When I was in college, I waited tables at this restaurant. Well, at a previous incarnation of this restaurant. The eponymous Mr. Chen was my boss back then...and did most of the cooking. This would have been the first half of the 1980s. Since then, the restaurant is under new management. It also was moved from the original North Grand mall location to the light warehouse district on Lincoln Way east of Duff Ave. My father, my son and I had dinner at the Lincoln Way location at the end of April 2026. We were the only customers dining in. Two of the dishes we ordered (shrimp in black bean sauce and General Tso's chicken) tasted very familiar...i recognized them as Mr. Chen's recipes. While we were there, there was was a nearly constant stream of people coming in to collect takeout orders. So...the current management are obviously pursuing a different business model, which is fine. But I felt a little bummed by the shabby physical space and industrial location. I missed the vigorous energy that Mr. and Mrs. Chen imparted when they were running the place. read more

Always loved going to this place, even since I was a kid. I enjoy coming here and glad they're still around read more

House of Chen - Updated menu - Chinese Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

Quick service, friendly staff. The restaurant smelled awful and the tables were filthy. Went to grab the soy sauce and the bottle was filthy. See below: read more

House of Chen - Wiping off the soy sauce bottle. - Chinese Near Me - Ames, Iowa

The food was just ok nothing to write home about. They need more then one cook in the kitchen the wait time was ridiculous I waited over 30 minutes and people who placed a phone order and was told it was their food will be ready in 25 minutes and when they got there had to wait an additional 30 minutes. That was very bad read more

Service was ok, there was a young man working the front, seemingly all by himself. I hadn't been through here in at least six years but was in the area. It's a complete travesty the house made hot mustard is gone, replaced by the cheap and tacky packers you can find at HyVee. The egg rolls were under cooked. I believe hot tea used to be 50 cents, is it's $2.50 for the pot. The portion was pretty generous, but I certainly wouldn't take the time to get off Hwy 30 or I-35 to come here. read more

See all

Absolutely the worst excuse for food i have ever seen. (Tasted). Breaded chicken 95% covered in a fatty wet substance i think they were called breeding. Literally zero chicken in it. Even smelled spoiled. And very very expensive. ​Had to through it away. read more

Always delicious. My favorite for years. Small place but has a family atmosphere. The service is fast and always accommodating. read more

Pretty good food and currently are only pickup/carry out from Wednesday-Saturday's. We tried the sweet and sour chicken and garlic chicken lunch entrees. Everything was fresh and hot upon pickup and service was friendly upon arrival. Sweet and sour chicken had the sauce on the side so it wasn't soggy and the garlic chicken was flavorful and fairly spicy. Egg rolls were decent but definitely had better. Overall, a good lunch deal with lots of options and decent food. read more

House of Chen - Sauced up sweet and sour chicken - Chinese Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

Delicious. We go about every week It's so good. I can't believe my husband loves the food. The staff are very accommodating It's one of our favorite restaurants in town. I see customers order different items on the menu. It's hard to decide, they all look so good. A little secret in Ames, as out-of-towners may not know about it. read more

Best place in Ames for Chinese. Hot Sour Soup is the best. Plenty of main dishes to choose from that are all delicious.

This is the best Chinese food in Ames and also happens to be super cheap. At lunch you can get really good Chinese tea, a soup, two small egg rolls, rice and an entre for around 8 bucks. There are two downsides that keep it from 5 stars: the location and one of the workers. It's located in a pretty dull industrial area and the inside feels similar. They do what they can, but it's one large room with a curtain blocking the door from the dining room. The worker, possibly the manager or owner, is pretty loud and his sense of humor is somewhat confusing and confrontational. Not offensive really, just hard to get sometimes, and with a restaurant this small and quiet, it made me feel a little awkward. Other customers that seemed more use to it were rolling with the jokes, so maybe it's an acquired taste. Either way, service was fast, so he had that down. I'll be back for sure. read more

House of Chen - Chinese Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Always one of my favorite stops in Ames. The current strip mall location in east Ames lacks the charm of the original Mall location but the food is just as yummy as ever. My personal favorite is the General's Chicken. Be attentive to the lunch and dinner hours as there is a small break between them. They have now opened the restaurant for dining in. read more

Excellent food, for when you eat in as well as ordering for take out yet need to check the hours they are open which are specific

Decent Chinese food. All the basics of an American Chinese restaurant. Staff works hard and food is good. Good portion size and inexpensive.

