50 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Francisco

“my husband and I love Alices. Whenever we’re in the mood for Chinese, this is our absolute go-to even though we have to get in the car and go on a bit of a drive.The produce is fresh. The cooking is clean. The service is second to none. The staff is always very friendly and they remember us each time we arrive. It’s such an incongruous name for a Chinese restaurant, but to my mind, Alice’s is the best Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. 10 out of 10 would recommend!”

“Dragon well is a cute, intimate restaurant that would be great for date night or taking an out of town family member to a nice dinner! It's a great spot for taking out of town visitors for a great culinary treat! The service is second to none with friendly servers and great ambience!For San Fran, their prices are pretty reasonable. That being said, the food didn't hold up to that pricing. We ordered the wok- tossed prawns first which were a great start to the food. The flavor was great, but it definitely was not as spicy as I was expecting. The wonton- soup was very good and exactly what you would expect and more! Unfortunately, the stir fried vegetables did not deliver. The tofu was a great consistency but suffered the same blandness as the veggies in the dish. We also ordered the walnut prawns, a sweet dish with fried prawns and candied walnuts. It was an absolute delight and paired well with the wonton soup!All said, Dragon Well is ready to be a gem of the restaurant scene in San Francisco but is lacking some finesse as far as the food goes.”

“We had a lunch here on Saturday. It was hard to find parking spots in residence area. Arrived around 1:15pm and waited for 15 minutes to get a seat. Over all the food, service and cleanliness are average. Portion sizes are small. ****** Charge more if you pay for the bill by credit card. ****** (read your bills before paying)”

“This is our favorite Chinese restaurant! The ingredients are all high quality & fresh. New specials and faves always deliver, like:dried asparagus, lemon pepper prawns, potstickers, shrimp & chive dumplings, sizzling rice soup & delicious teas. The staff is always very attentive, when dining in the restaurant & takeout.”

“I just grabbed the popcorn chicken and the garlic noodles with barbecue chicken to go, so can only comment on the food. The popcorn chicken was super solid, and the barbecue chicken in the garlic noodles was fantastic! The milk tea was solid too.”

“We unfortunately live in a city with no good XLB, so eating them on our trip to SF was a must-do for me. I did my research and found Dumpling Home, and I am so glad we did.We ordered way too much food, 8 each of the numb & spicy pork and the crab and pork XLB. We also got some green beans and dan dan noodles.Everything was delicious, but we should have ordered 4 & 4. The numb & spicy was my favorite dish, and the vinegar they come with was delicious.Can’t wait to be back one day.”

“I can't believe that I haven't done a review for Hai Ky. I come here at least once a week, usually on Sundays because of free parking. Always get these 3 dishes: Duck wonton with thick noodles (soup on the side) and the House Special with wonton, with thick noodles (soup on the side), and the fish cakes. The dry noodle version is with a sauce. Get the noodles, mix it up and enjoy. There's nothing like this in the Bay Area and reminds me of HK food. The fishcakes are made inhouse and freshly fried. So delicious and comforting. The staff is awesome too! I come in or call and they know my name and what I want. It's the level of service is so rare in restaurants these days.”

“Agreed with Matthew here. Definitely not a reason to give 1 star to a favorite restaurant. They’re trying to make this place look better for us to enjoy and you’re going to fault them for that. C’mon now. Not a fair rating. Mama Jis is outstanding! Can’t wait to see the renovations and to see you in August. That numbing fish won’t come soon enough!”

“A "must have" when you're in The City! Everyone is here for the wing (which are absolutely ?) but don't sleep on the Black Bean Sauce Noodles, Shrimp & Leek Dumplings and the String Beans, you will not regret it!Be prepared to wait a bit before getting seated because this place is ALWAYS packed.”

“Excellent Dungeness crab! The house special is a little spicy, and served with onions and scallions.The Bò Lúc Lắc (shaking beef) is great, very tender and heavy on the fresh crushed black pepper, but I wish a spicy version was available.Fast and friendly service. Always very welcoming.”

