We decided to try this place for Chinese takeout. The woman behind the counter was very welcoming and had my order ready quickly. The food itself did not quite live up to the service. I ordered the General Tso's Chicken dinner combination. The chicken was tough, and the fried rice was bland. The egg roll was passable. The prices are very reasonable but I would probably not go back. read more

I ordered an orange chicken with broccoli, when the order says broccoli; you expect at least 5 if not more pieces of broccoli. I got 0, I even showed the lady at the front desk, before I even paid. She said the chicken only comes with 3 pieces and they were at the bottom. There was nothing. I have never been to a place like this. read more

I am so unclear on why people give this place low ratings. I live around the corner and buy their fantastic food a few times yearly. They are awesome. Their prices went up a bit, but those who have not. Their egg foo young is excellente, as are their dumplings, fried foods, etc. They are super friendly and give you free food when your order is higher. I love these folks; they are a family. read more

Hard nope. I grew up in the NY/NJ metropolitan area. I have eaten great Chinese food, and I have eaten terrible. And why my husband chose this restaurant for Christmas Eve, I will never know. (I do know. He had a GrubHub credit.) But it was, thus far, the *worst* Chinese food I have eaten in the DMV. The Mongolian Beef was more onions than beef and an otherwise tasteless brown sauce. The Kung Pao Tofu were basically fried rectangles of oil with no spice, no flavor. The Lo Mein? Literally just tasted like noodles. No flavor whatsoever. Even my 18 year old wasn't willing to eat them, and he has been eating them his entire life and eats pretty much any noodles you put in front of him. Perhaps it was an off night, but it pretty much ruined my annual Christmas meal. I'm not sure who the people are who love this place, but take it from me: avoid. read more

Super fast for takeout and very nice people. The food is generally okay. I'll never get the won ton soup here again (it is brown!) and doesn't taste good. Gross The general Tso's is a safe bet. The steamed dumplings are bland but otherwise ok. read more

China Express - dumplings in a styrofoam container - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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GREEN PEPPERS in Szechuan Beef?!? First and LAST time I order from China Express. Ordered General Tso's and Szechuan Beef, my two standard go-to Chinese dishes. When the food was delivered, the Szechuan Beef dish was over 60% green peppers. Green peppers?!? In Szechuan Beef??? And not a few of them - SO MUCH green peppers that it was the MAJORITY of the dish. 1. In my 5 decades of eating Chinese, I have never seen green peppers in Szechuan Beef. I double-checked the website to see if they listed this ingredient in this dish - they do not. 2. I figured this could be an easy fix. I called to get a replacement dish, as I cannot eat green peppers. But their response was that they always put green peppers in it (although not listed as an ingredient on their menu and also as an obscure ingredient for this dish), and in their opinion That is That. Deal with it, customer! Period. She actually *argued* her point. So much for customer service. A simple replacement dish would have solved this issue. read more

China Express - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

China Express should change their name to China Crooks! Today I ordered delivery and I had a missing item. I CALLED back the Asian female said give you credit. I told her no send back driver so I can get my missing item. She said OK I have three orders going out that way. Well what do you know two hours China Crooks have been closed and I am still missing my food item. And I did not just order a cheap ass lunch plate but I dropped 45.54 and was lied to by the Asian lady.. Beware!!!! read more

China Express - Amount I paid china Crooks - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

If what you're looking for is Americanized Chinese food. That is what you will get here. Greasy, MSG filled, unauthentic Chinese fast food. This rating is NOT a reflection of the service I received here. The cashier and gentlemen in the back cooking the food were all very kind. Their fried chicken and general tsao chicken are good. This is the only reason why I gave them 2 stars. I tried their chicken and broccoli and I really wanted to like it BUT it was just TOO SALTY. It tasted like pure MSG. So I had to throw it away, and I REALLY HATE throwing away food. We also ordered their beancurd soup, in hopes that it would taste somewhat authentic. It looked like a bunch of rotten vegetables that were going to be thrown out were put into this soup. There were a few pieces of tasteless tofu in a MSG filled broth. Their fried rice was dark brown, flavorless, and dried out. They mixed it with so much SOY SAUCE, that it wasn't even appealing. Other than that, we ate all of the fried chicken and general tsao chicken. When I ordered from this place, I wasn't expecting anything to be authentic. I knew I was going to get fast food. But that's no reason for the dishes to be so dry, tasteless, and overfilled with MSG. Give this place a try. Just because I did not have a good experience here doesn't mean YOU won't like it, or your dish won't turn out better. Hopefully, it does. read more

