I've never had Sichuan food that wasn't packed with mountains of garlic before, but it was surprisingly good! We stopped by for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We got the Szechuan cold noodle ($10.95), Szechuan style string beans with pork ($13.95), cumin lamb ($19.95), and a bowl of rice ($1.85) to share. The one who took our order warned us that the dishes would be spicy but they were honestly okay! If you can handle Shin ramen or hot Cheetos then the dishes are even milder. The cold noodles were nice and chewy and soaked in chili oil. I wouldn't have minded if they were more garlicky. The sauce had a nice balance between sweet, sour, and savory. The string beans were fresh and had a pretty mild flavor to them with just the right amount of salt. There wasn't a lot of pork in the dish. I loved the flavor of the cumin lamb although it was on the greasy side. Each piece of lamb was so tender and packed with smoky cumin flavor! This was probably the spiciest dish of all of them and it went perfectly with rice. The lunch specials seem like a very good deal especially since food prices have increased so much recently. read more

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I visited Cilantro for take out on a Saturday evening, and I was quite pleased. The person running front of house was polite and helpful as I figured out my order and had excellent knowledge of the menu offerings. For appetizers, I got the vegetarian spring roll and scallion pancakes. Both were delicious, and they were not excessively greasy, a problem I often find in these items. I ordered four vegetarian main courses: Chinese Eggplant with Basil, Spicy Broccoli with garlic sauce, sauteed lotus root with black fungus, and Kung Pao tofu. The vegetables were all well seasoned and delicious, but the kung pao tofu was my favorite dish of the night. The tofu was crispy on the outside and slightly firm but moist on the inside. And the sauce complemented the rest of the dish well. Our total bill was around $100. I will absolutely visit Cilantro again, and I recommend it for take out! read more

Cilantro is a step up from your typical Chinese take-out, both in taste and execution. Both our dishes were delivered with my orange chicken still crispy (vs soggy) and the broccoli not cooked to death The soups were above average (hot and sour + wonton) and a good portion for the $$$. It's not the most luxurious meal you'll have but has elevated to my top 3 choices for takeout in the area. Well done, Cilantro... you had my curiosity; but now you have my attention. read more

Cilantro - CK11. Szechuan Orange Chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Cilantro is a classic Chinese spot around Harvard Square - I've come by loads of times and at this point, it's as much for the nostalgia as it is for the food. I haven't been by since the pandemic started, so now that I'm back in Cambridge again, I was really looking forward to dropping by for a meal. My friend and I came for a late lunch - around 2pm - on a Monday, and when we arrived, the dining room was totally empty. They have amazing lunch special deals every day from 11am to 3pm, and I love the variety and quality of options that they offer (maybe 30-40 entrees to pick from). For my meal I ordered the Szechuan spicy double-cooked pork belly (四川回鍋肉) with a side of crab rangoons, and my friend had the eggplant with garlic (魚香茄子) with a side of chicken wings. Overall, not bad - pork was generally well-cooked with a nice taste, though not the most flavourful; lettuce and other vegetables were lighter, complementing the heavier, savoury meats well. However, I didn't find the pork to be spicy at all, which was a little disappointing for a dish specifically marketed as "Szechuan spicy". Crab rangoon side was average - shell was a little soggy and filling a little too salty. I think the biggest selling point of this meal was definitely the low price point for lunch specials, but even so, the food is nonetheless still worth returning for, any meal of the day. Evaluating along the axes of price and quality, Cilantro is certainly one of the better (best?) Chinese restaurants in the neighbourhood. I'm glad that they were able to survive the pandemic and I'm looking forward to my next visit! read more

Cilantro - Eggplant with garlic (魚香茄子), white rice, chicken wings - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This was the first time I visited Cilantro after many years. This is a small Chinese restaurant at the basement level facing Mass Ave. It was great to see the same staff still running the restaurant. Not much has changed, and I enjoyed again the spicy food. read more

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So bummed I hate leaving bad reviews but I ordered from them after a prior good experience and when the pupu platter for two arrived it was missing items and had incredibly burnt (black) beef skewer with fatty spear ribs I couldn't eat :( read more

