This is a good place to eat if your standards are just average. Nothing was wrong with our chicken and broccoli or Singapore noodles, other than the food being lukewarm. But the shrimp dumplings barely had any filling and they were tasteless. That explains the jars of pepper oil and chopped onion and ginger on the table. Next time I'm in the area I'll find another place to try. read more

It's almost 4*s for the overall and 5*s for the dumplings, so I averaged it out. must eat dumplings!!! This' the traditional northern Chinese dumplings where the skin's on the thick side but not doughy. I wish every Chinese restaurant served the marinated fine chopped green onions to mix with soy sauce. Personally I'm not bid on thick noodles but it is pretty good here. The roast and rice stuff's about average. We've tried the salted fried shrimp which was fresh and flavored. From the exterior I thought it's a tourist trap luring with window display, interestingly I was introduced to this place by a caucasian colleague, who knows her food from living in HK for a few years. read more

3.5 stars, erring on the side of 4 for this one. In as much as there is a chinatown experience in D.C., this two story hole in the wall is a pretty pivotal part of it imo, which reflects as poorly on the chinatown as it does positively on Chinatown Express. Noodles in soup form are not king here. Neither is the wonton. Neither is the hot and sour. All are, in fact, rather boldly forgettable. Order the fried noodles. Chicken, beef, or seafood--it could hardly matter. Grab that plate of noodles, pile on the garlic slices and the green stuff and the sriracha sauce and you're good to go. You'll reek without remorse, for it will have been well worth it. Moreover, this is one of the few places where one can get roasted or barbecued pork by the pound in the city, and the quality thereof is not terrible!, which in D.C. ranks as pretty wonderful. Also, what has been mentioned about cleanliness is true, but it wouldn't be part of the chinatown experience otherwise :) Also, if you are not into condiments or garlic then this place probably loses a few stars. read more

Not too bad, as DC's Chinatown goes. The fresh noodles were just that, but the lo mein concoction they came in wasn't exactly flavorful. The dumplings and pork buns had nice fillings, but the dipping sauce once again lacked flavor. Maybe it's time to stop listening to the health-freaks and kick up the MSG. read more

The dumplings and steamed pork buns taste like hell. The soup of the noodle is great but the noodle itself is awful.

Pretty good Chinese food in a affordable price. Busy place good food. Had the roasted pork and my companion had the duck. I would say pretty good for Chinese food in America. read more

I am a fan of the beef noodle bowl, the duck I had there another time was TERRIBLE, the dumplings are very doughy but that green chili and the spicy red oil yum. For the sanitary conditions, it doesn't phase me too much but I would hesitate bringing a small child or someone with a weak stomach, unless they got a noodle bowl. read more

Several friends and I visited this hole-in-the-wall on a Saturday night. The place seemed crowded but the wait was short. We ordered several types of dumplings (leek & pork; seafood; veggies), spring rolls, steamed pork buns, and a friend ordered the chicken & corn soup. The dumplings were chewy and the fillings not very fresh tasting. Of the three, the seafood version was deemed the best, but they were all bland. The spring rolls were standard fare, but noticeably greasy. The corn soup was okay - it tasted like a thicker version of egg drop soup. The reason for the 2 star review, though, is that as we were eating, we heard some odd noises overhead. One friend wondered if someone was moving furniture. The sound was more like -scurrying-. We looked over to a table next to us, and we all laughed nervously and seemed to think the same thing. I am still unsure whether what we heard was rats or not, but the thought of it made us leave sooner than expected. Also, the bathroom was not very clean. read more

Don't be fooled by the display in the window, the food is bad, the dumplings were not fresh, everything tasted like old oil :/ I hope it won't give us a food poisoning read more

