Starting with four stars so I can go up after trying more items. I got the lunch special with Kung Pao tofu, and fried rice. $8.49 out the door! (I paid cash, I think it's a dollar more with card.) Everything was made fresh when I ordered and was delicious and hot. The service was efficient and friendly too. There is no real seating inside the restaurant to eat inside, though. I also appreciate that the person working made sure to check and see if I had any food allergies! I'll absolutely go back! read more

First Chinese Express - Menu as of 5/2/2025 - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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There are a lot of Chinese restaurants in America that claim "authentic" Chinese food, but honestly, I didn't buy it. First Chinese Express is one of the best Chinese food places out there. Many might hate and call it bad, but it's definitely a place you would want to go. It's not bad; it's amazing, and the staff is so nice. It honestly tastes like authentic Chinese food, not like "Americanized" Chinese food. Would definitely recommend it read more

Food was tasteless and boring no flavor at all. You just have to take your order to go no dining inside

I like the food, Great spicy chicken wings. The service is good. The lady is friendly.

I ordered takeout from here in February 1st. Shrimp fried rice w/extra shrimp and spicy salt and pepper chicken. I ended up with food poisoning due the food being undercook. I really think that this happens because they don't have any staff on hand. It's like 1-2 people and they can't cook all of that food the proper way. read more

It wasn't what I expected but the food was ok. Definitely if you're looking for a quick bite for a cheap price this is your spot but not my first choice. read more

The beef broccoli was good af. And the honey walnut is also good. Very good. Takes time to cook but the portion size and quality is worth the wait read more

I just spent $82 via doordash including tip. I knew it was a gamble and I take ownership for that, but I was feeling adventurous. I lost this bet. The house chow mein was soggy and bland. The orange chicken was heavily battered (think excessive Tammy Faye Baker eyelash thick) which made it even harder to be palatable when it was hella soggy and industrial strength sweet (and I have a sweet tooth!)--and, yes, I know orange chicken is sweet! The Mongolian beef so sweet = "Do I feel a cavity coming on?" The mapo tofu was the most palatable, but why so sweet? Again, I don't mind sweetness in my Chinese food but, dude...c'mon, this is not okay. How y'all gonna murder food like that?? The egg FY was the next palatable; yet, the bbq pork sauce accompanying it was a pure travesty. Seriously, man, my food soul died a little inside. I'm with the one reviewer and will have to trash this order not because I'm wasteful, but because it simply is not palatable...and I eat cold pizza because I like it, stale chips, and semi-flat soda when lazy--this says a lot. I am not a too picky piggy. To be fair, I could rinse the beef, noodles, and tofu then re-cook them with edible seasonings, but that defeats the entire purpose of using doordash. Now I'm thinking of how many whoppers I could've gotten with the same amount of money. Yes, I love cold whoppers too. Save your money. Trust my hedonistic tastebuds, please. I tell you no lie. Don't do it. (I attached a pic of my doordash order associated with this unsolicited review.) read more

First Chinese Express - My order from doordash. - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

I had to change my review. The search is back on to find a local Chinese place as good as back east. This place started out good but as I order more foods I had to r change my review. They have really gone downhill with each thing I try. My husband still loves the General Chicken but I'm use to a crispier chicken so that it's still crispy when I get it home. The orange "crispy" chicken was the same (lightly fried and soggy). The Mongolian beef was great the first time I tried it but not so good the second time. Meat quality went down and it was not as tinder. I've tried the beef and broccoli and even lower quality and it was breaded and soggy from the sauce. Worse thing ordered from there. Well that pounded piece of mostly bread shrimp that came with it was not good either and they put the freaking egg roll in with the food so it was a soggy mess when I got it home. Very disappointing. read more

I finished my taxes at Jackson Hewitt so decided to stop by next door to grab something to eat. First, customers are not allowed in the building. The entrance is blocked by 2 tables and the lady takes your order then runs back & forth to process your payment. Very 2020ish. But anyway, I ordered the BoBo platter and took it home. The cream cheese wontons didn't have any cream cheese, literally just 4 fried wonton wrappers. The shrimp were edible, just flavorless and heavily battered. The egg rolls were nice & crispy but bland in taste like the shrimp. The foil wrapped chicken is where they decided to go heavy on the seasoning. Listen, $8 isn't a lot of money but geez can I get 1 decent item in the platter? read more

