My experience at May Lee's brought me and my boyfriend back to a time before heavily tech influenced San Francisco, where lunch specials were still filling and affordable and locals roamed the town. The service was welcoming and homey. Each lunch plate was filled to the brim and topped off with a complimentary egg roll. The shrimp dumplings were fresh and hot. It's an experience I remember from my childhood and we will back. read more

Came in search of dinner a few nights ago. It was a lone restaurant on a residential street off Irving St. right off the bat, it just looked so cute and charming all lit up at night. They even had a small table or two outside. Once we got inside, I was taken aback as the inside didn't look or smell like the outside, but we were hungry and decided to give them a try at least. Portions were generous. They used fresh ingredients and not frozen vegetables. They were still fresh and crunchy which was a big plus. There were lots of meat in both of the dishes we ordered. The cashew chicken came with a ton of cashews AND chicken as well as other vegetables. The recommended basil chicken had a touch of spiciness which brought the dish home for me. Both dishes tasted kind of similar though. This is a place I would come back to if I happen to be in the area and in need of food. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Cashew chicken (half eaten) - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I ordered May Lee's fried rice to-go recently, and the portion size was generous for the price! The fried rice was simple and flavorful, but there was nothing too fancy about it. Everything was still cooked nicely and had balanced seasoning. Will need to come back to try more from their menu! read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - 炒 飯 / Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

After a long day at the botanical and Japanese Tea Garden, great food is what we longed for. We always pass by the restaurant and decided to try it. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly and the service was outstanding! We ordered basil chicken, black pepper chicken, eggplant with tofu and steam rice. Everything was delicious!!! The portions were big so that was a plus as well!! The chicken was so tender and the eggplant was so scrumptious. They kept checking on us if we were good and refilled our water as needed. Place is small but the ambiance is cozy, especially on a hot day. We were very pleased with the food and service. If you're hungry and at this area, this is the place to be!!! You'll be glad you stopped by. read more

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Our go to for American style Chinese food. The food is packaged well when ordered from DoorDash. We often order my husband's favorite; tomato beef chow mein Hong Kong style (crispy thin noodles), and Mongolian beef chow mein is delicious too. My favorite is the fish filet with greens over rice with added mushrooms. read more

The food was disappointing. It must be hard to fail on Chinese food, but they did it. Won't go back. Not cheap.

The Chinese food I had delivered to my residence from this place is so delicious. The food here really filled me up and I was full for many hours. I highly recommend people try this place out . The orange chicken and fried rice from this restaurant was the best orange chicken and fried rice ever. I give this restaurant 5 stars . I wish I could give this restaurant 20 stars read more

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1/22/24 Very small hole in the wall chinese restaurant that I think caters to the american palette well. They serve the typical orange chicken and broccoli beef entrees. They also have a lot of lunch specials so grab and go is convenient because the inside is really small. I got their beef chow fun ($15) and their string bean beef lunch special ($12.75). The noodles were pretty bland but the string beans were good. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Beef Chow Fun Rice Noodle - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My son and i had lunch here. Their foods are flavorful! The owners (husband and wife) are nice. They even gave us free sesame balls. Will definitely come back and post more pictures. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Sesame Balls - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Mongolian Beef with extremely bad, cheap artificial beef. I'd love to read the box that the so called beef comes in. To be fair most run of the mill Asian style restaurants use this junk. Avoid, they do offer a chicken choice. read more

We spent good money here on Christmas dinner and felt completely scammed. The Mongolian beef was basically a tray of oily onions with maybe 2-4 tiny pieces of beef, and it had a strange burnt-oil/gasoline taste. The noodles were bland, greasy, and tasted like they'd been dipped in old oil with zero seasoning. Most of the food felt like random leftovers thrown together just to fill a box. For the $73 price, the portions were tiny and almost all cheap filler. The only decent item was the egg rolls, which tasted like frozen store-bought ones. Everything else was low-quality and not enjoyable at all. We left disappointed and upset that a meal like this is being sold to customers. Please reconsider going here if you care about what you eat and about your wallet. read more

Grateful they were open on Christmas as our day did not turn out as planned. My father unexpectedly ended up in the ER so our Christmas dinner was obviously cancelled. We ordered the Oyster sauce Beef with veggies, walnut prawns, fried rice, & chicken corn soup through doordash. Everything was so good, way better then any of the restaurants near us. Honestly the best Oyster sauce beef and chicken corn soup I have ever had. It was nice to be able to not worry about feeding a few family members while dealing with my father in the ER. read more

My partner and I passed by this place and were craving Chinese food. I'm so glad we tried it because the food was super flavorful and the portion sizes were very big. We both loved how much protein and vegetables came with each dish! We ordered the Combo Fried Rice, Salt and Pepper Pork, and Hunan Chicken. We couldn't decide which one was our favorite dish because they were so good. The Huanan chicken has a small hint of spice with tons of sauce. The salt and pepper pork was crunchy on the outside yet juicy on the inside. The service was super sweet and very attentive. Overall a 11/10 experience! We will definitely be back to this restaurant again! read more

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I wish I could give them more than 5 stars! I just loved the the area and i noticed this place on my commute to work. I looked them up on Yelp and decided to check them out- which I am happy I did but bad because now I want to it there every day lol It's one of the best tasting Chinese food places I've had in a long time. I need to get the gentleman's name that takes the orders because he is wonderful. Super friendly and I can tell his one of the cooks, caught him making the cream cheese puffs (which are amazing and full of flavor). The inside of the place is small and cozy about 3-4 tables for dine in. They offer delivery and food arrives hot. I've had the beef and broccoli (soo good), generals chicken( delicious) string bean chicken (I'm addicted lol) , cream cheese puffs( must try), basil beef(soooo good), house chow mien( best chow mien) , pork fried rice ( the fluffiest rice I've had soo good), egg rolls (average egg rolls) and walnut shrimp (very tasty) Everything we've ordered so far has been amazing. Only thing I would say the chow-mien that comes with the dinner combo is not as flavorful as the house chow mien so I will be sticking to the house chow mien. Check them out peeps you won't be disappointed. Ps string bean chicken and basil beef are filled with flavor and good amount of spice! read more

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Amazing food and service. Hot, fresh and delicious. We had the general chicken and two mushroom chicken. Thanks. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Amazing food! Worth the trip from Arizona! - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wow I haven't been impressed with a meal like this in a long time! Got the 3 for $47 thinking it might be smaller portions but it's not!! And the house rice had all three proteins in it I was surprised! Kung Pao chicken was amazingly good! And spice level was perfect for someone like me who can't handle a lot (kimchee level spice is my limit). Delivery was SO quick too and friendly driver who actually called me! read more

I have to say I've probably passed by May Lee's hundreds of times and most of the time only glanced at the restaurant's lights in the evening. Out of curiosity I checked them out on Yelp and was in the mood for takeout so ordered chow mein and salt and pepper pork chop. Was pleasantly surprised how well the food was prepared and noticed the chow mein was separately and securely wrapped so that the sauce would not spill out of the container. The space is small with limited seating but will definitely tell other friends about this wonderful place. read more

Everything went well. Kind hard working people, clean establishment, the food is very filling and tasty, tastes very authentic and the dim sum tastes like home super cheap as well read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Shrimp Dumplings Spicy Mongolian Beef Chow Mein Lunch Special Salt and Pepper Chicken Sesame Balls Tofu Szechuan Eggplant with Tofueggplant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Listen. This place is so underrated! It's off the main street so easy to miss, and not as well known as the other Chinese restaurants in the area, but it's my favorite one in Inner Sunset. The wokhei is ‍ None of the plates look like much but the taste is bomb. Everything I've ever tried here gets an A- from me on average. My favorite is the salt and pepper tofu appetizer which doesn't look special but taste is much more layered and delicious than other Chinese places that offer the same dish. It's a classic Chinese restaurant in the US and hits the spot. I like that it's almost like being in someone's home too, with water being served in Western ceramic mugs, and the hot tea is served in a colorful floral teapot with matching cups (and different tables get a diff tea set). So cute. Service so nice too. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Tea - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Fast service good food. I ordered the beef chow fun and it was ready for pick up under 10 minutes! Not the kind of place to dine in unless you don't care about the ambiance. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Beef chow fun - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was beyond delicious! So many choices on the menu . And everything was served fast and hot. I ordered BBQ pork fried rice , garlic chow mein, walnut prawns, and sweet and sour fish! The restaurant is a bit smaller , but the energy is welcoming and nice with the radio playing in the back. Very chill! After a long day at the museum and exploring the park this was a perfect filling lunch! Cannot wait to come back read more

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This is a hidden gem, some of the most delicious food and kindest people. They also have an enormous menu and everything I've tried has been spot on read more

Solid Chinese food! What they offer on their menu they do very well. The overall rating on food should be 4 stars, which is very good. I recommend the fried rice, sesame chicken, Mongolian beef, and salt and pepper pork. Food tastes fresh and you can taste the "wok hei". We often order takeout but try to dine in when we can because as with any place everything especially deep fried items will be much better served right out of the kitchen. Very kind people as well. Ignore the reviews that say this isn't authentic or isn't what Chinese food should be like, that's ridiculous. read more

Food is phenomenal, portions are generous and are meant to be shared. Pictured are yellow curry with shrimp, sesame chicken and general tsao chicken along with chicken pad Thai. Food was out quick and waters were being refilled frequently! Great for families with kids Parking can be tricky as the restaurant is located in a very busy plaza. read more