This is the first Chinese restaurant in Ames and they purported to have legitimate street cred with the number of 5 stars reviews on Yelp. After their online menu stated that they have Scallion Pancakes and Peking Duck, I decided to visit with two of my friends to see what they're all about. It was full house on this evening as the atmosphere was busy and festive. The venue was small, well lit, but divey with a few wall hangers and no windows. To the right was a row of booths that juxtaposed lines of square tables to fill out the space. The clientele were locals from the area, and like most of the places in Iowa we received plenty of stares as the only Asians on that evening. Interested diners should be aware that their address is not listed correctly on Yelp. Their former location was nearby the mall, but they are now in East Ames on Lincoln within distance from Lincoln Way and Duff Ave. I learned this the hard way and went on detour before arriving at the current location. I was thankful that they kept our table. My friends came to get me since I'm still learning my ways around Ames. Their current address is: 705 East Lincoln Way Ames, IA 50010 Phone: (515) 233-3144 We started off with the four-piece Scallion Pancakes ($2.60). It was deep fried and served with sweet and sour sauce. The thin texture reminded me of enlarged fried wonton skin, and the absence of green onion flavors had us scratching our heads. This dish was far from what Scallion Pancakes are supposed to be. We didn't finish the appetizer and instead felt rather deceived for what we were given. I asked for a small dish of hot sauce to brighten the flavors, but it had staled as it obviously had lingered for who knows how long. The bright spot of the night was the Peking Duck ($29.69). They needed 24 hours advanced ordering and it was roasted, deboned, and served with a side of scallions, hoisin sauce, and crepes. The crepes they used were served warm but rough--same as the ones used for mu shu. They duck presented with the breast meat at the top, purposefully piled high, and plated with the skin that surrounded the edges. The meat was fairly tender and especially moist with the thigh and darker pieces. I thought the support cast should have included fresh steamed buns; and for the price, the count on the skin suggests that we didn't receive the whole duck. I was relieved that they didn't deep-fry the crepes, but I was also not expecting a mu shu duck experience. Relatively speaking, the other barely passable dish of the night was the Pepper Steak ($8.15). It was stir fried with lots of bell peppers and onions with small to tiny pieces of beef that came with decent flavor. The infusion of the ingredients was adequate in bringing out the flavors. However, the overrepresentation of peppers, onions, and the small cuts of the purported "steak" were sources of disappointment. In agreement, our least favorite dish was the Ginger Sauce Shrimp ($10). The size of the shrimps was too small and overwhelmed by the number of snow peas, carrots, onions, scallions, and water chestnut that were there. The taste of ginger was severely absent, instead, the sauce they used to bring the dish together oddly composed of ketchup and soy sauce. The flavor was tart and semi-sweet at the same time. This is the worst baseline sauce I had experienced in my lifetime of eating Chinese food. Service was kind and very friendly, but my water did not arrive until it was asked at the end of the meal. I'm not sure if the servers know all that much about Chinese cuisine, and interested diners should also note that tax is not listed separately on the bill. Overall, it was not a place to recommend for those who know intimately about Chinese cuisine. They also have two Lao dishes available, and a listing of Pad Thai dishes for those looking for something other than Chinese cuisine. Overhyped, with issues ranging from execution, flavor, and authenticity. I will not be coming back. 1.5 stars for the experience. read more

See all

I have been going to the House of Chen for many years now and I have not once been disappointed with the food or service. Over the years they have moved from one location to another and surprisingly it was into a smaller place than the original. House of Chen used to be located on the back side of North Grand Mall adjacent to Valentino's. Both of those places were immensely popular considering their strange location. From my very first visit to House of Chen, I've felt like family. The owners are polite and make sure that everything is done to your satisfaction. For this and many other reasons, we keep going back. House of Chen has moved to a new, smaller spot on East Lincoln Way, but they still serve the same good food at reasonable prices. It's hard to pinpoint a single dish that I have had their that I don't like. If I had to chose a favorite I'd go with the combination lo-mein, containing pork, beef and shrimp. This is always really good. I also love their Kung-Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli and Mongolian Beef. They have good staters as well. The egg rolls are good, the dumplings are fantastic and the Crab Rangoon is as good as any I've had. The service here has always been good even when they are busy. They have changed one thing there that I don't like and that's the fountain drinks. They used to serve RC Cola from the fountain at their North Grand location and they don't do that here. Strange that I picked out that thing, but I don't know of any other places that have RC from the fountain. You can't go wrong with House of Chen. The food is good (and the portions are generous, especially at dinner), the service is good and the prices are decent. I will continue to go back there because I really enjoy the way they do things. I definitely recommend this place if you're seeking out Chinese in Ames. read more

A great place for lunch or dinner! The prices are modest, and the food is good! They are not open on Sunday or Monday, but the rest of the week, they open around 11:15 a.m. and normally end around 8 pm. Nice people. read more

