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Leong's Asian Diner

3.6 (229 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Leong's Asian Diner Photos

LEONG'S ASIAN DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Leong's Asian Diner

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Reviews With Photos

David's Special with Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
Aanchal B.

One of the best cashew chicken spots- original to Springfield (birthplace). My boyfriend and I got the David's Special (name after the founder) and I got mine with crab rangoon and egg drop soup. He got his with hot and sour soup & wontons. The server also asked us if we wanted white or brown chicken or mixed- we each went with white. All the food was fresh and authentic. She was nice and efficient. The decor was simple and they also have a drive through. It is a pretty filling dish for a good price - around $16 each and I even enjoyed the leftovers the next day. They have a good selection of wine, beer, sake, and other cocktails as well. I wish they were open later than 8:30 but will definitely come back!

Sweet and sour chicken
Michelle J.

Me and my daughter wanted to dine where Springfield Cashew Chicken was invented. Confession session: Neither of us ordered Cashew Chicken. Leong's is a full service restaurant with a host stand upon entry and waiter service. We had the spring rolls appetizer. I had never had them before and expected a soft texture and was surprised that they were crunchy. And kind of tiny. They tasted fine but the cup of Thai chili sauce served with them was super flavorful and my favorite part. I ordered Sweet and sour chicken for my entree and the portion is plentiful and delicious. My daughter ordered fried rice and couldn't finish it all before getting full. She liked how plentiful the vegetables were in her dish. To note: on the menu the children's menu and the senior menu is the exact same on their menu but children get a small drink with theirs. Hopefully if you get the server we did he'll do a better job. He was kind of lame in that he did zero check backs after delivering the entrees. Next time I go I'll try the orange chicken I saw on the menu.

Cashew chicken!
. ..

Every Springfield guide raves about this place and truthfully, I thought it was just OK but the restaurant did have a charm about it. Springfield cashew chicken is just a brown gravy sauce which was bland to me, which reinforced my perception that Midwest people have no taste buds. I actually preferred their General chicken to it which had much more flavor. They used chicken breast for all of their chicken dishes; I think it would have been better with thigh meat. Service was friendly. While glad to have had the experience, I would not come back.

Sweet & Sour Pork
Richard S.

The originator of the Spfd Style Cashew Chicken - let's give them 5 stars! Sweet & Sour pork tonight, was really good. Sauce is a bit on the citrus zingy side - but it is good. Egg drop soup: About as good as it gets in taste. Asian ribs: These can get in the undercooked side at times - but they have a great flavor profile to them. Service here is always fast and efficient. Atmosphere is laid back and comfortable. And clean it always is too....

Dottie K.

This restaurant has been around Springfield a long time the cashew chicken was amazing. The portions were large and they even offer sauces in jars to take with you. The pictures of the history around the restaurant is worth taking in. If ever in Springfield, I recommend you give them a try.

Spike S.

Springfield Cashew Chicken, an Americanized Chinese dish inspired by the culinary innovation of Chef David Leong. Leong's is the only Chinese restaurant in Springfield MO that I have dined at, or ever will. My wife and I had meals at the original Leong's many years ago, at its old location. Then, my introduction to the famous Springfield Cashew Chicken. It Is still one of my favorite meals. I have found the dish on the menus of Chinese restaurants across Missouri and Oklahoma. Each restaurant has a little different spin on the meal, but none as good as the original. My wife and I had the delicious meal again on this visit, with the best loaded hot and sour soup I have ever had. The meal came with unusually delicious fried rice and a choice of soups and sides. In addition to the hot and sour soup, we both had the Crab Rangoon. A wonderful meal! Check the pictures. It is a big spacious restaurant, with colorful Chinese decorations. Several walls are covered with newspaper and magazine articles about the life of Mr. Leong, and recognition for the restaurant's food. Comfortable tables and booths. The restaurant can handle a crowd. The service is fast and efficient. If you have a few minutes, read about the life of this interesting Chinese American. You can find his life history summarized on the menu cover, but the better read is the newspaper articles posted near the entrance. The food is fabulous!

Wonton soup at Leong's Asian Diner, Springfield
Bruce K.

