Lunch special $9.95 - Great! Total bill $13.44 - Hmmm... Support local fee, surcharges (ordering online fee), taxes. Shouldn't ordering online be a convenience to the business, not having to answer a phone, and not a penalty to the customer? Go into the store and order and pay cash if you want to pay as close as possible to the lunch special price. It does not include a drink, as another post said, no other extras. Fried rice is additional , did not order that. Half of the Lo mein plate is rice for unknown reason. This was the China Star location on Hillsborough Rd. Durham 27705. May 2026 read more

Saw that this place had new management and gave it a try. I always see the same two workers (I'm assuming the owners) and they are always amazingly friendly. When you walk in it's a very typical Asian restaurant style where you order up front and receive your order with a sauce/condiment table to the side. Drinks are available as well. At first they had yellowed menus but just had them replaced with some very nice, colorful backlit menu boards. Now the food. You'll easily receive 2 or even 3 portions worth in a single meal. Everything I've tried has been great with my favorite being the orange chicken at about $15. Their lunch specials have the best value from most other restaurants I've seen at only $10 for a slightly smaller portion, rice, and a drink. I've ate here several times and recommend it to almost everyone I can. read more

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Good solid fast food style Chinese food for the money. I order here a few times a month and it's always the same good quality.

"Well above-average fast-food Chinese, with delivery" This is our fall-back, "I'm-in-a-rush-and-need-something-to-take-home," take-out restaurant. Conveniently located near Duke University, this small restaurant at the end of a Food Lion strip mall is both inexpensive and pretty good. The food selection contains all the standard fast-food Chinese favorites, but with more variations possible than in many comparable establishments. For example, appetizers include egg rolls (regular or vegetable), shrimp rolls, spring rolls, shrimp toast, fried wontons, spare ribs, dumplings, crab rangoon, etc. The menu has, literally, 140 options overall! We typically get some vegetable egg rolls, a few main dishes like chicken with broccoli, sesame chicken, and string beans with garlic sauce (all dishes with white or chicken fried rice since we ask- they default to pork), and some free fortune cookies. The quality is surprisingly good- there are other similar fast-food Chinese places throughout Durham, and none have food as good as this one (though still don't expect gourmet). The price is great- dinner portions of most dishes are around $7 or $8. The food is also clearly made fresh, as you can ask for variations from the menu, and they accommodate without taking any longer. Finally, there's no MSG. What's most impressive is the QUANTITY of food you get. We've fed dinner to a group of 6 people with 3 entrees before, and no one was left hungry. Given that, you can feed a lot of people on very little money. They also have various specials, like free wonton soup with $20 order, and they sometimes give a discount to Duke University employees. We usually order by phone, and they say the food will be ready for pickup in 10-20 minutes, and they've always been ready when I stop by the restaurant. Recently, they've started delivery, too ($1 charge), but we haven't tried it yet. read more

China Star - the front of a chinese restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I'm currently on a quest to find the best Egg Foo Young and fried dumplings in the Triangle. I have a gold standard on each, but both places closed down after many, many years in business. (Charlie's Chinese & 35 Chinese, both in Chapel Hill.) First of all, I'm learning that finding egg fu young in this area is a task in itself! After doing some research found it on the menu here so made a special trip to try it. Nice that it's offered on their lunch menu, with two patties. Most of the other selections are very fairly priced, under $6.00. The portions are huge, come with choice of rice and an egg roll. Each patty was sizable and had pretty good flavor of pork, onions and veggies, but they served the sauce/gravy on the side. I'm used to a very dark rich sauce that's already on the patties, made by Charlie Two Shoes in Chapel Hill, who has been retired for several years. China Star's is medium in color, thick, and not very flavorful. Oh well, onward! Their fried dumplings come eight to an order for $5.15, which is more than fair. They were fried nicely, but rather than the usual thin dough oblong shape they looked more like the ball sized dumpling you see in the bamboo steamers on a buffet. They were extremely doughy, which overshadowed the wonderful flavor of the meat inside. The dipping sauce could not have been more delicious, so it was a real toss up. Overall conclusion, way too much doughy taste and texture overrode the winning flavor of the meat and sauce. I will continue my quest... read more

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I've been going to China Star for over 20 years and have always been very happy with the quality and consistency of the food. It's my go to place for Chinese takeout. read more

Came here for a quick lunch during a weekend workshop. Food came out hot and quickly but not a lot of flavor. Restaurant didn't have the cleanest feel to it. Big portions. Egg roll was mushy on the inside. read more

China Star - Moo goo Gai Pan - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I'd ordered from China Star about a month ago. Food was excellent. Better though was the service. I used a gift card to pay but got distracted by a phone call and forgot to get my card back. Didn't realize my gaff for a few days (I was back in Pa by then). Completely my fault. Card had about $80 left on it and anyone could have used it. About a week later, I was back in the area and took a chance and went back to China Star and asked whether they still had the card. I expected that the card and $$$ were long gone. But, the young woman who took my order initially went to her notebook and had my card. She was extremely apologetic that she was not able to call me to say that I'd forgotten my card. I was amazed by the honesty demonstrated. The food is excellent and I will definitely patronize China Star based on the honesty and integrity of the staff. read more

I have been to this restaurant twice in the past couple of months. Both times the lady at the counter was pissed about something. Yelling in Chinese at other workers and shoving my bag at me without comment. Then got home and the order is wrong. Uber Eats from this point forward. Chinese food with no Chinese 'tude. read more

This restaurant has gone downhill. The past few times I've eaten there, the vegetables were undercooked, the chicken wings definitely shrunk, and the poo-poo platter was pretty much poo-poo. The TRUE reason for this update...my husband and I ordered from them Sunday, Feb 8th (they're RIGHT by our house and it's so convenient!) and the food was admittedly better than it has been in awhile. HOWEVER, last night we get a call from our bank where someone has been making fraudulent charges. The ONLY time we used our credit card in the past week was THERE. I'm NOT going back...and warning you all against paying in anything but CASH. read more

A stranger in the city for a funeral, I read the reviews and should have stayed away. However, this place was near where I was, and my sister felt people always write things from their perspective. We were so wrong. We got in after 8 pm and did not even notice the small sign at the side of the door (until they pointed it out after rude and aggressive service). While trying to order and determine the size of orders to ensure that we have food for everyone (we probably would have spent 100 dollars plus there), the male owner started to rush our order, be abrupt about our questions on sizing, and then proceeded to ask us rudely if we don't know he closes at 8:30 pm. If Don't we see signs. Mind you, he was not the one taking our orders. And besides, how would we know? You have no writing on the door, a regular write paper on the side, and you think someone who has spent all day at a funeral will be looking out for a small landscape writing. We told him no thanks, and we started to leave, but he could have treated us better. Who screams at customers for closing time? We called out his bias and him being rude. He could have just told us when we walked in that they were about to close. So simple! This owner even got in my personal space to the point where I started to record him. We told him you shouldn't treat customers with bias, which was apparent from some of his words. I told them to place the door sign and inform customers when they walk in. How do you leave from behind a counter and follow customers outside because they call out your rudeness and bias? How am I supposed to know you are closing when you don't hAve the notice in the viewing eye, and you have your light on saying open and no alert was said that you are closing? Mind, you, he was not the one taking our order. My sister was mainly his target because he looked at her being plus size. Called her "you American" as if that is a problem. As we were asking about the sizing of portions to determine how much we will need to purchase for the entire family, he kept targeting her, but she addressed his mannerism. The owner needs customer service and anger management help. This is no way to treat customers. Mind you; we went here out to get food for a 79-year-old who had just buried her child. I was excited to treat her to Chinese because she loves Chinese food. Coming from around so much love today to an abrupt owner who believes staying in business 20 years gives him the right to be belligerent. God help us all. Above is one of the reasons businesses fail after 20 years! read more

Everyone complains about the lady. She is nice to me though. This is the only place I go on this side of town and reasonable prices. Unlike others up the road with higher prices and and no flavor. read more

