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China Cafe

3.6 (58 reviews)
InexpensiveChinese
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I'm sorry, but this was the worst Chicken Fried Rice Ive ever tasted...
Karen B.

I've ordered from this restaurant once before about 1.5 months prior to this visit.. They seem to keep busy with customers. Of the 49 countries I've visited in my lifetime, i have also visited several parts of China on three different trips since 1996. Because of my enthusiasm about Asian foods, I can state that not only do I make an amazing and authentic tasting Chinese Noodle Soup with Oxtails, but also, a very decent Fried Rice. (with or without a protein) The other thing i want to say, as a world traveler and new to NC, I have taken note that a few restaurants I've been to here are great! A few others are actually posing as 'authentic' and simply capitalizing on it's customers who may not know what the food should taste like, but will charge 'import' prices because they know that many will romance the exoticism and pay the higher prices for something that would be unacceptable in the country/culture of it's origins. Okay! Enough said on that. As an after-school meal and while unpacking from a recent move, i decided to drop by Chinese Cafe for take out for my daughter and I. It's in a shopping center with a major grocery store. It's not a fancy place, but more the community take out spot that one can eat in if one chooses.. My daughter ordered the Orange Chicken Combo. I ordered a simple Chicken Fried Rice. I saw there were no chopsticks and i requested some with the humored comment that the food "tastes better" with chopsticks. I paid $20 for the two dishes. The food was cooked there and packaged hot to go. I drove home, poured some of my food into a bowl (to make it easier to eat with chopsticks), thanked the Universe for the meal and proceeded to eat the food. By the 2nd bite, I'm sorry to admit that I had to get up, get a napkin and spit the food out! I can't pinpoint what it was, but that was the worst Chicken Fried Rice I'd ever tasted. I tasted my daughter's orange chicken. It was just okay. The batter on the chicken was a little thick and doey, but tolerable. As for my dish, I felt so upset about the disappointing taste and decided to call the restaurant to see if I could exchange it for something else. I was also trying to give this place a chance. I was sure that this was an isolated incident, since this was my second time there. I was being rushed off the phone due to another call coming in. After arriving there, She asked what I wanted instead. I thought, maybe the ribs with steamed rice might be better and still simple. I drove back with remaining rice in the take-out box and with the 'yuck' taste still in my mouth. I was asked what was problem. I wasnt really sure. I just knew i really disliked the taste of it and it did not taste fresh. I speculated it might have been the oil. It tasted old. I asked if they used sesame oil. She proudly replied that it was veggie oil. (as if she thought I disliked sesame oil) My bigger issue was the lack of integrity in how this was handled as a customer service. The replacement dish was only $2 more. I probably spent more than that in gas driving back to China Cafe to exchange the yucky rice dish and was willing to give the business another chance to give me something that tasted like it was supposed to and keep me as a returning customer. She also stated that she remembered when I had come before. She proceeded to charge me more money for my inconvenience. I just smiled, said "It's okay" and quietly walked out. I will never spend my money there again because China Cafe had a blatant lack of concern or appreciation in my attempts to remedy this matter, of which I strongly believe was the fault of the business who falsely claim that they sell "authentic" Chinese food. This is as far east from the truth as China is from the USA. I felt dismissed as someone less than the steady customer I was attempting to be and Im sorry this business was unable to acknowledge this over only $2.

Chow mein is not like the thin chow mein with veggies
Lo V.

The people are super nice and the place looks clean However the sesame shrimp was not great or the "chow mein" or the egg rolls or the so call "fried rice".

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6 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

Local restaurant, food is good and always consistent. Been going here for several years. Food is always good.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

I have been going here for years and the food is always top quality and at a good value.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Best Chinese food next to New York. We moved here 2 years ago, and this restaurant has become a favorite of ours.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

They've continued to provide stead fast contemporary Chinese dining for over a decade. Thanks for being here

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10 years ago

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3 years ago

Fantastic food and quick! Friendly staff !Highly recommended! I eat there all the time.

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5 years ago

Amazing! Fresh Chinese food that doesn't taste like cat meat! Fresh noodles. Loveeee the egg rolls! Fresh rice! You won't be disappointed!

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7 years ago

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10 years ago

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Lam's Kitchen - Mapo Tofu

Lam's Kitchen

(473 reviews)

$$

This place is awesome. Love the food, ambience, staff all wonderful. Went there with the wife the…read moreother night and ordered up a couple of dishes; whole fish steamed with chili, fried intestine, mayo tofu, soft shell crab and spicy wonton. With me describing the taste, texture, presentation, it does not do it any justice. Need to go and taste it for yourself, you will thank me later. We got there and there were no tables available yet so we sat at the bar and when one was available we got moved over and then our wonderful dinner experience began. We've been here before many times, but this is the first time I remember to do a review. Just look at the pictures below and you will see what I got to experience. Each time we dined in, the experience was excellent and food were great.

This place has changed significantly since the last time we had visited for lunch. We had ordered…read morethe orange chicken with fried rice with wonton soup. The soup was good, but warm (not hot). After that, the experience went straight downhill. Firstly, the chicken was saturated with a honey-sugar glaze that was thick and slimy. It made the chicken uneatable. The broccoli was cold, as if chilled in the refridgerator before being served. Nobody like broccoli cold as ice. Lastly, we had ordered the fried rice. It was nothing like other photos from past reviews. It looked like plain white rice with a fried egg mixed in. It was bland and tasteless. Service was impersonal and lacked any eye contact. In fact, when the server was handing me the bill, she was literally looking across the room while aimlessly reaching out her arm with the bill. The food is sub-standard and is not like it once was. Needless to say, we will not go back.

China Cafe - chinese - Updated May 2026

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