The food was overall okay. It for sure was one of the better AUTHENTIC Chinese food places in State College. The reason for the 4 stars is because of the customer service and the environment. The place is small, but cozy. And the people in there were SUPER nice to us. You should get there right at open so you have the biggest and freshest choice. I for sure recommend! read more

Chopstick Express - Chinese Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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Pretty authentic Chinese food. It's pretty small but not that bad. The older lady working there is very sweet and is the cashier and kind of the waitress. She'll serve you drinks and rice while a cook comes out with the dishes. We ordered the "da pan ji" which isn't listed on the menu but instead, on one of the papers on the wall. It's about $26 but it's huge! The dish has noodles, chicken, potatoes and some peppers and onions. It's delicious and leaves your tongue tingling with the spice! Come hungry, leave happy read more

Chopstick Express - "Da Pan Ji" - Chinese Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Food was absolutely inedible rice tasted AND smelled terribly burned. We got 2X general tsos was bland even the hot version had no flavor we got spring rolls instead of egg rolls when we ordered egg rolls! It was like biting into a grease roll!!! Tasted foul. Definitely not going back $30 wasted we threw it away. read more

Delicious Chinese food, a hidden gem in State College. And the woman (possibly owner) running the front is so nice. read more

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The best Chinese food in State. And the sweetest owners. 10/10, screaming this recommendation from the roof tops. read more

Chopstick Express - Hot and Sour Beef Noodle - Chinese Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

So far the best affordable Asian food place in this town with fair portion and taste. Good for when you are broke but still do not want to save money by cooking yourself. read more

Tucked between a diploma shop and a shoe store, Chopstick Express is a hole in the wall with a view of Old Main directly across College Ave. I've unknowingly passed CE many times in fact it nearly took me a semester to realize this little Chinese restaurant sat on the busiest street in State College. When I walked in I realized I was the only non-Asian there but don't think I mean that as a bad thing. I figured CE had to be authentic if it was full of Asian students enjoying their dinner. I sat at a little table in the center and looked out at Old Main across the street. The owner brought me napkins and a fork. Right after that, she went to another table and handed two girls chopsticks. I wasn't offended but I wanted to eat the way everyone else did in the restaurant so I asked for chopsticks. I'm really no Chinese food expert and my go to entrée is almost always General Tso's Chicken. But tonight I had a "when in Rome" kind of attitude. I resisted ordering my favorite chicken dish and instead ordered the Shredded Pork with peppers. My meal was brought out pretty quick and I really enjoyed it. The peppers had a little kick to them and the pork was great! I totally recommend. I'll definitely go back and try the Ma Po tofu or Chicken and peanuts as I've heard great things. I left with a good full feeling, not like the usual full feeling after you eat 2lbs of General Tso's and pork fried rice. I'd especially recommend CE to any Penn State student that is looking for something other than Uncle Chen's. I know many students love their Chipolte but CE is a great and quick place to stop when you're sick of the dining hall meals or cooking for yourself at your apartment. read more

Chopstick Express - Shredded Pork with pickled peppers - Chinese Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Nice lil lady was workin the front. I think she probably owns the joint. Anyways the 3 item lunch special is hella cheap. Its like 6-7 bucks. Even though the choices are a lil lacking, i think its still a decent deal if u go in when theres more choices. Food- Szechuan style beef: A more accurate description would be the Szechuan style water boiled beef. It wasnt exactly what I was expecting, but it was solid. Since ive never actually had the dish before I cant totally comment on how well it was executed but taste-wise it was aite. Chengdu style cold noodles: I also never had this dish before. I enjoyed the taste for my first try. Then again im not super picky. Ill hafta try this dish elsewhere before I can make detailed comments. Overall, this seems like a decent place for Chinese and I would probably stop by again. BTW im pretty sure american chinese isnt their forte and would advise ordering that kinda stuff here lol. read more

Had the lunch special (3 sides & rice for ~$6; 2 sides ~$5) of general tso, sauteed chicken and sauteed green beans. The general tso was very much like a buffet; lot of sauce, dough and not chicken like chicken. I was confused with the sauteed chicken because it had all the bones in it. I barely ate any of it. The green beans were good. I think I made the mistake of getting food that was sitting in a pan. I'll probably try the actual entrees next time. I don't recommend the lunch special unless you are starving like I was. Also for you health freaks, they do not serve brown rice. read more

