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The Rice Box

3.8 (1.1k reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Order The Rice Box Takeout or Delivery

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THE RICE BOX ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
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Mongolian beef combo
Leena C.

Box of rice Haven't been here in almost 8 years. 1st experience was great, second was terrible so I didn't go back. My friend Aurora wanted to meet Donna early dinner and gossip session and she really liked this place. (We tried having a team lunch at the Rice Village location during the cold front last Oct but they had no heat so we opted for a warmer place but she grabbed a to go on the way home) Here we are for a late lunch 3:45 pm on a Friday. Parking was none had to drive around the block and saw some movement and bam, someone was leaving. We ordered at the bar, staff was super nice and opted to sit outside. Did not realize they deliver to the table. Order: Mongolian beef combo with fried rice and egg roll $14.99 The food comes in takeaway style containers. Win. Mongolian beef (2.5/5) - slightly over sauced for me; beef was pretty tender and there were carrots and edamame which is not the standard so maybe that's what makes it fusion? Fried rice (3/5) - standard style fried with small pieces of bean sprouts which I love so that was a nice surprise Egg roll (3/5) - I assume it was chicken because I didn't realize there was a choice) - it was crunchy and soft on the inside which I like, and pairs well with sriracha (did not eat till I got home) They seem to do a whole lot of take away. The staff were nice and hard working. I was excited when they first opened bc they had chow fun on the menu and being HK Cantonese, I love that dish but when I ordered it the 1st and 2nd time eight years ago instead of bean sprouts they had cabbage and that alters rhe flavor tremendously. I see why it's popular among the people but just don't think it is for my taste.

The counter/bar area
Derrick R.

I enjoy Ricebox every time I go. Doesn't matter the location. I get the Honey Walnut Shrimp, Fried Rice, Eggroll.

Sesame chicken

Today the portion of orange chicken was far from the regular. Also miss the old general Tso. I'll definitely give it another shot but seems light the heights location needs some attention.

The bathroom...
Sarah T.

The food here is life changing. It's just too bad it was too hot and filthy to enjoy it. I love that there are all the protein options with every dish. This place is very vegetarian friendly. The food is made quick and fresh. The service was also great. They were happy to answer all questions and get some extra things we needed when asked. They were kind and accommodating. I personally got the sweet and sour chicken and it was amazing. I haven't had Chinese food that good in a LONG time. The fried rice I got with it was perfectly seasoned and there was plenty of it to go with my chicken. My son (11 going on 16) got the orange chicken, extra spicy. He really liked it and ate almost all of it but said he wants to go back and try it not spicy because it was REALLY spicy and he thought there would be more flavor with less spicy. My little kids (5 and 3) shared the sesame tofu and pepper stack tofu. They both loved it and said they wanted more. My kids aren't really picky but for them to say they love something, it really is a compliment. My husband got the chow fun with Chinese sausage. He said the Chinese sausage was alright but he would probably get another protein next time. Overall, the food is amazing and we will be going again, to another location. So why 3 stars? 1. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The heat. My goodness, this place was hot. There is no air circulation and very little seating in the hot building. The seating outside was also very hot because it's Houston in May![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food tasted better when people are comfortable and we were not. 2. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lack of cleanliness. We walked in and, next to the wall menu, there was a pile of flies. Dead, alive, just a mass of wings and buzzes.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]When going to see if we could find a table outside, they were almost all caked with bird poop and had clearly not been recently cleaned.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bathroom was the worst part. I don't mind the metal toilet or the theming of the place. I LIKE dives and hole-in-the-wall dingy places. This was something else. All around the toilet, a brown textured ring graces the walls. This is beyond gross and I can't possibly believe it was a style choice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We won't be back to this location but will go to another in the future for the great food.

Orange tofu, awesome flavor!
Mike T.

