I don't think people know that the other Taiwan Cafe in Richardson used to be owned by the people who now own this one in Plano. THIS is the best place - free soup, new dishes every night, and their soups are amazing. If the owner is doing the cooking (rare, but it happens), the food is truly drool-worthy. My favorite things are the beef noodle soup, the pork chop noodle soup, and the tofu dishes they have in the lunch/dinner line. And it's SO CHEAP! Oh and the CHINESE BREAKFAST on the weekends! It gets so nuts in there on Saturdays and Sundays because of their soy milk, fried donut (what is it called in english?) and rice rolls. I highly recommend trying that out, but make sure you get in there early because they run out quick! read more

The pork little soup bun is authentic. The beef noodle soup is average. Their bento meal has a lot of options and inexpensive. But make to to being cash cause it's cash only. read more

This place offer a large selection of items to choose from if you wanna get your grub on. The portion size are huge..best bang for your buck!!! read more

Love this place, good food and good price. Taste like home-cooked meals. I go to this restaurant almost once a week. You get to choose 3 dishes with steam rice. Add a little more money ($1.25) to get a cup of bubble milk tea with the meal... love it. They have many dishes to choose from and all of them look really yummy which makes it hard to decide which 3 I want for that day. Would love to try the slushy ice sometime. But I get really full each time by the end of the meal (good portion) which makes me keep saying, "Next time, I must try the slushy ice... " However, the next time never comes and I always leave this restaurant with a happy tummy. read more

Great little place for rice & 3. Different choices & you pick the 3 you want. Kung pao & the fish(not sure of name) are my favorites. Everything is good though. Rice & 3 for $7. CASH ONLY! read more

Truly authentic Chinese food. This is what I ate while living abroad. All food is offered buffet style so you can see what you are getting. 3 picks for $6 including rice is a complete meal that is much healthier than a fast food alternative. Food is served on metal trays, the same kind from cafeterias. It is not elegant, but the food is good and environment simple and clean. read more

The food portion is large and they have a lot of options to choose. Price is very cheap for what you get! I don't usually get the boba tea, since it's not their specialty. read more

Seriously. If you have never been in Asia and have no idea what authentic Chinese food should be, don't even come near this place. On the other hand, if you have ever lived in Taipei or other Asian countries and enjoy the food and price there, this is a great place to go. No bull. No scene. Just food. Feed you up. That's it. The same money can get you a Happy Meal... but... fries and coke? They are not real food. Or, you can probably get two-choice from Panda Express and the portion is half of the size here at Taiwan Cafe. Yes, I know. But, I paid my money to feed my tummy, not for the Panda picture on those walls. read more

This is my comfort food, home-cooked and good portion for 2 meals for $7! I always get eggplant and mung bean slush.

Price is superb. Food quality is average. Took my family there for quick dinner. All members came home with diarrhea. The Boba milk tea is terrible! read more

There is more than 1 Taiwan Cafe but the one on 15th is by far the better place. You cannot beat the price. $5.50 for 3 items, rice, and soup. i recommend the kung pao chicken, basil, chicken and the mushroom chicken ( yes they have alot more items than chicken but im a chicken lover). If you dont see anything that you want in the window then go order the pork chop rice. This has a great dark peppery sauce and is amazing. i love eating here but remember... if you dont bring CASH...no food for you. read more

Beware of a very moody owner! We ordered the beef noodle soup, got a number and proceeded to sit in the newly expanded dining area. When she brought out the food, she wasn't happy that we chose to sit "so far away". She said she would put up a sign for people like us (who did not order the self-serve style tray), to only sit in the area that is closest to the kitchen. She said she was tired of carrying that heavy bowl and look for us all over the restaurant. So apparently it is okay for the customers to carry heavy trays with soup and drink, but it is not okay for her to do so? LOL! read more

Authentic Taiwanese home cooking! Boba milk tea and strawberry slushy is awesome! Cash only and free soup if you dine in!

