I don't understand this world and how this restaurant doesn't have all 5 stars. 4 at the least. This place is amazing, full stop. The Chefs Special Dry Chili Chicken is maybe the best chicken I've ever had. Full of flavor and melts in your mouth. I also got the Chairman Mao Style Hong Sue Pork Belly, which was lovely. Chicken Egg Rolls were not what I expected, which was a good thing. Delish!! Even their tea is wonderful. More of a hibiscus flavor. Just delightful. Very busy and small place so come in off hours to get seated. You MUST stop by this spot if you're in Chicago's Chinatown. You won't be disappointed. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Chefs Special Dry Chili Chicken and Chairman Mao Style Hong Sue Pork Belly with Chicken Egg Roll 2Pc - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for dinner on a friend's recommendation. Order for 1: Szechuan style stir fried green beans ($16.95), Dry Chili Fish Fillet ($19.95), Chicken with Bone in Spicy Sesame Sauce ($10.95) with rice. Food came out hot and fresh. I definitely over ordered but it will make for tasty left overs. A little pricey but I get it - everything is in this economy. Would be better eaten in a group to order more variety. Solid meal for a girl craving "home food." read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Spicy Cabbage (complementary), Xinjiang Spicy Braised Chicken With Bone, Dry Chili Fish Fillet, Szechuan String Beans (L) H08. (L) - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came back for the Tony's chili chicken and it was just as good as I remembered. Green beans were a little disappointing, not as garlicky as before, so 1 point deduction for the lack of consistency. I also tried the beef brisket noodle soup which was spicy and satisfying. Service was quick and staff were friendly. Overall another great dining experience in Chinatown. read more

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Came here with my best friend and her lab for an early Lunar New Year celebration in February. We were a group of 10 and thankfully didn't need a reservation because we got there early enough. I loved all the natural lighting in the space. We were seated at a u-shaped booth with chairs on the other side. We did a family style meal and found ourselves wishing there was a Lazy Susan in the middle. The service was quick and kind. My favorite orders we got were the spicy Szechuan wontons and fried dumplings. The star of the show was the boiling whole fish in Szechuan sauce. The spice was the main flavor in the fish and I found myself wishing there was more flavor than just kick. We got a series of yummy pork dishes too. If you like spicy food this is a wonderful place for that. Most of our dishes had a delightful kick to them. The menu had a huge selection of meals to pick from too. We had a lot of fun at this staple in Chicago Chinatown. Afterwards we went to see the Chicago's Chinatown Square Zodiac statues nearby. read more

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Maybe the best Szechuan popcorn chicken I have ever had. Seriously. Worth trying! Also had some spiced cabbage- delicious. I have never had a raw Szechuan peppercorn before- they let us try them here. At first it was a little bitter, then became acidic, like almost lemony, then... your mouth goes numb. Not like spicy numb. It's actually called mala- it's from a molecule called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool which causes a tingly feeling or like a "buzzing" sensation. It's crazy. But super fun and pretty unique. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Sign from road. - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best- THE BEST and most authentic Szechuan food you will get outside of China! I' found this place many years ago when I was feeling home sick away from my Ayi who cooked Szechuan food for me everyday in China. This place is authentic, and the spice level is right on point. Crisp Dry chilli chicken is my favorite, Szechuan green beans and the broiled beef Szechuan style! So amazing. I've gone to their other locations as well, all authentic! They are serving the community well and it's not gone unnoticed all these years! Located in the West Gate, across from the Walgreens on Cermak & Archer Avenue. Chinatown exit off Red Line many places to shop for souvenirs and other items read more

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We used to eat here as a family just about every time we came here as a family. So I was pleasantly surprised it was still here and even more so that it has since expanded to more locations. We used to do family style dishes but didn't have the time or stomach for that this time so we got some beef noodle soup and zha jiang mian. I think they just used grocery store noodles so that was very mid but the general flavors we wanted were there. I really liked the fu qi fei pian we got too and they brought some complimentary pickled cabbage too which I gobbled up read more

