Hard to find homestyle Taiwanese food here in Dallas compared to Houston. This place is a favorite of mine. I love the dishes they offer. Some of my favorites are the stir fried potatoes and stir fried chayote. The clear noodle with jalapeno is good too. One of the rare places I can find zhajiangmian / jajangmyeon here in Dallas similar to how it is in Houston. A bit smokier in flavor though but I'm a happy camper to have pork, soy beans, and dofu in a sweet oniony brown sauce. They offer two soups: an egg drop soup with corn and/or tomatoes and a daikon and woodear soup. They are very fresh and simple and make me feel at home. read more

We go here a lot, it's a lot like the community cafeteria I've experienced back home, there's large portions and you get to choose 3 entrees to go with rice. Taste is pretty on par to homemade food, just don't expect gourmet Michelin level restaurant quality and you will be pleased and welcomed with how simple but effective your meal is. read more

Cheap good Taiwanese food. Always ready when you arrive and you get to pick 3 entrees with two scoops of rice. Been going here since I was 14 (23 now) when it was Taiwan cafe. Still delicious as ever. My go to meals are egg tomato and the Kung pao chicken. Delicious!! read more

Hometown Cafe - Kung pao chicken, cold cut pork in chili oil, egg w/ tomato - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

You know the place is authentic when 98% of the people, including customers and workers, are Chinese! But actually, there was like one non-Asian person there. Hopefully the wonders of Yelp can expose even more people to yummy food like that found at Hometown Cafe! The food is fresh, authentic, and seriously yummy. You can get food cafeteria style, order menu-style dishes to eat family style, or even get traditional Chinese breakfast (like you tiao and dou jiang, yum!) Regardless of which route of deliciousness you choose to take, they also offer free unlimited soup, usually an egg drop tomato or broth with mushrooms and daikon)! I usually get food cafeteria style: they pile 3 entrees of your choice plus two heaping spoonfuls of white rice onto a old school style metal lunch tray. They have a huge variety of entrees: spicy and not, fish, beef, chicken, pork, veggies, tofu, whatever you want! Food can be a bit on the oilier side, though. Oh, and all that is only $6 total. I also get two meals out of it every time since they give you so much food. Wow such a good deal :D Cash only! read more

Hometown Cafe - Huge portions and free unlimited soup! - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

This was my go to place for quick eat and have home cooked meal. When Taiwan cafe in plano was too far for me to go and the price there was higher for less, I am glad I found this place. Portion is just right for the price. They serve their foods cafeteria style. Best times to go there are during peak hours for lunch and supper if you want the food to be fresh and ready. This goes the same with asian places that serve cafeteria style. However due to pandemic jacking up all the commodities, the pricing from hometown went up substantially. sad. I cannot afford to eat there as often as I normally did in the past. It's the same all over. prices are up, and we cannot dine out as often to enjoy the atmosphere. read more

Definitely different. The food was good the atmosphere was good. We went on a Sunday, cash only. The only downfall would be that the food was not all hot. But would we go back? Yes. read more

Delicious, fast, and cheap authentic Chinese/Taiwanese food. A downside, it's cash only. With lots of options of side dishes to choose from, $6 gets you two scoops of rice and three side dishes of your choice! Plus unlimited soup (two different kinds). To all my vegetarian friends out there, there are plenty of vegetarian options- one of my favorites is their dried tofu with green onions! The portions are huge for $6 as well- it's always two meals for me. It's cafeteria style so you get your food really fast! They have a menu too, but most people come for their $6 cafeteria meal. They also serve boba drinks! read more

Hometown Cafe - Two scoops of rice, potatoes, tofu, and veggies. Plus unlimited soup! All for $6! - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Excited to try out this "new" restaurant! It is essentially a reincarnation of "Taiwan Cafe II", cousin to the Taiwan Cafe in Plano. Highlights are: Decent food, fast service, amazing prices This restaurant serves cafeteria style Chinese/Taiwanese food that is fairly authentic. It is good for a casual meal or grabbing a box to-go. It's the best in its category, though you obviously can't be comparing it to fancy-shmancy places. read more