Very friendly and welcoming front staff. Ordered house fried rice, combination egg foo young, egg rolls, General Tso's chicken, and donuts. Everything was made within 15 minutes after walk in order. Everything tasted good, but substandard eggrolls...wrapping was too thick and they weren't filled with enough ingredients. Had to use quite a bit of duck sauce and mustard to enjoy it. Coupons are on the menu so please make sure to use them before you order because they will not suggest you use them should you qualify for free items. read more

Beware, they extremely cheap with the protein. They use so much filler that it drowns out any protein they include. Very dissatisfied with most orders, you think I'd have learned by now. Stay away from this store. read more

Really big shrimp! They were breaded though and that doesn't taste so good. Prices are a bit high for a Chinese carry out, they are more of what you'd expect from a full service restaurant. read more

Had a bad experience with not getting the correct food I ordered. I ordered one thing and ended up with a combo that she didn't want to take back. Asian Lady in the front was very unpleasant and unprofessional. On top of the bad experience the food sucked. Will never go back. China Crooks. read more

I ordered this past Sunday (04/25/10) and I've got a huge problem with this place now. 1) The place is located less than a mile from my house and it took an hour to get the food here. Also, I ordered at 2:30, not exactly dinner or lunch rush time 2) I ordered the fried eggplant, which tastes breaded and dipped in their super-sweet sauce. But oh yeah! forgot to fry it! 3) The fried dumplings were middlingly soggy and boring 4) The containers were hotter than the food in each item. I'm not saying you shouldn't order from this place, but I've ordered twice and this was utterly disappointing. Never going back. read more

Dear Arlington Chinese Food Take-Out Enthusiasts, Looking for that chinese take out spot to deliver to your door? Want the standard Americanized Chinese food fare that mom used to make...err...take out? and a complimentary egg roll to boot? Then look no further than your standard hole in the wall strip mall take out joint. Food here is good, but nothing that is going to open your mind to a new Chinese food experience, but will give you that MSG filled feeling you were expecting. The hot & sour soup is exceptional here, lots of tofu and mushrooms. Also had the General Tso's. Everything was decent nothing was disappointing. Sincerely, Your Arlington Yelper read more

Disgusting, I'm no chinese carry out expert but I have definitely had my share. This place has the worst quality chinese food I've ever had. The general Tsao was bready and the sauce was syrupy. The sauce and taste was sweet which I have never had in this dish. Also ordered the sesame chicken and guess what.. tasted exactly like the general tsao chicken! I know this food us typically cheap and fast but I wouldn't feed this to my dog! Never again. read more

You know it's bad when you literally have to THROW THE FOOD in the trash! I couldn't eat my chicken with cashew nuts...the sauce was WATERY, salty, and grotesque. The dumplings are watery and falling apart, too! Even the fortune cookies are inedible...taste like mold and stale, to boot! read more

My search for good chinese delivery continues. This place was just OK. I'm also a huge fan of appetizers, so I had to try theirs. Had an order of orange chicken that was good, but definitely nothing special. Their dumplings have a thick outer shell that screams "bought in a bag", so I can't say that I was a fan. I'm also a complete chicken wing fan and have actually found that I enjoy chicken wings from Asian places, so I had to give it a shot. Not really flavorful, with lots of breading, so I can't say that I liked it very much. But, the delivery was quick and they do have good lunch and dinner specials. read more

I know what I like and I get it every time I have. We got our typical take out of chicken fried rice and crab ragoon. We were looking for Chinese on a spur of them moment craving and stumbled upon here believe it or not without Yelping it first. Yes, I admit I didn't Yelp Chinese before our endeavor. Please forgive me if I have offended. Anyway, when we first walked in the lady who was taking our order started to hand us a take away bag and said 'thank you'. I was quite amused considering she assumed we had already ordered when in reality we had never been before. Once we made this know pretty immediately, she and us started laughing. It took about 10 minutes prep time to get everything and we headed on our way. I was surprised that my boyfriend had to ask for more soy and duck sauce packets. She only had provided two. If you are anything like us, we like a LOT of soy and a LOT of duck sauce with our fried rice. She provided it on request. Just remember to ask for more or else they otherwise won't provide it and you will be home without your beloved extras! The chicken fried rice was really good. I really enjoyed it and my boyfriend ended up eating more of it than I did because it was so filling. The crab ragoon was okay. I wish we would have gotten sweet and sour sauce with it because that would definitely have added flavor that it lacked. I would totally return here. read more

