Absolutely delicious! Authentic, gorgeous atmosphere , wonderful service! A surprise in a strip mall!!!

This one's easy and straightforward: Szechuan Opera is probably the best Chinese restaurant in Rochester, NY--and that's coming from someone who lived on the West Coast for years. The food has real, traditional spices and bold flavor. Nothing tastes watered down, and everything is seasoned the way you hope it'll be when you order Chinese food. Last time I got chicken fried rice, orange chicken, pan-fried dumplings, and crab rangoon. The fried rice was solid and well-seasoned, the orange chicken was crispy with a good sauce, the dumplings were nicely pan-seared, and the crab rangoon was fresh, crunchy, and hit the comfort-food spot. I've only done takeout, so I can't say much about the ambience, but it's centrally located with decent parking. Inside is traditionally decorated, and there's a giant golden throne in the lobby that's great for a quick picture. Service has always been speedy and friendly, orders come out fast, everything's packed well, and the staff is consistently nice. read more

Went in excited for dim sum and left seriously disappointed. The sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf was shockingly small -- maybe 1/3 the size of what you get at Canton House -- and nowhere near as fresh or flavorful. The portions felt chinsey, cheap, and unsatisfying for the price. I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately won't be rushing back. read more

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Hands down the worst dim sum I've ever had. My to-go order wasn't even edible. Very disappointing.

Coming back to this place after a long absence..food is still amazing! Great shareable plates and every dish is delicious. read more

Szechuan Opera - Seafood clay pot and pot with bamboo - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I had been here before but this time was a bad from food and portions I ordered seafood soup for 16$ and was small didn't look like I got any shrimps or proteins for the price I paid,this is the reason people are not coming back high prices,small portions and don't care for quality,remember when Chinese food was budget friendly,now even McDonald's is like going to real restaurants and they want 25% tips ,come on now!!! Just cook at home you'll have better safe and don't have to be frustrated with the attitude on this business so what if they closed out!!!.. read more

Take out order of six different entrees and sides for six diners. 5 out of 6 found the food too spicy for their taste. And we often order Szechuan at other restaurants! Egg rolls were greasy and any other seasoning in the soups and entrees was overpowered by the heat. No crispy noodles or fortune cookies were included, only 6 packets of soy sauce. The order was pre bagged and ready for pickup so not aware of missing standard extras until back home. I called the following day and got only a basic "Sorry" in response to my concerns. What a waste of money and disappointment for our gathering! SO gets no-more of our business. read more

My friend got us this for dinner and it was great! It appeared a bit expensive but it was worth it. The rice was soft and fluffy. The sesame chicken was warm, crispy and delightful. I really enjoyed it! There was PLENTY for leftovers the next night also. I would 10/10 recommend trying this place. I will be back as well. read more

Ordered from here last night for pickup. Even though it was a busy night for restaurants due to Valentine's Day, the order was quickly available. The staff was friendly and the food was well packaged for pickup. As usual the food was excellent! We should have made them our first choice for the evening because it is such a cute and cozy vibe inside and the food always delivers. read more

This might be the best Chinese food in Rochester. First of all, I love the vibe of this place. The decor is great and so is the service. Most importantly, this is the best chicken fried rice that I've been able to find in Rochester! read more

Ordered take out so I can't speak to the in restaurant experience but my order came swiftly with no mistakes! I ordered dumplings and fried rice and they were both flavorful, reasonably priced, and filling. I had enough for two meals. I definitely would order again! read more

As always, perfect tasty food, very attentive server and nice interior The diced chicken is 10/10 read more

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Great place overall! Great atmosphere! Great food! Reservations are iffy. Parking is iffy. Make if you use the pay lot you pay for EXTRA TIME BC YOU WILL GET TOWED and fast! Anyway, I highly recommend you celebrate Chinese new year here with their special menu. Yum yum read more

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Updating my review...chance after chance. This is a picture of how much protein existed in my order after the bowl full of peppers... read more

Szechuan Opera - This is not a vegetarian dish...this is all the peppers from a chicken dish I ordered.... - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

I come here often and every time it is delicious and authentic. the last time i went i ordered the V8 Black truffle w Mixed mushroom dumplings and V10 crispy shrimp w tofu skin roll. Everything was very delicious. The Tofu skin rolls stayed crispy even during transportation. However the reason i am making this review is to comment on how perfect the Dumplings were. it's hard to find good fresh, not frozen dumplings in rochester but these ones tasted like they were just made freshly and did not taste frozen. Like a comforting home cooked meal. The service is always welcoming and the inside is very clean and beautiful. read more

I ordered take-out, so I don't know what the inside/atmosphere of the restaurant was like. I got the Seafood Dry Pot. It had scallops, squid, fish, and 'jumbo' shrimp in it (which was honestly more medium-sized than jumbo) with lots of vegetables and peppers. My food came hot and my request for wood-ear mushrooms and no deep-fry was honored, so I think that the service is very nice. read more

Szechuan Opera - K7.Seafood Dry Pot Style - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

Best spot for some authentic Chinese food! They have an extensive menu with tons of styles, ranging from classic Szechuan to Chinese-American dishes, and the spice levels of some dishes are amazing for spice lovers! I've been here multiple times and always look forward to trying new dishes. Some of my favorites are the crispy chicken and cumin lamb. The restaurant is in a plaza on park ave and provides 2 hours of free parking when you check in. Service is nice and friendly, although they can get pretty busy dealing with takeout orders as well. The decor and overall vibe of this place is upscale and authentic. read more

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Good but pricey. The four of us ordered an array of things, all very good and some great. Service was kind, prompt, and helpful. The interior is also nice, they've done a great job with the space. Everything is maybe $3-6 more than you're paying at other Chinese places, maybe that's just the rent on Park Ave? They do have some unique dishes you're not finding anywhere else in the area. We would go back, but maybe for the lunch special. read more

very delicious food, quick and fast service. my friends who attend school here love this place. the interior has a lot of traditional chinese touches added to it. good place to bring large groups! read more

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I went for lunch. The place has an unassuming facade, yet inside it has a very pleasant decor and a Golden Throne, worthy of an Emperor/Empress. I chose the special lunch L16- Shredded Pork w/ Peppers & Spring Roll, Rice; Shu Mai Dumplings; Jasmine Tea Bubble. The pork dish was very tasty. I devoured it pretty quickly. The Spring Roll (vegetable) crispy came w/ a sweet & sour sauce. Good The dumplings came last; 4 small shrimp dumplings. They were full of shrimp, w/a dipping Soy Sauce. The Jasmine Milk Tea needed more ice, refreshing. I took it home and placed it in the freezer for 1/2 hours. Perfect. Service was attentive. I will be back. read more

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Delicious food and friendly service! The cold sesame noodles and fried pork dumplings were fantastic, as was the Kung pao chicken.

Enjoyed my first experience at Szechuan celebrating the lunar new year with some fellow yelpers. Huge shout out to Jenny R for planning everything!! We sat in a super cute booth that fit us six perfectly, so private and cozy. They offered a special menu, we ordered six items from that and a few regular items. Special menu: Stir fried twin lobster with ginger and scallions Oil and shallot steamed abalone Dungeness crab in Szechuan style Steamed sea bass Braised sea cucumber with scallions Steamed garlic shrimp w vermicelli Reg menu: Wontons in spicy chili sauce Duck with veggies Dried sautéed string beans We shared all plates, family style Tried some new items I would normally not order, the duck and wontons were ridiculously amazing! We all ate like queens and I had the best time with these girls! read more

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Amazing authentic food. The Dan Dan noodles are fantastic. Everything we had at our table was delicious. The decor!

Very good szechuan style chinese food. The fish fillet in chili oil is great and same with any of their dry pots (except for the lamb one but the others are amazing especially the fish filet and pork). The rest of the menu is a bit hit or miss for me (the cumin style dishes have an overwhelming amount of cumin; the green beans and other vegge dishes are good but nothing you can't make at home). Still very solid place and somewhere I go back to for Chinese. read more

Szechuan Opera - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

Thanks to Jenny R for putting together a little Chinese New Year celebration for us. I haven't been here before. Apparently they do not take reservations even for a larger group. Also, note that the parking lot adjacent is 2 hours of free parking with validation. If you use street parking, pay attention to the signs. There were 6 of us and we were sat in a comfortable booth. Overall, service was friendly and efficient. We opted to share several plates family style, mostly off the special New Year Menu, The food was flavorful. No complaints at all. I'd return here in the future! read more

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The food is very mid; soggy chicken, overly sweet dim sum, and absurdly high prices. I appreciate their pretty interior, and decent service. But this just isn't it. Their restaurant in syracuse, red chili, is much better. read more