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$6 bento- two scoops of rice and three entrees. You can pick anything you want, and you're not limited to a meat and only veggies. I got the eggplant (pretty decent, but a little too oily/heavy), black pepper chicken (delicious!), and steamed egg custard (solid). They also serve classic Chinese breakfast items in the morning like: - Soymilk (cold or hot, sweet or salty) - Leek pockets - Green onion pancake - Fried dough sticks (you tiao) - Flat bread pockets (shao bing) - Radish cake Pretty good portions and value, but the owner lady is a bit rude. This isn't the kind of place that seems like they call-out orders, instead of delivering to your table, since there isn't an order number or anything. So she called out for a soymilk, and then yelled at us that we didn't respond. How were we supposed to know that it was our soymilk and not someone else's? read more

We came here during the holiday break for the first time and were disappointed by the food. The main fact is that the food was cold and not even room temperature. We went at 11:30am, which I would assume is when the food would be fresh and hot. Not even the rice was warm. I have to assume this is at least a food safety issue aside from being gross to eat. I would think that they would fail food inspection, especially if they can't even keep their meats hot. Eat at your own risk and hope that the food is hot when you go. read more

I always come out stuffed and often have enough to take home. So many choices and everything I have tried has been really good.

I've been eating here for years and finally writing a review. It's one of the best authentic lunchbox/bento box places. for $7 you get 3 entrees and rice. If you dine in there's soup as well and condiments. It's usually too much food for me to finish in 1 meal! Everything taste homemade and healthier than other restaurants. Cash only. read more

Great quick food. You get the 3 dishes and 2 scoops of rice for $6, and are in and out of the door in 1 minute if you're taking it to-go. Most of their dishes looked pretty tasty, and the ones I got (pepper chicken, potato strips with jalapeños, and tofu wrapped pork) were all pretty tasty. I was expecting some of their stuff to be spicier, but they were all pretty mild. The flavor on them were also pretty good, slightly on the salty side. Overall, a great value for the amount of food you get, and it definitely tastes very good. CASH ONLY. Service is nice and quick, and you can just point to the stuff you want if you aren't able to speak Chinese. They don't have any signs describing the food though, so that could be a challenge. read more

This location has been serving cafeteria style of Chinese food for a very long time. The business has been sold and bought with name changes. We have always enjoyed their dishes. There are 2 or 3 combos you can order. You can also order dishes, however, most folks come here and pick 2 or 3 combos. If u dine at the restaurant, you can get the free soup. It is a to go place for us for a quick meal. Service is good and friendly. A very basic meal for the Chinese community. The word is Basic. Not fancy. read more

Hometown Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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One of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. Very affordable ($9 for two scoops of rice and three entrees) and amazing quality, authentic homecooking. There are many many options, and you can't go wrong with any of them. My favorites are the vermicelli with ground pork ("ants climbing a tree in Chinese"), the pork belly with egg, the steamed white chicken with scallions, and the tomato egg. The scallion pancakes are made to order and are some of the best I've had. If you dine-in, your meal comes with delicious free soup. Hometown Cafe is a must-try. Support this mom and pop shop! read more

