From the moment you step inside, you're reminded of the old school American Chinese restaurant, where it's very casual, place for locals to gather and hang out, eat and drink Mai tais. There aren't many of these spots around, so very happy there is one locally and it hits the spot. The owner is very friendly and everyone there seems to know her and she knew their names. This is a no frill place, hole in the wall, no windows. We got an appetizer combo, chicken wings, beef Chow mein (not to be confused with lo mein or stir fried noodles) and sweet and Sour pork (this is not the typical current Chinese restaurant sweet and Sour pork in bright red sauce. This is chicken fingers battered pork with sauce drizzled over). Everything tasted good and brought back childhood memories. read more

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After living in Watertown for the last few years we finally decided to check this place out with some friends It did not disappoint. Everything we ordered was delicious server was great never had to wait for anything. We will be back read more

If you enjoy old school Chinese food then this is the place for you. Everything is excellent. Especially the pork fried rice. Also Tammy the owner makes the best Mai tai as well as making you feel like extended family when you dine there. read more

i think the spareribs are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the chicken teriyaki and Beef and pea pods are awesome too

Been coming here for 35+ years? Tammy is the best. Old School Chinese sit down restaurant with bar in Watertown. Pu pu platter, wonton soup, lo mein, lobster sauce, egg foo young, many other favorites. Try the Mai Thai! read more

Delicious old school Chinese food. Not much has changed since the early 1980's and that is a very good thing!

*takeout review* We ordered a lot of food and overall, have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My brother picked up the order and was very unimpressed/turned off by the vibes inside, so I was a little worried, but overall it was pretty decent. General gao tofu + white rice: huge portion with big cubes of tofu. Pretty good. Sauce was kind of weak/watered down but there was a lot of it to compensate! I had half leftover for lunch the next day. Crab Rangoon: really good, just not a lot of filling. Egg roll: stay away. Tasted old. Hot and sour soup: OK. not very hot and not super flavorful. I added soy sauce which helped. Veggie lo mein: AMAZING this was the best of the bunch. I'd probably just get this next time. My brother had the sesame beef and he liked it. I would recommend for a good quick fix if you are having a craving! read more

China Rainbow - General gao tofu, sesame beef, veg lo mein, crab Rangoon, egg roll, hot and sour soup - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Great food and excellent service. We went to China Rainbow after a company holiday party and had a great time. The pu-pu platter was good and so was the Mai Tais. I will be coming back here more often now. It is a hidden gem. read more

Welcome back to the 80s amazing we stopped in here 30 something years ago and nothing is changed .... same people same owners. Great food wonderful drinks absolutely feel like a Time Machine bring me back other than my arthritis lol. Really was a treat...... Argentine Cowboys Boston mass..... read more

China Rainbow - Sparerib - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I went to China Rainbow with my partner on a Friday around 6 pm. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived. All the food we ordered came out quickly and very hot. It was quality American Chinese food and tasted delicious. I was "ehh" about the scorpion bowl. It was very strong but also tasted watery. I would try a different tiki drink in the future. When we were getting ready to leave, the restaurant did have more guests. I was surprised that the other tables were sat closer together, and didn't seem to be 6ft apart. Other than this concern, COVID guidelines seemed to be followed! read more

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Left much to be desired in terms of flavor. Just more greasy and oil than flavor or seasoning. Slightly overpriced for what you get. Very very subpar food. read more

The food was good. I got take out. I got the ribs, wings and egg roll. The eggrolls were great. Old school wonderful. The ribs were prety good not over cooked meaty. and the chicken wings were fine. I also got lobster sauce which was good not great. The fried rice was good and the Hawian wedding a dish of chicken beef, pork over noodles was great. It old school all they read more

This place should get 4 stars for the ambiance alone. It's a decorative time capsule hearkening back to the heydays of the mid-modern through 70s/80s Polynesian-style Ameri-Chinese restaurant. The vibe is kitschy cool and vibrant, low-key, relaxing. The staff are very nice. You have those old school cocktails in the patterned retro glasses, such as 'the scorpion bowl' and 'suffering bastard,' heavy on the alcohol. And the food's pretty good and stylistically on point. Few nostalgic places left like this anymore. What's not to like. The people who left 3 stars are missing the point, and should confine themselves to commercial venues. read more

i love this place. it is not fancy, it is just old-school, old-timey chinese food and fun drinks. customers are local and prefer it that way... very nice staff. i used to drive by it and think it was closed. My mistake!! read more

If you are looking for the old school, New England style Tiki themed Chinese American comfort food, then you've found the right spot! My father came to this country in the 1960s and learned how to make this style of Chinese American food. In the 1980s, my father opened up his very own take-out spot in West Roxbury, and I worked there every Friday night throughout high school until I left for college. I ate my fair share of egg rolls, chicken fingers, crab rangoons, and pork fried rice! This style of food was often looked down upon by Chinese from China and by traditionalists. I was surprised to find myself wanting this food in my 20s and still now in my 40s. I crave this food about two to three times a year and must get it. The hard part is finding places that still make it the way I remember it. This food has a very distinctive smell and taste. Many of these restaurants are a relic of the past as many of the Chinese restaurants today specialize in Sichuan cuisine and modern interpretations of Chinese food. The highlight of the meal was the pork fried rice, totally on point, not too oily, and not too dry, just right! I liked seeing the beansprouts and eggs! Even my eight year old daughter devoured the food. I explained to her what this food meant to me and my family's history in America. I look forward to coming here again to order other things from the menu. read more