Let's play "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"... THE GOOD Wow, the food here is fantastic. Truly, the sweet & sour chicken is actual chicken thighs with a satisfying crunch and great sauce. The fried rice is probably the best fried rice I've had in a very long time! I got the Chow Fun noodles with Chinese sausage and extra spicy and it was spectacular! Also tried the Salt & Pepper Tofu, which was nice and crunchy and HOLY MOLY IT CAME OUT SO FAST! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere is spot on and the staff are friendly and helpful, smiles all around and very inviting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] From all of this alone I would have easily given this place 5 stars! but THE BAD [[HIGHLIGHT]]The seating at this place was not great, very few spots and there's almost no AC, so it's very warm and very humid, which is not a comfortable experience. The only other option is outside, which in Houston is even worse.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] THE UGLY [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good lord, I've never seen a bathroom in this place is... something else. I didn't think about it while I was in there at first, but with kids I had to make multiple trips. The wall next the toilet is...textured...with a brown substance. I'm not touching it and I'm not investigating. The whole vibe of the place is one thing, but this really feels like the cleanliness of the place fell off a cliff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I'm really torn here. I want to come back, but I'll probably try a different location, because you can tell the decor and everything has a lot of love put into it. Like for real, I wouldn't be surprised if a Disneyland Imagineer had a hand in decorating the place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'll be back...but a different location.

Sesame fried tofu
John W.

I'll be honest, I had high open for rice box. It was nice, but it definitely didn't live up to my expectations... :( I stopped in the rice box off 20th street. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The actual restaurant was really small and I couldn't find parking nearby. Ended up having to street-park a few blocks away.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. The restaurant wasn't too busy when I was there. Our orders were taken quickly and food was cooked quickly too. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was really great. I liked the vibe and neon colors everywhere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food itself was just ok though. I was disappointed with the broccoli beef (the beef was really tough and chewy. I got the honey sesame fried tofu which was pretty good. The flavor lacked complexity & was mostly sweet, although the fried tofu was yummy. The white rice was a bit dry too... I probably won't come back here. The vibe was great but for the price / quality of food I was disappointed

Menu
Liz C.

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Place is pretty small and can get cramped if there's a lot of people[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] but the food is great and customer service good. The portion sizing on the food is actually what makes this place really really good. Tasty Chinese food with plenty for another meal later on in the day. Can't wait to go back and try other meals here.

Gregston C.

Fast casual Chinese / Asian fusion. A handful of popular Chinese inspired dishes. Tasty Asian fusion food. Good portions for the price. The sweet chili wings take a little time to make but are very worth it. The Chinese sausage Chow fun is flavorful. I know the "unfold the box to make a plate trick" is kind of their thing since it's part of the name, but an actual plate makes a better plate and getting another box to put your left overs at the end seems counter productive. I just eat from the box so that my food doesn't get cold unnecessarily. It doesn't feel like they want to you eat there. There are only a few seats inside. Outside seating is less than pleasant most of the year. They really want to you pick up your food and leave. Don't worry they won't forget to ask for a tip as you order at the counter. They really want you to order via grubhub or uber eats, because each dish is a few dollars more plus all the fees.

Mike B.

The food was alright nothing crazy. Service was very fast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is a feeling you're sitting inside a small restaurant in Tokyo. Feels like you're In a John wick movie scene.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Orange Chicken
Sophia A.

Our 1st visit in over a year and I believe that it has gotten better. I've ordered a few items on the menu. I might have found some new favorites. First, I've ordered last year's favorite Garlic Eggplant with minced meat, it was just as good as last year, if not better. The second thing I ordered was a family favorite, Crab Rangoon. It was perfectly crispy and delicious. It came with a sweet chili sauce, it compliments the Rangoon well. The last thing I ordered and what I wanted to try, was the scallion pancakes with a side of curry sauce. The scallion pancake was perfectly thin and made to perfection. The highlight of that dish was the green curry sauce that went with the scallion pancakes. I honestly can say that it was probably the best combination of flavors I had in a long long time. I've put the Garlic Eggplant with one of the scallion pancakes and dipped it in the curry sauce... my mind was officially blown. Seriously, I'll get all three items again but next time, I want a large tub of the green curry sauce. The service is always top notch.We'll be back once again

Wings

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Taste like my childhood egg rolls. It's always fresh. Always hot. And always good. The duck sauce just brings me back to childhood.