Let me tell you right now: I LOVE HOMETOWN CAFE. I'm willing to admit that this may be a little biased although I just can't find it in myself to rate any restaurant lower than 5 stars when they serve me exuberantly plentiful amounts of food at the low price of 6 bucks. These places are becoming rare and hard to find especially when they combine price, amount, and taste so beautifully. Alright now for a history lesson. If you have been to both Taiwan Cafe and Hometown Cafe, you may notice a few similarities. The similar layout, the dishes they serve, the 50 cent price difference, and even the classic Gotham State Penitentiary-esque trays that both restaurants use. This is no coincidence because about two years ago, the now owner of Hometown Cafe split from Taiwan Cafe in a messy business split. Luckily for us consumers, now we have the option of TWO low cost, high value restaurants!! You walk in, you start pointing (unless you speak Chinese) and they will give you three dishes of your choice alongside two scoops of rice. Depending on when you come, and also what they felt like cooking, different dishes will be available. The classic staples most often there are going to be your kung pao chicken, your soy sauce tofu, your garlic greenbeans, and some sort of pork dish. Among other dishes are spicy boiled white fish, black pepper and jalepeno chicken, fried fish fillets, egg and tomato, and others!! I always get the boiled white fish when its available as well as the egg and tomato and the kung pao chicken. Just remember that the portions are very generous and there are two types of soup available at no extra cost! Pro-Tip: boba is available for 2 extra dollars! read more

Hometown Cafe - I got the egg and tomato, the black pepper chicken, and the fried fish fillets! - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

The food here is so amazing and authentic! Tastes just like my mom's home cooking, but even better with the wide variety of options. This is probably the best deal in all of Dallas--a to go container with three entrees and big scoops of rice only costs $9 (cash only though), and the portions are so generous and filling that I can stretch one meal from here into two or even three meals. Amazing for anyone who enjoys tasty food for surprisingly low prices. My favorite entrees are the pork belly with egg and the noodles with ground pork, but everything I've tasted is incredible. Run, don't walk, to eat here! read more

The food is mostly at room temperature all the time, but I do like the flavors of most of them so I can look past that (My solution is ordering to-go and microwave it at home instead. The bland egg drop soup they offer was not worth the dining in experience anyway). The staffs do not speak much English, so if you are allergic to something/on a special diet, it will be very discouraging/frustrating to order. My friend could not eat pork so the lady behind the counter had to yell and ask another staff who could speak English to come help. They both did not look super happy, but usually, when I come in ready to point out the food I want, the service is pretty friendly. Most of their food have chicken and pork. There is like 1 option for fish. There are quite a lot of vegeterian options, but most of them are boiled/stir fried veggies. This place does not have super good food that blow your mind, but it is decent AND CHEAP. With $6.50, you can basically have 2 meals. I don't know if you can get cheaper food anywhere else. This place will help you survive if you are on a budget! They are open at 10, but don't come right at 10 because not all the food are out at that point. People usually go at that time for breakfast food (which I would love to try in the future). I would have given this place 3 star for food and service, but this place is so affordable, I have to give it another star! read more

No frills, pick your dish, get your soup, rest, go. Perfect for people on the go. Food was good, plenty of selections. Will definitely go back, even though we drive half an hour to get there. Dish is $7 each, free soup. Soup was very good. Cash only. Does not look like a lot of food but it's definitely enough to share. read more

Pls fire the woman who has long hair tied back. She lacks customer service skills, judgmental, should be fired :) left a tip and got yelled at for asking for an extra to go container. They will also blame you for things other people and their staff did. Cheap and rude A.F. read more

This is my family's "go-to" restaurant whenever we're in Dallas, which says a lot because my parents are very picky Taiwanese eaters. My mom always complains when we eat out at Asian places because her version is healthier, cheaper, and tastier (can't deny that either haha). This place though got her and my dad's approval. Not only is it cheap, it has a home cooked taste and is less oily than other restaurants. Try also only serve fresh food. We came in at 3pm for lunch once and they dumped the "unfresh" dishes and gave us the new batch. They have many dishes to choose from and I have yet to try a dish I didn't like. I usually don't eat tofu at all (hate the soybean taste) but I tried a tofu dish here and liked it. Can't beat the $6 deal that comes with unlimited free soup too. Plus the aunties that work here are super friendly. read more