Wow. This was interesting. So we arrived at around 6:00 thinking we'd be ridiculously early for New Year's Eve. Not so. The two tiny windowless rooms of this place were jam packed with people who all seemed to know each other. There was one smallish dining room with a weird seating arrangement. The other tiny area was a bar and takeout waiting space. We crammed ourselves onto a stool and observed there was one sweet elderly gentleman doing all the drinks for the bar as well as for the tables. We ordered 2 Mai Tais and put our name in for a table. A mere two hours later we were seated. A mere half hour later our order was taken. Another half hour and we received our Pu Pu Platter. Then about 30 minutes after that we got our Scorpion Bowl. After we had finished both the PuPu Platter and Scorpion Bowl, we got our fried rice. Which we no longer wanted but decided to take "to go" because the elderly ladies behind us tried to cancel their late food they no longer wanted and were shouted at and told it was too late to cancel. Then the one wait staff member began to get attitude because another table complained of slowness and a mix up. She shouted "You should've gone for Italian then!" Another table was just trying to get a glass of water and she kept saying to the requestor "Don't even!" As if he was demanding something outrageous. But seriously. New Year's Eve. Everyone goes out for Chinese food. There were two 80 somethings doing bar and takeout and one cranky 60 something waiting tables. Did they not know a lot of people would be showing up?! (We are in our 60s too so this comment isn't so much about age as attitude) Ricky the bartender deserves a medal. He makes awesome drinks and retained his calm for the four hours we were held captive in this windowless establishment. Four hours. For a couple of great drinks, some mediocre food, and attitude. Happy New Year! Woohoo! We won't be back! read more

China Rainbow - Grim "decorative lights" in the bar. - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Never order from here. When THEY make a mistake they argue with you about it. They tell you that you don't know what the food is supposed to look like when it's the exact order you get from other places. LEMONS are yellow. Not pink!!!! Someone could have died had they been allergic to what was sent. Thankfully, I wasn't. But it DOES cause bad tummy problems which is why I don't order sweet/sour. ABSOLUTEL TRASH!! read more

The best hole in the wall classic polynesian style Chinese restaurant in the area. Fantastic boneless ribs, chicken wings. scallion pancakes and egg rolls. (And everything else) Great prices for the quality and quantity. They've been around for nearly 50 years so you know they're doing it right. I've been eating in my car during the pandemic parked right in front for free, but the dining room is now open. read more

This place is a real hidden gem! The food is amazing. It is very retro and will take you back to the 1980's. I usually order the pork fried rice and and appetizer combo. Lastly, the Mai tai's are the best! read more

Outstanding old school Boston Chinese food. Pu Pu platters, pork fried rice, egg foo yung, lobster sause! Absolutely a classic!

Best Chinese anywhere around Watertown, Rick & Tammy are awesome, they remember you. Great food, great people. Have been going here for years & will continue to for many more. Simply put, we love it read more

Food is surprisingly good for such a retro establishment!! Mai Tai's are very good especially if Tammy (the owner) makes them!!

Worseeeee service ever I put the order in , drive to the location for the lady to state she doesn't have that order. lol what a joke

As old-school as it gets. No windows, early-70s decor, and powerful drinks. Best of all, the food is always cooked to order and is consistently outstanding. I go as often as I can. read more

Your average greasy Chinese food at a fair price. Sketchy spot with no windows but have been many times and learned to enjoy the experience. Great place to get drinks and get a little tipsy while eating some Chinese. Haven't been in a few years but will hopefully come back soon read more

China Rainbow was absolutely amazing! The man serving was attentive and sweet to everything our table's needs and even packed our food to go home. There was also a birthday at our table and he gave her a cup as a present. I couldn't recommend China Rainbow enough!! Amazing food, great drinks, and an overall wonderful time at this establishment. I will be sharing with friends, as should you! read more

Our go to Chinese spot since moving to Watertown. Everything is solid. We always have to get an order of chicken Lo mein. Recommend dining in and ordering a Mai Tai! read more

China Rainbow - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

On a cold winters eve, what can beat really good Chinese food? This place flew under my radar for years and after Asiana Fusion closed, we needed a new spot. Been just once but we know this is our new fix. Hot and delicious food. Got the salt and pepper shrimp, chicken teriyaki, pork fried rice, and dumplings to share - all excellent. Very friendly place and great service. read more

I called this restaurant many times and nobody ever answered so I figured they were out of business until local friends informed me they were open for business. So one day they finally pick up the phone when I call and I dined in with my gf. The staff is nice and friendly but I felt like they could've been a little more attentive to us, rather than get lost in their conversations with their friends. I'll say this.. the food tasted great. Try their chicken teriyaki and give their chicken wings a try as well.. both are awesome! The food came out at all different times and we basically would finish a dish before the next dish came out.. this was annoying but maybe they were just short staffed in the kitchen that day.. it was New Years day.. I will be back for their chicken wings and chicken teriyaki with white rice! read more