If you're desperate for cheap noodles with minimal sensory distractions, this place is for you. Everyone else, you'd be better off eating Ramen. I came with a couple of friends who raved about the homestrung noodles. Authentic, cheap and plentiful sounded like salvation after a third failed attempt at Avatar and the splintering cold of the Chain-town strip. Authentic, cheap, and plentiful it was. Authentic: The entrance is flanked by small guppies and crustaceans on one side and needlethrowing Chinese on the other. There was never a doubt at the pure Chinese lineage of the place with a selection of Far East beers to match. Cheap, Plentiful: The homemade noodleplates clock in at $5.95 for a variety of preparations in stomach cramping proportions. As for taste, there was none. The tofu-noodle soup was two-pounds of white and water, with the occasional broccoli chunk or green onion deep below, the only signs of taste in the abyss. Even the arsenal of promising condiments on the table (green ginger, garlic, red pepper) was no match for the barricade of tastelessness they were up against. Advice? An ambitious diner might fire up the meal with four servings of each condiment and torture some taste out of the thing. A wise diner might fire up their own microwave and eat Ramen at home. read more

Let me save you some time.... The dumplings are crap, even if you just watched them make them. The inside is tightly packed and less than spectacular. The food is cheap, and average to poor in quality. I read every freaking review on here and discovered i wasted my time, cheap but crappy Chinese food in a hole of a restaurant is all you need to know. I like crappy but cheap food enough for a 2 star rating. read more

We eat here every time we in DC. Best authentic cantonese dishes. All dishes are good, they haven't failed us yet. Our first time here was 12 years ago. read more

Not good, wontons were old, cold and inedible. Noodle shrimp soup tasteless, garlic chicken so soupy and sour would not recommend!!

This place is the equivalent of Waffle House, Asian version. The place smells funny its cold but the food is cheap and filling. I found this place years ago. There are plenty of Asians who eat here all the time, many students and they seem to enjoy the food. Yes I take note when the Asians enjoy the dumplings. You get lots of tasty condiments on your table and unlimited green tea for free. The bathroom is just gross and it sits like in the middle of the restaurant. Some of my leanest years I took my boys here and let them stuff themselves on noodles and dumplings. No it is not Anthony Bourdain fancy but its good and local. If you want a filling inexpensive meal, this is your place. If you want ohhhh lala type Chinese Im sure you can find it in DC but you will pay an arm and a leg, something I just dont have! read more

I would not recommend Chinatown Express at all, especially for those who are used to traditional Chinese food. The noodles were very doughy and bland. While the broth was decent, it did not blend well with noodles and the meat. If you want a traditional Chinese hand made noodles, then this is NOT the place for you. read more

After reading some of the reviews, I was nervous to go here, but Chinatown Express did not disappoint me. The atmosphere is definitely what you would expect from a hole in the wall place but the quick service and good food make up for it. I split the 10 fried dumplings with a friend ($5.95 I think-good deal) and they were pretty good but slightly doughy. The green ginger sauce went well on them. I had the fried noodles with chicken (under $7) and it was tasty. I had so much that I had enough for lunch the next day. Adding hot sauce gave the noodles some kick. We drank at least a pot and a half of tea which kept me caffeinated through the afternoon. This place is a great value for money (if you take the advice of the Yelpers like I did and stick to the dumplings and noodles). read more

Worst dumplings ever! Super dry! No soup inside! And just gross. I won't lie, my frozen dumplings taste 100x better than this place. Stay away. read more

The only thing I get here is the roasted duck noodle soup. Definitely not the best I have had, but their duck is flavorful. Everything else is bad. They are cranky about credit cards and the place os definitely a hole-in-a-wall. read more

I honestly hated this food. I don't know what to say other than bland bland bland. World class noodles? I do not understand the hype. We ordered three different noodle soups and a couple of sautéed noodle dishes. The broth was bland the noodles were bland but between the soup and the sautéed I'd take the sautéed 100% of the time. The little shrimp in the Jan Chow fried rice which came highly recommended by the waitress (more on her later) had shrimp turds in them. I know they says it's no big deal to eat that but I think it's nasty. The two people in our party who ordered non noodle related dishes (sesame beef and chicken Moo Goo Gai Pan) did not come close to finishing them and did not take them to go. We tried both steamed dumplings and fried. Fried were vastly superior. Steamed inedible in my opinion. Both were under-filled. We had a party of 8 and the waitress was lots of fun we enjoyed her a lot (she was the type who harangues one for ordering white meat chicken and then recommends something exotic that you don't order then she rolls her eyes and acts irritated.) Like I said we enjoyed her and she alone earns the second star for this place. People...you gotta trust me on this one. Steer clear. read more

The duck chicken soup was 99% skin, bone, and skin fat. The taste & at best mediocre. The bathrooms were filthy. Won't be back.

I should have tried the noodles that other guy was talking about because the ones I had were mushy and overly salty. Im from LA and you can get these type of noodles at "Louisiana Fried Chicken and Chinese Food". The dumplings were okay though. Still looking for a place for Fung Jao (BBQ Chicken Feet) though, any reccomendations? read more

Chinatown Express is a little under-rated in my opinion - it has long been a fixture in this increasingly laughable "pseudo-Chinatown." Chinatown DC is in the midst of an impossibly expensive real-estate market which has only recently come into higher and higher demand in downtown Washington. As I see it, Chinatown Express has now become an "island" in the middle of a collection of national franchises (i.e. Dunkin Donuts, Subway, McDonalds, etc) with the added "bonus" of using Chinese characters under their logos. If you are going to come here for the usual Chinese-American fare, you will get exactly that and nothing memorable to go with it. However, the menu is quite extensive - you really have to study it to get something that is authentic - if you are successful at this, you will get authentic Chinese food. The Peking Duck (those you see hanging in the window) are excellent. The Salt-Chicken is very tasty, you can order a Dungeness Crab which is pretty amazing, and they have several fish that they can fry up whole serve to you. They serve you a nice generous portion of hot tea and those little jars with the garlic and spicy relish are out of this world delicious. They make their own noodles and dumplings which sounds grand but they are just average - I've never seen that to be that big of a deal.... The interiors are definitely dated and need some serious upgrades - it would be nice if they would make it a little cozier (just a little) and less sterile. When you enter the restaurant, the first thing you smell is the lobster tank (which is full of live Lobster, Fish and Dungeness Crabs). I think the menu is a little too big and unwieldy - it can be intimidating. The wait staff are hard-working and reasonably accommodating but can be a little moody and impatient if you are having a hard time with the menu. I think that is never a good business model. Overall, I think people should give this place a chance a chance and really try to dig deep enough for the right items. You'd be surprised of what you find. I also recommend Chinatown Express in the summer where you can get a decent outdoor spot and they do serve beer - Hot weather, delicious Peking Duck, beer. Good combo! read more

I think this place was featured in the cheap eats washington magazine since its posted on the wall.. I ordered the seafood dumplings, veggie dumplings, chicken noodle special, and duck and wonton noodle bowl. I would NOT recommend the veggie dumplings, its only edible with huge amounts of soy sauce. The seafood dumplings were pretty good, the only thing is that the homemade dumpling skins are so THICK! the dumplings in the wonton soup have a much thinner skin and is much more tasty. The noodles in their noodle special are also homemade, very thick, white and kinda bland wihtout adding some extra spices to the noodle bowl soup. If they give you a choice, i would get the yellow noodles and not the homemade white ones. Overall, its a real cheap place to eat, but don't expect to be wowed. read more

I'm sorry I have to be honest but since I'm from the Bay Area and grew up in Oakland Chinatown plus SF Chinatown, this was probably one of the worst Chinese places for noodle house I've ever had in my life...on par with Americanized Chinese food at airports. I'm so sooooooo sorry guys. The duck noodle soup was not even hot, the broth was just salty and lacked that deep rich flavor of broth that has been simmering for hours and reducing. The noodles weren't fresh as they felt hard and not chewy. Duck was old and cold. I have eaten hand pulled noodles before and although these may have been handmade, they were probably made 2 days ago. Ugh I really hate to do this but people need to know that this place isn't what it was hyped up to be. read more

Saw a long line and all the advertisement outside of fresh noodles. We decided to try it. We ordered Noodles with Duck/Wontons, noodles with bbq pork, fried dumplings, and one more that I don't know the name. The food came out and looked very good. As someone who has tried a good amount of Chinese food, this place was more than a disappointment. The noodle soup was cold. The noodles were not cooked enough. Overall, the food was very bad. The customer service was a typical Chinese restaurant. read more

3.5 stars. This place is on my rotation for quick, cheap and good eats since my work is just a few blocks from Chinatown. My go-to dishes are the roast pork (skin is so crispy) and half smoke chicken. Very tasty. I had the noodles once and I wasn't that impressed, although they tasted very homemade and fresh. Oh, and I put that green condiment they have on the table on everything. read more

