Authentic homestyle comfort food. We came on a Friday evening and there was a short wait. Servers are friendly but super busy so it's no nonsense. You order and you get your food. They don't check on you very often, so if you need anything, make sure to flag them down. We enjoyed our dishes, especially the fish because it came on a hot plate with flame below, so it kept it nice and hot. The Grandma's pork had good flavor, but portion relatively small and wasn't as hot as I would like. Prices are reasonable but be aware that they will charge you per person for rice unless you decline it. read more

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This place is a 3 in service, 4 in food/flavor, and a 5 in pricing especially in the current 2024 cost of food. Food comes out really quick and I haven't had anything that wasn't good the handful of times I've visited. One thing they do that not many other restaurants to in the US is that they will ask if you would sit with other smaller parties when it's busy but have no large parties for their larger tables. We were once sat with two other families and it was a little weird. I mean I didn't mind, but everyone just kinda whispered to each other instead of regular talking. I really wanted to be like "what you order looks good wanna try mine and I'll try yours? We have a lazy susan anyway!" read more

We've come to Hometown Restaurant several times now! The food is really affordable for being in Irvine, and always delicious. Don't expect too much in terms of service, though - the owner/waitress almost always seems like she has an attitude (one time she waved us off when we wanted to order, lol) but the food at its price and flavor makes up for it. Dishes comes out in a reasonable time. Seating space might be tougher for larger groups (5+) unless you've made a reservation. We have our go-to items we usually get, which includes some combination of beef, lamb, and fish. This time we ended up ordering: Pan Fried Buns ($6.95, 5/5) - These will take longer to come out, but they're delicious! Crispy on the bottom, with good flavor inside. Comes in a set of 5. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce ($9.95, 4.5/5) - Very classic garlic sauce flavor, eggplants taste fresh (not bitter). Good if you'd like to incorporate some veggies into your meal. Fish w/ Soft Tofu ($12.95, 4.5/5) - The flavor of this dish is more mild, but still tasty! Both the fish and tofu are super soft, and the underlying sauce pairs really well with rice. Cumin Lamb ($13.95, 5/5) - Their lamb is tender and the cumin/leek combination works really well with the lamb Boiled Beef w/ Napa ($12.95, 4.5/5) - Similar to their lamb, their beef is tender and the flavor is pretty good. Personally I would want it to be more spicy but this is a good middle ground. Overall the flavor's great and the price is really hard to beat, which is why we've been back so many times! read more

Hometown Restaurant - Pan Fried Pork Buns (5), Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Boiled Beef w/ Napa, Cumin Lamb, Fish w/ Soft Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Ordered a couple of dishes over the phone for takeout. I tried to order fish in black bean sauce which I saw on the menu on their website but I guess they don't actually have it because I got fish in hot bean sauce ($10.95). It was a good portion for the price, full of fish, and slightly spicy. We also got Mapo tofu ($9.95), which was somewhat similar to the other dish except for the numbing from the Sichuan peppercorns. Overall, solid Chinese food at some of the lowest prices I've seen in Irvine! read more

Hometown Restaurant - Fish in hot bean sauce - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

came back and tried more of their dishes! shoutout to the waitress stephanie for giving us a free 年糕 dish for chinese new year! she seems rude at first but honestly she's rlly sweet ordered: - special lamb casserole (酸白菜羊肉鍋): 10/10, so flavorful and authentic - eggplant (魚香茄子): 10/10, tasty and not too saucy read more

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Shanghainese cuisine. Food came out of the kitchen really fast. Fried pork chops were quite lean without a lot of fat. Chicken with garlic sauce portion size was a little smaller than expected but had good taste. Honey walnut shrimp was the best dish with generous portions. Older lady there taking orders had a very sour bitchy attitude. The teapot had only hot water and I asked that we'd like tea and she wouldn't say why there's no tea, and she just said "no tea today". I understand how typical Chinese restaurant service usually is, but she took extra care to exude black juju today! If it weren't for the good food to make up for it, I would have rated this place only 2 stars. read more

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One of the best places to go when looking for Chinese comfort food. They have a large variety of dishes and it's best to go in a group so you can try as many as possible. It's a small family-owned place and they always treat my family and I well when we go. The workers are very efficient and they checked on our table frequently to make sure we were doing well. I will give the disclaimer that sometimes when they are busier, they may appear less friendly but as far as service in a Chinese restaurant standards go, I'd rank this one pretty high. read more

