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Mama's Taste

4.4 (179 reviews)
ModerateChinese
Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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Crispy beef
Anita B.

SOOOO TASTY!! My husband and I live in Miami, and it's so hard to find good Chinese food there. We were thrilled with the flavors and authenticity of Mama's Taste in Fairfax, VA. We ordered the egg drop soup, crispy beef (perfect texture with sweet sauce), and shrimp fried rice (so filling and delicious)! We will surely be back when we're in town, and can't wait to try their noodle dishes and wontons. Super delicious spot for takeout or sit down dining.

Orange chicken
Dickson L.

Lovely little Chinese takeaway right on the sidelines of the Old Fairfax town center. Lots of "classic" dishes and they're all bangers. The place itself is quite small for dine in, but I'm pretty sure that's not their target so we were able to get a seat for 2 pretty easily on a Friday evening. We got mostly "ABC" comfort foods - orange chicken, Yangzhou fried rice, Singapore rice noodles - and an order of their dumplings in spicy sauce (a bit surprising as it's a more northern China style compared to the rest of menu). It was definitely a bit much for just 2 of us but we intended to take home leftovers. All of it was delicious, cooked to spec, but what really makes them stand out is their superior "wok-hei"; it is the soul of wok-style dishes and compliments to the chef(s) - they absolutely know their craft and it shines in the flavor. This craftsmanship is lost in the new generation and it's a real treat to see it preserved here out of all places. Dumplings were splendid. Juicy and handmade, definitely hits that nostalgic nook from the back of your head. tldr; charming Chinese takeout spot with superb wok-hei in their dishes

Sesame chicken
Jessica D.

So delicious!! I think we may have found our new go-to Chinese takeout spot. It can be really difficult to find a good solid place, so it's taken a while. Decided to give mamas taste a try and no regrets!! Everything was fresh and hot. The pan fried pork dumplings (which I didn't get a pic of) were amazing. We got way too much food for two people but we wanted to try a lot of different options, now we will just have leftovers for a couple days :) their portions were also generous and packed to the brim. The sweet and sour chicken were perfect and the lo mein had a great flavor - not bland at all. The sesame chicken was also good. Can't wait to try more menu options next time.

Hot and sour soup
Hina M.

New year, light dinner and my new go-to soup spot for 2026! I called in an order for the Pick 2 hot and sour soups along with steamed chicken dumplings, and everything exceeded my expectations. The restaurant is located in a strip plaza alongside other mom-and-pop shops at Courthouse Plaza Center, with plenty of convenient parking available. The service was excellent. When I called to place my order, the person at the front desk listened attentively, clearly explained the menu options, and let me know they were busy and would need a bit of extra time, which I truly appreciated. And the food? Incredible. The hot and sour soup was even better than my previous favorite spot perfectly balanced seasoning, fresh vegetables, and rich flavor. The steamed chicken dumplings were delicious and tasted freshly made. I really appreciated the polite service and the fresh, well-seasoned food. I'll definitely be back for more! Please continue treating your customers with kindness, it truly makes a difference.

Biang biang noodles with beef (spicy)
Julie H.

The best fast food Chinese restaurant and my go to spot for orange flavored beef. Deep fried and sauced to perfection! It's best eaten fresh as soon as it comes out, but it is super hot so gotta be very careful biting into it!! All of their dishes we have tried have been really good and consistently good! And of course since we love spicy food, most of our dishes we get from Mama's taste are spicy dishes. A few that we always get are spicy mapo tofu, eggplant in hot garlic sauce, spicy oil noodles and combination chowfun noodle dish. Amongst other dishes we have tried, those are our favorite. Friendly customer service, food comes out fairly quickly (you do wait if you go at their busy hours), and orange flavored beef does take a little more time to come out. Restaurant isn't big inside and only has about 7-8 big/small tables. Casual dining and water is self serve, just ask for a cup.

Mapo Tofu
Andy Y.

Tasty, delicious, and spicy! A very clean place with an easy kiosk order system. If you are not sure, there are pictures to help you choose. The service was fast and the food was prepared fresh. The dishes were prepared fresh with a lot of spice. Parking was plentiful as it is shared with the businesses within the center. We will be back. Enjoy!

General tso (front) and pepper steak (back)
MR H.

Food: 10/10 recommend. I've been trying to take my friends and family there because it's hard for me to explain. It's not your typical chinese-american style food; everything tasted so fresh and unprocessed. There is so much variety on menu that I'll need to keep coming back with my friends and family so I can try everything on the menu. Pepper steak (white rice included)- I don't even like peppers that much but they were so perfectly cooked-- just firm enough to bite into or pick up without them falling apart but still so soft. The pepper flavor doesn't overpower the sauce flavor or the steak. The steak looked like actual pieces of meat and were so tender that we didn't need to cut it up at all. General tso (white rice included)- omg sooo crispy like it was tossed in the sauce just before serving. We got 3/4 spicy level and it was perfect sweet tang in combination with the biang biang noodles' Szechuan-type spicy. The chicken so juicy and lean. Biang biang noodles (shrimp)- noodles met in your mouth, theyre so good and the sauce wasn't just mouth-tingly, it had a very nice flavor. ordered with shrimp despite not really liking shrimp, but I like trying a variety of proteins to get a good feel for cooking style. These little shrimps were not chewy at all, not fishy, and there were so many of them! Nobody asked, but I liked that they used short grain rice. It wasn't overcooked or over-starchy. The portions were surprisingly generous making it even more worth the price. After dividing the leftovers, I had lunch for work the next 2 days. The leftovers tasted so good, too. Service: fast and polite. The food came out at the same time and there were text message updates on the status of our food. When it got to us, the food was still freshly hot, not reheated. We came in not realizing that they closed in like 45min but they still welcomed us very warmly and made effort to thank us despite more customers straggling in as we left. Ambiance: very calm and extremely casual. Simple disposable plates and utensils. It was perfect for a Tuesday night spontaneous outing with my sister.

