I went here on three different occasions and the place was great however, the last time I went not only the service but the food was horrible. Everything literally tasted like the food had been misted with a heavy duty cleaner before it was handed to us. My wife pregnant at the time was under the impression that her tastebuds were off. Accident or not I was completely disgusted and I will never eat at this restaurant again and advise everyone else to do the same.
Daniella C.
Why have I not yet written a review for this place?! I am OBSESSED w/ chamboi. Being a noodle lover, I love that they use lo-mein noodles for their noodle dishes (even soup ones). I go here so much I don't ever even look at the menu anymore. As soon as they see me, they know I want the shrimp lo-mein (no veggies). They use big shrimp, not the little puny ones other places use & they are very generous w/ their portions. I always have enough to take home/save for later. & all for such a good price! I literally have not had any dish here that I haven't liked.
Jasmine L.
Food was good and we'll priced for lunch. $6.50 lunch plate included an entree (I had Mongolian beef), a soup, a half of an orange, and a small scoop of rice. The egg drop soup was delicious and my favorite part of the meal. The service was rude, and slow and the waitress didn't speak a single word except "you're welcome" after I said thank you...I'll go back maybe, to take out the soup but I could probably make it at home myself anyways
Debbi W.
Very good at reasonable prices. Large servings and very tasty. No leftovers. The lo mein was So good and I hate lo mein. The sweet and sour pork was amazing. Not overbreaded and just the right amount of crisp vegetables.
Naomi Y.
Phfft. They used to have a $5.50 lunch special that included a drink. Now, they excluded the drink, cucumber salad and the wontons. Wth? I loved the cucumber salad and the wontons, no wonder we were the only ones in there today. They should forgo the half slice of orange that no one ever eats instead of the cucumber salad. Very disappointed today.
Tweety B.
Wow years ago was good with a great 20.00 deal now yuk!!! Went for lunch NO ONE in the place Could not understand the waitress bad English but Spanish perfect The broke 2 or 3 items while waiting for our food could hear the glass break. Then a guy served us and our waitress never came back. Didn't clear our plates, had to ask for refill, never asked how food was ( thank god mine was even hot and noodles on both plates were hard like not cooked all the way) couldn't get out fast enough NEVER AGAIN
Alvin T.
very expensive place.. i dont know why they charge for 8 chicken wings small drink and small soup $20???? food is ok but price is too high
Sarah M.
I love this place because of the family deal 25.00 special and the heat rating that they have . The owners are so nice. My family and I have been supporting this local business for 4 years . Food is great its not bad for the price :) the sons make the food in the back while the mom waits on tables . People who write bad reviews probably expect this to be a Chinese restaurant that you find in downtown but reality check the location is in a suburban area and its family owned :)
Last night (11/4/15) my family and I were extremely disappointed in this restaurant. We have gone before for lunch, but never for dinner. The restaurant wasn't busy (and it has a small seating capacity), but it took an hour to get all of our order. We arrived at 5:45 and STARTED getting bits and pieces of our order for the next 1/2 hour. We ordered the family pack which was enough to feed 4 adults. My husband had to go to the counter 3 times to ask where the rest of our food was. He finally had to leave for an appointment while the rest of us stayed. I had to finally go to the counter to get our ticket to pay the bill, but instead of ringing it up, the waitress told me just a minute, took the little tray of fortune cookies and our bill and walked it to the table, then ignored me when she came back to the counter. I had to go back to our table, retrieve the bill and then take it to the counter to pay. Crazy! By the way .... no tip was left this time. The service was absolutely horrendous! And no apologies were given either. The only good thing I have to say is that the food is very good. We will give this restaurant another try because we like the food, but if the service is terrible again we will not go back.
R D.