I am an understudy here in State College. My father prescribed this spot to me, saying he ate here around three times each week back when he was an understudy. This spot isn't an eatery. It is a gateway straightforwardly into China. Nourishment is fabulous, and you scarcely hear an expression of English, however that is the manner by which you realize it is credible. read more

Chopstick Express -- how do I love thee! Let me sing the praise of your food, so that it shall reverberate from Mt. Nittany to Port Matilda. Hear me, Happy Valley, for I have found Sichuan Heaven right on my doorstep!!! Ignore the American-Chinese menu offering the same-old, dumbed-down day-glo HFCS glop of deep-fried somethings over rice. Instead, turn to the Chef's Specialties and thank me for the rest of your life. Like me, you will dream of the soft, pillowy deliciousness that is Ma Po Tofu, and you will crave it like crack-cocaine. You will suck down the Cold Sliced Pork despite the heaping piles of fresh and fried garlic, and the frightening amount of chili oil. You will revel in the highly addictive Hot & Spicy Pork like there is no tomorrow. You will slurp down the last Stir-fried Green Bean, even though you stopped being hungry half an hour ago. Bring at least two friends, thus enabling you to order a stunning array of dishes to share, and -- despite your original plan to NOT stuff yourself to the gills -- roll home, barely capable of uttering another word, except maybe for a delirious sooo -- Chopstick Express again tomorrow??? read more

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Behold people! With this, I pronounce Chopstick Express as the one and only authentic chinese cuisine restaurant in State College, Pennsylvania. No, I am not kidding. I am dead serious. Yes, they don't care about you if you can't chew authentic chinese cuisine, you can just scram and eat at Hunan Wok instead. This is a place only for them craving for authentic and original chinese cuisine. One tip, don't come for lunch. Because they actually serve americanized chinese dishes during lunch. Okay, I am not lying. I am just saying the first paragraph for authentic dinner experience. I actually also wonder why Golden Wok and Chopstick Express decided to be crappy during lunch and outstanding during dinner. Are they vampire owned or something? Putting jokes aside, lunch is mediocre. You will come in, choose between 2 entree + rice or 1 entree + rice, fast food style. They have several kinds of dishes warm and ready. You choose and it will be tossed on a plate with rice. You pay and you sit and you eat and you go home. Personal experience, I am not a fan of CE if they only exist during daytime. I am not coming back to CE for lunch ever. Now, night falls and CE has become an entirely different experience. You come in and the lady will seat you. You will be given a menu that doesn't exist during daytime and you can order up. It will take some time for the food to be served, but believe me that it worths every minutes and seconds of your hunger. Last time, my friends and I ordered some chicken dishes and tofu dishes. I was dumbfounded. In that second I felt like I was transferred back to my home country where authentic chinese dishes can be found everywhere. I cried, maybe. I was happy and I was satisfied, very satisfied. We paid up and we went home, happy and content. Our wallet was also happy, because they are not expensive at all. For this kind of food, I would pay more. But I didn't have to, so I am happy. The only downside of CE is man-power and space. I know that there are 2 ladies serving you during lunch and dinner time. They are the only ones from CE that will interact and communicate with you. I don't know how many people down there in the kitchen. Maybe none, or maybe one. That's why it is usually taking longer for you to wait for food to be served on your table. Space wise, this place is too small. It is not good for too many people as you will have to move around tables and chairs to make a table for all of you. But, it doesn't change the fact that this is the only place that can offer you authentic chinese cuisine in state college. If there is some improvement for space, I would update and give CE 5/5 stars. I didn't give full mark because of the place that is too small. But I am not complaining at all. read more

Wow. I ate here today for the first time per the recommendations of authentic Szechuan cuisine. It is easily the best Chinese I've had in State College. I'm very used to the Americanized Chinese food, so this was a new experience for me. I have never had Chinese like this before. I ordered the cold sliced pork appetizer, hot and spicy pork, Ma Po tofu, and shredded potatoes and green peppers. My family ate it buffet-style and we all agreed it was delicious. The flavors were complex and spicy with lots of garlic and chili. My favorite was the Ma Po tofu. I've had the dish before, but not a truly authentic one. My mom said the food reminded her of the dishes her Chinese friends in San Francisco who cook for her. If you want to try REAL Chinese food, try Chopstick Express. But be prepared to sweat from the spice! It is definitely a "hole in the wall", but don't let its appearance fool you. It is GOOD and the service is great. read more