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Great food. Service is good! It seems they have closed and I'm devastated ! Family style food. We ate together with strangers before when it was crowded. I will miss this place so much! read more

这家餐厅非常有上海特色 吃到了炒年糕和小笼包 确实让我想家了‼‼ . 关于环境： 环境普普通通 生意很不错，位置比较紧凑 关于服务： 服务很不错哦 虽然用餐高峰，比较忙碌 但是出品的速度，和服务员收拾桌面的速度都很给力 关于出品： 上海炒年糕 9.95 很大一份，足够两个人分享 里面的用料也非常的足 肉丝的量非常大 物美价廉，想当的好吃 小笼汤包 6.95 皮薄肉厚，汤汁满满 刚上桌的时候要等一会，否则汤汁烫嘴哈～ . 总体不错，人均10扶墙出[OK] #好吃不贵经济实惠宝藏美食 #吃货的日常记录 #尔湾美食 #尔湾中餐 read more

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This restaurant is a casual, no-frills kind of place with authentic Chinese dishes. We got the braised pork ($14.95), lamb casserole ($14.95), and eggplant ($9.95). For the price, I have to say I was impressed! The braised pork had mostly really tender pieces and great flavor. The lamb casserole had a strong lamb flavor and delicious noodles in it! I thought the lamb pieces were kind of tough, but my bf loved this dish and said it was tender. The eggplant was delicious. We asked for less spicy, and it was perfect. read more

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Awesome Chinese food, reasonably priced, good portions and fast service. We especially love their honey walnut shrimp, which is big juicy shrimps with a crispy delicious coating that has a hint of citrus. Their kung pao chicken is excellent and fried rice delicious! We also love their Westlake beef soup, so good!! And the service is fast and friendly! read more

Hometown Restaurant is quite the little hidden gem. Having just picked up a few items at the 99 Ranch Market which is in the same shopping center I noticed Hometown Restaurant. I decided to Yelp the menu and found some things on it that I normally like. I went in about noon and the place was only half full. I decide to try it. I ordered the Mapo Tofu and the Spicy Fried Chicken. The Mapo Tofu was very reasonably priced. It was a very large portion and it was delicious. The Spicy Fried Chicken was something dreams are made of. I haven't had this good of a mala fried chicken dish since I visited Chongqing (Sichuan province, China) several years ago. I love this place and will be back. Update: I went back in a few weeks later. I had the Spicy Fried Chicken again. SOOOOOOO great! I could eat this dish every meal for the rest of my life. This time I also ordered the Ribs with Fried Minced Garlic. The ribs came with a mound of fried garlic...holy moly. The ribs were flavorful but they were a bit dry. I liked them but I'm not sure I'd get them again. read more

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It is one of the best home style Chinese restaurant my family love to visit regularly. Hope to reopen soon, so I can visit again. Please let us know when and where if you know. Love the choices, taste, quickness, pricing. read more

So sad this place closed down. Was my favorite Chinese spot in Irvine. Amazing food, fair price.

Yes, they are closed BUT not permanently I asked one of the construction workers if the owner is still coming back and he said YES! He mentioned he was expanding the restaurant. Can't wait! Their food is sooo good read more

Our family's favorite place for Chinese dishes! Many dishes reminds me of my mom's cooking! Highly recommend.

We read so many poor reviews of this place due to the lack of customer service, it made us avoid this place for years, but I decided to give it try and I suppose given such low expectations, it was a pleasant surprise. We were served by a young man, and he didn't seem too rude, we ordered a fish, a tofu and dumplings, and each one was quite delicious, not too oily. Fold was relatively fresh and enough for leftovers. When we arrived around noon on a weekday, it was pretty quiet, seemed they could easily accommodate another 5-6 tables and still have extra capacity. I am aware that they used to have a lunch menu, which we were told is no longer available. If they were to revive the lunch specials, we would definitely make this place our regular, possibly weekly, lunch stop. Unfortunately, for now, the food and prices are just okay, not quite the best value out there, but it works, depending on what you decide to get. Will visit again someday, even sooner if the lunch menu is brought back. read more

