Randomly chose this restaurant while passing through Boston Chinatown and was pleasantly surprised! We went in the early afternoon, so it was quiet and not too busy inside. Interior is on the smaller side and relatively clean. Service was a little slow considering we were 1 of 3 occupied tables, but they were otherwise very attentive and friendly! Oyster omelette is actually pretty similar to the ones you can get at night markets in Taiwan, although ours was lacking a little flavor and the sauce carried. Be prepared for a slightly gooey texture! The stir fried rice cakes and the wonton noodle soup were both deliciously fragrant. The pork over rice is a decent deal and fairly good for being in the US, but the texture of the pork wasn't as good as what you'd find in Taiwan. read more

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Back years ago, I wasn't too big of a fan because i thought Taiwan Cafe lacked flavors. We decided to stop in as friends seem to like it and we wanted to give it another go. Daily lunch deal: $36.95 for 3 dishes or $13.95 for one dish - longhorn pepper beef - juicy tender beef, peppers were HOT this batch. Enjoyed - salt pepper pork - not what i was expecting, haha I'm too used to canto style, it wasn't dry and was still a good homey dish. Didn't have the crystallized salt coating though. - spicy white fish - least favorite of our choices, just didn't like the presentation or the flavor profile. Got an additional dish: crab meat soup dumplings. Somewhat thin skin, couple of them broke and leaked the soup out before we picked it up. Spicy white fish was not what we were expecting. Thought it was going to be a bowl of red spicy broth with white fish but they gave us a fried fish with glaze. The space had plenty of seating, and staff were quick and nice. The cleanliness needs to be stepped up a bit personally. There were dead bugs along the window that should be cleaned daily. read more

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They have something I could not find in any other Taiwanese restaurants in US: Stinky Tofu w/ Mixed Veggies & Beef Stock in Clay Pot (砂锅臭豆腐). This is a very special dish from Taiwan and you would either really love it or hate it. We had it in Taiwan and really loved its unique flavor. I am so glad that I have found it in Boston. They have many typical Taiwanese dishes and we also selected several of them. They were all quite good and well made. This restaurant is not very big and it seems always crowded. You might have to share the table with the others if you don't want to wait. The staff is very friendly. I would definitely go back more often. read more

This quaint hidden jewel in the heart of Boston CHINATOWN, is a place you really have to try for yourself! We ordered several dishes and was happy with everyone! Service was friendly and helpful and the dishes were played to make it look so appealing and once you taste it, you will see why I find it very appealing! For a small restaurant it is big on flavor and authentic Taiwanese cuisine! Check out the photos and see what I mean ! I had help in choosing my food! read more

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The house fried pork chop plate is solid and so value. Comes out really quick. This is a great location for a late dinner since they close quite late compared to businesses nearby. Great service, and they try to accommodate large parties well. read more

Taiwan Café - 2. House Special Fried Pork Chop On Rice Platter 2. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I haven't been to Taiwan Cafe since I was a kid! The food is much better than I remember it being. The interior & exterior haven't really changed though. We came here for the lunch special, which is $36.95 for 3 dishes & $13.95 for one dish. You can choose from the menu L1-L66 & any appetizer L30-43 are 50% off from 11am-5pm Monday through Friday! This lunch special also comes with daily soup & rice. We ordered these 4 dishes: - long horn pepper beef - spicy white fish - salt pepper pork - crab meat + pork soup dumplings My favorite was the long horn pepper beef because it was actually pretty spicy! Most times when I order this dish at other restaurants, it tends to not be spicy at all for me. The soup dumplings were okay. I liked that the dumpling skin was not too thick & had a good amount of filling. The salt pepper pork is slightly different than from a Cantonese spot but still tasty! Not dry at all, which I appreciated. For the spicy white fish, I was hoping it would be the spicy Sichuan boiled chili fish but I guess I misread it when reading the menu haha. It was delicious & I still enjoyed it. I'd definitely come back again, especially for that lunch special deal which can't be beat! ***$20 min. spending in order to use card*** read more

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I went here after a show and couldn't have been happier with the experience. The restaurant was small, but clean and staff friendly. We chose the fish after seeing an interview with a Food Network chef say it's her favorite bite in Boston, and it did not disappoint. The fish was beautifully cooked, sauce a little spicy but not overly, and tasted amazing. Chicken and eggplant was in a sweet and sour sauce, which also was very tasty but sweeter. We asked for white rice as well and it was perfect to catch all the extra sauce. Crab Rangoon and dumplings were both very good also, though the fish was the star of the show. Food was delicious, fairly priced, and came out quickly. read more

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This place is great! It's cheap and the food is plentiful and flavoreful. We ordered for pickup with the uber app and they often have discounted dishes that are good options. Makes it much more affordable. Food is always prepared fresh and fast for pick up. They are always busy, as this place is not gate kept. The staff are not the friendliest, but you're there for a good meal at a good price. For that reason, I keep going back for takeout when we are in the area or passing by. The place packs tables inside for dine in and looks like the typical chinatown style restaurant. Parking is going to be a huge challenge as chinatown has less and less metered parking spaces as the years progress. There is amazing variety with their large menu. Seems like we have been targeting their pork dishes and we liked them all. Good portion sizes, too. This is a target place whenever we are passing by and need quick and yummy bites on the cheap. read more

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Came by Taiwan Cafe awhile back. Decent spot for some asian eats. They were able to host a larger party. I do think they were close to Taiwanese flavors but maybe at best 70-75%. But for the area, definitely one of the main spots. Hectic during peak hours. read more

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We stopped at this restaurant for lunch on the recommendation of our food tour guide, and it did not disappoint. It's a small, cozy spot that was quite busy when we arrived--we waited about 5-10 minutes to be seated, but it was well worth it. We ordered the orange chicken, beef and broccoli, pan-fried chicken dumplings, and chicken fried rice. Everything came out piping hot and full of flavor. Each dish was delicious, with fresh ingredients and great seasoning across the board. If you're visiting Chinatown and looking for a satisfying meal, I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try! read more

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Dined in on Christmas Day. Service was faster than I expected. Got seated immediately and food came out promptly as dishes were ready. Lu Rou Fan - The minced pork with pickled cabbage was over rice was good, but not quite as fatty as I'd like it. The meat itself was a bit dry and flavors a bit off. This item is likely a pass the next time I dine here. Pork Dumplings - Dumplings were good and had plenty of pork and chives in it. Flavor is good and on point. Beer Noodle Soup - Plenty of meat and spinach in this dish. Noodles had bounce and soup had a slight amount of heat with good flavor. Tomato Egg Beef - This dish is served over steamed rice and was easily the highlight of the meal. I'd order this dish all day everyday. Solid flavors, flavorful tomatoes, and sauce had consistency of a runny egg. All in all, staff was friendly and food was delivered in very reasonable time. Most items were above average. read more

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Decent enough Taiwanese cafe (as the name suggests); it's quite small (only seating about 20 people inside). There are bathrooms, though I can't say much for the cleanliness. Staff is efficient though not necessarily friendly. I'd recommend #7 (tomato beef egg rice), which was delicious, but #34 (Taiwanese noodle soup) was very disappointing, and I definitely wouldn't get it again. Portions are quite large and can easily feed two people per order. Prices are about $17 per entree. read more

I highly recommend the beef tomato egg. I tried some new dishes: -salt and pepper shrimp: I wasn't a huge fan of these because the breading was different to what I'm used to it's more like popcorn chicken breading. The shrimp did not seem super fresh -chive egg pancake: this one was pricy but was very thick. Not like the ones in New York -soup dumplings: just okay, this used to be the place I would go to instead of dumpling cafe. Service is good but I would only stick to the tomato egg dish read more

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Disappointed with the pork chop on rice dish. It was deep fried and didn't have the savory-sweet, umami-rich flavor. The tea egg is old. Skipping this restaurant on my next visit to the area. read more

Taiwan Café - Porkchop on rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Worst customer service and they told me I had to tip them a specific amount. Never in my life have I encountered this. Stay away from this place if unless you want to feel pressured. Rude service and bad customer experience . DO NOT EAT HERE. They are just trying to get extra $$$ for their customers. I hope if you're reading this you will take into consideration my experience, MONEY HUNGRY. read more

Beef and peppers was amazing, so we're the chicken and celery dumplings, definitely recommend both and if I lived here I'd come back

Taiwan Cafe never disappoints! We got so many dishes and I think my favorites were the truffle soup dumplings and the salt and pepper chunky chicken with basil. But honestly loved everything! The service is very hands off and no fuss but very nice and friendly if you ask for anything! Very reasonably priced as well because we got all these dishes for $150 (including tax and tip) read more

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If you're looking for a restaurant with good value and solid food, I'd recommend Taiwan Cafe. The staff is always super friendly and will sometimes recommend dishes since there's so much to choose from. If you come during lunch, you can get a dish for just $12.95, which is insane. I really like the house special fried pork chop and the tomato egg with beef. Both are very comforting and remind me of Taiwanese food back in LA. I've tried a few other dishes as well, and none of them have really disappointed. The only real downside is that the food is a bit too oily. read more

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For a quick Friday lunch, I went to Taiwan Cafe. At noon, it was about three-quarters full. I ordered the pork with preserved mustard greens noodle soup / 雪菜肉絲湯麵 ($15.95), a Taiwanese staple. It arrived within five minutes. The noodle soup itself was fairly straightforward: shredded pork and preserved mustard greens sautéed and served over thin, flat noodles in a chicken stock-based broth. It was a bit oily, but the flavors were all there. Portion size was adequate. The dish alone would warrant a 3-star review. However, I had an unpleasant experience when settling the bill. I went up to the counter to pay, thinking it would be quicker. After receiving the physical receipt, I reached the "add tip and sign" step. The server pressured me to choose one of the preset 18%, 20%, or 22% tip options. She even kept her thumb covering the subtotal until I pushed back. Even after that, she insisted, saying "the preset options are more convenient." I declined and wrote in a custom tip. The minimal service certainly didn't justify such high gratuities, and being pressured like that has made me swear off this place indefinitely. read more

Taiwan Café - 雪菜肉絲湯麵 - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

vro this place is beautiful and joyous. the mall tofu was so good i would KILL everyone to eat the whole plate myself. but it was family style so i was generous and shared. if I was a real estate developer, I would call the place cozy. but it was cozy. mmmmmm EGG AND TOMATO RICE? Yummy. The duck was a little too chewy for my taste, but it was a good portion. Would've like more soup in the soup (ykwim) The staff were so nice and generous and we luckily had a mandarin speaking party member that made our whole order so great. Shout out Jennifer! Food was served quick, toothpicks available, be warned check splits are a bit hard but it's no matter in a world with zelle read more

Taiwan Café - 65. Ma Po Tofu 65. beautiful mapo tofu - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here to try the pan fried pork buns before seeing a movie at the nearby AMC. The buns were pretty good, it was the first time I encountered ones that just had a ground pork filling and no vegetables. My only issue with this was how oily the bottom of the buns were as some of the ones I received were pretty greasy and heavy as a result. I haven't tried anything else on the menu yet, but I'm interested to give their other dishes a try the next time I'm in Chinatown. read more

Taiwan Café - 31. Pan Fried Pork Buns (5) $11.95 - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Very bad food here. Used to be mediocre to okay, but now it's just underwhelmingly tasteless. The beef chao he fen is an overpriced mass of mushy, overcooked noodles and excessive oil. The lu rou fan tastes like it was made with low quality meat and was very dry. Such a waste of money. If you really want good Taiwanese food, I would recommend going to Taipei Cuisine in Quincy instead. read more

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Maybe it was good 30 years ago during my college years but my recent experience was unforgettable in the wrong way. Tables are squeezed together so tight they ask you repeatedly to move your seat and stand up while you're dining, so they can squeeze in serve the next table. The a/c barely works so it's warm inside on hot days. You are served tap water at room temp and there's no ice. The dishes and tableware are so worned out, they likely haven't change them in years. Food are expensive for the portion you get. Quality is bleh...whatever... forgettable. Tip is added post-tax. The most overrated and overpriced restaurant in Chinatown. read more

Five of us ate lunch there recently. The food was great. The service was fine, until they started hustling us because they had a big party waiting and wanted our table. When my wife went to pay, using cash, the hostess insisted that she owed the amount listed as the largest of the "suggested tips". My wife pointed out that that amount was only a suggestion, but the hostess again insisted "No. You pay this!" My wife paid an amount that she thought was fair, ignoring the aggressive hostess. We'll go somewhere else next time, as there are probably 20 other restaurants within a block . read more

The food was delicious and friendly service. Our big group came just before the dinner rush and it was worth it! Family style to share. Some dishes are better than others but overall would definitely return. read more

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I think Taiwan Cafe is known for their stinky tofu, but since I'm staying at a hotel and I don't want my room stink like someone died in the room, I didn't order it this time. I tried their watercress dish and beef and egg over rice. It's nice that they gave me an egg drop soup for free with my order. Unfortunately, the food I ordered didn't taste all that good. The watercress was very oily without much flavor. The beef egg over rice was a OK, not bad, but not out of this world either. Overall a very mid dinner experience. read more

Still the best stinky tofu! Stopped in here for a meal like every time I come to Boston, and they had my favorite stinky tofu. The size a bit smaller but that's not terrible, I still loved it and the preserved cabbage pickles that come with it. The salt pepper chicken was cooked right, but needed more salt/pepper. And the young bamboo sliced with pork was good, but a little more oily this time. Service wasn't as good as before, but the guy was busy. Weird water container, too, didn't want to pour very efficiently. Still have to remember to come for lunch! read more

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Came here on a recommendation from a friend. He suggested I get the crispy pork chop and he did not steer me wrong. I ate at a unthinkable amount of different places today and this dish was probably the favorite of the day. The pork chop itself tasted like it was marinated in soy sauce based marinade and it was fried to absolute crispy perfection. The cabbage was sautéed and braised to be beautifully tender and tasty. The rice was just plain ol' rice, but it was the base of the dish obviously. The sauce on top roped it all together. I thought it was great. My only 2 cons to the dish are that the pork chop was not boneless. This would take a very small amount of prep time to remove by the kitchen before frying. The other is that the rice was just plain medium grain rice. I would have liked a shorter grain rice that has more starch because it made eating it with chopsticks quite difficult for me. That could just be a personal problem though. I could have asked for a spoon but I was up for a challenge. Nonetheless, I'd go back. Also, the dish was like.. $15? Can't beat that. It was a good portion and came out quick! I learned a lesson today. Talk to your friends read more

Taiwan Café - 2. House Special Fried Pork Chop On Rice Platter Loved it. Be careful of the bones. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Food was perfect! Everything we ordered was made on the spot & was piping hot when it arrived to our table! Couldn't have had a better experience! read more

Taiwan Café - We cleaned off these plates & bowls!!!! - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This unassuming restaurant has a huge menu full of so many delicious options. As someone who grew up with American Chinese food, I was so excited to see items that I'd never heard of before. As many people do, I have one dish that I judge most Chinese restaurants by - a dish that my dad introduced to me and we also share when we eat Chinese food together - ma po tofu. The ma po tofu at Taiwan Cafe was absolutely delicious over a bowl of white rice, but was different than many others that I'd tried. This dish was not as spicy as some, but was huge on flavor, and made me feel nostalgic and comforted. While wontons are pretty much universal, I still can't stop thinking of the chili peanut sauce that the wontons were covered it. It was sweet and spicy and everything one would want in a peanut sauce. The wonton wrappers were thin and delicate while the filling was hearty and full of flavor. Finally, I tried the roast beef in scallion pancake rolls. While I've had both scallion pancakes and roast beef before, I had never tried them together. The pancakes were firm with a hint of green onion, the beef was perfectly seasoned and tender, I believe I tasted a little bit of hoisin sauce (or something else sweet), and I know that this isn't everyone's gig, but the sprigs of cilantro brought the whole dish together, creating a third texture and flavor. I can't believe I ate all three dishes in one meal, but it wasn't hard considering how delicious each element was. The service was quick, the staff was super friendly from welcoming me in to the very end. This was hands down one of the best meals during my trip to Boston! read more

