The dining room is nicely decorated and has white cloth tablecloths. The servers are experienced, pleasant and speedy. The menu is vast. We were not impressed with most of the app platter, but the dumpling were decent. The main dishes were OK (Ginger Beef & Shrimp Lobster Sauce) but not impressive enough to order again. read more

Imperial Garden - Shrimp Lobster Sauce (requested brown) - Chinese Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Always delicious and fresh. Extensive menu. Also good for carry out. I like the flowers outside and the peaceful decor inside.

Imperial Garden is an Ok Chinese Place in Middleton. The food was Ok, came out really fast. The service was quick enough, although they weren't really busy. The restaurant inside is really big, subdivided into different rooms / sections. The interior as a 90s feel although it is clean and quiet. read more

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I do not recommend. The food took so long to arrive, that we left before receiving the food. For a place that has been in existence for so long, their act is not together. But the grocery store next door is excellent. read more

The pros: Spacious, quiet place Food came out really fast The crispy duck and the sizzling ginger lamb were good Was a little bummed out they didn't have any lazy Susan tables. Besides the 2 dishes listed above, the rest of the food was just okay. They had some interesting interpretations (e.g. mushrooms in sautéed bok choy?!) but ultimately I thought the taste was neither distinctly Chinese nor Chinese-American (maybe there wasn't enough MSG/meat velveting). read more

Imperial Garden - Mongolian Beef, Sizzling Ginger Lamb, Crispy Duck - Chinese Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Imperial Garden is a unique spot that combines a gas station, a Chinese grocery store, and a restaurant all in one! The grocery store is a pleasant surprise, offering a selection of meat, produce, and dry goods. This was my first time dining at the restaurant, which is quite spacious with two wings. We stopped by on a Thursday at noon and were seated within a few minutes despite the restaurant being lively with over 10 tables of customers. We tried the lamb and moo shu pork lunch entrees. The portions were ok, and the flavors leaned on the saltier side. Service was efficient--our water glasses were refilled once, which is about what you'd expect during a lunch rush. As someone of Chinese descent now living in Madison after time in larger metropolitan areas, I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars. The menu could use more health-conscious options instead of focusing so heavily on breaded and deep-fried dishes. That said, it's a convenient and nostalgic spot for a quick meal. read more

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Visited for dinner. It was super clean, the staff was very nice, and were seated promptly. Our waitress was very polite and attentive. We tried the chicken lo- mein, fragrant chicken, chicken egg roll, and the hot and sour soup. Everything was hot and fresh. The egg rolls are huge and the hot and sour soup is delicious! The fragrant chicken was good, but it was too sweet for my taste. No complaints about the lo- mein. We'd definitely go back. During our second visit I mentioned that the Fragrant chicken was too sweet and if they could recommend another dish that wasn't so sweet. The waitress stated that they use sugar and that I could order it with no sugar added. Well, it was still too sweet so I didn't eat it. She was nice enough to remove it from the bill. Interestingly though she told us that the Fragrant and Szechuan dishes are also made with ketchup and that is also where the sweetness comes from. Good to know for future visits. read more

All around a disaster. The place opens at 4:00; we got there at 4:22. Waited 10 minutes before a waitress came by. She apologized and said it was a communication error. We waited another 20 minutes before getting our soda. Then I asked for an appetizer for my dinner and it came out before my husbands dinner. Took 10 min for a sofa refill. Then on the way out to pay for it and I was asked how it was. I commented to the manager and she said it wasn't the servers fault and I shouldn't take it out on the server, well then take off one of the meals and take accountability for the terrible experience. My only option to express my disappointment besides verbally was not to tip more than 10%. The manager was getting mad at me. Talk about compounding the problem. Hence now I am leaving a terrible review. Save your time and money and go somewhere where you will be appreciated. read more

Typical American standard Chinese food. Too salty and too sweet. The service was just okay, the waitress was cold. I did not feel welcoming. The vibe of the restaurant was okay, a lot of families ate there. Price is affordable. read more

We were a party of eight. Th hostess was very welcoming. The waitress was efficient, friendly and very accommodating. The lemon chicken appetizer was phenomenal. The next time we will probably order three or four lemon chicken appetizers to make an entrée. All the food was very, very good. read more

I have been to Imperial Garden several times now. This restaurant is always on point with everything. The place is absolutely beautiful. The food is always consistent and DELICIOUS. The service is excellent and everything that is requested is instantly received. I cannot elaborate more about this elegant and perfect place to eat. When you arrive, someone is always at the desk acknowledging that you are an important and welcome guest. I go approximately an hour drive to eat here. If this PERFECT restaurant was closer to me, I would be there several times a week. That is my problem though, not theirs. This is my favorite Chinese Restaurant anywhere. I Love it. Thank you for being so accommodating! 100% RATING read more

