Cancel

Open app

Search

Spicy Tang

2.5 (46 reviews)
ModerateChinese
Closed 10:30 am - 9:30 pm

Spicy Tang Photos

SPICY TANG ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

You might also consider

More like Spicy Tang

Recommended Reviews - Spicy Tang

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Mala Classic Stir-Fry
Mindy P.

Okay, so first of all. This place is visually appealing and easy to access since it's in a prime location next to Green St. It has this very inviting feel that invites people in. The moment I stepped in though, I was a bit overwhelmed. Their signs are all in Chinese, no one greets you at the door, and you're kind of expected to know what you're supposed to do. Thank goodness I went with friends who already knew how the system works, but if I was alone or with other newbies, we would probably have felt lost. They have a wide variety of meats and things to include with your stir fries or hot pots. I kind of let my friends take care of selecting what goes in, but be aware that there are a lot of interesting selections! They price you by the pound (including the bowl) so make sure you put in only what you want to eat. We ended up getting mala, and they cook it up for you after paying. Everything here is pretty much self-service, which I honestly don't mind. There are plenty of tables and seating. It's pricey though. For the two bowls you can see in my picture, our total was around $85. We did fill our bowls with a lot of stuff, but dang... that total surprised me!

a tray of food with rice and chopsticks
Yizhen W.

The food are not fresh, my stomach is sensitive, I already feel like I'm going to throw up when I'm halfway through the meal

Spicy broth soup
Dash H.

Id have to give this place a 2 stars. Only becuz theres a cute black pekinese dog in the front. But overall, its not that good. When u walk in, they dont greet you. Theres no labels, nothing in English telling you what to do. I was kinda guessing everything. I grabbed a bowl and got to work. The first station had like, meats, varieties of them. From seafood to beef to pork to poultry. In the way back corner theres udon noodles. Next station you get a variety of veggies. Of course nothing label, so just grab what looks familiar and go. Everything gets weighed at the end, and then sent to the back kitchen for choice of broth. They had 4 choices. I got the one i thought was familiar. Spicy beef broth i think. It was ok. But not for $25 . The soup was very oily, like extremely oily. Hard to swallow and i burned my mouth taking a sip even 30 mins after it came out. Becuz the oil stays hot on top of the bowl. I wont come here again. Its nice to have as an option if there was nothing else.

Lots of stir fry
Andrew Y.

I think this is the first authentic Chinese stir fry place on campus. A friend introduced me to Spicy Tang about a week after it opened, and I absolutely loved it. You select your ingredients -- meats, veggies, and noodles -- and put them in a bowl for the cooks to prepare in whichever style you specify. You'll have to order at least 2 pounds of ingredients, which is about $24, so I suggest you try this place with a group of friends... or by yourself if you're hungry enough. You can always put the leftovers in a takeout container if you can't finish it. Unfortunately, I see a lot of negative reviews for this restaurant and I think it stems for some misguided expectations. Spicy Tang isn't a fast food restaurant and it does get crowded during peak hours, which is the case for a lot of restaurants. For the best experience, I suggest you get a group of friends and try this place with an open mind.

Christopher T.

There was honestly nothing special about this place..unless if you've never had this type of cuisine before. First of all, it's way overpriced. This place works by putting various raw ingredients into a bowl, where they weigh it at the end of the line (meat, veggies, fishballs, noodles). Being me, I decided to weigh the bowl first, which came out to a quarter lb (that's almost $2.50 right there). I then got my ingredients, there is a decent variety, I'll admit. But then again, it's not too hard to buy raw ingredients. There were no labels, so you kinda had to use intuition for some of the items. There were about 5 soup bases, they were eh (yellow curry I think? was not appealing to me). Asides from the price..expect over $16, there were also limited sauces, and once again with no labels. (Don't get me wrong, I'm Chinese, but a lot of my friends struggled).

spicy tang is my favorite place on campus. you get to pick your own ingredients and the cost is by weight. if your food tastes bad here, that's just because you're not picking the right ingredients. i crave spicy tang everyday and i want the taste in my mouth at all times.

