To add some context, I spent about 20 years of my earlier life enjoying dinners and lunches at a Yen Ching restaurant in Illinois. When I moved to Wisconsin, we eventually realized there was one in Milwaukee that was related, and we made it there a couple of times, but they closed sometime after 2020, so I had missed my Yen Ching. I found myself in Dubuque with my husband looking for a different lunch option, and when I saw Yen Ching we were set on where we were headed! We parked at the curb and I could tell this location had been here for a wile as well, since the early 1980s. There was a vintage sign outside that I wish I had thought to take a picture of. The restaurant features Hunan and Mongolian dishes. Inside, the decor was very similar to what I remembered from Illinois: the hanging lamps, the decorated beams, a carved wood piece of wall art, the wood checkout counter with the glass window on the front where back in the day maybe gum and mints would have beckoned to me as a kid. We were seated right away in a booth and soon a pot of tea and cups of ice water were dropped off. The table was set with the familiar zodiac placemat, the tea cup and the soup spoon at each spot. The Mr. poured some tea and once he saw how dark it was he pushed it away. I took it, and he said "You're going to drink that motor oil?" It did look super dark, but it tasted like the familiar oolong tea. We both went with my long-time favorites: Mongolian beef, sizzling rice soup and crab rangoon. Everything was so good and familiar, but with maybe tiny adjustments. The beef with cellophane noodles had perhaps a bit more black or white pepper seasoning and white onions in addition to the green onions, the sizzling rice soup had the addition of peas and celery, and the crab rangoon (savory not sweet) was probably spot on from what I remember. The Mongolian beef was not skimpy on the beef at all. I could have put some aside to take home as the portions were more than I needed, but I was glad to be enjoying Yen Ching menu items again, so I didn't leave anything behind except for some fried rice and soup broth. Our service was good, the atmosphere was good and prices were reasonable at $25 before tip for two lunches with a soup upgrade. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to revisit an old family favorite in a different location! read more

Yen Ching Restaurant - the menu and spoon on the table - Chinese Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

I haven't eaten in the restaurant recently, but order carry-out regularly! Everything is hot , fresh and delivered before promised! The food quality and quantity won't disappoint you as each entree is distinct from another. Some Chinese dishes taste alike as the preparation and sauces don't vary much. Not the case here, all are unique and delicious. Oh , don't forget, I'm talking carry-out ! The food is even better dining in as the ambience is cozy/friendly. read more

We like to stroll the downtown section of Dubuque on our visits there. Its been a few years since we have been to this restaurant but I remember that we enjoyed our meals. The hostess and servers are all very nice and the vibe is pleasant. Hubby ordered Cashew Chicken and said it was very good. I ordered Shrimp in Lobster Sauce. I seriously thought they made a mistake and I received Shrimp and Veggies by mistake. It in no way looked like any Shrimp in Lobster sauce that I have ordered anywhere. Its my favorite and I have been ordering it for years in many Chinese restaurants. When I inquired because I was sure I received the wrong order I was told its in Lobster sauce. Nope. It doesn't taste nor even remotely look like Shrimp in Lobster sauce. Oh well, to their credit the shrimp were cooked perfectly and very tasty. Perhaps on our next visit I will try something different. read more

The food is terrible. We ordered for takeout: wanton soup, Princess chicken, hunan shrimp and and braised pork. Nothing looked or tasted like anything we ordered. We decided to eat bread instead and threw away $40 worth of food. read more

Yen Ching Restaurant - Chicken or pork - Chinese Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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Just came from there worst Chinese in Dubuque got the chicken and broccoli it's so slimy and I got fried won tons and they don't have any filling it was just the bread of the won ton i would suggest to go to any other Chinese place in Dubuque maybe even McDonald's instead of this nasty food. Service was cool but the food definitely need A-LOT of work read more

Yen Ching Restaurant - 36. Broccoli Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Always good food and great service! The owners and Chef's are willing to accommodate dietary needs. Try the Princess Prawns, Yen Ching Beef, and Moo Shu Pork, along with the egg rolls and sizzling rice soup. They're delicious! read more

I recently went for a early lunch. The employees were friendly. The place looked clean. The food was hot and tasted fine. Lunch special will run you right about $10 with tax. Add a tip if you want so your at $12 or $13. You get glass of water. A pot of tea. Egg drop soup. Your entree and your choice of wanton or crab rangoon. The egg drop soup was the best I've had. The main course was ok. The tea was a nice bonus. read more

Yen Ching Restaurant - 6. Egg Drop Soup - Chinese Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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The soup was great! Tea was a plus. Ambiance is what's driving the score more than a two stars in my opinion. Main dish was honestly pretty bad I had the snow pea beef and the sauce they put on it was so watered down it had no taste. Only way I could eat it was by dousing it with chili sauce. Server was good! read more

