After raving about their foods for months, I finally managed to drag my hubby out here in Weddington part of town (LONG drive!)... First of all, we got to the restaurant as early as 5:15 pm...only to find out that the only tables that were open were outside in the patio! It seems that they now take reservations for dinner...and unfortunately, I didn't realize that. Apparently 5:15 pm wasn't early enough? So reluctantly, we had to resort to eating out when it was quite chilly. Luckily, they did have heater lamps...but they didn't do much to warm our hands and feet. As if not cold enough, we had to wait about 1 hour to get our foods. We thought maybe the Chef was MIA or something. BTW, we ordered the Szechuan Wontons for appetizer...then shared the Chicken w/ Veggies and the Lobster w/ Sticky Rice. After nearly an hour, the foods arrived. Honestly, at this point, we agreed that the foods better be damn good to be worth that long of a wait...and well, here's the deal. Their Szechuan Wontons were solid. However, they weren't as amazing as I remembered them from last time. As for the Chicken and Veggies...a HUGE disappointment. I was actually quite ticked because I specifically asked the waitress to make it spicy...in fact, I made that VERY clear. Well, the waitress either did not understand my most basic request, or must have forgotten to relay that message to the Chef 'cuz what we got was a VERY bland, near-tasteless dish. Great veggie mix though...but there was no flavor or spiciness at all! Then as for the main event - the Lobster w/ Sticky Rice, it was substantial...and as expected, quite delicious. However, it was difficult to eat. We also realized afterwards that the Market Price for this dish was this outlandish pricing of $57! Guess I expected $42 (as listed on their online menu prior to the pandemic?). I don't know...maybe worth trying once, but I'd much rather eat several other choice dishes in loftier restaurants in town for that high a fee. I just expected better everything...from a nicer, indoor dining experience, for starters. Then the foods...as good as they were, they just weren't worth what we had to endure (the long wait, the cold, etc.etc.). Not to say that I've written off this restaurant. All I know is that one, I'll definitely make a reservation next time (even as early as 5 pm). Secondly, think I'll skip a few of their dishes in the future...nevermore that bland Chicken and Veggie dish, and maybe even the Lobster w/ Sticky Rice dish. Delicious, Yes...but was it worth nearly $60? Sorry, but Hell No! Some of tonight's experience could have been better if our waitress spoke better English...and addressed my requests. My requests were simply ignored... Spicing up one of the dish, for one. We also asked if we can heat up the lamp...and the waitress basically didn't respond at all. LOL?? Despite the very basic requests, she just simply didn't deliver. Honestly, we were like, WTF?!? Was it her bad English or bad service?? Whatever the case, it was just bad. Overall, it just wasn't a great dining experience for us...and again, the foods could have been better for the incredibly long, cold wait outside and for the sky-high market pricing of that Lobster dish. So again, tonight was NOT a good night for us. However, I haven't wholly given up on the place just yet. I know this place serves up some amazing dishes...and I've thoroughly enjoyed my foods on my previous visits. Just not tonight. At least now I know just what NOT to order...and I guess next time, I need to make my specific requests EXTRA clear? *SIGH* read more

Lam's Kitchen - Lobster w/ Sticky Rice - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Trust me. Dont try. This place, in terms of authenticity is mediocre at best. The service, especially the attitude from the manager is rude and discriminative. If you have to order from this place, expect delays of more than 30 minutes on average. Even if you call hours ahead for pick up at a specific time, they WILL delay. This is a sad story. I have been their customer years ago when they were just a home kitchen. I have order multiple times from this place to give chances to a restaurant tried to be authentic and local. But I am fed up with the delays, rising prices,attitudes, and the declining mediocre food. There are several much better authentic Chinese food in the area other than Lams Kitchen. read more

Lam's Kitchen - proof of purchase - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

