I know- it's Chinese food from a strip mall. But sometimes you can find a hidden gem. Shang Hai is just not one of those places. The food was so-so and with so many other options, it's just not worth your money or time. read more

I use to love eating from this restaurant the food was good & fresh cooked, the chicken big chunks of white meat breaded cook just right, the rice was fresh fluffy with good flavor, egg rolls was so good too but the last time I ordered from Shang Hai the food was old tasting even the won ton soup had little flavor tasted water down. I look it up to see if it was under new owners & sure enough it was according internet. It is sad that a once amazing asian food restaurant now has been ruin by new owners!!!! Disappointed Customer From Ocala, Fl read more

First time with take out here tonight. Everything was delicious. I walked in to order and service was nice and quick. Food was at correct temperature. I had sesame chicken combo, which comes with fried rice ( I opted for white instead) and an egg roll. Chicken was lightly battered and chicken was not dried out. Egg roll was crisp and very tasty. Previously I tried another take out place down the road and it was gross. I'm glad I decided to give this one a try! read more

Don't waste the time. Decided to get carry out here Christmas Eve. The fried rice was undercooked, bbq ribs were not bbq, because I think they gave us boneless instead, which were disgusting. The shrimp Lo mein had very little shrimp in it and the cashier just rang it up and walked away. read more

This seriously the worst Chinese food I have EVER had!! Old, dry chicken and beef in both the dumplings and kung pao chicken. Crab Rangoon were so sweet, they were like a dessert and missing any crab. Egg roll was a big dough ball with little filling. Vegatables were barely edible and poorly cooked. Do yourself a favor and find another place to eat. read more

Order for pickup, food was hot and tasted amazing. Packaged with care as well! I will be back!

The best Chinese ever, the prices are very good and the staff are very polite. I always stop in for a bite to eat, every time I pass through Ocala. This place keeps me coming back for more. Yummy .. read more

Shang Hai - Lomein with extra shrimp and egg drop soup - Chinese Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Two thumbs down. Ribs Dumplings Chicken & string Beans Seafood delight All not good Very disappointing read more

Tried Shang Hai for the first time. Take out only. Ordered Won Ton Soup, boneless ribs, house Egg Foo young, and pork fired rice. Our order was correct, packaged well, portions average, food ready quickly, check out seamless. We enjoyed our food, was fresh; however the Wonton Soup was bland. Our food was missing the wow factor but will give them another try. The pick up area and kitchen area need a remodel, shows poorly, and all the employees on their cell phones. This and the soup resulted in a three star otherwise I would choose four stars. read more

Good to go Chinese fast food with quality ingredients. Like most fast food restaurants they tend to put too much sauce on their entrees, so I ask for light sauce or sauces on the side. They're very accommodating with special requests. We had several appetizers and entrees, all was very delicious. Served portions would satisfy any large appetite. Prices are very reasonable. Pre-packaged condiments available as needed. read more

I'm finding it hard to make this review, because I've never had a bad order from Shang Hai. In the past I've ordered and the food was very good, flavorful and tasty. This time I ordered, Chicken Lo Mein, Chicken Fried Rice, Steamed Dumplings and Chicken with Garlic Sauce. The food arrived hot and ready to dive in to. Normally you can smell the flavors of the food immersing from the packages, I could not remember smelling those wonderful aromas coming from the food. My wife and filled our plates and took the first bite, we both looked at each other and at the same time said, "there is no flavor". Except for the Dumplings, all the dishes were bland and no flavor. What was suppose to be Chicken With Garlic Sauce, was anything but. The chicken in the Fried Rice and Lo Mein looked pale and had absolutely no flavor at all. When I called to let them know about our order, they didn't understand what I was trying to say about the quality of the food. All she said was "I'm sorry". It will be a while before I return to Shang Hai. I am very disappointed, and feel their quality and standards have declined. I will be searching for another Chinese Restaurant very soon. If anyone knows of a Sit Down, off the Menu Chinese Restaurant, (not PF Chang's) and not a Buffett. I'll will travel a reasonable distance. read more

The do not clean their friers very often. The food comes out burnt and very dark. I stopped eating there because of it!

We ordered sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and chicken and broccoli. All three meals were very good. Not the best I've ever had but pretty good. The fried rice was good too. The place is just take out, which was fine for us. read more

It was ok. Tasted like fast food Chinese. They all seem to have a distinct flavor and it all pretty much tastes the same. Egg roll wrappers were way too thick that's all I could taste was the wrapper read more

The counter sister is very beautiful and very polite. The food was delicious. My boyfriend and I order more than three times a week. And the employees are young and the food is fresh. It's a great experience. read more

We found another place in Ocala where the Chinese food is not bad and for the money you get a lot (China Wok). Shang Hai was our go-to Chinese restaurant until we found the other place. In the beginning it was great. If you spent a certain amount, you get a Qt of free wonton soup. That has changed. Now it is 2 egg rolls or a pint of pork fried rice, which has no pork. So, Shang Hai is closer than the other one, which is about a half hour away. It was late and we were hungry for Chinese food. We had not ordered for about 8 months from here because their price had gone up about 50 cents to a buck more. Well, we did not know that the price went up again, about $2 or more from the last hike, until we got the bill, which was over $70. I usually order the pint of broccoli with garlic sauce, which was $6.50, and at that price, I thought for the amount of broccoli you got it was expensive but figured I deserved it. Well, this last order, and probably our final order from this place, the broccoli with garlic sauce went up to $8.95. Unbelievable. So, that's $2.45 increase. We got diarrhea from the egg rolls. They were soft and mushy. We were told we got the extra two but it was not in our order. Thank God. The wonton soup went up $1.95 and you wouldn't believe what it looked like. Hardly any meat and the broth was clear, white. You have to add soy sauce to give it flavor. I mean, if you are going to raise your prices, it should be better. Unfortunately, I am very sad and disappointed on greed. This place will probably close within the year if their prices stay this high. The pandemic is over. They already raised their prices for it. Food is just okay. read more

Don't know what happened tonight....I do like this place. The food is always good and satisfying but tonight they have upped their game. The food was fantastic. I'm still rolling from food. Definitely a 5 read more

Hole in the wall good Chinese food. Take out mostly, few tables. Lunch deal till 3 gives you egg roll, Pork fried rice and an entree under $7! That is a lunch deal that can't be beat! read more

Small portions lousy entree's. Guess when competition is scarce this is what you get. Egg foo young was not at all what it's supposed to be . read more

I ordered Shrimp toast app. the beef with mushroom and my wife had moo goo gi pan the vegetables were fresh it was tasty we will return to try other items. read more

i love chinese tried it while staying at my moms house. wasn't impressed by the beef and broccoli with whit rice. especially silly for the price. read more

Best Chinese Beef and Broccoli / Chicken and Snow Peas since we left Chicago. Ordered via Door Dash. It was delivered hot, vegetables crispy, chicken tender. Bravo and thank you! read more

This probably the best Chinese food in ocala. It reminds me a little of New York Chinese food, nothing fancy just good food except the boneless spareribs, no taste. read more

The lunch special portions are smaller than other places. The food was good. We ordered the beef & broccoli and sweet & sour pork. The cheese wontons we will not get again, did not like the taste and texture inside. read more

It's not fancy, but it's some of the best, authentic Chinese food around. They closed for a few weeks for COVID19. So glad they reopened! Order takeout and enjoy! read more

Ordered mushi pork and you usually get nice thin crepe like rounds to roll the pork combo into. I was not happy to get flour tortillas instead. If I wanted flour tortillas I would have ordered Mexican food. I have heard new owners took over recently but do not know if that is true. I had some grizzly pork also. Have to look for a new place. Sigh read more

It's always hot fresh and tasty great attitudes always nice... but be stingy with the hot sauce

We have been going to Shang Hai in the Steeplechase Plaza for many years. Publix and Walgreens used to be in that plaza. The Publix has become a Save-a-Lot, and the former Walgreens is now a hardware store, but Shang Hai is still there, and we are glad because they make the best Chinese take-out anywhere around - much better than the three or four other Chinese places in the immediate area. The food is always fresh and perfectly cooked. Good dumplings. The rice is never sticky or mushy. If you're in the Oak Run/Top of the World area and want Chinese take-out, this is the place to go. NOTE: As of 2018, the former owner is gone, and the place seems to be under new management. LET'S HOPE they maintain the same high quality. read more

Coming from Georgia here!! I was in town and had a horrible experience last time at a different Chinese restaurant here in Ocala. This was truly delicious!!!!!!!! Very clean. I am VERY picky when it comes to Chinese food. Delish! read more

Even though the food is great. It is TAKE OUT! The place has very limited seating for only 8 people. I like the sweet and sour pork. Very good. read more

Shanghai is a great place for takeout if you live in SW Marion county. It's handy for OTOW residents and other 55+ communities. They have hot, big city style quality food at a very reasonable price. Bottom line, they are consistent. read more

