I so badly wanted to like this spot but 3.5 stars is all that I can throw up at this point-- perhaps when the hype has died down a bit, I'll go back and try it again. The texture of the knife-shaved noodles are great! I enjoyed it in my beef & tomato noodle soup, but the soup itself veered too much on the sweet side. We also ordered their stir fry noodles but it came out wayyyyy too salty and oily. Lines were long and seating was scarce on a Sunday night so time your visit carefully. read more

First visit, not impressed. More like 3,5** rating. AMBIANCE: canteen like small space with not many tables, self-serve station for utensils, sauces, water. NO HOT TEA!? FOOD: quite tasty, authentic but not very impressive (we had much better taste in other places). Choices are much less then described for order on line menu on their website. LOTS of MSG! We both had "sleeping coma" afterwards. SERVICE: efficient, typical traditional Chinese "no smile" attitude. VALUE: not too bad. COMMING BACK: not sure. read more

Small place with good food. Loved seeing the noodles being pulled right in front of my eyes. I ordered pork noddle soup, one of my fave things to get...they didn't disappoint. I also order the pan frIed dumplings, which were ok..a little too doughy for my tastes, but not bad. I was contemplating the beef noodle soup but it wasn't spicy...but I'll prob try that next time and throw some chili in it. I can recommend Lanzhou no prob...if you're in the area, go for it! read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Pork noddle soup! - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My husband and I tried this place for the first time and we were super excited since we had tried something similar while we were in nyc. Loved the concept of fresh hand pulled noodles. I ordered the chicken and my husband ordered the beef soup. One thing that really stood out to us is that everything was very light when it came to spice. Even when we added the spicy sauce it wasn't spicy itself. This place would be perfect for kids since the spicy level is extremely low. With that being said I probably wouldn't come back. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My friend and I decided to try Lanzhou after hearing so many good reviews. We came on a Friday afternoon and seating wasn't a problem. Both of us ordered the beef brisket combo noodle soup with hand-pulled noodles. The portions were very generous and I actually only finished about half of my noodles. The noodles were really chewy and definitely fresh. I was really surprised by the tenderness of the beef, since most other places have really tough beef that can be hard to chew. The broth was pretty simple in flavor, which is what I prefer for noodle soups. They also have vinegar and chili oil for those who want to add some extra flavor to their soups. My entree cost around $13 and I think the quality and portion size is definitely worth the price. I'm looking forward to trying some of their other dishes like the pan fried dumplings! read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Beef combo - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Soup and noodles were tasty. Nice ratio of soup - noodles- meat. Ordered roast duck hoping for a few slices of meat but received a portion of regular chopped up bone-in duck, which was awkward to eat in my bowl of soup. I think the staff was really making an effort to be friendly and welcoming. That type of service is refreshing and the main reason I will come back and try something else. read more

So happy this place just opened in the Rio! I went through the Yelp reviews before visiting to see what from the menu was recommended. First, I would highly recommend the 1/2 fried 1/2 steamed dumplings (like everyone else), they were some of the best I've ever had! For entrees we got the chicken stir fry with the two different type of noodles - hand pulled (thick) and knife cut (regular). I prefer the knife cut since I typically like to have wider noodles with this type of food. The hand pulled noodles (although ordered the thick) were not very thick, but they were good! I think the only constructive criticism I would provide would be that the dishes are not very flavorful - I had to add sauce as the dish was pretty bland. Otherwise, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinners and look forward to going back and trying more from the menu! read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - 1/2 fried 1/2 steamed dumplings and chicken stir fry (1 with hand pulled 1 with knife cut noodles) - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Ever since Michael's Noodles closed, I've had a difficult time trying to find a good, hand made beef noodle soup closeby. This place way exceeds my expectations. I have come here quite a few times already. I've had the Beef Combo Noodle Soup, Oxtail Noodle Soup, Roasted Pork Stir Fried Noodles, Seafood Stir Fried, and the new Mixed Noodles dishes, all with handpulled, regular noodles. I also add in the spicy chili oil with pepper flakes because I like spicy. Beef Combo Noodle Soup - light broth, but very tasty. They put in a good meat to vegetables ratio, and quite a lot of noodles. The vegetables they add are bok choy, Daikon, and carrots (from what I remember). Oxtail Noodle Soup - this one was on the more expensive side, and the Oxtail that was provided were small pieces. You're better off getting more meat in the Beef Combo. Roasted Pork Stir Fried Noodles - the stir fried noodles are pretty tasty and savory. The vegetables mixed in are onions, green peppers, and red peppers. The pork itself were thinly sliced, but didn't have as much flavor as I expected from Char Siu. Still not a bad dish, though. Seafood Stir Fried Noodles - I just had this one for lunch today. The seafood they put in are mussels, squid pieces, unshelled shrimp, and imitation crab meat with the same vegetables as the pork stir fried noodles. This dish was really tasty with the seafood flavors. Mixed Noodles (non-stir fried) - they claim this is a little spicy, but I didn't actually think it's spicy at all. (Then again, my tolerance for spicy is pretty high). It's pretty much boiled noodles without the broth and then plated with some beef slices, cabbage, and topped with (what I think is) Bull Head Barbeque Sauce (I've used this in hot or before, it's a dark brown, thick sauce that comes in a silver can). It was tasty, just not as flavorful as the actual stir fried noodle dishes are and not spicy as you would think it to be. I do want to try their dumplings. It looks like it's both steamed and then pan fried. A lot of customers get it, so I assume it must be good and will try this next time. I also want to try their Vegetable and Tofu Noodle Soup as well. Also, seating can be limited during lunch rushes, especially since it's not that big of a restaurant. They tried to maximize seating spaces with bar stools along a couple of the walls and on the room divider (when you go in, you'll see what I'm talking about). read more

I wanted to like this place and had high hopes based off the reviews that I read. Unfortunately, the only stars it has earned for me is for the noodles themselves... and I mean just the noodles. Upon entering the store, you can clearly see the kitchen where the noodle dough is being kneaded, stretched, and shaven. The space is relatively small (took the place of the old Lindt store for those of you who remember), but there is outdoor seating as long as you inform them that you want to sit outside. I am assuming that they are still considered to be in their soft opening stage (even though they have been open for several months now) because their big menu boards are completely blank. They only had two printed menus stuck in sheet protectors available, so be prepared to look at the menu on your phone unless you want to feel pressured to rush through and make a selection when you get to the counter. Also note that when ordering your noodles, you need to indicate to them your preferred thickness. The hand shaven noodles come as regular and extra wide, and the hand pulled noodles range from very thin to thick. I went with my grandmother and my cousin, and between the three of us we ordered the sheng jian bao (pan fried pork buns), cong you bing (scallion pancakes), ox tail soup with thin pulled noodles, seafood stir fried regular hand cut noodles, and vegetable and tofu stir fried regular hand cut noodles. The cong you bing were glistening with oil and lacking in the scallion department. Honestly, I have yet to find a place where they don't skimp on the scallions (its a SCALLION pancake for goodness sake!). The sheng jian bao were not much better. For those who are unfamiliar with how sheng jian bao are supposed to be, they are supposed to have actual soup in them when you bite into them (similar to xiao long bao / Shanghainese soup dumplings), have a crisp fried bottom, and the rest of the bun should be fluffy and balanced with the meat. The ones here have a very thin casing, completely dry on the inside, and the meat itself was overwhelmingly pungent with cooking wine flavor and salt. The noodles in the noodle dishes were all a good consistency, which is the only reason why I have given this place a 2-star rating. Nothing beats a freshly made noodle in my book. Sadly, the rest of the dishes couldn't hold up to the noodles themselves. From the looks of it, they use the same soup base for every soup noodle dish, regardless of what protein you select. Mine tasted nothing like what I expected an oxtail soup to taste like. It honestly just tasted extremely salty with hints of star anise, five spice, and a lot of cilantro. The oxtail was cut extremely thin and was extremely tough and chewy with none of that signature sticky mouthfeel you get from the collagen that you crave when eating oxtail. The daikon and bok choy that came with the soup was pre-cooked and set aside in their Chipotle fast food-like array, and put into the soup immediately prior to serving. Because these veggies are not actually cooked with the coup itself, the flavors did not mesh as well as I had liked... especially the daikon that was undercooked and crunchy (again, a total miss on how the texture should be for this dish). The stir fried noodles, on the other hand, were cooked with all of the ingredients together. And also unlike the soup dish, these noodles seemed to be underwhelming in the salt and flavor department. They come out almost orange in color, which tricks your mind into thinking they should have a lot more flavor than they do. The seafood version came with a couple small shrimp, two big mussels, and two very chewy pieces of squid. The veggie tofu version came with fried tofu, bok choy, bean sprouts, and bell peppers. The noodles themselves were again the best part - deliciously chewy in the center and softer on the edges from how they are expertly cut and cooked. Finally, the service here was terrible. There were two teenage girls helping to bring the food out who clearly have not had proper training in customer service. I happened to sit at a table that faced the hallway leading into the kitchen. At one point, one of the girls was handed a soup noodle dish that had beef tendon on it. She proceeded to stick her face into it, leaving literally one inch of space between her nose and the food, inhaled, and made a dramatic "omg that smells gross" face to the other girl and the two of them proceeded to laugh hysterically before she walked all the way out to give the order to the customer. Later, a lady sitting at the table next to us asked one of the girls if they could get some boxes to pack up their leftovers. Instead of helping to bring some over, the girl responded with, "You can get it yourself over there." She then walked away and again, proceeded to chat and laugh about with her friend in the hallway. I am hoping that this place can really tighten things up in the weeks and months to come! read more

