We've always wanted to try The Rice Box in Rice Village and finally got to do so when we had friends from out of town! We got the sesame chicken and pepper steak. Both were exactly the flavors I was looking for. Sesame chicken was tender and sweet. The pepper steak had a great soy based sauce that was delicious! I didn't care for the carrots and would rather have other bell peppers though. I'd stick to rice for the side as the lo mein didn't have much flavor, was very thick noodles, and wasn't our favorite. The portions on both were great and more than enough for 2 people! We also tried the nitro thai tea, which had a smooth feel to it but did fall short of a typical thai tea. I did not enjoy the white tea nitro as it had an almost sour taste to it. All in all, the food is yummy for a good price and I'd check out some other dishes as well! read more

The Rice Box - Peppersteak - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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SHOUT OUT HUGO! I have been staying in the icu with my son and was sick of having cafeteria food. Upon arriving I was impressed with the entire set up. Super cool, very futuristic, and hip. I'm from St. Louis and I have been craving some chinamen (that's what we call it in the 314) I didn't want that light skin rice you houstonians seem to simp over. I've had soo many rices here in my 4 years and this by far was the best. The house fried rice is top notch. Let me not forget to mention Hugo! He was so sweet and a genuinely nice person. Explained ingredients and joked with me even. 10/10!!!! The photos do absolutely no justice! I forgot to take a photo before I chowed down. read more

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I want to cry. No one warned me about how spicy this curry fried rice was. My stomach was burning like hell. I came to The Rice Box at Rice Village. Parked in the garage and walked over. I don't know how people can eat under the psychedelic lights and the futuristic menu was a big turn off. Got a big headache eating here. Maybe that's why the parking lot only fits 8 cars, including a handicapped spot. Lava Buns cooled my stomach from the spiciness of the curry fried rice. Phew... read more

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Great vibe, friendly staff, and nice menu variety. The atmosphere is quirky but relaxing... at night I bet it's an awesome place to nom and socialize with friends. read more

The Rice Box - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I had not tried this location and was excited to do so, I was not disappointed! Honestly I like Rice Box because of the quality and quantity balance. The food is tasty and affordable, which allows for the trying of various dishes. The baby back ribs, general tsao chicken, Mongolian shrimp, house fried rice and chicken lo mein were all very good. The ribs were a bit dry texturally, but were extremely flavorful. The lava buns were good but definitely to be eaten in moderation for me due to their sweet cream filling. The server was extremely helpful and kind. I always love the neon brightness of the interior and exterior as it makes the restaurant appear otherworldly. A great spot to grab a bite! read more

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I love this place. The interior decor is straight out of an 80s retro future. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the food is great. Their Orange Peel Beef is outstanding, General Tso is addictive, and their fried rice is so good. Minus a star for the bathroom cleanliness, but I'll keep coming back! read more

The Rice Box - Ceiling decor - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was our first time at the Rice Box. I ordered orange chicken with fried rice and lo mein. The portions are pretty huge and the food was all full of flavor. My kiddos really loved the food so that's a huge plus for me. My friend ordered Mongolian chicken and I tried it...I must say that it was very good as well. This location is no where near me as I live in Katy but since I was in the area I decided to give it a try. The staff let us know that there's another location much closer... on I-10 near Bunker Hill, on the Eastbound side of the Katy Fwy. I'm sure I'll be going there soon! read more

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I've been wanting to try The Rice Box since I was near it I decided to try it and I'm glade I did. The set up and music volume is nice. The water fountain is super great setup spot. I got lemon pepper ribs with side of lo mein noodles. Server nicely took the order and let me know it would take about 15 minutes. When I got the order it was wings. I took it back to the register and let her know that I ordered ribs. She nicely apologized and changed it. The lemon pepper ribs are so good, tasteful and tender. The lo mein noodles are ok, has a ok taste and too thick. My sister got house rice. Usually house rice includes multiple meats but here you have to select a meat and meats are charged, she selected shrimp. The house rice is good tasteful with no peas which is the best for me. The orders also comes with egg roll and they are good. Good spot and there are other foods I want to try there. Now the restroom room was not clean. read more

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I was studying in the rice village area and saw that Rice Box had a nitro Thai tea and people said good things about it so I decided to walk over and get it to keep me up. I also got a salt and pepper tofu to snack along with it. They were not busy at all during this time and my order came out really fast. The nitro Thai tea is like a healthier and smoother Thai tea. It has the same distinct taste but without the creaminess, and a fizzy foam on top. It was alright, I would rather get a normal Thai tea with the original sweetness. The salt and pepper tofu had way too thick of a breading coat. There was more of that than the tofu itself. It was also lacking the saltiness. I liked the grilled onions and bell peppers though. I honestly shoudlve just gotten the salt and pepper chicken because it's the same price as the tofu. Will most likely not be coming back here again read more