Cilantro - Pupu platter for 2 missing items and burnt - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I've heard so much about this place, my boyfriend went to undergrad in Cambridge and raved about how amazing this place was! I went here the day before the Harvard Yale game and it was packed even at 6pm. I don't know if they take rezzos but would recommend coming early because it's a smaller place. There's not a huge amount of options for vegetarians but I got the salt and pepper tofu. I loved the spices that were on top of the tofu but it seemed like the tofu itself didn't have much flavor. It did taste very good when combined with the egg fried rice . read more

Cilantro - T7. Spicy Salt and Pepper Tofu - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I'm so glad this is in my neighborhood when the craving for Chinese food comes up. They are consistently good, the employees are very nice and service is great. I typically get take out if coming here and it doesn't disappoint. I love their orange chicken and chow mein, especially. read more

Great taste, excellent service. The whole staff was very organized and anything else is needed much appreciated read more

I never write bad review but this restaurant screams that. I spend 85 dollars in this restaurant. The food was definitely microwaved as I told them that it was cold in some parts. And the quality was disgusting. I feel terrible for choosing this place. read more

We were looking for a place for dinner and walked by this hidden gem. Great food and service. read more

Cilantro - My favorite was clams in black bean sauce. - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Very happy with the food. Everything was fresh and piping hot. We went there during school break and it was quiet. Service was great. Reasonably priced for Cambridge. Would definitely go again. read more

The worst pepper steak with onions I've ever had. At almost $22 you'd expect something that is at least edible. The beef was mush, no sign of any pepper on it. Was more like a sweet and sour taste to it. Please learn from my mistake. read more

Cilantro - B4. Pepper Steak with Onions - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I'm a fan of their $9.50 lunch specials. Choose from 30-40 entrees, each served with rice (white, brown, or fried) and a side (chicken wing, chicken fingers, crab rangoon, or spring roll). Lots of choices and lots of food for a reasonable price! I got the spicy twice cooked pork and Szechuan spicy fish lunch specials delivered recently. Both dishes were brimming with that spicy, fragrant authentic Szechuan flavor I was craving. Chicken wings seemed to be marinated with five-spice and were tasty as well. The food was just a bit too oily, and doesn't quite measure up to my parents' cooking - but maybe that's not a fair comparison :) Portions are generous, and the sides are even packaged separately for freshness. Surprised this place isn't more popular. read more

Cilantro - Szechuan spicy fish fillet lunch special - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This might be my new favorite lunch special spot in the Harvard Square area! For $9.5, you can select from its expansive lunch special menu ($12 after tax and 20% tip). The two times I was here before noon, the female waiter was very kind and friendly. Food came out really fast. Once I was here at around 12:30 PM and the place was busy. The food took a bit longer to come out, which was understandable. I like this lunch special better because you get choose from a cup of soup, appetizer (spring roll, etc), and a main dish with rice of your choice. The only thing is that there is a $10 minimum on credit card. Better come with cash. When you compare it with the Hong Kong restaurant & lounge that is a couple of blocks away, I'd prefer here because I like the option of having soup with your lunch special. The good thing about Hong Kong is that the lunch special is a dollar or so cheaper and takes credit cards. read more

Pretty underwhelming. Cilantro basically has exactly what you expect from a generic Chinese restaurant when it comes to the menu, ambiance, etc, but is probably slightly below average when it comes to quality. Given the many choices available in the area it is in, I don't think there's much of a reason to go out of your way to visit. read more

I know it's popular with all the undergrads around, but truly it's not the greatest place and the food pales in comparison to any dim sum place in China town! We ordered: Dumplings - four in the order, really tasteless and stuck to one another, it didn't have that translucent'ish texture and filling fell apart while trying very hard two separate two dumplings. Scallion pancake - decent but lacking in taste Winter melon - wayyyyyy to soggy and over cooked, and again lacking in any kinda flavor! Hot sauces - poor. Kinda stale String beans, stir fried - again, over cooked and lacking in flavor Service is ok Staff is very matter of factly and not welcoming Dimly lit Eating implements are not thoroughly cleaned. I would not recommend this place. read more

Unmatched value for chinese cuisine in greater boston/cambridge. Tucked away out of view of the streets of cambridge, perfect for gate keeping the best Soup Dumplings in the area. Must try. read more

