I always enjoy eating here. I love that you can alter the spice levels and my food is always hot and fresh. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Shanghai Noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Was craving Chinese food, so ordered some take out from this local restaurant. When we went in for pick up, the order was ready extremely fast and the workers were all great. The portions were great and flavor of the food was delicious. The star of the show was the lo mein noodles with chicken! Spice level 8 was not too spicy, so if you're looking for heat go higher. The only downside of our meal was the shrimp tempura was $7 dollars for just two pieces. Other than that, I am satisfied with our meal and will definitely order food from here again! read more

Shanghai On Elm - Crab Rangoon, Lo Mein Noodles, General Chicken, Shrimp Tempura - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The staff was incredibly accommodating and the service was excellent. The food was amazing.

We found this spot on Yelp as we were driving into the city, before we had to catch a flight. It's located in downtown Cincy on a corner and looked fairly new. We ordered through the Yelp app and our food was ready and hot as soon as we got there. A server greeted us when we walked in and it was a seem less transaction. I loved the vegetable miso soup, shrimp dumplings, and side of Japanese soba noodles. The miso soup had a strong flavor, so while I couldn't finish it, it was a cozy option. The shrimp dumplings are solely shrimp and a lot of it. The dipping sauce was great and slightly sweet. I really liked that you could order a side of noodles so I could try them. I got the noodles with grilled onions (requested) and really enjoyed them. They do have a lot of oil, so just know that. My husband got pad Thai and there were a lot of extra toppings on it that we didn't know what they were. My one tip would be to add descriptions of the dishes to the menu, both on GrubHub and on the menu listed on the website. There were things such as "General Chicken" listed and we didn't know if that was "General Tso's chicken" or just a plain chicken option. All in all, it was great. Definitely try them out! read more

Shanghai On Elm - Side of soba noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We were a part of the tattoo convention so we left the convention center pretty late around 11pm. We were looking for a place to eat, there was many bars open still but their kitchen was closed. We kept getting recommendations to head to Shanghai On Elm so we took the walk. Right away the vibe was great, we had a group of over 20 and they quickly got some tables together and sat us down without a problem. I ordered the vegetable spring rolls as an appetizer and they were really good! I ordered the Ja Ja Spicy Chicken Noodles which were also really good, the spice wasn't too mild or too hot. The broth was insanely good, had me wanting to learn how to make it Definitely recommend coming here! Especially if it's late and you want some good food, I know I would definitely come back when I visit Cincinnati again! read more

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Visited Shanghai for the first time in a few years. It was absolutely delicious. Service was great. Staff was courteous and friendly. Thank you read more

Great service, dependably reliable Asian and a funky urban vibe; can't go wrong at Shanghai Mama's!

One of my favorite places in the city. Great food and great service. The veggie lo mein is always good and the Shanghai dumplings are delicious. read more

Welcome back Shanghai! I missed my Udon noodles and so happy you have returned to the western side of downtown. Chef Alex Chin, former chef of Shanghai Mama's has returned for carryout only on the corner of Elm & 7th street. I placed a carryout order by phone on late Friday afternoon for evening meal told them when I wanted to pick the order up and they had it ready for me. You can also order online through the Toast app now. The steak Udon was delicious, how do Asian restaurants cook beef so tender, the flavoring, spice level 3 and Udon noodles were just right. Also picked up Hunan chicken with fried rice, which was good too, saved it for leftovers the next day, warmed up just fine. They give you chopsticks and forks with your to go order. Looking forward to having more Shanghai carry out in the weeks to come. read more

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I was in Cincinnati for the weekend and am so glad I found this gem. Honestly, the best part was the customer service. They were giving us recommendations based on what they had eaten themselves and nothing disappointed. We are vegetarian and tried their faux ribs. It was absolutely delicious and my friend said it tasted just like real orange chicken. We also had Shanghai noodles. I'm so glad we ventured away from the Lo Mein noodles we get at other restaurants based on the recommendation of the owner because it was absolutely delicious. For appetizer, we had the Vegetable Gyoza which was very fresh and hot. This place was packed on a Thursday evening and I can see why! This is a must-eat in Cincinnati! read more

Shanghai On Elm - Shanghai Noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I had been to the previous location and wanted to check it out. Went with friends one evening. We were seated quickly. Good service I ordered chicken fried rice and an appetizer. The food was really good. Love the taste of the rice. Would definitely love to go back and try some other items on the menu. Glad to check out the new location. read more

Wow!! This was my first experience and it was thru Grubhub at like 11:30 at night. So yeah, I'm thinking I'm going to get old, cold food like most places at this hour. I've been burned before lol. The food was not just good, it was delicious! Hot. Fresh. I repeat, FRESH. I've already crowned that the best General Tso I've had yet. The only issue I she with the egg roll was that I didn't order 2. I am a fan and I'll be returning!! read more

Service was excellent, Carrie J was on top of everything and could not have been nicer! Food was very good, spring rolls, vegetable lo mein, and bourbon chicken. The rice was the only disappointment, ordered fried rice with the chicken but pretty sure we got brown rice that was bland. Plenty of space inside, we went late so there were plenty of seats and service was very quick. Would definitely go back if ever in the area. read more

I actually ate at this place based off other Yelp reviews and I'm glad I did, it was pretty enjoyable overall. The staff was very friendly when I walked in and I was seated right away. I was listening to the staff interact with other customers and it was nice to hear them chatting and talking, it's something that I think is lost today in the hustle and bustle world we live in. I asked the waitress what she suggested and she had many things that she really liked. I still couldn't decide so I told her to pick a number between 1 and 3, and I ended up with the sweet and spicy chicken. Overall the dish was very good, it had good flavor and texture to it. The reasons I took a star off is 1) the portions were a little on the smaller side, even with the rice to add in the dish 2) the menu doesn't tell you what's in the dish as far as vegetables or anything else in the dish 3) the side of rice was pretty small as well, I didn't have enough rice to get all the sauce on my rice. Overall I would for sure eat here again, the music and vibe was great and the food was good, just smaller portions than I was hoping for. Also, add what the dish comes with on the menu and it would help a lot. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Sweet & Spicy Thai Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Lots of vegan options available at Shanghai on Elm although the menu doesn't clearly label them. The Tofu seaweed miso soup and Wild mushroom orgy were definite winners for me. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Tofu seaweed miso soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Two words. Pad Thai. This place had the best Pad Thai I've ever eaten. Drinks were good, staff was friendly. My only feedback is that when I sat at the bar, there was music in the bar, the TV was on with volume and music in the restaurant. All 3 competing noises caused me to skate out and not order the second drink. I'll definitely be back for the food for sure! read more

Shanghai On Elm - Crab Rangoon - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Food was pretty good but seemed a little dirty in there. Bathrooms are horrible. It's like typical Chinese food that they put in a fancy bowl & dress up with flowers. They stay open late tho so I guess it's good for a drunk night after the club or bar. read more

Wonderful, family-run corner Chinese restaurant with many surprises. Szechuan wontons were exceptional, and the egg roll was simple but perfect. Pot stickers perfectly cooked, and the noodles were all huge made and tasty. Cannot recommend highly enough this gem in Cincinnati. Great service, staff was friendly and engaging and a nice bar to sit at if you are solo (alike I was on this trip). You'll be satisfied with Shanghai on Elm! read more

The food is delicious, the drinks are poured well, and they are open late! The Shanghai dumplings are super spicy but delicious and the pad thai is amazing! Solid place for a great meal and cocktail. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I do enjoy the food, I do not enjoy the nausea after eating it though... also, there is a male waiter that is kind of the worst that works during the day... every other waiter/waitress has been great though. read more

This is one of my favorite Asian restaurants in downtown Cincinnati. They have great service and the decor is simple and beautiful. The owner puts in a lot of love into his business and is often seen running back and forth serving customers and giving orders in the kitchen. The menu items are priced appropriately. I love their Shanghai (soup) Dumplings. Their Pad Thai is stir fried to perfection with a great smokey flavor. The duck noodle soup was delicious and the broth was rich and savory. I did have a little trouble cutting the meat off the duck bone, so I wouldn't order it if you want something easy to eat. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

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The Taiwan Beef Stew never disappoints. We are extremely fond of our server as well! Didn't catch her name, but she gave us a wonderful gift in the form of a small rabbit pencil topper. Topped off the experience :) read more

Shanghai on Elm has some goood Chinese Food! I had gone twice when it was Shanghai Mamas but I don't remember because it was after quite a few drinks ;) However, I'm glad I got to try them now! Their food taste authentic and is very flavorful. I went with a friend and we started with appetizers. We ordered the 5 Spice Wings and the Szechuan Steamed Wontons. Let me tell you, I don't even like wings but these wings were so bomb! They were fried to the perfect golden brown and seasoned oh so well! I mean everything was on point. This is now my second fav spot to get wings. Again, I hardly ever eat them. However, I would come just for these. I love wontons/dumplings and these were very good! These are my second fav wontons. They were the perfect chew and flavorful. For dinner, we shared Mongolian Beef, Pineapple Sweet & Sour Chicken and Chicken LoMein. Everything was very good. The Pineapple Sweet & Sour Chicken was amazing! The sauce was perfect and the chicken had the perfect crisp/crunch to it. The pineapple enhanced the dish. The beef was tender and the sauce on it was delicious. The Lo Mein was also very good! I loved that the Mongolian Beef and Lo Mein came with different veggies cut up in them. The veggies were cooked perfectly and added the perfect crunch to both dishes. Overall, Shanghai On Elm has some delicious food! This would certainly be a go-to for me when I want Chinese food! The owners are also really sweet. read more

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Amazing restaurant in downtown Cincinnati! I was introduced to this location by a friend, and I will definitely be back. There was not a wait on a Friday night, the service was fast, and the food was great. We started with some appetizers, and our favorite was the cold noodles. The flavor was superb, and making us crave more. For the individual meal, we all did something different but we were all extremely satisfied. Give it a try, I don't think you can go wrong. Rumor has it that this location is also open late on the weekends! read more

When my partner and I visited downtown Cincinnati, we didn't realize that the operating hours for all of the restaurants and bars would close so early. However, we know that Asian food restaurants typically stay open a little later--and that's how we ended up at Shanghai on Elm! Being plant-based, my partner got the Oriental Vegetable Delight and I got the Crazy Szechuan Vegetable entree from the Vegetarian Paradise section of the menu. We also got an order of fried vegetable spring rolls. My partner really enjoyed his Veggie Delight--the lotus root was a delicious addition neither of us expected in our meals! I was asked how spicy from 1-10 I wanted my Crazy Szechuan Vegetable. I love spice and asked for an 8, but wish I would have gone all-in for a 10. The dish had some heat but I wanted MORE. Both of our entrees were super flavorful and the veggies were stir-fried to perfection. We would definitely stop back if the opportunity presented itself in the future. If you're full-on vegan, be sure to ask about your options--the staff we talked to was knowledgeable about what is or isn't okay. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Oriental Veggie Delight, Crazy Szechuan Vegetable, and Veggie Spring Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place it too good to have during Lent! It's ruined all other Thai places for me. The service is excellent and restaurant is clean. We got the dumplings as well which were the best I've never had. I'm betting everything on the menu is amazing. I'd give it more that 5 stars if I could. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Shrimp Pad Thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Got in town late on a work trip. This was super close to the Hilton. The food & vibe were awesome and totally unexpected for a Chinese restaurant. Highly recommend. Don't think. Just do it! read more

We came here late one night around 11. It's nice to have dine in food options open this late that isn't a Waffle House. The decor is nice all tables no booths. They don't have high chairs though which really sucks when you don't have young kids! That needs fixed asap and it's an easy fix. We got the crab Rangoon, pan fried pot stickers, and Shanghai dumplings. The crab Rangoon was good but a lot of wrapper compared to filling and the filling was delicious. The pot stickers had a good sweet sauce with them. The Shanghai dumplings are soup dumplings which were super good. I think the prices are a bit over priced for what you get but the flavors are good. We got the ja ja chicken noodle and the Shanghai noodles as our main dishes which were both really good. Even though they tasted good though this place is called Shanghai and it is not authentic Chinese food at all is very Americanized. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Ja Ja Spicy Chicken Noodle - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Went here late on a Friday thinking I was gonna get some mediocre food. Boy was I wrong this food is amazing. Got the chicken pad Thai and crab rangoon. The lady that I picked up my order from was kind and wasn't bothered that I asked for more soy sauce or pepper oil. Definitely have a customer for life when I am visiting here again!! read more

The hot and sour soup is my favorite here. I highly recommend this place. The food is delicious and I really can not complain about it.

Food and service were excellent. Price was reasonable. Atmosphere was great. Highly recommended.

My daughter and I were craving Chinese and went to the nearest spot. We were immediately greeted by Julia the owner and felt the love. We love this place. The atmosphere is warm and engaging. The menu offers a great selection of choices, including vegetarian. The bar menu is also impressive as well. The food presentation was absolutely beautiful and you feel like you were at a five star restaurant. The food tasted even better than it looked. I can't wait to come back and bring more people to this absolute gem. read more

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Outstanding food. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was great. I'm sorry for no photos. Food was delicious, I didn't want to delay in eating it by taking a picture. read more

The food was awful. The chicken was weird. It didn't look done. It was white in color, it didn't look appetizing. I ate two or three strips/pieces. It was soft and over seasoned. Which made me think that it was not real chicken breast but a processed piece of chicken, gross! The sauce and the veggies were ok. The pan fried potstickers were mushy. Honestly, I never liked Shanghai mama anyway the food was too oily. You could see the oil on the food the next day. But, I decided to give them and go.. thumbs down, I will never come here again. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I LOVE this new location of an old favorite. I feel like everything is elevated from Shanghai Mommas and I'm here for it! The restaurant feels more spacious and bright. We came late on a Friday night around midnight, with a decent sized party and our server was awesome! He was on point the whole time! To start we ordered shots and apps which came out super quick. My crab rangoons were hot and delicious. For the main course I got the chicken pad thai which was hot, just the right spice, and a decent portion. I felt the chicken was a decent quality which I notice many times with this dish at other places, it isnt. Everyone else was very happy with their food and drinks as well. At the end the server even graciously split up for separate checks! I will be back again and again. Great place! read more

Great food . This bartender is very cocky and really pushing it . He does make good drinks . He passed out shots to everyone but me and I just happen to be the only black person at the bar . I ordered food to go and decided. To get a drink while I wait . I asked for my bill 20 min ago and still haven't got it . It's literally 3 people at the bar and here I am getting the shittiesst service ever . What a idiot read more

Shanghai On Elm - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I'm in disbelief this place gets these high ratings. It's quite possibly the worst cheap Asian food I've ever had in the US. Chicken powder soup with wontons. Udon noodles with cheap oil and a few rubbery chicken pieces. "Soup dumplings" that were not soup dumplings at all and fatty chicken wings. Yikes. I didn't take more photos because it was too depressing. Throw in some plug in air fresheners, loud annoying songs from the 90s and $70 of the worst food I've ever had the displeasure of eating. So sad but very true story. read more

Shanghai On Elm - Not soup dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Maybe Cincinnati doesn't have real Chinese cuisine to judge against. I cannot for the life of me understand how this place got 4 1/2 star avg rating. It really shakes my faith in Yelp. The only thing that stood out for me was our server and the restaurant furnishings. Outside of the the food was not even fast food take out quality. We had a pork egg roll, chicken egg roll and pork dumplings for appetizer. First clue was they came out in about 3 min so no way anything was fresh and the taste showed. I won't go into specifics because we've all had frozen Chinese warmed in the oven or microwave. Based on the appetizer we decided to not try anything. To crazy for dinner. I ordered chicken and broccoli with a spice level of 6 out of 10. My son order Szechuan chicken 3 out of 10 spice. Again, food was out to us in less than 4 minutes. Very soupy sauce with little to no spice. Broccoli had clearly been in some type of water or sauce for awhile because was mushy and that would have been impossible in the time it took to serve. My sons Szechuan chicken tasted almost exactly like mine which is a travesty to any true chef chef. A brown sauce versus a chili Szechuan sauce are not even close in taste. Worst of all the chicken was clearly frozen strips, microwaved and then thrown in both of our sauce. My fried rice was was soaked in soy sauce and sticky and salty. It was one of the few times that he and I have not finished our apps or our dinners. The menu says in memory of a chef. A former owner maybe? I hope they rethink their cooking performance, as this restaurant would not honor any true Szechuan chef. read more

I love this restaurant. Ronnie is always welcoming and I have loved it before this location. Great locally owned establishment read more

Shanghai On Elm - Asian Fusion Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great atmosphere and friendly service. I was in town for work and the bar tender was happy to give some recommendations for things to do while I'm here. The food was excellent. The crab Rangoon was some of the best I've had. The pad Thai was really good with the veggies and tofu. If you are in the area I would recommend giving it a try! read more

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