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    Hometown Cafe

    4.1 (141 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Hometown Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    HOMETOWN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Hometown Cafe

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    Food
    Goodness I.

    Came here for the first time and intentionally came when they weren't busy-so they could explain what all the food was. The guy behind the counter was very helpful and informative. Food wasn't hot, which would have bothered me if I ate in the restaurant. A lot of food for the price! Will definitely come back with a group and try the soup!

    Eggplant, black pepper chicken, spicy Sichuan fish, green beans. Served with complimentary soup and jalapeño peppers
    Quynh-Nhi N.

    Hometown Cafe is one of my favorite spots to drop by for a casual, satisfying meal. It's cafeteria-style, so none of the dishes are labeled. You just point to what looks good and it's served on a metal tray. On my last visit, I got white rice with four sides: eggplant, Sichuan-style fish, black pepper chicken, and green beans. All delicious and comforting, like home cooked dishes. I also love that they offer complimentary soups! The hot & sour and the clear daikon with wood ear mushrooms are both delicious!

    the rude woman wearing glasses
    Bo T.

    ok so i always come back and forth here cause the old chinese man and the old woman treat foods so right. Except the WOMAN WEARS GLASSES. she extremely rude, slamming the rice cooker when i asked extra rice (i usually ask for it at first). she ignoring until i repeated. when i asked for the box to go, she even gave it rudely again. they always give me the bigger box to go cause the food is a lot. THIS old Lady wears glasses asked "what size"? and speaking broken words. Rude and disrespectful. this is the picture i took but she looked away. I repeated " THE OLD WOMAN WEARS GLASSES. she chose violence today

    Three main, rice and ayce soup. Braised pork chops, spicy tofu and green beans. $12
    Esther A.

    Authentic food and decent service. 3 enterees, rice, and refill soup. A lot to choose from and miso or egg drop soup

    Beverly W.

    This is a place for a quick lunch/dinner or good comfort food. There are so many entrée options, and they are delicious! I got the 3 entrée with rice, and it is a lot of food! I always have some leftovers for later. The foods don't have labels on it, but they are happy to explain what is in it if you ask. The dining area is very clean and spacious!

    Food selection
    Thomas P.

    Very cool, cafeteria style Chinese restaurant. I love that they had so many different options to see. It reminded me of a panda express, but more authentic. The service was fast and friendly. Has a very hometown feel. Would recommend checking it out at least once.

    Assortment of foods
    Alice W.

    mmm comfort authentic Chinese food... I come for the home-cooked tastes whenever I am in town! Conveniently close to UTD campus and great hotspot for students, offering generous portions. Prices have gone up, but still great price at $12 for three dishes (with or without rice) as of November 2024. The variety of meat options is impressive; my go-to is the fish and green onion oil chicken. Limited just veggie/non-meat options. Unlimited soup perk if you're dining in! Sweet and sour or daikon seaweed soup, the latter so warm and my personal fave. Just remember to grab a fresh bowl for refills, as you'll definitely want seconds. Self clean up once you're done - stack trays, bowls, and cups in bins. A plus is reusable metal cups for water, but minus is plastic spoons for soup spoons. Nevertheless, plenty of parking spaces and tables to dine-in, whether solo quick on the go or with your family!

    Justin B.

    I really enjoy how homey this place feels. They serve food cafeteria style where you pick your food and it is served on a metal tray. I love the soups they offer complimentary. It is a no frills and affordable spot with amazing food. Everything tastes fresh and comforting. Definitely a go to if you want a satisfying meal without any fuss.

    Caroline Z.

    Easy quick lunch place. Cafeteria style. Super cheap and they give so much food. I loved their pork belly!! And the staff were so kind--they stared at my box as they were packaging it up, jokingly scolded me for not having any veggies, and threw in some green beans.

    Rice roll
    Boon C.

    This Taiwanese food has been established for sometimes. It is great place for breakfast and lunch. This restaurant has a lot of regular customers. This is local well know Taiwanese restaurant. They carry typical Taiwanese street food. We got the Taiwanese Rice roll. It has fried pork floss a fried dough. It just like in Taiwan. We also got salty soy milk which my wife favorite. She likes it for breakfast. The last dish is the beef pancake. The slice beef shank is delicious for the in filling. Overall is good Taiwanese restaurant. Definitely come back for more especially for the deli lunch specials.

    Exterior
    Robert K.

    Five stars for the value. Four stars for the food. Atmosphere is fine. Not date night material but fine.

    Choose 3
    Kelly Z.

    Home-style cafeteria Chinese food that is honestly one of our favorite spots in the whole metroplex. We have come here countless times and each time has never disappointed. I love the pork rib, lions head, roll wrapped with bean curd, and honestly disliked any dish here. You get to choose 3 dishes and there's free soup that's 2 out of the 3: hot and sour, egg drop soup, radish soup. Highly recommend they also accept credit card now!!

