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Papa Chen

3.7 (284 reviews)

Order Papa Chen Takeout or Delivery

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PAPA CHEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual

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Recommended Reviews - Papa Chen

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Chicken salad... shredded lettuce under there
Fer R.

Always great food! Plenty for a group of 5 adults. We ordered House Fried rice, broccoli beef, chicken salad, pot stickers & szechuan chicken. All flavorful and freshly made. Pleasant experience for take out orders. Nicely boxed up and Plenty of dipping packets.

1. Hot and Sour Soup
Jacquie H.

It's been forever since I've came to eat here for lunch. So when the opportunity with my cousin craving Chinese food and being in the area Papa Chen's popped up on yelp as a suggestion so we took advantage of the lunch special. I got the sesame chicken with the chow mein and since we ate there it also came with hot and sour soup. The soup was hot and spicy so definitely a perk sitting in for lunch since you do not get soup to go. The chow mein was full of noodles and minimal veggies which is perfect to me. The sesame chicken was crispy and saucy at the same time, had a good flavor but I will pass on getting it next time. My cousin got the Mongolian combo with chow mein and I was kinda jealous when I saw his plate come out next to mine! I didn't get to snag a bite but I'll definitely have to try that in the future. The soup came out quickly after we ordered and before it even had time to cool off our lunch plates were already out! So if you're short of time this is the place to go. Only thing I would have enjoyed if we were checked on a little more for water refills, but we were talking alot so maybe she was just being nice and give us space. I would go back again if I'm in the area and if my normal Chinese spots are closed.

Chinese food item
Mark B.

On May 13, 2025, around 1230, I called in and placed four items at Papa Chen; the person said it would be ready in 10 minutes and arrived 20 minutes later. I took the food home, and my partner and I served a decent portion of the food, but in our last experience, the Food was really "horrible." It tasted old, and the meat smelled weirdly of sweet & sour and sesame chicken; the chow fun tasted stale, and the green beans tasted bad; we like Chinese food, but what we ordered for $64 is not worth it. We don't like throwing food away but this one is not safe to eat. We went to a different Chinese place. I felt papa Chen reused ingredients from a few days ago or they use ingredients is not fresh. Too bad we can't get our money back.

Wesley W.

Papa Chen is a cook to order Chinese eatery. The interior is small, but there are several tables along the wall if you choose to dine in. There's no table service though, so you have to order your food at the take in counter first. I ordered Beef tomato chow mein, and asked for curry to be added. That was a dollar Up charge for a little curry to be sprinkled in. This review is only for what I ordered. In the past when when I order this dish, the tomato beef chow mein was traditionally made with slightly sweet tomato sauce. Then curry is added to the the sauce to boost the flavor with curry. Unfortunately, this tomato beef chow mein was NOT made with the tomato sauce (as you can see from the pic). You usually can see the red tomato sauce all over the chow mein noodles. Maybe that's how Papa Chen now makes it. It was slightly bland without the slightly sweet tomato sauce, and the curry flavor was faint. I was a little disappointed. It was ok, but definitely not as good as I had at other Chinese eateries. Hopefully, the current cooks can change the way they make tomato beef chow mein w/curry, and prepare it like other Chinese restaurants. I will go back and order other foods and update my review.

honey walnut prawns, excessive mayo.

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4 months ago

Oh my Goodness! The Potstickers are Amazing! Never had such Packed potstickers! Everything we have gotten here has been Fantastic!

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4 months ago

This was my first time visiting I must say the food was good and will definitely go back again

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Pretty solid food. Staff was polite. The actual restaurant is no frills and not super impressive. Definitely more of a Togo establishment.

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11 months ago

The best Chinese food in town! Everything on the menu taste great don't sleep on this place, it's definitely a hidden gem in Brentwood.

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1 year ago

The food is always yummy with nice size portions! The best Chinese food I have found in this area and I have tried several.

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5 months ago

Their chicken fried rice is the best in town and their won ton soups are very good also !!!

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Always good food. The egg rolls are really good. Pork fried rice is my favorite. Haven't been inside because we always get delivered.

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Ask the Community - Papa Chen

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Roast Eatery - Roast pork belly

Roast Eatery

4.2(88 reviews)
2.9 mi
•$$

I'm so glad we have a Chinese duck and pool roast eatery here in the area. Most of these places are…read moretough to find; either in Chinatowns in major city hubs or a primarily heavy Asian-influenced town. I came here yesterday during opening and there was already a long line of people waiting for their orders. I think they can hire a few more people to speed things up in the back kitchen. I ordered their roast pork belly with rice which was really good. Expect that traditional 5-spice flavor that's mainly used in Chinese roast pork. They give a generous amount too which is nice. I also enjoyed the ginger sauce it came with. I thought this paired better than the black sweet sauce they provide. Typically I like my pork belly thoroughly cooked but this is a different style and I still enjoyed it. It's worth $15! I want to come back to try their duck next!

I'm very impressed with their authentic chinese bbq. I got the Roast Duck, Haianese Chicken, and…read moreCrispy Pork Belly. This is definitely on par with Oakland & SF Chinatown. Reasonably price. Honestly, the pork belly is the star and could be the best I've had in a long time considering I still live and grew up in Oakland. At other chinese bbq spots the skin to me is usually very crunchy and chewy. But Roast Eatery pork belly skin is so light and crispy, that after a few bites the tender meat and fat slowly melts in your mouth making it very enjoyable. The sweet sauce with the pork belly is new to me. it's interesting but i prefer eating it with the ginger scallion because it helps cut the richness from the pork belly. The Haianese Chicken is exceptional. Cooked perfectly to tendernism. Anyone new to chinese bbq and wondering why the chopped chicken bone is still red or pink, that's called myoglobin so don't worry it's already cooked and means that it's perfectly gently poached. Of course, always take caution, ask questions and do a little research. If you're afraid, just eat around it, but this will probably be the best and healthiest way to eat chicken if you're on a diet. Roast Duck was flavorful, tender and nicely roasted. Definitely your go to local spot if you're in the East County (Oakley, Brentwood, or Antioch). It's also on par with local favorite spots in Oakland Chinatown like Gold Medal. Service is very straight forward and quick to order. The staff are friendly. Got our order in less than 10 minutes. Overall, I will be coming here more frequently for my chinese bbq fix and quick healthy lunch. They also own the dim sum bakery next door and it's definitely a hit too!

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Sun Kitchen Asian Bistro

Sun Kitchen Asian Bistro

4.2(567 reviews)
1.5 mi
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i came in for some late night sushi in Brentwood, and Sun Kitchen is open the latest, around 10PM…read moreweekdays it was date night, and it was sushi vibe for us. i went with the Salmon Skin roll, and my date with the Fairview Roll. the service was awesome: we were greeted from the jump and we were stranded the whole time their; ambiance was busy too salmon skin roll (9/10) sushi with salmon as highlight: very good fairview roll (9.5/10) temp shrimp, crab meat, cream cheese, more salmon and special sauce drizzled. fried sushi i was tempted with the wine menu, or dessert, but i was satisfied with the elite sushi

My family and I were visiting from the LA/SGV area and were craving some Asian food. We went to Sun…read moreKitchen Asian Bistro because it was thankfully open later and had so many positive reviews! Food They have two menus, one for Chinese food and one for Japanese food. Both are extensive with a large selection. They have everything from mushu pork to chow mein to hot and soup and plenty of sushi options. My party mostly ordered sushi. I ordered the Beef Chao Fun (rice noodles with beef). My took a while to come out (around 35 minutes), but was delicious and a good sized portion. The beef was tender, the noodles were well seasoned, not too salty. My only note was that the bean sprouts were a little undercooked and did not seem as fresh. Service The owner was very hospitable, friendly, and warm. He sang happy birthday to several customers in both English and Mandarin and even had birthday decorations which was a really fun touch. Me and my family were so entertained! On a Friday night, there was no wait, but this spot is definitely popular and had a steady stream of customers even around 9pm. They clearly get a lot of regulars here which is always a good sign of great customer service. Overall, would return if in the area! Definitely a good spot to fix your Chinese or Japanese food craving.

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Sun Kitchen Asian Bistro - The Sun + Moon Roll. Very good!

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A tea A seat - Taiwanese Braised Beef Ramen

A tea A seat

4.3(104 reviews)
3.0 mi
•$$

Kudos for the variety: they have both Japanese and Chinese items on the menu…read more We were a party of five and ordered off the tablet. I got the Taiwanese braised beef ramen. The portion was good, but the main star of the show: the "braised beef" was hard, dry and tough. Truly, almost inedible. I sampled a takoyaki from the group's shared apps and that was pretty good. Service was painfully slow and they boxed my poor nephew's chicken teriyaki order to go. Not sure how that happened? Anyways, after the four of us were halfway done with the meal, we flagged someone down and they brought him the to go order to eat in house.

Located inside a strip mall with ample parking, this noodle joint competes with some of the other…read morenoodle chains. As with these type of noodle soup, the star should be their brother but sadly their house special broth lacks the depth of flavor you would expect from slow simmered soup with beef bones, herbs and spices. The noodles, eggs and beef was cooked well. The fried tofu was huge portions and nice starter. One good touch this restaurant does is you can order a side order of BBQ short rib and chicken and both does not disappoint; well marinated and cooked well. The vegetable tempura was a bit over fried. For drinks, I opted for a fruit tea with 50% sugar which was refreshing for a hot day. Staff here was friendly and food came out quickly. If you're expecting a good hearty bowl of noodle soup you may be disappointed, but there's always their other rice plate option and fruit/milk tea you can enjoy.

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A tea A seat - Seafood Ramen

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X Noodles & Dumplings - Condiment tray with my beef noodle soup

X Noodles & Dumplings

4.5(255 reviews)
3.0 mi
•$$

Mine and my gf's favorite spot in all of brentwood for our noodle fix or lunch date…read more Our usual order Lanzhou Hand Pull Beef Noodle and bokchoy is the perfect amount for 2 people. Sometimes or most times we like to be ambitious and grab a side of dumplings (pork & cabbage). The Lanzhou Hand Pulled Beef Noodle 5/5 Very clean and well seasoned broth. Noodles are cooked perfectly and chewy. Brisket is tender. It's a very comforting bowl no matter the weather. Bokchoy w/ Garlic 5/5 I hated veggies when I was a kid, but when my mom would stir fry Bokchoy with garlic I could eat them all day and forget I even hated veggies. This dish reminded me of my childhood. It's delicious and pairs well with the noodles for a well balanced meal and for digestion later. Dumpling (Pork & Cabbage) This is a delicious side option. It's super juicy and tender on the inside. Well seasoned and addictive. We wanted to try other dim sum options but thought it was expensive compared to actual dim sum spots. So instead of choosing the 4 pc options, we opted to get an 8 pc dumpling option for the same price and the bang for the buck. I tried a new item which was the braised pork belly and I would not recommend it at all. Very salty and oddly sweet at the same time. Pork belly was tough, dry and chewy. Didn't look like the picture and wasn't fan of the corn in the broth. I think I'll be sticking to my usual and their specialty. Service 4/5 Staff is friendly and food is delivered timely. Sometimes it's hard to get their attention depending where you sit. Ambience 5/5 On a hot day, it's nice and cool inside. Plenty of parking. They have a really cool art work on the wall showcasing their noodle culture history and how it's made. This spot is very comparable to many chinese noodle spots in the bay area and I could confidently say even better than most. Definitely one of the solid rock for east contra costa foodie scene. Anyways you'll see me here more often when I'm visiting.

Hubby and I had lunch here today for the first time ever. We got there right before they opened. We…read morewere promptly seated, brought a carafe of ice water, and informed that food orders are done by scanning the QR code on the table. We each ordered a bowl of braised beef noodle soup as well as an order of braised pig's feet. While we were waiting for our food, we saw noodles being freshly pulled and looking at the nice and informative wall mural in the dining area. We received our noodle soup soon after ordering. The soup was rich in flavor although the redness in the soup made me think that it might be spicy, it wasn't. The noodles were tasty in the soup, although the noodle itself was dense. When our order of braised pig's feet came, it came cold (Pls refer to the picture) . We asked if that's how they (the pig's feet) usually come, we were told that's the norm, but he could have it warmed. He had it heated up (looked like in a sauce...sorry, no picture) for us. Much better. The food was 5/5. The bathroom on the other hand was full of supplies. There was a caution sign warning customers that the bathroom floor was slippery; it was slippery. Definitely will be back to try other foods that this restaurant offers.

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X Noodles & Dumplings - A customer favorite! Slow-braised beef, hand-pulled noodles, and a tangy-sweet tomato broth that's both comforting

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Lone Tree Drive In Fine Chinese Cuisine - Sweet and sour shrimp

Lone Tree Drive In Fine Chinese Cuisine

3.3(163 reviews)
2.6 mi
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I was curious to try this place because of all of their fame online. Despite how slow they are, I…read morealways seem them on reels or tiktok videos for some reason! They have a great lunch special. The dining room area felt a little dingy, but their open kitchen was very clean. I did appreciate that. On my visit, I was the only customer in the restaurant and lot. We had two of their lunch specials and an order of their fried fish. I personally think you should stick to their lunch items because, although we didn't hate the fried fish, it wasn't that great for nearly $20 and it was a much smaller portion than expected too. I felt like I got the last of an open bag and they didn't want to open another one lol....

We've lived in Oakley for 22 yrs and we just came here for the first time the other day. This place…read morealways looks dead from the outside but I've heard nothing but good things so we thought we'd give it a try since recent social media posts have been praising the them. When we arrived, there was another couple there that just ordered and sat down. Yes, you order at a window and then if you're dining in, you just find a table to sit at and they'll bring the food to you. It was really weird in there. No music playing or anything but it was relatively clean but very quiet, just the chatter between my husband and I and the other couple. Once the food arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to see how fresh and yummy it looked. It was all very good! Prices versus portions, I feel we get more elsewhere but the food was very good. Would we go back, sure but probably for take out only. Maybe if they had music playing so there wasn't the odd silence, we'd dine in. Overall, it's definitely worth trying! We definitely enjoyed our food and had a little bit to take home for leftovers!!

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Lone Tree Drive In Fine Chinese Cuisine - Inside building

Inside building

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Outside building

Dumpling Hours

Dumpling Hours

4.1(272 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$

I AM SADDEN BY THE UNEXPECTED NEWS THAT THIS LOCATION IS CLOSING THEIR DOORS TONIGHT! 2/8/2025…read more This place was amazing! Their dumplings, noodles, fried chicken wings, soup, damnear everything on their menu is delicious! Vicky, our server was very attentive, sweet, caring and provided the best customer service I've ever witnessed in a long time. The dumpling maker always smiling. Staff is very nice. The restaurant is really clean. A lot of tables and chairs, I love sitting in the booths. Now I'll have to drive all the way to Walnut Creek location for some dumplings! I wish they could have stayed open at least until after the Chinese New Year. I wish I didn't have to say goodbye.

So glad we chose this place for lunch after doing some shopping!…read more We walked in around 12:30 on a Saturday and were greeted and sat right away, along with waters given. We were given menus but there's also a QR code on the table so kinda confusing if we were to order ourselves or not. I was just about to order on my phone when a lady came to take our orders. As always, we ordered too much food but were happy to take home leftovers. For two people, we ordered: -hot & spicy pork xiao long bao (XLB): omg, could be the best XLB we've had! Spice was just right, very soupy, good texture to dumpling -beef XLB: sooo good! Dumplings were made well, and so much soup inside! Good flavor to the beef. Excited to try the other flavors (chicken, regular pork) next time -juicy pan fried pork buns: unique, and verrry good! Lots of soup inside, great flavor! It's like an XLB meets fried bun! And so cute too. A little tricky to eat but would get it again for sure -braised beef noodle soup: loved the texture of the noodles, taste was a little bland, but a nice comforting bowl on a cold day -shrimp & pork siu mai: good. A bit on the small side, but you get 6 of them in one order -steamed bbq pork buns: good, nothing especially standout Decor is minimal, with a partial open kitchen. But the cool thing is the art on the wall-- it's 3D and is different from most Asian restaurant decor Restrooms were fine, nothing fancy, but seemed clean enough Come for the dumplings!!!

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Dumpling Hours
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Lone Tree Buffet

Lone Tree Buffet

2.9(271 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

The wifey and I go here all the time. For the price and variety, you can't go wrong! Great sushi…read moreselection (esp for dinner), good seafood options, all the chinese dishes you'd expect, solid deep fried everything section (fries, wings, chkn strips, etc), decent salad and fruit bar, dessert section is meh but still a variety of cookies, pastries and ice cream. Drinks are NOT included. The staff is pretty attentive and are always clearing your plates. If you want to stuff your face for cheap, it's a no brainer ($17.99 lunch).

This buffet is somewhere in the middle. It's not top-tier, but it's definitely not the worst buffet…read moreI've been to either. One thing they do well is the variety. There is a great selection of food, and everything was well organized and easy to navigate. The dessert section is pretty typical of most Chinese and Asian buffets, with the usual cakes, cookies, fruit, and pudding options. One area that could use improvement is the self-serve ice cream station. The flavors tend to mix together, and it doesn't look very appealing. A soft-serve machine would be a great addition and would really elevate the dessert experience. The staff working the dining area were attentive and did a good job clearing plates and checking on guests. The front staff, however, could be a bit more customer-service focused. They seemed very focused on moving the line and managing the crowd rather than creating a welcoming first impression. That said, we were seated fairly quickly, even during a busy time. The restaurant can get packed on weekends, so expect a crowd. We're glad to have a decent buffet option in the area. It offers good variety, reasonable service, and plenty of choices for families and large groups. We'll likely be back when we're in the mood for a buffet.

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Lone Tree Buffet
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Papa Chen - chinese - Updated October 2026

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