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An authentic Sze Chuan restaurant with a wide menu of both Sze Chuan spiced foods and Americanized Chinese food. They start you off with a complimentary spicy shredded cabbage, which has that nice chili oil infused flavors and crunchy exterior. A great appetizer!! We got the beef with pure cumin powder, which was mild in spice. If you like cumin, and a dry peppery taste, this dish will be perfect for you. Came with peppers, bell peppers, and onions as well to balance the flavors. The sliced pork, dry bean curd with chives was a classic - I'm not the biggest fan of bean curd, and the dish was on the more mild end. The spinach in garlic sauce was DELISH! A classic dish, infused with that addicting wok infused garlic that just makes every bite so savory and addicting. The spicy and sour potato was also delish - not too sour, some spice, and a slightly crunchy yet refreshing texture. We were seated immediately on a busy Friday evening around 7:30pm, and the restaurant is very clean and slightly more upscale! read more

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A long standing staple in Chicago Chinatown. Cute interior with red accents throughout. Staff is attentive. They are open late which is nice for the a night dinner. Our favorite fish was the sour beef soup. Beef slices were tender and good fattiness ratio and soup broth was creamy with a good level of sourness. Would order again! We also got the fish filet in the red szechuan sauce which was OK with soft fish, but the szechuan flavor besides the numbing wasn't as forward. More of a taste preference I'm sure. read more

Checked out this spot in Chinatown and really enjoyed it. The inside looks clean and has a modern look. The service wasn't bad but you scan a QR code at the table and place your order through there. The waiter brought out some spicy cabbage and hot tea. We ordered the dry chili chicken which was really flavorful and it came with white rice. Overall this place is great. The food came out quickly, tasted great, and the experience was solid. Definitely recommend this place if you're looking for good Chinese food in the city. read more

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I'm familiar with Lao Sze Chuan, as there's one in Uptown about a mile from my home, but it's taken all this time to get to one. My friend and I visited Chinatown so she could get some things from her mom's favorite bakery before heading to visit her. She wanted to give this place a try so we stopped for lunch. The place isn't huge but it had plenty of space for us which was lucky since we had two strollers. The server came pretty quick to bring us some water and menus, and we ordered several items. We got some green beans and potstickers so that the kids had something to eat, as some of it was spicy. My favorite item was the dry chili chicken; that will be my go-to dish here. Prices were a little high. Ok, a lot high. I wouldn't come here terribly often because of the price. No dedicated parking for them; you'll find what parking you find around Chinatown. read more

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Food was just ok. Maybe we didn't order the right things but I wasn't too impressed. The restaurant is somewhat fancy . I wasn't mind blown or anything. Huge portions by the way. The one entree can easily feed 3 people so keep that in mind when ordering. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Chef Spicy Dry Chili Chicken With Green Peppercorn - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My second visit to this restaurant in Chinatown. And I think it is better than my first. Went there with a group of 9 and ended up ordering a wide variety of dishes. Amazing that the total cost was less than $200!!! We didn't have any alcohol so that probably helped. The fish fillet in spicy soup was really good. Also tried a similar dish but a mapo tofu style which I thought that was also very good. Maybe a little too much variety of ingredients for me. The other dishes we had were all very good, service was friendly and prompt. English is a little challenging, but really almost makes the place even more authentic. read more