    John C.

    A nice, local spot for quick Taiwanese food. First, the menu on the wall was somewhat outdated, they no longer offer noodle or rice plate dishes. Don't worry, the main lunch/dinner deal is still really good, $10 for pick three. They have all the usual dishes as well. The roasted pork definitely was the highlight, really tender and flavorful. Also tried their potstickers. The size was on the smaller side but fried really well, I also really liked the sauce on the side. Overall, a decent, no-frill lunch spot. Give it a try!

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    2 years ago

    Very good food menu selection of meats and vegetables! Taste all good and fresh! Very personable service!

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    1 year ago

    Simple cafeteria-style authentic food. 3 entrees and rice, plus unlimited soup makes for a tasty, filling and cheap lunch.

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    First Emperor Chinese Restaurant

    First Emperor Chinese Restaurant

    4.2
    (319 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Great food. Good authentic chinese restaurant run by chinese owners. Keep it up! Cooking the best!read more

    This restaurant has existed for as long as I can remember over the past 30 years. It was one of my…read morefavorite restaurants growing up, so when I recently visited home in DFW, I had to go back. And wow, the taste is the exact same. The decor is the exact same. The people are the exact same. It was truly a feeling of nostalgia that's hard to describe. My favorite dish has always been, and still is, the bamboo shoots with pork. It is so fragrant, umami, and simply delicious. The west lake soup is also a classic done so well - pro tip to add white pepper to give it a little kick. The steamed pork belly was okay - sauce is flavorful (a touch salty) along with the preserved greens but the pork wasn't as tender as I had remembered it. The fish filets are fried to perfection, full of salt/pepper flavor, and pairs well with the jalapeños. If you don't like fish, you can get the same flavor with the pork version of this dish, which I also really like. The service can be a little slow because it's just 1 chef and 1 waitress who own the restaurant - same people that have run the show since I first came here probably almost 30 years ago! Incredible to see them still working so hard and serving delicious food. They'll never know how much their restaurant and food means to me!

    Photos
    Summer of 2024
    Summer of 2024
    Salt and pepper fish filets
    Salt and pepper fish filets
    Orange beef

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    Orange beef
    Awesome 五餅二魚

    Awesome 五餅二魚

    4.6
    (169 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    Saw this place on Yelp and immediately thought, "There's no way this is good." The name doesn't…read moresound remotely Chinese. But the reviews were suspiciously glowing, so curiosity (and hunger) won. We pulled up and I took one look at the building: older, unremarkable, zero curb appeal. Classic "meh." Inside, several large round tables with lazy Susans, red tablecloths, and Chinese lanterns. They first sat us in a booth but I requested later on to be moved to a large round table since we ordered A LOT. But back to when we first sat in the booth - As a Chinese woman, the second I spotted the older seats with ripped upholstery, it hit me like a culinary prophecy: this place was going to serve me some incredible, authentic Chinese food. I don't know what it is, but there's an inverse law of Chinese restaurants: the less fancy the exterior (and the more the booth looks like it's survived several natural disasters), the better the food. Apparently they skip Instagram-worthy renovations and put the budget where it belongs--on the plate! This is now hands down in my top 3 favorite Chinese restaurant in North Dallas - I can even say it's on the very top. I haven't forgotten about the staff. They deserve 10 stars. Super nice!

    This place is getting 5 stars for food and service! I would say from the looks of it, you aren't…read moretalking fine dining, but, the meal said otherwise! We ate egg rolls, crab Rangoon, and soup, followed up by orange beef and beef fried rice. The crab Rangoon could have used more stuffings, but what was there was good. I thoroughly enjoyed the orange beef. The tenderness of the beef and the taste of the sauce was on point. Definitely don't pass on this one if you are craving Chinese food. Note: they do serve peanuts before the meal, so watch for that with allergies!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Eggplant 3
    Eggplant 3
    Fish filet and tofu

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    Fish filet and tofu
    Chef Sun's Noodle & Dumpling

    Chef Sun's Noodle & Dumpling

    4.3
    (149 reviews)
    6.0 mi
    $$

    My friend and I got the House Special Soup Dumplings, green beans, Three Flavor Pepper Chicken, and…read morethe Beef Biangbiang Noodles. All the food had amazing flavors so I would recommend everything. My only note was the beef in the noodles was slightly chewy so I would suggest another protein option. The service was great. Our server was patient with us while answering our questions on the menu and knowing the menu well enough to recommend us things that suited our palettes. The restaurant is spacious with many tables to accommodate different size parties so it did not take long for us to get seated.