The Rice Box - Salt n Pepper Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Misleading Menu Logic and Poor Customer Service I am deeply disappointed with my recent Uber Eats order from the Rice Village location. I ordered the Peppersteak ($15.99) and selected the "Add Shrimp" modification for an additional $2.59. When the order arrived, the box contained only shrimp--the steak was completely missing. When I called the restaurant to resolve this, I was told that the $2.59 extra charge actually "substitutes" the steak for shrimp. This makes zero logical sense. If a customer orders a "Peppersteak" and pays an extra fee, the expectation is an addition, not a replacement of the primary protein that defines the dish. To make matters worse, Uber only offered a $2 refund for a missing $16 main ingredient. There is a serious lack of communication or a "glitch" between Rice Box's menu settings and Uber's interface that results in customers being overcharged for less food. I expected better accountability from a local favorite. read more

Came here for lunch takeout since I was already in the area and had heard so much about it from coworkers. To be honest, I was not impressed for the amount of hype this place gets. Now, everything looks good, it's a very interesting design concept, but the food didn't quite match the ambience nor the price. I got the sesame chicken with fried rice and crab rangoons. I expected it to be one of the best Chinese spots I've been to, but the rice wasn't tasteful at all and neither was the egg roll. The sesame was decent and the crab rangoons were probably the best portion of the meal. I likely would pick Panda Express over getting food here, especially for half the price. read more

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Came with my twin and friend. Love the look of the Rice Box gave me Total Recall vibes (fan scene inside the shop scene) iykyk. The menu has your staples, love that you can choose your protein and spice level as well as different style rice. Price very fairly. The service was great very friendly and attentive staff. read more

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We stopped here for an early dinner. The building is very inviting and at the entrance there was a sign that said no soft drinks. However, the staff was very informative, friendly and patient. We sat outside on the patio because it was cold inside. The food came out hot, fresh and quickly. I was pleased With the chicken egg roll with the amazing sweet chili sauce. Next time I want to try the curry sauce. The entree portions are enough for two meals or sharing. I enjoyed the fried rice and suggest passing in the noodles. I'll be back to try the ribs, and chicken wings. read more

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Interesting place like walking into an 80's video arcade. Menu looked like out of a video game. Order orange chicken and drink. It was what I expected. read more

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The food is very good and consistent. I have ordered from this restaurant many times. The food is always hot and the portions are good size. read more

Ambiance is definitely the best part about this place. The service was also spectacular. The food however was neither. I ordered the black pepper steak with white rice. It came with an egg roll. I chose their JACK BURTON NITRO tea as well. Tea 3/5 Egg roll 4/5 Black pepper steak 3/5 White rice 0/5 read more

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This place never disappoints, although this was the first time at this location in Rice Village. I was able to order while in route and my food was ready when I arrived. I would highly recommend getting there a few mins ahead of time due to scarce parking. Still, the interior layout, quality of the food and customer service were still top notch. I love Rice Box :) read more

Service was great! There was a bit of a line upon arrival but it didn't take long before we got our food. The wonton soup is a great choice for a cold day. read more

The Rice Box - Wall Menu - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great vibe, cool atmosphere, great bang for your buck, clean, and friendly service. Food quality to price is good. Overall good, Americanized Chinese food for the price AND great vibe to hang out with friends, especially if you attend Rice University. My only complaint is their shrimp with walnut (by the way, comes with white rice and a Chinese egg roll). It's not great as a leftover as it disagree with my stomach. Oh, and their green beans with eggplants can use less salt. Otherwise, everything else is good while dining in and as leftovers. read more

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It was my first time here! Eye catching exterior and interior! Steampunk vibe fosho! Amazing customer service. Very polite and attentive to our questions about the Menu! The food was great! I ordered the In House Curry fried rice + Chicken with an eggroll! Hit the spot late night after a long day! :) The curry fried rice was a 8.5/10 Why? because i wish it had a bit more of a savory sauce that stuck to the rice?? idk maybe i shouldve just held off for Yellow curry the next day? but hey This did the trick! lol I will definitely stop by again and recommend this place to friends and family. Thank you Rice Box West U -Santangelo Balli Gonzales read more

I've been to their shop in Greenway quite a few times. Dad was in town and we were walking around trying to decide where to eat. I think the Blade Runneresque vibe lured him to this place. The food was on par with Greenway location. I noticed I was upcharged for the chongqing dish even after asking if it was the same price as chicken. Also upcharges for fried rice and noodles over white rice which I knew about already from experience. We also got an order of the salt and pepper wings. I like salt but everyone felt it was a bit too salty. Crab Rangoon was a bit subpar. Tasted like melted cheese. Fortune cookies were fresh. And the Egg rolls were solid. I did like the sauce that came with the wings too. The Thai tea tasted meh. It's on tap and not creamy like traditional Thai tea. Looked like regular tea with flavoring. read more

