Words cannot express how frustrated I am right now. I placed an order on Grubhub at 6:40pm. My delivery window was 7:50-8:05. At 8:15, when we still didn't have food, I decided to call and find out what was going on. I sat on hold for 10 minutes before it was finally decided that our food still hadn't even been made. Here's a rundown of our conversation after that. Me: how is it that the food hasn't even been made? Her: well, we've been telling people at least an hour for delivery. Me: I placed my order an hour and 40 minutes ago. Her: well, we're busy tonight. (stunned silence on my end) Her: we can get your order to you between 9 and 9:15. Me: you mean TWO AND A HALF HOURS after I placed my original order? That's it? Are you going to do anything for us? Her: let me talk to my manager. (insert another 6 minute wait) Her: my manager said she'll throw in an order of crab rangoon. You can take it or you can cancel your order. Me; you can go ahead and cancel my order. My family has owned restaurants and I have to tell you, this kind of customer service is appalling. Horrifying. The food could be amazing but I wouldn't ever order from here again because that's the way they treat customers after being no-shows with my food. Now I get to sit on hold with Grubhub for the next half hour trying to get my money back. Awesome. read more

Good food and service. We often order take out from here at least once a week. Always makes my order hot and correct

I'm unfortunately sorely disappointed with my latest experience. I was expecting the typical mushy pad Thai, but there was an off-tomato flavor that was completely off putting. I spent the opening to Up trying to pick out the sparse serving of meat and egg and came up with a small bowl. The noodles are really inedible for me so I'm unfortunately throwing it in the trash. While tasty, like almost every stir fry dish, it's generous with onions and peppers. I've come to realize there is little variety in the vegetable department. Those same peppers and onions make an appearance in the meat-light Singapore chow fun. This place has lost its luster for me. read more

Jess Cafe - Spent the opening to Up searching for anything of interest in the pad thai...a small bowl of chicken and 4 pieces of shrimp. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I always call for a delivery, super fast delivery. I usually order their coconut smoothie and their chai ice tea, they usually send it with extra ice in the bag so the drink won't melt... Talk about awesome.. The menu is super long...my favorites is their egg rolls, and their fried rice. I have also try their soups and they are amazing...they separate all the ingredients, so the noodles won't be soggy.. Will definitely keep ordering here!! read more

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Thai, Chinese and Korean? All at one location? Amazing. Upon entering, you could already tell that the food was going to just be some good old comfort Chinese food. The restaurant was pretty full but we were seated very quickly. All of the staff were friendly. I must say that the vast menu kept me pretty occupied in trying to decide what I was feeling like eating. There were so many choices that looked and sounded so appetizing. I just couldn't make up my mind. My roommate ordered a Thai tea along with a beef kimchi soup noodle while I ordered a taro slush with an order of Thai green curry shrimp fried rice. The drinks came first, I would say that there tea and tapioca were pretty average. Boba was a little on the underdone side and tasted like they hadn't been soaked in sugar. Thai tea was cloyingly sweet but that's Thai tea for you. Taro slush was a little icy and not as smooth as I would have liked. First came the Korean beef noodle soup and all I can say is YUM! Nice broth with huge kimchi flavor. Only thing I would have changed was the noodles. Didn't really care for those too much. Great dish anyways. My fried rice took a little longer and wasn't as tasty as I expected. I was hoping for that strong coconut creamy taste that you get from Thai curry but this didn't have it at all. It was just a little spicy, green in color and has some curry flavored. The shrimp were on the smaller side also. Tasty nonetheless. We both left stuffed and satisfied. Excited to try the other dishes. Don't be shocked if I become a regular here! Haha read more

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Very good. Their Korean beef fire, egg rolls delicious, and crab Rangoon's bomb. I very much enjoyed it sank you

I believe I expected tastier food from their reviews. Won ton soup- good. Main dishes were on the bland side

Love LOVE this place. Its once of my favorite Chinese restaurant I have found I love the egg drop soup and the bbq pork bowl . Like one person said the soups are medicinal, I once ordered a soup for my son when he had a cold and its helped a lot with his fever and runny nose . The best part was that I ordered the soup to go and they pack everything on a separate container I'm talking about The Broth (1 container) The noodles (2nd container) and the vegetables (3rd container) !!! WOW is right I will be back to try everything else read more