We've been a few times, always ordering the same thing and while the food has generally been decent, our recent experience with the cashier lady was a disaster. She was extremely rude, placed our order incorrectly, and she got upset when we told her that we ordered roast pork when she gave us duck. She asked us what she was supposed to do. I choose not to deal with people like this so I just took the duck noodle soups. (It's awful btw, please avoid it). That will be the last time I'll go there. read more

The taste is not worth 20 minutes drive. The noodle is OK. But the soup and the beef are...... read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

A nearby new hand pulled noodle shop that has been a great addition to the area. The noodle textures and shapes are tasty and abundant. Although the menu selection is light, the food portion and taste makes up for that. Everything was delicious and filling. Have been doing some carry out choices and usually is a line and a bit crowded. Like the meat buns and dumplings too. read more

Tried this place for dinner on a weekday. Pretty average but nice to have a noodle place in Rio. Took longer than anticipated to get 2 bowls of noodles, an order or buns, and my husband who ordered fried rice took over 30 minutes...unacceptable. I ordered a roast pork soup noodle with thick noodles and the broth was mild with the noodles being good and the meat alright. I prefer the thick noodles at A&Js or ramen personally but this place is slightly better than the noodle place at the spot. read more

I will give credit to the decor and nice view of the kitchen. However, menu needs work since the only menu they have is a paper one taped on the counter. The only thing I ordered was the pan fried pork buns, taking a bite was satisfying until the oiliness drips out and next thing you're know you're disappointed by the small portion of pork inside. I'll give it another try eventually. read more

Delicious hand pull noodles and the soup base is really tasty as well. They are quick with pickup orders, the food is always hot, and provide ample utensils and napkins. The beef hand pull noodle soup is my favorite - such soft, yummy meat! The pork buns are so good too. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Beef, Beef Brisket, Beef Tendon, Roast Duck Hand Pull Noodle Soup. Pan Fried Pork Bun - - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I was walking around Rio and didn't realize that it had opened, so of course I went to school and then came right back for some noodles. I didn't know how much I missed eating Chinese hand pulled noodles until I noticed it was open, and I was not displeased. It was also my boyfriends first time ever eating a Chinese noodle dish, so I got both of us the roast pork noodles (my go to anywhere) and we loved it. I should mention my boyfriend hates getting soup, so he didn't really want to try it, but he wants to come again! The noodles were nice, long, and had great texture. The broth was my favorite part, but thoroughly enhanced with the bok choi, pork, and noodles. We also ordered the pan fried buns and they came out after our noodles arrived, but worth the wait. The dough was sweeter than I'm used to, and the meat filling had a nice flavor. After a few bites, I felt like the bun began to have a monotone flavor. Our overall experience was enjoyable and we will definitely be back to try more of their menu. read more

Yes!! New noodle place near my home. I no longer have to take the highway to satisfy my noodles cravings. I love the noodles though I wish the "thick noodles" were actually thicker. The broth was very tasty and not overly oiled. Some noodles I've tried in the paste are so oily you can actually see it shimmer on top of the broth. The beef was a bit chewy than I prefer though. But all the flavors were there! Definitely coming back. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