The BEST authentic Chinese restaurant in the area! It is a bit further out from Charlotte, but you definitely won't be disappointed. The restaurant is a bit smaller so just keep that in mind when you're coming in because you may have to wait during peak lunch/dinnertime. I came in on a Friday afternoon and I was seated promptly. We figured why not order dishes that you can't get at your typical standard Chinese-takeout restaurant so we ordered the shredded pork with lotus root and the chicken, salted fish, and eggplant clay pot. We got two bowls of white rice for each of us. I highly recommend getting any of the clay pots! I love eggplants so the chicken, salted dish, and eggplant was perfect for us. It comes out in a clay pot and it's literally sizzling. There was an abundant amount of protein in the clay pot and it's all seasoned perfectly when combined with the rice. The shredded pork with lotus root was also good too! I'm not a huge fan of pork, but this doesn't taste like your typical pork. It's still pretty soft and chewy and there was even wood-ear mushrooms in the dish, which are my fave. I love lotus root and they keep theirs crunchy in the dish which I liked. Two dishes split amongst two people was the perfect amount! I do think it was a bit too much though but hey, I'm not complaining. We still had some to take home for another meal for one person. I think that prices are fair for the quality that you are getting! I would recommend coming with maybe around 3-5 people so that you can order family style to try out more dishes. We will definitely be back! read more

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Before today I've never been here or even heard of the place. I was invite to lunch with some coworkers. I ordered sesame chicken with white rice from the lunch menu, which came with an egg roll as well. It was a decent sized lunch portion. Simple yet delicious. I will definitely be returning to try some other things from their menu! read more

Lam's Kitchen - Sesame chicken with white rice and a spring roll - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Food was good, service was fast and nice, good atmosphere and I would recommend the salt and pepper squid. Overall a very good experience!

Literally looked up what to eat and was recommended to try Lam's kitchen. Did not disappoint! Everything was delicious! Food came out pretty quick. Service was excellent different servers stopped in and check on us. Noise level is pretty fair. Louder than the background music playing. Places was pretty packed at 6:30-7. Didn't have to wait to be seated. Will definitely be coming back to eat more! read more

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Another great experience, if I could could give more stars I would. I forgot to take pictures of all the food, but the stars of the show were the Lo mien and white fish with mustard greens. So good! The presentation of the white fish was lovely, served over an open flame so it does not get cold. Huge pieces of flaky flavorful fish and the tang of the mustard greens- like a cozy yummy hug. Our waitress was amazing. Get the green beans with pork for an appy, you will not be disappointed. read more

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My daughters and I, a party of four, came for dinner at 8 PM. We were seated immediately, but we were never acknowledged by the staff. We waited and looked around to make sure we weren't imagining it, but it became clear we were being ignored. A couple who was seated well after us was promptly greeted and asked for their drink order. Meanwhile, two servers walked right past our table to the kitchen without so much as a glance in our direction. No one ever asked if we wanted drinks or even acknowledged our presence. We took that as a sign that our business wasn't wanted, so we left. read more

The food here is bar none. From the clay pots to the pancake, to the Szechuan dumplings and green beans to the noodle dishes-the freshness of ingredients made me feel like I was back in San Francisco eating dim sum with my Chinese friends ordering up a storm of endless deliciousness. The service has always been good-prompt and kind. Ambiance is better than you'd expect for a plaza in Matthews, but it's definitely still a plaza in Matthews. Ha. My only qualm is not being able to get a table on the weekends. Best bet is during the week if you don't have reservations way in advance. They also have Dim Sum Sunday afternoons I believe but I've never been able to make it. I imagine it would not disappoint! read more

Phenomenal chinese food! Loved the fried noodles and pork dish!! Excellent flavor and crispy noodles. My husband likes beef and broccoli entree. We always have leftovers so portion is generous. Their crab rangoon appetizer is amazing!! Also love the Szechuan wontons--little spicy and delicious!! Their new location is bigger and has more seating. Definitely popular place so go early on weekends and call earlier for takeout! Good service! read more

Finally ventured out for a real restaurant experience in over a year. We had heard some very good things about Lam's so we decided it was time to try for ourselves and wow! we were all extremely impressed!! Their new location is beautiful! We opted to dine on the outdoor patio. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about all offerings on the menu. There was so much we wanted to try. We started out with what I believe ended up being my absolute favorite bite of the meal... Szechuan Dumplings. Absolutely bursting with flavor. A complete "must order" item. There was nothing that hit our table that we didn't fully enjoy. Among our choices...Scallion Pancakes; Fried Dumpling, Beef Chow Fun, Mongolian Curry Chicken and the best BBQ Duck we've ever had. We are already planning out next visit because there were so many other items that we'd like to try. So if you're thinking of choosing Lam's for dinner...think no more, just go!! You won't regret it! read more