Ma La Tang

Amazing flavor. The stir fried spicy pot is amazingly seasoned and the spices are just amazing. You gonna try it if you love spice. Yea English might be a problem so bring your Chinese friend or simply ask the cashier. If more people come maybe they will add labels to the dishes. You can also ask them to choose for you.

I love ma la tang and was really excited when I found this place. They have a pretty large selection of meats, veggies and noodles to choose from. There's also a good selection of soup bases to try. My favorite is their Tom yum soup. I'm giving this place 2 stars because (1) it's pretty pricey for what the restaurant is offering and haven't been able to try the dry stir fry by myself since you have to buy 2 pounds worth of food at $10.99/lb. And (2) the owner can be a bit rude at times. They offer 10% off if you check in on yelp and was refused every time because the owner said they "forgot to take it off" ‍ The food itself is not bad but some of the soup bases can either be pretty bland or so spicy that you'll have to bring milk with you when you eat here. Overall, if you're having a craving for ma la tang then this can give you a quick fix!

Tomato Veggie Broth with all my favorite add-ins!
Aravinda G.

Surprised by the number of bad reviews. It is a no-frills, hotpot place with a number of delicious options to create your own custom hotpot. As a vegetarian, I seldom find hotpot places with a veggie broth, and here they have two. The tomato based broth is to die for in the winters and on rainy days. I agree with some of the other reviews in that the staff are not the warmest people - and most of them do not speak good English which makes the communication a bit difficult, but you go once, figure out what combination you like and then just order by the number on the menu. Ambience is decent too.

I made a to go order on RICEPO. I used to be a loyal customer at spicy tang. However, this time the spicy hot pot is tasteless. It's like they use water to boil the beef, the fish without even adding some salt! I tried to contact the manager to solve this problem. However, the manager said that was a normal thing in afternoon. They are very busy and they have nothing to do with my to go order. So I end up throw away the "water" boiled beef and vegetable and it wasted me $20.

James V.

I was visiting UIUC and wanted to try something new. What sparked my interest is basically it's create your own type of noodle shop. You get to pick what you want and what you want to put in. It cost $10.99 per pound which is a little pricy. You get to pick the soup broth you want out of 5 choices (some spicy and some non), the taste was disspointing nothing that stood out in flavor or spices. Overall the idea and concept was creative nothing about the food blew me away.

18$. Spicy broth doesn't look like spicy
Qian L.

The menu is so confusing. It's on the wall. When I walked in, i had no clue how to order my food. I walked to the register and asked the cashier. Basically you just pick the raw ingredients you want and put them in a bowl and they charge you by weight. After that, choose a broth. They charge extra for the broth. I had the spicy broth 4$. And it came out very plain. I didn't like the flavor. And it was overpriced.

Beef noodle

See all

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Nana S.
0
60
22

4 years ago

I love this place. Fun to eat and easy too. Very customizable and hassle free way to eat custom soup

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Betty L.
43
103
3

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dash H.
13
61
193

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Anna O.
3
19
31

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of 尹
0
2
1

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Bryan S.
780
37
16

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Qian L.
36
39
178

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Li J.
191
2
0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Fiona L.
24
82
29

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Xinyu H.
224
13
2

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Huy N.
51
2
0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Patrick E.
5
243
1285

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of S S.
0
87
0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

This is my favorite spicy food restaurant near campus. Authentic and delicious Chinese food

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

The food was very cheap and the cashier was absolutely rude to my friend. She yelled at the customers with an attitude.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Xiaoge N.

Xiaoge N.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Spicy Tang

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Chinese 1,066 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Northern Cuisine - A3. Cucumber & Bean Curd in Chili Vinaigrette 东北拌花菜 (part of $21.95 Lunch Special Combo 2) - spicier than expected. Has tofu skin and peanut

Northern Cuisine

4.3(23 reviews)
0.1 mi

This beautiful dining experience nestles into Campustown and delivers great food, excellent service…read moreand a gentle welcoming atmosphere that pulls it all together into a delightful time. The food is the finest Asian fare around and avoids the common error of over spicing the food. The Mapo Tofu is remarkable and each of the items we shared in our group excelled in its taste and presentation. The decor is simple and elegant amplifying the peaceful mood that surrounds the diners. Each server was polite, gracious and accommodating without hovering or intruding. Do yourself a favor and set aside a day to visit Northern Cuisine and you will not regret it.

Ordered takeout from here so can't really comment on the service other than the food was ready…read morerelatively quickly! Portions were great for both items I ordered. Rice Noodle and Pork Salad {3.5/5}: Texture of the rolls of rice noodles were nice and chewy. There were tender strips of pork throughout with some refreshing cucumbers all mixed in a peanut sauce. Not really my preference. Braised pork belly and tofu puff {3.5/5}: Very nice portion size and tender pork belly. The sauce itself is like a thick gelatinous gravy that I was not particularly fond of.

Photos
Northern Cuisine - Front counter with waitlist tablet, bench to sit on while waiting by entrance door to the right

Front counter with waitlist tablet, bench to sit on while waiting by entrance door to the right

Northern Cuisine - B1 Crispy Pork In Sweet & Sour Glaze 锅包肉 ($19.95)

B1 Crispy Pork In Sweet & Sour Glaze 锅包肉 ($19.95)

Northern Cuisine - E26. Spicy Lamb Neck Bone Dry Pot 干锅羊蝎子 ($22.95) - has lotus root, potato, and veggies

See all

E26. Spicy Lamb Neck Bone Dry Pot 干锅羊蝎子 ($22.95) - has lotus root, potato, and veggies

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Chicken and eggplant in garlic sauce

Rainbow Garden Champaign

3.4(132 reviews)
1.0 mi
$$

We were looking for an old style Chinese eat in restaurant and this seemed to be the place. It…read morelacked in a few ways. If we wanted noodles and duck sauce on the table it was a charge of 3.25. Where I'm from that is usually free. When we ordered it anyway they were out. Who runs out of the crunchy noodles??? The soups were a nice size and had good flavor. The fried dumplings were a bit lackluster. The lo mein was really tasty. While the pepper steak was good the onions were cooked all the way and they had that strong oniony sharp taste that stays with you. The should use a sweeter onion. It was good but not the best I've had but I would go back. Service was excellent.

What an amazing find! My husband and I had been running errands around Champaign and were getting…read morehungry for dinner. We drove past this place and that, and eventually decided "Rainbow Garden" sounded worth doubling back for. And oh my goodness! First off: the service was PHENOMENAL! We were never rushed but never felt unattended. Our drinks were repeatedly refilled before they were empty. Our food came so much faster than we anticipated! Even paying was quick and easy. Second: the food was honestly some of the best we've ever had. the Pekin duck was nearly perfect (the skin could have been crispier) and the beef fried rice was possibly the best fried rice we've ever had. So flavorful, so full of meat, and the meat was tender and tasty! Third: the whole restaurant was very clean. The bathroom was a little dark, and there's an obstacle in the hallway that makes it not wheelchair accessible, but overall an excellent job. We will be back!

Photos
Rainbow Garden Champaign - Dining area 1

Dining area 1

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Seafood hot and sour soup for 2

Seafood hot and sour soup for 2

Rainbow Garden Champaign - Just finished lunch

See all

Just finished lunch

Golden Wheat - Jiajang noodles, aka Beijing noodles

Golden Wheat

4.5(15 reviews)
0.1 mi

I was really pumped to try Golden Wheat because my friends raved that this is the #1 noodle place…read morein Champaign. The restaurant is operated by super friendly and nice Chinese owners. It appeared that they do not speak the best English, but we didn't have any trouble ordering as there was an English/Chinese menu printed out, which we used to point to the item that we wanted to order. What we got: Beijing style JaJangmyeon: I had Korean-styled jjajangmyeon, so I didn't know what to expect at first. The portion size is beyond generous and the amount of topping on the noodles was more than enough. The noodles were soft and chewy. The dish tasted like peanut noodles which I am not the greatest fan of, but my friend loved it! Spicy fatty beef slices noodles: this was really good! I am a big meat lover and the amount of meat that came with this dish made me really happy! The dish was not too spicy and well-balanced. I wish there was a bit more soup because it was just a lot of noodles, but I think this is supposed to be more noodles than soup because it was one of their 'mixed noodles' dish. Overall, it was a very hearty meal. The owners were super kind enough to give us a free bok choy+fish cake side dish which we enjoyed as well. Despite the communication barrier, the service was great and the owners are super sweet people. I will definitely be coming back!

Stopped by after a few friends recommended this place! The noodle soups are amazing. Here are a few…read moretips for non Chinese speaking customers like me. It took a little effort to order due to language BUT it was totally worth it! ORDERING The owner who was originally taking my order was so friendly but only spoke Chinese, so someone else had to step in and help me translate. I asked for the most popular noodle soups and he pointed to "dry beef noodle soup" and "pork shoulder noodle soup" so we ordered both. After you pick your dish he asks if you want spicy or non spicy. We got one of each. I personally liked the "spicy" version and thought it wasn't spicy at all! FOOD I ran into a friend there who knows the owner. He told me everything is made from scratch! Including the noodles. The broth was perfection. So fragrant, flavorful, well seasoned, and clean tasting. Meat was super tender (both beef and pork) and pretty much melted in our mouths. The "dry beef" in the name is totally misleading because there is nothing dry about the meat. ATMOSPHERE It seems like the restaurant kept most of the interior decor from PvP bakery so the aesthetic is pretty nice. Simple, clean, modern, minimal. It's sort of a self serve style in here so you have to get your own water. Just like most Asian restaurants. PACKAGING I ordered our meal to go but the restaurant IS also open for indoor seating. Our food was packed with care! The noodles and soup were packed in separate containers. I will add a note of caution while carrying the food. The hot soup warped the plastic container quite a bit so by the time I got home I noticed that the lid was just barely hanging on and on the brink of busting open. As long as it's held upright though it should not be an issue. Overall, if you're looking for a non frills place with good authentic Chinese food, this is the place to go! Price was pretty good too especially for how good the fooAbout $11 per noodle soup which is much cheaper than mid summer and golden harbor. We will definitely be back!

Photos
Golden Wheat - Chicken and mushrooms

Chicken and mushrooms

Golden Wheat - Beef noodle soup. Classic.

Beef noodle soup. Classic.

Golden Wheat - Sour spicy beef

See all

Sour spicy beef

Mid-Summer Lounge - B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

Mid-Summer Lounge

4.2(119 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

Great fast-casual noodles for lunch near campus…read more The food is simply prepared and delicious. I ordered the first item on the menu: Bok Choy in Chili Oil Noodle. The hearty noodles were chewy with a slight taste of rice -- neither too refined nor over cooked. The beef broth brought the dish's rich taste and gave it some depth, while the bok choy and green onions in the soup were fresh and crispy. Even though the chili oil was a treat, it overpowered the broth and veggies so that I'd consider omitting it from the order. The restaurant was crowded with lunch-goers when I stopped in, but the turnaround on my order was fast. If you need a bite and want something simple and well made, his could be your spot.

We ordered: 1. Pork & Egg w/ Bean Sauce Dry Noodle…read more2. Szechuan style Beef Noodle Soup Very pleased that UIUC now has meal access to a Chinese noodle specialty shop. Flavor of the fermented bean sauce was good and I liked the chewiness of the noodles. Friends liked the Szechuan beef broth flavor and the beef chunks were tender. This will be very nice in the cold winters. No issues with service and there's a good amount of seating for small to medium size groups.

Photos
Mid-Summer Lounge - E4 Stewed Pork Belly in Toasted Bun 腊汁肉夹馍 ($7) - different pork belly filling from that of the 卤肉饭

E4 Stewed Pork Belly in Toasted Bun 腊汁肉夹馍 ($7) - different pork belly filling from that of the 卤肉饭

Mid-Summer Lounge - B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

B4 Tomato & Scrambled Egg Dry Noodle 番茄炒蛋面 ($12) - tomato and egg are sweetened more than I prefer, but otherwise good

Mid-Summer Lounge - D1 Spicy Shredded Potato

See all

D1 Spicy Shredded Potato

Spicy Tang - chinese - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...