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    Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas

    3.9 (698 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Noodles, Soup
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:30 pm

    Order Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas Takeout or Delivery

    Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas Photos

    Business Info

    CHIN'S SZECHWAN - ENCINITAS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jennifer A.

    "Feeling wok-ed up with happiness during our Galentine's celebration with @yeng.realestate @mkvang27 at @chinsszechwan ! Serving high-quality Chinese cuisine since 1976, they never miss -- from the legendary Honey Walnut Shrimp to those perfect Pot Stickers, House Lo Mein, Szechuan Garlic Eggplant, and the Imperial Double Happiness (scallops + shrimp = the ultimate foodie love story). Good food, good vibes, and the best gals -- the perfect night out." Love the remodel and location @cityofencinitas Vickie was really nice!!!

    Tangerine Chicken
    Eric F.

    This was my first time at this Chin's location. The front desk and interior decorations were beautiful. It felt very inviting. The staff was friendly and attentive. I ordered a lunch entrée and it came with soup, fried rice, an egg roll, a wonton, cucumber, and an egg roll. I thought it was just going to be the meat, so that was a pleasant surprise. They weren't busy either. It's nice to know that Chin's quality doesn't change from location to location as far as I've seen so far.

    Beef & Broccoli in Brown Sauce wife loved
    Peter I.

    OK, we have tried a bunch of Chinese restaurants in this area, we went to Chin's years ago and didn't find it really what we wanted but about a month ago we got some appetizers and one entrée and thought wow that's different than we had years ago. So tonight after football and a long day, we thought let's make it easy and get something that we really really hope we love. So we did Uber and ordered beef and broccoli and honey walnut shrimp. They were. UNBELIEVABLE! I don't know who has taken over this restaurant or who is the new chef but the difference is amazing. The taste, the texture. The flavor was perfect. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone, next week we will go in person and have it fresh off the grill which we cannot wait to try.

    Spicy Honey & Sesame Chicken
    Joey R.

    I love Chins in general but especially their Encinitas location! It's always super clean and their staff is very attentive. The food is also always amazing. I love the spicy honey & sesame chicken, egg drop soup, lo mein and the potstickers! I will definitely continue eating here. I love it!

    Cindy L.

    A decent spot if you're craving flavorful Chinese food, though the flavors didn't feel especially authentic. Many of the dishes tasted quite similar due to the heavy sauces. I'd compare it to Panda Inn. The staff, however, was friendly and welcoming.

    Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (6)
    Laura M.

    Very open floorplan, bright& clean! Came in& was greeted right away& seated quickly. Their booths are super roomy and huge. The server was super attentive and quick. Like she was always there, but not hovering. Waters came out with cold&refreshing. The chicken wings were crispy and juicy. It was a little on the salty side though. Not sure if it was because I was eating the garnishes with the chicken. The lo mein, was good. I like my lo meins with thick thick noodles though, but it was still good either way, I tried to add some soy sauce to it& the little saucer wasnt working properly so I accidentally messed it up and made it too soy saucey. Good thing I was already about finished with the plate before that happened. I didn't really eat the Szechwan beef so I can't really speak about that.. but overall, this was a good random spot that we tried out!

    Three Flavor Ma La
    Rhondi S.

    Let's see, yes it's Christmas Eve and they are only taking to go orders, placed order 5:00 would be ready at 5:30. confirmation at 5:17 an app said it would not be ready until 6:30, ok no big deal. Arrived at 6:30, order not ready, host had no idea when our order would be ready. There were 25 to 30 people in line waiting on their orders as well as as well as people waiting in their cars for their orders as well. We knew this was going to be an issue. Husband talked to the host politely asking when our order would be done he said "I have no idea" it would've been easy if he just checked into the kitchen to look at our order and give us an estimated time but no no Customer Service. Rude customer service would not help was just very rude to all customers. We couldn't cancel our order online because it was 8 o'clock already and they close at 8:30. There's no way we're waiting on food that would not be ready. Took another 20 minutes just to cancel our online order.... ridiculous. We have guests waiting at home, had to go to Panda Express instead, they will NEVER get another penny of our business, they just lost a $200 order and a 20 year customer!!

    Lunch special - Spicy Honey & Sesame Chicken. Pot Stickers (8). Arnold Palmer

    Lunch specials are a great deal! Went for a lunch special, food was delicious, portions were big and great value! The servers were attentive and the food came out quickly. I've been to their other locations in Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Rancho Bernardo and the flavor and quality is consistent. The lunch specials are a highlight for me, you can get a very generous meal for the same amount you would pay for a burger combo on a big chain burger joint.

    (L) House Lo Mein Soft Noodles (Shrimp, Beef & Chicken)
    Kitty C.

