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    Dragon Express

    3.6 (91 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Dragon Express Takeout or Delivery

    Dragon Express Photos

    DRAGON EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Dragon Express

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    the front of the building
    Ashlyn R.

    Best Chinese food in Bloomington by far!! I've tried a lot of Chinese food places in Bloomington that I wasn't super impressed with but Dragon Express ended my search for good Chinese food. Very authentic options (and Americanized options too), I tried the sweet and sour chicken & lo mein combo which was amazing. The location is great for students and visiting families because it's basically on campus. It is directly across from academic buildings and near the Forest residence hall. **Important note: they don't take card! I had to get cash from the ATM across the parking lot but it was worth it. I was a some cents short of my total and the cashier told me not to worry about it, very friendly staff!

    Best Chinese restaurant I ever been to in the states. 纯种中国人认证 (Verified by pure Chinese)

    Kung Pao, Sweet and sour chicken, General chicken and crab rangoon (take out buffet)
    Tracy C.

    Have ordered from Dragon for over 20 years. College/single life through parenthood. Nice staff and reliably good food keeps us coming back. Ordered carry out this time for dinner and served buffet style. Food was delicious and still hot. Eat in or carry out ~ cash only (or check)

    Greasy leak soaked bag
    Rob M.

    A year later, I try them again for take out. Attached photos are my bag of takeout when I got home after the 5 minute drive. Someone can't pack bags and put a ton of weight on top of the general chicken so the sauce leaked everywhere because it got crushed under 2 full containers of rice and a quart of Hunan chicken. I call back mostly let someone know that it was a packaging fail, and they try to take my order a second time. Once I was finally able to convince them that I already ordered, I tried to explain that the bag was a mess when I got home. That was met with absolute silence on the other end. I say HELLO to check if we're disconnected, and he hellos back. I asked if they care that I had a problem and I get silence again. So with the myriad of options available in town, this is the very last time I'll trade with them. The food is decent and the portions are huge for the price, but I can't deal with the poor service anymore. Two strikes you're out

    Pad Thai
    Yue C.

    This place has reasonably price food that are actually pretty decent. We like their house chow fun, pad thai, and lo mein.

    Basil pork lo mein

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    Red - Spicy Squid

    Red

    4.0(89 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    We went for lunch on a work day and were the only ones the entire time. Homely inside…read more The menu could use some work, greasy and very looong. I originally ordered the General Tso chicken off the lunch menu but immediately noticed that it tasted "off" - way too sour to be flavorful. The waiter allowed us to select a different item on the menu - Mongolian chicken (much better). He later informed us that the chef previously forgot the sugar! Chef cooked another small portion of the general tso and kindly let us sample what it should've tasted like - good!

    My family ordered food for pickup on Christmas Day, and we would not order here again. It was…read moreeasily the worst Chinese food we have ever had. The entrees were mostly inedible, the chicken had a slimy consistency that made one person in our family gag. I didn't believe them until I tried it myself, almost as if the chicken had been reheated in sauce without frying first. The Mongolian beef had 4 tiny slices of beef, we laughed looking at the entire onion used to replace the meat. Our rangoons had zero filling, not even lack of seafood but almost like they had exploded in the fryer. If it had been any other day, we would have asked for a refund, but it was Christmas Day and we are traveling without the time/ energy to fix this. It was so bad that we ordered pizza and tossed more than half of the food. The hot and sour soup was outstanding, spicy and full of crunchy veggies and tofu. Every other item in our order was inedible. My three stars reflect the excellent service I received while placing and picking up the order, the soup was also very good. Clearly a business that treats their customers well, but wow that was the worst $80 I've ever spent on food.

    Photos
    Red
    Red - Crab Ragoon, Pork Egg Rolls. Kung Pao Chicken & Mongolian Beef

    Crab Ragoon, Pork Egg Rolls. Kung Pao Chicken & Mongolian Beef

    Red

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    Siam House - Steam rice so cute

    Siam House

    4.2(263 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Excellent Thai restaurant with high marks for food, service, and atmosphere…read more I've tried the Thai fish cakes, sweet and sour saute, pad bus sa ra com, mango sticky rice, and Thai iced tea and coffee. The savoury dishes were all super flavourful, cooked well, and generously portioned. Maybe this has something to do with the dishes I got, but I think the flavours here are generally more intense than the other Thai restaurants I've tried in Bloomington, and their spice levels might be a little higher. I've been somewhat underwhelmed by level 3 (out of 5) at other places, so I tried level 4 the first time I ordered here, and it was a little too hot, so I went back to level 3 the next time, and it was just right. The Thai tea and coffee were both very good, especially the coffee. It almost tasted chocolatey. The service is consistently on top of it. I was there on Valentine's Day, and they were slammed but had enough staff on the floor for it; the food was quick as usual and everyone was still very friendly. I also love the atmosphere here. The building is one of the converted houses on 4th St, and there are different dining rooms, some with lots of windows, all filled with interesting decor, and there's also a very nice patio during the warmer seasons. The only problem here is, unless there's a back entrance I don't know about, I don't think the building is wheelchair accessible; you have to go up a few stairs to get to the main entrance.

    Party of six, four adults (there is a children's menu). We had a variety of dishes, including Pad…read moreThai, Massaman Curry, Pad Woon Sen, and appetizers like fish cakes, spring rolls, and their crab rangoons. All were great, fresh ingredients, served in concert, and quickly, too. This was a family meal, and all were delighted, including the children with chicken fingers and fries. We're trying to expand their horizons, but picky eaters are tough. The appetizers were especially good, and each has their own different sauce. My order was well-spiced, and there was enough taken home for a second delicious meal. This is perhaps the best and most consistent Thai food in Bloomington. There are rivals to this high throne, and we try them, too, but this is our go-to for no-compromise Thai, every order consistently great.

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    Siam House
    Siam House - Tofu Pad Thai

    Tofu Pad Thai

    Siam House

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    Chow Bar - Q27. Dry Pot Lamb and the Indonesian Fried Rice

    Chow Bar

    3.8(124 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Came for an early-ish dinner and it was pretty quiet. The service and atmosphere were both kind of…read morebare bones. There was no music so it was almost silent. I was had someone come to my table to take my order and bring my food but no one came by again after I got the food, so I went to the register to pay. Maybe a bit of a language barrier with the staff. I asked for jelly in my drink and got tapioca boba instead and generally felt like they didn't really understand what I was saying. I got a tofu rice bowl with miso sauce and a green milk tea with boba. The rice bowl was the perfect size for one meal, and there was a lot of tofu which made it filling. It was simple, with just the protein and sauce over steamed greens and rice, and I felt like it was pretty healthy. It didn't blow me away but it was good! The green milk tea was also good, strong but not too sweet. Some versions of the menu call it matcha but it very much tasted like green tea, not matcha. I think it was from a powder mix but that's fine. Reasonable prices. If I remember correctly, the rice bowl was about $13 and the boba was about $6 including the topping. I liked the food and would definitely eat here again.

    Food here can be a bit hit or miss, depending on what you order. The salt and pepper squid and beef…read moreand broccoli are both really good -- definitely worth getting. Other dishes, like the Yeung Chow fried rice, aren't quite on par with what you'd find in bigger cities like Vancouver or San Francisco, but still decent for Bloomington. Service can come across as a little abrupt, but I think it's just their efficient, no-nonsense style, similar to what you'd see in major Chinese cities -- not actually rude. The ambience is quiet and relaxed, though the interior feels a bit dated and could use a refresh. Overall, solid Chinese food for Bloomington, especially if you know what to order.

    Photos
    Chow Bar - Rainbow tofu, green bean milk tea w/ boba

    Rainbow tofu, green bean milk tea w/ boba

    Chow Bar - Miso sauce fried tofu rice bowl, green milk tea w/ boba

    Miso sauce fried tofu rice bowl, green milk tea w/ boba

    Chow Bar - A10. Combination Platter

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    A10. Combination Platter

    Judy's Kitchen - Vegetable lo mein, Thai milk tea w/ boba

    Judy's Kitchen

    4.2(74 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $

    The food here was home-style and homemade, and reasonably tasty, but not my favorite Chinese food…read morein Bloomington. Wonton noodle soup: broth was a chicken broth that tasted super homemade, and might have been the best part of the meal. Wontons were okay, noodles were average premade. It all balances out.

    I had the vegetable lo mein and a Thai milk tea with boba. All was very good. The lo mein was very…read moretasty, the noodles were tender, there were lots of vegetables, and the sauce wasn't too oily. The serving size was perfect for dinner. When I first saw the Thai milk tea, I thought it looked pale compared to the distinct orange colour most Thai tea has, and I worried it would be weak, but it was actually a nice milk tea with a subtle Thai-style spice, and the boba were supremely good. The guy who takes orders comes off as very unfriendly. I am used to no-nonsense Cantonese service and I don't think that's what this is; it feels like he doesn't want you to order. The first time I tried to order here I kind of got intimidated out of it because he told me it would be a 20 minute wait for food as I was just opening my mouth to order and the way it was delivered, I thought that was his way of telling me to go away. There was no 20-minute wait this time (I guess they were less busy) but it was the same vibe. I do intend to eat here again and look forward to it, I'm just not setting high expectations for the service.

    Photos
    Judy's Kitchen
    Judy's Kitchen - Mala spicy shrimp, winter melon milk tea w/ fruit jelly

    Mala spicy shrimp, winter melon milk tea w/ fruit jelly

    Judy's Kitchen - Three Cup Chicken

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    Three Cup Chicken

    China Star Restaurant - My dessert selections

    China Star Restaurant

    3.4(53 reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $

    Good buffet, excellent crab Rangoon, great variety, polite staff. The staff is composed of…read moreFOREIGNERS who don't have American languages or customs as their primary experience- they're not rude. We go all the time and the buffet is always hot or about to be refilled. Tables are clean, too. There's plenty of seating and they will let you pick where you want to be if you speak up. My dads on a knee rover and has been for years and they are always very accommodating when we go. Is it 5 stars worthy? No. Few places actually are and they're handed out like free bread anymore, but it's a 3.5-4 star place for value, cleanliness, speed of service, variety, etc... Whoever gave it crappy reviews probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed that day or had crazy standards. It's the best buffet for Chinese food around (not that there are many options, but still).

    This place used to be so good! My family and I stopped in yesterday and some of the food was…read morehorrible the fried chicken was so dry it looked like beef Jerky but we still ate bc not all was horrible. But before being seated I tried paying for a total of 7 people 90.00 only 2 were under 9. But my card declined saying it was expired even though it doesn't expire until 2029 but that's not their fault but what is their fault is that the waitress saw us gather the only cash we had to pay for the dinners and I normally tip well but didn't have any other cash on me and she literally yelled thank you to each one of us even my kids bc we didn't have a tip for her n2m she only came to our table 1 time after seating us and that was when we were leaving. There was also a man who yelled move to people as they were making their plates the only nice one that talked with us was the cashier

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    China Star Restaurant
    China Star Restaurant - My buffet plate with Triple Delight, fried rice and fried shrimp

    My buffet plate with Triple Delight, fried rice and fried shrimp

    China Star Restaurant

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    Dragon Express - chinese - Updated May 2026

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