This place is my favorite b/c its Taiwanese homecooking and cheap. Every time I'm in Plano I have to stop and get at least one rice/3 picks to go, sometimes even more so I can have extra meals. If only there was one close to me, I'd eat here almost every day. read more

This place serves fine Chinese- Taiwanese style food and is finely priced, but only takes cash. The food taste ok- I've had worse and I've had better. You basically gets 3 entrees and 1 rice for $7 and if you get the boba/tapioca/bubble tea, $1.50 extra. You get free soup for dine in, you get it yourself. I honestly would suggest that you skip that bubble tea as it taste bland. I would not mind coming back, but skip the bubble tea. read more

Value is solid and food is great. Considering the amount of variety my knock is that because the foot is rotating out so fast sometimes the food on bottom of pan is way spicier or saltier than the food on top so make sure you keep this in mind. I would definitely recommend this in fast casual setting and 7 bucks for all that authentic food is great. read more

Food's mostly authentic, sometimes a bit salty, but pretty damn good on average. A tray of 3 selections plus scoop of rice costs you $7, but if get 2 selections and no rice, it's $9 (used to be $7). Yeah, the price was raised from $7 to $9 just a couple of months ago. But still, it's not expensive. Just remember it's cash only, no checks or cards-there's a huge sign at the front. If you want service, don't go there. Want food? You've come to the right place. When the owner and helpers are grumpy and sometimes rude, you know the place is authentic. read more

Their orange chicken is not on the menu but is the best I have had. The prices are low and it is a BYOB place.

Just a brief review since I only had 1 item on their menu. Taiwan Cafe is a great find in Plano. Most of the Chinese restaurants in the Dallas area tend to cater to a watered-down Americanized version of the cuisine. I'm happy to say that Taiwan Cafe is the real deal. I showed up on a Sun about 20 min before closing. I wanted to try the 3-item special that everyone else has written about, but they had already put those items away. I went to an old standby - spicy seafood noodle soup - and ordered it "hen la" or extra spicy. I was not to be denied. It came out 5 min later in a large soup bowl filled to the brim. Chock full of noodles, pork, beef, squid, cabbage, and scallions. The broth was piping hot and it had that deep orange/brown color that tells you "I'm gonna be spicy....." The chef came through and my soup was hot enough that I didn't even have to add extra hot chili oil - my usual custom. Great homemade flavor and textures. Flavors were deeply infused into the meat and veggies. My only wish was that the noodles were handpulled, but that's a rare find these days. I finished about a quarter of it there, then noticed that it was 9pm and most of the employees had started to leave. The lady who took my order was still there, and I decided to take my food to go sensing that I was keeping her there. Mind you, no one asked me to hurry up or leave - they were extremely polite. To give you a feel for the value, the rest of my soup completely filled a quart-sized takeout container. That's a tremendous amount of food for less than your typical Burger King meal. A great place for a quick meal or take out, fast, inexpensive, and best of all, honest, authentic cuisine in a region not known for good Chinese food. read more

Cash only, but the best lunch tray you will get for $7 and more food than I can usually eat. You get a heaping helping of white rice and choice of three authentic Taiwanese dishes for less than the price of a fast food combo. I eat here regularly with my coworkers, and we always leave satisfied. My one complaint would be inconsistency, the same dish on different days may be seasoned differently or mixed in different proportions. read more

It's really cheap! The quality is not that good. Actually the dishes are too salty...

Taiwanese style cafeteria food. Very down to earth home cooking style. Nothing fancy or wow about it. If you are looking for some home dishes, or something simple/easy, this is the place. $6-7 you can get a to-go box packed (not just full) of rice and 3 sides (meat and/or veggies, your choice). If you eat in, you can enjoy unlimited soup. In the cafeteria counter, you can see different kinds of Asian veggies, tofu, eggs, chicken, pork, beef. Some may not be seen in common Americanized Chinese restaurants. On their menu, you can also get fried pork chop bento, noodles, etc. Drinks - Boba tea, smoothie and others. Lunch time is crowded but you can always find a table (or share a big one). Many people just come in for to-go order bento. Please note that this restaurant is CASH ONLY. ****************************** Add-on: One of the ladies behind the counter always talks rude in some way. Not sure if it's because I am Asian and speak Chinese to her. The other day, I pointed at dish A and said I wanted that, and quickly pointed at dish B and asked what that was. She looked at me and said "Don't point here and there. What do you want?" I was very annoyed because it's not the first time. I said firmly, "I said I wanted that dish and asked what this one was!" And she rolled her eyes on me. WTH. read more