My mother and I drove down to the restaurant from La Mesa after driving to two previous highly rated Chinese restaurants close to home that were closed for some reason. I looked on Yelp on my cell phone, because I was visiting from out of state with my elderly mother who lives in La Mesa, and I'm not familiar with which restaurants are good or bad in the area. Some of the Yelp reviews rated Chamboi Express as excellent, and others rated them as mediocre, but overall they had 4 stars, so I thought maybe the writers of the mediocre reviews were being tough on the place. That was not the case at all in my opinion! My elderly mother and I sat down in a booth and were immediately handed menus. So far, so good. 15 seconds later a young Mexican man asked if we were ready to order. No water, no greeting, no "Can I get you something to drink, some hot tea maybe?" Nothing! So I asked the waiter who was ready to take our order, pen in hand, for a couple of glasses of water. I looked around the restaurant and did not hear the chatter of Chinese, just Spanish. That should have given me advance warning of things to come. I'm married to a Mexican woman, who happens to be an excellent cook, so I thought I'd give them a chance. My mother ordered Broccoli Beef and I ordered Szechuan Spicy Prawns. The waiter told me that the Prawns were not de-shelled, which seemed odd to me, but I thought I would try them anyway. I also ordered a side order of Shrimp Fried Rice, because we had received an excellent Shrimp fried rice from Chef China on Campo Road on a previous visit, so I assumed that Chamboi Express would be comparable. Boy was I disappointed! The main dishes we received were very small on portions. Fortunately, my elderly mother doesn't eat much. I tasted a piece of her broccoli beef, and it tasted like it was out of a Chef-Boy-ar-Dee can. My prawns were slathered in a spicy sweet and sour sauce, but since they weren't un-shelled, I had to pull the shell off with my fingers which turned into quite a mess! The waiter was not attentive, and I had to get his attention for another napkin just to get through the meal. I was getting mouthfuls of shell and some prawn meat as I ate. The white rice they brought out with the lunch meals looked like it was doled out with an ice cream scoop in exact proportions. The cucumber in a shallow dish was fresh and tasty, but seemed out of place for a chinese menu. The cheese wontons on the plate were stale and barely warm. The broccoli on my plate was steamed, but under cooked as was my mother's broccoli, and the portions on both plates were tiny! I tried to eat some of the shrimp fried rice I ordered on the side, but it didn't smell or look right. There were peas and carrots in rice oversaturated with soy sauce, but nothing else, no onions, no celery, nothing except for the shrimp which lacked any flavor. I asked for a to-go box, because I'd had enough bad food. The waiter did not offer to help me spoon the leftover fried rice into the container which was another minus for this restaurant, and never asked me or my mother if we were enjoying our meal, throughout the service, although he did refill our water glasses. I don't want to sound biased, because I am of Asian descent and my wife is of Mexican descent, but I would not expect great Chinese food from Mexicans, and this restaurant proved my point. I was so disappointed with the Shrimp Fried Rice from Chamboi Express, that I made a special trip to China 1968 in El Cajon, just to pick up their Fried Rice for my sister who is a partial vegetarian, but eats fish. I knew what to expect from China 1968, and I didn't want to subject my sister to their mediocre fried rice. I did not intend to eat the fried rice I bought at Chambois Express, but I figured that I could salvage the shrimp and make my own fried rice from scratch at home with onions, celery, broccoli and spices, along with some leftover chicken I had bought earlier. Needless to say I won't return to Chamboi Express ever again! Definite
Frances S.
Slow service. Flavors are bland. Fried rice has no flavor; even soy sauce could not help it. Where are the vegetables? Appetizer came after 1st entree, 2nd entree came when everyone was done eating and we were about to cancel the order or take to go.
Nick A.
I love chamboi like a fat kid loves those deep fried twinkles from the Del Mar Fair! I have never been disappointed! Their food here is always clean, not greasy or MSG infested like other spots. Chamboi is the best place to eat for lunch within a ten mile radius.
I want this place to come
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Absolutely disgusting
I went here on three different occasions and the place was great however, the last time I went not only the service but the food was horrible. Everything literally tasted like the food had been misted with a heavy duty cleaner before it was handed to us. My wife pregnant at the time was under the impression that her tastebuds were off. Accident or not I was completely disgusted and I will never eat at this restaurant again and advise everyone else to do the same.
Why have I not yet written a review for this place?! I am OBSESSED w/ chamboi. Being a noodle lover, I love that they use lo-mein noodles for their noodle dishes (even soup ones). I go here so much I don't ever even look at the menu anymore. As soon as they see me, they know I want the shrimp lo-mein (no veggies). They use big shrimp, not the little puny ones other places use & they are very generous w/ their portions. I always have enough to take home/save for later. & all for such a good price! I literally have not had any dish here that I haven't liked.
Food was good and we'll priced for lunch. $6.50 lunch plate included an entree (I had Mongolian beef), a soup, a half of an orange, and a small scoop of rice. The egg drop soup was delicious and my favorite part of the meal. The service was rude, and slow and the waitress didn't speak a single word except "you're welcome" after I said thank you...I'll go back maybe, to take out the soup but I could probably make it at home myself anyways
Very good at reasonable prices. Large servings and very tasty. No leftovers. The lo mein was So good and I hate lo mein. The sweet and sour pork was amazing. Not overbreaded and just the right amount of crisp vegetables.
Phfft. They used to have a $5.50 lunch special that included a drink. Now, they excluded the drink, cucumber salad and the wontons. Wth? I loved the cucumber salad and the wontons, no wonder we were the only ones in there today. They should forgo the half slice of orange that no one ever eats instead of the cucumber salad. Very disappointed today.
Wow years ago was good with a great 20.00 deal now yuk!!! Went for lunch NO ONE in the place Could not understand the waitress bad English but Spanish perfect The broke 2 or 3 items while waiting for our food could hear the glass break. Then a guy served us and our waitress never came back. Didn't clear our plates, had to ask for refill, never asked how food was ( thank god mine was even hot and noodles on both plates were hard like not cooked all the way) couldn't get out fast enough NEVER AGAIN
very expensive place.. i dont know why they charge for 8 chicken wings small drink and small soup $20???? food is ok but price is too high
I love this place because of the family deal 25.00 special and the heat rating that they have . The owners are so nice. My family and I have been supporting this local business for 4 years . Food is great its not bad for the price :) the sons make the food in the back while the mom waits on tables . People who write bad reviews probably expect this to be a Chinese restaurant that you find in downtown but reality check the location is in a suburban area and its family owned :)
Restaurantji Recommends
Excelent food!