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Time for an update, Lam's has moved to a larger space, when you look it up make sure you go to the Weddington Road location because the old address comes up on other sites. Lam's is still serving up the best Chinese food in Charlotte area. My favorite items are the lobster dishes, that's all the input I offer when I am with a group. They have an expansive menu with so many items, you could go many visits and never order the same thing. We ordered salt and pepper pork chops, pork ribs with bitter melon, lobster Hong Kong style, Shanghai Baby bok choy and the wild mushroom chow fun. Everything was high quality, made with care and delicious. I know it might be a trek for some, but it is totally worth it. I would really go with a minimum of four people so you can order more food! Not to mention they have booze and a great shaded patio! read more

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I really really had to think about how I would rate Lam's Kitchen, and ultimately decided on a positive experience because of how great the food was. We ordered the spring rolls as an appetizer, beef lo mein, salted fish fried rice, and string beans in xo sauce. Everything was really delicious and exactly what we expected. The fried rice was perfectly salted and the string beans were tasty with the perfect crunch. Unfortunately they were severely understaffed when we went last Sunday night and the manager kindly explained that it was simply out of his control that they've only had one chef for the past few days. Apparently we also went at a busy dinner time (Sunday 6:30pm) and they got slammed with dinner orders right when we put ours in so we didn't get our main food until 1.5 hours later. Luckily the appetizers came out at a reasonable time to hold us over until then. The manager was very kind to us though, and I know that a lot of small restaurants are struggling w staffing so we're definitely hoping to come another time, maybe when it's not so busy and staffing gets better. read more

Great Chinese food, I always do take out, the restaurant itself is very ugly inside but the food is great.

Hmmmm. Growing wariness/worry. Huge proselytizer for the old Lams. Ate there/got take out 50+ times. Average bill $125+. Have literally tried everything on the standard and hand written menus. Have happily waited the 2-3 hour take out waits. So. Excited for the success/recognition, delighted for the move to the cute new spot. But the food has declined noticeably in quality while equally increasing in price. ($11 dishes now $16/18). Get the pandemic/supply chain/cost issues, but.... New owners maybe? Can swallow the prices but the quality of ingredients, prep, quantity, and taste have declined. We're still in the Chinese food dessert that is Charlotte so only taking it to 4 stars. Other cities, a 3. Here's praying for a return to the old lams. read more

The food was okay, it upset me stomach later in the night but I found a nail in my lo mein when I got home- disgusting. read more

Lam's Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Best Chinese I've found near Charlotte. Been frequenting Lam's for 3+ years, which includes pre-move and the COVID pandemic. This is my go to for Chinese takeout despite a 20+ minute drive. The new location has plenty of seating, including outdoors. Favorite dishes include; wonton soup, crab rangoon, sesame chicken, tofu/mushroom hotpot and if looking to splurge, lobster cantonese. Thank you Lam's for staying open and serving great food to the community! read more

Lam's Kitchen - Statue greeting patrons outside. - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Food was so good! We had multiple dishes and everyone loved what were eating. My wife got the soft shell crab dish and I got the Chinese beef. 2nd time we've been there and there definitely will be a third read more

Duck was good (mainly what we went for). My kids wanted Beef and broccoli--took forever for them to bring it out (we were done with our roasted duck by the time they had it ready so we just asked for it to packed to go). Disappointed in the Beef & Broccoli-almost no flavor and pricey- not worth ordering a basic dish here. read more

Tried a couple of times here for take-out only. This time, I tried roasted duck as many people talked about their duck. Well, I didn't like that much. The skin was not crispy at all(maybe dine-in experience will be different). It was not that special about tenderness and taste. Maybe I expected too much Curry soft-shell crab was good. Will try hong kong style next time. Egg plant in garlic sauce was sweet but it was good as well. 3 stars for their duck but other dishes were good enough to get them next time again. read more

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The first we were underwhelmed, especially with szechuan dishes, which were so bland. We went back tonight for a second chance. Like the first, they were understaffed, and we waited 15 minutes before being spoken to. There were several tables in our section that sat before us. Each of them still with their menus and no drinks at any of them. It was clear that it would be at 15 minutes more before we could even start any service. Sadly, we ended up leaving before anyone could attempt to help. Good business from Lam. Note that the health score is really low at 90. read more

