First off, I grew up in Asia, and this place should not get the ratings its getting. Maybe its because I went in at the wrong time, which was a Sunday afternoon where they were only serving buffet.. and I know I shouldn't judge a restaurant based on their buffet, but the quality of then buffet was horrendous. They start you off with either hot and sour soup or egg drop soup, I picked the hit and sour and I ended up getting this gooey reddish pink soup that resembles and tastes nothing like hot and sour soup, it was bland as hell. So moving on to the buffet, fried everything were acceptable, but don't get the fried chicken fingers, they tasted fake. The vegetarian lo mien was the worst, a dish that is so hard to go wrong with, but they achieved the worse. It seemed like it was sitting out for a while where the noodles are soggy and tasteless. The rice of the sushi rolls were very sticky, it literally was sticking on the plate and made my sushi roll unravel.. Maybe it was because of the ultra hot plates they were providing by the station. I tried out every dish there was at the buffet and nothing was right. There were probably 14 trays of below-average dishes presented. It was a total rip off of $15. Please don't be fooled into thinking this is an authentic Chinese /Japanese restaurant. I can't believe how many people gave this place good reviews!? Yikes. read more

This is my new go to spot. I don't live close to it but to me it's worth the drive. I don't know where else you can get good healthy Chinese food and healthy stuff, along with really great sushi, all in one place. This place is just really nicely laid out, feels like it is going to be pricey when you walk in but it's not! Their sushi menu has a ton of options and you don't have to order an entire 18-20 roll, you can order smaller amounts and not be overstuffed. Having a truckload left over is a problem I often run into with sushi; I just don't want a ton of it and to be forced to outspend my appetite and this place finds a great middle ground. As a side note, try the sweet potato sushi! It's amazing! Not a combo I'd ever think to be good, but man it's pretty damn awesome. Their servers are attentive and helpful. But mainly their menu just has everything to please multiple people with a hankering for different types of Asian food. read more

First time here got sick really sick Diarrhea non stop the next day never coming back here ever again I heard this place was good it was until I got sick like what the actually F stay away I believe someone was working there was sick or food poisoning 0 stars not even 1 star read more

It's not often that I would rate a chinese/japanese food restaurant with 5 stars, but this place deserves it! We were there on a Saturday night, there was only a 10-15 minute wait so we decided to have a drink at the bar first. The bartender, Anthony, who was super nice, gave us some great drink suggestions. One of my friends got a Mai Tai, and my other friend and I got Aloha's! All delicious. For dinner we ordered the Bo Bo for Two, and a fried rice to split, and also, my other friend and I both ordered the Spider Maki! Everything was delicious! I was amazed by the fried shrimp, a long panko encrusted stick, filled with shrimp, whereas you go to some other similar restaurants and you have a tiny shrimp covered in a ton a batter. The Spider Maki, was fresh and delicious! Prices are pretty affordable too! This place is modern, and a breath of fresh air compared to some other Chinese restaurants on the North Shore! Plus they have a small little coi pond in the front entrance. I'll definitely go back, can't wait! read more

Went here Friday night about 6PM with one of my adult daughters. Very nice prompt service. I commented that I liked really cold beer so I received a very cold beer in a very cold glass. Had very nice spring rolls and Chung King pork and salt and pepper shrimp. Very nice. I'll be back read more

We were driving home from Maine last week and decided to give the Mandarin in Reading a try, we have been to Mandarin in Milford and had a great experience at one of their special events called the Wok-and-Roll i think.... The Mandarin Reading was right off the highway and extremely convenient with plenty of parking. When we first entered the restaurant i could tell it was a really nice atmosphere for our dinner. Our server was very nice and friendly, and even the owner "Robert" came by to say Hi and to make sure we were pleased with everything. So, if your in the North Shore area and looking to have a great meal then I would recommend the Mandarin Reading as your next stop. We will be back...Thanks! read more

If you've been to the Bamboo in Westford, Dedham, or Bedford, this is essentially the same restaurant and set-up. They are all owned by the same group. The Mandarin is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. Their luncheon buffet consistently is very solid, although it skews more towards the meat-lovers than most buffets (not a problem for me). Their General Gao is excellent, the rangoons are above-average, and they have different specialty dishes almost every time I go. The buffet sushi options are pretty limited, but are of good quality. Nothing earth-shattering here but I recommend this place as a completely reliable option to deliver a stomach-stuffing MSG fix. I've been here for exclusively sushi before as well and the quality was very solid, especially for a multi-cuisine restaurant. If you have an Americanized sushi palate like me, there are plenty of interesting maki choices to choose from. read more