$6 for hefty sized portions... and unlimited soup? Heck yea!!! I had spicy chicken. Flat pork ribs and more chicken in sauce. Had enough left over for a second meal! I am no expert in Chinese cuisine, but everything seemed authentic and the guests seemed very familiar with the menu and everybody was enjoying their meals. This is a small unassuming restaurant in Greenville and Arapaho. I went for lunch with a group from work. Come with cash as they don't take plastic. The place is small with varying sizes of tables. I'm glad I was with people that were familiar with the place as I would've been completely lost. read more

This place has quickly become a favorite of me and my family. It is just really simple, tasty, Chinese food that tastes home-made. Even my mom approves of it! When compared to Taiwan cafe, it is not only $1 cheaper, but the food is, in my opinion, more flavorful and fresher. Hometown seems to be busier than Taiwan cafe, making the turnover of the food quicker. Similar to Taiwan cafe, they also offer traditional Chinese breakfast food on the weekends. Again, the breakfast seems to be of a better quality at Hometown cafe. The decor is minimal, and there is really minimal to no service, but the staff there is always friendly and happy to serve. With the quality of the food and the price, you really can't ask for more! read more

This is a nearly perfect example of cafeteria style Chinese/Taiwanese food. Everything is really tasty and fresh. There is also free soup and water provided for self serve, plus the boba tea is very adorable with the meal. Great for to-go or dine in. read more

This place is one of my favorite restaurants. Its home cooking and cheap. I always go there with co-workers for lunch and sometimes get to go for dinner. everyday they have different selection, and the food are very fresh made constantly. It only cost me $6 with 1 rice and 3 picks. read more

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Good restaurant. Very convenient and cheap. Various dishes you can choose. For $6 you can stuff yourself or have nice meal for two. My favorite is the short rib:) read more

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I come here pretty often because the deal is too good to pass up on and super convenient. (Cash Only) 6 dollars for 3 sides and rice + soup if you eat in. The sides to choose from are often the same with some variety every now and then. The food is a bit oily then if it was served normally at a restaurant but I suspect they reuse their wok's to make food and the oil piles up. You get huge servings of each side and you will never leave hungry. My favorite 2 sides to get are San Bei Ji (Three Cup Chicken) and Cu Gua (Bitter Melon). I have had negative experiences with under cooked food, but this has occurred very seldomly. It is self serve. read more

This restaurant has decent food with affordable price. I like eating there for lunch on weekdays, it is fast and neat. I noticed they change food frequently, you can always find the food you like. I adore the fried fish there, and tried to make the same dish at home, but all failed:). Anyway, highly recommend if you are on a tight budget, and want to save some time. read more

Hometown Cafe - Dishes to choose from~~ - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

After multiple return visits, I can honestly say Hometown Cafe is much better than Taiwan Cafe in the same plaza. The dishes are much more savory, the cooking and seasoning are much better. And they also have tradtional chinese breakfast items on weekend. I may try other items off it's a la carte menu soon, but for the 3 choice bento meal and the breakfast items, this place is legit. read more

Hometown Cafe - 3 choice bent box - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Average food, but a lot to choose from.3 choices of meat with rice for $6, what can you expect. CASH ONLY !! read more

Hometown Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Overall (4 stars composite score): Tasty, affordable Chinese food that's fast to boot. Offerings have fantastic variety and is a great option for people on the go who want a home style meal. Food/Drink (90% 1.5 star total): I love cafeteria style dining. You just point and choose. No muss, no fuss. All the items taste great and it has a nice home style flavor to everything. The noodle bowls are delicious and we are big fans of the green onion pancake. Service (80% of 1.5 star total): Everyone is nice and tries their best to ensure that your experience is a good one. Best times to come for lunch is before 1 PM.. They begin refreshing the food line for dinner at 4 PM and your should come here before 6:30 PM to get it fresher. Value (100% of 1 star total): The value is very impressive. $6 gets you 3 entrees, rice and bottomless soup. The food tastes great and there's plenty of it. Ordering non plate items off the menu gives you some great results too. Atmosphere (50% of 1 star total): Dining room is functional, although the furnitire is somewhat worn out. Bathrooms are a bit run down. Baby changing tables are needed since I'd consider this a family restaurant. read more

