I was invited to a party at Mandarin and fell in love with this place. On top of their excellent service, they also have great food. I really enjoyed their sushi boat and the private room that they set up for us. Their buffet was also wonderful, all the food were very fresh and there were a variety of options to chose from. I would definitely come back here again and would strongly recommend this place to anyone interested in having a party here. read more

Mandarin Reading - Chinese Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

See all

I don't go here all the time, so I don't know their menu perfectly.... their general gao is some of the best i've ever had. not too overpowering, and tastes of better quality than a lot of places. their buffet hours are a bit picky, which kind of sucks. they are kind of expensive too. i'd say more, but i don't know the restaurant too too well. their service has been pretty good to me, and my best friend's family absolutely LOVES it -- money is not an option, for them, however. read more

Lunch buffet. They have all of the usual suspects, but my favorite was the spicy tofu. You can also get some sushi, fruit and ice cream for dessert. Not too bad. read more

Mandarin Reading - Chinese Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Lunch Buffet Went on a Friday, although it was crowded we had no problem getting seated as a group of 9, and buffet was fully stocked the whole time. Sushi was good, not just california rolls but some shrimp rolls and caterpillar too. Chinese Food portion was pretty standard, chicken/beef teriyaki, pork spare ribs, general tsao's, shrimp stir fry ect. All was pretty good. Generals was really good. Desserts are good here too, their take on tiramisu is pretty awesome. read more

Very solid chinese food for the 'burbs, Mandarin has expansive seating for large parties, try to get seated in the smaller back room, it has a much less antiseptic and cavernous feel than the front room or raised central room. The service has never been anything but forgettable here. Not bad, but completely impersonal. Go with a big group for the food, you won't be disappointed. read more

This place has been consistently great each and every time we have been there. The mai tails are perfect, and the staff makes the place. Always funny and smiling. read more

Typical, nothing special, Chinese food. Orange flavored chicken was woody, straw-like. No heat whatsoever as indicated on the menu with a pepper. Same for the Taiwanese udon noodles. Luckily I had a bottle of sriracha at home to amp up the flavor. Glad I tried the place but will not return. read more

My gf and I stopped here for dinner the other night because we were at REI and searched Yelp for some nearby dinner and saw the reviews that said that this place has the best sushi around. *sushigasm* Sashimi Salad *sushigasm* I LOVED the Sashimi Salad. It's tuna, salmon, and a white fish that I couldn't identify over good lettuces with carrots, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes. There is also a huge piece of shrimp and a few pieces of imitation crab. The menu says spicy lemon dressing, but it wasn't spicy at all. It was much bigger than I expected and SO GOOD! My gf and I also ordered a bunch of maki rolls. They didn't have the best selection of interesting rolls, but we managed to find a few that looked interesting. Sadly, I didn't absolutely love any of them. They weren't bad quality, though. The Philadelphia Roll that my girlfriend had looked great with big hunks of salmon. I didn't try it because I don't like smoked salmon, but she seemed to enjoy it. At around 7pm on a Wednesday evening, the restaurant was pretty quiet. For quite some time, we were the only couple in a lovely upstairs room. The decor is very pretty and makes you think that you're in a higher class restaurant. The waitstaff were very friendly and on task. I'm looking forward to taking another trip out to Reading again just for sashimi salad and to try the yellowtail collar in ponzu sauce. read more

I have been eating here for about 14 years now. They have excellent customer service (my wife has a seafood allergy and they changed the oil they were going to fry her tempura in because of it), the food is usually excellent and they even have some specialty items such as Kobe beef. read more

The Chinese food is better than the run of the mill Chinese food, but not quite as good as Fusion Taste In Stoneham!

Wow. I am continually impressed by the food and service of Mandarin Reading. I highly recommend the Beijing Raviolis and Lo Mein. A classy restaurant for a date or anniversary, but also a great quick take-out snack. Definitely best Chinese food in region, perhaps world. read more

Food amazing. Service- Christine you were pleasant and accomodating. You were everything we could ask for. The reason I give the restaurant one star is because after many years of a law being passed that allowed customers to take home any wine that was not finished in the restaurant, they could pack it in an approved bag for the customer to take home but because "they do not sell a lot of wine" they refuse to buy the complying bags and are forcing me to drink my bottle of wine or leave it. We know people here on a first name basis and we will not be coming back. 25cents really! Hope I get home ok! read more

I ordered take out last night from Mandarin after having a craving for pork fried rice. It seems to be a challenge to get good takeout Chinese these days. The Pork fried rice was very good! It was fresh, had pork in it, and some vegetables! I also ordered egg rolls which where also pretty good! I will go back again and order some other things as what I ordered in my opinion is a good test of the kitchen! read more