Lao Sze Chuan is probably closer to four stars, but I'm giving it a five because it was my go-to haunt for good Sichuanese food during my college years. I came here all the time with friends back in the day, and celebrated my birthday and my college graduation on the second floor. The food was always delicious, they can seat large groups, and there are a ton of dessert spots and bars nearby that you can hit up to make an evening out of it. It was a joy to return after these many years when I was in Chicago for a wedding! Lao Sze Chuan feels like a classic Chinese restaurant: the ambiance inside is just fine, clean, and the service is prompt and no-frills. Their menu is insanely long and can be tough to navigate. When I've come in the past, I've ordered the Szechuan string beans, mapo tofu, twice cooked pork, dry chili chicken, and the boiled sole fish fillet in Szechuan spicy sauce. This time, true to form, I ordered the Szechuan string beans, mapo tofu, and dry chili chicken for the two of us. I thought the string beans and dry chili chicken were excellent, flavorful and well-cooked. The mapo tofu was a bit of a letdown, though. The sauce wasn't very balanced, and the tofu came in larger chunks that didn't seem to have absorbed the flavor of the sauce. But overall, the prices were reasonable, the portions were large (we had a decent amount of leftovers), the food came out hot and quickly, and we left satisfied. Some things never change! read more

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I really enjoyed the soup dumplings and Mongolian beef. I did not enjoy the Peking dumpling because they were hard and didn't have much flavor. I also had the plum wine which nice. Service was good and they cared about my allergies. The view was nice as well. read more

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I tried the orange beef, spicy cabbage stir fry and the dry chili chicken. My favorite of the three was the orange beef. It was very sweet but was nice and fresh. I'd say the cabbage was too undercooked for my liking. Overall the food was okay but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again. read more

the green onion pancakes were fine, i didn't like how deep fried they were and lacked flavor (but eating it with the vinegar-soy sauce combo was good). the chicken was super good, i loved the spiciness to it. the wontons were my favorite, i loved how packed in the meat was. i also really loved the eggplant, super flavorful! read more

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I ordered thru DoorDash and the order took over an hour. Food was good but didn't come w/ any rice (supposed to). the vibe is pretty authentic if Yk what I mean. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Spicy Cabbage was hot asl - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've ordered from here several times so so good did not disappoint. I have not been to the restaurant yet, but I look forward to doing so.

Came late at night, just me at 11 pm on a Sunday. They're open til midnight. Lots of places closed at this time, but this place was open and spacious. The hot tea is lovely. I ordered the cumin lamb to compare to two other places I've enjoyed it. (Chef Xiong and Uncle Zhang's). This is the most expensive of the 3 since I had to pay for rice separately. But I think it's the same price as Chef Xiong. It's a generous portion, enough to split with someone, but family style multiple dishes would probably be recommended. I liked that it was a little less greasy than others, and the red bell peppers were a vibrant addition. The cumin flavor was more subdued than Chef Xiong and about on par with Uncle Zhangs. However, the lamb flavor was more apparent, and I appreciate the size of the lamb pieces, very satisfying bites. I particularly liked the spiced/pickled cabbage accoutrement on the table. Not quite kimchi, not sure what it's called, but it paired beautifully with my dish. I also had the spring rolls which were decent. The hot mustard was the real star of the show on that front. ACCESSIBILITY: Despite being in the "mall" which has TERRIBLE brick tiling throughout, this location is the western most unit and can be more easily accessed from Princeton which also has a graded slope curb. The entrance does have two doors that might take a little maneuvering, but inside the spacing of dining chairs seems manageable. I did not use the restroom, so I can't speak to that. I use a cane/walking stick and appreciated the ease of access it afforded me, and would say this is about as close to wheelchair accessible location you'll find, in this mall at least. The main benefit of this restaurant is the late night hours, and the food quality is definitely good enough to return. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Cumin lamb - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered my usual items from this restaurant yesterday. The Mapo Dofu had NO PORK in it. Every Mapo Dofu I've ever ordered has pork in it, not just the tofu. NO WHERE is it shown as "vegetarian" (and it wasn't anyway, becuase it still had a pork soup base). Cost cutting is now out-of-conrol. read more

