A Taiwanese friend told me that this is the best Chinese restaurant in the Amherst/Northampton area. I just had to try it. So, my husband and I went there today for lunch. The place was farther than we thought. Never been to Florence before and the location of the restaurant was like an industrial area, being surrounded by metal and plastic factories. Anyway, it's Sunday 12:30pm and the restaurant was empty. It looks old, dirty and weather-beaten from the outside. My high hopes were gone and I really hesitated to go inside, but we've come this far and I didn't want to upset my husband who drove all the way there. So, I reluctantly went inside. The interior didn't look that appetizing either at all. We ordered Hot and Sour Soup, Wonton Soup, Beef with Garlic Sauce, and rice. The hot and sour tasted ok despite the unappetizing color. Looks like it had been refrigerated for a long time. I can't recommend the wonton though. It's tasteless and again unappetizing. We found a mysterious blue stain in one of the wontons' skin! When we asked the waiter, which probably a 14-year-old boy by the way, he said, "No, that's purple not blue". Ok... so what is this purple thing in our wonton? And he said that it's from the purple cabbage they use in the filling. But then I checked the filling and it doesn't seem like there is purple cabbage in it. Anyway, never order the wonton soup. If you do order, please let me know if you also found purple stain on your wonton skin. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because the Beef with Garlic Sauce was really good! Again, it didn't look too appetizing with the excessive oil and char, but it tasted quite delicious. The sauce tasted very good, the beef was tender and flavorful. One of the best Chinese stir fry I've tried in the area. I would give this restaurant just one star if it wasn't because of the beef. I thought it was going to be our first and last visit there, but we'd consider going there again now to try their dimsum on Saturday afternoon. read more

The Great Wall's gourmet menu has incredible, authentic Chinese cuisine that is prepared excellently. I'm confused and disappointed by the negative reviews. This is not a run of the mill, drunk-Chinese food take-out place. The food on the gourmet menu is true to Chinese cuisine, without the extra crap. Flavors are spot on and nuanced in the right ways. You can tell that the owner really cares about food, cooking, and ingredients that she uses. I swear, if this place were in Boston, it would be one of the most popular places among families and couples seeking a fantastic, authentic meal out. The seafood soup is fantastic, all the meats are cooked to perfection, and vegetables are done justice. Prices are, if anything, too low for the quality of food prepared here. I regret taking 2 years away from the Great Wall, as it's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, period. read more

I had heard good stuff and wow were the reviews wrong. Gross all around and the Sesame Chicken tasted like it was days old. Just avoid this place, there are so many better options nearby. read more

I was staying in Northampton dropping my daughter off for college and wanted authentic Chinese. We found this gem and it was delicious! They have two menus, a more Americanized and an authentic Chinese. The authentic Chinese did not disappoint. The restaurant itself could use updating so don't let looks deceive you. I highly recommend! read more

Ordered from the supposedly better gourmet menu. Not better or even good. The duck was dry and the noodles were over cooked and undercooked at the same time. The chicken looked and tasted like it came out of a can. This my second time eating here and I doubt I will be back. read more

Yuck, yuck, yuck. I ate here for years, once they introduced the "Gourmet" menu and got ringing endorsements by the Baskin clan. Sadly, I watched as the prices continued to rise, in direct proportion to the food's demise. I used to order: scallion pancakes, baby bok choy, crispy pork, stuffed tofu, and the sizzling somethingeranother. Not that it matters anymore. The last time I went there, was indeed the LAST TIME I WILL EVER GO THERE. The scallion pancakes are a slap in the face to true scallion pancakes, so boooooo. I wouldn't even hit someone with those pancakes if I was being mugged. I don't know what that means, but suffice it to say that the pancakes and everything else I listed are bad, bad, awful. My suggestion to them is to: quit rolling around on the floor on top of your years-ago-positive-review in the Valley Advocate, and get your asses back into the kitchen and cook. Throw some damn scallions in the scallion pancakes for crying out loud, and for the love of all that is holy, drop your bullshit price of $12. something for a side of baby bok choy. Seriously, you're located in Florence, MA next to a cracky laundromat and a "convenient" store of sorts. If you were in the middle of Northampton swimming in the sea that is coffee shops and ASIAN FUSION EVERYWHERE I LOOK, you would be forced to up your game or suffer the wrath of the 7 Strong Avenue curse... even if you weren't on Strong Avenue, your food is currently so sub-par that the curse would FIND YOU. Yeah, yeah, you've got a case of the sad-ass fish tank, mauve colored seats/walls and Chinese lantern blues... but you are going to be a sunken ship full of uninteresting barnacles that no one will bother to explore. Tighten up! read more

The bar must be set pretty low for Chinese food in the Pioneer Valley...surprising since Northampton is supposed to be one of the epicenters of diversity and (think Berkeley east) enlightened/educated folks. Usually the eateries kind of reflect that. The unassuming strip mall was ok since I've had plenty of good food in sketchy locales. However the first warning was sounded..the lady who took the order sort of took a bit of lemony-sour look to me. To the food...the "Crispy Pork w Szechuan Sauce": there was nothing crispy about these pork pieces (apparently dusted in curry flour and fried) swimming in an oily gingery/garlic/chili pepper sauce with a few broccoli pieces and onions. Kind of a gloppy mess. For 13.95 also shockingly excessive for the portion size as well. When your Chinese eatery only offers the full size portions (starting at 10.95)..beware. I'm not quite sure what's happening to Northampton...seems like a lot of mediocrity is creeping in, not just here. This place really deserves no love. read more

Food is tasty but with delivery you should be cautious. I feel terrible that I fed my five year old these dumplings which had melted through the styrofoam container. He ate at least six of them. We had two orders. The cook must've just straight up dumped the fried dumplings into the container. Very reckless. I ate one too. It can't be healthy and it shows a serious lack of consideration and care. I hope this doesn't become something serious. I ate some too and have a terrible stomachs ache. Could be something different. Still, very disappointed. read more

Great Wall Restaurant - Dumplings melted through the styrofoam. - Chinese Near Me - Florence, Massachusetts

Second time there in nine months. Food is still blan. Wait time is forever. Dinning area 1 table of two, both times. few customers. If I could give 0 star I would! read more

Had Dinner here recently and there are some strengths and weaknesses of this long time food establishment that I will highlight. The Won Ton Soup does not have much flavor as the broth needs improvement and the Won Tons have very little pork in them and the dough is thick, but, bland and there is quite a shortage of green scallions which should be added along with a small bit of sliced smoked pork, which was also missing. The Pan Fried Pork Won Tons are a bit on the thick side, pretty doughy for me. They also have Chinese Style Pan Fried Won Tons that are probably a bit better, per the staff, but, after the fact and it was too late by then. The Chinese Broccoli was pretty good and the sauce added to it stands a better chance if it is thicker and preferably Oyster Sauce as most authentic chefs prepare it this way. The Mei Fan Thin Noodle Vegetable Dish was pretty good with Yellow Curry lightly added to it with a nice smokiness. But, there was not really much in the way of the noodles and noodles are dirt cheap. The dish should have had way more and sufficient noodles added to it to make an appropriate impression. The Steamed White Rice was good and so was the complimentary hot tea. Overall, the restaurant and bathroom was clean and well kept. The staff was nice and friendly, busy as this place seats about 65 patrons. The parking lot holds plenty of vehicles and is off of the local main road, so, parking should not be an issue, even on busy days and busy times of the day or night for this small shopping strip center. We will return again in the future and we are better prepared as to what to order and what to request. Prices are comparable within the area and they probably have the best Asian Food in the local area. Stop by and enjoy a nice meal. Be sure you know what you want and how you want it cooked and the staff should be more than happy to accommodate you and your requests. read more

We usually get takeout (we live nearby) and have noticed a slight decline in quality and a substantial decline in quantity. This picture is of a freshly opened order of string beans. read more

Great Wall Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Florence, Massachusetts

To all those who are from NYC or Boston and knock our Chinese restaurants in the Valley, you have no idea how good we have it here. Try coming to Lubbock TX to find Chinese food. I was very very impressed by the Great Wall last night. It was very busy with both eat in and take out but the service was excellent and the food hot, fresh and fast. We ordered off both the gourmet and the regular menu. It was all delicious. I've gone to a lot of Chinese places in the valley- some have had their day in the sun and gone down hill. Great Wall is great- and much better than some of the other supposedly excellent restaurants in the area. If you are going for the standard fare or looking to try something different, try the Great Wall. read more

This food is truly amazing. I know it's not in a very central location and curb appeal isn't full on because it's right next a cvs, but the food is really great and when you are looking for really good food, the rest is completely not important. Best Chinese food in Northampton. Number two is teapot. read more

I really love this place. The people are friendly and the food is usually excellent. Clearly the best Chinese food in western Mass. I particulary enjoy the stuffed tofu and the pork and lamb dishes. The whole flounder is a delicious presentation. The service gets to be a bit fractured sometimes but the food finds its way to the table and it's worth waiting for. read more

I've tried this place twice and both times it has been gross. The poopoo platter didn't have a single item which was good. It ranged from bad (crab rangoon) to less gross(chicken wings). Almost seems like they buy this stuff in bulk at Costco. My daughter loves dumplings so I bought 2 orders for today and later but she only ate 3 before saying she doesn't like them. Keep in mind my daughter doesn't like too many things but dumplings are her favorite. The dumplings were soggy and the meat was a bit slimy. Finally the chicken lo mein was average at best. Anyway, wont be going back to this place. Stear clear if you can. read more

During my college years, this place was a life saver. Whenever we felt homesick and wanted some good Chinese food we would drive to North Hampton. Granted they could not replicate everything in Boston Chinatown, but they sure did come close. The owner speaks Cantonese, so don't be afraid to order some more traditional Chinese dishes or ask for recommendations. Every time I have been to this place, it is usually dead... someone they have managed to survive for years though. Maybe their take out is their main income? read more

Meh. Food doesn't reflect the price. The lunch special I ordered came with the barest fried rices ever had. No pork or onions to be seen, just egg and soy sauce. The garlic shrimp with vegetables I ordered with this was sub-par as well. I will probably never order from here again. read more

In short, Great Wall is good, used to be better. In fact it used to be great. Some dishes are still great. The ribs a few nights ago were not so good -- needed to be braised longer (though we took them home and cooked them a couple of hours in stock and they were fine). Dishes are sometimes too salty, sometimes not. Inconsistency is a problem here. We only order off the traditional menu, because the "tourist" menu is blandly chinese / american. Scallion pancakes are still excellent. The other day, aromatic roasted chicken was delicious if a bit greasy. Ginger lamb was tasty but not easy to eat as it was full of cartilege and fatty. read more

This is the best Chinese food in the area and the most authentic. We recently had the dim sum - served on Saturdays and it is truly excellent, better than a number of Boston and NYC Chinatown dim sum places I've tried. And a ton of variety. The seafood soup is very flavorful and a refreshing change from the standard Chinese restaurant soup offerings. We love the Chinese Greens with Tofu or Chicken. The Chinese Greens with Black Mushrooms is also very good if you're a shiitake lover. The Mei Fan and Chao Fan with whatever meat are also excellent - you don't get bland noodles here. I could go on. Order from the Gourmet menu for something special and authentic. Order from the Standard menu if you just want common but solidly tasty Chinese American dishes. A former resident who now lives in CO reminisced that it's the "best Chinese in the state." I would agree it ranks up there. (Finally, don't be too deterred by the tired interior. Totally my guess... the pandemic has been tough for everyone. ) read more

Arguably the best Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten at. The hot & sour soup is absolutely the best. Their dishes using local seasonal greens are incredible, and the scallion pancake appetizer is delicious...but by far, the best dish I've had here, and by extension at any Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten at, is the savory aromatic roasted chicken. Not fried, but as tasty and juicy as any fried chicken I've ever had. Try it. read more

Don't know why other reviews are so negative. I've gotten delivery and eaten at the restaurant multiple times and everything has been delicious. Service is friendly, helpful, and prompt. I've tried things on both the normal and gourmet menus and while both were great, I love the gourmet dishes. I'd absolutely recommend trying this place if you want flavorful, delicious dishes that are hard to find at other Chinese restaurants! read more