TLDR: super cool watching them make the noodles right in front of you! And they actually taste good! Have lived in the neighborhood for awhile and can say that there is nothing quite like it. Great addition to the community. The noodles are really good. The broth is also super tasty. The real money is in getting to watch them hand cut your noodles right on the spot! So cool. I have never seen anything like this so for me personally it really elevated the experience. Would recommend to friends and I will be back. -max read more

Thank heavens for authentic Lanzhou la mian! The food here is slightly on the pricier side for what it is. Broth is really good, not too salty and doesn't give me that msg taste after. Do not get the drinks they are $2 and total rip off. My husband ordered with without asking for the price (wasn't on the menu). read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

What a nice addition to Rio! My husband and I were pleasantly surprised how delicious their noodle soups were. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This place was very modern looking stylish but also,the service was very fast.I liked the courses because they were very big i could've almost shared one.The food was delicious and flavorful. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Roast pork dry-mixed noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

The hand pulled noodles have great texture and the soups are pretty authentic. I had the brisket and my wife had the tomato (Taiwanese styled). Thr brisket was very tender and upon adding a small spoon of chili oil, the dish reminded me of home. Good stuff in an unexpected location. I do have one major critique that I hope the store will see -- I would very much like to see a menu that includes smaller portions. A bowl is on average $10 to $11. I would gladly pay $8 to $9 for less noodles because as the current portions stand, it is too much. During our 30 minute stay, I witnessed 6 other patrons not able to finish their bowl and 2 others take it to go. Good food, but offering small portions like Pho does would give it a 5 star in my book. read more

We were excited to try this place, but are very disappointed we did. We got the beef brisket hand pulled noodles and the beef was all fat and gristle. We both spit it out and when I tried to give it to our dog later, even he rejected it. That's saying a lot, he usually scarfs everything we give him. It was cool to see the noodles being pulled, but the bland taste is not worth the cost. I feel bad because we like to support local businesses but we won't be back to this one. read more

Great apps! Pork buns and scallion pancakes. Noodles were good too, pretty standard. The ingredients were very fresh, but there weren't many toppings, mostly noodles. I would definitely come back just for the apps! read more

Loved it. Delicious noodles delicious dumplings. My kids loved watching the noodles get pulled and stretched and tossed and cut. So did I for that matter. They also have a lovey broth for the beef noodle soup. They are handling Covid well. Thanks for being open! read more

I came on a Sunday afternoon and it was super busy. It's cool to see the open kitchen. I ordered the chive pork steamed dumplings and a Diet Coke. The total came to $9.01 without tip. The dumplings were great. I will definitely be back for the soup! read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Chive pork steamed dumplings - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

We ordered two noodle soups- pork, which was great and the combo which my fiancée didn't like as much because of the tendon and the brisket being so thick. Overall, a nice place though. We got there close to closing time but they were nice and didn't kick us out. Perfect winter food! read more

See all

10/10. I had a really solid bowl of roast duck hand-pulled noodle soup. The broth was rich and nourishing, and the roast duck was flavored beautifully! I just wish they had more condiment options (only chili oil and soy sauce). Sriracha would've paired nicely read more

It's a good thing that the food is good and inexpensive because it took me over 40 minutes to receive one bowl. I got the Beef with Tomato with thin noodles and I'm stuffed and still have 1/2 of it to take home. The beef has tendon or fat or something in it but I was surprisingly unbothered by it because it's very tender. Don't come when it's busy. I think we may just get takeout! The stir fry looks really good, too. read more

Visiting my family in MD and while I was charging our Tesla for the long haul back to California, we happen to come across this little noodle shop. My brother who has lived in MD for 20 years had no clue this was even open and didn't even bother trying because he thought it was one of those fast-food-y Chinese takeouts. Wrong. We walked in and was immediately greeted by The Noodle Master! Rolling, pulling and cutting fresh flour noodles and tossing them into a boiling pot of broth! We waited in line to place our order, fast food style then given a number and got seated. The place is busy which is a great sign that the food is always fresh in the kitchen. The food did not disappoint. Photos don't do this any justice. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

For someone who regularly eats at similar style restaurants in New York, this place is only a 2 star, but considering this is Maryland, I'm willing to give this place a 3 star. The noodle, soup and meat are all just very average. read more