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The Rice Box Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Rice Box

Do you make your egg rolls made in house or do you buy them from someone else? I am looking for a home made egg roll.

Yes we make Errol in house.

How's the music? Good for kids? My daughter loves fried rice and dumplings, and I thought it would be a cool bday outing for 4-6. 😋

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

Which are the smaller egg rolls? Veg or chicken?

Veg

Could a party of 17 people eat here together?

It would be hard, the space is pretty small

Do you guys have brown rice as an alternate?

Dog friendly patio?

Yes. I take my dog all the time and sit on the patio

They're supposed to have gluten free options. Does anyone know if it's celiac safe? Thanks!

i would love to know this, seconding the question. The establishment shows up in Yelp as GF place...

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Agnes and Sherman

Agnes and Sherman

4.2
(190 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$$

Updating my review to include a few more lunch items!…read more A friend and I stopped by on a Saturday for lunch and booked a reservation in advance. They were pretty short-staffed when I arrived - I noticed quite a few patrons lining up before a staff member helped them get their seats. We had a bit of a wait as well. The restaurant looked the same - spacious with a variety of seating options and a cute bar in the corner. Once we were seated we were excited to order! We opted to share a few items: the savory scallion waffle, the shrimp toast, and the Vietnamese beef dip. The waffle was as delicious as I remembered - the savory butter paired SO well and is such a unique taste! The shrimp toast came out next - I loved how crunchy it was and how cleanly they baked the shrimp into the toast! The candied nuts were such a nice pairing. And lastly, the beef dip. I was surprised to see a sandwich (I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting after reading the description) but I truly enjoyed the thin slices of the beef, and dipping it in the sauce was divine. The bread just soaked it up and it was so flavorful! We wanted to get dessert before we ordered, but were glad we held off after the sheer volume of food! I was pretty stuffed and still took a shrimp toast to go. All in all another delicious meal here! I'd love to come back and try more of their menu next time.

Love the interior! And definitely very cool bar area, very diner trendy…read more We went for dinner and loved the shrimp toast!! The toast is thick and still crispy while the shrimp does not overpower. Chicken was filling and super crispy as well!! They don't bread the chicken only marinate and fry so the skin was nice and thin. Definitely want to come back for brunch!

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Lazy Susan table for large parties
Lazy Susan table for large parties
Cheeseburger fried rice
Cheeseburger fried rice
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Khoi Barbecue

Khoi Barbecue

4.0
(41 reviews)
3.2 mi

I had been wanting to try this spot for awhile now and finally got a chance to preorder a few days…read morebefore their weekend session. To my surprise, I still ended up waiting 50 mins to pickup my food which was really frustrating. I understand patience and this being a small business but do believe preorders should have a speedier process! On to the food, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors of both Vietnamese spices and traditional bbq in the rice. Not pictured I also tried the sausage which was as amazing as well. I think for the price, these were phenomenal. Unfortunately, something I ate from this spot, got me sick and due to this and the increased wait times, not sure if this will be a spot i'll revisit.