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When it comes to everything you'd want from any restaurant, Jess Cafe delivers your expectations. The food is awesome. I've been trying different plates every time I go and I've not once been disappointed. I'm definitely a picky eater but the food is just great. Prices are decent, but for the numbers you definitely get your money's worth. The staff are very knowledgable. Yes it may seem awkward understanding a thick accent but that's everywhere and NOT everywhere can staff answer a specific question you may have, (except this). As a regular I would definitely recommend this to everyone even if you've never had an Asian-fused entree before. ***On a side note to people who have complained about the wait, this is a family owned-restaurant with a small yet knowledgable staff. This isn't Burger King where your order is rushed and cooked improperly. If you can't wait for a fine cooked meal.. I have no words for that. The wait is not too long, not too bad. But if you come in on a Sunday morning/afternoon don't expect you're delivery time to be like of a drive thru. read more

A friend of mine put me on to this place and I had my doubts. But I have to say that there is truth to the old adage, "don't judge a book by its cover." The food here is pretty darn good. It's not authentic anyting; rather, it's Asian fusion and Americanized, but it's good! I would say that their cuisine reminds me a lot of PF Chang's, but less salty and less expensive. I had the General Tso's chicken, and it was one of the best I've ever had. Unlike most versions which are way too sweet, this one was the right balance of sweet and savory. In fact, it was more savoury then sweet, with just the right amount of heat. My buddy had the pad thai and he enjoyed it. I'm going to have to go back with my wife! read more

ultimate fave! small little pan asian restaurant that gives off a joyyees vibe w their food. I love the fact that they serve filipino food and desserts like halo halo(which was not bad at all for not being a filipino restaurant) The variety of food and drinks is great but also large and over whelming. I personally enjoy their smoothies (bubble tea) more than the ones at joyyees. I always order the passion mango with tapioca. my go to dish seems to always be the traditional korean beef and vegetables over rice with extra beef. That extra beef does take you a long way. The food portions are huge and I'm always left taking home leftovers but I'm not complaining at all because, the more the merrier! Delivery service is also great, faster than jimmy johns! haha. Definitely my go to asian comfort food kind of place. read more

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Tried something different. Their papaya smoothie is my new favorite. The green curry was ok but suspiciously green read more

Jess Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sadly on the second visit the food was one of the worst Chinese dishes we have had. Shared chicken pad thai that was dry, flavorless and other than a couple pieces of chicken it was just noodles. Not good and pitched. Also had orange chicken that was extremely sweet...tasted like a jar of orange marmalade dumped over fried pieces of chicken. Eggrolls were fantastic and staff friendly. Disappointed after this visit...probably wont return for awhile after this. read more

Jess Cafe - Very sweet orange chicken. Tasted like eating jelly. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My fiance and I were trying to find a good chinese place around Portage Park that we hadn't been to, and we decided to go here the other night. Walking in the place is filled with lots of room, but feels very compact- so if you're wanting an quiet lunch/dinner then don't plan on it here. The place is very laid back feeling, but thats probably also because they were severely under-staffed. There was over 30 people in the place and there was seriously only 2 people running the front end of the place. That meant waiting a while for them to actually have a moment to get to you. I don't blame them, I blame whoever decided that 2 people were able to run the place efficiently. Even just having 1 more person would have made things much smoother for them. Anyways- beyond that the food there is excellent with amazing selection. They even have a large selection of teas and smoothies with the option to have large pieces of tapioca in them (which was very new to me.) I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice to stay on the safe side of things- and this always gives me a good idea of the quality of their food. I asked for some peanut sauce on the side, and the lady responded "peanut butter?", so I had to describe what I wanted.. but then she responded with "peanut butter?" again... so I figured I guess thats what they call their peanut sauce. ;) My fiance is a very picky eater, and ordered the Pad Thai Beef and immediately when it was brought to here was very turned off by the smell. But she dug right into my dish and loved it. The other weird thing about the place was how when we went to pay he told me the credit card machine was down... so they had to take down my credit card info... heres to hoping I don't see thousands of dollars spent online by some mysterious person. ;) In the end, I loved this place even with all of its quirks. The prices are at the right place- especially with how much food you get. And I can see myself coming back many times just to try all of the different dishes they have available. read more

