Gene's is slightly off the beaten path, but it's hard to say it is a hidden gem as word has been out now for many years that Gene's serves some terrific, authentic, Xi'an noodle dishes. While there are a few tables nestled into the cozy space, most customers opt for takeout. The quality of the plastic goods for takeout pales in comparison to the quality of the food though, so dining in vs. takeout is a bit of catch 22. I was craving the their spicy classic hand-pulled noodles today, and they were as good as I remembered. Chewy and fragrant, with enough potent garlic to ensure my coworkers would leave me alone for the afternoon. Ha! One thing that has changed is their prices. Their website is woefully out of date, as the noodles (no additions) are now $9.40 vs. the $6.87 listed on the website menu! Ordering through their website also tacks on a service fee, which is a bit annoying as ordering in the store usually comes with at least a 10 minute wait. read more

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I brought my friends here this time, and the quality control seemed inconsistent. Cumin Lamb Hand-pulled Noodle孜然羊肉拌麵: The portion was really generous, especially the lamb--they were really lavish with it, and it was very fragrant. However, the noodles, soaked in the sauce, became a bit sticky, and they were too thick, as if they were just quickly stretched and cooked. Chilled Noodles涼皮: A weekend limited edition, icy cold, which was nice for summer. But the garlic flavor was too strong, extremely spicy, almost masking all the other seasonings. The presentation was just a box lid, which was a bit too perfunctory. Lamb Skewers羊肉串: Completely cold, and with an extremely strong gamey smell. I really don't understand how they dare to sell this? read more

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Great prices and great food. This place was so cheap that I ordered a variety of dishes. I ordered the lamb flatbread sandwich, a lamb skewer, and a tea egg. The lamb skewer was the highlight, if I were to return, I would probably order like 6 of them. Perfectly seasoned and cooked with a satisfying amount of lamb flavor. The flatbread sandwich could have used a crunchy green or cilantro to cut through the lamb and onions, otherwise it was very delicious and filling. For 6 dollars, I can't complain. The tea egg was a tea egg, I was probably supposed to order one of the noodle dishes to enjoy it with. The atmosphere is a little dingy and there is very little space in the restaurant, but I don't really mind. I will certainly be returning the next time I am in Boston. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

A major letdown. I got the Hand-pulled noodles and the Lamb flatbread sandwiches. The one component that stood out was the hand-pulled noodles themselves (thick and al dente). Otherwise, the noodles lacked oil ("oil" is a character in the Mandarin name for the dish), was overly sour from too much black vinegar, and barely spicy. Though the flatbread was the better item of the two, it had lamb that was just warm and not seasoned enough. And to make matters even worse, the cashier had an indifferent attitude during our exchange. Very disappointing overall read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Menu as of 4/25/26 - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I really want to give Gene's a five star review however with this location, it's just impossible. I did vamp it up to four from a 3 1/2. My real rating is a 3.5 star review here we go.: Food : 5 Star; I don't think anyone in the Chinatown area can match. The quality of the homemade hand pulled noodle that is served here. The menu was extremely limited to about 10 or 12 dishes. All include hand pulled noodle or homemade hand pressed dumplings. I've been here number of times every dish is delicious. Staff : 5 Star; I want to give a shout out to Kittie who works the counter is extremely polite goes the extra mile and to help the customer. The kitchen seem to be clean, kept and engaged in work. Cleanliness : 2 Star; I might be stretching it to give them a two just simple things like posters in the window have been there for 10 or 20 years soup on the back the trim everything is worn out and looks like it should be thrown away and replaced it needs an updating and a good good good cleaning a deep cleaning. Parking : 2 Star; if you're lucky there are a few meters outside as usual. The parking gods in Chinatown look down upon me and I got a meter half a block away. Otherwise you have to go get the early bird special and pay by the garage which means you're gonna be paying more for the parking than you are for the meal. read more

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Not really sure what the flatbread is in reference to (lol) I came here for lunch while visiting Boston. I was recommended this by my sister! This is a small, hole in the wall restaurant. I believe the cuisine is from Xi'an, in Western China. They prefer cash, but do accept card online or on the tablets in store. There are a few really solid vegetarian options. I went with the noodle soup. The soup itself is loaded with carrots, onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro. The broth itself is savory, sour, and a bit spicy. The noodles are unlike any I've had -- they're thick and chewy. Overall, delicious and an AMAZING value. My complaints are around the layering -- the veggies were stacked on top and it was hard to mix them in the rest of the soup; a bigger bowl would have fixed this. Definitely check out Gene's. read more

