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    Jin's Chow Mein

    3.9 (75 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Jin's Chow Mein Photos

    JIN'S CHOW MEIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Divey
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Jin's Chow Mein

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    Cheryl A.

    My new favorite Chow Mein!!! I had heard about how fabulous this little restaurant was, so tried it today. I am so glad I did. Everything was perfect. We tried the chicken chow mein, Szechuan, chicken and sesame chicken. So much flavor and so good. This is definitely a takeout place not much room to sit and eat in the restaurant itself, but the food was ready in five minutes. One helpful tip that I was unaware of, you have to pay in cash or check.

    Lots of brown. The chow mein is at top right.
    Ben I.

    I had been wanting to try Jin's Chow Mein for a while for a couple of reasons. The first reason was their shockingly low prices - okay, so I do think they raised their prices a bit recently, but still, when you look at their menu you'd think it's the year 2004 - it's that cheap. Honestly, it's how much a cheeky Chinese takeaway ought to cost; the number of takeaways charging near 20 dollars for a single, basic entrée has been getting out of hand lately. The second reason for my curiosity was that Jin's Chow Mein is known for serving up classic Minnesotan-style Chinese food. So what is Minnesotan-style Chinese food, you may ask? I, too, wanted to know the answer to this question. My research revealed that it really comes down to one dish - chow mein. I learned that what "chow mein" means largely depends on your geographic location. For example, on the West Coast, chow mein is a fried noodle dish. On the East Coast, it's a saucy cabbage and chicken stir fry, sans noodles (despite the "mein" in the name meaning "noodle"). The Minnesota rendition of chow mein is similar to the East Coast version in that it is essentially noodle-less. As you can likely tell by reading the other reviews, Jin's chow mein has many local fans. After getting to try it last night, I'm a little bit... perplexed? I have to choose my words wisely so as not to disrespect the local culture, but Minnesotan-style chow mein wasn't really my cup of tea. It's essentially dark brown glop made out of ground pork and celery, served with white rice and those crunchy fried sticks that are sold in cans at Cub Foods also known as "chow mein", which I suppose provide the namesake for the dish. It felt a bit like something I would have been served by the lunch lady in elementary school, bland and unattractive. I could also swear it had a slight maple syrup flavor, like the fake Aunt Jemima stuff, but my girlfriend couldn't detect it. I suspect the fan appreciation for it is largely rooted in nostalgia. Fortunately, I ordered several other dishes that I actually did enjoy. The chicken lo mein came as a generous portion of savory fried noodles and veg. The plain fried rice was one of the tastiest takeaway fried rices I've ever had, despite having no vegetables in it. And the sweet and sour chicken was coated with an almost donut-like batter - it was indulgent but delicious. The wonton soup came with shreds of cabbage and char-siu in it, and the wontons were good albeit a little soft by the time I got home. The takeaway itself was staffed by two friendly women when I was there and it was charmingly old school (from the décor to their ability to only accept cash and checks). Apparently the place has been around for decades, and I hope it stays around for many more. I would absolutely go back to Jin's Chow Mein; if you're not a local, I'd skip the chow mein itself, but their other dishes are the perfect comfort food at unbeatable prices.

    Chicken chop suey

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    25 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Cheap and nasty! Unsanitary. Don't waste your time! Go someplace good. Try WOK in the park,won't regret...

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    1 year ago

    I got the pork Fried Rice. I like it a lot. You have to pay cash. Fast service waited on me right away.

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    3 years ago

    Cash or check only . Fast service I'm in and out. Food fresh and plentiful. Ive had egg foo young house special rice sampler platters.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Love the Pork Fried Rice. It's always good and inexpensive. Living out of state, I always get Jin's when I'm in town.

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    6 years ago

    Their chicken lo mein is my favorite! I've tried it other places, but it is the best, by far, at Jin's!

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    14 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Jin's Chow Mein

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    Cool new sign

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    Cool new sign

    Jin's Chow Mein - chinese - Updated August 2026

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