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This place lives up to its name - it really is a (Chinese) hometown restaurant. While other reviews for this restaurant have many complaints about the service, my group found the service to be quite pleasant, with the staff conversing (in Chinese) with many customers. We even got a complimentary tea! The food itself is pretty good, feels like family style Chinese food but with smaller portions (and cheaper prices). read more

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I strongly believe the chef is from northern China and has no idea of the taste enjoyed in areas around shanghai. Don't be fooled by the name of the restaurant. read more

This used to be the favorited Shanghainese restaurant of my family. And we have been there A LOT. Well, today I'm done with this and will never come back. Pic2 is what Jicai fried rice cake should be. And Pic1 was what we got. Did they scratch the residual from chopping board? And the restaurant added the tip automatically by 15%, for party of two. I'm not aware since when the tipping thing has started working in this way. Anyway, we gave 2-star as a farewell greeting from regular customers used to be. Bye for good. read more

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SO good. Not a lot of seating area so I can see it getting busy. But it's a family style Chinese restaurant. Fast service but not great service. You need to flag them down if you need things but I find that typical for a lot of Asian restaurants and it's not a big deal. Got the mapo tofu. So good. Salty and savory and spicy. Full of flavor and a good portion. I had leftovers. Will def be back read more

Hometown Restaurant - Mapo tofu - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Hidden gem, the food we orders comes out hot and taste great.the price is reasonable , read the other review regarding to bad service I do not have any problem waitress very attentive. We definitely comes back and try different things in the menu. read more

This is a very great taste of food and very inexpressive place. They have fast service and you will get plenty of food. The owner is super nice. read more

Been hearing a lot about Hometown Restaurant and finally came here the other day. The food is DELICIOUS! It is a Shanghai/home style restaurant- very tasty. They do have smaller portions but at the same time it's very fairly priced. I do prefer this as there won't be a lot of food to where you will need to take home leftovers or be too stuffed from larger portions. Came here with co workers and between the 4 of us the bill was a little under $70 with tip. Not a bad deal at all. Will definitely be back to try other items - this has just become one of my top favorite restaurants! read more

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Great restaurant. Og Chinese food. A lot of Shanghainese and sichuan. Old school china town taste very good very Dee Dow. The greatest maybe in Irvine for old school china town taste. Love it og heaven go go go. read more

this place was slightly bustling on a thursday evening! i arrived at 5:30pm and was seated immediately, but around 7:30pm is when a lot of patrons start coming in for their dinnertime. overall, dinner was affordable and diverse my friend and i ordered 4 dishes (total was around $50 after tax?) that we requested to be less spicy: mapo tofu: sweetish yet still savory, with bits of ground pork and green onion. perfect to create hot, stewy bites with white rice intestines hotpot: idt they had pork blood on hand so they substituted with silken tofu cubes. intestines were chewy and had a great funky-ish mouthfeel and smell, and i loved the tingle of szechuan peppers + the sour crunch of the pickled mustard stems beef and green beans: nothing pairs as well with white rice as the smoky, blistered crunch of stir-fried green beans and the velvety texture of stir-fried beef that we got here hot and sour soup: the first aroma that i pinpointed when i walked in. i was right to follow my instincts-- the soup was not too thick nor too runny, and sour enough to make my mouth water as the light spice and heat of the soup encouraged me to continue slurping it. the slivers of pork, mushroom, and bamboo in the soup alternated soft, chewy, and slightly crunchy textures-- all delicious! read more

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Cheap Chinese food but it comes at a different price: cheap ingredients. While the food tasted pretty good, you leave feeling totally lethargic the next 24 hours because Im 99% sure that they use lard for oil versus regular cooking oil. Tasty but heavy. If you don't mind this, read on. You'll see our my ratings for every dish we ordered. If I go back, I will probably try a fried rice and the garlic pea tips. read more

Hometown Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great value, and the food is decent (pretty authentic). Small portions, so you tend to order more dishes since the price is relatively low compared to other restaurants nearby. It gets busy on weekends. read more

Jack Webb bits (Just the Facts Ma'am): Food: flavorful, clean, not "the score" but good value for money. Service: efficient, even though we don't speak Chinese, and dare I say courteous. Ambience: small ma and pop place, but very clean and current. Okay, now for my opinions. Felt like exploring, so tried it out, in spite of some of the negative reviews. Came in around 2:00 pm, and did not have to wait to get seated. Ordered up a few items, they have pictures on the menu so don't be intimidated by the language barrier. Our food arrived quickly and was darn good. The pea shoots were appropriately garlicky, with a bit of wok hei. The Wuxi pork ribs were not overly sweet, not did I fear red dye # 5 poisoning from them. The pork buns had a flavorful filling. Additionally, the dough had a nice rise on it making the shell nice and fluffy. The general tso chicken (yes I am Asian and I still ordered it) was a nice surprise. Was freshly fried which gave it a fluffy, yet crispy texture. The sauce was not overly sweet, with a nice amount or smoky heat from the chili peppers. Come by and get down on this place. read more

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Good food good prices. Head waitress is very rude most of time. As soon as you walk in, you feel you are not welcomed, because you are bothering her, she is busy. All other places at least you get a friendly greeting, a smiley face, we all understand you have to wait a little bit if they are busy. This lady just give you the step mom stone face. Food is good, but we left with unpleasant mood, totally uncalled for. read more

You were on our list of mainstays, we tried you out once on a whim and you were absolutely exactly the home style cooking we wanted. I am so bummed that you are closed now, but I want you to know the food was fantastic. Thank you so much. read more

Food is good for the price. But service is bad. Had to wait more than 5 minutes to order even after calling for a waitress who never came. Had to wait more than 10 minutes to pay. They have 3 servers but most don't look at you. read more

I see a lot of haters. This place... is like your neighborhood resturant in Taiwan. Is it the best? No. Is it fair and a really homely feel? Yes. So that's how I rate it. The prices are great, service is so-so but you'll like the food and it's still a place where you can get lots of good chinese food that will be ~$20 per person. Better than a cafe like AJ and Tofu King, solid fast caual where you're expected to sit and eatcasual. If you're looking for more high end, there are other places. read more

Didn't get to experience the food. But service was horrible! After 15 minute and counting, waved down waitress, went up the their cash register telling them we would like to order. They acknowledged but still didn't come..After another few minutes, we just left. To wait more than 20' minutes and still no one come to take your order is just ridiculous read more

The food is decent. However the service is trash. Most of the servers are alright, but the main lady/manager is extremely rude. Expect to tip at least 25% or else be hit with snarky and rude comments to your face. Happened all 3 times I've been here. They will let you in to eat at 7:30pm, and then force you to leave at 8pm because that's their closing time. WTH? Most restaurants at least give an hour after they "close" for customers to finish eating. They stand next to your table with the credit machine and wait for you to pay your bill and expect you to pack up and leave. read more

Saw this restaurant recommended by xiao hong shu. First time trying. Taste very so so. Not worth to come back.

Went here last night for dinner, and it was amazing! Every dish was great! I'd say this place is the perfect mix of what Americans think of as Chinese food, but actual Chinese food! I didn't know what it's called, but, The bamboo dish is amazing. We had an incredible meal!!! read more

Great food and decent price and quick service. Would recommend to all for decent Chinese food

Delicious Northern & Southern Chinese fast food! We ordered the following: 1) Scallion Pancake 2) Sesame Pancake 3) Roasted Beef Roll 4) Honey Walnut Shrimp 5) Chicken and Celery My husband really digs the beef roll and said he could eat it every day! I read more

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My extended family is from Taiwan and Shanghai, so I grew up eating this food. I'm also from the SGV. This is not it. I ordered the lion's head meatballs, Sacha beef, two orders of pan-fried buns, and fried noodles for my daughter. The lion's head meatballs were incredibly dry and did not have the fat you would typically taste, which makes them tender. The sauce it came with was extremely watery, much like a broth. The pan-fried buns were also dry, and the dough was too thick. There was no juice whatsoever. I regret getting two orders. The Sacha beef and fried noodles were ok and probably some of the better dishes (but still could have been better). I gave them two stars for being affordable (compared to other Irvine Chinese restaurants) and for having my order ready when I arrived. I'm sad I wasted my calories on this place and should have gone to the SGV instead. Lesson learned. read more