I just finished eating an order of kung pao chicken from Great Wall. It was awesome. The *worst* thing I've ever had at Great Wall was merely delicious. The best things (dragon skin, crispy pork) have been worthy of celebration. My wife and I order Great Wall takeout perhaps twice a month. The food is typically ready about 20 minutes after we order it. When we order the same dish on multiple nights, we observe remarkable consistency. We've simply never been disappointed even a little bit with the quality of the food. Dining at the restaurant affords few visual pleasures (except maybe the tank full of excitable orange fish), and the service tends to be hands-off, so if you need someone hovering while you eat, you may experience mild disappointment. Great Wall is a fine place to have a conversation with your tablemates, which is why one sees groups from local academic departments occupying the larger tables. It is also a fine place to take people who haven't heard of it or are skeptical. Force them to order the dragon skin and commence feeling smug. My only gripe with Great Wall has to do with their treatment of certain chicken dishes. In particular, they truthfully advertise that their General Tso's Chicken and Orange Chicken feature large chunks of chicken. These dishes are American inventions, which means that they should be very fried and very sweet. The problem with using *large* chunks of chicken is that the surface-area-to-volume ratio is too small. I can't fault them for wanting to make these dishes meatier, but their versions are less indulgent and therefore less pleasurable than, say, Teapot's in Northampton. read more

I don't actually know how to convey the extent of my love for The Great Wall. it's a perfectly peaceful quiet meditative atmosphere to eat lunch, with a bubbling fishtank in the corner and a comforting home-style atmosphere. The people who run it and work there are so lovely. It's a place where I feel like I can relax and have a really delicious, leisurely meal either by myself, on a date with my husband, or with a group of friends and family. And that's not even mentioning the food. My Goddess, the FOOD! Swoon. Lots of fresh local veggies cooked to perfection, unbelievably satisfying sauces, and amazing fish, tofu, and pork dishes. Affordable, friendly to all diners, MSG-free, and awesome. read more

Don't be fooled by the seedy exterior. Great Wall serves fantastic chinese food, both the token stuff and unique entries such as "Dragon Skin". The environment is pleasant, clean, stylish, and roomy, and I haven't yet seen it crowded (though certainly never empty). They do takeout for the whole Northampton area, and have Dim Sum on Saturday mornings. Prices are very reasonable given the excellent food quality. read more

I'm obsessed with Chinese food and have eaten here at least 25 times. I'm convinced there is no better Chinese restaurant in the area (with the possible exception of Oriental Flavor in Amherst) especially if you order from the "Gourmet menu." The Gourmet menu is more authentically Chinese, but authenticity isn't my concern - it's just better, without scary stuff (organ meat, etc.). The braised and roasted duck dishes are excellent, especially for the price. Other faves are the green beans, pork with spicy szechuan pickle, and salt and pepper pork. This is my first ever Yelp review, and I wrote it only because the other reviews were misguided, and I always get a nice feeling from the lady who runs the place. This restaurant is one of those small miracles that always gives you a lift. read more

I really wanted to be excited about Great Wall. Their use of local ingredients and community feel set them apart from other Chinese restaurants in the Pioneer Valley. And I had a couple of good meals from them. Takeout orders can be all filler ingredients. read more

I was visiting a relative in the area and figured I'd stop somewhere local and get some take out so no one had to cook. I called in the order on the way figuring traffic would be thick on a Friday night and was told it would be either 20 or 40 minutes, I couldn't deceiver which one she said. The lady was borderline rude, but I figured it was just a busy Friday night.. I ended up getting there before the time and was prepared to wait, I was told it wasn't ready yet so I stepped to the side and waited. To my surprise, about two minutes later it came out and I paid and went on my way.. The wonton soup was ok, the chicken dish looked good as I unpacked it. The rice- well they don't even carry brown rice so apparently white is the only option- it was standard run of the mill rice however I got the burnt pieces from the bottom of the rice cooker.... But what alarmed me was when I opened the beef and broccoli... It was a clump of beef stuck together in a thick pasty goo (I will not even call it a "sauce" because it was nowhere near a sauce) and placed on top of plain steamed broccoli in the box. I wish I'd taken a photo to post- I've never seen anything like it! And by NO stretch of the imagination was it even close to a "beef and broccoli" dish!! There were red markings in Chinese on the top of that one box only.. I wish I'd also taken a photo of that to be deciphered.. Was this because I showed up early?? I would rather wait for good food than have one dish thrown together.. It just seemed too coincidental to be a fluke.. But anyway- so we ate the food, the "Amazing Chicken" was ok, but certainly did not live up to the status it's name promised, and the clump of beef with steamed broccoli could've been equated to dog food, in my opinion. Mostly stems of broccoli, very few florets, the beef was tasteless and the brown paste it was in was thick and just not good.. For $30 I think I've been seriously ripped off!! Oh- and it was so laden with MSG both my relative and I had been extremely drowsy and thirsty all night and the following day! Never ever again will I go there!!! read more