Order the house signature spicy wings. Absolutely unique fried chicken dish. Mai tai is powerful bro! Very divey and classic 80's decor. Don't think you'll have any idea if it's day, night, raining or the apocalypse in this dungeon! read more

China Rainbow - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I remember going here has a kid with my family. It has been years since I've been there, and last night the husband and I went. This was just what we were hoping it would be. We walked in to 1970's decor. There were people sitting at a tiki bar having a great time. Only one other couple in the dining room. We ordered the egg rolls, which are hand made and came out steaming fresh. The Pork fried rice was delicious, and the pork was not fatty. Our main course was the Diamond Head. It was put together before us on a sizzling plate, with tender sliced pork, onions and green peppers. Others are right, it is a little dark, and no windows. But it adds to the charm. The staff are pleasant and helpful with options. We enjoyed the whole experience and have decided this will be our go to spot. read more

China Rainbow - Chinese Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Good food. Even better value. Very reasonably priced drinks. Place is clean. Wait staff attentive. On a weekend I would get takeout from there so as not to be swarmed by the crowds. read more

Zero rating. Windowless facility felt very claustrophobic. Food is not authentic Chinese. I would not recommend this!

I ordered take out and when an item was missing, I called to tell them it had been forgotten. The man who picked up told me I must be mistaken, to which I replied "No, I'm not. I know what was supposed to come with my order." So, with some reluctance, he said I could come back to fulfill the order. When I was going through receipts today I noticed from them for $10.11. My credit card statement shows this as $12.11! I didn't feel like tipping since it was take out. I am completed disgusted that they would rip me off after having to return there for a mistake they made! read more

Just wanted to update my last review The food was so delicious last time I planned on using them again for a special occasion ....Had a surprise party for my sons bday ....The very gracious owner Tammy guided me through the order for 8 people ..There was an enormous amount of hot delicious food ....( possibly too much food ) but I would rather have more food than not enough ( if you're not sure how much to order go less rather than more ) The portions are huge !! I opted to pick the food up and it was ready exactly when they said it would be !!! I wouldn't have minded if I had to wait around it would have given me the chance to try another one of their yummy drinks The chef came out and was kind enough to help me to my car with my massive order .....This place is a must try !! Next time I'm going to take some friends and eat in the atmosphere is quite unusual in a cool way ...Definitely a blast from the past ......Thanks Again China Rainbow read more

China rainbow is a hidden gem in Watertown Mass. food is made fresh daily not back up will give you heartburn Rick the whaler is superb with service the owner Tammy is great my my ties the best in town in Massachusetts Tammy might rise out of this world come on in and try one read more

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Food is mediocre, one of the worst general tso in Boston area. Ordering over the phone, they were not helpful with my question. Too many Chinese places to waste time here. read more

Don't let that propaganda video fool you. There has never been anyone in the dining room, ever. I sat in there once for kicks, and it seemed like the benches were fake, hollow, movie props. I lived across the street from here on Ladd Street and loved this place before moving to Atlanta. BEST scallion pancakes. Great scorpion bowls. Yes, it's windowless. Yes, if there was a fire, everyone would die. Yes, it's bar is full of locals getting drunk. Yes, the bartender is a 70 year old Chinese woman with a hairsprayed bouffant and a Boston accent. That's why it gets five stars instead of four. read more

China Rainbow is the most frightening chinese restaurant I've seen other than some dives in San Francisco's Chinatown that I wish I could unsee. With the wood paneling and complete lack of windows, it is like some 1970s basement dungeon. The thing about China Rainbow is that it is among the first chinese restaurants to open in metrowest outside of the city boston in the 1960s. It dates back to a time when Watertown was an industrial city with major factories doing 3 shifts a day. The decor is exactly as it is when they opened in 196x, and they are open late to accommodate late workers. That early starting date is also why they serve "Chinese Polynesian" cuisine (like the now defunct South Pacific in Newton), and have authentic tiki mugs. The food however is surprisingly good and fresh, and the Polynesian drinks amazingly strong. It's rare for anyone to eat in the dining room at lunch time. The bar area tends to have locals getting plastered on Mai Tai's and packing away Egg Foo Yongs. If you ever want to find an alcoholic mechanic to fix your car, or paint your house China Rainbow is where to meet them. Good times. read more

This dive looking place is actually quite good. The wood paneling from the 1960's adds to the interest this restaurant exudes. I was sorely disappointed that the golden girls were not playing as I was promised that Blanch would be strutting her stuff on TV for all the white people in the restaurant to see. Food was actually quite good and I don't even like Chinese food. I was concerned going in but happy coming out. I would suggest the shrimp and broccoli. Shrimp is nice and big. Good deals for what it has to offer. My significant other practically ate the menu and will probably begin working on the blood orange table you find in antique stores from 1960-1970 era. If nothing else, the bar was busy with Watertown drunks and a few people in the restaurant. If you sit next to the only other couple in the restaurant you can learn all about their sex life or lack there-of. read more