I would post a "zero" star review if Yelp would have let me. Save your money. Since the new owners/staff have taken over this place has gone way downhill. I don't normally post about my experiences but I reached a level of frustration with Shang Hai. I used to go here three times a week because the food was so good and the staff was so friendly. However, the last two experiences for me have sealed the fact I will never go there again. Because we wanted to show loyalty to our local restaurants, we decided to order Chinese once they opened up. What a mistake that turned out to be. First, last week, they messed up and charged for items they call "courtesy" that they advertise as free on their menu if you reach a price threshold. Not only that, if you want extra sauce (considering the purchase of multiple dinners) now that costs extra. Fine, maybe one mistake. This time, we called them only to find they didn't have half the items on the menu, and we got less quantity and it COST more - for less. No idea why, but when I politely asked the lady about this and she began to scream at me for even asking. I took my food home. Not only did I find they charged for things they explicitly said were free when we called in, but a small ribs bag contained only 4 tiny ribs. How ridiculous is that? With that being said, there are plenty of other quality Chinese restaurants in this area. Don't waste your time here. They don't value loyal customers and now have begun to nickel and dime patrons. read more

While this place does have a couple tables for dining in, it's really best for ordering carry out. They do a good job with their soups, main dishes, and spring/egg rolls. I especially like their beef with broccoli and moo goo gai pan. The decoration is drab. The food pictures above the counter are all tinged with an eerie green color. The Chinese lady who takes your order has a sober personality--I've never seen her crack a smile in all the years I've ordered from there--but she's very efficient. The food is always good--better than panda or the china star--, a quart of food is usually under $10, they've never messed up my order, and they're fast--about ten minutes. Another thing I admire about these people is that theyr'e tenacious. While most other stores in that strip mall have pulled out, they're still in there. read more

Food safety concerns I ordered a chicken meal and brought it home to find it pink on the inside and squishy aka undercooked. I called to tell them about this and was told that I was wrong and that the chicken was cooked. When I returned the meal to the business the incredibly rude woman behind the counter proceeded to rip pieces of chicken apart while yelling that it was cooked, then called me a "liar" for saying it was undercooked and went on to explain that raw chicken is white not pink. As a Registered Nurse, former Infection Control Practioner for a large hospital and having worked in a number of good restaurants I know a few things: temperature is the best indication of food being cooked but pink gooey chicken is a likely breeding ground for harmful bacteria, you don't yell at customers especially when all they are doing is stating that their food is undercooked, and you never publicly (and on video) call a customer a liar. This business is obviously poorly educated on what it means to adequately cook meat and this is a dangerous concern. They also have a few things to learn about customer service if they remain open long enough to learn it. read more

In a plaza with nothing to draw you there but worth the trip, some of the best Chinese in town

When the wife and I want Chinese food this is the place we go it is best and they remember you all the time I've been going there for years and I wouldn't get it from any place else read more

For the price, I haven't been to any other place in Marion/Citrus County that exceeds the quality of Shang Hai's food. Been going here for years and I haven't had 1 bad experience. The lady never smiles but that's no big deal, I suppose. Perhaps that's an American thing. Limited seating inside but probably 99% or more get the food to go so that's fine. I've never gotten sick on any of their food and it always tastes as fresh as food can taste. Great lunch specials at great prices. There's another Chinese restaurant opposite side of 200 nearby and they got my order wrong 1 time due to lady misunderstanding English. They made me pay for it even though it wasn't what I ordered and I didn't like that dish at all. (Would have just walked out today). Due to this, I tried Shang Hai and wish I'd never even went to the other Chinese restaurant now. This is definitely higher quality food. read more

My favorite Chinese place in Ocala. I'm from NY and the taste is so close to home. Definitely recommend

I'm new to the area so finding a really good Chinese restaurant has been really hard to find. I walked in and the place is spotless. I mean really clean. The food was delicious. I ordered a Hawaii Five O for my husband and I ordered a shrimp and broccoli, and they were delicious. I'm definitely making them my go to for Chinese food in this area. read more

We were in town from the Boston area, and my family eats Chinese food about once a week. First the good...this food is unbelievably inexpensive. The storefront is clean, and the people were very nice. The bad news is that the low prices are reflected in the quality. We only had the wonton soup, the dumplings, and the egg rolls, but none of the above were very enjoyable. The meat in both the dumplings and wontons tasted lower grade to a point that we didn't finish either, and the egg rolls were nothing to write home about. The pork strips in the soup also tasted lower grade, and the soup tasted like it was made from a soup base....I know many Chinese restaurants use a base for their wonton soups, but in this case it seemed more obvious to me. If you are looking for cheap Chinese food, you get what you pay for. I'd rather spend a few extra dollars and look for a higher quality option. Please keep in mind we didn't try any entrees. read more