    What a beautiful remodel they went through. Everything is new and modern. The original red doors are gone and replaced with modern ones. Although everything is new age, it's still elegant. The food was still amazing as always. Hot and sour soup is my favorite, you can never go wrong with that. we also ordered hunan fish, lo mein, and sweet and sour chicken. If Chin's was too dim for you before, come back! They went with an elegant white interior, no more lead with red interior design. Great place for a little get together. The tea pot is adorable too. The aesthetics were well thought out

    Myrna M.

    Chin's is one of our favorite restaurants, and this was our first time visiting this location. Everything we ordered was delicious. The kids especially loved the chicken wings and dumplings. The atmosphere and vibe were beautiful, and the location is great. We also received excellent customer service. We will be back soon.

    Tangerine chicken, green bean, Walnut Shrimp (Gluten Free) (L) Beef Fried Riceneef Beef & Broccoli in Brown Sauce,

    Definitely the best Chinese food in town! I enjoyed everything from food to service to every bite. Definitely will be coming back

    Garlic eggplant with tofu. A very generous serving!
    Cathy G.

    Ordered the spicy garlic eggplant and pork, but they made a mistake and made it with tofu. I almost sent it back, but after tasting it to confirm it was tofu, I was amazed. It was delicious. The level 2 sauce had flavored the tofu so well, that I didn't want to switch! If the order had not been botched, it would be worthy of 5 stars!

    Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (6)
    Angel R.

    What I love about this restaurant is the amount of thought that goes into my experience from start to finish. The environment is very welcoming and always clean. The staff always greets you with a warm and familiar smile that makes you feel like you've been there before. The food always satisfies and I love the fact that you can add a spicy level to the entrees. Whenever I don't know what to order the wait staff is always prepared to offer suggestions. The wait for the food is very little. Come here if you want an escape, bring your family and loved ones and you'll end up making more memories at a place like this. Thankful to have this in Encinitas. The egg rolls are SO GOOD!

    Egg Roll (2)

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    1 month ago

    Just had lunch with with my office team great food & service , best Chinese food around!

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    2 months ago

    Not at all "fine cuisine" as stated. Serving the lowest grade/quality beef at top dollar. Bland food to boot! A thumbs down.

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    Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas

    Is there MSG in Chin's food? I had the hot and sour soup and the chicken chop suey?

    Yes, I remember asking for no MSG when I ate lunch there

    IS Chin's Encinitas mvoing locations and when will the new one be open? I saw a sign next to BevMo

    No we aren’t moving locations, we are completing a full remodel. That is not us, thank you!

    Are you guys open for dine in? Yelp says closed?

    Hi we closed to finish remodeling. Should be finished by tomorrow! Thank you.

    Do you have reservations?

    Yes! Please call the store directly. Thank you.

    Do you have outside seating?

    No sorry thank you

    View All 6 Questions

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    CHIKO

    4.4(748 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

    Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

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    Tasty Noodle House

    Tasty Noodle House

    4.0(306 reviews)
    9.5 mi
    $$
    Wheelchair accessible
    Large group friendly

    Came here with a big group of 11 people including 5 kids and had a great experience. The staff was…read morevery accommodating and quickly moved tables around so we could all sit together, which we really appreciated. Service was efficient and the food came out quickly even with our large party. Everything we ordered was delicious. The XLB soup dumplings were juicy and flavorful, the pan fried buns had a perfectly crispy bottom, and the green onion chicken noodles were fresh and comforting. The spicy mixed chicken had great flavor with just the right amount of heat. Overall the food tasted fresh, authentic, and well executed. It is not always easy for restaurants to handle a large group with kids, but they made it seamless. Great food and great service. We will definitely be back.

    Honestly, I didn't expect to find this good of Chinese food in Carlsbad, so this was a really nice…read moresurprise. We started with the spicy pot, which came out bubbling hot and packed with ingredients. It had a nice kick without being overwhelming, and the flavors were rich and savory. It had a strong cumin flavor, which makes this dish pretty authentic. Get this dish with rice, the sauces goes well with it. The soup noodles with fried pork were super comforting. The broth was light but flavorful, and the fried pork added a really nice crispy texture that balanced well with the noodles. My nephew likes noodles but without alot of flavor so this dish was perfect for him. The fried dumplings were crispy on the bottom with juicy filling inside--exactly what you want. We also got the steamed chicken with chili oil, which was tender and coated in that classic fragrant, slightly spicy chili oil that adds so much flavor without being too heavy. The green onion pancake was another favorite--crispy, flaky, and airy. It tasted freshly made.

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    Tasty Noodle House - Inside

    Inside

    Tasty Noodle House - Green onion pancake.  Not very oily

    Green onion pancake. Not very oily

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    Chin's Szechwan - Encinitas - chinese - Updated May 2026

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