Not bad for American Chinese. Go for the standard fare, like General Tso's chicken. Don't do vegetable dishes, because the quality is subpar - probably because most people don't order just veggies, and so the veggies just sit around in the kitchen. Sometimes the food comes out burnt (and you can't see it when you do take out), so it really can be a roulette. read more

I got delivery from here. It was very prompt and the food is really good. there is a $13 minimum, so the food I got will be lunch tomorrow and maybe dinner too!! I got the sesame chicken which is really good, with a sweet and sour type sauce. I also got some dumplings as an appetizer, but those aren't so great... a bit too greasy and not very flavorful. Overall really good. read more

Stopped by China Star and ordered the lunch General Tso Chicken with white rice and egg roll for $5.15. What a price! The dish was tasty and rice was cooked fresh, but not enough broccoli and it had too much sauce. The decor is the typical Chinese decorations. Only 5 tables in this small place, located in a strip mall with Food Lion. This is a National chain restaurant that is individually owned franchisee has all the typical Americanized Chinese dishes with lower prices than most other Chinese places. Food B Staff C Decor C Location C Health Inspection Grade 99.0 read more

Ordered two take out vegetarian dishes- were acceptable, nothing incredible. Sauces had good flavor, but were not memorable. Was disappointed that brown rice was not available, but I know not everyone would find this a flaw. Portions are very sizable, and veggies were fresh. This was my first time receiving fortune cookies in english and spanish. read more

service sucked. food was pretty good. hard to find good Chinese in Durham so far. have not ordered a "combo"

Delivery ordered by phone. I'm out of state, wanted to order a birthday lunch for my dad to surprise him. They were efficient, and even honored my request for a specific time of delivery. Quick, Easy Ordering No Language Barrier Affordable--$15 minimum for delivery read more

I have been to this restaurant several times in the past couple of years. The staff are not the friendliest, but the last couple of times were the worst. When calling I could barely hear the lady on the phone and made it apparent she was not interested in taking my order. I understand that being busy is very stressful and frustrating, but this service was the worst I have ever had at a restaurant. Then to get home; your order is wrong, charged for something you did not get, and the food was not as good as it's been before. I agree with one of the past reviews this restaurant has gone downhill. read more

Absolutely, completely inedible garbage. This review is for an experience here almost a year ago which I felt compelled to inform others abou. As other reviews have stated, American Chinese food is usually pretty consistent. It is generally nothing spectacular, but is relatively consistent from coast to coast, as most of the ingredients come to the restaurant prepackaged and frozen or in a bottle. It is therefore pretty easy to not screw it up. Enter China Star, which manages to ruin just about every dish that was ordered. Anything fried tasted as if the fryer oil had not been changed for months, if not years - and the sauces which absolutely had to have been prepared in house resembled some sort of hybrid between sewage and other unidentified waste. Absolutely disgusting! Having lived and traveled all over the country, I have never ever experienced worse fare at any establishment - ever. Contacted the owner to express my concern with the food, and give them an opportunity to replace it or offer a refund and was called a liar - I was told that in over 20 years they never received a complaint! So, it seems I am a pioneer. My suggestion is to definitely pay with a credit card! I contacted my credit card company and after explaining my experience at this establishment, a chargeback was immediately processed. The owner even insulted the bank over the phone! If you get cheated by any restaurants, ever - you have recourse! Do not pay with cash, and always demand satisfaction. You have been warned. Proceed with caution. read more

Eat here all the time on point with orders. Never forgets anything which is rare. Service and food really good. For this area they got it locked down for Chinese food. read more

We travel a lot and almost always order Chinese food when we're away. Usually we're sorry we did. That WAS NOT the case tonight. Everything was excellent! The veggies were fresh, the chicken and pork had no fat and the rice was very flavorful. Even the egg rolls were yummy. All that and free delivery too! Will definitely remember China Star the next time we visit. read more

Authentic Chinese food that is surprisingly cheap and comes with large portions. While it looks like a typical americanized restaurant with Americanized food, some of their dishes are rather authentic read more