The House of Chen serves a variety of classic Chinese dishes. I particularly like their won ton soup, egg rolls, Kung Pao chicken, chicken asparagus (in season only), Sizzling rice dishes, mongolian beef, etc. It is located a half block west of the UPS main station on east Lincoln Way (in the middle of a strip of shops). Give them a call -- they're nice people who love to cook! read more

I have given the House of Chen a several chances to impress, they have let me down on each visit. The food was good at their old location by North Grand Mall, but ever since moving to Lincoln Way the quality and service have been poor. The menu is uninspired, the food very bland, and the omnipresent waiter (owner?) thinks it is funny to put on a floor show by shouting his jokes to staff and customers alike. During my last and final visit he was dropping F-bombs to the staff shouting over the heads of customers. There are plenty of other great Asian restaurants in Ames, do yourself a favor any visit any one of those. *Any* one! read more

Best Chinese in Ames! Trust me, I'm super picky with my asian. They sometimes have laos food too! :) Service is always friendly, and husband and wife are wonderfully inspirational to talk to! This place is worth the trip time and time again. You wont find the extraordinary freshness and flavor anywhere else in the Ames area... all for very reasonable prices! They keep the dining room very clean, and I haven't yet gotten an upset stomach from eating here like I have from practically every other chinese restaurant I've been to in Ames. :( read more

Just moved to Ames and was looking for a good Chinese restaurant. Overall, my boyfriend and I were pleased with our meals. We had the crab rangoons, hot and sour soup, sesame chicken, and shrimp lo mein. The crab rangoons and hot and sour soup were delicious. We ordered the small for the soup and it wasn't nearly enough so I suggest the large. My boyfriend liked the sesame chicken, however I did not care for it that much. My shrimp lo mein was delicious. I also suggest ordering a side of their house mustard if you're a fan of REALLY spicy mustard. We did takeout so I can't really comment on the restaurant or staff other than it's pretty small. It looks sketchy from the outside but is actually decent on the inside. We had a 15 minute wait time and it was actually ready when we showed up. They also got our order right which is a plus when it comes to take out. read more

Food was all breading. Not recommended for anything that is breaded. The breading is so heavy that most pieces were just tiny pieces of chicken. Food not good read more

I've eaten lunch here with family nearly every Saturday for the past 5 years. The food is a little bit different style than other Chinese around town, but it is absolutely delicious! The lunch prices also can't be beat for your choice of an entree with either steamed or fried rice and either hot & sour or egg drop soup. Everything on the menu is great but I recommend curry chicken or garlic chicken. And you must try the crab rangoons and hot & sour soup - it's the best! Owned by a very sweet family - I always have a great time here! read more

When you move away from a place, there are some foods from your youth that you remember as good, that when you revisit them again they don't seem so good anymore. Either because the offering now is not what it was before, or your experiences since you moved away have shaped your tastes such that what was once good to you is no longer good. Fortunately for me even though House of Chen has changed ownership, the recipes and the way they make the food are the same, and although I've experienced a lot since I left Ames, House of Chen is still pleasing to the palate. The lunch special includes a cup of soup, rice, an eggroll, and whatever main dish you choose. I really like the way that House of Chen makes egg drop soup. The broth is thickened and there is no grease. The eggrolls do seem to have changed from what I remembered; I do miss the old style. The star of my meal was the moo goo gai pan. The pieces of chicken were big and very tender, and the mix of vegetables and the brown sauce were also delicious in exactly the way I remembered. As I did when I was young, I used the serving of fried rice to sop up the sauce left on my plate. While I like that there have not been changes to the food, I wouldn't mind if House of Chen added brown rice to the menu. While not traditional to what I remember, it would be a welcome healthier choice option to have available read more

It's been years since my wife and I have eaten here. Back when House of Chen was located at the rear of North Grand Mall, we used to eat here fairly frequently, but when they moved to the extreme eastern edge of town we gave up, just because the new location was so inconvenient. Recently, though, I ran across a menu from here, and since there were a few interesting things on it that I didn't think I could get elsewhere, thought that it might be worth a long-overdue return visit. Unfortunately, our meal here was not as good as I remembered things being. First, there is the location. Not only is their new area way east, and therefore inconvenient for us, it is also sort of unpleasant-looking (a tiny strip mall in an industrial area) and the facilities are much smaller than they were before. The guy at the next table even made a joke about us practically eating together. Service also seems to have declined. The restaurant seems understaffed. We arrived at about ten minutes before noon, and waited quite awhile to get a table, even though several were open and available. (There were no lines.) While waiting we heard the owner make several loud jokes (telling a table full of patrons, for example, "let's get this show on the road" when taking their order) that were clearly audible to everybody. When we finally got seated in a booth, we waited so long for a menu that my wife was talking about getting one herself. Once we got our food, we never saw our server again until a check was delivered; my glass of water was empty three-quarters of the way through the meal and never refilled. The food was OK but not as good as I would have hoped for. The thing on the menu that I had seen and which had prompted this visit was pineapple pork. It was, as I had assumed it would be, a decent-sized portion of breaded fried pork in a pineapple sauce, but the sauce, instead of being light, was rather thick and gummy. It did not have a very strong pineapple flavor. My wife had the cashew chicken; she thought it was OK but not an improvement on The Mandarin. To House of Chen's credit, the prices here are certainly very reasonable. Our lunches, including soup and eggroll, came to about $6.50 each. I don't know if tea is supposed to come with the lunch, but we certainly never got any. Bottom line: not a terrible meal, but nothing to write home about either. There's still one menu item I'd like to try (lemon chicken), but I'm not sure that it's worth driving clear across town for that. read more