Been here a few times. Overall great experience and love the food. Service is fast and great. Family loves coming here as well. I like the fact that they have a diversity off options and noodles to pick from so there is always something new to try. If you're on the feeble qbout this place and looking for a place to eat... and you love noodles. Then stop your search and stop by. read more

4 stars for the beef noodle, 1 star for the pancake. Scallion pancake doesn't have any flavors, plain taste. Wish it could be more tasty. But beef combo noodle is the closest Lanzhou noodle I've had in states. Highly recommended. read more

I really enjoyed my beef noodle soup! Others in my group got their dried noodles and didn't seem to enjoy it quite as much as me. But I would highly recommend the combination beef noodle soup (comes with different cuts of beef) and I would opt for the thicker noodles. I got the average size but would get the thick cut if I were to go back, the thin noodles are too thin and becomes hard to manage especially in a dry noodle form as it makes it hard to mix the sauce. My noodle soup came with a size of spicy chili sauce to let you tailor it to our spice level - I used all of it and it was a good level of spice without being overpowering. The broth was flavorful on its own even without adding the chili sauce. I would come back and try this again. read more

Pork and chive dumplings are delicious and my favorite, I drive 40 minutes to eat here. Just be warned, cashier/cooks aren't wearing masks so...dine at your own risk read more

I haven't done a Yelp review in at least a few years but sometimes I have something so bad, they just need to know and here I am. I'm sitting here starving and come to find my delivered food was all wrong. Being my first time ordering from here with Door Dash. Delivery was great.. food was terrible. Knife cut noodles that were suppose to be "regular" cut came in "wide cut " and they were insanely bland. Omg... sooo bland.. no salt in the water to boil these. That's just a faux pas 101. I missing my chive pancake completely and although it on my order through door dash receipt, it's not on my actually physical receipt. I'm also missing the "extra " sauce I ordered. I can't even eat past one bite.. it's that bland and flavorless. Being that I'm a Chef, you don't need to be one to know that I'm right. Although I am sensitive to the COVID prevention practices and the hardships that restaurants are enduring, this is just inexcusable.. people are still paying for decently prepared food, at the very least. Tragic. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - This was the roasted pork knife cut noodles that came with the wide noodles but ordered the regular cut. - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

It was a gorgeous day today, so we decided to venture out with baby. We wanted a place where we could enjoy being outside, but make a quick getaway in case baby became suddenly unhappy. We weren't expecting to find a place where we could have some space to ourselves on such a nice night, but this place worked out perfectly. There are a few tables and chairs (4 just outside the restaurant) surrounding the entrance to Lanzhou. You order at the counter - I just wish they had menus for us to look at in line (there is one posted on the door and a couple taped to the counter), but the menu isn't too extensive so it was easy to make a couple quick selections. We got the stir-fried noodles with roast pork (delicious) and the beef noodle soup (a bit bland), as well as some chive and pork dumplings (yummy). Service was good (except maybe one of the cashiers who looked like she was having a particularly bad day) and quite quick. We got to enjoy our meal outside, with some privacy. The cherry on top was not having to wait to pay a bill at the end of the meal! (Which I'm sure many parents will agree can be agonizing) All in all a very successful outing. Would repeat. read more

It's ok. Cool concept and service is friendly. Food tastes ok but doesn't blow me away. I usually only eat here when I'm too lazy to walk across the Rio bridge to the other eating places I like better. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Yum, it's about time that the Rio got a solid Chinese option. The beef noodle soup is delicious - nicely seasoned broth with super tender beef. A few of the pieces were a little too fatty, but I know some people really like that. The pork buns are quite greasy and the dough was okay, but the meat filling was really good. I ordered takeout and I wish that chili oil/dumpling sauce was included in takeout orders, because I think a hit of chili oil would have pumped up the soup broth and that the dumpling sauce would have cut the richness of the buns. I did like that the soup was packaged separately from the noodles so that they didn't get soggy in transit!! I glimpsed a lot of delicious looking soups and stir fried noodles being prepared in the open kitchen. It's a limited menu right now but if you're craving noodles it will hit the spot. read more

It is quite authentic hand pulled noodle. It is noisy indoor. You can sit at the bar, table or outside. Looks like in China. The flavor beats my expectation, especially the fried buns. I didn't give five star because of the limited sauces - the chili sauce can be more spicy, and can have soy sauce and garlic sauce. Lots of people love to have fried buns, ramens and raw garlics together. read more

Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland