Pai and staff are always so very friendly. Whenever I visit Northfield I order the Sesame Chicken and an order of the cream cheese wantons. So Good! read more

The prices are fair, and the staff is very friendly. Food was pretty good- our fam ordered four dishes: Triple Crown and General Tso's were the best. Shrimp fried rice was good, although shrimp had a metallic taste, like it was canned. The Pork Egg Foo Yung would have been tasty- but it was burnt, and shouldn't have been served. We will be trying it again though- we did order close to closing time, and people may have just wanted to get home. read more

It used to be hit or miss and now they only do carry out and such limited hours. The place always smells like sewer gas.

I was here on a visit and snagged takeout for my group. The portions were large, but the food was largely homogenous and flavorless.

Service is great, food is super good too. The kungpow chicken is amazing! I would definitely recommend this place. read more

We've gotten takeout several times from here and we always love it. I like the vegetable noodles and tofu appetizer and my husband likes a lot of the meat dishes. read more

Pleasantly surprised. I had low expectations but was surprised by how much we enjoyed our take out - chicken egg rolls, Szechuan chicken and Kung Pao chicken both medium spice. We will be back! read more

Yucky! Go to the gas station to buy your food. This place S&CKS. Take out was horrible. read more

So disappointing. We ordered 4 meals and they were all mushy, cold, and didn't taste like you would expect. The General Tso's chicken was actually bbq chicken. The chicken fried rice was ok, but the chicken was flavorless. The wontons were cold and chewy. I'm not even sure what the cashew chicken was, there were a few cashews in there and (I think) some chicken, everything was mushed together. read more

We have been satisfied customers of the Mandarin Garden for 20+ years. Pei and her family have been preparing excellent Chinese dishes all the while. I have never had a dish there that wasn't unique flavorful and hot. Their takeout orders are always on time and they really do a good job with their unique dishes. Their sesame chicken is simply outstanding. read more

This is a very nice little restaurant. Plenty of parking out front and when I stopped in there was no wait and plenty of seats. Staff was very friendly. The hot and sour soup is one of the best I have had, and the fried tofu is fantastic. The house fried rice was pretty good with plenty of flavor. Overall about an 8 out is of 10 experience. read more

Mandarin Garden Restaurant - a plate of fried rice and tofu - Chinese Near Me - Northfield, Minnesota

Nice family and service. The fortune cookies make me feel better about myself. I really appreciate the kind words and delicious food! Good value-recommend chicken fried rice. read more

Great Start, Disappointing Finish This was a somewhat bizarre experience. First, the restaurant is beautiful and checked all the boxes for the perfect Chinese restaurant. It's not too big and not too small. They serve traditional tea in the little teapots, and it was delicious. We ordered hot and sour soup, and that was terrific, some of the best we'd ever had -- when it finally came out, after at least 15-20 minutes. Then, it went all downhill from there. The appetizers came out with the soup, and they were very greasy. We hadn't finished the appetizers or soup, and our entrees came out. I ordered the Fours Seasons, and it had a strange and gritty barbecue-like sauce. The General Tso's Chicken tasted like it was drenched in American barbecue sauce. These were both supposed to be "spicy" dishes, but they were not. An order of vegetable fried rice finally came out 20 minutes after the entrees, and it was mediocre at best. Fried rice should have a smokey flavor to it; this tasted as if it had been lightly sauteed. We had plenty of leftovers, which I tried to resuscitate at home. I gave Mandarin Garden a "3" because it really is a lovely venue. I don't think we'll likely return to it because I don't feel like "rolling the dice" to see if I can get a satisfactory meal the next time. read more

Some menu items are better than others, but overall this is one of the best restaurants in Northfield. Top notch food with a very friendly staff I recommend mandarin garden to anybody looking for great food. Have been coming here for over 10 years read more