I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could due to its unique concept and creative dishes, but the…read moreactual flavors and execution brings it down to 3 stars for me. I recommend getting here very early, and preorder online if you can. I got here probably 15 minutes before they opened and there was already a line forming. Plenty of covered seating and the lawn area is pretty scenic. Here's what I ordered: Brisket BBH: the BBH is pretty good. Clean and light broth, but I think it would've benefitted from a little more sate as it was on the blander side. I think the brisket didn't really complement the dish. It was just thrown in there. It honestly would've been better without it, as the brisket makes the price tag quite steep... Pork ribs, brisket, spare ribs: gonna group these all together because they were all a bit of a letdown... Brisket wasn't as flavorful as I thought it would be for a Viet BBQ place. Both the pork ribs and spare ribs were dry. I like mine to be falling easily off the bone. Smoked turkey: most and flavorful but a little too salty. Bo La lot sausage: it was pretty flavorful, but I think if they really wanted to elevate this dish, they should wrap the sausage in lolot leaves... so it's true to its name. Curry dish: this tastes like your typical Thai red curry paste from the can. Rice was also a bit dry. Banh Xeo: probably my favorite dish. Very unique flavor... fatty, rich, savory! I would get this again. Too bad it's so small! Vietnamese slaw: quite literally (barely) pickled cabbage... not sure what makes it Vietnamese... Bok choy: typical stir fry wok style flavor. It's good, but small portion. Overall, I was a tad bit disappointed. The marketing team does a really good job of making their dishes look so delicious. But the reality was underwhelming... and pricy...

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Khoi Barbecue
Ig: @whatsviveating  |  pulled pork and garlic rice
Ig: @whatsviveating | pulled pork and garlic rice
Ig: @whatsviveating  |  brisket pho, pulled pork & garlic rice, sausage, brisket, and beef rib

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Street Food Thai Market

Street Food Thai Market

4.5
(829 reviews)
1.0 mi
$$

Legit Thai food - only around 9 tables and then two aisles of Thai Grocery Store. Flavors are as…read moregood as I've had anywhere although I haven't been to Thailand. We had to order take out on a Friday night because it was 10 mins before closing (9pm on Fridays) and they processed the order incredibly fast. All tables were full when we picked up so I'm sure busy nights will be a bit of a wait to get in. We asked for "medium" spice but the receipt had been defaulted to "mild" thank god. It was still a decent amount of spice and any more I would have probably been sweating like crazy. So I would recommend starting off with mild and go from there unless you are a glutton for punishing spice. Their mild seems to be more like medium / hot at an Americanized Thai joint. Pad Kee Mow with chopped chicken was delicious. Fresh crunchy green beans and bell peppers, onions and tomatoes perfectly cooked with the perfect spicy basil sauce. Noodles all had sauce on them. Large serving size and great price. We also got papaya salad which was just right and nice spice. I wish I could come here often and try everything else on the menu.

I came here on a double date to try this place out. It's a restaurant and mini shop that focuses on…read moreThai cuisine. We walked in and had to wait 30 minutes on a Saturday around 6 pm. There's a sign-in sheet. While we waited, we took a look at their two-aisle mini store, which is in the same room as the restaurant. We bought some interesting snacks and looked at the menus until we were messaged. Once we sat down, we shared fried tofu and chive cakes. They were amazing. The fried tofu was evenly crispy with a soft, piping-hot fluffy inside. (The sauce doesn't contain any fish sauce, since one of us was vegetarian.) The chive cakes were both crispy and mochi-like. I had the Thai iced tea and pompano fish. The staff scared us about the spice level, so we all started off with mild and a small variety of chili sauce, oil, and powder on the side. The ones who changed their minds to mild actually used them. So now we know that if you like medium spicy, go with the second-lowest level. I was fine with mild and ate my whole fish. Loved it. Our waitress was quick, but the kitchen... not so much. We all ended up eating at different times because we didn't want anyone's dishes to get too cold while waiting for the rest to come to the table. By the time my dish came, the first two main dishes were already finished (rice and noodle-based), and the third dish (curry) had already been at the table for a while. I also noticed another table that sat after us got all of their dishes (noodles and rice) before my dish came. The food timing needs some work. If you want a quick meal, I think their rice and noodles are the fastest. But the pompano fish was amazing. If you know how to debone a fish or eat one with bones, get this dish. There's free parking out front and in the grassy lot next to it.

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Street Food Thai Market
Yellow curry
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The Rice Box - asianfusion - Updated July 2026

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