    My wife wanted to try this for our lunch today, especially since our GOTO for Chinese changed…read moreownership/service/flavor... We ordered: Cumin Lamb (side: fried rice); Singapore Noodle Combination (chicken/shrimp/beef); Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce (side: steamed rice); Okra w/ Giant Oyster Mushroom (side: steamed rice); and Xao Long Bao (6 pcs). WOW! The braised okra with giant oyster mushroom positively SURPRISED and leap frogged to the top of my preferred vegetable GOTOs...The cumin lamb was SO tender and VERY flavorful. One of the best preparations yet. The Singapore noodle combo and Xao Long Bao did not disappoint... More importantly, the service we received was attentive, courteous, knowledgeable, and prompt. Sadly, the eggplant with garlic sauce is the ONLY reason a star is withheld for this review...it detracted from traditional Chinese style; notes of garlic eviscerated by the chef's sweetening to satisfy an American palette...Why fix something that's unbroken?...I get it. The restaurant has to cater to its customers who populate this mix use (business/lease residential) area at the NW corner of Alma and Hwy 121, but doesn't that limit its draw? Guess we'll just have to head either further south on Central (HWY 75) to the Legacy & Spring Creek areas or further west to the Preston and Warren Pkwy Frisco TX area to satisfy our authentic Chinese cuisine food cravings.

    Photos
    Chef Sun's Noodle & Dumpling
    Xao Long Bao
    Xao Long Bao
    Fried Shrimp

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    Fried Shrimp
    Royal Kitchen

    Royal Kitchen

    4.4
    (252 reviews)
    6.1 mi

    Well. ... once again I was blown away with the Duck .. but we also…read moreSesame beef ... which outstanding!!! Love this place ... !

    My friend and I were craving Peking duck, so we decided to try it out. The reviews were promising,…read moreand I had heard that they carve the duck tableside. We arrived on a Wednesday evening around 7 p.m., and surprisingly, we were the only customers there, considering it was peak dinner time. We also discovered that we needed to pre-order the duck in advance. Luckily, the lady informed us that there was one available for us, but it would take about 30 minutes. We ordered the crispy cucumber salad, xiao long bao, and the dry-fried string beans. The dry-fried string beans were my favorite. The string beans had a delightful crisp texture and a flavorful taste. The cucumber salad was also good, but some parts were a bit soggy. The XLB skin was too thick and chewy, and it didn't taste like the usual soup dumplings, which was disappointing. I was excited for the duck, but I was honestly disappointed when it arrived. The portions were quite small, considering it was a whole duck. It wasn't carved tableside, which was a letdown. Some parts of the duck were dry, and the skin wasn't crispy enough. To add to the disappointment, they charge extra for almost everything. If you want more pancakes or their homemade duck sauce (which tasted like black bean sauce), you'll have to pay an additional $5. Another thing to note is that they are BYOB, so you can bring your own alcohol. However, the menu pictures on Yelp are outdated, and they only offer whole Peking duck, not half orders. Overall, the food was just okay, and I'll probably try a different spot when I'm in the mood for duck again.

    Photos
    Royal Kitchen
    Royal Kitchen
    Peking duck table service.

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    Peking duck table service.
    Bamboo House

    Bamboo House

    3.9
    (137 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    Love bamboo house! This is one of my favorite places to come whenever I'm craving Peking Duck. Not…read moreonly do you get the duck with the perfectly done crispy skin in a cute dish shaped like a duck, but you also get the rest of the duck in a bone broth soup. It's so much better than chicken soup with the tenderness and flavor. They give you plenty of the pancakes and veggies. David is the absolute best everrr! He always takes care of us and knows just what to recommend. Pretty sure he sees us and just puts in the duck order at this point. Anyways, the pea shoots are basically one of the only vegetables I love to eat and I'm always so happy to see it on the menu here. All of the dishes are great and you really can't go wrong. Come with a small group for family style while enjoying the intimate environment and good food! There's always plenty of parking and it's perfectly located right off the freeway.

    Of course we were here for the Peking Duck. Usually the half duck comes with 10 pieces of skins but…read morethis time we only got 8. It's possible that we may have had a couple stick together. But regardless, we didn't have enough skin so asked if we can get 2 more skins, even if we had to pay for them. The waitress barked at us that it comes in 10-pks and that she can't get us just 2 pieces. Fine, but there's no need to be annoyed and roll your eyes at us. The service was much to be desired. We ordered the A-Choy vegetable and it was awful, old and yellow and not cooked well. It's like they didn't sauté it in a hot enough wok so it wasn't crispy. So disappointing this time. Don't get me wrong, the Peking Duck and the soup that comes with it were still pretty good. Thus the second star.

    Photos
    Bamboo House
    Bamboo House
    Bamboo House

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    Hometown Cafe - chinese - Updated August 2026

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