Map is wrong. Now located about 5 blocks east of Duff on Lincoln Way on North Side of Lincoln. Also new owners seem to want to take you money but rush you. I've lived all over the country and so have developed a knowledge of very good Chinese food. Ames doesn't really have any good Chinese restuarants but House of Chen fills the need for the many regulars who go there. The food is hot and satisfying. Prices are very good. The fFor adventure go off menu and ask the Chef for what he wants to cook for you. I'm a fan for the overall experience not because the food is exceptional. read more

fucking place makes their food like they don't expect people from other states or cities to come and eat here! maybe cause this place is the only chinese spot amongst the locals here in Ames, IOWA?.I'm only here for a day but, feelin kinda pissy now... yelp rating for this place is bullshit! Everything is bland! read more

Laotian Laap and steamed Mook Gai chicken rocket this review in to the stratosphere. Two of the best Asian dishes in Ames served with sticky rice. Make sure to opt-in on the hot sauce. read more

Food was awesome...I dont think it is chinese per say, I think it may be Vietnamese or something similar. I travel a ton for work and like to try different restaurants when I am in different cities. I had one of the specials of the day, mook gai - delicious.....very spicy but I am okay with that. I love trying new things and I was very impressed with that. Step out of the general tso's and chicken with broccoli box and I think you will be very happy! The host also recommended the pho and the other special they had...both of which I also debated on. Try something new!!! read more

I was skeptical of this place because of its location - it's built into the back of North Grand Mall. However, you won't find food court grade Chinese fare here! Though the prices are very reasonable (15 cents for tea!), the food is tasty and served with ample portions. Our waitress was also friendly and pleasant, and we received our order very quickly. I ordered the Shrimp with Green Beans, and I enjoyed it very much! I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Ames and in the mood for Chinese food. read more

I've lived in ames all my life and somehow just discovered this place a couple months ago thanks to a friend I would have to say this is the best Chinese food in ames it is cheap the owner treats you like family (I've seen reviews talking bad about the owner making jokes to people but in my opinion it's funny). I've never had food come out to me burnt or undercooked and I've been there to eat at least 10 times in the past 2 months so that says something. Overall I would give the house of chen a 5/5 because it is a family owned business that isn't scamming with prices, serving sizes, and service. read more

OMG everything I have heard about this is place is correct. The food is incredible the staff is very friendly. This will definitely be our new favorite place. read more

My friend and I went there just because yelp shows it is high ranked CHINESE restaurant. It turns out everything is American-style. I admit that it is a clean place, and people there are nice. Food is ok. No Chinese menu. No chopstick. read more

They r not really offer the food called "Chinese" more like American style food. The dishes all use bottle of source to cook, no handmade source read more

The food here is great! If you are able to order the Laotian specialties (I'm not sure they are always available), please do! Service is always friendly and efficient, and I've never had anything less than a delicious, filling, and highly satisfying meal when eating at House of Chen! read more

This is my favorite spot for asian food in Ames. The fried rice here is the best in town and you get it for half the price you pay anywhere else. My only problem with it is the location, it's very out of the way, but totally worth it. read more

This is my families favorite Chinese restaurant. A great place where local tow folks like to eat. I especially like the Pad Thai, which was recently added to the menu. My mom enjoys Mongolian beef. All ages eat here. Open for lunch and dinner, but not inbetween. Closed on Sunday. read more

Great find! All 4 of our party ordered something different and we were all very happy with our food. Prices are fair and portions were just right. We loved the home made hot sauce! The owner was very nice and welcoming. We will definitely be back. read more

Stopped here during a business trip to Ames, IA. The place was hard to find and it is in a industrial strip mall. Food was OK. Ambiance was eh. read more

This is absolutely one of the top two worst Chinese restaurants I've ever had the experience of dining with. The food was terrible in every possible way. The fried rice was practically white rice and partially frozen. And on top of that the sesame chicken and the general tsos chicken were identical, including their soggy texture. I'm glad I'm only here for a brief period of time. read more