Reducing rating by one star because the second room has terrible ventilation and smells like a hamster cage, and they keep sitting me in there. read more

Great authentic Chinese noodle house. Went here off a recommendation from a friend that lives in the city. Def will go back. Had the fried noodles and steamed pork buns. Both were outstanding. The fried noodles came with a ton of garlic, so if your planning on breathing, kissing, or just being around someone, be sure to bring some gum. Overall a great place to eat. read more

Cheap Chinese food but decently tasting. The home made noodles were almost like udon but it was good. Food came out fast!

Well there is a first time for everything. I was so disappointed. We ordered chicken with bok choy and duck soup with rice noodles. Both meals were very very bland. There was no flavor in the soup broth and the little bit of duck meat we were able to pull off the bone tasted like five spice. This is the only Chinese restaurant I have ever been to that serves wilted mushy bok choy. I've eaten in tiny little holes in the wall in NY China Town and ordered the exact same meal and never have I been disappointed. read more

I can't comment on the food but gave it two stars based on other folks reviews. We walked in and were seated upstairs. Bad move. The back busing area and stairwell were unbelieveable dirty. We couldn't get over the grim and left. I wish we had been seated downstairs...ignorance is bliss. read more

For all the reasons I love Full Kee (a block away) I also love Chinatown Express. I think their roasted meats are better then Full Kee's but I like Full Kee's Fried Noodles better. The noodle soups are so vastly different from Full Kee's you can't compare them, you must just appreciate the difference and go with what your mood dictates. Do you feel like fresh noodles or egg noodles? Shrimp or no shrimp? Does it smell yes, ..... Worth going hells yes! Don't come into these establishments and expect 5 star service. All you're going to get is efficient, cheap, good food and if that's not good enough go to Jaleo for fancy tapas, pay lot's of money and hope they're nice you. Service is not why you should be here and looking at the prices, you're not really paying for it either so don't whine just order some delicious noodle soup a roasted meat platter and focus on that. Special orders? Forget about it! You have a food allergy - eat at home. HOT YUMMY NOODLES! NOTE: Most small establishments have minimum credit card transaction requirements or fees because their margins are so low that combined with the high credit card fees that they are charged for accepting your cards they have a hard time making a profit. read more

Sometimes when I read reviews I wonder if I've been to the same place. This was the worst chinese food I've ever had. And I've had some bad chinese food. I ordered orange chicken and it tasted...old. I never knew food could taste old, but this is what I imagine those 10 year non-degradable mcdonald's burgers would taste like. Something isn't right. Was a waste of 8.75. Definitely won't be back. read more

This place was horrible. Dont let the fresh made noodles persuade you. The soup has no flavor we brought it home and doctored it up in order to eat it. The steamed dumplings were too thick and tasteless. Ive had dumplings in Chinatown NYC and these are a discrace. I told the lady we didnt like the dumplings and she just took it from the table and threw it away but still charged us. One thing that was decent was the duck but the skin was not crispy. Id rather go to Peking Gourmet in Falls Church. read more

While we were deciding on a place to eat for lunch, I knew I wanted noodle soup (perfect for the cold dreary day) as soon as I laid eyes on the man at the window making noodles on the spot. Usually hand-drawn noodles are fresh and stretchy when cooked but I found these noodles to be a bit too thick and unseasoned for my liking. We also ordered a side of really unacceptably greasy eggrolls. One thing I did like was their ginger pickle but it says a lot abt the food when the condiments taste better than the entree. read more

This was, in all honesty, the worst Chinese food that I have ever eaten. I ordered pan-fried dumplings and vegetable fried rice. The dumplings were thick skinned, watery and not crispy. I actually took them home to try and season and fry them properly myself. However, they were so under seasoned that no amount of salt could could cover up their bland taste. The fried rice was so disgusting that I ate a spoonful and left the rest. It is very obvious that this place gets any good reviews based on how "authentic" their exterior looks (ducks in the window). I should've listened to the real reviews and saved my $20. read more