This was my first visit to the restaurant and my first impression is they need some improvements with customer service and restaurant appearance. Pros: I was greeted when I entered the restaurant; the cashier/waitress/cook assistance was polite, the tables, chairs and floor were in good condition, the menu had a good food selection and the prices were reasonable, I ordered the Mongolian beef and the meat was tender and had good flavor. Cons: there was a stack of flat boxes in the corner of the restaurants dining area, no AC so the front door was left open, the cashier/waitress/cook assistance was not very friendly when I had a question about an item on the menu, my order was carry out and it took about 15-20 minutes to prepare, ten minutes into my wait a 4 or 5 year old child ran from behind the register counter and pretended to be an airplane running in and out of the shop blocking the door way entrance and making a lot of noise, the area behind the register was not very neat. I would like to visit this spot again because the food was good and maybe she (the cashier/waitress/cook assistance) was short staffed that day which is why she was doing everything. read more

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Horrible horrible food !!! Do not eat here ordered shrimp egg fu young!!!! Oh my god no egg in. The patties . They made a flour dough like patty that is tasteless no beans sprouts , egg or anything . I called and complained she said that they way we make it . Bad food and overpriced online . They also charge there customers for a online service that they ordered to use, but told me they I paid more because I orders online . They have no idea how to run a business. Should be out of business if you cheat your customers out or money and the food it bad !!! Don't eat here order from someone else. If you want shrimp egg fu young I'll make you some , went home to make my own . Lost all my money on food I just could not eat !!! read more

First Chinese Express - two pastries on a napkin - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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First off the lady who took my order was extremely rude. You have to order your food off a complex lengthy menu outside of the restaurant. Took over 15 mins to get my order. Finally got the food and it's the nastiest most bland Chinese food Ive ever eaten. I ordered $33 worth of food and it's all getting thrown away because I can't even stomach it. I ordered the "crispy orange chicken" which was soggy and bland. And same with the sweet and sour chicken.. the bbq-pork fried rice was no different. Bland, no flavor. I will never come back to this place read more

Food quantity is nice..but lacks a lot of flavor. I got the chicken chow main and there is barely any flavor to it. I've had them before ordered some other items and they were lack luster was hoping this time around it would be better. I don't think I'll be going back. read more

I used to come here once a month. My last and final visit was this week. My total came out to $10.21 but my bank statement it came out to $12.21. I called the restaurant and said they didn't charge me the $2 and told me its their credit card vendors fault and I had to contact them for the refund. I call BS, don't eat here if you plan to get ripped off. It's the principle of bad service than the $2 I care about. Bad service. Do not support their business. read more

The blandest, tasteless, flavorless Chinese I have EVER tasted. Sucks to say as I had high hopes since it looks like a small hole in the wall place but honestly the worst Chinese food I've ever had. From the chowmein, fried rice, teriyaki (doesn't even look like teriyaki) cashew nut chicken and the mushroom chicken. All of it. Sad looking and tasting. The chicken literally looks like it was taken from a frozen bag and just tossed with one sauce and some ingredients. Never going back. Don't waste your time and money. read more

Very professional, polite and clean. I've eaten at this restaurants over the years and I'm happy to see it has survived throughout the years. It's a small location in a strip mall, but their food is excellent. I love their chicken fried rice! I recently used them to cater a large work holiday celebration and they arranged to have a very large order of many party trays ready for pick up even before they opened. So thankful for them going out of their way. Food was ready on time and professionally packaged. Nothing spilled in my car and the food was still warm when served. Thank you for a wonderful lunch! read more

Worst food ever. Took over 15 minutes and tasted undercooked and gross. I definitely don't recommend the teriyaki chicken but really just don't go here. The egg rolls are also very bland- just an egg roll wrapper stuffed with raw cabbage, no meat or flavor. read more

First Chinese Express - the front of a chinese food restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

I've been coming here for years. Service is always great and the food is delicious every time. My favorites are the chef's special spicy chicken and the spicy chicken wings. read more

Food lacked taste. Not sure if the restaurant purposely doesnt salt their food for health reasons but everything with the exception of the pork fried rice was bland. The combination egg foo young came looking like a breaded crab cake instead of an omelette. Mandarin Chicken was breaded and soggy. I would not recommend and wont even keep the left overs. read more

First Chinese Express - Mandarin Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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First time ever here. I was craving sweet and sour pork. As I walked in, the dining area was small and no decor. Just a few tables and a window to order food. A lady peeked out the window and asked if I was ready. I ordered the sweet and sour pork lunch combo. It was only 6 bucks. Order took about 10 minutes. Food came out fresh and hot. One of the best sweet and sour pork I have had. Rice was good. The combo also came with one egg roll. It was mainly veggie so I did not enjoy it. For the price it was a good meal. It looks like this place is mainly for take out. The dining area is small and plain. The lady seems nice and the food is cooked fresh to order. read more

First Chinese Express - Good sweet and sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

This was my first time eating here. Dirty looking inside. You have to use take out. No seating inside yet. I guess because of covid. My friend ordered over $53.00 worth of different items. They were all tasteless. Including the sides of rice. Lack of sauce on every item. The fried items were not heavily battered but soggy. The extra sweet and sour sauce we got was also tasteless. Way to pricey for the quality of food. The lady that took the order was rude. I will not be returning. I ate at Lucky Chinese in Santee for years. I recommend eating there. read more

SD native, long time client. Its always a pleasure to deal with this family business. The owner is kind and friendly. They have the BEST Spicy Chicken Wings & Walnut Shrimp in San Diego! A huge THANK YOU, to my friends at First Chinese Express. read more

This is my "to go to" place whenever I'm craving Chinese. Our family has been coming here for years!! The food is delicious and the owners are super friendly. I come here so often that they have memorized my order...lol It's also nice to support local family businesses. read more

The day was April 6, 2024 at 3 pm on a Saturday and I walked in on a 80 plus year old black woman, a customer being harassed and yelled at for wanting her money back for food she had ordered and was unsatisfied with. The establishment workers at First Chinese Express a woman and a man never mentioned a policy of,(or a signage of ) if you open the food you can't return it. They continued to yell and belittle this old black woman for wanting to return her food, in exchange for her money back. I was the next customer in line and I immediately tried to deescalate the situation and calm things down. However, the two employees then turned on me and said, " Mind your business" I was shocked and appalled at their behavior. I explained to the elderly woman calmly that if you leave an establishment with food then taste it they won't allow a refund. I also told the the workers/owners that what your doing is horrible customer service and how dare they yell at the elderly. I will never purchase any food at this establishment. The order process is very Covid19 you can't enter the location. Tables are blocking your entrance it's takeout only. However, the service is very unacceptable and very unprofessional. I will NEVER return or referrer this location to anyone. read more

Good portions for a good value price. They have all your traditional Chinese dishes. The food is adequate and filling. It's value Chinese food. I recommend calling in an order via phone and ordering take out. Interior dining can get uncomfortable during hot days. read more

We make it a weekly family dinner. This is the only Chinese place that we've found that we like. Other places aren't as flavorful or meets our expectations. We've been coming here for years. We love it here. read more

This place is absolutely horrible and dirty! I'd give it 0 stars if I could! The food was gross and tasted burnt. The lady at the front was rude and kept talking on the phone while taking my order. read more

This was a waste of my money!!! Gross !!! Disgusting!!! Feel like throwing up. Dam I am sorry . Never again should of been closed down. Please don't waste your time and money read more

I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone! The food here is gross, I ordered a chicken king pao with steamed rice and it made me sick right away while eating it. The woman who is the cashier is the least bit friendliest. She acts like she is doing you a favor when really it's vise versa. Not to mention I saw a roach inside! Stay away you have been warned! read more

I've been ordering from here for such a long time. I love the house chow mein and teriyaki chicken. This restaurant has always been a hole in the wall but it's pretty good! They're currently open during COVID. Yay! read more

Hole in the wall goodness! Use to come here all the time when I lived in the area! My favorite is the crispy spicy chicken wings and fried rice! YUM! I also enjoy the combo chow mein. I have the place on speed dial, people! And I pick up my orders on my way home from the gym and it work! Just sayin! read more

I love Chinese food. I REALLY love Chinese food. I eat it often and in locations around the world. This is really pedestrian food. It's barely food at all, in my opinion. I'll spare you the details. Spare yourself. read more

I ordered the beef chow mien, chicken chow mien, Chinese dumplings and fried rice. The food was flavorless and bland. The dumplings were burned. Very disappointing and never going to order food there again. read more

First Chinese Express - Their Chinese dumpling....no thanks - Chinese Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Thought I'd give her another chance. Her attitude is still trashy and the food matches.

We've ordered from them several times and everything has always been delicious. I especially love their chow mein noodles. The sesame chicken is also a favorite. read more

Worst restaurant I have ever went, sad to say I was excited to have good Chinese food. The owner or lady that's represents the front is so angry the way she talks she yells and scolds and could. Care less, when you. Ask a question she tells customers it's none of your business. When you order she always says that more you pay ..really. wanted to walk out.. But we wanted. To try it. She has a scowel on her face,lime your bothering her. She yells At her husband in the back and kids think. She is over the restaurant business and American people sad because actually the food wasn't too bad... One star and we will. Not return.... Ever read more

Best Chinese food I've had, miles better than any buffet nearby. It's not going to be the fastest after you order, and that's a good thing, it's made fresh after you order it. Woman behind the counter was super nice and patient with us. I had pork fried rice with big meat pieces instead of the microscopic bits you usually see. Best cream cheese wontons, triangles instead of the little stars. Generals chicken and orange chicken were on point, no passing off tangerine chicken as orange here! If you're in the mood for Chinese, go here! read more

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AMAZEBALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you how sometimes you get a craving for chicken wings but not just your basic run of the mill KFC wings? I mean amazing, large, and flavored chicken wings that pack a punch. Then First Chinese Express is the place to go!! LOVE!!!!!!! Best chicken wings ever!!! Their chicken wings are the Tyson large wings or in my case I call them drumsticks because that's how big they are. I tried to take a picture of them to post for you but for some reason they were all in my belly before the camera captured the pic. I can't explain it..... He he he aha ha ha!! MAGIC IN MY MOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These amazing wings are flavored with green onions, spice (I think red pepper flakes), sugar and other delicious flavors. It is like a Christmas present for your mouth!! These are the BEST wings ever! The owners are very friendly and polite, they have also memorized my order which is a huge plus for me. I have brought a few friends with me to try these amazing delicious scrumptious wings and none have been disappointed. Everything on their menu is extremely affordable! Who doesn't want great flavorful food at practically no cost? I hear their other food is just as amazing although I have yet to try it because of these crazy wings that want to be in my belly so bad. There are two downsides though...... One: they are closed on Sunday's. Why is it every time I crave wings it happens to be on a Sunday? I wonder if there is a correlation between my wing cravings and football? Hmm.... But thanks be to God because if you call them 2 weeks or 1 week in advance and you know you are going to want their wings or anything else on a Sunday they will come in JUST FOR YOU to make your order. Of course there are stipulations: like the fact that you have to have a minimum dollar purchase ($50). But who doesn't want extra chicken wings anyway? ;) Two: beer pairs so well with chicken wings but they don't sell alcohol. Not to worry though because I went next door to Smart and Final who also doesn't sell alcohol! By the way this is the ONLY Smart and Final in San Diego County that doesn't sell alcohol! Shame on them! Apparently the owner of the entire shopping lot refuses to allow any of its tenants to sell alcohol except for the liquor store which he owns. It sure is a good thing there is an Albertsons across the street. And just out of spite I refuse to shop at the liquor on this block! read more

This is a little hole in the wall restaurant on broadway in Lemon Grove. I must have passed it a million times before I finally ate there. The food is amazing for how CHEAP it is. Plus they have really good crispy beef, which is hard to find. If you're a fan of good and cheap chinese food I definitely recommend trying the "First Chinese Express". (: read more