I came here for a quick bite with my mother on a Thursday night. We ordered some hot tea, a Mai Tai and the chicken cashew with white rice. The waitress accidentally brought out the shrimp cashew dish and quickly made it right by bringing out the correct dish about 5 minutes later. It was delicious!!!! The manager insisted on bringing us a dessert on the house due to the mix up - it was unnecessary but was absolutely appreciated. Needless to say the food was so good there were no left overs - even the dessert was gone. Great ambiance, outstanding customer service, and even better food. To boot the food was priced affordable - so we will most definitely be back!! read more

We love this place! It's close to our house, so that's always a plus, but the food is great, drinks are great, service is always attentive, and you just really can't go wrong trying this place out. Sometimes we go for sushi (which is delicious and even good when I've ordered it take-out) and other times we'll just order off the menu. I've never had a bad meal and the waiter who takes care of the tables by the bar is awesome (so we usually try to sit in there if it's not packed). Mandarin - you are definitely our go-to chinese food place! read more

Yikes. My daughter and I had to wait at REI for bike racks to be put in and they were behind schedule. We were starving so we went over to madarin reading to get some soup and Peking ravioli. We sat in the bar that had plenty of space at 4:35. The waitress told us there was a $15 minimum charge after 4:30. I asked if she could make an exception and she said no. I asked her to ask the manager and she came back and said that it was policy. Incredible how small minded people can be. I considered ordering enough for her to serve us but I was so shocked at their unneeded rigidity that we left. They could have cared less. read more

My stepdad orders take out from here all the time and usually is pretty good. I decided to splurge today and get some cashew chicken. If I wanted fake meat I could have went to McDonald's for a tenth of the price. The "chicken" was awful fatty chewy stringy. Cashews were soggy and the whole dish was bland and lacked flavor. read more

Mandarin Reading - Chinese Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Mediocre buffet for $18 a plate. We got the Sunday dinner buffet, and it wasn't horrible, but we honestly expected the standard ~$10 (or less) price, based on the food quality. They also ignored us for the half hour after we paid our bill (with 15% tip!). read more

OK Chinese. Some choices can be greasy and overcooked. The buffet is not too bad. Get to it early or late if you are turned off by the herd feeding at the trough. It is kind of a disturbing thing to behold. read more

Yesterday I had a meeting in some random place in Massachusetts for work. I had not eaten breakfast and by the time I was able to leave the meeting it was well past 1 PM. So as my co-worker and I hopped off a random exit that promised food, I was getting to be quite starving. However, the exit we took lead us to nothing. And my patience and hangriness was growing. But then after a wrong turn and right, there stood before us, Mandarin. At first I questioned if it was open & what it was. I scoped it out on Yelp and saw it seemed to have decent reviews. So inside I went. And it was great! My food was fresh and tasted wonderful. My co-worker seemed to also enjoy her food! It was like finding paradise. Great tasting food and friendly service! We had just missed the buffet, but that looked like it must be a great spot for a quick lunch. read more

Some items are not the most authentic, but this food is so excellent. I haven't had a single thing that I don't like. Sunday buffet is amazing, take out is ready quickly, pretty amazing place. read more

Totally lost my business! We have been coming here for the last 11 years! Today we ordered 3 appetizers.. I repeated my order on the phone with her twice.. Picked up order came home. They messed up and gave me chicken fingers instead of wings.. She says on the phone no you ordered chicken fingers.. No i did not.. no one in my household eats chicken fingers! She says OK bring back the chicken fingers and you can pay the additional charge for the chicken wings.. went back in with the chicken fingers and paid the difference of 1.66! Not coming back here! All set with place!! Lost my business!! read more

Buffet is the way to go but the new look is quite cosmopolitanish...and very becoming. Their sushi is amazingly fresh and the fried rice is very tasty. The new guy working the bar is amazing and attentive. The experience here is consistent good. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE I cannot believe ANYONE giving this a bad review. It is one of THE BEST Chinese food restaurants I have ever been to. The staff is amazing, from the people who man the front desk to the servers. Yes, it is a little more expensive than a lot of Chinese food places, but totally worth it. I live, literally, down the street from the Mandarin and I order take out as well as dine in, quite a bit. I always pick up my food from a person who smiles and says thank you. Whenever my friends and I have dined in, the servers are wonderful, quick and accommodating. I experienced New Year's Eve there, picking up food and I was amazed at how quickly every order was processed. There was actually a police presence there to handle the traffic. I have not tried the Japanese food, nor the sushi, but based on the Chinese food, and all the orders for Japanese food that I witnessed on New Year's Eve., I am assuming that is just as good. As I said, it is more expensive, but totally worth it read more

I moved from NYC about a month ago and have been looking for a good sushi / chinese cuisine restaurant. I was VERY happy to find Mandarin Reading which offers a combination of Japanese and Chinese dishes (American intepretation of them as is in most U.S. major cities). We purchased both sushi and a Chinese family combination and received a delight of tastes on a variety of dishes. I won't go into specifics of all things we purchased but I will say that the food was quite authentic, delicious and well prepared with fresh ingredients and lots of fine taste. The food is very affordable offering you a variety of good size dishes each with its own unique unblended taste. I am looking forward to coming back and trying out other dishes. As for the cost, you will get a very delectable meal at about $20 (meal, appetizer, drink, etc). I have to say that the surprise desert that comes with the meal was also very tasty. Enjoy! read more

My family and I have been coming here for years, although not that often recently. Tonight, a Monday evening, was quiet here, compared to the hectic weekends with the buffets. Four of us shared a Bo Bo Platter (chicken wings with no batter, shrimp tempora, chicken fingers, crab Rangoon - very creamy, which I like - spring rolls and my ultimate fav, beef teriaki), shu mai, which was tasty but not the best I've ever had, Peking raviolis which are very tasty, sweet & sour chicken (fairy standard) and beef lo mein, which I (we all agreed) found was delicious. We also added a crazy Maki roll, which we all enjoyed. Service was fine, although one should note that the food arrived staggered over time (some might not like that but I am fine with it). For Chinese-American fare, one of the better places; if you are looking for traditional Chinese food, then this is not for you. read more

Mandarin Reading - View of the Mandarin in the evening, with holiday lights. - Chinese Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

Went last night on a rare night out with friends. Got there around 7:30 & were greeted & promptly seated. Everything from the drinks (mai tais & Alohas) to the appetizers (bo bo platter, egg rolls) to the sushi (vegetable, Idaho (sweet potato), & crazy (shrimp tempura) maki) to the main dishes of beef with broccoli (excellent - tender beef & crunchy veggies in a yummy sauce) and General Gau chicken were all devoured, with the highlight being the vegetable moo-shi pancakes expertly rolled by our server. Great food at great prices, great night out with friends, & definitely will be back. read more

Mandarin Reading - Our order of sushi - vegetable maki, Idaho (sweet potato) maki, & Crazy (shrimp tempura) maki - Chinese Near Me - Reading, Massachusetts

The portions were VERY small. The Mai Tai was exceptionally small for $9.25....actually went down the street and ordered more Chinese food. Bad overall experience at the Mandarin Reading. read more

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Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was my first time and the overall experience was great! We were warmly welcomed by a group of people at the front desk and our table was ready as soon as we arrived, despite it being busy on a Saturday night! Love that we didn't have to wait forever to be seated! :) The atmosphere was perfect for our girls get-together, wasn't too noisy/ loud. Our waitress was really friendly and orders came out in a very timely fashion. Food was delicious, in particular I was impressed by the sushi, which was really fresh. They have quite a variety of rolls. I will definitely go back to try some of their other specialty rolls. The birthday girl loved the lettuce wraps and lobster. All the cocktails we had were great. I had a white mai tai which was one of their specialty drinks. The scorpion bowl was really good too. On the way out i noticed a pretty cool bar area, will definitely check it out next time. read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area and a great date location. I have only ever ordered the sushi or gone to the weekend buffet. The downside to the buffet is that it is only on the weekends. They have sushi at the buffet and although it is a limited selection compared to their full menu, there are plenty of choices. I cannot really comment on most of the non-sushi buffet options or the non-sushi menu items as I generally only get the sushi, so look to other reviews for those options. I highly recommend the spicy tuna roll. It is much cheaper than some of the fancy rolls, but just as good as anything else on the menu. read more

Was my first time here and it won't be the last! We had so much fun here the food was amazing and came out so fast ! The servers were awesome and had us laughing the whole time. The manager even came to check up on us during our meal :) great place ! read more

Great location, prices, staff, drink list. Ordered the crispy pad thai. Flavor was great, I'm just not a big fan of the crispy noodles. Next time I'll order soft noodles. Drinks and food were fast to arrive. Girlfriend ordered Buddha Delight - and it was about 6 pounds of veggies, steamed perfectly. Would like to go back and try their lunch buffet. read more

I'm a sucker for non-authentic Boston Chinese food. I absolutely love it! So when I come home from San Francisco I make sure to stop by Mandarin Reading for a tasty feast. I'm a huge fan of their beef teriyaki, garlic shrimp and chicken fried rice....and anything that complements duck sauce...hahah!! The ultimate is their lunch time buffet.... Unfortunately, you don't get beef teriyaki, but the chicken teriyaki as part of the buffet which includes at least 20 different dishes. The chicken is a healthier option so I am not going to complain too much. There's something for everyone at the buffet. Tip for the buffet: grab the nigiri or sashimi when it comes out because it doesn't come out often. Grab as much as you can and don't feel bad. Also, the mixed drinks here are pretty good. A fun place for a nice family dinner or a girl's night out. Another thing worth noting, they pack their food well for take out orders. Not all Chinese restaurants do and it is noticeable. This place is absolutely worth checking out if you are north of Boston. read more

This is the best place to get fresh, a lot and unbelievably great Chinese food. Their menu is endless and let me tell you that everything is awesome!!! So my advice order food, go there sit at bar order a drink and grab food to go. Or if you want you can make a night of it. Either way the food is awesome. Never had a bad meal. Oh and the staff is so friendly. read more

I'm really surprised to see the negative reviews here for Mandarin, since I had a great experience when I went with a friend last night. We walked right in and got a seat at 7 on a Saturday, which was a nice surprise-- we were both expecting to have to wait. I'd driven by Mandarin hundreds of times, but never been there to eat. My go-to Chinese place closed, so I was in the market for a new regular spot. I've found it in Mandarin. We ordered the Bo Bo for 2, pretty much the same as a Pupu Platter everywhere else. I was blown away-- everything was so much better than what I'd experienced in my dining history. The chicken fingers were light and crispy and not huge and over battered, the beef teryaki was tasty and tender, and the boneless spare ribs were meaty and not fatty. The pork fried rice we ordered came a little too late for us to really enjoy it, but it was tasty nonetheless. I have to say that I have little to no sushi experience (my college's dining hall sushi definitely does not count), but we ordered the the spicy tuna rolls and were pleased. Helpful hint: if you put any wasabi on your roll, don't put the wasabi side directly onto your tongue. Water does not dull the wasabi taste. Ouch! Our server was attentive without hovering and the front desk staff was very friendly. We had to ask for our chocolate fortune cookies (yes, chocolate fortune cookies-- yummmm) and mints, but that's no biggie. It was chilly in there, so like another reviewer mentioned, you might want to bring a sweater. Based on other reviews, I'm hesitant to try the buffet, but would like to head back to try the scorpion bowls. Recommended. read more

We have been coming for the Lunch Buffet the last 2 years. I have long been a sushi fan, and keeping my expectations low for sushi- has served me in good stead. California Roll is the one good sushi item offered (kanikama, the fake crab stick in Cal. rolls, is a cheap product so there's no reason for theirs to be bad, as opposed to their other fish maki and nigiri which are abominably low quality.) You will not be finding high quality(=expensive) salmon and tuna here. Their tempura vegetables CAN be very good if you get them at the beginning of lunch, but it is pretty much just squash and sweet potato. I almost never eat the meat, seafood and vegetable chinese dishes, because for me, they have about zero flavor. I think the vegetables, meat and poultry they use- are decent, but it's the cooking that renders them lifeless. Very occasionally , a dish does have flavor, but it seems that the chefs long ago lost their tastebuds and they operate in a kitchen without ginger, garlic and chilis. The result is bland, bland, bland. And beware anything served on a stick- the meat is overcooked to cardboard. Cardboard with teryaki sauce on it. However, the peking ravioli and crab rangoon are both surprisingly excellent and full flavored. So if you're a sophisticated eater, just keep your expectations low and I know you will find a few things that you like and that make it worthwhile to come back. read more