The orange beef was pretty terrible, the fried rice was pretty subpar as well. 17 dollars plus tip was way too expensive for this food. The orange beef sauce was lacking in flavor and balance and the food did not look attractive. The beef was not crispy and kind of dry. What I would call a mess. Disappointing. read more

Absolutely terrible food and services. This restaurant is definitely an insult to Chinese cooking culture. The owner of this establishment is trying to make some quick profit out of hungry tourists by serving Chinese food lookalikes junks, probably thinking they will not be returning anyway. Their so call handmade noodle is thick and tough enough to tie your boat down with. Roast duck is basically over cooked and over seasoned duck meat, skin, and fat mixed together. Xiaolongbao (steamed pork dumpling) has such a thick and tough wrapping that can be use as a deadly projectile in battle! Tea is not even warm. There were other food we ordered that were not even worth complaining. Just avoid this place. Shame shame shame...... read more

Attracted by the lavish news papers reviews hanging outside the restaurant, my friend and I decided to stop by for lunch. The restaurant is small, old, and with a damp smelling, but it was full with people. So we thought the food must be good. They may have been good on 2013, but today not so. If you are someone who loves Chinese noodle soup stay away from it! The noodles were soggy, the soup was tasteless might as well be hot water. We had to add salt, soy sauce, spicy sauce, and what ever condiment available on the table to make it editable. The fried vegetables dumplings are just pieces of dough, and instead of fried and crispy, again it was soggy. Definitely not going back nor recommended. read more

Chinatown Express - Cantonese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had very high hopes for this place. I first visited three weeks ago in hopes of enjoying some fresh dumplings and a hot soup. The restaurant was very crowded and people were lined up just to take a seat. (This was on a Saturday afternoon). The atmosphere is very different than most restaurants that I am use to visiting. We were rushed to a table, our waitress never introduced herself, she just dropped off water at the table and walked away. My friend and I ordered dumplings, soup, and two entrees. When the waitress came to take the order, I attempted to get some clarification on a menu item and was yelled at. This was not a good start. Long story short the soup was very bad and tasted very fishy, the dumplings were fresh but very doughy and not very good. The duck that my friend ordered was very good; hot with a lot of flavor. We paid and left. I later had to walk back to the restaurant because my card was charged an additional fee. I called my card company and was told someone used my card 5 minutes after the food purchase. When I went back to talk to the "manager", all I was told asked is "why are you here" and that "it didn't happen here because we used it once". I explained that I get a notification every time my card is used and that it was the only place I've used it. Long story short, I had to call, cancel my card and get a new one. I did not enjoy my first experience. My friend on the other hand really enjoyed the duck and asked for me to go back again. I agreed, only if we paid cash. A week later we went back in hopes of trying a couple of new dishes. This time we went on a weekday, no lines no crowding. We ordered dumplings again, I ordered a beef soup, my friend ordered a whole duck, and we ordered an entree of vegetables to share. We received our dumplings almost immediately, again they were very doughy but the filling was tasty. My soup came as well as the vegetables, the vegetables was very bland. Ten minutes into our meal we began to hear construction noises next door. We then begin to smell a very strong odor of gasoline that filled the entire restaurant. All of the diners stopped eating and began asking what the smell was and if we need it to clear the restaurant. Long story short we had to suffer through our meal that we had just received, with the smell of gasoline right above us (as we were sitting below a venting system). When we complained about the smell and ask to be moved to a different table our waitress rolled her eyes and walked away. The only time we saw our waitress again is when she was trying to collect money for the check. We spent $65 to sit in a gasoline filled restaurant, and didn't even finish our meals. We ended up taking the rest of the duck home, throwing the soup away and eating only half of the vegetables. The entire staff ignored all of the diners, and had an attitude that people was complaining about the gasoline smell. The customer service is very, very bad. We were trying to leave the restaurant so quickly that we left our cell phone and wallet on the table and had to come back to get it. I will never visit this restaurant again. The food is mediocre at best, the staff is very rude, and the owner could care less about whether you enjoyed your meal. The only reason I gave two stars is because the prices are very reasonable. If you decide to done, please use cash! *please excuse any bad grammar or writing errors. This review was by audio on my cell as it was too long to type out* read more