Lots of places have their local food specialty. In Chicago, deep dish pizza. In New York, thin crust pizza. In Maryland, crab cakes. In Boston, lobstah rolls. In Charlotte, it's pulled pork. You get the idea? In Springfield, it's Cashew Chicken. Yes, it was made popular here in the 1960's by chef David Leong who was simply looking to make something from the local fried chicken. The place is super busy and yes, on a Saturday night there was a 45 minute wait. No seating at the bar, unfortunately. I put my name on the list and spent the time in the van. When I returned, there was a table for one right behind the hostess stand. My waitress took my order and dinner didn't take long. It's hard to go wrong with "David's Special" and I had it with the egg roll and wonton soup. All arrived at the same time. The chicken was very good, though it could have been crisper and hotter. Great flavor and the sauce was delicious. The egg roll was nice and hot. The rice was perfect texture. I can understand why people go so crazy for it. This was delicious. [Review 19765 overall - 242 in Missouri - 737 of 2023.]

Beef asparagus
Michelle B.

I'm not sure why I've never tried this place before?! Met my girlfriends here for our monthly night out and was beyond impressed. Service was impeccable! Everything we ordered from drinks to our main courses were excellent.

Here's the receipts!

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4 months ago

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7 months ago

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2 months ago

bussen food great service definitely coming again. i love the egg rolls. they make my tummy full

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8 months ago

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2 months ago

Best egg drop soup and cashew chicken!! Drove from Texas just to try it!! The fried rice is amazing too.

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1 year ago

BEST CHINESE restaurant around. Super crab rangoon & best cashew chicken!! Egg rolls and tasty and love the fried rice!!

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

Ate here over the weekend and got food poisoning. Although, it does look nice inside, and the service was good.

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5 years ago

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Ask the Community - Leong's Asian Diner

Does the restaurant offer Drive thru?

I believe so. However I do not know if they use it for pick up or not? Definitely call to double check as I have only dined in.

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City Butcher and Barbecue

City Butcher and Barbecue

4.5
(570 reviews)
1.3 mi
$$

My daughter and I were in the area visiting and read several positive reviews so we decided to give…read moreit a try. When we first pulled up the place looked like it might have been closed, but it wasn't. We were just there at an unpopular time of day. It was around 2:45pm so after lunch and too early for dinner, but we were hungry. When we walked in, we were promptly greeted by a very kind and informative gentleman. We told him we had never been there before and he informed us that because it's a bbq place, they sell out very early. It was also St Patrick's Day and he told us even those specials were all sold out. He proceeded to tell us what they had left and made recommendations for us based on what was available. We ended up ordering the smoked turkey, burnt ends, potato salad and the bbq beans. The sauces we tried were a mustard based bbq sauce and their traditional house bbq sauce. We took a seat at a table while we waited for our food. It's a seat yourself dining room. Our only complaint about the dining room was the lighting and temperature. It was too dark inside and the temperature was too cold, but it was also very cold outside. Our food was brought out pretty quickly and everything was worth the wait! The turkey was so moist and tender and the burnt ends were charred just right. The potato salad and beans were both large enough to share. The potato salad had an unusual flavor because it was made with pickles which we love so it was different but incredibly delicious at the same time. I was so glad we ordered it. The beans were just okay for me, but my daughter really liked them. Personally, I don't get too excited about beans when there's better options to try. I'd rather put those carbs and calories to better use. LOL The sauces were both good but the mustard one had a very strong mustard flavor so if mustard isn't your thing you're not going to like it. The house sauce is just the right mix or sweet and smoky. As I'm writing this review, I'm craving the potato salad so much and the turkey too. If I'm ever back in the area, I'm definitely stopping there again. Nice staff, great food, and good portions what more to ask for.

My expectations were very high since the BBQ was amazing a few year ago…read more The brisket and smoked turkey were very good while the Texas hot links and andouille sausage links were far below average. The texture didn't seem right as I chewed it. Seemed like it had a filler and very little fat. I asked for 3 BBQ sauces in my to go order. When I got home, there weren't any. I had their BBq with an old bottle of store bought sauce that's been sitting in my refrigerator for months. Overall, great brisket and turkey offset by bad pseudo sausage. And a BBQ joint that doesn't give you the sauce is pretty unforgivable.

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Half slab ribs, burnt ends, smoke house bbq beans, cheesy jalapeño corn and potato salad. Everything was delicious.
Half slab ribs, burnt ends, smoke house bbq beans, cheesy jalapeño corn and potato salad. Everything was delicious.
Burnt End Sandwich with a side of jalapeno corn

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Burnt End Sandwich with a side of jalapeno corn

Leong's Asian Diner - chinese - Updated July 2026

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