Authentic hand-pulled noodles in this hole-in-the-wall restaurant a little ways off from main Chinatown. The spicy sweet and sour noodles with pork was very good, although I wish it was more spicy. I asked the chef how spicy the "extra spicy" option was, to which he said most customers could not enjoy it. However, I found it to be pretty mild (that may be due to my spice tolerance). For the price point, I recommend swinging by and checking this place out! read more

I am rating Gene's five stars because they have my favorite dish. The cumin lamb hand pulled noodles (number 9). The value is unbeatable. They are so delicious. The restaurant a total dive which I love about it. Gene's is perfect for takeout. I have tried the flatbreads and have nothing noteworthy to say, but the lamb noodles. Dood. You won't be disappointed. read more

I've had the hand pulled noodles here a long time ago and it was one of the best bites I had in Boston so I had to come back. I was very disappointed when I got my food because the noodles were incredibly thick, barely any cilantro on it, the sauce was fine but hard to taste with the noodles being so thick. You get a small discount if you pay with cash but it's not worth it. I only had a couple bites and threw it away. Pretty sure it's not owned by the same people anymore. I won't be revisiting in the future. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #4 hand pulled noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The Botton Line: a gritty and cheap place for a quick ethnic bite in Boston. A few stools by the windows, worn old tables and order-by iPad. I was almost surprised at how low overhead the place was. I walked in and a "hostess" soft barked at me to order by iPad, which was easy and the menu was small. I got the extra spicy lamb noodles (sour, spicy, without a ton of depth) and pork "burger." The food came out quickly and I was very pleased with the amount for ~$16. The pork burger bread was bland but the meat had a nice five spicey flair. (i think I'm learning the Xi'an burger bread is just plain...and not my thing). I'd definitely come here if I really needed a cheap bite in the Boston crazy overpriced environment, but wouldn't rush back). read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Xi'ian hand pulled lamb noodles and pork burger. - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not impressive, but not bad! Ordered the hot & sour pork hand noodle soup #16. It was a lot more sour and not that spicy. There was a generous amount of meat and the noodles were chewy. You order by yourself on a tablet. The place itself is on the smaller side. You have to also pick up and buss your own food. This is quick and easy bite. Quite interesting that they close at 6:30 pm on a Thursday. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

HUGE PORTIONS for the pricing of the foods here, the portion is HUGE. My friends and I ordered the Lamb Hand Pulled Noodle Soup and the Lamb Flatbread Sandwiches. The Noodle Soup was kind of bland ngl, there was a slight lamb taste but absolutely no umami taste whatsoever. The flatbreads were pretty good but the breading was a bit dry and the lamb pieces were a bit dry as well. It was also really really oily. I do love the portion sizes here though but other than that, the seasoning could be worked on. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #1 Lamb Flatbread Sandwiches #2 Lamb hand-pulled noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a hole in the wall. But the food is interesting. I only have the spicy oil noodle. Honestly, they are spicy with sour. I prefer spicy and garlicky. But the middle is definitely legit. Hand pull. Great texture. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

4.2/5 Lamb Hand Pulled Noodle Soup - super thick noodles with a very satisfying chew! Wish it were a more generous portion of lamb with less fatty portions Would consider coming back to try their flatbread! Visited around 6pm on a weeknight, not realizing they close at 6:30pm. Plenty of seating a couple blocks down by the Chinatown Gate if its a nice enough day to sit outside! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Hand Pulled Lamb Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is great choice, especially for takeout! The food is very flavorful and satisfying. Dining in is Okey. The seats are kind of small. My favorite is #2. Overall a solid place for delicious noodles. read more