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The Rice Box was not bad--it just wasn't great. First, to talk about the ambiance, it felt very gimmicky and insincere. They lean a lot into the urban landscape and neon signage theme. Everything is made of cement; nothing cozy or welcoming about it. Definitely a spectacle from the outside, and I can see the appeal, but in my opinion, it doesn't make for the best dining experience. Now for the food. We ordered the Orange Chicken and Cumin Beef. Both of them were fine. I would even say the Cumin Beef was pretty decent. They were just lacking in bold flavors and spices; it felt watered-down. It was also pretty pricey, with each meal coming out to around $15. I can understand why someone may like this if it is one of their few encounters with Asian food. However, we are lucky to have so many great options for authentic, flavorful, and fairly priced Asian food in Houston--it simply doesn't make sense to come here. read more

The Rice Box - Cumin Beef (top) and Orange Chicken (bottom) - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

The most terrible experience; tried 3 different items no luck whatsoever. They have a great opportunity for improvement. Awful 100% honestly I should have a refund read more

Th food here is great ! I got my usual the general tso chicken with extra broccoli bc they only give a few pieces in the plate. This is more than enough food for 2 or even for 1 to eat a few times. Definitely get your money worth. The location is great but parking and all that can be a bit of a hassle since it's in the University plaza. This is mostly on those busy weekend days. The community style seating is nice also the outside seating on those breezy Houston days. Still stuffed. Be back soon. read more

The Rice Box - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Wow, place was busy tonight but the menu cough tour attention. Glad to make it in and get some food, it was tasty !! And Kudos to the staff , they were doing an amazing job at moving the customer timely and providing such good service Faves for the evening Garlic green beans Curry fried rice with shrimp House fried rice with shrimp Pork dumplings read more

The Rice Box - Garlic green beans Dumplings Curry fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was horrible and no ice for the drinks. Service was horrible at register. He was like a robot. A bad one at that. He would not look at us. One waitress was great but the other was no help. She kept her back to everyone. We will never go back. read more

The Rice Box - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

When it comes to Chinese takeout, the Rice Box is what I think of. Back in the day, they operated out of a food truck and have graduated to quite a few brick and mortar locations. Gone are the days of the truck, but The Rice Box is still a happening place. I love the look of all their locations. It feels like I am transported into the Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift movies. They got all the cool neon lights and import cars in the lot while people pose for the 'gram. This particular location is in Rice Village and definitely stands out amongst it's surroundings. I've only dined in once but have ordered here numerous times for delivery to my job in the med center. We usually do large orders and I want to say it's the restaurant that delivers because we always do it via their website. Delivery depends on if you are within a certain mile radius and their is a 25 dollar minimum. When it comes to the food, I've tried many of the items simply because my coworkers and I like to share. Sharing is easy with items here because the portion sizes are very generous. My personal favorite item to get is Chow Fun. It comes with fresh, flat rice noodles, eggs, bean sprouts and green onion. It is recommended with beef which is what I go with. I turn it up a notch and get it extra spicy. This dish is absolutely delicious. It comes in one of those old school Chinese takeout containers and is filled to the brim. I can easily eat 2-3 meals off this depending on how hungry I am. It is packed with flavor as well. Highly recommend. It also comes with a choice of eggroll which are also very tasty. If noodles are not your thing, they have a good variety of other items to choose from. I don't think I've had anything I did not enjoy. They also have very good tea creations. My go to is the Thai Tea. I will say prices are a little high, but again, the portions are generous. With delivery charges, there might be a little sticker shock. That being said, The Rice Box is still a solid option when I am craving Chinese takeout. Most of their locations are concentrated in close proximity of each other. I think they would kill it in the suburbs too. Fingers crossed! read more

Dylan and staff are beyond fantastic. The epitome of great customer service. Always friendly and willing to discuss menu options.

Solid meal option, I ordered chicken fried rice which came with an egg roll and I also got wontons, it was decent. One of my coworkers ordered the garlic green beans and didn't enjoy, the other ordered orange chicken and didn't enjoy. The taste was a little different from orange chicken at other restaurants in my opinion, but it wasn't "bad" to me. Quick service. Something about this food will make you tired though. I noticed it really bad after eating during lunch and the leftovers for dinner .. then the next day when discussing someone said "and you didn't fall asleep after" which is a little weird lol. May or may not be back. read more

The Rice Box - Chicken fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love their bok choy! Great veggie ... lots of flavor and well cooked. Their kung pap chicken is also delicious. Lots of bell peppers with big chunks of chicken. They give huge portions. Great option for a fast food sort of Chinese restaurant. read more