Jess Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Jess Cafe, a pretty cool pan-asian spot right in my neighborhood. No matter what asian food you like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Fillipino, Thai, etc they got it. Whether you want rice, noodles, meat or veggies they got it too. Everything is fresh and quick to order. Never have I had a bad meal here. In addition to their food their smoothies usually shake things up with an extensive array of flavors and combinations. They even have Durian Smoothies, which smelly like sweaty socks covered in moldy mushrooms but tasty so deliciously soft and succently sweet. You cannot visit without having one of those smoothies. Their service is impeccable. I swear they must of had the army come in and train them. When it's busy they all stand a little spaced out and watch the customers like a hawk. If you take a sip of water they are in your face filling it. If you drop your fork even before you pick it up a new one is already on the table. To be honest it's a little creepy, sometimes I like to not be bothered. But I appreciate the attention to detail. My only quaff is they sometimes fail to show any personality as if they are robots doing what they are trained to do. I gotta laugh at it sometimes. This is an extremely well run organization that wants their customer to have a great meal. Good food, good smoothies and sometimes an impersonal relationship with staff makes this a place I can go to on the regular. read more

Jess Cafe - Kimchee, Short Ribs, Over-easy Egg on Rice. Pomegranate Smoothie - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very good food. Generous portions. Always busy so that's a great sign that the food is good. Huge variety to chose from. Something for everyone read more

I'm surprised I haven't written a review for this place yet! This is usually my go to place to eat when I can't decide, and I'm so happy that I don't have to travel far to a place like Joy Yee's to get the same tasting food. Someone mentioned to me that a cook at Joy Yee's opened up Jess Cafe, which would explain as to why a lot of the dishes and drink menu are similar, but who knows...its just a rumor =D EVERYTHING is pretty good, I haven't heard a complaint yet. Decent sized portions, what you would expect from an Asian restaurant, some people think they're a little big but hey, you can share it or just take it home, don't complain! =D My go to dishes: Lemongrass chicken wings, beef short ribs over tomato rice, or beef cubes over tomato rice and the shrimp/pork egg roll. Also the crispy pata is pretty yummy! (Crispy pata is a Filipino dish consisting of deep fried pig knuckles served with a soy-vinegar dip.) Hey don't knock it until you TRY IT! I wanted to like the crab rangoon, but theirs has too much onion and not enough crab meat. All the smoothies are fresh fruit and if you don't like any of their combinations you can make up your own. I like the watermelon/lychee combo. As with any great tasting restaurant, you will almost always see this place pretty full. Also they must have a bunch of cooks back there because I swear whenever I've place an order I never waited more than 10 mins for my food to come out. And I'm always glad to see the owner and manager hard at work there as well, always a friendly smile from their faces =) Ohhh and don't knock the decor or the plates, it makes it homey =D I'm sure if they invest more into the decor they probably would, but hey its the food that keeps bringing the people back, so that's what matters the most! Ohh and no party rooms available, just fyi but they do cater. read more

My brother found this place while taking the Belmont bus. He's the explorer type that when he sees something interesting, even if it's just in passing, he longs it away and we'll hit it up later. We finally got to it about a year ago and it's in my top 3 restaurants since then. It's difficult to explain this place but I'll try. 1) the menu has about a billion items from all sorts of Asian based foods: Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Philippine and maybe I'm missing a couple more. Usually a bad sign, right? How can they do a bunch of stuff and get any of it tasty?! WRONG EVERYTHING I'VE EVER HAD HAS BEEN FANTASTIC! Now that said, perhaps the dishes aren't exact to the authentic recipe but I'm telling you they have amazing flavor. 2) Flavor is just the tip of the iceberg. I swear once in a while they are bringing my food as I'm finishing the last letter of my order. They are so freaking fast. On top of that the portions are very very healthy. I've never ever walked without a couple of take home containers. 3) Price is amazing. My brother and I took like everyone in the family there the other day including all the kids, ordered apps, drinks, main courses, soups and I think the bill was like $150 with tip. We're talking 12 people. I have 3 Kids. Our bill at stupid Chilli's has been nearly that much for just us. 4) parking a plenty on the side street just west of the restaurant. Always a bonus. 5) Staff treats us like family at this point. We're 2 big light skinned hefty bearded guys so not super blend in type and we've come all dirty after doing construction for 10 hours and instead of looking at us like we're penniless homeless guys, which we have gotten in similar circumstances, they welcome us in, make us comfortable, kept our waters full, our table clean and always made sure we had what we needed. At this point we're in there so often if one comes without the other one or without our kids they ask where they are and how they are. It's a great feeling to be treated with such friendliness! I love this place and I think you will too. Give it a shot and tip heavy and tell them the beard brothers sent you and say hi! read more

I love the smoothies the food the service very nice will recommended to eat here food is hot n ready to eat

Everything here is amazing! I come here often because its very close to me and because I love their food!! Their spicy orange chicken is amazing along with the japanese potstickers. Their sesame chicken is also really good. I havent had a bad dish served here in the numerous items I've had. Their service is pretty good as well which is also why I keep coming here. Highly recommend this place if you are in the area! read more

Food and service was amazing!!! Although it was close to closing time, the food was still hot, fresh, and ready to eat :)

Our favorite Thai restaurant- Pad Thai Shrimp, Veggie egg rolls and blueberry/banana & strawberry smoothies are our favorite! Have been a customer since they opened! Great portions and quality! read more

Taste: 5 Location: 3.5 Cleanliness: 4.5 Ambience: 2.5 Value: 4.5 Service: 4 OVERALL = 4 * Out of a 5-point scale This is a hidden gem! I heard that the owner is a former cook at the famous Joy Yee restaurant. That explains the similarity in its offerings. Ordered 3 dishes: Beef Cubes in Tomato Sauce Rice, Pork with String Beans, Philippine Style Fried Pork Roll (Kikiam), and everything's sooo goood! Let me tell you this, they definitely improve upon what Joy Yee offers! The Beef Cubes in Tomato Sauce Rice made me fly to the moon and back! Even from the first bite, its flavors immediately pampered my palate. The beef cubes were tender and chewy, the tomato rice was so flavorful. The Philippine Style Fried Pork Rolls (Kikiam) were crispy, well fried on the outside, yet it's scrumptious on the inside. The string beans with pork were crunchy, the pork was tender and the the sauce was delicious! What's even better, their prices were much cheaper than Joy Yee's. The Beef Cubes with Tomato Sauce Rice is $9 vs $12-14 at Joy Yee's. Ample free street parking too. I'll definitely come back to try their other dishes! read more

Jess Cafe - Top: Beef Cubes in Tomato Sauce Rice | Middle: Pork with String Beans | Bottom: Philippine Style Fried Pork Roll (Kikiam). Too goood! - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Needles to say I understand many businesses are struggling during these times but some of the practices here are worrisome and I just cannot understand the many positive reviews for this place. First, we dinner in this week October. We ordered crab rangoon. They came out and were very close inside so we allowed they be replaced. They were replaced with when colder filling; just about Icy filling. We returned them and did not reorder. If they can't properly heat a dish, what else were they doing poorly? Then my plate came out, teryaki beef and mushroom. The mushrooms all pretty raw. I asked if this was normal since I've never ordered this specific dish. They said yes. Questionable? Then one of the dishes was priced $2 more than menu and I inquired about it. They said the menu changed. I repeated requested it be changed after they did not hesitate. Lastly, 20 minutes after getting home we both had get lost rumbling in the belly, followed by very bad gas and lastly with you know, diarrhea. We both ordered different plates so they I were both very bad. Hope they can fix whatever issue that had that night. read more

Excellent Food! Speedy Service! Plenty of space for big or small parties. Highly recommend.

Very large menu, attentive staff, large portions for a good price. One of my fave Asian restaurants!

Finally decided to try this place and it was pretty good! We got the beef and wonton noodle soup and Korean short ribs. When I called, I asked if the short ribs came with white rice and they confirmed it did. I probably should've checked when we picked it up, but they definitely forgot the rice. It's okay though. We didn't call back to let them know as it was partially our oversight for not checking prior to leaving the restaurant. We will definitely order again. read more

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I have heard so many good things about this place, however my daughters and I went to eat there on Sunday at 1pm. We got seated, they gave us the menu and water, we were ready to order and the server never came to take our order. 30 minutes pass and nothing. I seen the server sitting people, refilling the fruit, fixing the fortune cookies, cleaning, but no one came to take out order. Definitely will not go back. So we got up and left after waiting for so long. read more

My first time here and my fiancée told me about there smoothies . I fell in love. We just moved to the area and I will definitely be back.

Our first time here and we will be back! Staff was friendly and efficient! Social distancing was maintained for dine in with an abundance of hand sanitizer and cleaning agents to disinfect between customers. Staff all masked up AND wearing their masks properly! I was pleased with the safety precautions being taken while being able to enjoy a dine in experience. Now for the food....yum...yum...yum...the portions were beyond generous and the food was served steaming hot! The 'small' egg drop soup was spectacular and portion so big I had to leave 1/2 so I could enjoy some of the rest of the food I ordered. I got #504 the Mongolian beef and my mom ordered #403 Yu Shan Shrimp. Both had generous portions of beef and shrimp, sauce was spicy and very tasty on both. Vegetables in both dishes cooked just right and served piping hot. We also had #202 an order of egg rolls which were fresh and good. We had plenty of leftovers to take home for a second meal. Oh!!! Let me not forget the freshly made Passion fruit iced tea made with lemon slices! It was great. I'd go back just to try more of their humongous drink menu. Their phone was ringing off the hook as people placed take out orders. Obviously this place has a good reputation and I'm glad I discovered it. I will be back. Thank you so much!!! read more

Jess Cafe - Mongolian beef - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great food and great service. Many good options and great at accommodating dietary restrictions.

You know this place is good if you see alot of asians eating here. I love this restaurant. If you are craving any asian specialty-Chinese, Viet, Korean, Thai, Filipino...yes this is the place to be. YES they have filipino food? I was surprised when I saw the items on the menu. The prices are cheap for the big food portion. Service is excellent like always. They cook the food quickly and serve kindly. I love the vietnamiese spring rolls! they are delicious! I always get that with the wonton noodle soup. I've tried their Korean short Ribs which is very goooooodd and cheap. Their bubble tea tastes like how bubble tea should tase like.. VERY GOOD. love coming to this place. Owner is nice too! p.s. I wish this place was open late at night though. Too bad it closes before 12am. read more

This place is pretty solid and consistently good offering some items that you don't see very often. Yang zhou fried rice and salt and pepper pork chop are always on our order. Beef ribs and tomato rice is another fav of mine read more

Pros: This restaurant has a variety of cuisines that you can choose from. The taste of the food is really good and I would recommend you trying it. The dish I really like from them is the Green Curry Chicken! Their prices are fair in my opinion and the quantity they give is worth the price. I've only taken carry out, so I don't know how their in store portions compare. Cons: They do not have a parking lot, so you would have to find parking in the street. Also, the restaurant is pretty small so it's better to go in small groups to eat in. Otherwise, you can always do carry out! Overall: This is a great place to have variety of Asian Cuisine and it's delicious! read more

Ordered delivery for the first time! Loved the egg rolls, orange chicken, lo mein and beef fried rice. Will definitely be ordering again. read more

A lot of people really like coming here yet for me it was ok. The Japanese potstickers were a little disappointing. Also, for dining in they do not have regular glassware. I wish they would serve beverages in regular glasses as it is better for the environment. Also, it's nice that they keep things sanitized yet the smell of the cleaner they use on the tables is too strong to smell while eating dinner. The food is pretty good other than the Japanese potstickers which were too bland. One customer was picking up an order and asked for Sriracha and was told they were no longer giving it even though there was lots of it on the table. The people who work here are sweet except they should have given the man Sriracha. read more

Always get this place for pickup/delivery. The food is always good. A lot of options to pick from as well.

Food is ok but not for the price, the ones that say spicy on the menu are actually sweet not spicy at all, their customer service is actually not bad at all, read more

I enjoy this spot, always have...delivery driver was rude as hell for no reason..still tipped his a@$.

We ordered ahead for take-out, and picked up the order. This is the worst Cantonese food I have had in many years, and possibly the worst I have ever eaten. My steamed potstickers were deep fried extra crispy. The fried rice was edible, but had an overabundance of sesame oil that covered the flavor of everything else in the dish. The Cantonese noodles were completely dried out, hopelessly stuck together, and appeared to be leftover from yesterday. The egg foo young was ok, but the gravy on it tasted old. We usually have leftovers for several days, but the food was so bad that we just threw them away. We spent over $50.00, and most of the food was thrown away. What a waste! We WILL NOT be ordering from Jess Cafe ever again. read more