Diner from Boston best Chinese lunch buffet place around where the buffet also includes Sushi. I think the Sushi there is better . At the Mandarin there is always something different available apart from your standard American/Chinese dishes. The place is spotless, service is very good and the dishes get refilled very quickly and they are fairly busy so nothing sits out for very long. read more

Online menu is terrible. Missing choices and confusing. They won't take delivery orders by phone. Bush league operation. No wonder restaurants are going broke. read more

Have to leave a review after the experience I had there last night. Hosted a banquet for a high school basketball team and it couldn't of been any better! Food was fresh and delicious. The waitstaff was tentative and the manager was so helpful and easy to work with. Had a week to plan a large function and it went wonderfully thanks to the Mandarin. Definitely going back. read more

We have been coming here for years and it has always been great. In the past year it has slipped a lot. The attention to detail is not there. They turn out a fantastic dish but serve it on an ice cold plate. Their cocktails are not what they used to be. The sushi is very good. I long for the Mandarin Reading of 2001, maybe someday they will realize why the parking lot is half full on a Friday night. read more

Love this place, been a customer for years....have had parties here as well....all I can say is FANTASTIC!

The food here is always excellent, the service is always 5 stars, if there is ever an issue (rarely there is) they go above and beyond to correct it. Whenever we pick up take out they roll out the red carpet for each and every customer. The decor was recently updated neat little bar area and nice sushi bar. I drive by a few chinese food places and would much rather go to Mandarin! Try their luncheon buffet definitely worth it. Keep up the good work Mandarin! read more

I went here for the first time for a friend's baby shower on a Sunday afternoon. We had a small space for everyone, but I was surprised to find out that we weren't actually sectioned off from other people. Weird right? I didn't understand. And I felt bad for the people who were trying to have a nice lunch on a Sunday while 45 of us oooo-ed and ahhhhh-ed over cute baby girl clothes. However, other than that, this was an excellent place. The food was FANTASTIC! Nothing too greasy, and I didn't have that "gross I just ate to much fried food" feeling after, and let me tell you, I ate a lot of fried food!! Some of the best Chinese (or American Chinese) I have had in the area. I am just sad that I don't live close enough to get take out on a regular basis! read more

Went back today to this wonderful place, in my opinion! What impressed me today is that I asked for a special sushi hand roll not on the menu and it wasn't a problem. What made it amazing is that it was the best Sushi Hand Roll I ever had. The service and attention to detail is second to none! I love this place! read more

This review is strictly for the buffet. I went with two carnivores, one of whom loves sushi. They were fairly pleased- the food was (mostly) fresh and pretty tasty, with some good, if limited, sushi options. I, the vegetarian, was sadly disappointed. What was there for me to eat? Steamed white rice, veggie lo mein, and veggie delight. Now, I know that buffets can't cater to everyone specifically, but this is a Chinese restaurant! They have TONS of delicious, veggie options on the menu- i should've ordered a la carte- so I know they have them. So why, why did they not appear on the buffet?! I guess I'll never know. Sigh. Oh, and their miso soup tasted like lukewarm water with a meager amount of scallions. Skip it. read more

My daughter had her babies bapism gathering at this restaurant yesterday and the food and service were perfection. What nice friendly atmosphere and the employees were all friendly and helpful. The food so fresh and delicious. I recommend this restaurant to all. read more

A great asian restaurant and one of the best buffets around. The dinner can be expensive, but the afternoon buffet is fairly inexpensive. It has different variety of chicken, from sweet and sour, to orange flavored chicken, to chickin wings, etc. There are also many good desserts there too. It has a nice variety and different subvariations of rice, noodles, shrimp, and chicken there, teriyaki. Good ambiance too. read more

Server Jamen was amazing, very attentive and great with menu suggestions. Food was good as well until we realized our chicken teriyaki was a bit undercooked and said something to our server. Couple minutes later the manager Tracy came over with our chicken teriyaki to explain the chicken wasn't bleeding so it's fine. She didnt't take it off of our bill and didn't offer to help in any way. Overall food was good but we won't be back. Jamen should be manager! read more

It was my 1st time here for their Sunday dinner buffet. The place is nice. Everyone was friendly. I don't know if our waiter understood me or not but I asked for a coke when he asked what we want for a drink, he brought us water and that was the last time that I saw him. For a nice looking and big Chinese restaurant, their buffet selection was really small and crowded. Fried rice should be kept with regular white rice. Not here, they use brown rice and the flavor was horrible. The stir fried lobsters was probably the only best selection they have there. Maybe next time, we'll try the regular menu food. read more

Mandarin Reading always seems to be consistent serving up exquisite tasting unique Chinese food. Bravo to the chef and his team. The buffet for lunch served daily is a terrific deal and they also make their sushi available as part of their lunch buffet. If you've not been, I highly recommend you visit and experience their culinary delights. read more