Long wait for take out, cold flavorless food, blackened cream cheese wontons too hard to eat. Restaurant didn't have one person in it for the hour we waited to get fried rice, noodles and an app. We have tried this place once a year over the past few years because the employees are so friendly and we want to support a small business; always hoping it gets better, it just never does. read more

Went to this place because the reviews said good things, but damn, not sure what people are liking about the food because McDonald's ranks a 10 compared to this place. You can tell the food is pre packaged, the wontons where over cooked and then cooked in old grease and where stale. The chicken fried rice was mushy rice and dried pre packaged chicken chunks and had no taste and was actually disgusting. Beef with pea pods was like soup and some mushy white rice with it. I still can't get the horrible smell of this Chinese out of my nose. Its gross. Will never go back. Beware if you go. read more

Not very good as my prediction... I've tasted the real Chinese food in China and the food here are not really traditional. read more

See all

My first visit to Mandarin Garden was an eye opening experience. I was initially reluctant when my friends asked me to go; I was expecting to see the standard Americanized Chinese fare, but I was pleasantly surprised. In addition to a full american-Chinese menu, Mandarin Garden offers a more authentic menu written in Mandarin. We were fortunate enough to have a mandarin speaker at our table, but the owner came out and offered to explain the dishes to us herself. We ended up ordering a stir-fried bok choy in a savory clear sauce, and a delicious peppery spare rib soup with winter melon, as well as kung pao and sweet+sour chicken off the Americanized menu. The mandarin entrees were delicious! the bok choy was fresh and crisp; cooked just enough to make it tender. The spare rib soup was complex, peppery, and flavorful; the winter melon added the perfect hint of sweetness to the peppery broth. The two Americanized entrees were also impressive; they were definitely several steps above your average (china star/great wall/manchu wok...) fare. The oolong tea was also quite good, and one of my friends had some tasty plum wine. The mandarin menu changes every two weeks, so I know I'll be back again! Bottom line: I highly recommend Mandarin Garden, make sure you check out the Mandarin menu! read more

There are lots of vegetarian and vegan options on them menu, and when our family eats at Mandarin Garden, the food is always very, very good. The Family-Style Tofu and the Buddha's Delight are our favorites. However, when we get takeout, it is literally like it's not even the same restaurant. The takeout food has been mediocre every single time we've gotten it. This is complete conjecture, but it sort of seems like they're using the previous day's leftovers for takeout or something? Maybe I'm wrong. But it never tastes fresh. Four stars because the dine-in experience and food are always great. If I were rating the takeout, it would 2 stars. They're closed on Mondays. read more

Our family loves the Mandarin Garden. Pei and her staff are always friendly, courteous and grateful for the business. Their Sesame Chicken is by far the best around and they'll make it mild or as spicy as you want too. read more

It has been a cold few days in Northfield and it's getting into my bones. I crave a hot bowl of traditional home style beef noodle soup, but will settle for sweet and sour if I have too. So I set out to finally try The Mandarin Resturant. For my past visits we have never really taken dinner in town, but this time I was in for an extended stay so here was my chance. Walking in the style and decor took me back too my childhood and the standard look of many traditional Chinese restaurants in America. It's always been a saying amongst Chinese that you can travel almost anywhere in the world and find a Chinese restaurant. It is also said that if you order correctly there will be some very traditional dishes available that are truly authentic and not localized in taste. I peruse the standard 59 item menu and decide to select the Traditional Noodle Soup from the House Specialty section hoping to signal my hearts desire. If my dad were here he would have asked in Chinese for the "Chinese" menu. But I don't read Chinese well enough to order so I hope to break the ice more subtly. The waitress pauses then taking my hint asks if I speak Chinese and if perhaps I might like to try the traditional Beef Noodle Soup they just happen to make. Jackpot. Just what I craved on this chilly trip to the North woods. As I eagerly wait, I sip the dark oolong tea and notice that several regulars drop in for dinner and are greeted as old friends. They also do a brisk take out business. All good signs. Soon my steaming bowl is delivered and I quickly decide it passes the looks test. It looks like the real thing. Similar to what I have had before. Similar to what my mom made. Similar to what I make when I get around to it. But the proofs in the pudding. The roasted beef chunks are tender and have just enough of fat and tendon to balance out the lean meat. The noodles are flat Asian noodles and the soup is rich with complex flavors and spiced with Chinese hot pepper. The soup must be taken with the noodles to mitigate the heat which is strong enough to open your pores, but not the biting kind of pepper that brings tears to your eyes. I work two handed with chopsticks in one and soup spoon in the other. Everyone does their beef noodles with the basics, beef five spice ginger green onion soy sauce a bit of sesame oil, but there is usually a unique twist. It may be the choice of meat. Or how the meat is cut. Or something with the garnish. Here there is a delicate hint of Chinese Barbeque sauce that gives the meat a slightly sweet flavor that nicely balanced the heat of the soup. I am delighted by this difference. A nice touch. Not having tried anything from the standard menu, I can't comment. But as for the authentic Chinese noodle soup, it was as good as if not better than what I had hoped for. I will be back for more. read more