The worst pulled noodles I've ever had. First red flag was, after ordering, I noticed only two people in the kitchen - neither of them, including the only other person working the front, were chinese... perhaps not even asian (not sure). The food was made with zero love. First off, it was topped with raw carrots and blanched unsalted bean sprouts which are both completely weird and untraditional for this dish (and did not complement it in any way). It was incredibly difficult to mix it into my food without it all falling out due to size of the bowl and how they filled it. Secondly, the noodles were thick. Just thick pieces of flattened dough, uneven lengths (and too short to be noodle length). The sauce was crap. Usually its a mala/chili oil/cumin/szechuan flavor for this dish - this just had PRIMARILY balsamic (that's literally all you can taste) - and a bunch of chili oil at the bottom (which was not coating noodles well at all so you have to scrape the bottom) - but the chili oil was flavorless. So sour (from the balsamic) is the only flavor profile of the whole dish which was such a turnoff. The lamb was the only semi-decent part of it but needed to be grilled/charred. I didnt end up finishing my food - I was so hungry at that point and forced myself to scarf down what I could because I didn't have time to find more food - but had to toss the rest bc it was not pleasant chewing into the thick dough. Not a proper pulled noodle (barely even an effort at that). read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here for an early lunch on a Monday. I came right when they opened and was first to order, so I was able to grab a seat. Their space is small and they got busy fast, so I'd recommend coming at an off time if you're looking to do the same Despite the name, it seems their hand pulled noodles are the big selling points, so I had the cumin lamb noodle soup. While the warmth from the soup was more than welcome on a cold day, I came away fairly disappointed with the quality of the dish. The broth was pretty one note and super oily. It's rare I won't slurp the left over broth at the end of a meal, but guzzling that down would've made for a very unhappy stomach rest of the day. The lamb was super thin and had a very rough texture. It came across as though it were cheap beef from a random food truck The noodle quality was the best part of the dish, and even that was merely solid. They took on a lot of the broths flavor which didn't help things, but even from a texture perspective they left a lot to be desired. A lot of them fell apart on the journey from bowl to mouth, and overall lacked the richness and body I hope for from hand pulled noodles. While the dish is big and a good value for the area, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for noodles read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #2 Lamb hand-pulled noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This review is for takeout only. I've ordered the hand pulled noodles, house noodle soup with thin noodles, and flatbread sandwiches. Everything is very tasty and portions are big. I really like the flatbread sandwiches but they are quite oily, which you can tell from the oily packaging. This is probably the reason I don't eat here more often. Also, I wish they were open a little later than 6:30 for dinner. read more

Hot and sour soup spicy with dumplings. That is all you need to know. Have it delivered. You will thank me. Live never been inside the place. Never plan to go. read more

Heard great things about this place so decided to try it for lunch. I ordered online and order was ready earlier than the original pick up time. Great if you need something quick! Hand-Pulled Noodles with Pork (half spicy) - it wasn't super spicy. The noodles were a little thick and stuck together. The pork seemed like it was boiled and just put on top instead of stir frying with the noodles. Because it had no flavor. I've heard great things about the lamb so I'd definitely try their cumin lamb next time. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Hand #4 Hand-Pulled Noodles with Pork - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I did not love the flatbreads here. The pork in my opinion is too dry with not enough fatty parts in it.

True confession. I've been coming here at least 2-3 times per month for the last 2 years. One the most unique menus you'll see even in Chinatown. Often filled to capacity by 12 Noon during the week, the variety of options keeps me coming back for more. Pork flatbread, a variety of hand pulled noodle options with or without broth and tea eggs make Gene's my favorite dining spot downtown. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #5 HOUSE NOODLE SOUP 哨子面 Spicy & Hot Spicy & Hot - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered delivery, so not subtracting anything for quality affected over time! We got the lamb cumin dry noodles, the hot and sour lamb noodle soup, the pork sandwich and the Xian cold noodles. I definitely think this place is one where you should eat there, especially the hand pulled noodles because they harden over time and soak up sauce a bit unevenly if they sit. Also, the soup came mixed in so the noodles were a bit soggy, I wish they did separate those two for takeout. Overall taste was alright, the dry lamb cumin noodles were a bit sour for my taste and the cold noodles were bland to me, but the main reason for the 3 stars was because the pork sandwich had metal strands in the pork unfortunately don't think we will be returning. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #8 Xi'an Cold Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Some notes - they have around 7(?) spots for seating, so even if you plan to dine-in, it remains to see if you get lucky and find some empty seats. Also, they are cash only if you order in person, but you can order via the website and dine in, too. My friend and I came by around 12h30 on a weekday - indeed, there was nowhere to sit at first, but we got lucky and the table cleared up for us while we were waiting for our food. I ordered the house special noodle. Noodles were really yummy (they are the thin type) and the broth is quite fragrant. However, there was a pretty heavy flavour of vinegar in the broth, which I was not a big fan of. There was a lot of pork, and it was quite tasty overall, and I liked the potatoes and carrots in the soup (but that can be a bit of personal preference.) My friend had the hot and sour (hand-pulled) noodles, which was good too! Broth was quite similar (a bit spicier) to my bowl, and the thick noodles were yummy. Also, the portion sizes were so big, and I barely finished my noodles (my friend took half to-go). Finally, we had the pork flatbread sandwich because it seems to be their signature item. Ironically, this eponymous dish was not very good at all - the bread tasted like an stale bagel (!) and the pork was fine, but much worse than the pork in the soup. Still, I was quite happy with my bowl of noodles and it was really quite cheap, so I'd love to come back! read more

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I visited Gene's on a lunch break from work with a few other coworkers. It's a very small shop with limited seating, so many people were taking their food to go. You can either pay cash or order online, so be prepared to decide when you get to the counter. The counter area gets pretty busy, so don't expect the best service. We tried the Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle and the Lamb hand-pulled noodle soup, both of which were delicious. Personally, I preferred the soup version, as the broth provided a great umami flavor. Both dishes came with a massive portion of noodles, enough to keep me full for the rest of the day! The noodles had an amazing chewiness to them, which I really enjoyed. I'll be back next time I looking for a filling lunch while at the office. Highly recommend for noodle fans! read more

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Got takeout for first time. The lamb & 1/2 spicy noodles were pretty good. The noodles were huge. The spice might come back to bite you like it did me. It was good though. Ate it all. My hubby got the house soup. I can't say I found much to like about it. Potatoes, noodles, bits of lamb. The broth was underwhelming to me. I would think a house soup would blow you away first time you try it. Might go back. read more

The only reason I ever have leftovers from Gene's is because I ordered too much. I am a narrow-noodle partisan and can't get enough of the hand pulled noodles. Each flatbread is unique and delicious in its own right. Outclasses the more famous Xi'an places in my estimation. read more

I found out about this place through someone who had dined here recently & he mentioned that it was really good & that they serve hand pulled noodles. He had me at hand pulled noodles. I absolutely love them & find that it's hard to come by (especially a really good one). With that being said, I think I came here with too high of an expectation. First off, it is a very small establishment with seating for about 7-9 people. You must have cash or order online only. If you arrive without cash you will be promoted to order online in the restaurant. There is no ATM. We came on a Thursday during lunch time & there were already people dining as well as people trickling in to pick up their orders. Our order took about 10-15 mins. I was quite disappointed at how little sauce there was in the noodle. As pictured below, the sauce was so minima you wouldn't be able to tell there was any until you lifted up the noodles. Also the spice level is non existent. I got the second spiciest and I could barely taste the spiciness. Lastly there was so little lamb, it almost felt like they heaped on the veggies to compensate for the lack of lamb. Overall the dish was okay. It is super filling & affordable. I ended up ordering their chili sauce to add on top & I was super hungry so I did eat most of the meal, but I unfortunately won't be back again. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #9 Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I really enjoy the food here, lots of flavor! It can be oily though. My favorite is the cold noodle salad with a side of lamb skewers! The noodles and the crunchy vegetables are great paired with the flavorful beef skewer. I have tried the lamb hand pulled noodle soup and the lamb flatbread as well, I enjoyed both those dishes as well. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #8 Xi'an Cold Noodles (I added meat from one #11 Spicy Cumin Lamb Skewer(1) to it) - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

A hole in the wall restaurant in-between Chinatown and downtown crossing. This place has very limited seating (2 small tables and a windowsill with 5 seats). They have a tablet to order from so they accept all major credit cards. I came here mid afternoon around 2pm and snagged the last windowsill seat to warm up with a bowl of hand pulled noodles with lamb. The service was fairly quick for such a small place and I was so excited to dig in. The broth was piping hot so much so that I burnt my tongue. The hand pulled noodles are flat, large, and have great texture to them. The bowl is jam packed with noodles and toppings including fungus and flower lilies. I will definitely be returning to try their flatbread sandwiches which also look enticing. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Lamb hand pulled noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The first time I was here a couple of years ago, I immediately got the NYC Xian Famous Foods vibe. That being said, the NYC chain is definitely more dine-in friendly, where the layout of this restaurant is definitely a little awkward. Pre-Covid time, it fit maybe 4 or 5 tables at most. My friends and I came close to closing, and they already ran out certain food items. We put in an order for the cold skin noodle, but the cashier somehow missed it. The patron who came in line immediately after us asked for the cold skin noodle, and the cashier had to ask the chef if they still had any. When we heard the inquiry, we asked the cashier about our order, and apparently they ran out and the order wasn't put it at the first place. So, don't expect too much of a service here. I recently placed a takeout order from its website. The website accepts orders starting at 11 am, which is when they actually open. The online order process is pretty easy, but requires 99 cents online processing fee. While I miss the noodle soup from this place, I skipped the order after reading reviews of poor packaging from other Yelpers. I only ordered the cold skin noodle and lamb hand-pulled noodle. Very good portion size! I was definitely stuffed! The food is pretty authentic and the price is reasonable for the portion size. I will definitely return in the near future! read more

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I've heard great things about the noodles here and made the huge mistake of not getting the noodles. We weren't super hungry so we decided to get some lamb skewers ($1.95 each), the pork flatbread ($5.50), and the lamb flatbread ($6). The lamb skewers were great! Each skewer had a nice portion of lamb for the price and the seasoning was fragrant with cumin. The lamb was perfectly cooked with a nice sear on the outside and lots of juicy tenderness on the inside. I will never get the flatbread again. Instead of being laminated with nice layers, the flatbread was in a haphazard swirl that spontaneously fell apart and exploded the filling everywhere. The flatbread was quite dry with barely any bready flavor to it. The filling itself was dry and not that satisfying to eat. It was seasoned with soy sauce but that was pretty much it. The skewers were so good that the flatbreads were a huge letdown. I'll have to try their noodles sometime. read more

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gene's flatbread is very small cafe at the edge of chinatown. while there isn't much to write home about the ambiance or the service, the noodles are incredible! i would suggest trying their hand pulled noodles - they are wide cut and sooo chewy and "q". i need to visit again and try other dishes, but overall had a great first visit. highly recommend! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #4 Hand-Pulled Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Tip: when you order here it is cash only - or you can wait at the door and order online if you don't have cash! This place is a hidden Shaanxi cuisine gem! It's a hole in the wall joint where you can Just get takeout. I love the hand pulled noodles - they are fresh, flavorful, spicy and such a great portion size! I recommend the cumin lamb skewers as well: cooked/seasoned well with tangy yet spicy marinade. read more

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Pork flatbread is not good. Beard is dry. Pork is flavorless. Couldn't finish the food

Fantastic hole in the wall hand pulled noodle spot! I had the lamb noodles and lamb skewers and they were delicious! My friend had the house soup and raved over it as well! This place has great portions and was super fast! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #2 Lamb hand-pulled noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Three years since my first post and I feel like the quality and the prices have been the same ! Delicious. I love the thick doughy noodles in the sour soup. Also someone below said you have to bring cash? If you're getting takeout you can just order online with a card. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Sour and spicy soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great, fast shaanxi restaurant in Boston. The dishes are very cheap as well! My favorites were the cumin lamb pulled noodles and the cold noodles. They were not overly spicy, but the meat was tender and the noodles were very springy! Also be sure to get the lamb skewers, they're amazing. This place is cash only so be prepared. Love this family run restaurant, and can't wait to come back. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Been coming to this unique spot every time we get to Boston. Really delicious homemade noodles done with lamb in cumin spiced bowl. Absolutely amazing fragrant- could dream about meal like this. But, if you're looking for atmosphere, the downtown location is a tiny "hole in the wall". The Woburn location slightly bigger, but both are excellent. The surroundings don't matter much to me when the highlight is this quality of food read more

We had takeout on a recent visit to Boston. This is North Chinese food so think wheat and not rice and lamb instead of pork. Also the flavor profile cumin heavy The star of the show was the hot and sour dumpling soup, highly recommended. The lamb skewers were tasty as well, I would pass on the #9 Cumin Lamb Had-pulled noodles as by the time we returned to our place the noodles were all stuck together. The tea egg was nothing earthshattering. If I was there again, I would definitely try the lamb or flatbread. As this is a downtown location, I think they must cater more to a lunch or take home crowd as the closing time was 6:30 PM. We ordered online from their website which worked fine, food was ready and prepped when we arrived. read more