This is still my favorite Chinese place on the planet. Best Szechuan style Chinese anywhere! I have found a place in Philadelphia that compares, but this is still my favorite by far! Because of this restaurant I go to every Chinese place I can and order the Szechuan Chicken... and I always go home disappointed. Highly recommended dishes: Wonderful Eggplant, Hot and Spicy pork, Sauteed Green Beans, Szechuan Chicken, Beef with Scallions, Double Cooked Pork, Salt-Baked Shrimp. But don't stop there! Try the whole menu. This place is amazing. read more

Amongst the best Sichuan cuisine I've ever had. It's actually incredible that a small town nested in the middle of Pennsylvania like State College has Chinese cuisine of this caliber (but this is likely a function of the university in town bringing in East Asian students wanting authentic Sichuan food...). The location is great, just opposite the Old Main in State College (which, if you don't know the layout of the town, is at the heart of Penn State University) and on College Avenue. The owner of the restaurant is very nice and highly attentive, and contributes to a friendly atmosphere in the restaurant. Would certainly recommend! read more

Chopsticks Express is probably the best quick lunch place at Penn State. It's authentic, quick and easy. You get 3 side orders/rice for around $5 or 2 side orders/rice for around $4. Again, cash only so go to the nearest ATM before you get there. I wouldn't recommend the dinner too much because it's expensive and usually the same food served during lunch. read more

I am Chinese, and this is the best Chinese restaurant in town. The only complaint is that the serving is getting less and less during the past years. But as the price did not change, what can I expect? It's the cheapest Chinese restaurant in town as well. Try those cold dishes. read more

If you want a great, as authentic as you can get in central PA Szechuan Chinese meal go here, but only for dinner. Don't go for the lunch buffet, it is crap. The dinner is great if you order off the Szechuan side of the menu. Don't order off the "round-eye" American Chinese food side. Seriously if you want that breaded, fried mystery meat covered in neon colored, gaggy sweet sauce go somewhere else with some ambiance. If you need a good American Chinese place for lunch or dinner go to the Golden Wok. Chopstick express serves your food on styro plates and styro cups and you may not hear any English spoken for your entire meal except when you place your order. This is a place you go to for the food, not the ambiance. This is one of the hidden gems in State College. read more

This is one of those toss up beauties. The location is extremely convenient and thus a line can sometimes accumulate out the door (literally). The two girls behind the counter are always sweet and have remembered my order for the several long years I stopped in. When the food is fresh, it's bangin. The 'fried' rice is again, just the way I love it: steamed white rice with soy sauce and seasonings mixed in. I love their home style combinations- chicken teriyaki complete with stir fried cabbage on the side, noodles with star anise a'floatin in your soup, stir fried pork with bean sprouts and potatoes, it's all delicious and tastes like it just came from my Aunt's kitchen as opposed to the usual Chinese restaurant stock. Except when you get the leftovers. Yes, unfortunately there are leftovers. And when there are, I'd avoid this place by any and all means. After the lunch rush, at times they may scoop up whatever's left in the steam baskets instead of calling for a fresh order. I'd recommend requesting something freshly made when this happens otherwise your chicken with broccoli may be reduced to tough strips of salty protein and stringy, tasteless greenage. Overall this place is worth the stop for some quick, delicious and cheap take out if you're looking for something different from the usual American style Chinese. Since I moved, I miss this place. read more

Love those authentic Sichuan food dishes. Color, taste and smell, unbelievable nice.

Post COVID weekday lunch. It didn't go well. Arrived around 1:00 pm. The first clue could have been no other dining guests. Second clue, we didn't smell any food. I ordered spicy pork with white rice. My wife ordered beef lo mein. The food arrived in ten minutes. Both dishes were absolutely terrible. I have swallowed ocean water that was less salty than the spicy pork. When I tried eating the hot peppers, it was like chewing on a plastic straw. My wife reported the beef lo mein was incredibly slimy. We asked for the check, and the hostess asked if we wanted our orders to be boxed to take with us. (there was maybe two bites eaten from each dish). We declined, she shrugged processed the check, and we left. I suspect whatever we were served came from a plastic bag and was microwaved. Not a good effort to recover from post COVID challenges. I would not give this restaurant a second chance. Life is too short. read more

The food was pretty good, but they did not have a bathroom to either wash your hands or do other business. I had to do other business, so I could not stay, and it left a bad taste in my mouth, no pun intended. read more

To find authentic Chinese food in state college is rare, but I found it. This place is both affordable and delicious. read more

Chopstick Express - Chinese Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

amazingly authentic. the little place in the middle of everything that noone knows about. don't order from the "Specials" menu; that is for the round-eyes. Order off the paper menu with chinese characters, that is the authentic stuff. the food is served in styrafoam plates and cups with disposable chopsticks, but the presentation is more than offset by the deliciousness. a bit greasy/oily in some dishes, but authentic fresh ingredients cooked in authentic style. Would highly recommend. Many veg choices as well as pork, beef, chicken and seafood. spicy means spicy. read more

It's raining and we walked all the way from our apt. to the restaurant trying to get some food for dinner, they said that they open till 9:30pm tonight but because it was raining their cooks went home already, an hour before their closing time. Every time I visited before they either ran out of ingredient or messed up the orders, this time they are opening without having cooks in the back of the house. Horrible restaurant, will never come back! read more

Really? Five stars? Four stars? The food at this restaurant is bland and ordinary at best. The chicken broccoli was flavorless and the General Tso's chicken was just okay. In addition, the environment is poor- in need of repair and not clean. It took us three tables to find one that did not have food on it from previous meals and even the one on which we settled had a film of grease on it. read more

For Central Pennsylvania, this is a great place for hot & spicy Sichuan cuisine. I recommend the Sichuan tofu dish. Don't let the disposable plates & silverware turn you away, this is likely as good as it gets for (Sichuan) Chinese food in rural PA. This hotness shall be missed when I leave town. read more

Another little gem in State College! It's difficult to navigate if you're not chinese though. Dinner is always better. Don't be turned off by the dark dungy hole in the wall restaurant. Once you walk in, you will be transported to another world - everytime, I walk in I feel like I'm somewhere in China! It's really close to being authentic. Apparently, the beef noodle stew is very good. I haven't tried it yet, but I will next time! read more

I always miss this place after two years left there. It's such authentic and so yummy. I didn't find anywhere else so far in all other big cities can cook something like them. Yes, it's really a shabby, small restaurant and don't even serve in decent plate, but the food is amazing and I love it! read more

Very small restaurant and not very good environment. Fast food dishes at noon taste good and authentic Chinese style. The price is also fair to go. But dinner dishes are very small but really expensive. We ordered a two person dish called "chicken on big plate". The plate is quite big truly but the amount of food is not big at all. There is very little chicken nuggets but a lot of bones. The potato and onion chips are also hard to find either. It's not enough at all for two persons. And it tastes too spicy even for spice lovers. The price is really high but it's definitely not worthy. It's a very unpleasant dinner experience and we feel really disappointed. We will never come again. read more

Excellent folks, excellent food. For was both flavorful and spicy. Best Chinese food I've ever had, I'd say.

Food is incredibly authentic and much better tasting than little Szechuan. The two ladies who own the serve are incredibly sweet.

A good taste and quality of authentic Szechuan food, just made us as content as staying at home. And the service and price are also good!

I only had their lunch "fast food"...and it is usually very good. They can get really busy and you end up with either no place to sit (peak hour) or many items gone (later). The flavor is really good and authentic. I heard the dinner menu is even better but I have yet to experience that. The eggplant dish is a must try. read more

Very reasonably priced and well portioned. Tastes acceptably well.

still absolutely fantastic, despite the fact that the kitchen staff has gone through a few changes... the 'original' cook left for pittsburgh, which made our chili head crowd rather nervous - but after a few bumps in the road here and there (a few dishes excessively over-salted or lacking the craved ma-la), the new team has found its footing again. still (or again) the best restaurant in town. whew! read more

this is our second time in this restaurant. the food is very delicious . if anyone is up for good spicy food . however , they need to hire more staff and improve serving time . for the delay (45 mins for 3 dish to arrive ) I had to cancel my 2nd dish . I didn't get a discount nor an apology . read more

It made me missing home. Need to say more? Well it is my to go place for lunch every single day when I was a student. The owner of this restaurant was a kind aunt and she always give me extra portion because I am a hungry growing boy haha. Price is very affordable for lunch special read more

Really like this hole in the wall. Nice owners, great prices (especially for lunch), spicy food. Just make sure to bring cash!

The 4 stars is solely for the quality of the food. Otherwise, place is a mess. Food came out an hour later, complete chaos and not the cleanest place. They close early and don't deliver and the place is tiny. But it was delicious, and we have had Chinese all over this country, the rest of the world, and in China. I literally cannot wait to go back. Oh and the manager was very nice, watching her interact with the guy coming from the back to take the plates and deliver dishes was like watching a performance. read more