Mandarin Garden Restaurant - Tea and placemat. Universal - Chinese Near Me - Northfield, Minnesota

See all

This place appears to be really nice, looks and all, but the food isn't as appealing. The presentation of the food is not the best, let alone the taste. The appetizers were very plain, and didn't taste like they were made fresh. The imperial dish looked like a saucy mess, and didn't taste all too great. Despite us adding some spice to it (since it's a 'hot and spicy' dish), it didn't taste spicy or hot at all; in fact, it tasted a little sweet? As for the Chinese traditional noodles, the broth was plain and super super SUPER hot; we're talking "no matter not many times I blew on it, it didn't get cold" type of hot. The noodles tasted kinda funny. Now the fish that is in the noodles had a rather interesting "string" of sorts that protruded from its surface. The more I looked at it, the more it gave me tape worm vibes, so it made me lose my appetite. You can find better food nearby for a better price. In all, while the restaurant itself had a very nice aesthetic to it and a welcoming vibe, the food is what had the experience go downhill; which explains the one star review. I don't think we'll be coming back. read more

Mandarin Garden Restaurant - Chinese Traditional Noodle Soup Imperial Dish - Chinese Near Me - Northfield, Minnesota

Excellent Kong Pao Chicken. And the tea is fabulous too. Service was friendly and genuinely interested in our experience. Would definitely go back and recommend to others. read more

The food sucks. RIce is mushy and the taste weird. The owner informed us even before we ordered we were being asked if paying by cash or credit. It was made obvious that they discourage credit cards. $12 minimum. Portions were large but poor in taste. However the servers were courteous. Avoid. read more

I like mandarin garden and their "secret" chinese menu. Almost all the items on the menu are tasty and come with a big portion. The owners are nice as well. They give out free buns/ dessert sometimes. The only concern is sometimes they are too busy to care of everyone.. read more

This is a small town Chinese restaurant but if you attended Carleton or St. Olaf college then you are likely to have eaten here. Yes, it is Chinese/American food but here are some of my favorites: Kung Pao Chicken (something savory about that sauce), Mandarin Fried Noodles, Sesame Chicken (this is 10X better than Panda X), and finally I really like the tofu dishes. Tofu family style is my favorite because the tofu has a nice fried texture and Ma Po Tofu because it is spicy. I will definitely go back next time I'm in town. read more

Fresh food. The pot stickers are the best in the land. Kung Pao chicken is delicious. Terrific service. Reasonable prices. Lovely atmosphere. read more