Whether it's take out or delivery I've never gotten anything but fresh & delicious food from China Express. Delivery is usually within the half hour and the folks that work there are nice and don't treat you like you have three head's (as I've had w/ some ethnic restaurants, if you aren't of their culture you aren't worth their time). Try the fried dumplings they are superb! read more

First of all, I am not uber-picky or opinionated. I always give every eatery the benefit of the doubt even the ones with average reviews. And I have never felt compelled to post a review, good or bad.... Until now. This is my first yelp review EVER, cuz this place was THAT BAD. I ordered for delivery and it wasn't that long of a wait. My complaint is on the food itself. The wonton soup was probably one of the worst I've ever had. The water was tasteless, the wonton was just a slab of noodle not even wrapped or filled with anything. The fried rice was just rice with soy sauce and some egg, tasteless. My chicken was soooo bland. And my fortune cookie wrap came open and without a fortune inside!!! This place appears to me to be a DUMP. Will never order from here again. Good luck to those who do. read more

The BEST Chinese takeout place in the area. I've been going here my whole life, and no other place has better lo mein noodles!! I swear by this. The absolute best lo mein. The owners are very friendly, and since I've been ordering from them my whole life, she sometimes throws in some free rice! Your very cliche and typical Chinese takeout spot, and everything you could love about it. Great prices on everything from their General tso chicken to their canned soda. Definitely give this place a chance...and order their lo mein ;) read more

China Express is a decent joint for Chinese basics, but the convenience factor is the biggest seller for me. It's right on Lee Highway and the food is ready so quickly and they always get my order right. It is a bit pricier than other cheap Chinese places around, but the convenience makes it worth it. Some of my favorites are the orange chicken, egg foo young, and hot and sour soup. I haven't had anything I haven't liked. Also pro tip if you order certain $ amounts of food you can get free items like egg rolls or crab Rangoons. I am definitely a repeat customer! read more

...I don't know whether to laugh at this place or be offended. Loud, rude, no sense of any kind of etiquette at all. Received crazy mad staring from cooks that works here. Crazy people own and operate this place. It's beyond obnoxious. Never again. read more

Found this place via yelp when I was craving Chinese food. I'm from an incredibly small, rural town and my idea of Chinese food is greasy, (americanized?), chinese food that just tastes GOOD and I now have my go-to spot! I called and the lady was so sweet! We ordered the general tsos chicken fried price, steamed dumplings, and beef and broccoli! WE LOVED IT! The beef and broccoli tastes better as leftovers in my opinion because the beef soaked in all of the juice. The dumplings came with the sauce that you typically get in restaurants which was a nice surprise! This is my new go-to chinese take out! read more

Toooo Greasy! The food looked promising when I got it. I ordered Kung Pao Tofu and it looked delicious. Perfectly fried and a good amount of celery, carrots, peanuts. The sauce is a little bland, but Sriracha fixed that right up. But what I can't get past is how greasy it is. I feel like I drank half a bottle of oil. The spring rolls had the same problem, they have pools of oil at the bottom. My hands and lips are glistening from it all. Great prices, friendly service, quick delivery, but I wouldn't order again due to the amount of grease and oil. read more

Pros: Great Sesame Chicken Cons: Price was a little expensive for take out. Bottom Line: it's Chinese take-out; so the overall quality was probably a 6/10. So slightly better than average due to the Sesame Chicken. What we ordered. - Won Ton Soup: It was standard; average - Egg Roll: It was small and a little too chewy - Dumplings: They were small, not too many. But they were tasty. - Triple Delight (I think that's what it was called): It was OK. - Sesame Chicken: It was crunchy, flavorful, i ordered it because of a - previous Yelper review. It was the star of the dinner. - White Rice: It was white rice... what do you expect. Overall. We were hungry so we finished it all. The food quality was average/good. The price was expensive for the amount that we ordered (probably because of the location). read more