I cannot believe I haven't rated this place before. I either eat in or order for pickup at least once every other week. Everything here has tasted great. Here are some of my favorites: - Caterpillar and rainbow rolls. - House friend rice - Mini-Shumai (Steamed) - Crab Rangoon - General Gau's chicken - Sal and pepper pork tenderloin - Beef w/broccoli - Lo main.... etc. The point is: food is great. Service is also very very good. read more

Food here is AMAZING! Service is pretty good too :o! I was absolutely shocked in this day and age... compared to the other restaurants I had ever been to in this neck of the woods. read more

My husband and I are both sushi fans and we also like to find places to go out close to home. So far, Mandarin Reading has the best quality sushi in our neighborhood. The service is pretty good too. ENJOY! read more

hit or miss with this place. First why we love it, its near by, they make the best mai tai's around, the staff are great and sometimes you really hit the mark with a dish. Why we don't, over priced, no dinner combination and sometimes the food isn't as good as it can be. Always a winner: the chicken wings. I know, chicken wings so blah. But these are huge and wonderfully flavored with fresh ginger. Another winner is the whole fish dishes when they have them. Seasoned and cooked crisp on the outside, flaking on the inside. Buffet is ok. Better to order off the menu. Ask if you want something a little different. Oh and really you must try the mai tai's. read more

Sushi as part of the lunch buffet?!?!? Hell to the yes. Great deal! 30 bucks for all you can eat deliciousness for 2, and stay as long as you want in a beautiful atmosphere. Great place to take your hungry as hell buddies and just stuff face! read more

Mandarin ran a quality buffet, but that was years ago. Now it appears they are pinching pennies and sacrificing the quality of their dishes. On my two most recent visits I attempted to use coupons with irritating results. I gave them a coupon for $5 dollars off $25. However they refused to accept it because the total was $24.95 before tax. Really?! So, after some rude comments and a "why don't you save that until next time". I ordered $1 of rice in order to utilize the coupon. The food I received was mediocre. Their specialty dish, some chicken with pineapple, was awful. Canned pineapple and weak sauce... I will not be returning to this restaurant, primarily because of the atrocious customer service. read more

I typically come here for lunch buffet with a large group of coworkers, and what is a better to feed tons of hungry people. I try to lay off the buffet, but this is one of the best buffets I've been to. It is very clean, well organized. They have remodeled a bit since I've last been. The staff is very friendly and very attentive. I've never been here for dinner but I expect it to be the same. For all you outdoor lovers REI is right across the street, so if you feel guilty after eating all that delicious chinese food, head across the street for some motivation. read more

This place is expensive and the food is just okay. Personally I think they get such high ratings is because it's the only legitamate Chinese restaurant in Reading. Whoever designed the parking lot here is a moron. read more

This place is on the smaller side but it is clean also seems like you are so close to someone when you sit and eat ! the food was just OK did not have a big selection! There was us a party of 7 and we had to wait about 20 Mins to get a seat (that was OK) When the bill came it was like they all watched us like we where going to run away and not pay, we seen them do that to everyone, might be just the way they are but it was so annoying! I would NOT be back :) read more

This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the Boston area! The buffet is small, but it has all your essentials and all the food is cooked to perfection! Plus, there is a REI right across the street in case you want to go shopping afterward to work off some of those calories. read more

I have long considered the Mandarin Reading to be one of my favorite restaurants. To be sure, this is not "authentic" Chinese food, but it doesn't claim to be. I have traveled and lived in China, and while I appreciate "地道的" Chinese food, nothing can replace a good old dish of General Gao's. Speaking of, the Mandarin's version of the General's chicken is some of the best I've ever experienced. Anyway, I would say get the buffet if you can. It is only available on Sundays for dinner, and if I remember correctly, during some lunch times as well. I've had many Chinese buffets in my day, and the typical experience consists of completely unappetizing, lukewarm dishes. The Mandarin's buffet, on the other hand, is simply one of the best things ever...the food is fresh and delicious with all of the typical American-style fare, plus sushi, ice cream, and pastries. The staff are attentive and ambiance and decor are fantastic. The Mandarin can accommodate large parties and is the perfect place for a family meal. read more

Very bad service food didnt come out all together coke was flat cant find are waitress to get the check never again will I come here

I have driven by this place 100 times, and never stopped. Finally, took the time to stop in, so glad I did. I stopped in and had a buffet lunch. The food was amazing as well as the service. I sat at the bar, and Chee makes an awesome Mai Tai.. I visit the Mandarin Family of Restaurants on a regular basis, and this is my new favorite!! read more