The Handmade noodle was quite tasty. Could use more chili oil but I appreciated the flavor and the bok choy
Neil W.

I stumbled upon this place after the Asian Festival on Main in Fairfax. The inside resembles any fast casual strip mall restaurant, although the lady at the counter was quick to welcome us as we walked in. We could either order with her, or with the touchscreen machine. The food came out fairly quickly, although I was warned that the jumbo soup dumplings would take 25 minutes. I loved the handmade noodles, and I recommend anything handmade. I can't attest to the standard Chinese takeout food, such as the orange chicken, general tso, etc. but I love that there's handmade items here, and it's a big differentiating factor between them and other Chinese takeout places. The noodles were very chewy, though they could have used more chili oil, and the dumplings were quite large. I'll have to try the normal dumplings next time

Chicken w/Black Bean Sauce; extra beef and pork.
Cornelius G.

I don't believe I have ever craved Chinese food while visiting Fairfax, but I found myself here, having observed this small restaurant over the years. I ordered chicken with black bean sauce with added beef and pork. (Yes, it was a lot of protein). I requested they only use a small amount of black bean sauce and they went a little overboard or the chef didn't get the memo. Nonetheless, it was wonderful. I wouldn't think twice about returning. It's a small place with tables, but nothing remarkable. Big parking lot. There's a small beer spot next door that is always full of guest, although limited business hours. And, Layered just opened, which is within a two minute walk.

Exterior of Mama's Taste (Feb 2024).

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21 days ago

Absolutely phenomenal food. Everything was fresh. Service was fast. Staff was friendly.

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10 months ago

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5 months ago

Always great. we get sweet and sour chicken and pan fried dummplings. Always fresh and large portions.

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1 year ago

Very tasty food and dumplings! I think it was made from scratch. Will definitely be visiting again.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

This was a welcome surprise. A Chinese food restaurant with excellent food in an old strip mall. Crispy beef is the best in the area.

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Ask the Community - Mama's Taste

Is this cafeteria style or you have to tip a server?

Cafeteria style, but you should still tip at least a small amount if you're dining in.

Is this a sit down restaurant or carry out only?

Both sit down and carry out.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Flew into town for a concert and saw this at the top of the recommendations, very serendipitous!…read more The place has a great atmosphere from the moment you walk in, the decor has a unique kitsch and the music is a definite vibe as well, and that's before you meet the staff. The staff was friendly front to back, hostess, waitress, bar tender- friendly and knew the menu and had solid recommendations and knowledge of the menu. The food was great, we had rangoons for an appetizer, followed by their famous General Tso's and the Mongolian Combination, all delicious! Highly recommend this place if you're in the area! Shout out to Jason!

This adventitious find popped up on my way out of the city. In general, the outer suburbs are…read morebetter for Chinese food than DC itself, so I gave them a shot. My takeout was ready in timely fashion, and there was definitely some quality there. My kung pao tofu was a little sweet as the dish normally is, but also amply spicy as I requested and came with plenty of peanuts, extra-crispy tofu, and a few other vegetables. Lo mein was a fairly straightforward soy-garlic affair, though I must say I appreciated the option to add some tofu to that as well. My spring rolls came sauceless and were fairly basic and cabbage-y, but a decent way to round out a meal. I appreciated their thorough vegetarian labeling; of course some things were not available to me that I wish they would make vegetarian, but the most important thing is being able to make informed decisions. I skipped the ma po tofu this time, but they claim it offers genuine numbing sensations and they did enough to convince me that it might be worth coming back to try.

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Cheng's Asian House - Plain Steamed Rice - perfectly steamed!

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4.2(862 reviews)
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I recently moved back to the NoVa after a few years overseas and was looking forward to going back…read moreto Cheng's since it always had really excellent and authentic Szechuan. Sadly, I found out even before ordering that its original owner Louis Cheng recently retired and sold the restaurant to new ownership. The food was so-so but it was definitely not as good as I remember - the boiled fish in was definitely different versus what it was previously. Instead of spicy and fragrant peppercorns in oil, it was a simple sauce and cornstarch, very little heat and pretty generic. The other dishes didn't have the fiery wok taste that they used to and it felt more like an average Chinese food restaurant versus one that's more authentically Szechuan. Not bad food by any means, but less spice and more generic. Maybe it's a decision by new management to make it more mass appealing, but I was sad that it was sold and doesn't feel like the same place.

If you're looking for outstanding Asian food, this place is absolutely worth seeking out. The…read morelocation is a little tucked away, but the food more than makes up for it. The portions are incredibly generous, and every dish we tried was delicious. The drunken noodles were packed with flavor, the fried rice was perfectly cooked, the Tso's chicken was excellent, and the steamed fish was fresh and beautifully prepared. The highlight of the meal was the spectacular tableside Flambé dessert--it was both delicious and a fun experience. The service was exceptional. Our waitress was incredibly sweet, attentive, and made sure we were well taken care of throughout the meal. The owners were also warm and welcoming, adding to the wonderful dining experience. And don't skip the beer--it was fantastic! Great food, generous portions, outstanding hospitality, and excellent value. We'll definitely be back.

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Mama's Taste - chinese - Updated October 2026

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