The food is awful. Anyone that will tell you this is "good Chinese food" hasn't been to a real Chinese restaurant before. The inside has a nice vibe but the staff are rude and the place often smells. Additionally, Rice Box has some vague issue with pork: only ONE item on the menu has pork as an option (the dumplings). There are similarly priced & decent Chinese places within walking distance and excellent places a short drive away. Don't waste your time and money here. read more

The Rice Box has been on my list of places to try since I moved here. Finding parking mid-day was a complete disaster. And with the heat wave, I was not interested in walking a long distance to eat. I appreciated, though, that there were 4 parking spots directly in front of the restaurant for pickup and take out. This worked out well since I had opted for take-out. Walking in, I didn't really understand the vibe this place was going for. Yes, futuristic, but I think this is more about brining people in than it is about having a fully-baked concept. The futuristic vibe stops at the menu.... while I'd expect it to be incorporated everywhere else. Since I had never been here, I ordered the beef chow fun based on a recommendation. The service was prompt, kind, and super easy. Now, the reviews about large portion sizes are completely correct- I was able to split my noodles into 2 meals. I thought the flavor was great (albeit salty, but I think I should have expected this). I do think that this restaurant is extremely overhyped and overpriced for the overall flavor of the food. And this isn't to take anything away from this restaurant, I think I just simply... don't get the hype. Would I call this a "must-try?" No, but I would come back if I wanted a quick to-go meal. read more

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Newer location with a prime corner lot. This location is really big compared to the other and has a nice indoor and outdoor eating area. They give generous portions and is more like American Chinese cuisine then if you were to get Chinese food in China town. (Off bellaire). Egg rolls were really good with a nice crunch to them. Fried rice is just okay, it definitely needs a protein to make it better. They also don't have any spicy chili sauce or saracha around so u may want to have some in ur pocket. I got Kung pao chicken and it all tastes good with fresh crisp veggies but it's still missing something for me. I think the Chicken was cut into chunky pieces. I like my kung pao diced smaller. I'll come here again bc it's solid but it could be better. Service was good, everyone was nice. read more

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There's no way anyone should come here. Everything is terrible. Order takeout from another food spot instead. Ambiance is good. Cool lighting, but if you want good food. Go to Hu's cooking or Tiger Noodle House that's nearby read more

The service at this location was pretty fantastic as we arrived around lunch time and despite there being a little bit of a line we were able to get our order placed, find a place to sit, and get served pretty quickly. The fried rice was good and filling and felt like a good serving size for the price. The egg roll that came with the fried rice was pretty good as well. If you need a quick bite and something that will fill you up and keep you that way for a few hours this is a good place to check out. read more

This was my first time at this location as I usually tend to visit river oaks. The restaurant is spacious with indoor and outdoor seating. Service is very fast and food was good. The house fried rice is always good and eggrolls are devine. We tried the salt and pepper wings and they were fried perfectly and had the right amount of seasoning. My only complaint is that there isn't a lot of parking available at the restaurant itself. You can find street parking or utilize the garage nearby. read more

The Rice Box - House fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The design of this space just wows you. I've driven by a few locations before but finally made my way in. What a way to design a space for Chinese food. It feels like I've walked into a Disney ride. It transforms you in a futuristic movie that just happens to serve food. The chinese food here is really good as well. Salt and pepper chicken, beef chow fun, fried rice. Everything was solid here. Service was fairly quick as we came during a slower time of the day. I'll definitely come back to try some more dishes soon. read more

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This place was AWESOME! Their bright and lively atmosphere was a cool experience. The staff welcomed us upon entry and were patient with us as we perused the menu and answered all questions that we had. We were then ready to order. I had an order of the Crab Rangoon and Pepper Steak. I sampled my Crab Rangoon while others I was with were waiting for their orders and had to get back in line to place another order for more. They are that GOOD! The entree serving is more than enough for sharing. read more

I admit I came here because of the ambiance -- I'm a huge Blade Runner fan and I got to catch the last few minutes of the film during dinner. But the food was totally legit. We had the chow fun and the green beans and eggplant. The spice was excellent on both -- just enough to warm us up but not too hot to overpower everything. Plus, the portions were healthy for the price. The cashier took the time to make sure we got the spice level we wanted and to hold the egg and bean sprouts on the noodles. Very helpful. We will head back again soon enough. I only regret the last time we ate at The Rice Box it was a food truck. Too long a time. read more

I'm convinced y'all will go anywhere Instagram or Tik Tok tells you to go. I was excited to try this place out as it was suggested to me by a friend and it was a disappointment. We got there on a Saturday around 6:30pm and the line was out the door. So of course, that led me to believe that the food was good. Despite all the Gen Z's in the line, I was hopeful. My friend waited in line while I grabbed us seats on the patio. Our food took about 30 minutes to be ready and it had ZERO flavor. Mind you, I got fried rice, so nothing fancy. The staff was great though and there was ample street parking so those were the only highlights. read more

The Rice Box - a pink drink and a purple bag - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas