-of-the-mill asian food restaurant. The music, decor and vibe are funky and if you are looking for a good time with no preconceived notions it is worth a shot. Great & attentive service! read more

The food is always very good from Chan's, but the service is hit or miss, so they lose 1 star. I've been going here for years and will definitely be back. read more

I live in CT and was introduced to Chan's nearly a decade ago. I've been a number of times since. The food and service is always on point. I've never had the chance to visit to see live music, so I can't comment on that. Needless to say, great establishment! Their fried rice is my favorite. Most places have that same bland rice with the peas and carrots -- not Chan's! I love the dark color and flavor. Have yet to find another Chinese restaurant that makes rice the same way. The ambiance at Chan's is amazing. Dark reds and greens with gold accents. It makes the restaurant unique from the countless pastel pink and light green themed restaurants with the same exact menu board scattered across America. Chan's never fails and I can't wait to return soon! read more

Someone needs to educate this owner "John". Its 2019!!!! People don't eat MSG. Its bad for you. If you could make quality food then you wouldn't need this flavoring which is really bad for you!!!! I got sick form 2 bites of shrimp in Lobster sauce. I called to verify that it was and the woman told me "I" should have told them not to add it. I didnt think that in 2019 people still actually use this stuff!!! When I told her the above she told me "No you can tell John and put me on hold". I wasn't sure if she meant it as I am not dealing with you or you tell him if he heres it enough times it might sink in. He took so long I ended up just hanging up. "John" needs to decide if he wants to run a Jazz club or a restaurant!!! read more

Went here with a friend last night---first time for both of us, but we went based on several good recommendations. As previous reviews have said, the service is very, very slow, despite going on a weekday evening and there being hardly anyone else in the restaurant. However, our waitress was very sweet when she did show up. The egg rolls were basic, but not bad. The sesame chicken was disgusting---so much breading and sugary goop that it was like eating a chicken-stuffed glazed donut, and not a hint of spice, despite the menu saying it was spicy. The fried rice was greasy and almost black and yet lacking flavor. My friend got vegetable lo mein and wonton soup. I sampled her soup and it was pretty bland. She said it was the first time she's ever had to salt Chinese food, so make of that what you will. read more

Probably the worst Chinese food I have ever had, and I've had alot. The sesame chicken was a glob of undercooked chicken. The chk fried rice was tasteless unless your drowned it with soy sauce. The chk fingers were so undercooked and under fried that the batter was barely hanging on. The crab Rangoon was so/so. The only thing that was bearable was the white Rice. But how can you screw that up? Never Going there again. Wonder how it's still in business. read more

A favorite place when I was a kid. Late 80s it went downhill in food quality. The 90s to early 2000's, the food got better again. Now a lot of the food stinks again. Pu Pu platter used to have shrimp...now it doesn't. Chicken fingers are ridiculous. I know that the joke is it is mostly batter, but...no word of a lie, the chicken fingers I ordered had a SLIVER of rubbery chicken in them. What a joke. The Zombies used to be awesome tasting...now they taste more sour and not as balanced. Still, to their credit, the chicago chow mein and the sticky (peking) wings are still the best around and the beef lo mein is still great tasting...except for the dwindling pieces of meat from year to year. C'mon John...you have great bands playing...let's bring the WHOLE menu up to snuff again. In the meantime, if you want chicken fingers with HUGE pieces of chicken in them, go to Asia Grille. read more

My first impression regarding the place was not good because the place is so tasteless with funny lights, insufficient illumination and the ambiance. We went there for a jazz concert. Before the concert, we had chinese food which was not very special, only two stars. The service was terrible. Despite that, the music was very good. There are two salons at the restaurant and it is funny to hear the karaoke singing coming from the other saloon when the group stops between the songs. Therefore it is not easy to rate the place, for the particular performance I would give 4 stars, the singer, the vocalist and the band were very talented and I liked the music very much. I would never go to Woonsocket from Providence to have chinese food but I will go Chan's for the music only. The best idea is to have beer only and listen to the good music at Chan's. read more

Always great food and ambiance, but the woman taking orders on the phone was ASTONISHINGLY rude. She was very rude to my wife when she picked up our order, too. No idea what her problem was, but they lose a star for that. read more

I wish I could rate the food, but we walked out after 15 minutes because no one came over to take our order. We got up to leave and no one even noticed. We will not be back. read more

I had the general tso chicken lunch combo with fried rice, the chicken was excellent, flavorful and crispy and the rice was good.the price was very fair. I have been here once before a while back and liked it then also, I will return. read more

Before an awesome blues show last week I enjoyed a filling meal of the spring roll appetizers and the ginger beef entrée over white rice, accompanied by a few bottles of domestic beer. My companions enjoyed a couple trips to the dinner buffet and had no complaints. Service was polite, though hard to come by on a busy night, and while the food was far from gourmet (my entrée was served on a bed of wilting iceberg lettuce and the ginger sauce had the all too familiar goopy quality that plagues many Asian restaurants of the West) I had no complaints about the flavor or the value of my value. 3 out of 5 stars are well earned. read more

Not impressed. The food wasn't very good, too salty and saucy. We also waited a long time to get served. Won't go back

I don't usually write reviews unless I have something really good to say...but... I'm writing as I eat this awful, overpriced lunch. I ordered sesame chicken, you know... I thought it could be average....WRONG!!! its 4 large pieces of boiled chicken covered in nasty thick batter, sprinkled with sesame seeds and NO SAUCE!! dry, greasy, nasty. Fried rice is all gooey and salty. Egg roll is decent, at least I'll eat something! I can't believe I paid $10 for this! Ugh! They've been around for how long? 100 years? damn...someone please help them with the recipe book. read more

Horrible food...nice ambiance. If ur looking for music and drinks then this is the place. If ur looking to satisfy ur chinese craving...go elsewhere. From order to delivery to table took less than 2 min. Every chicken dish was ur basic chicken fingers with a "sauce" tossed on top. Yuck. read more

I have been to Chan's many times, and have to say the food is below average for American Chinese food. Salty over cooked etc. read the other reviews. I don't usually go for the food; it's the Blues & Jazz that get me there. Last time I was there we went to go see John Hammond, he was Fantastic. Unfortunately this will be my last time to Chan's. As John played the person across from us on the other side on the stage, just had to record the entire show on his camera which had a very powerful flash that was constantly on and blinding everyone across from him, including my entire table, the people in front of me the table besides us, well you get the picture. VERY surprising the staff did nothing to stop him, so we left after the first set. Flash photography I can handle, but that was ridiculous. I feel sorry for Mr Hammond who also had to endure this idiots light shining into the corner of his eye the entire time he played. If I ever want to catch Mr. Hammonds show again it will be at another location. Pros: staff was pleasant, and fairly quick with how busy it was. Cons: Food, inconsiderate members of the audience at Jazz/Blues shows. Final thoughts on Chan's: Bring your sunglasses if you're going to see a show. The decor of this place needs serious updating, it just looks beat. The beer was warm, and If you're looking for Chinese food look else ware, if you're looking for live Jazz/ Blues take your chances here, but I would recommend looking at other venues first. Almost forgot to mention seating is first come first serve for the shows, but Chan's Buddies and regulars get first dibs, just another reason not to go. Sorry Chan I just tell it like it is. read more

By far some of the best Chinese food I have ever had, period. You gotta love a Chinese restaurant the has live jazz music playing in the background. WTF? are you saying right now, yes it is true live jazz music, lol. My favorite thing on the menu is their Chop Suey, prepared in any of their ways. I could eat there chop suey by the bowl full without thinking twice about it. Chan's offers the traditional American style of Chinese cuisine, but done the correct way. Unfortunately I live 3,000 miles away from this place now, but believe you me if I was still in that area, I would totally be there at least once a month!! read more

The food here is excellent and the price doesn't break the bank. Karaoke on Friday night... My kids love it.

I went here for lunch. The menu was small but loved the dim atmosphere,great food! Crab rangoons were wicked good. The waitress was very pleasant. read more