It's a fair spot as far as Chinese restaurants in Chinatown go. Items are fairly priced. I've only tried one dish - if I'm back in Boston, I might try something else. read more

Taiwan Café - niangao - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Busy on a weeknight but no wait! Service is pretty quick and also very friendly, only thing is you have to actively ask for more water. Ambiance is nice wooden tables with plants and wall decor in a cozy space. Food is great! We got the pig ear and three essence chicken in hot pot with a side of rice. It was so much food! Had lots leftover for two people. The pig ear was great and chili oil flavor with the light crunch The chicken was very well flavored and savory umami herbally. It was also very tender. There were a lot of bones you had to eat around but worth the flavor. The rice was also good! A classic base read more

Taiwan Café - Pig ear - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE!!! The duck was MOLDY!!!! Absolutely disgusting and unacceptable!!!!!! The packaging also fell apart too!! read more

Taiwan Café - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I was looking for some delicious really good Chinese food and I found it at Taiwan Café in Boston's Chinatown. The place is easy to find and nice and clean and has an extensive menu, and I mean extensive. I would highly recommend this place, if you're looking for a good old Chinese food. read more

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Delicious pan fried dumplings and the best fried rice I've ever had. Yelp I don't know why you need more letters but here you go read more

Buns are all pre packaged and delicious!!! Sweet and fluffy. Will be back. No places to sit, $10 minimum charge for credit cards. Pretty clean and everything looks delicious. Taro mochi buns and egg custard buns are what we tried. read more

Taiwan Café - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here for a weekend lunch to warm up after a few hours of ice skating at Frog Pond. We came in around 2pm and were seated immediately. The inside of the restaurant is a pretty typical vibe you would get from an authentic Chinese restaurant. The service was decent with a waitress being attentive to our party. The menu is massive and has many authentic dishes. We did family style and ordered the beef tomato egg over rice, fried jumbo shrimp in cream sauce, fried pork chop, and Sichuan chicken. We also decided to try something new and tried out the stinky tofu appetizer which was a new food for most of us - we weren't fans but this is definitely more on the dish itself than on the restaurant. My favorite was the beef tomato egg dish which was well seasoned with the perfect amount of sauce. read more

Cozy restaurant with quick service! Here are my go-to orders every time: House Special Fried Pork Chop Rice Platter Crispy, golden pork chop on a bed of fluffy rice. The pork was perfectly seasoned and crispy, making it a total comfort food winner. I LOVE the sour pickled mustard, the tea egg, and sweet dried shrimp, boiled cabbage served with this dish too - DELISH Scrambled Egg w/ Beef & Tomato Over Rice A classic which you would think "i could make this at home" BUT you CAN'T! The eggs were soft and fluffy, and the savory beef balanced out the sweet and tangy tomato - their chef's flavoring for this dish is something you can't replicate at home. Five Spice Cold Cut Beef Shank in Garlic Soy Sauce This dish makes a great cool, light, and spicy starter. The tender, savory beef shank soaked in that fragrant garlic soy sauce and five-spice blend? Flavor BOMB If you're in the mood for a mix of comforting and bold, these dishes at Taiwan Cafe are a must-try! read more

They charge a mandatory, minimum 18% tip, which I never seen in the US. Bad attitude.

bring back your prior soup dumpling recipe! they used to be top notch - a lot of juice, good portion of meat, great flavor, and the dough was slightly dense and at a good ratio. i got an order last night and i was disappointed to say the least. the size of them shrunk drastically (comparable to the trader joe size soup dumplings whereas before they were closed to 2 inches diameter), the dough was not good and too chewy/under cooked, the meat was nearly nonexistent, with none to minimal broth. recommend trying their pork chops, rice cake noodle dish, and schezuan style spicy fish read more