I love this place. They have plenty of room. The food is fresh and hot when I get it. They do have staffing issues often. It depends on what time of day you go. (Lunch vs. Dinner). I enjoy this place. It is beautifully decorated and is a relaxing environment. Plenty of Parking. The Cooks are Great! The Waitstaff works hard to learn everything, and to give good service. I'm greeted at the door when I walk in. Seating is available by the entrance, in case they are busy. Manager walked around and ask how things were going, and we told her it had been a while since we had ordered, and we were seeing others around us, that were seated after us, getting their dinner. The Manager went to the kitchen to find what happened to our dinner. She brought it out to us. I heard another patron ask for the heat to be turned up in the backroom and the Manager did that. In about 10 minutes it was starting to warm up in the rooms. (Note, it was "chilly" outside that night). I love the linen tablecloths and authentic glass dishware. Overall, it was a good experience. I think they need more staff during busier times, especially holidays and badger games. read more

The food is consistently delicious. We are frequent diners (groups of 4-6 people). After a decade of eating here, we love the beautiful decor, great food and good service. It is a great value to order the family style banquets. read more

Solid. This place keeps it as traditional as possible food wise, but also welcoming to the local population. I think that statement is why the reviews are tough here. There is typically a wait, but whats great is that you can go to the bar, grab a drink and order some apps while you wait. The family dinner is an absolute deal. It comes with an incredible amount of food and we enjoyed it all along. Some of the dishes we got were sesame chicken, lamb, mushu pork, lettuce wraps, and fried duck. Given that they had peking duck (order ahead) I thought the duck was going to be my favorite but i was the least! A little dry. All the other food was plentiful, filling, and delicious. The sampler was crazy big too, so definitely try to pace yourself if you go that route. Happy eating! read more

Always excellent food and great service! Great selection of food. If you go for lunch, their lunch menu combinations are fantastic.

Always good food and service in a nicely decorated dining room. Just had lunch there and it was delicious. We have been going there for over 30 years and just booked a group dinner for December. One of the few places to get Cantonese-style Chinese food in the Madison/Middleton area. read more

We've been here three times in the last 6 months and have been pleased every time. Hadn't been here in years not quite sure I remember when or why I stopped. It's the best sit down Chinese on the west side. The main courses have been flavorful and served quickly. The cocktails are well priced and service was quick. Last time I'd say they were a bit understaffed, and and the rate our server was working burnout isn't to far behind. Prices are a bit high for the dishes. If I were to do the math I'd bet with lower prices they'd get repeat customers in more however the times I've been there it was quite busy so they may not need to take that approach. We usually get a shareable appetizer and a couple dishes. read more

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The food here and the atmosphere are wonderful...only thing that's odd and somewhat uncomfortable about eating at this restaurant is that even when the restaurant isn't busy they sit you right next to other people. I've been in there several times now when there were only a few people in the entire restaurant and they sat our small group back to back with another group and we could hear their entire conversation and I am certain the could hear ours. I don't understand why when the restaurant is pretty much empty that they cram you right next to someone else. It's uncomfortable and makes me not want to go there. Also, they have cloth napkins, several times I unfortunately saw a few old men blow their nose in the cloth napkins at the table..so gross!!! I bring my own paper napkins in my pocket if and when I go there to eat. Cloth napkins are old school and not really sanitary at all. read more

This restaurant understands gluten free! Just ask when you order if they can make your favorite entree without gluten. I'm very gluten sensitive and am happy to have found a Chinese restaurant that can accommodate my allergy successfully--I don't get sick and the food tastes great! My spouse is a fan too. For years we lived closer and didn't appreciate Imperial Garden as we should have, but now we have moved farther away. I've learned that it's worth the thirty minute drive. We usually opt for pick-up. The people at the front desk are friendly and efficient. My husband's menu favorite is the Governor's chicken (spicy), and I prefer their mild but delicious mushroom chicken. The beef & broccoli is hit or miss, but the egg drop soup is a nice surprise with more veggies than expected. read more

A delightful experience for the eyes and the taste buds! Imperial garden is a remarkably clean and exquisitely decorated Chinese restaurant! I usually enjoy Chinese food as take out, but this is one place I would definitely want to eat in. The service was excellent! Our waiter was personable and efficient! Now the fun part: the food! Everything my group got was good but three things stand out. 1) the cocktails! They're only $7.50 and delicious! I wouldn't normally order a pina colada at a Chinese restaurant, but at this price I could resist! 2) the pot stickers! I adore a delicious plate of pot stickers, and this was no exception! 3) the moo-shu pork! This dish was fantastic and flavorful. It was served with rice. I will definitely be coming back for this again! read more