Maybe I'm biased because I *really* liked the Mexican place that used to be here, but honestly Cilantro was pretty meh. Don't get me wrong, some of the food is pretty good, and props to them for having Peking Duck. The prices are very reasonable, and the staff is quite nice. Portions are good, service is speedy, food is not bad, and they have cute little teapots. They have dim sum on the weekends - the menu kind, not the cart kind. Selection is pretty good and covers all the basics - har gao, shao mai, the little spareribs, and pork buns. Their soup dumplings came oddly dry, and the scallion pancakes came without sauce, but overall it's pretty good. I think Cilantro's biggest flaw is that it's redundant without bringing much new to the table, especially with the already passable Chinese options in the area. If I want scallion pancakes or greasy Asian fare, I'll go to the Kong. If I want great soup dumplings, Dumpling House does it better. If I want something a little more homey, I'll go to Yenching. There's nothing inherently wrong or bad with the food or service here, but I don't really see how Cilantro adds anything new to the Harvard Square Chinese food scene. read more

Cilantro - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I am utterly shocked by the low reviews here. In fact, I've steered away from Cilantro because of low Yelp reviews, up until now during coronavirus quarantine, when I'm desperate for Szechuan food after failing to cook up dishes on my own. I see people have called out Cilantro for being unoriginal (with other Chinese options around the area) if not because they don't make good Americanized dishes or dim sum. I would totally recommend ordering the Szechuan stuff, because this must be their bread and butter from my recent order. I ordered some signature Szechuan dishes - dan dan noodles and beef noodle soup with chili on top of some scallion pancake and panfried noodles. Oh my goodness.. everything is just delicious. I am shocked my peppercorn-obsessed self didn't try this place earlier, considering how many disappointing dan dan noodles and beef noodle soups I've had to date. The beef noodle soup with chili is rich in beef flavor, surprisingly very spicy with nice bits of pepper that you might get one of your spoonfuls, and salty. I've had to add hot sauce and/or soy sauce in most bowls I've had (from Zoe's, Mala, Taiwan Cafe, Dolphin Bay, etc.), but this one is just perfect. No condiments needed, which is great during this quarantine as I am running low on my precious Koon Chun double soy sauce, black vinegar, and other condiments I can't get a hold of right now. The beef is tender, not too fatty, but not too lean - you get the right chew. I asked for wonton noodles in the comments section of my GrubHub order, and they actually read it and delivered that too. Onto the dan dan, wow. The noodles don't stick together, and the sauce like the beef noodle soup, is just enough salty and spicy. There's a bit of sui mi ya cai with the minced pork - this stuff is legit. I can mop this down in one go. My Cantonese self was also craving pan-fried noodles and I found these to be traditional and tasty. I was worried they'd be those really crispy type of noodles - but they provided the real Hong Kong pan-fried egg noodles that I know and love. Scallion pancake was fresh and tasty, though I've only had a bite since I ordered all of this for myself and I'm stuffed having tried a bit of each of the three dishes. I am definitely coming back (and ordering more during quarantine). read more

service 5 General Ghaos chicken 5 egg drop soup 4 fried rice 3.5 crab Rangoon 4.5 staff 5 read more

Cilantro - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This 1 star rating is solely centered around the "Garlic Pork Chop" dish priced at 17 dollars. This dish was listed at the top of their special menu and we thought it would be a good idea to try it. It wasn't. Turns out it's a deep-fried dish with garlic bits sprinkled on top. It looked good, but not when we started to eat it. First of all, the dish was not seasoned and didn't even taste like garlic. The most upsetting issue with the dish is that it was full of bones, literally. I had to call the waitress to tell her there is nothing to eat and she said the dish is supposed to be with lots of bones. I'm okay with bones, but where is the meat? If one were to order this with a bowl of rice and pay 20 plus tax and tip, he or she would leave hungry. Why is this on the menu in the first place? It's pork scraps that they fry up without seasoning and then price for 17 dollars. Sure, things are expensive in the Boston area, but this is theft. I regret eating here and I will never come back. read more

