We didn't have high expectations of this place, really. We were simply in Venice and felt like a little Chinese food, so we popped in. Funny thing; our group had me, one Chinese girl, one Korean girl, one Filipino guy. Tough crowd. The wor wonton soup was nice. Not very oily, which sort of surprised us. The orange beef was very nice. My friend ordered the "Countryside commune eggs" and enjoyed it, said it's something her mother made in China. My friend's friend had the "Peasants' onion pancake" and it was the weak link... hot but bland and just not at all interesting. Service was a bit weak, and that seemed to be the consensus with other tables, overhearing their conversations. The venue itself was decent, some funny decorations. Would go back... but not that excited about it. read more

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Right off the main little strip of the Venice sign is this little restaurant. I wasn't too hungry, so I just ended up with the fried rice with tofu. I did brown rice instead of white. They gave you a lot of rice and it was in a to go container. I would like to try more menu items. Service was good. read more

Mao's Kitchen - Fried Rice with tofu - Chinese Near Me - Venice, California

Ambiance was nice but unfortunately service was very poor. We went in for dinner on 12/26 around 6pm, and at first two people were working, one of the workers was useless, not helping the other woman working. Our order was taken after a while then we saw it sitting under the lights for over 5 minutes while the useless worker stood around watching the other woman make to go boxes. Needless to say we were annoyed because our food was ready and whatever they were doing should not have been the priority. The useless worker left and the server was left alone and the restaurant got busy right after. Poor management leaving this server to work the restaurant herself. We saw another table sitting outside for way too long and not have their order taken for almost 15 mins. We won't be back, prices are too high and management is obviously poor. read more

the kung pao is the best i've ever had! love this place! read more

I love this place, I've been coming since I went to high school nearby :) Everyone there is friendly and considerate and the food is always amazing. The dollar salad is unbeatable and the side chips are so addictive. Dan dan mian is my usual but I tried the qingjao rousi and it might be my new favorite menu item! The portion size is also huge for the price. I'm surprised Mao's has not been the focus of a viral video or internet meme or is super known within LA even, but I'm so glad they've remained in Venice and continue serving wonderful food. As long as I live in LA, I will frequent Mao's Kitchen! read more

Food took an hour and our server was very rude about it. After watching multiple parties come in after us and get their food before us really bothered us because we were looking forward to trying this place. I won't be coming back. I'm super cool and I usually love leaving good reviews but this place wasn't nice at all. read more

One of my favorite places in Venice. This never fails, after moving to Beverly Hills I still make that trip to Mao's once a month. My favorite is the Deseret pineapple slices with chocolate Try it & thank me later! read more

I felt bad after eating there and I'm sure that was because of their food. Sugar everywhere

Amazing food and atmosphere! I'm making this my new go to spot for a quick easy affordable dinner. Absolutely love this place!! The staff here are so friendly and nice!! Such a positive environment and fun place! read more

I guess it was ok. It is certainly unlike most Chinese food. It's not unpleasant, but it's also not authentic. If you're looking for real Chinese food, you will be dissapointed. If you are looking for normal American Chinese food (like Panda Express style or Mall Chinese), this is also not what you will get. Quite expensive for what it is, but portions are big and they have some cool ingredients like elephant mushrooms. read more

I was in a lunch crunch and needed something delivered so I postmated from Mao's. I tried to be healthy, so I ended up getting the bok choy and spinach with smoked tofu. I was like...really impressed! Usually when you order bok choy you get an oily mess but the choy and spinach were steamed and way more healthy! I've never had smoked tofu either, it was a great touch! I only wish there was a little more flavor in there somehow while still keeping it healthy. I would definitely order again! read more

Mao's Kitchen - Bok choy and spinach with smoked tofu - Chinese Near Me - Venice, California

I have been a very loyal customer for 20 years and I appreciate the consistency of a menu and quality that has barely changed over this span. Inflation of most recent times has reared its ugly head even in the context of my local Chinese food restaurant. Elasticity is a simple economic concept- if you raise prices there is a point where people stop buying. At Mao's they have raised prices; I do not blame them for passing along higher food costs. My problem is they have cut the portions down in terms of protein - same container size with lots of sauce, fillers and less shrimp, fish, beef, and even tofu. The one benefit: the restaurant is "suddenly" not busy and I never have to wait for pick up. read more

Great food! The portion sizes are good for two usually. I would recommend for good/fast take out!

Some of the best Chinese food I have had in a long time. Highly recommend the mushroom chicken and the peace not war wonton soup. This is a busy shop. The food is delicious. Be patient and kind to them, they are excellent cooks! read more

The dumplings has a much thicker layer than usual, so wasn't impressed. Noodles were decent. But not a place I'd recommend or go again

I have been going to Mao's Kitchen since it first opened in Venice. The food is very good. I particularly like the sauteed bok choy with garlic; the crispy spring rolls; and the orange ginger chicken (which is not over breaded). The soups are excellent, too. So, the reason I am only giving it 4 stars is that over the years, the service has been inconsistent. I will say that it has improved a lot since 2018. Let's hope it continues! I do wish they still sold their t-shirts, too. read more

We came in with our service dog and he denied us seating because he has a dog that he said could not get along with other animals. Our dog is a fully trained and certified seeing eye dog. Being the understanding customer that i am i asked to simply sit outside to accommodate the waitstaffs needs and their animal. He very rudely denied us service using inappropriate language. The food has never been all that good, I come to Mao's kitchen purely out convenience as it is close to my office. I certainly wont be returning. With so many great choices nearby just down the way on Lincoln you'll find better service and better food at another restaurant. read more

We like to order "to go" for dinner from here. I love their red bean desert. It's so good. But, I have found out, every time the box they put in with, always melted by the heat of the red bean balls. I assume they put into this plastic box right way from hot boiled pot. I just felt it's not healthy today food with melted plastic for sure. Hope they will put some parchment paper or aluminum foil in the box before food. That will be so nice. read more

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I ordered chicken fried rice delivery and it was fabulous. Smelled just like I was at a hibachi grill. Came with a fortune cookie. Yum! read more

Mao's Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Venice, California

We were searching for a place to eat with my fam after a good walk at Canal District, when my 3 year old said she needed to pee. So I walked in here (leaving my husband and another child behind because I was in a rush to find restroom) and said that we would make order and eat there, but my daughter needed to go potty first. The lady was rude and would not let us in. She said we could only use restroom after placing order. My poor baby cried and wet her pants right there, while the waitress turned her back on us. The place looked dirty and smelled bad btw. Avoid read more

This is a staple in my home. Their $1 spring roll and $1 salad are no joke. Plus they bring you wontons and sweet and sour sauce like chips and salsa at a Mexican joint. My bf and I literally get a spring roll and salad each, share an entree and with the wonton strips this is plenty of food. Great affordable spot in Venice, hard to come by! read more

I've been coming here for over a decade and today will be my last time. Service wasn't great, but never this horrific. We waited without being acknowledged for ten minutes at the door while the receptionist was getting ice for a homeless man. Nothing against that, but acknowledge people waiting. We were then told to sit anywhere. Um ok so waited for no reason. There was only 1 other table occupied so not sure why everything took a ridiculous time to wait. When our 1 dish finally arrived the order was screwed up. Let me recap. Only 1 other table with two people was there and they were already eating. Somehow she managed to screw up our order. She then said I'll tell them to remake it. Walks off and never checks in with us again. I should also add the bathroom was filthy and no toilet paper. I guess that there was only 1 occupied table should have been a clue how bad their service is. We ended up walking out since we had no idea when our food would get there. Also there was a bug on those free chips they brought out which was super gross. I give this place minus ten stars. A total waste of time. Literally--we could have eaten else where but because we waited so long for food we never got we had to call it a night. Total waste of time. Do not recommend. read more

Loved the environment! Very faced pace although our waiter was the only one they had waiting the tables all night so it did take a little bit before he took our order and got our food, but he was great and very friendly and courteous to my family and I. read more

Mao's Kitchen - Low Hong Kong Chow Mien and Orange - ginger chicken - Chinese Near Me - Venice, California

Great Chinese food at good prices at this Venice institution. Maybe my favorite Fried Rice in the city, with really delicious soups as well. All of the dishes I've tried have high quality ingredients, but I don't come frequently enough to explore much of the menu. Mao's is a reliable spot in an area where it seems restaurants close and open far too quickly. read more

Ugh whyyyyyyy did you go downhill? I've been ordering for almost a decade now ...Used to be solid choice for good Chinese takeout. Now it taste bland as if they didn't use spices of any kind- maybe a new cook? Received the most minuscule side of hot mustard ...A tiny centimeters worth.... Uh, can you fill it up at least half way? Wow. Also waaaaaayyyy overpriced for what it is -such a shame. Lol $7 now for their homemade ginger ale!? What on earth ...Utter nonsense- it's just sprite, soda water and simple syrup smh ‍ am I missing something? Is there alcohol in it now? Sheesh read more

Never mind the demeanor of the staff. I get enough love in my life. Mao's, where's the consistency? How hard is it to put some napkins, chopsticks and a couple fortune cookies in the pick-up bag? I usually go for the Kung Pao - when I say I want it spicy, it never is. When I don't say anything, it's fairly spicy. Maybe it's Opposite Day over there. :) Look, I'm always going to eat your food, I have for the past 20 years. But let's pick it up a little. And maybe pick it up with the chop sticks that you left out of my bag. read more

I like the food... they have good portions and it's yummy! The the service needs to be more customer friendly.

Food is nice. Authentic enough. But I literally ate 3 hai in the dish during the Covid time

Just sad how much this place has declined as many prior commenters have noted. I used to eat from Mao's once a week when I lived less than a 5 minute walk away. Always had the hankering to return. Never had a bad meal there, including once when I checked out the WeHo location which closed years ago. Never, until my last visit a couple weeks ago. It would be a tragedy if the owners and managers can't figure out a way to salvage this Venice institution. There's no reason for it, must be plenty of folks who can handle the requirements of their menu out of work due to so many restaurants closing due to Covid-19. read more

4 stars for the food, but minus 1 for charging $1.50 for such a small portion of rice that I needed to order two just to have enough for my entree. read more

Not sure why Mao's is rated so low, sure they're a bit pricey, but their meals are HUGE!!!! Their Fried Rice combo meal will feed 2 people. Their platters are fairly large and have always been tasty. I love their food. read more

I've been going to Mao's for over 20 years. Similar to Venice, the restaurant has seen its ups and downs, but the food is solid. I would describe it as Chinese comfort food. Pan fried dumplings, wonton soup, mapo tofu, and orange chicken are all hits. Service is hit or miss, the people are fine but they are massively understaffed. read more

A bit warm without ac, but food was delicious! I had the curry. My mom had the ginger chicken.

Just ate at Mao's again after so long and it was so good! The service was extremely slow but so friendly. To be fair they were short handed and the server was running all over the place but yet managed to keep her smile. The food was as always delicious. I've forgotten how much I love their vegetarian dishes. The vegan hot and sour soup is yumzers and the garlic with tofu is as good as I remember. Looking forward to eating there again! read more

Worst customer service ever received. Never to come back!!! Number one, the server that took our order which was a black African American girl took our order wrong and took the order wrong entirely..... two: food was not good at all!! Gross, couldn't even keep eating this food at all anymore. Three: when checking out the server took payment and because she didn't give correct service I left a 10% tip. Reason why I left that tip was because she did no refills, low quality service , food was bad and to be able to order it took 15 minutes. Right after she saw her tip, she ran out and claimed the amount of tip I gave. She said I had to give her 15-20 percent and it's mandatory. I asked for a manager and she said she was the manager..... ummmm I don't think she was a manager. At the end of the day, I told her I wasn't giving her more and that the tip is earned not given for free. Also she said, I'm not serving you if you come back so don't come back and if you do I'm not letting you in....... now that I checked the amount charged On my bank account, looks like she added the tip on there. Now I am mad. Will report to my bank. read more

First time here and probably last time as well why? I came in with my bf for late night food. We got first of all lucky with parking cross the street then when we got there. I expected that the waitress at least said welcome but no not even. She was like "here is the menu" then what? Maybe say any seats you guys want right? 10 min later she gave us some chips as complimentary while we looked at the menu. The menu, the table was greasy and horrible decoration the menu was okey nothing really catch my eyes accept one thing and it was the soups. Some customers came in and ordered something and I don't know what happen accept she was giving him attitude and refused to serve him. She yelled it out loud so everyone can hear her that she refused to serve him and when she automatic decide to give him money back ( All he wanted was food) she was holding the 20 dollar bills like it was dirty or had any disease. In my case ( Why don't you guys try to hear each other out and specially her she works in service industry) trust me I know what customer service is I work as waitress as well it's hard not easy but still you want your pay check and bills make sure don't let other customers hear your conversation with the person you have problem with. Don't yell it out loud and don't give the attitude like she had in-front of customers dining and to go. She is even horrible as waitress for a second didn't even check on us. We needed to seek for her attention to get spicy stuff or to go containers in general. Asking her twice for container she will start giving you attitude face instead of smiling and saying of course. Paying the bills was even a hazel. Will I come back? No never it was messy, sticky table and the customer service was horrible. Food 8/10 Kitchen chef 10/10 Waitress 1/10 plus btw wear a longer skirt next time so people can't see your underwear read more

Love maos always stop here when in Venice ! The curry rice stick noodles are amazing try it thank me later ! Also the steamed dumplings are a must ! read more

Great food better service!! Ambiance was great! Small location but that makes it even better

The usually great experience of Mao's was very disappointing last night. My husband planned to surprise me with dinner, and instead was surprised by the attitude and rudeness of the new counter girl. She seemed to pointedly ignore him as he was standing in front of her, let another customer cut in front of him, and after a 45 min. wait, ( had been told 25 min.) was told that the ingredients of one of the dishes had been changed because they were out ( of shrimp). When he asked why hadn't he been told that when he placed the order, the answer was a shrug, and an eye roll. His recounting of his experience, when he got home, lead to an unpleasant dinner experience for both of us....too bad, we really like this place, ( the food is great), but we will probably wait to order their delicious food again until there is a BIG improvement in their counter staff.... read more

Wow! I RACISM or HATE or INDIFFERENT truly enjoy Mao's food. However today was my last day . Unfortunately the owner ( I believe ) had a bad day . I ordered a side of broccoli yesterday, I was just charged $2. There employee mad a mistake . Today I made same order , the rider starts to bark at me , how much He pays for his broccoli?! Does not give the young a chance to help fix it . At 59 I know this energy . The he spoke was so condescending. You cannot call it racism , because that means the person admits I am Human . I was nothing to this owner . My money or time had to matter . Thank To his Incredibke staff that has always been greet. Like I stated I will never be back , my dollar and humanity is worth something read more