Lao Sze Chuan has won a lot of accolades, and proudly boasts itself as one of the greatest restaurants in Chicago Chinatown. Did it live up to the hype? Just about. The meat dishes delivered very well on taste, texture and flavor- the veggie dishes were a bit more typical. Service was fine! No complaints. Ambiance was also nice- good place to go for a group dinner. I'm reading a lot of reviews and a few of them give praise and a few of them are saying their food was chewy and flavourless- and while I can't speak for anyone else but myself, I would wholeheartedly agree that this restaurant is very good! I don't think you could go wrong by coming here. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Twice Cooked Pork Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Famous Peking Duck Szechuan String Beans - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good place for authentic Chinese cuisine. Not much ambience, it was pretty crowded during the weekend. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Chilli chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

this is definitely a no-frills place. service is okay, they were very good about refilling waters which was a plus! the food itself was pretty good. i wouldn't say this is my favorite szechuan place but at the same time i might be spoiled because i live in seattle which has some of the best szechuan food ever i think it's worth going to if you're in the area and are craving this kind of food. it's also very conveniently located in the main area of chicago's chinatown so there's a bunch of stuff to do around it. read more

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I don't know why it took so long for me to write a review for this location even though I have been here many times. It's just that restaurant that if you don't know what to eat with so many changing options in Chinatown, you will not go wrong turning back and choosing it. Yesterday we arrived in Chinatown just 1 hour before a concert that we were going. We walked down that street and every restaurant was pretty busy but not interesting to us. For some reason, Lao Szechuan was not busy at all, so we walked in and asked if we could get food within 15 mins. The server was so friendly and promised that's no problem at all and helped us order right away. Amazingly, yummy food was served fresh and hot out of kitchen within 8 mins!!!! Thanks to the restaurant, we ate well after a long drive and before a long night. Now the food: highly recommend all of what we ordered if you are looking for more authentic Chinese flavors not American style walnut shrimps type of food. Non spicy options: Sole Fish Fillet Black Bean Sauce and Green Bean Szechuan Style are both very tasty. Particularly, their green beans look green but are so flavorful with no unpleasant veggie raw taste at all! Just in case you don't know fishy taste- they season the green beans with a bit salty marinated fish which is yummy to me. Spicy options: need I say more? Please order their spicy chicken - crispy but not dry at all at an acceptable spicy level. Mapo Tofu was a classic, you will not go wrong. The restaurant got busy after 7:15PM. So I guess you need to visit early so you don't need to wait. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Sole Fish Fillet Black Bean Sauce, Spicy Chengdu Chicken, Green Bean Szechuan Style, Mapo Tofu - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered takeout with 20% off my first online order, and it was ready in no time! The portions were huge, and the chili chicken was incredible--perfectly spicy and flavorful. Great food, quick service, and amazing value. Highly recommend! read more

Addicted to the food here! My daughter and I are obsessed with the chefs chili dry chicken. I first tried this dish in college while attending the university of Illinois and I fell in love, I hadn't been able to find this dish until my sister recommended Lao Sze Chuan. It brings back memories and makes us both so happy. The chicken is nice, crunchy and spicy. We, also, love their spicy cabbage appetizer. So good! We've made sure to visit this location, the one in Chinatown, on our last two trips to Chicago. The staff has always been friendly and attentive. The times we have gone, we did not experience any wait times but it is a very lively space. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A date took me here because he said that this was his favorite restaurant in Chinatown so of course I had to try one of his favorite dishes! When I checked in, the restaurant gave me free Shanghai spring rolls which were perfectly crispy and savory. We had a huge serving of the Chef's special dry chili chicken dish which was so yummy and crispy! It went so well with the white rice. The servers were attentive and made sure that our water cups were always full. I heard the fish was popular too so hopefully I get to try that the next time I come in! read more

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So basically, these FOOLS think it's funny to delay my food by TWO HOURS, it's not the place, it's the DoorDash ppl. The food was amazing and I busted after it. It's sooo good I was so happy! Fuck the DoorDash ppl tho. Edit:turns out they took 2 hours to make it, and 2 hours to deliver. The orange chicken was apple chicken or some shit, and the DoorDash guy was rude. Never again! The food wasn't good at all!!! read more

A GO TO whenever we're in town. The absolute best place to get your Szechuan fix! The service is great and staff are super nice and friendly! Cozy and relaxed ambiance. They did change the interior of the restaurant and gave it a more stylish look. But it still feels warm and cozy, which is exactly what you need when eating something spicy and delicious. I cannot wait to come again and again. Honestly I don't think I'll ever be tired of Lao Sze Chuan! read more

We probably ordered about almost everything we liked or were intrigued by on the menu lol pretty good in all, but nothing too special. Chilis, soups, noodles -- all good flavor and spices. A solid place to get your authentic Chinese cravings if in Chinatown area. read more

Lao Sze Chuan - everything - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here after the horrible experience at a nearby place. The service was amazing, the place was clean, the food delicious with plenty of vegetarian & vegan options. read more

Wow, this business has gone downhill. I've been a customer for years. Tonight I placed an order for a $100 dinner. They told me the order was received, was being prepared, and was eventually delivered over the course of an hour. No food ever came. I called them 20 times with no answer; I called their other locations; the staff said they were in contact with the restaurant, but they were very busy. Eventually, they all stopped answering their phones. Finally, I got in my car and actually drove to the restaurant that pretended to take and charge my order--and they were totally closed. Lights out, door locked, no one there. This business is a total scam. Don't waste your time. read more

Ordered them on DoorDash and was severely disappointed. Ordered fried shrimp which were incorrectly labeled in that they didn't not mention that they were coconut shrimp. Which I deem to be an important detail. As well as the shrimp came with no sauce who wants fried shrimp by themselves. Then no utensils per usual no soy sauce no fortune cookie. And they orange chicken tasted cheap. read more

Very tasty authentic Sichuan cuisine. Free tea and spicy cabbage salad. Will definitely come back! read more

Lao Sze Chuan - 604. Szechuan String Beans 水者鱼 - Szechuan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I dined here with two of my best friends late Friday night, and we had a wonderful experience. The Kung Pao Chicken, Black Pepper Beef, and Crispy Fish filets were all incredibly tasty and flavorful. Be aware that most of the dishes we selected were very spicy, which was our preference. Our waiter was attentive, and the restaurant's décor was attractive. I would certainly return. I enjoy trying different restaurants in Chinatown. read more

Came with my grandma who spoke in Canto. That was helpful for ordering! We walked over and we were greeted right away by someone at the front desk. They were helpful in seeing we needed a high chair for our little one. Service was pretty good to me. You can order using a paper or their tablet. The food was good and filling. I liked their decorations. read more

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Food quality was good. Many vegan options. Service was fast and pleasant. Have returned three additional times since I first discovered this spot in China Town. read more

It's crazy to me that I haven't even left a review for Lao sze chuan yet. Lao Sze Chuan is my go-to for Sichuan food in Chicago! Yes, there are other (and cheaper) places, but Lao sze chuan is so bright and clean and yummy and the portions are always huge so I just keep coming back, I can't help it. Honestly these photos aren't even my favorite dishes but I'm too lazy to go back and dig up old ones right now. My favorite dishes are the Sour sole fish fillet with pickled vegetables, the green peppercorn beef, the spicy sole fish fillet soup, and the mapo tofu. Usually I add a vegetable like green beans or pea shoots for a healthy balanced, oily diet B) read more

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Pretty good Chinese food in Chicago's Chinatown! This is the first place my husband ever ate Chinese food when he moved to Chicago. He loves it and wanted me to try it. We tried calling for a reservation but they only take walk ins, which ended up being fine because it wasn't super crowded. We rolled up here after finding street parking and got seated pretty quickly. I checked in and we had veggie spring rolls that were free. I showed my waitress the check in and she clicked redeem. We of course ordered too much food - got the string beans, eggplant, earred mushrooms and mapo tofu. Luckily, she forgot to bring us the free spring rolls , but still too much food. The mapo tofu was tasty and had a nice kick. String beans were also good, but had a fishy tasty which she had told us about. I really like the mushroom and eggplant. Overall a good place. Noticed that there was another one in downtown and a food court version! Guess its doing pretty well! read more

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