Food was good, but delivery horrendous. It took them 2 hours to deliver our food on a Friday at 6 pm. Yes, there was a little snow on the ground, but when we called one hour into our wait, they said the driver was 5 minutes away. Finally when the driver arrived at 8 pm, the order was missing the pancakes and plum sauce for the moo shoo. When I called, I got apologies, but no reduced charge or compensation. I like to support local businesses, but not when they have no customer service. We will never order from them again. read more

First off, my to go order was made incorrectly. The rice is quite bland and the chicken was tasty until I but into one that had a really dark area. I was done at that point. read more

The cook/owner use to cook for Beijing garden at Hadley(Now replaced with Butterfly Restaurant). Food is decent and tasty. Waitress was very friendly. Good place to check it out. read more

Ordered lunch for our office and it was delicious! At first I attempted to request delivery, but was told that it wouldn't come until later (Maybe the delivery person didn't start until noon?) - In any case, I picked up instead. Food was ready and piping hot in about 15-20 minutes. Everyone was happy with their food - my Sesame Chicken was excellent: quality white meat chicken, with a nice gooey breaded crust on it. And I'm very pick about chicken - Very tasty! read more

They hold me down with all of my favorites (wonton soup, dumplings, general tso's, fried rice, mushu pork, scallion pancakes, spring rolls, chinese broccoli). My husband can be picky about Chinese food and Great Wall is by far his favorite in the area. I love that they're members of CISA and use local vegetables when available. read more

Not as great as it used to be. Someone has since told me to order off gourmet menu. Didn't know. Spring rolls great. Chicken overcooked. Satisfying experience but could have been delicious and was not. read more

Mediocre Chinese food, not terrible but definitely not great. Everything you would expect from a generic Chinese restaurant.

The prices here a bit higher than most dim sum places, but the food is pretty decent. It's definitely not your big-city dim sum stop, but given the lack of other dim sum options in the area, I'd recommend giving it a shot. The service is good and the dim sum is tasty--i'll be back soon enough. read more

Love the dragon skin tofu and dim sum on Saturdays. We've been regulars for years. There are two menus, a gourmet menu and a more traditional Chinese American menu. They use local farmers for many if the vegetables. Great wall is s great asset to Florence. read more

I went here once and the food was inconsistent and their service was friendly but painfully slow. The apps came out quickly but the scallion pancake was burned. There were 5 in my party and our entrees all arrived separately. The meat in my sesame chicken was quality white meat but it had way too much breading and was incredibly bland. Don't think I'll be going back, although it seemed like the "gourmet menu" may offer better options. read more

The Great Wall used to be my go-to for great Chinese food. I love that they support CISA, and their food used to be delicious. BUT...over the last few years, the quality has sunk dramatically. The restaurant is dirty, seats have ripped vinyl, the teapots have cracks in the spouts, look dirty and are covered in fingerprints, the tables are sticky. The service is unfriendly and haphazard - and because of the overall dirty and unkempt appearance of the restaurant itself, it makes me worried about cleanliness in the kitchens. The soups have become increasingly more watery, and the food more and more disappointing. The last half dozen times that I've ordered take-out, the order has been wrong. I used to go here every week - the last time I went confirmed that I won't be eating here again. I really want to love and support this place for its continued support of local farmers - but I just can't bring myself to eat there any more. read more

I don't know why this place doesn't have a 5 star rating? We've had the peking duck, sesame chicken, egg rolls, etc and everything was incredible! read more

I gave this place one more try to see if they could change my mind about this place. I walked in to a dirty disorganized mess. We were seated near some dusty windows. Ordered our food. Waited and Waited it came. Burned rice nasty cold soup, chicken and brocc did not taste right. I do not think you should eat here. There are way way better Asian restaurants in Northampton. read more