Went here for the first time last Sunday, was very pleased with the choices on the buffet (and was able to try sushi for the first time, no strings attached, yay!) Just a warning though, drink refills are not free, I don't know if this is standard with these types of places since I don't go to them often but I wish we had been warned. It might say so in the menu but we didn't look at it, oops! So, overall, good food, nice place, I'll definitely dine here again. read more

Well done, basic Chinese food with a solid menu of favorites. I was a fan of the atmosphere, cleanliness, and speed of service. The company could have been better, but other than that, it was a good experience. Ok, the company was pretty much awesome. ;) read more

Great food . A little more pricey but worth it . It gets busy so call ahead . A few times we have gotten the wrong order and I think they need to address that and treat the customer better when they have. I calked to tell them and they said next time I would get a free dish and it would be under my name and number but when I tried to clam it they didn't have any proof .. Not cool read more

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

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We walked in the other night and were met by a Kiss cover band dressed in full regalia, posing for photos with the staff. WIN. The food was excellent, service was great, and while I would have liked a bit more labeling to their food (darn allergies), I was very happy with the staff's response to my questions. I also had my first scorpion bowl since 2007 here the other night, and while they are as awful as I remember it wasn't the bartender's fault. Parking can be slim, but once the rush is over it clears out and is not an issue at all. read more

I'm giving it 4 stars for their lunch buffet. I've only gone there once or twice outside of the lunch time-frame. They have numerous options for you to choose from, including fresh sushi (at an all you can eat buffet!). Definitely above average chinese buffet. One of the downsides is the fact that they get super packed at lunch, and their parking lot does not accommodate everyone. They say that the buffet ends at 2pm, but they stop replenishing food around 1:30. I went there one time at 1:15, got my first plate, and when I went up for my second, more than half the dishes were empty or only had scraps. read more

Yet another place I'd never have discovered if I didn't work all the way out in Woburn. Funny how at my job we always seem to go to places with buffets... Anyways, yes, they have a lunch buffet. That's all I know. It's mainly Americanized Chinese food BUT with the added BONUS of SUSHI. Yes. It was a shock to me as well. Even more shocking was that the sushi wasn't half bad. They have an extremely limited selection (I remember California rolls (who doesn't serve those), salmon rolls, possibly some eel, and only tuna as actual sushi) but it is "all you can eat" and there is tons of pink pickled ginger and wasabi for your eating pleasure. That being said, be warned of the "sushi hogs". People will PILE their plates with as much sushi as possible screwing you over till they put out more. My advice: get there early and get the sushi first. As for the actual Chinese food: totally decent but nothing spectacular. You've got your usual suspects: lo mein, crab rangoon, General Gau's chicken, shu mai, and fried rice among other things. Not overly greasy, not particularly impressive. Best thing: Green Tea Ice Cream. Delicious. Excellent complement to the grease. Worst thing: You get a choice of soup with your buffet (as if you need more food) and I picked Hot and Sour. Gross. Really now I am not a picky eater and I can stomach a lot but this was just ICK. It was pinkish colored and tasted so BLEH. I wouldn't recommend it. Get the wonton soup instead. As mentioned previously, it gets SUPER busy on weekdays for lunch. Get there early to be seated. Also the restaurant itself is clean and very nice on the inside. read more

I thought that this place was very cool. We ordered takeout and when we came to the restaurant to pick it up, I almost wished that we had eaten there instead! It's a really nicely designed new building with an unusual koi fountain in the foyer. For our meal we got General Gau's Chicken, Crispy Pad Thai, Crab Rangoon and Chicken Fingers. Everything was deliciously prepared, although General Gau's was not as spicy as I would have liked, and I think that there could have been more veggies. There were hardly any except for a few pieces of broccoli. The only real bone I'd have to pick with the meal would be the pad thai: there could have been more meat in it; overall it was kind of a skimpy portion. Also, the noodles that they used were almost like ramen noodles, which I don't like. I prefer the wider rice noodles. The sauce was yummy though! Aside from that, the rangoon and chicken fingers were perfect and the other flavors in the entrees were quality. And it's affordable! I'll be returning here soon. read more

Stopped at Mandarin Reading for the first time this weekend. High quality Americanized Chinese food is the way to describe it. General Gao's was flavorful without being syrupy. Beijing ravioli was good, and the star of the meal was the pan fried noodle dish. Recommended. read more

The food here is so yummy! The lo mien and orange chicken were delicious. The staff was attentive too. I want to come back soon for the buffet! read more

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