We order from this restaurant every week. We eat so much Chinese food they already know my order. I forgot to pay over the phone one time, when the delivery guy came to drop off my food he left it any way and told me to call in my payment. They are usually fast unless they are extremely busy. We usually get orders within 20-45 minutes and we live about 10 minutes away. Good food. Good price. Highly recommend this restaurant. There number will continue to be on my phone under favorites read more

China Star is the best Chinese restaurant in NC. All of the food at this restaurant is delicious, but I especially loved the spicy food here. For example, the sauce of the General Tso's Chicken has lots of flavor and it's the best one that I've eaten all year. The atmosphere in this restaurant is amazing. Fresh air is all around when you're in this restaurant. You'll see no pests when you're in this restaurant. And you definitely will not see any hair or any disgusting things in your meal. Also, the beverages here are amazing. My most favorite beverage is the Sweet Tea due to its sweetness. It's the best Sweet Tea in town. If you have a little kid, go to this restaurant because your kid can play with a lot of the toys at this restaurant. The decorations at China Star makes you feel like you're eating at home. read more

China Star - It's a decoration. It really brings out the theme of the restaurant. - Chinese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Perfect takeout. They are really nice and cheap. They def deliver if you order over 10 or 15 bucks. Egg-rolls are kinda weird. Tofu is awesome. read more

China star is exactly what you think it is - Americanized Chinese take out joint. But when you slow down and taste it, it's some of the best of its ilk. Not too greasy, spicy just right, vegetables not cooked into paste, and subtle black bean ginger or garlic flavor. Add in the price relative to more pretentious spots like Shanghai, and China Star looks even better. read more

One of the better Chinese food places I've eaten in. Food is cooked fresh to order and made fast! Quality of the food was very good. Place is pretty clean but stinks of oil and grease inside...but the food was amazing nice menu with some unique stuff on it!! read more

This is our favorite place to take out. We have our usual orange chicken, special lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, and sesame chicken. They can't go wrong on those choices! read more

I order delivery from here on days when I don't want to cook. It's reasonably priced, reasonably quick, and, though the quality isn't always consistent, it's good. They have a good selection of vegetarian options, including General Tso's Tofu and Sesame Tofu. In fact, though it's not gourmet, I haven't tried anything that I haven't liked. In the realm of Chinese delivery, what more can you ask for? read more

We we're over charged for our order. Got charged over 30$ for 20$ worth of food. Then had to wait over 15 minutes for food that we called ahead for. Awful service. Do not recommend. read more

I ordered the beef with string bean. It came with pork fried rice and an egg roll. This was the worst Chinese food I have ever had!! Everything was just too bland and just terrible. I just moved here from MI, I hope all the Chinese food around here isn't like this! I will never order from them again. read more

I work just down the street from this restaurant. Not only is it convenient but the food is great with more than enough on their lunch menu. And when you order over the phone its always ready in "ten minutes". tnx Sonny read more

Just ordered delivery and could not be more disappointed. We ordered mai fun noodles and fried rice and they are the most tasteless dishes I've ever had. Zero sauce. Zero flavor. I called them to complain and was told that I was wrong and that they taste good. Okay. Bye. read more

I am used to the no-frills environment of Chinese restaurants, but this one takes the cake. Your order is taken by a young person who appears incapable of speech or the ability to answer any question, and dine-in involves the cautious delivery of brimming paper plates that you don't dare pick up or move again because they will collapse, plus the chance to serve yourself with the very cheapest of plastic utensils and cups and water from a giant cooler filled we don't know when. And yet the food isn't cheap... read more

The shrimp fried rice is awesome. Not greasy and the shrimps are nice size and not the little pearl shrimps. Chicken wings are big and also good. Can warm the wings over the next day and they still taste like you just ordered them. It is the only place in Durham that I have found that comes close the Chinese food from New York read more

The person trying to take the order over the phone couldn't speak or understand English. She was very rude and yelled at me and not even 2 mins later I called back to cancel the order and she said the food was ready and what was she suppose to do with it. I told her to eat it herself and she proceeded to hang up on me. If you want crappy service be sure to go there. read more

this place has the best general tso's chicken on the east coast. and i've never been west.