Good food but the service is a bit strange. There were four of us. And after ordering they brought each dish when it was done! So each of us were either waiting or eating. We'll still go back! I read more

Had a semi private room celebrating my granddaughter graduation from preschool. Service is always friendly and efficient. Food was so good...we always enjoy the atmosphere here! read more

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Wow. Just wow. I have heard so many great things about Lam's over the years, but Matthews is so far away from us. We finally made the trip out there last week and it was totally worth the 40 minute drive! The weather was beautiful and we were seated on the patio almost immediately. It was relatively busy, so we waited a few minutes before anyone got us drinks. It looked like only one waitress was working the patio while other servers stood around inside. Having worked in the restaurant industry for years, I am familiar with this kind of behavior and also saddened by the lack of camaraderie. Anyways, on to the food! I saw beef shank and immediately thought osso buco style, but this is more of a cold, thinly sliced, beef shank. Still good! They have two flavor choices, so we tried both. I preferred the soy flavored one as the mala spice seemed to lack any depth of flavor besides the spice. We ended up mixing them together to get a marriage between soy and spice! The roast duck. In hindsight, we could have eaten the whole duck. I just love roast duck! The skin was perfectly crispy and the sauce had just the right sweetness to it! The salt and pepper fish is a classic dish that we always get wherever it is offered. This dish did not disappoint. The batter was so light and crisp, and the fish was juicy and flaky. They even topped it with crispy garlic bits to add an extra layer of flavor. Yum! The spicy boiled beef is a dish that we normally get at Lee Cafe in Fort Mill. My fiancé says she likes Lee's, but I think Lam's Kitchen does it better! I guess we'll have to revisit both just to be sure! The mala beef brisket was another special treat! The brisket was so soft it just fell apart in my mouth. The daikon was perfectly cooked, but there were some fibers that were not peeled off. That is quite common in daikon, and I personally don't mind it. The flavor was excellent! It made for great leftovers when I poured it over rice the next day! Overall, I will definitely be coming back to try more menu items. I am always looking for good quality Asian foods, and I am so happy that we finally got around to trying Lam's Kitchen. read more

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No complaints about my meal here! The food was flavorful, came out piping hot, and the service was great. They have a pretty large menu. I kept it simple for my first time with pan fried dumplings, crab rangoon, and beef lo mein. The lo mein noodles were thick and the beef was tender. Huge portion. The crab rangoon filling was super creamy. I will try something more unique on the menu when I return. Atmosphere of the spot is pretty nice as well nice bar, indoor seating and a patio. read more

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This place is unbelievable!! The atmosphere was lovely and the music was perfect. Our service was fantastic and quick. The food....I will be dreaming about my beef lo mein for weeks to come! Quite honestly the best beef lo mein I've ever had!! We had the dumplings, pot stickers, beef lo mein, sinagore noodles, and Hong Kong lobster. Full bar as well. I had a Japanese beer and my husband had a Moscow mule. Everything blew us away! We took our 10 month old son and he was entertained by the liveliness and fun atmosphere. I would recommend for a Sunday afternoon family outing, like us, or it would be great for a date night! read more

Lam's Kitchen - Singapore Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

After an evening of car shopping, we were starving! Most places were closing by 9 but Lam was open until 10. They were totally accommodating when we pulled up at 9:15. I loved how you could see the crustaceans that you could consume in the tanks. Ultimate freshness right?! The place was nicely lit and for it to be so late, fairly packed. I ordered the shredded duck with rice noodles and my friend the seafood clay pot. Everything was delicious! Oh yeah, their hot sake was amazing as well! read more

Lam's Kitchen - Shredded duck with rice noodles seafood clay pot Spring rolls - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Wouldn't order the soup dumplings (at least close to closing) because they were all popped when they came to the table. When we asked the manager, she said they were frozen because they can't make them fresh in Charlotte and that's why there was no broth inside. The Szechuan wontons were our favorites. And the eggplant with garlic. read more

Lam's Kitchen - The soup dumplings without any soup because they were all broken - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Food was good. Several visits went alone and with another individual. They required each time that I either sit outside or at the bar. African American. Other parties were immediately seated. Bad business. read more

We come here for dim sum sometimes. It's good. Not phenomenal, but does the job. The place is pretty spacious and clean. Do get the soft shell crab Hong Kong style and mapo tofu, they're delicious. Skip the fried rice and char siu pork. Both were disappointing. Peking duck is solid. read more