A Dubuque tradition ornately decorating so appealing to the experience. Food is as delicious now as it was in the 1980s. I personally request "spicey" any time i eat Chineeae food. The added flavor here is superb. Served quickly on a Saturday noon in December. I tried the yen ching rice. Very good with plenty of chicken beef and shrimp.. Fod bless America. read more

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Our local favorite Asian food carryout restaurant was closed, so we decided to give Yen Ching another try. We moved away from them a few years before Covid because we weren't that impressed with the food. Long story short, the carryout service was very good, but the food itself (egg drop soup, sweet and sour chicken, and three delight) just wasn't to our liking. The egg drop soup is mostly cabbage with a little bit of egg and some veggies and rather bland. The three delight was fairly flavorless and needed way more than soy sauce. The sweet and sour meat had an odd, off taste to it. Even within the limited choices of Dubuque restaurants, you can do better. read more

IMO, this is the best Chinese food in town! Egg drop soup and crab meat Rangoons are better than all others! The fried rice dishes, and chow mein are my favorites. Service is always quick and friendly. Richard, the owner, is always friendly and helpful! Atmosphere is dated, but usually pretty clean. read more

Unfortunately I can't give it less than a 1. Absolutely awful. It is not authentic Chinese food. Chung king in a can is better. Not sure how anyone can post a 4 star plus review. Food was slopped on the plate, wontons hard as a rock. Please save your money and go elsewhere read more

These dishes were immaculate. The orange legitimately engorged my hog, like straight up gave my grapefruits a tickle. This excellent culinary experience has inspired me to find my asian soulmate. I will find her, I deserve it. I deserve love. And so do you Yen Ching. I send all of my love to you for constructing such delectable cuisines. But *ugh* stop hiring white people. read more

Great lunch special choices. Vegetables are fresh. Protein choices are all well portioned and prepared. Lots of great extras like soup and crab Rangoon. The biggest draw for me is the hot and sour soup. Not content with the basic flavor and ingredients, these guys add shrimp, pork and much more, and it overflows the top of the bowl onto the saucer underneath. Love eating here! read more

Extremely disappointed. Used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant but we won't be back. I ordered Spicy Chicken. The sauce tasted like vinegar and the chicken was so dry, even the largest pieces, that I think it had been cooked previously and reheated for my order. read more

Used to eat here a lot but then we moved back to Florida. We're back for this summer to work at the track. I was glad to see Yen Ching made it thru the COVID-19. Best Chinese food hands down. I missed it when we went to Florida because our go to place has been closed for quite sometime due to the owner retiring. Sooo we weren't here a week and got our fix!! read more

Dare I say 5-stars? If the chicken in the Kung Pao had been a little better, it would have happened. There's something about Hot and Sour soup when it's cold and dreary out. That's what we've got here in Dubuque now, with an emphasis on the cold. Yen's Hot and Sour was as good as any I've had. I left some of my meal, but ate all the soup. The Kung Pao Chicken was good, with a hint of garlic, plenty of water chestnuts, and other veggies. The peppers and onions were a little over-cooked for my taste, and it lacked enough peanuts to even be noticed. Service was excellent. The hostess (and other waitress) told me as she seated me that I was to be nice since I was getting the new girl. "She's having a bad night" was supposed to make me sympathetic, I guess. Turns out my waitress was on her second night. She did great. Street-level parking wasn't a problem. I'd recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

Very non Chinese food. It is just American style Chinese food. For those who want real Chinese food, please don't go here.

Ordered takeout tonight because of Covid-19 and the food was ready super fast! By the time we drove to pick it up (15 minutes) the food was ready and waiting for us. When we got home, EVERYTHING was still super hot. You could tell it was just made with fresh ingredients. The portions were HUGE!!!! We ordered the dinner for three that came with three entrees, rice, soup, three egg rolls and six wontons. Me, my husband and my adult son ate until all of us were full, and we still have leftovers! It was a meal that could have easily fed five people. All of the food was so flavorful and delicious! The egg rolls were the best I have ever had! HIGHLY recommend Yen Ching!!! read more

We ordered their food to go; first time we ever tried it. Both my wife and I found it to be quite good. We ordered their dinner for two, it was enough for four. Good combination fried rice, good mings beef and almond chicken. I even enjoyed their egg roll and rice soup. Food was ready in just 10 minutes and was hot and fresh. All in all quite good. Being from Silicon Valley California I am well schooled on how Chinese food should taste and this was well within the range. Not great, but quite good. I did notice that their telephone ringer is inappropriately loud for a relaxing atmosphere and their caller ID announces callers names loudly. I would recommend they charge that. read more

The food is good, but the staff and the feel of the place is the reason for my five star review. My wife and I eat here nearly weekly-the food is consistently good, vegetarian as requested, and the owners are always around to answer questions and help. Yadira was working the register recently and went the extra mile to make me feel like family. read more

We ended up at Yen Ching after discovering that our favorite restaurant in Dubuque (Asian Gourmet) closed up shop a month ago. A couple of locals recommended it and we were starving, so... The place sort of reminded me of the place I had my first Chinese meal ever, at the age of 6 - the old Nankin in Minneapolis. It's kitschy - and on the seedy side. But we decided to give it a go. We were pleasantly surprised to see Tsing Tao beer on the drinks menu. We love beer with Chinese food and Chinese food requires Chinese beer (duh). We ordered the Seafood Dinner for two. The first course was some kind of sizzling soup. I think the stuff that "sizzles" is some kind of rice or noodles, but given the texture (it never softened in the soup), it might have been Pop Rocks. On the plus side, the chicken broth tasted homemade, but I'm pretty sure real Chinese cooks don't use frozen peas and carrots in their soup. Next course: egg rolls and Crab Rangoon. With the exception of the late lamented Asian Gourmet, I have never had Crab Rangoon that actually seemed to feature any sort of crab. How do they get away with that? Do they call it "Crab" Rangoon just because they fold the wonton wrapper so it looks like a crab? It baffles me. The egg roll was good, but judging by the fact that the wrapper wasn't bubbly and crisp the way egg roll wrappers usually are, this egg roll was baked, not fried. Here we discovered the highlight of the meal: the Chinese mustard. Holy moly - was THAT a kick in the wontons! I have never had mustard that hot in my life. It shot straight up your nose and blew the top of your head off. Then, when your nose started running so you had to breathe through your mouth, the stuff got into your lungs and had you choking that way, too. It.Was.Magnificent! The sinus clearing power of a neti pot, but a lot more fun. It saved the egg rolls. Our entrees (some kind of triple delight and sweet-and-sour shrimp, as near as I can figure) were okay. I'm not a fan of sweet and sour, so that one fell mostly to my companion. The triple delight was somewhat better (to me) - scallops and shrimp, with vegetables. The broccoli was nicely cooked, but the crab was krab. And the whole was a bit on the salty side. Overall, I give Yen Ching two stars: one for the Tsing Tao and the mustard, and one for our pleasant and attentive waitress. The food is about what you'd expect of Chinese food in Dubuque, Iowa. Buyer beware. read more

First, they bring you a great, mellow, black chai. Very delicious. Then a different version of egg drop soup I've never had before. Kinda like chicken and egg drop mix. Another good appetizer. Had curry shrimp for the main. A little different than the Thai version. I'd give it about a 7 or 8 out of 10. The fried rice was right out of the pan. Very good. I'd come back. read more

I enjoy the food a lot always. But I was very disgusted when I went last night and saw two cockroaches while I was dining in

A-MAZ-ING !!! I've been dying for Asian delivery that had Chop Suey on the menu. I was impressed with the food and the delivery time! My new favorite! read more

Worst Chinese food EVER. Do not eat here if you have any idea of what Chinese food is supposed to taste like. Seriously, it's that bad.

Maybe I don't know what Chinese food is "supposed" to taste like, but if it isn't Yen Ching, then I don't wanna know. Yes, my review is probably skewed because I love the old-school atmosphere, and the fact that Yen Ching has been in the same location on Main Street since - I dunno - forever. Be forewarned: the service can be kooky (really, there's no other word). But the food I've ordered -- specifically the twice-cooked pork -- makes up for it. As a bonus, the Mai Tais are delicious, *and* they're served in wacky Polynesian-themed glasses. Add it all up, and this place is head and shoulders above some of the other Chinese places in town. read more

Used to be good, but was sold and has become terrible. Most the food is bland, the service is slow, and the atmosphere us more like a morgue than a restaurant. read more

Food was pretty good, but staff was immature and rude. Handed our dishes to us and walked away. Waitress seem to think it was cool to yell across the restaurant and make fun of the guests. Not what I remember of Yen Ching. Left much larger tip than I should have, but hoped it might change the attitude a little. I guess I am old fashioned. This place is definitely not Taiko. read more

Ok so I'm never going to yen Chang again. That shit was so bad n they gave me low mein that didn't have noodles it had like those small hard crisps. And the vegetables we the cheapest fuck u can buy cabage n celery. The soup was such shit a two year old could have produced better. It had zero taste. Fuck them n this lame town of shitty places to eat read more

Didn't like the smell to the egg soup but the Ming's beef was pretty good. The wantan they give you is tiny but tasty. Also didn't care for the tea they served, had a weird taste to it as well, kind of soapy maybe. Our server was very nice though. Could definitely use an update to the decor and the signage outside. read more

Best Chinese Restaurant in Dubuque. Our favs are the egg rolls...yum ... no one makes them better. Mongolian Beef, Spicy Chicken and shrimp with snow peas are our go to s. Staff are always friendly and service is fast. My daughter requests this restaurant whenever she is in town. read more

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in town! Food is authentic and always piping hot! The employees all know me by name, which adds a nice personal touch. They are always willing to make substitutions and make the food exactly how I want it. The sweet and sour shrimp is a must have! read more

Haven't been here in awhile, thought we'd give it a try. Crabmeat and eggroll apps were greasy deep fried chewy. Kungpow was scalding hot, Mongolian beef was chewy and skimpy. Emptied the tea kettle between 4 of us quickly. No refill. No refill on drinks either without asking. Food took forever even though our table of four and another table of 3 were the only ones in the place. read more

Tried it for the first time. Food didn't have much flavor. And meat was under cooked. Mixed drink was somewhat OK. Not sure if they remembered to put in the alcohol. Looked nice but that was it. Won't go back. I will stick with great dragon. read more

A lot of the negative statements that have been left as reviews were biased towards a singular experience. In some instances, the restaurant was given a low rating even when the review itself was positive. There are a few things to consider when choosing where to eat. Such as, do you prefer the salty Americanized Chinese cuisine? Or do you prefer the milder flavors where there isn't as much sauce? Yen Ching's is a solid example of great cuisine if you prefer the former (rich sauce, strong flavors, and a large variety to choose from). The lunch specials are priced ridiculously low and are an absolute treat. Dinner prices are a good bit higher but you do get more food for your dollar as well. They offer Spicy Chili and Spicy Mustard upon request (note: the spicy chili is what they add to any of their meals categorized as spicy). It's a sweet and tangy chili and pairs very well their sauces. If you felt their meals were to 'hot' just ask for the spicy sauce on the side and you can control the heat that way. read more

I couldn't wait to get home before writing a review. Sitting in Yen Ching right now, having one of the most unpleasant experiences from a restaurant in my life. I stood waiting for a seat, one of only 3 groups dining there. It took at least five minutes for me to be acknowledged, even though what I thought was the manager and a waitress weren't five feet away from me. I was seated to a table with a sticky top and served hot tea that was probably the same temperature as my ice water. The country music playing didn't exactly feel too atmospheric. While the food came out quickly, it did not satisfy me. I was served egg drop soup, which was average, and the waitress grabbed a lone spoon off of another table, making me wonder for a moment if it was used. The only flavor in my hunan vegetables seemed to be salt, and as I grudgingly ate, the waitress began to add extra silverware to my table for whomever would be taking my place after I left. Overall, I had a poor experience at Yen Ching and I would not recommend it. read more

The food here is SUPER yummy and delicious! AND the price is very reasonable! Usually end up taking leftovers home because it's so much food. This is a well known little hole-in-the-wall place amongst people who live here, and it's one of our fav places to go. read more

Okie dokie... We stopped here after reading the glowing reviews on this website. Apparently, something has changed in the last 10 months. I was leery from the start, it just looked like a really un-appetizing place from the first step inside. The waitstaff were all quite rude non-Asians, the cook looked either Spanish/Mexican or Mediterranean. There were piles of dirty dishes in a plastic tub within full view of the dining room. They used a dingy-looking rag in a 5-gallon paint-like bucket of grayish water to "wash" the tables. I was a beef queen, and I know for a fact that our Iowa Health Department was NOT kind to our organization when we used anything short of perfectly sanitary cooking/cleaning practices - even outside with no running water! Imagine if they walked into this place unannounced... I have half a mind to call them. In the meantime, please eat at your own risk. I ordered the hot and sour soup - figuring that there was nothing remotely dangerous in that, and it all stayed neatly in my stomach. We shared a plate of cream cheese wontons - which, me being a French-German woman raised by a Norwegian adoptive mother knows little to nothing about cooking Chinese food - could probably have done better. They tasted like wontons off a 3-hour-old buffet, aside from being deadly-hot from being freshly cooked. They were just tough and rubbery and the cream cheese was basically nonexistent... I was totally unimpressed. Please, remember to look at the dates listed on the reviews and remember that restaurants can change management, change cooks, even close entirely in that amount of time. Maybe we hit this place on an "off night" - but I doubt it. The staff seemed all too comfortable in their routines, making me believe they've had this unsanitary condition in place for quite some time. Which is sad, considering the previous reviewers seemed to think it was a really great place! Too bad it couldn't stay that way... read more