Cilantro - Garlic pork chop from the special menu is 80% bones 20% meat - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I come here very often for their lunch specials and noodles soups. Not bored with the food yet! I can't complain about the food. Thier Teng Jiao fish fillet is really good. But the service is not as satisfying. I sometimes need to wait for extra time because the waiter forgot my order or my card ...... it happened a few times during their busy hours. read more

Cilantro - teng jiao beef noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Reliably good chinese food. Their crab rangoons and fried rice are top notch. The kung pao flavoring is really good and my girlfriend loves the pad thai. They have their own website with easy ordering which is nice. read more

The food is good. I feel like the waiters have gender bias since I(female) was having the meal with a male friend, and I said check please, but the bill was sent directly to my friend. I took out my credit card and paid the bill, and my card was sent back to my friend as well without any asking, which makes me annoyed. I believe they do not suppose a female will pay the bill for a male. Also, they ask a minimum 15% tip from my friend even if it is my card! I feel pretty uncomfortable about this. I may not come back again even if the food is good enough. read more

I came to Cilantro with a party of 4 craving Chinese food near Harvard Square. The menu is extensive, reasonably-priced, and quite authentic but seems like a hit or miss deal. As with most Chinese restaurants, service was just fine. I ordered the Scallion Pancake, Kung Pao Chicken, and Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken. The Kung Pao Chicken was the best of the three. It had a generous portion of crispy chicken and bell peppers that added vibrant color and flavor to the dish, though it was a bit salty. The Scallion Pancake was flavorful but too dry for my taste. I was most looking forward to the Three Cup Chicken, one of my all-time favorite Chinese dishes, but I was disappointed. The chicken was drenched - and I mean drenched - in an overly sweet and sticky sauce. It was a treasure hunt trying to find pieces of chicken amidst the sea of sauce, but sadly the ratio of bone to chicken was too high and the chicken itself was more fat than meat. Overall, Cilantro is one of the better options for authentic Chinese food near Harvard Square and I will be back to try other parts of the menu and their dim sum, but I would recommend venturing out to Chinatown for more flavorful Chinese food. read more

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Very authentic Szechuan food. I like everything we ordered. Surprised the dishes didn't come with rice but the fried rice we ordered was good. read more

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I'll be honest - I've only ever gotten takeout from here, so my experience may not perfectly reflect your Saturday night family sit down. But to me, takeout is the ultimate reflection of a restaurant's food quality. In takeout, the vanity that is associated with presentation, servers and the rest is no more. It's all about the food & flavor. Unfortunately, I can't say Cilantro is a banger. Popping open my OG Sesame Chicken container, the fried sweet smell certainly had me going wild. TBH I hadn't had Sesame Chicken for a good minute, so I was unconsciously expecting some good things. The chicken was good, but only on par with your standard takeout. The real disappointment for me was the green beans. I love a good veggie dish, especially my dope green beans, but the ones I found were simply drenched in oil. Man, they should've renamed it to 'drenched oil greens'. You could see and hear the oil sloshing around the container. I will be back soon to try more. Might do the sitdown experience if I ever get time. read more

I'm sorry, but this place isn't worth it. My father and I came on a slow Tuesday before the lunch rush. We sat down and ordered an appetizer. After waiting 15 minutes, the guy told us that it wasn't available. No sweat. We ordered something else and some entrees. Over the course of the next HOUR people came, ordered, and got their food. We, on the other hand, didn't even get refills. Avoid this place, its not worth it. read more

Cilantro - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Average Chinese restaurant. Most dishes are only ok. Szechuan bubbling fish is the big bomb here. Boiling oil in a pot with soft fish filet and Szechuan dry peppers are served to table. This is very unique. More importantly, the dish is delicious. read more

Wow, hands off to the chef! The food here is spectacular. The portion size is good and it's inexpensive. The Szechuan boiled fish was so flavorful and delicious. You must order if you like spicy food! We also had the seafood pan fried noodles, shanghai style rice cakes, shredded pork with mustard greens in noodles, and mini soup dumplings. The dumpling shell was a little thick and not enough soup but everything else was amazing and tasty. The staff was super friendly and attentive. The ambiance was nice. Will definitely come back to try other dishes!! read more

Cilantro - Yummy Szechuan boiled fish. Must try!! - Szechuan Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Only been here once. Had Szechuan boiled fish and stir fried pea pod shoots. My friend had a lunch special of General Gau's tofu. I was utterly blown away by the taste of the fish. Although it's one of the more expensive items on the menu, at around 20 dollars, the quantity of food you get is no joke. It could have easily fed 2 individuals, even more if you eat it with rice. The fish was tender, flavorful, and mildly spicy (very mild in my opinion, and the szechuan peppercorns provided the standard lovely warmth). The dish is meant to be very oily, so be sure to have something acidic or different to complement the fish. The pea pod shoots were nothing mind blowing, but it was nice to find a place in Boston that has this dish. The shoots weren't overcooked, and if they're too bland, salt and soy sauce are your friend. My friend enjoyed the General Gau's tofu (as part of the lunch special). It was quite saucy and delicious---the sauce is on the sweeter side, as General Gau's usually is. Service was standard, we went on a Monday (noon). Honestly, this review is mostly for the fish. read more

A big menu, guessing hard for some to navigate. Rating should be a lot higher. Highly recommend Szechuan cold noodles. Any of the spicy fish specialties. Mao's pork and their xiao long bao also very good. Basically , don't order Lomein and Crab Rangoon. read more

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Very legit fish dishes and twice-cooked sichuan pork. Dumpling is not as good as the ones in dumpling house. read more

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Best Chinese food in Harvard square. I grew up with homemade chinese food, so I know this is legit. They are a real Sichuan restaurant. The first time I went was for Dim Sum, which is hard to find outside of Chinatown. I was impressed by the food, so I came back repeatedly for dinner. My favorite dish is the beef chao fen. They're also very reasonably priced and great location off the beaten path of typical Harvard square. I come here when I want my authentic Chinese food fix. read more

Another great delivery from Cilantro! We love their eggrolls, sesame balls, and boneless spare ribs. We tried the eggplant in garlic sauce, loved it. Also the salt and pepper calamari. I saw the delivery driver had our food in an insulation bag. And the food was still quite warm. read more

Ordered a delivery order of spicy beef and mushrooms from the main entree menu. Food showed up an hour later when the site said 30 min. It was so cold, I had to microwave it. There was no rice. There wasn't as much as salt on the dish, let alone spices and the beef was cold and half cooked. Bright pink in the middle. When I called the restaurant, they said I have to pay extra to get rice with it. Never ever seen that at an Asian restaurant. The food tasted so awful I couldn't eat it. Worst $20 ever spent. Never again. read more

Really disappointed - 2 stars. We used to be "regulars" and it has been awhile since we ate here last, so we were looking forward to getting takeout of our favorites for dinner. 2 out of 5 dishes were okay (scallion pancake and pea pod stems), but the rest of the dishes (salt and pepper pork, Sichuan style dry fried chicken, and beef chow foon) were not good. We want to support restaurants during this time - we know it was been tough for them, but we won't be back knowing the quality is so low now - sorry. read more

I guess I'm giving this place 3 stars since I've had one 4 star experience and one 2-star experience. The 4-star experience: Dim Sum! It's not the traditional cart style but the food was actually quite good! The dumplings were tasty and I was pleased with the soup dumplings. It's so hard to find good soup dumplings around here and while this wasn't my favorite soup dumpling ever it was still quite good! We also supplemented our dim sum with some beef chow foon with which was quite a lot of food and good. Finally, we ended on some sesame balls which were delicious. I also don't remember this being particularly expensive for dim sum. The 2-star experience: Happy with my Dim Sum experience, I decided to order some Chinese food to go. In an attempt to be healthy, I ordered the "healthy option" chicken with vegetables. I have never had a more bland Chinese dish. There was literally no flavor and I had no desire to eat this. But I forced myself to eat it anyway because it was $15! I paid $15 for THAT! I was very unhappy with this dish. I guess the moral of the story is that this place is hit or miss. If I come back again (which I probably will to be honest since there isn't a good Chinese place near me), I will definitely order a recommended dish instead. read more

Incredible authentic fresh Chinese food. Love the salt and pepper shrimp and the spicy green beans.