Disgusting! Don't bother ordering from here. First, I don't think they got one single part of my order correct. Second, when I walked into the "restaurant" to pick up my order there was an old man sitting at one of the only tables snapping green beans directly onto the table...this is their food prep? I should have walked out right then and there. My food was definitely over priced, and the total they gave me over the phone was completely different from the one they gave me once I was there picking up my food. The chicken was some sort of mystery meat, which I wouldn't care to know. You couldn't pay me to give this place another try. read more

The dumpling was cold!!! They said the noodle was fresh handmade but it didn't taste like that. A terrible restaurant that I will never go again. read more

Once again grading on the N. Arl curve for Chinese takeout. Basic no frills place. Decent taste, big portions, reasonable prices, friendly staff, free parking. Nothing special but fits the bill on where to get everyday Chinese to go. read more

I am a huge fan of Americanized cheap Chinese food and this was far below average. Not only was the food all mushy and bland, I ordered delivery and it took over two hours. They also didn't even apologize for the slow service. For all of the options on this area I would never suggest someone go here. read more

Very accurate delivery time, hot food, and pretty delicious. The lunch specials are a good value, and based on the minimal research we did, this place seems to have the best prices around. Mongolian Lamb wasn't sweet (thankfully) and had some delicious veggies in it. Fried rice was good, and the portions for both were huge! We got an appetizer of veggie dumplings, which were big, warm, and delicious. I got a major food hangover after eating this so beware of that, but overall a solid Chinese delivery choice. Well done. read more

Reliable decent take out. I've ordered from here a few times and generally have been pretty pleased. Not the best I've ever had, but certainly has been reliable. read more

Chinese food is a matter of taste. You might think a place is fantastic, but I might not like it at all. All I can say is that this place is just perfect for me and Precious. I moved into the area in 1995. I'd started ordering from this place. When Precious moved in, I took her here. We used to go here all the time. After we moved out of the area, we had a hard time finding a Chinese place we liked. We still haven't found a place as good as China Express. It's a tiny little store-front place. It's designed for carry-out and delivery only. There are no tables. There are no frills. You can stand there watching the fish swim around in the fish tank while you wait for your order. read more

food too expensive 15 dollars for combination fried rice and it doesn't taste very good

Lady purposely charged me $9 for a whole side of chicken fried rice instead of substituting it for the white rice that came with the meal for a small upcharge like every other chinese place EVER!! Then says, oh well you didnt say to substitute it. SMFH !!! Low lifes. read more

Just tried this place today for the first time. Food was amazing. Very yummy. Everything I had was amazing. Especially the Hong Kong Style roast duck. The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. I didn't even use the sauce it came with since it tasted so good on its own. Very friendly owners as well. Highly recommend! read more

I enjoy the dumplings and the sweet and tangy wontons. The lady who takes the order is always pleasant. I would say it's a to-go place only, I think there's only one table there and there's usually an employee sitting there. read more

These guys certainly don't read their orders. I stated NO MUSHROOMS on both the soup and the meal I ordered. Both has mushroom... I also asked to have them add onion and bell peppers. NONE were added. Food was meh.. The crab rangoons were good. Other than that everything else wasn't good. I wouldn't eat here again. read more

At least the staff is friendly which is why I rated two stars. I've recently ordered take-out food (not delivery) on two separate occasions and the fried rice is the only item I think is passable. I think many Yelpers think long and windy reviews are the best but I like to keep it to the point. The chicken wings were cooked too long and were hard. The General Tso chicken was hard and stringy and I couldn't finish it. (Take a look at my profile pic and you will probably surmise I don't push away too many plates.) The ribs were bland. The egg rolls were greasy. That's about it. read more

Terrible. I ordered Veggie General Tso. The sauce was like syrupy glue. Horrible. And I ordered veggie Rice noodles....it smelled like soap and had a weird flavor to it. I had to throw it out. I blew $24. I couldn't eat it. The place i normally order from was closed so I tried this one. I put in notes, "Chop Sticks Please". ummm.....they don't read the notes. Never again. read more