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Don't place your order on-line. Placed our order between 4:30-5:00pm for pick up at 6:30. Arrived at 6:25 for pick up and my impression was that no one had remembered to check the online order que and share it with the kitchen. They told me it would be "a few minutes"Waited 40 minutes for our 3 orders. When I asked for an explanation, at first I was told, sorry we just got busy. I let her know our orders were placed at least 1.5 hours prior to pick up and that didn't seem to be a reasonable explanation. Then I was told that the online system is not very technologically friendly and best to call orders in. At that point, an apology was offered to me. However no comp of discount off the bill, dessert, or even a drink while I waited. Not much empathy or understanding as something is lacking in the management of this once excellent restaurant. The food was ho hum. read more

Ordered food at 3:45 for pick up at 6:30. Got there to pick it up and they not only didn't have the food ready, but tried to pass it off by saying they got busy. No apology either, so we won't ever order takeout there again. read more

This is a lovely Chinese restaurant that has some elegant "old school" touches that are difficult to find these days. First, they still use white tablecloths and cloth napkins. Secondly, they often have classical music playing in the background, third they use teapots to serve tea. This is dining out vs. just eating out. The food is very good, nicely seasoned, fresh tasting and hot. read more

Nice spot for lunch! My coworkers and I came here for lunch and it was a nice experience. Huge menu! The prices are very reasonable with huge portions. Service was fast and the food came out fresh. My meal was ok just wasn't at my seasoning level. It got busy with a retired crowd during lunch. Plenty of parking and no problem to separate the check. I was shocked with how huge inside was - spacious. Outside don't look like much but still come in and give it a try. read more

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Imperial Garden is near to me, and I am all about convenience. I was looking forward to trying it since it is so nearby, but was nervous because of the reviews I read on Yelp. I am happy to say that I finally gave it a try and had a great experience. I ordered the fragrant chicken lunch combo which came with rice, entree (fragrant chicken), and your choice of egg roll or soup. I had the egg roll. The food did not disappoint at all. The price was very reasonable for lunch ($11 after tax) and the food was plenteous and delicious. The fragrant chicken is a bit akin to a sweet, sour, spicy sauce with its flavor. I really enjoyed it. As many places, though, when they say "spicy hot" they don't really mean it. It was like a 2/10 on spice level (but delicious nonetheless). The chicken on the dish is not fried and heavy, it was in strips that were steamed or boiled and then sautéed in with the sauce and veggies. There were a good amount of veggies on the dish as well (onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms). The egg roll was crispy and had a crunch on the outside. It had a thick egg roll wrapper which was nice and seemed authentic to me. The flavor of the egg roll itself was nothing to write home about. It was a bit bland on the inside but it came with sweet & sour sauce as well as hot mustard so you could always dip. The food was more than enough especially for a lunch portion. I only ended up eating half anyways so it ends up being a pretty good deal. The restaurant is big on the inside and although it is dated, it looked clean. There is plenty of space for large groups. The hostess at the front was friendly and kind, she had my order ready right away and got me taken care of quickly. I will definitely be back to Imperial Garden. The service was prompt, the food was tasty, and I filled my car with (extremely reasonably priced) gas while I walked in to pick my food - you can't beat that! (For reference, the location is attached to an Asian grocery store which also has a gas station) read more

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Food was average. Not the good quality of food they used to be known for. I hope this was an anomaly because this restaurant has been our favorite Chinese restaurant for many years. read more

I understand why their parking lot is full most nights. They have a very large restaurant and extensive menu. It's not a regular place for me to go because I like more sichuan style. I've been at least 3 times now and the food is okay. They get very busy so you may have to wait for a table due to staffing issues. Typical Chinese American style food with some authentic dishes. Service was good. Portions are good and enough to take home unless you do family style and share. I'd rather pay a little more and get food from Nani or go more specialty like Ruyi Hand Pulled Noodle. read more

It's a very dark place, literally. While the ambient is nice for dinner time, it's a little off putting during day time. Our server was really nice but our orders for 2 people took too long, making us wait close to an hour. The food isn't any better. The food was either extremely salty or lack any taste at all. Some of the veggies were overcooked so they are essentially mush. I wouldn't recommend going here unless it's the closest restaurant you can get to. read more

I came here for a lunch and the interior is beautiful! It's right next to a gas station that pumps insanely slow... but that's a totally different story. The food was priced well and I ordered from the lunch menu so it came with some rice and a choice of meat or vegetable eggroll. Compared to where I'm from in California, this place is very mediocre but in Wisconsin it's probably one of the best Asian restaurants around. The service was great and the food came out within 8 minutes! read more

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COCKROACH IN MY FOOD. We have been eating here for many years and it was my favorite place to eat, that is until I almost ate a cockroach tonight. I was happily eating my food and went to eat a shrimp and a dead cockroach was just chilling out on my shrimp. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. SHAMEFUL. This speaks volumes to the decline of this once great restaurant, and the lack of care and passion the employees have for this place these days. I am considering reporting this to the health department. read more

Imperial Garden - Cockroach Shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

This is the best place in Madison! Hands down. Been here many many times and the service and food are always perfect!!

Don`t the Chinese have a ship called a Junk?I will keep it simple,I wanted to try the highly regarded barbecue duck,are you kidding me?These people don`t know how to cook.The skin was soft and mushy(would not you prefer crisp?And slathered in high fructose corn syrup?,a carcinogen.There was no taste but sugar, how bad does it get.30.00 dollars for the duck alone. Furthermore when time came to pay, as I considered which bill I wanted use this woman imagined I was stupid and could not add or subtract so she GRABBED the only new bill out of my hand!!You DO NOT grab money out of someones hand,period.Get back on your Junk. read more

Oof. I feel a little sad posting this. My grandma, who is ethnically (at least) half-Chinese loves it. But the duck was really dry, the sauces were cloyingly sweet, and the environment felt like a bad motel. The service was fine. I would say... it was kind of one of those places that feels a little eerie to be inside, and it'll fill you up. So if you feel in the mood for something a little weird, go for it. read more

Family friendly chinese restaurant offering good food and service. Everything always tastes good here. The seafood soup is the star of the menu, its delicious and full of flavors. The serving portions are good and one entree can be easily shared by two people. There are a lot of meat, seafood, and veggie options to choose from. There is not much of a dessert menu, tried their ginger ice cream and wasn't a big fan of it. read more

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I've only eaten there about 2 times in 35 years but have driven out of my way to pick up take out about 200times. Every other Chinese restaurant has to compare to imperial gardens. I am so glad the one on the east side disappeared because that was not doing this place justice. I guess my only knock on the place would be goofy parking lot and letting that east side location tarnish your name for years read more

The menu sounded a lot better than tasting/eating the actual food. Very typical American Chinese food. If you want authentic Chinese food do not come here. The appetizers were okay, very bland. We were given ginger soy sauce, spicy mustard sauce, cocktail sauce and sweet and sour sauce. Nice to have all the sauces but it was just not satisfying. The main dishes were actually flavored pretty good but I don't think I'd go back. I would rather go to a buffet. To be honest, buffet food would have been better for the money spent. Service was okay. Went during lunch rush on a weekday. read more

Imperial Garden - Chinese Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Really excellent food and pretty good service. We had to wait quite a while for to-go boxes and for our check to arrive. The strong aroma of cigarette smoke surrounding our server tells me why we had to wait so long. However, the quality of the food made it all worthwhile. We will return soon. read more

Not very good for the price. Very dated and the food was bland. Service was great but can't help the food being underwhelming.

Ordered egg rolls and beef stir fry. I have to say I give Imperial Garden an F rating, meaning they failed! Egg rolls were tripled wrap with an odd wrapper. They were tough, chewy and lacked any Asian flavor. The beef dish had shrimp and beef. The shrimp was mucky and beef not seared and flavor was non deserving of an Asian dish! I've had many egg rolls some Thai and some Cantonese that only have a tender, single wrapper. The beef dish was so disappointing. It had no flavor whatsoever!!! This restaurant must cater to a clientele who don't have a clue what quality is. Madison has far too many other Asian restaurants for me to patronize. I recommend not ordering from Imperial Garden. I certainly will not ever again based on my experience! read more

I'd long desired entering the vast halls of Imperial Garden. Once or twice a month I make my way to (through) Middleton, WI and when I drive past that amazing hilltop oasis I salivate like one of Pavlov's pups--though I never knew what I was missing. SERVICE: 5 stars AMBIANCE: 3 ghost stars (it's *as if* it's nice in there, but it feels weird to me) FOOD: 1.5 stars We HAD to eat here because the asian-rooftop motif continues to the adjacent...gas station? That sells live lobsters? But the food was kind of bland and it seems like a place for older white folks or just families when you gotta satisfy some LCD palates. Really nice people there. read more

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