Szechuan Chef Chinese Cuisine

We actually came here by accident. We were originally planning to eat at the H Mart food court, but the lines were crazy because of the holiday, so we tried a few other places and ended up here since it wasn’t too crowded.

Honestly, it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. At first, I wasn’t expecting too much because the rating was around 4.3, but the portion sizes completely shocked us. I’m not exaggerating — I don’t think I’ve seen portions this generous anywhere in California, whether in San Diego, Silicon Valley, or Los Angeles.

The shredded pork with garlic sauce was basically full of meat, and the flavor was really good. The fish fillets with black bean sauce also came with huge pieces of fish. The dry pot pork intestines were especially impressive in many places, dishes like this have a layer of vegetables at the bottom and just a few pieces of meat on top, but here we ate half of it and there was still a lot of pork intestine left. The flavor was also very authentic.

The sweet rice wine soup with mini rice balls was a large portion too, and even the noodles were huge. We ordered several dishes and couldn’t finish everything; honestly, the leftovers could easily last another two or three meals.

The prices are very reasonable considering the portion sizes. The food may not be the most “mind-blowing” Szechuan food ever, but for the price, portion, and overall value, this place is absolutely one of the strongest I’ve found in San Diego.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Not good service

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

It Was Great Tasting . I Little
Pricey . . . . But So is Everything
Now - A - Days .

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The dishes all tasted great. Some of them started to feel a bit salty/greasy after we were about half way through though.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

I had a very disappointing experience here. The staff was extremely unfriendly toward our service dog, and the attitude we received was unacceptable. This was the first time I have experienced this kind of treatment regarding a service dog.

The waitress shown in the photo was involved in the situation. Her attitude made us feel unwelcome and disrespected. I hope the management will provide proper staff training on how to treat customers with service dogs professionally and respectfully.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

We won't be going back here. Clams had sand in them still. And Homemade Dumplings were inedible. The consistency of the dumpling shell was tasteless and too soft. The staff was truly inattentive and restruant wasn't busy. We had to ask for napkins and water to drink.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 2

When I come to SD to see friends I’m really coming for Chinese food. The dining experience at Szechuan Chef has been my favorite so far. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for the amazing food experience.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Had lunch here this Sunday. Best Showmen I have ever had!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food is delicious! I came here with my coworkers on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and we ate family style so we were able to experience 6 different dishes.

I spotted two large tables with lazy susans although your party needs to be really big to be seated there. My party of 6 either didn't qualify or someone else already reserved it.

The clientele were majority Mandarin speakers so that's it's own stamp of approval.

Parking on a Sunday for dinner was also difficult. I recommend carpooling.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Authentic traditional, Chinese restaurant with good service and large portions of food. Overall, this is a very good restaurant. I didn’t like their Mapo tofu but other than that everything was great. I highly recommend this restaurant for the quality of food and service. Hard to beat this restaurant. Please give this place a try.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is my go to spot for authentic Chinese food. They have a wide variety of dishes, many featuring (you guessed it) Szechuan pepper. My go to dishes are the garlic eggplant, beef tendon with pickled peppers, dry fried string beans, pork intestines with pickled greens, mapo tofu, and the pumpkin pork ribs. Wonderfully balanced flavors and so fresh! Their chow mein and dumplings are also delicious if you are dining with someone less adventurous. I recommend coming on the earlier side of dinner to get parking and be served food faster.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food, though I was expecting it a little spicier. Service was prompt and the food arrived piping hot. The restaurant is clean and not too loud. A great place.for lunch.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was good but our server was rude. As soon as we were seated, she came and started saying it’s closing time, so please hurry up and order. We requested for 5 minutes to go through the menu and make up our mind but she stood by the table making us feel pressured. She was in such a hurry she even forgot to serve us water.

As if this wasn’t enough, we got interrupted twice again while we still eating to pay the bill. I understand you might be in a hurry to close the place but I feel that’s not how you serve your guests.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Our favorite Chinese restaurant in San Diego. One of my favorites is the fish fillet with tofu and black bean sauce.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Braised Eggplant, Salt Pep Crispy Pork Rib

Never a disappointment. I've been dining here for years and I only choose here on a whim. Always introducing this place to all my friends and family to burn their pallets. This place serves more than your average Chinese cuisine. Always remember when arriving here that they serve family size plates and not small panda depressed plates.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5