Last night (11/4/15) my family and I were extremely disappointed in this restaurant. We have gone before for lunch, but never for dinner. The restaurant wasn't busy (and it has a small seating capacity), but it took an hour to get all of our order. We arrived at 5:45 and STARTED getting bits and pieces of our order for the next 1/2 hour. We ordered the family pack which was enough to feed 4 adults. My husband had to go to the counter 3 times to ask where the rest of our food was. He finally had to leave for an appointment while the rest of us stayed. I had to finally go to the counter to get our ticket to pay the bill, but instead of ringing it up, the waitress told me just a minute, took the little tray of fortune cookies and our bill and walked it to the table, then ignored me when she came back to the counter. I had to go back to our table, retrieve the bill and then take it to the counter to pay. Crazy! By the way .... no tip was left this time. The service was absolutely horrendous! And no apologies were given either. The only good thing I have to say is that the food is very good. We will give this restaurant another try because we like the food, but if the service is terrible again we will not go back.
My mother and I drove down to the restaurant from La Mesa after driving to two previous highly rated Chinese restaurants close to home that were closed for some reason. I looked on Yelp on my cell phone, because I was visiting from out of state with my elderly mother who lives in La Mesa, and I'm not familiar with which restaurants are good or bad in the area. Some of the Yelp reviews rated Chamboi Express as excellent, and others rated them as mediocre, but overall they had 4 stars, so I thought maybe the writers of the mediocre reviews were being tough on the place. That was not the case at all in my opinion! My elderly mother and I sat down in a booth and were immediately handed menus. So far, so good. 15 seconds later a young Mexican man asked if we were ready to order. No water, no greeting, no "Can I get you something to drink, some hot tea maybe?" Nothing! So I asked the waiter who was ready to take our order, pen in hand, for a couple of glasses of water. I looked around the restaurant and did not hear the chatter of Chinese, just Spanish. That should have given me advance warning of things to come. I'm married to a Mexican woman, who happens to be an excellent cook, so I thought I'd give them a chance. My mother ordered Broccoli Beef and I ordered Szechuan Spicy Prawns. The waiter told me that the Prawns were not de-shelled, which seemed odd to me, but I thought I would try them anyway. I also ordered a side order of Shrimp Fried Rice, because we had received an excellent Shrimp fried rice from Chef China on Campo Road on a previous visit, so I assumed that Chamboi Express would be comparable. Boy was I disappointed! The main dishes we received were very small on portions. Fortunately, my elderly mother doesn't eat much. I tasted a piece of her broccoli beef, and it tasted like it was out of a Chef-Boy-ar-Dee can. My prawns were slathered in a spicy sweet and sour sauce, but since they weren't un-shelled, I had to pull the shell off with my fingers which turned into quite a mess! The waiter was not attentive, and I had to get his attention for another napkin just to get through the meal. I was getting mouthfuls of shell and some prawn meat as I ate. The white rice they brought out with the lunch meals looked like it was doled out with an ice cream scoop in exact proportions. The cucumber in a shallow dish was fresh and tasty, but seemed out of place for a chinese menu. The cheese wontons on the plate were stale and barely warm. The broccoli on my plate was steamed, but under cooked as was my mother's broccoli, and the portions on both plates were tiny! I tried to eat some of the shrimp fried rice I ordered on the side, but it didn't smell or look right. There were peas and carrots in rice oversaturated with soy sauce, but nothing else, no onions, no celery, nothing except for the shrimp which lacked any flavor. I asked for a to-go box, because I'd had enough bad food. The waiter did not offer to help me spoon the leftover fried rice into the container which was another minus for this restaurant, and never asked me or my mother if we were enjoying our meal, throughout the service, although he did refill our water glasses. I don't want to sound biased, because I am of Asian descent and my wife is of Mexican descent, but I would not expect great Chinese food from Mexicans, and this restaurant proved my point. I was so disappointed with the Shrimp Fried Rice from Chamboi Express, that I made a special trip to China 1968 in El Cajon, just to pick up their Fried Rice for my sister who is a partial vegetarian, but eats fish. I knew what to expect from China 1968, and I didn't want to subject my sister to their mediocre fried rice. I did not intend to eat the fried rice I bought at Chambois Express, but I figured that I could salvage the shrimp and make my own fried rice from scratch at home with onions, celery, broccoli and spices, along with some leftover chicken I had bought earlier. Needless to say I won't return to Chamboi Express ever again! Definite
Slow service. Flavors are bland. Fried rice has no flavor; even soy sauce could not help it. Where are the vegetables? Appetizer came after 1st entree, 2nd entree came when everyone was done eating and we were about to cancel the order or take to go.
I love chamboi like a fat kid loves those deep fried twinkles from the Del Mar Fair! I have never been disappointed! Their food here is always clean, not greasy or MSG infested like other spots. Chamboi is the best place to eat for lunch within a ten mile radius.