We really wanted to like this place, but after trying a 2nd time, decided that we will not return. On a positive note, the atmosphere is very calming, without the bee-boppin' music you find in many restaurants. You could actually sit there and have a nice conversation. We loved the ice cold lemon water which was very refreshing. But we went to satisfy our craving for cream cheese wontons and we were very dissappointed. What we got were tough, chewy "wontons" with no flavor whatsoever. The casings were quite thick.... I am not sure how any restaurant establishment can pass these off to customers!!! To compare, the cream cheese wontons at Wengs in Farmington are tender, crunchy and quite delicious. For our meal we shared a Chicken Almond Ding... it was not very hot and the chicken did not seem very fresh.... sigh. I would so much like to support the local Northfield restaurants, but unfortunately we will have to make our way to Farmington in the future. read more

We enjoyed our meal on a snowy Saturday evening here. Portions were generous and the food was hot and delicious. The menu includes most of the usual Chinese restaurant standard items. I would recommend this place, but I will say that the restaurant itself is run down and dated. It could be cleaner, too. But I'm glad we didn't let the shabby decor keep us away. Good meal with excellent service. read more

Good service, food subpar. Rice mushy, and chicken not fried like traditional general Tso or sweet n sour. Flour soggy on chicken. Save your money, they forgot my rice twice on a order for pick up. read more

The food is excellent, and the waiters are super friendly, too. This restaurant has some of the best sesame chicken you will ever taste.

Been here 5 times in 3 years...loses a star each time... It's like I'm chasing that "first high". My first visit was fantastic; told the owner I was new in town and got outstanding service and awesome sesame chicken...but each subsequent visit got a little worse. I agree, the rice is pasty mush; when I ask for "heat" on a take-out order, and then get home and it's not what I wanted that just annoys me. I don't think I'm willing to give them one more chance to see if I can replicate that first time. read more

Well safe to say, Not the best place to get Chinese! All in All, they have a very nice staff, They do cook the food to the way you ask, but overall taste is not that great. We ordered the standard choices offered at any Americanize Chinese restaurant and come to say, one of the worst places i have eaten in Minnesota. The fried rice has Cabbage in it and is just make it smell rotten. They should skip this ingredient and make sure the rice is not soggy which the fired rice and the white rice is both. The white rice doesn't even taste like Jasmine rice, more like soggy instant rice. The General Tso is not even fried correctly and is soggy out of the kitchen and has a (legit) BBQ sauce vs a standard brown sauce like most places. This place states it was a the 2014 Best in SOMINN restaurants, But that is no where close. If this is the best place in the south, Im scared to eat at any other place in this area. Im sure people in this area love this place, but I will; not eat here again. They might have a better review if they cook like most Chinese places do. read more

The restaurant is located in an old building. While old buildings often provide nostalgia or unique architecture, going into this building just smelled like mold/mildew. We were the only people dining on Thursday at 6 pm. We ordered the house special appetizers, beef with garlic sauce and chicken chow mein combination platter. The appetizers, were okay. We were not in a hurry and enjoyed the timing before dinner arrived. The beef with garlic sauce was okay. The green onions were fairly large chunks and for some reason they forgot to add the water chestnuts (which is we ordered it in the first place). We may have mentioned it if the waiter returned. The seasoning was okay maybe even good. The chow mein looked as if it had been in a steam table for many hours. The celery was mush. After dinner, there was plenty of food left, but no one wanted to take it home. read more

This is one of our favorite local restaurants. Especially love General Zhou 's Chicken and our grandchildren love sweet & sour chicken. Mandarin noodles are great! read more

The food from this place is overpriced and tasteless. I would go to mcdonalds before I would go back to this place.

Great restaurant! The owners are both friendly and great cooks! The food is great authentic Chinese food

The sesame chicken is amazing! My favorite dish (of the many, many viable options). The atmosphere is so welcoming, and the owners are extremely friendly, considerate, and down to earth. Located downtown, it is also super easy to get to! I highly recommend Mandarin Garden for a delicious meal, lunch or dinner, in Northfield. read more

Great history, food, and service. Amazing to think that a Chinese restaurant in Northfield MN is 30+ yrs old. I had the sesame chicken and cream cheese wontons. Very good. read more