Very nice sized portion quick service style cafe. I think the food quality is actually very good. There are a few other businesses that do this style of pick and choose and Hometown is definitely at the top. All you gotta do is go and point at what you want. You can order dishes only without rice, its the same price and they give you extra dishes. It is right next to Maxims, so I would avoid going around lunchtime on Sat/Sunday due to the dimsum and popularity of it next door. Parking is pretty easy all other times of the day though. They take cash only, and depending on the mood of the person serving you (or perhaps how nicely you smile), your portions could be bigger or smaller. Either way, its a big serving of food. I see lots of people stop in and pick up food togo, but if you dine in you get free soup. The metal trays give it kind of a prison vibe if you are into that. read more

Lots of choices and price is unbeatable, but man food is too salty and is too oily for my taste. Taiwanese food should usually be much lighter. I would really love this place if they use less oil and make it less salty. read more

Authentic Taiwanese cuisine that is fantastic (and this is coming from my wife, who was born and raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan). This place is a keeper!! read more

Had been here before when it was the other owner. From yelp, looks like it's worthy place to try. Came here last weekend as my mom is still in town....not sure when she's leaving yet. Thought she would like it as we're from Taiwan originally. Had high expectaion with all the reviews. We got here on a Sunday around 12:30p. There were few people in front of us ordering. The lady (owner I assumed) was a bit intimidating as she was hurrying everyone in line asking what do you want out loud. As it was our first time, we had no idea on what to order. Anyway, we ended up ordering 5 plate lunch (3 sides and rice for $6), and chicken chow mein and 2 onion pancakes. I originally wanted beef noodle soup, but they were out? Really? My daughter wanted the chicken chow mein, which for whatever reason took a long time as they may have forgotten. We were almost finishing the lunch when it finally came out, so it was about 20min wait. The taste was bland and had lots of onions and other vegies that my daughter didn't care for. The taste was very basic, as in very Americanized, something you would find at Panda Express. So for a tradional Chinese restaurant, it was disappointing. Because they didn't have beef noodle soup, I ordered a plate lunch as with the rest of my family. Again, we had 5 of them of varioud choices to try. Overall, the food was just OK. I recall the spare ribs was very sweet, which is odd. The only thing that was really good was their onion pancakes as they were very cripy and tasty. Along with your meal, you can also help yourself with free soup. They had 2 flavors, but both were basic and bland. But hey, they were free, so don't expect too much. Overall, the value is good as for $6, you do get a decent meal. It's just unfortunate they took 20min to cook up chicken chow mein. A litlte smile would go a long way from the owner. If I go back, I'll probably just get the onion pancakes to go. read more

Love the quick cafeteria style concept. Food is definitely authentic but I can't say it's the best Taiwanese food I've had. However you can't really complain at $6 total (no additional taxes)...and you get soooo much food for the price. I usually eat here for lunch and get the rice plate with 3 entrees...it can definitely feed 2 people because the portions are so generous. Definitely my go to lunch spot, especially when I am in a rush. Oh and cash only! read more

Best authentic Chinese food!!! The owner is very nice and come the table to see how I like it. Will I bring the family back.

This place offers homemade authentic Chinese food, so some of the stuff may be acquired taste for people who are only used to American Chinese. The restaurant works just like Panda Express, what you see is what you get, you pick the items you like in front of you for the meal, only the food is more authentic to homemade Chinese. read more

Great food but with it sitting out, it tends to get cold which is somewhat expected. I just didn't think the rice should be cold/ lukewarm also. Besides that, the food is good and unlimited soup read more

I eat here a couple times a month for lunch, can't beat the price, $6 bucks for 3 items + rice and soup. Food is decent quality, nothing out of this world, but hearty and it's a good cheap lunch read more