Staff are very friendly and food is very authentic. Took a visitor from China there and he was pleasantly surprised on how good it was. Would definitely go back. read more

Szechuan Opera - R2.Squirrel Fish spicy A3.Chicken in Chili Sauce H1.Chicken Cumin Style Q1.Ma Po Tofu - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

Great food and very friendly service. We were in town for 1 night and liked the reviews on YELP. Was not disappointed and would come back again if we are back through here again read more

I have been meaning to try Szechuan Opera for so long after hearing so many great things, and I finally visited with friends for dinner. We went on Friday at 630 and it was not busy, we were seated right away. The service was very friendly and the right amount of attentive. The food came out at a good pace (appetizers followed by our entrees). As has been previously stated, the decor is absolutely gorgeous. The food for me was hit or miss. I got the tomato egg entree and it was very salty. I love tomato egg and this had slices of tomato that weren't cooked down the way I am used to having the dish. It might just be a different style of cooking it that I'm not used to, but it didn't have as much flavor as I was hoping (just tasted salty). The scallion pancake was also a miss. It was too dry and I couldn't taste the scallion, just the dough. The peking duck buns were yummy and the bao bun very soft. I also enjoyed the garlic cucumber -- one of my absolute favorite appetizers in Chinese cuisine, and this one didn't disappoint. The cucumber was nice and crispy and it had a ton of garlic flavor. Although I didn't love my entree, I would definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

Szechuan Opera - V19. Peking Duck (2 pieces) - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

Was a lovely experience yesterday when we dined there again. This is the only chinese place we go to when we come to Rochester. Food was excellent but soup was not hot enough. Soups should always be piping hot. Service was great. Thank u read more

Food looked delicious... too bad I could not taste it since it took them 20 mins to even get out appetizer order.

Great place for large groups! A wide selection of dishes on the menu and everything Ive tried the multiple times Ive been there have been a hit. read more

Went here for take out and was greeted and helped by very friendly staff. It looks like a random restaurant however, it is very beautifully decorated. Love seeing the green plants and many many well cared for plants. Food was prepared fresh and hot even after driving back to hotel. Very delicious and authentic. Good portion and got a very relaxing take out dinner in my room watching NBA. 水煮魚 and 楊州炒飯 Highly recommend! read more

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Place is FIRE. I love the Dan Dan Noodles and Sesame Chicken. It is all delicious. My other half wanted the Mapo Tofu. Portions are not very big here at Szechuan Opera, so make sure you come here half fool if you are a big eater like myself lol. These guys are awesome and delicious. read more

I managed to get tickets to Jon Batiste (thanks Dad!!) back-to-back in Toronto and Montreal on a Tuesday and Wednesday and I planned a roadtrip from home in Central Vermont out to Niagara Falls and then Toronto, Montreal and back down to Hartland. My plan was to leave directly from work on the Monday at like 3pm and drive to Niagara Falls. I figured that was about as far as I could make it that first night. In hindsight I think I probably could have made it to Toronto that night. But I guess, better safe than sorry. I was making such good time across the NYS Thruway that I decided to find a spot opened late to get something to eat (I had snacked my way across New York...). Rochester was the only place with anything open late and really wasn't a detour of any consequence. I had no idea there was LEGIT Szechuan food in Rochester?? I mean, I guess, how would I know? It's been a few decades since I lived in Upstate NY. Szechuan Opera was open until 10pm and I pulled in shortly after 9. The menu is huge. Excellent variety of all sorts of things, including Dim Sum. My problem was I didn't have a plan. I hate not having a plan when I'm going to a restaurant. I'm THAT person! I read menus and choose items ahead of time. Which probably seems ridiculous. I own a restaurant and I have a somewhat absurdly large menu at my own place. Yet I am one of those people that just does not like to go into a new spot "cold." I always feel like I maximize my dining experience if I review the menu before. My other "issue" is that I don't really ever want to try one thing. I want to try as many things as possible and that does require a plan of attack! Service was really good and everyone was very friendly. Although they don't allow anyone to sit/eat at the bar? So I had to sit a table by myself. I am just not a fan of that. But, last minute dining choices late at night... Got my water, got tea, got truly horrible sake. HAHAHAHA That was my fault. They've just got one terrible sake they serve hot (NEVER drink hot sake my friends). It was a little tricky to find menu items that did not have beef, pork or poultry (which I don't eat). I decided to focus on appetizers and Dim Sum so I could try a few, different things. Because I just couldn't convince myself to commit to one or even two items! LOL FYI: All portions at Szechuan Opera are huge. Regardless of whether they're called "appetizers" or something else. I wound up with a ridiculous amount of food! What I Ordered: Chengdu Style Mung Bean Noodle: Look, when the waiter tells you it's spicy and you're in a Szechuan restaurant. Believe them. Delicious, but your taste buds might need some time to recover... Wood Ear Mushroom with Garlic: OMG!!! First these Mushrooms were the biggest I'd ever seen. I could eat this dish all day. It was so insanely delicious. Wow. Crispy Cucumber with Garlic: gorgeous, beautiful fresh, delicious. Crispy Shrimp with Tofu Roll Dim Sum: I think this might be the best fried food item I've ever eaten. Hot and crispy right from the oil. Paper thin tofu wrapper. Everything about this was perfection. Pan Fried Chives and Shrimp Dumpling: Also wonderful and delicious. Black Truffle and Mixed Mushroom Dumpling: Skip these. Meh. Not so tasty and I didn't love the wet, gummy consistency. IMO I ate an impressive amount of what I ordered. Because some of these were just so good I didn't want to stop. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Don't get the sake. read more

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We've come here so many times and the one dish we always order is the Q16. Mixed Vegetable Tofu in Claypot. It comes out sizzling hot and the tofu is so tender. All the vegetables that the tofu is paired with just completes the dish. The other dish I also really like is J2. Garlic Sauce Style Pork. The first time I tried it, we got it as it was intended to be made - spicy. It ended up being too spicy for me since I don't typically eat spicy foods. So the second time I ordered it, we requested no spice and it tasted just as good. I love the sour taste of it and the pork is so tender. It comes with thinly sliced bamboo shoots which are so yummy. Service is extremely quick and the food always arrives in 10 minutes. The interior is super aesthetic with the lantern lights above us and maple and cherry blossom trees. read more

Szechuan Opera - Szechuan Near Me - Rochester, New York

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We reserve this place for when I'm craving a complex, spicy beef broth. This time we took our family here and they really loved the authentic Chinese dishes. Szechuan pepper is known for its citrus-like flavor with a tingling, numbing sensation. And it doesn't really hit your tastebuds with hot spice, either, which I think is great because I feel like I can taste the flavors in the food better. Some of the dishes I recommend: Schezuan beef soup and the clay pot. The beef is amazingly tender and full of flavor. In the beef soup, I only wish there was more beef chunks. The clay pot, however, did have a generous amount of beef. Either way, it was very tasty. The soup is something I almost always order. It definitely hits the spot when you're recovering from a cold. Service is good, not overly friendly servers, but they get the job done and always on point. The outside of the building is very plain, and unsuspecting. Walk inside and you'll be transported to a luxurious dining area with comfortable booths and a nice ambiance to match the quality of the food. read more

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Good food and portion sizes with an authentic Szechuan taste. Ambiance is fun and feels like you're immersed within the culture. Will return read more

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Beautiful restaurant food very good service great! Also loved the complimentary hard candy I grabbed a few more on the way out.

If I were to rate this restaurant on decor alone, it would get 5 plus stars. Entering the dining room I felt transported to a lovely garden tea room in Sichuan province. Even the dishware and chopsticks were gorgeous! The fork was gold. We started our meal with Hot and Sour Soup. It was delicious! The thought entered my mind that when I got home I would write an extremely positive review of Szechuan Opera. Instead it is a negative review I sit here writing. After the soup, everything went downhill. My husband's Pork Egg Roll was smaller than those we've had elsewhere and not very flavorful. My Spring Rolls were overdone and greasy. Shrimp with Garlic Sauce was my main dish. There were at most only 10 flavorless, thumbnail size shrimp in the dish with a few slices of equally flavorless celery, green pepper and mushrooms. The sauce was lukewarm, had no garlic flavor to it and was too thick, too sweet and too red in color. The accompanying Fried Rice, also only lukewarm, was bland. Hubby's General Tso's Chicken was also a huge disappointment. Again, the sauce was too sweet, too thick and so red we thought they might have had an accident and spilled a whole bottle of red food color into it. At least it was hot. And at the end, we didn't even get fortune cookies. Thumbs down for Szechuan Opera. read more