Cheap, cheap, cheap food! We got the beef and pork soup dumplings (labeled as steamed buns) which weren't that good. I knew it wouldn't be like Din Tai Fung but had some hopes that it would be decent. However, the beef noodle bowl was delicious. The green tea with boba was bitter and didn't taste like green tea at all. I had to throw it away because the bitterness was making my tongue numb. The cleanliness of the place has something to be desired. If this restaurant was in LA, I wouldn't be surprised to see a food restaurant rating of B-. read more

it's hard to complain when the price is so cheap.. but the food is rather mediocre.. the kung pao chicken is not very good.. it was steeped in oil.. it's fine if you want to come to this place as a taiwan greasy spoon joint... but don't expect much.. thankfully it won't cost you too much either.. of note.. their xiao long bao are also quite disappointing.. they were overcooked and their skins fell apart.. leaving a non-soupy dumpling read more

Their noodle soup is made with home made broth. It tastes like my mom's. Their prices are very reasonable. Makes me wish I lived closer to Plano. read more

Very authentic Taiwanese cuisine, however, the food is just so so. But for the price that it offers, I really can't complaint.

Cheap? Yes. Good? Well, that depends on what you order. The combo (self-selected) rice plate (biàn dāng) at first glance looks like a smorgasbord of homey-Taiwanese style dishes all glistening in the ever-so familiar, and slightly nostalgic, layer of oil. Some recognizable favorites include tomato with scrambled eggs, tofu with sliced pork, Szechuan-style hot-bean paste fish, and slow braised soy sauce pork. Well as the saying goes... looks can be deceiving. Dishes that should leave the tastebuds tingling and yearning for another bite were completely lackluster. Imagine, for an instance, that you are on what looks like an exhilarating roller coaster and your cart is climbing and climbing.. Tickticktick ticktick tick...tick... And finally reaches the top of the hill... But instead of a heart-pounding and adrenaline pumping descent, surprisingly the ride just ends at the top. You're asked to get off the ride and you are left wondering.. What the hell just happened?!? Well that is the embodiment of my experience with their biàn dāng for lunch. Oh and before I forget, we also ordered their pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and some pan fried beef pastry thing and both proved to be frozen items heated in the worst of fashions. Ok ok, people rave that it's a lot of food for $6 and I'll give them that. I was quite hungry so I ate a bit, but even so... Even when food is supposed to taste all that much better with the added hunger factor, here we are with this review on yelp. We all left full, but completely and utterly dissatisfied (which left me completely baffled as to why there was such a long line.) Seeing as how I think things should be left on a good note. They do have rather decent, well actually some of the only, restaurant-served chinese/Taiwanese-styled soy milk for breakfast (your choice of either sweet or salty and the only reason they get 3 stars instead of one), but they were out... And we actually went with the intent of getting that for our brunch . Perhaps next time, we'll go earlier... But not for anything but the soy milk. read more

I can see the appeal. It's quick. It's hot. It's cheap. Big servings. But you absolutely getting what you pay for. Hole in wall? Yep. Home cooking? I guess. But the cost is definitely reflected in the quality. Good flavors for the most part but it's balanced by the food being over cooked and over seasoned. I would give them 3 stars if I could get More tea. But since you only get one cup, two stars. read more

Cheap, tasty, and fast! I usually get the basil chicken and green beans, but sometimes there's a lot of bones and not enough meat.

Def a great, fast, cheap lunch. But if you're looking for authentic Taiwanese food, then you'll be disappointed. I'm talking about the kind you find on the streets of Taiwan. But not to take away from this place. They do have good home cooking and spicy beef noodles. The box lunch sets of pork chops and chicken are pretty good as well. The menu is stacked with boba teas and other smoothies and for $2.50?! Great deal!! I suggest the sweet cold soy milk. One of my favorites. If you dine in, you get good egg drop soup and tea (unlimited). read more

This place is bare bones Chinese food restaurant. Here is how it works: 1. Once you get in you will see 2 woman behind a glass counter showcasing different Chinese food. 2. If you eat in, they will take a metal food tray (looks like prison edition in the movies), and you can select 3 items. It comes with rice. 3. You pay $6 (cash only). 4. You take your tray to the soup and flatware station, where you can pick your take your included soup and the flatware. 5. You find a table and eat. The food quality is ok at the level of Pei Wei, but more authentic. For $6 not a bad deal. read more

Basil chicken is the best safe thing to get. Though they gave me pieces that were mostly bones... the other option I chose is some other type of chicken, don't know the name of it. but it's usually cold, but it's alright cause I would tear pieces into the soup they give for free. At least there'll be something in the soup. They really need to add more stuff in the soup. read more

This is a classic bento simple restaurant. There are many options to choose from 3 items with rice for $6.50. Pretty good value. Some of the items are good, others are whatevers. If you are not chinese or not familiar with chinese food...you'll have trouble ordering. Cash only. I wasnt impressed with the taste. read more

Great value for home cooked food. The portion is simply huge - 2 big scoops of rice and 3 sides for only $6.50. Cannot get a greasy fast food burger and fries for that price. I tried the self-serve soup, and did not find it too salty as other reviewers did. Hint: stir the soup pot a little before serving since the good stuff settles on the bottom of the pot. Instead of the pearl milk tea, I ordered the lychee coconut bubble tea for an extra $3. A very generous amount of lychee jelly and boba. The flavors of the dishes tasted like mom's, and took me back to my mom's kitchen. Definitely will bring my mom on my next visit! Found the ladies to be helpful. Do not expect this place to be fancy. Love it and will be a new go to place for Chinese! read more

Holy crap this food is authentic (husband is originally from Taiwan, so I have some cred when I make this statement- he is the one who declared the Authenticity). CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP & fantastic. Go for lunch if you're unfamiliar with this kind of food, because it's served up a-la-Panda-Express at lunch-- you can SEE & SMELL everything & just point to order! Gem of a place in a very unassuming, old strip mall. We got 2 lunch specials (choice of 3 items, with rice & soup) and 'upgraded' to include the half-price-with-lunch bubble tea... our total bill was $14.50! (CASH ONLY) read more

It is a decent restaurant for home cooked meals. You can get three entrees and rice or noodles for only $7 and the portion is huge! Spending $7 for a meal for two people, what else can you ask for? read more

Wow. Once you get over the casual decor and the metal prison-cafeteria plates, you can actually enjoy the food. We paid $6.00, cash, and had a choice of 3 items + 2 huge bowls of rice + all you can eat soup. I'm a big eater and I barely finished all of the items. Everything has wonderful flavor and you can't beat the price. Get out of your comfort zone and give it a shot. read more

They often run out of certain dishes at lunch time when they're super busy. I've seen their line out the door. My friends think they use a lot of msg. That may be true, but I will still go back for their noodle soups. Their pre-prepared dishes under the heat lamp are kind of oily and not as appealing, but they are super cheap for a combo. I also like the fried onion pancake, the long fried bread, and the warm tofu milk. Good comforting food. read more

Best dining value in the city by far. Food is good and you get lots for $5.50! You get to pick 3 dishes from the 15 or so available at the buffet. They serve lots of interesting dishes and for someone without a lot of experience with authentic Taiwanese cusine, it is a chance to try something unusual, that I can see, unlike ordering from a menu. Always packed for lunch. read more

Well, this place is where you can get cheap great Chinese food. $6 can never be beaten, considering the generous amount...But I do think the dishes are way too grease. read more