“Solid dumplings in the Inner Sunset but I would just not get the beef soup. The soup is not bad just nothing special. Instead, just make more room for more dumplings and eat to your heart's content. The online order and delivery was simple and fast.”

“We had the lamb noodles soup, garlic string beans (the best I've ever had), beef roll pancake, and chicken and corn dumplings for around 40 pre tip. Everything was tasty and a reasonably priced by SF standards. We went during a weeknight around 8pm so the place was near empty, not sure if we'd be able to find seating during the weekend.”

“Service was excellent - which reviews did not particularly emphasize - It's not a high-end dining experience - the decor is 2.5* but I'm not going to rate it 2* when everything else was so good. The food was very good+ and we had a great time. It appears to be full on weekdays - and if you can do that in SF you are a good restaurant!”

“I came here to try the Filipino breakfast and the Hong kong style pork chop. My sister and I both loved everything we ordered. The prices are soo low which is a nice surprise. For 2 entrees, a side of longanisa and Hong kong style pork chop, it was $23. The pork chop was my favorite thing. I'm not a huge fried food person but it's lightly fried and it wasn't oily at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that they don't have seating. They have an area for it but it's not open for seating. Regardless, this has become a favorite spot for me when I'm craving Filipino breakfast.”

“some of the best chinese food i've had in SF! even though it's called sichuan tasty, the menu is really extensive and included dishes from outside sichuan (including non spicy food)!definitely get the salted egg yolk tofu, the combination pairs so well together. even though the cabbage and cold noodles are common dishes i still liked the ones here! the homey walnut shrimp was good too, would recommend. the spareribs were ok, this is the only dish i wouldn't get again. it's covered in rice flour bits but there was too much flour and not enough meat in my opinion.food also comes super fast and it's easy to get a table even on a weekend.”

“I loved the Sticky Rice Balls, Deep Fried Sesame Ball, Steamed Shrimp and Chive Dumplings. And the Egg rolls were good.It's all take out, so we sat in our car to eat, but parking ain't easy. Ordering is a little tricky or the novice, but worth it.”

“If you want high quality dumplings anytime, at home, then you must check this place out. We go and get a few bags every month and I love having a variety of dumplings at home, ready in ten minutes. We’ve tried 7 or 8 things and it is all great.”

“Happy Lamb is a hot pot hotspot in the heart of San Francisco. Bring friends, coworkers, family, or yourself! The soup options are practically endless, so there’s always more to explore here!On 25 October, I ordered the pickled cabbage (sauerkraut) broth, sliced chicken breast, and wood ear mushrooms. I requested a side of chillies (“hot reds”) because I love spicy food.The broth itself was soothing and full of crisp cabbage, livened up with tangy scallions and zesty ginger, and dotted with goji berries. It’s truly a superfood and sure pairs well with chicken and mushrooms! The chicken was tender, lean, and hearty, and the wood ears had that characteristic leathery, chewy, gelatinous texture.Note that this is a chicken and beef bone broth, but vegetarian broth is available upon request. It is a vegetable stock with carrots, onions, celery, and garlic, making it also suitable for vegans.Of course, I cannot forget about the excellent service and the pleasant atmosphere.I highly recommend!”

“I popped in tonight for a quick takeout bite before I went to the beach.Super fast, the lady that ran the front was very nice and chatty!Not much in terms of ambiance for the space, it was efficient and clean.The food was pretty good so I'll go back for sure.”

“This Henry's Hunan location is one of the best. It's not big at all, but it's in the neighborhood and easy to get to, and there is usually a place to sit or the wait isn't too long. The food is absolutely awesome, and everyone who works there is super nice and accommodating. Love this place. Parking, being in a neighborhood, is definitely hit or miss, so go a little bit early and expect to go around the block a couple of times. Well worth it.”

“Great little restaurant run by a family with little two girls behind the desk spending their Saturday with their working parents. This reminded me of my childhood in my parents’ Chinese restaurant.We were in the neighborhood and read the great reviews so decided to pop in despite the western menu and clientele.The Xiao long bao was eaten by my partner and declared excellent by him. The Mapo tofu with mushrooms was really very good although not in the classic sense. There were black bean sauce and red chili paste generously sprinkled with cilantro and spring onions. The kung pao chicken had plum sauce, zucchini, celery and bell peppers in it, which also not prepared in the classic sense. However, it was well executed and the flavors were balanced.My only complaint and it is an important one, the peanuts were stale and had the distinct stale taste. That kind of took away the joy of the LP chicken. Otherwise, I wouldHave given it a 5 star.”

“Saturday 11/18/23 Lunch at Thai Nghiep Ky Mi Gia in San Francisco with my cousin, his daughter and father (my niece and uncle). Enjoying some San Francisco’s style noodles soup. The braised duck legs were so tender that it fell out the bones, melted in my mouth, and slid into my tummy.The service staff is super nice and attentive and provided us with VIP service.The restaurant’s decor is of a traditional noodle house. Very packed on the weekends which speak about the quality of their noodles soup and word of mouth business.I recommend trying this restaurant for travelers like me. The locals already knows that is gooooooood!!!David YoungRestaurant Enthusiast”

“I dislike having a drink served without a napkin! When you take a sip it drips on you! The appetizers were okay, mains where much better. Way to much salt even for Chinese food. I'm not saying don't go, just go with someone who knows the menu. They also tack on a 20% tip which is stated on the menu but I also think the server should remind customers too. It's a beautiful restaurant and cool experience, I just think it could be a little better for the cost of dining there.”

“So I've only gotten delivery through an app but this is my go-to for fast American Chinese food.Don't expect michelin quality but it definitely satisfies my cravings and the value is there. No-frills classic flavors so far I've tried; Peking spareribs, roast duck, honey walnut prawns, salt and pepper fish, chicken chow main and friend rice.Today I tried the lunch special hunan crispy dragon beef with plain rice. It came with a personal hot and sour soup. Overall it was tasty but because of the freshly prepared hot food staying inside the plastic container it basically steamed and lost its crunchiness. It's nice to retain and reuse the takeout containers for later but I would actually recommend stabbing a holes in the corners to let the steam out and hopefully keep its texture. The flavor was still there and like the onions to help cut the sweetness. Maybe next time I'll ask for less sauce to see if that can help with the crunchiness too. Give this place a try”

“Good place for hotpot! There are 2 prices per person. Lower price is for limited amount of food (limited by number of plates one can get per category, like x plates for meat, x plates for veggies, etc.); the higher price is for unlimited portions. The service was excellent in that the staff was very attentive! We got double helpings of their dessert! Both the ice cream and coconut milk with jelly were excellent. Desserts were included with the higher priced meal (unlimited, AYCE).Vegetarian options: Good selection of vegetables!”

“Best Cantonese food in San Francisco. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this place! The service is quick, the food comes out fast, and it’s very budget friendly. The restaurant is very oriented towards large groups, and on busy nights they will swap the tables from 4-seaters to 8+ large round tables. The food is always fantastic and delicious and the portion sizes are very large, so be prepared to take leftovers home. When I come with small groups, we always get free soup and orange for dessert! This place is the best :)Vegetarian options: Lots of veggie dishesParking: Lots of street parkingKid-friendliness: Very family orientedWheelchair accessibility: Ground level”

“This place is absolutely phenomenal. Did a group dinner of 6 folk with the three course duck. Simply amazing. Duck course with about 5 sides left us all delightfully full. Would 100% recommend everyone try this place. Plus, the staff was super friendly and the restaurant was so cute.”

“Went here last night and wow, their green chili soup was amazing. The AYCE hot pot and drinks options are now a rare find. The service, these people need an award or to teach a workshop, I swear we would order and it would arrive at our table not 30 seconds later! Highly recommend, we will be returning.”

“Well, I didn't fully understand what we ordered, but it is a very good place if you like real Chinese food.My group had 2 Chinese people and they were delighted with the food and the place.Be careful with ordering spicy food, as it might be TOO spicy! Try to order some sauce on the side and try it.Good for vegetarians as well, as there are many options”

“We stopped in on a Tuesday night around 8 pm. We asked for recommendations on what to get and were blown away. We had the ground beef empanada, the beef flat noodle stir fry and some dumplings in chili oil that were all incredibly delicious and very reasonably priced. It was seriously one of the best meals I have ever eaten. If we lived near San Francisco I would come into the city just for this restaurant. Anyone who likes Asian or Latin food NEEDS to try Cantoo.”

“So happy to finally have a restaurant that is here to stay! The space has been occupied by a revolving door of failed restaurants. The XLB are super juicy and flavorful. My mom gave them a thumbs up which is saying a lot since XLB are a specialty from her hometown. The pan fried ones were great too. The noodles taste handmade - springy and irregularly shaped giving the noodles great texture. The sauces are perfectly spiced/seasoned. We’ve had several different noodle dishes. It definitely seems like the word is spreading around the neighborhood!”

“Great food with beautiful SF view. About 15 mins walk from Pier 39 but service was bad. Just to get someone to refill our tea we had to ask like 4-5 person. Food were fresh and flavorful. Heard they are same as Koi, so you do not have to go far to try their dishes”

“We came here 30 minutes before they opened and were the first in line. This place is so big that there were enough tables for everyone. Service was so quick that our items came in 10 minutes and then the next 10 mins after that. We were done eating in 30 minutes. Surprisingly they have the best xiao long bao next to DTF! We loved the juicy version over the 5 guys. The wrapper on the five guys were a bit thick and the fillings were a bit dry but the juicy version had the perfect consistency and super juicy! The siu mai and har gow were tasty and not too small or large. Everything was delicious. A bit more on the pricey side but worth it. Chicken feet was not the best dish here. Felt like it needed to be steamed longer as the skin did not easily fall off the bone. I love anything durian and had to get the deep fried puff durian which was an actual durian nugget! Also got the durian bao which was a sweet custard that I’ll pass on next time.”

“The dried fries chicken gives San Tung a run for its money! I prefer it over San Tung's personally. Other items may not be the greatest but the portions are generous like others have mentioned. The best part about this restaurant for me is the customer service. Waiter is attentive, nice, and goes above and beyond. The one thing I wish this place had was some background music.”

“Probably the best all-vegan Chinese food I've ever had. Everything on the menu is vegan, the two ladies that wait the tables are very friendly. The place is small, that's the only downside, if you want a large group you'll need to call ahead.”

“We had a fantastic meal with Garlic Chicken, Pork Dumplings, and Wor Wonton Soup. Our group of friends was thoroughly impressed with the delicious food and impeccable service at this restaurant. It received unanimous praise from all of us, and we can't wait to dine here together again soon!”

“First timer here and the food blew is away, in a fabulous way ?Simple menu, and food is simply unpretentious and delicious. Chicken white meat based menu, paired with soup and rice. It's clean, it's tasteful, it's just good. If you're in this neighborhood you should give this place a try! ????”

“Always call in. I have to say they got the best food in the entire Chinatown area but they're always jammed with people waiting time are long. Call in like 20 min before for your food and pick up or reservations, or you will wait a good hour outside in the ”

“Ordered from this address as “Lollipot”, and it was pretty good and very hot in a mala (numbing) kind of way.I’ll likely get the Shredded Pork with Green Peppers over Rice again, and I’ll be way more mentally prepared for the heat. The soup wasn’t for me, but I did love the little side of peanuts that was included for free!”

“Ox tail hot pot here is so comforting and delicious! The boss lady is super nice too, she let me order the lamb version of this on a previous visit even though it was no longer a part of the menu :)(note: the dish came with more oxtail and tofu. I took the pic after eating a bit)”

“Enjoy has a extensive menu for being all vegetarian/vegan - they've managed to replicate nearly all popular Chinese dishes as vegan/vegetarian. There were over 100 dishes on the menu, so Enjoy does not shy away from getting creative.The food was enjoyable and service was great. This is also on the cleaner end of restaurants in Chinatown, however prices are slightly higher than most Chinese restaurants in the area.”

“Name of the restaurant is a bit misleading. Serving Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. Does the job - quick, efficient and pretty good food. I wouldn't travel specifically to come here, you can find much better Chinese food in the sunset, Richmond and Chinatown but if you're in the neighborhood it'll hit the spot.Pretty affordable and expensive menu. We had:- hot and sour soup - pretty standard and tasty;- pho - was surprised the broth was pretty good and the portion was huge;- cod in black bean sauce - was a little more bland compared to other places, and rice was a bit dry but huge portion and they didn't skim with the cod and veggies.Only one waitress but she was VERY efficient.Vegetarian options: Tons of standard vegetarian options. Menu has a vegetarian section.”

“Beautiful restaurant!It was such a nice place to have a nice Chinese dinner. Gentlemen at the bar was outstanding and so polite. He welcomed us wonderfully!The food was really tasty and fresh and it came so quickly.The atmosphere is great with a nice view. If you sit outside, they have heaters, so you won't be cold.I definitely recommend this place and you should visit.”

“United Dumplings is clearly a cut above -- creative dishes delicately prepared, bursting with flavor, and not overly sauced. It's much more than just a dumpling house -- look at their full menu.Spicy Sichuan wontons melt in one's mouth with just the right amount of heat, fish pot stickers sounded a bit odd, but were tender and flavorful, and the Dan Dan noodles were perfectly cooked. They even have sauteed pea shoots, which isn't always on the menu in larger Chinese restaurants.Definitely worth a return visit with my family.”

“There are only two people working there. If you are in a hurry, just skip this place. They cook as they take your order. Your waiting time could be easily around 45 minutes.If you want to eat cheap and good and have some spare time, this is the place.The place is VERY SMALL. Workers are nice.Would definitely come back.Is a cash only place.As Sep 2023 / $8 the main dishes and $5 appetizers.”

“I can't believe I have never been here before! Everything we ordered was amazing. The smoked duck, dumplings in chili oil, lotus bulbs w/ celery, cooked cabbage w/ sichuan pepper, fried chicken with spicy peppers. All amazing. Would honestly go and order the same thing all over again! One note is that they could play some music for vibes :)”

“I'll put the gem title on this one. Everything we had was very tasty. The large hot and sour soup prob serves 10 people so in our group of 3 as someone who loves hot and sour soup I was very pleased (it's good). Moo shu pork dish was very tasty. Service was very good and very friendly. Highly recommend.”

“Unassuming little restaurant with the best food I tried in a long time, you must like it hot!!!!Ma la boneless chicken 5 starsPigs ears 4 stars full of flavor but the dish was a cold dish ! I wish I knew before but 100% delicious . Taking the rest of the ears home to stock in the air fryer , lol !Wish me luck”

“A really tasty, very satisfying meal.I ordered online before driving over. I was quoted 20 min and it ended up being 35 when I actually got my food. I was ordering at what was likely their busiest time of the day so no big deal but I didn't like having to wait for my food in a small crowd of impatient and anxious delivery people.I got the Mapo Tofo with Pork Combo Plate. It was a generous portion which I didn't think I would finish but eventually devoured. I wish there was a Mamahuhu closer to me. It was great.”

“The Hong Kong style congee we love, and we ask for roasted peanuts with order of Chinese doughnuts. Good dimsums. Overall very affordable: $21 for two before tips for an eggroll order to share, a beef congee, and a coconut soup with oolong tea on the house. Not cash-only and yet. One of the few breakfast places open mornings (8am open). We live locally so breakfast on Irving <3”