We ordered several dishes to feed about 50 people for our Epiphany Center' s annual Lunar New Year's lunch. Many places couldn't help us with only a few days notice, but May Lee was wonderful. It was the best ever Chinese lunch. I had read other reviews so had the salt and pepper pork, orange chicken, Mongolian beef, shrimp fried rice, shrimp with snow peas, vegetable chow main, pot stickers and wontons. Everyone had enough with enough left over for our women to have it for supper as well. The food was delivered to our agency. We will be using them again next year! Besides the great food, they are also delightful to work with. Happy Lunar New Year! read more

I'm not from SF, but I've made sure to stop by May Lee Chinese Restaurant the past two times I've gone. This place is truly one of a kind, near Golden Gate Park. It's absolutely delicious, I've loved seeing the atmosphere inside the restaurant. It feels like you're eating at a family's house, which made the experience more welcoming. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Broccoli Beef Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've lived in SF for 10 years and this is now my favorite Chinese restaurant in the entire city. Very authentic. Will be coming back many more times. The basil beef and orange chicken were so well cooked and the quality of ingredients is very apparent. Just Delicious!! The service and owners are so sweet too. read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Combo Chow Mein, Combo Fried Rice, basil beef, Orange Chicken - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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You aren't coming for the ambience. You are coming for the sweet and sour pork. Because it's perfect. Your favorite American-style Chinese dishes await your pickup. Did I mention the sweet and sour read more

Overall: 4.5/5 Solid takeout spot for Chinese food. Value: 5/5 Under $15 for kung pao chicken with peanuts. Went home, cooked some rice on stove, and it's easily a full dinner. Food: 4/5 Pretty solid chinese food. I had the kung pao chicken with peanuts. Decent amount of chicken, solid kick from the peppers. No complaints. Service: 4/5 Friendly Chinese guy at the counter. Double checked if I needed utensils and other things. Wrapped my order again (I would've just carried the utensils separately but I appreciate the gesture). read more

I find myself not ever having a go-to food spot when I'm spending the day in GGP, until now !! :) May Lee is right off the park, and so easy to walk to if you're anywhere close to the De Young, CA Academy of Sciences, botanical gardens, or that general area. They have a great lunch special, lasting all the way until 3pm, and even at that point, you can order off the lunch special menu with only a 2$ increase in price. The portion sizes are huge and can easily be made into two meals. They were fast to make our food, and the food itself was delicious. Can't wait for my next park day meal :) read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Delivery was good. Food...okay the potstickers were delicious. Egg fried rice and chow Mein were good but that is basic. Honey fried Shrimp were just okay. Could have been crispy. Moo shu was standard but the pancakes were horrible. Plastic squares . General chicken was not good at all. I was very disappointed since this place was rated pretty high. read more

Food was perfect , Jalapeños chicken over rice Kind customer service Highly recommended I will come back read more

May Lee Chinese Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've gotten takeout from May Lee's for 30 years!!! It's consistently good, fast, and well-priced. Love them!! Give them a try!!

Everything you'd want from moderately-priced Chinese delivery. The appetizer sampler has tasty fried crab cheese puffs, dense egg rolls, non-greasy pot stickers and fried shrimp, and succulent BBQ ribs. That's a whole meal right there. For the main course, so far I've gotten the sweet and sour pork and moo shu beef. Both were big enough to stretch for two more meals. Delivery landed at my Castro address within 30 minutes, and the first was there within 20 minutes. Friendly on the phone and in person. Looking forward to sampling more of the menu. read more

A hidden gem!!! My boyfriend and I wanted classic Chinese food. No silly business just a classic chicken fried rice, lemon chicken, and broccoli beef! They EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS! The owners were so sweet, and were more than happy to give utensils, plates, napkins and extra warm soup (that we weren't expecting) We devoured the food - so I do not have pictures but this place was 10/10! I highly recommend this place for yummy Chinese food read more

Half the menu is veg, very accommodating with alloum free diet (no onion, no garlic) Great price point. Small restaurant, almost a hole in the wall. Cantonese speaking. But also difficult to find parking because it is inner sunset abd close to golden gate park. read more

Solid good Chinese food. I have eaten here three times and thought, darn I wished I had given this place a try sooner. From the outside it doesn't look like it would be good but the food is top notch Chinese. Their black bean beef is excellent. String beans as well. The sweet and sour dishes are very good with Light crispy batter. All cooking on iron wok and has that distinct flavor too. So, pretty traditional Cantonese cooking. They use their own delivery guy so you are not charged a high delivery fee,$3. read more

After years of driving and walking past this restaurant, we finally ordered pick up. The food was great and portions hearty! We have re-ordered since with the same results. The people who work there are nice and helpful, too. This will be a go to for us. read more

Personally May Lee was always one of my favorite spots in the sunset. It's very affordable, delicious, and the service is extremely friendly. The string bean chicken is unreal! In my opinion, they just deliver spot on when it comes to the classic dishes. read more

Very good and satisfying American Chinese food served and prepared by kind and accommodating people. A few tables in the small dining area that pretty much lacks ambiance, but is clean and practical. My wife and I have eaten here for years. read more