4 of us went for dinner. 1 ordered all appetizers for dinner, the other 3 of us shared the pot sticker app. The 3 of us ordered Beef w/Broccoli, Black Pepper Steak and Beef Lo Mein. Arrived at 530p for 545p reservation on Weds before Thanksgiving. Seated in booth in bar area upon arrival. Place was about 50% full. times are estimated. not like i was tracking until it went wrong. 545 ordered everything, drinks, apps, meals. 555 drinks arrived. 605 apps arrived. 625 Beef Lo Mein Arrived 635 Beef w/Broccoli arrived. 650 i told them not to bother with my meal as everyone else was finished eating. 700 check arrived 705 we left (place still about 50% full). 1 star since apps/food was tasty and server was as nervous as he could be. Staff was well aware there are kitchen problems. Staff was avoiding tables (understandable but not acceptable). Claimed excessive carry out orders were part of problem. Not sure how/why a carry out order can beat someone sitting in the restaurant for 90 mins without any food arriving. I will go back one more time to see if issues resolved or to scratch from our list of restaurants. read more

We LOVE this place. It's so good and authentic. The service is great and we prefer sitting at the bar. Definitely get multiple items when you go to try as many dishes as possible. We also like that the wait staff will recommend options if you don't know what to order. Love the decor too. read more

This is a small and cozy place. The food is different and delicious. It was tasteful and with rich flavors. Although the staff is very helpful and willing to help their service still needs improvement. But I will still come back just because of the food. Update: I visited this place again two weeks ago. Food is really good. We had some of the more common dishes (i.e sweet and sour pork) and even those dishes taste fresh and different. Keep the good work and q read more

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Unfortunately I have leave a bad review for Lam's Kitchen. Earlier, when Lam's Kitchen first started at its former location, I posted a positive review stating that they were as good as Chinese restaurants in DC / NYC. After having relocated to their new location, their food/dishes over time has not lived up to their previous standard. Among other things, the sauces became thicker, almost paste like and too sweet (orange chicken) and Sweet / sour pork. I experienced this last nite, July 9th, and several times earlier (about a month ago). I mentioned to the server that food quality has changed and the reply was that there was no change with chef's. I had hoped that Charlotte would finally have a real Chinese style cooking restaurant, but that is no longer possible with Lam's Kitchen. read more

Definitely an unplanned visit today (July 4th). Came to this area to eat at Que Onda which is located in the same shopping center. Unfortunately they were closed and our stomachs were hungry ;). Spotted Lams kitchen and a quick Google search revealed that it is a Chinese restaurant. Walked up just as they were about to close for break (chef takes a break at 3:30). Decided to sit outside on the patio for safety. At this point it was 3:25 pm so we had to order really fast. Ordered chicken fried rice, crab Rangoon, scallion pancakes and scallion beef. Was not a fan of the crab Rangoon, the cheese was very loose but everything else was good. A bit on the pricey side though....small serving of scallion beef arrived at the table. For $18 there should have been more food on the plate. Will return one day if I'm in the area and hungry. Grand total = $43 (without tip). read more

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We had an absolutely terrible experience on December 26. They sat us at a table that had such a heavy draft. They said there was nothing they could do, and that we would have to just deal with it. Meanwhile, my disabled father, ended up getting a foot spasm from the draft. The food took an hour and a half to make it to our table. When the appetizers arrived, they were ice cold. Then, the meals began to come sporadically. The wait service was rude and condescending. They ran out of all diet drinks and when asked for Splenda, chopsticks, etc. it took forever to get back to us. We were just very disappointed as we have been there before, and enjoyed. After this experience, we won't be back. read more

Numerous options for authentic Chinese cuisine. Top notch service. It has an outdoor and an indoor sitting area. Good for spring and summers read more

We only order some noodle and appetite but all are really good. The service is great too! It is pretty crowded and food is that fast as most Chinese restaurants. Tastes great! read more

The food was very good. Everything was fresh, hot, well-seasoned and authentic. Great selection of sharables / dim sum. Prompt and attentive service. read more

Great food as always. My seafood panfried noodles were good as usual and the soft shell crab curry was excellent. The portions are generous as well, so if you're going in a group, make sure to order a variety to share read more

Lam's Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina