50 Best Chinese Restaurants in Washington

“A cute place in a cozy spot filled with joy and anticipation. The menu changes often so, if you look online and salivate at one of the photos, there is a good chance what you desire has morphed into something else. But fear not, the chef has surely created something new you willingly dive into.

I had the beef short ribs Chinese style. As my mother would say, when she is commenting on a dish, it was nice. That is a higher praise than most, but I feel it was appropriate for this dish. It wasn’t what I was expecting for a place with such high accolades. More like Korean Kalbi with Szechuan spice. Just a suggestion, maybe work on the presentation and add some coconut sugar to the marinade to balance out the flavor of the dish. It was served with an apple slaw that was also, nice, as it was the tangy acidic element to the dish. As the meat was spicy and the slaw tangy I was left yearning for that great balance of flavor great asian food has—spicy, sweet, tangy all in one bite.

I also had the lotus dumpling and that was delightful— maybe the same critique, just missing one thing, but I can’t put my finger on it yet.

The food was good and would definitely go back if I could find a nice date (almost impossible nowadays unless you pay upfront). Service was excellent and the ambiance made you feel warm and welcome. You should try this spot and order a lot more than I did to get a true experience of what this place has to offer.“

“Very friendly and lovely owner! The food was absolutely delicious and everything was prepared by him personally. I didn’t think vegetarian noodles could be made in such a way, but the dish was truly excellent. The same goes for my husband’s dumplings. We enjoyed everything very much. I highly recommend it to everyone!“

“Amazing food great bartender Oscar!!! A win is a win and i highly recommend!!! Ian the manager is a friend you didn’t know you would make!!“

“Been scouting this place for about 3 weeks for a birthday dinner. I called over a week in advance for a party of 7 - 13 people. They were able too accommodate and the food was GOOOOOD! That hotpot was smokin and I thought I choose a milder one but it was excellent in taste for me. Now this was the first time I have had it so don't come at me if it doesn't hit you taste buds the same.“

“I love these soup dumplings! We get the frozen ones to have on hand all the time and the fresh ones are a delicious snack when you’re there.

You have to order on your own and take a number and then it’s in the back of the market which is why I’m giving 4 stars for service and atmosphere but definitely try these!!“

“Soupy Dumpling & Fancy Cuppa is my new go-to spot for comfort food. The soup dumplings are perfectly juicy and flavorful, the spicy beef noodle soup has a rich, satisfying broth with just the right kick, and the mango bubble tea is refreshing and not overly sweet. Everything tastes fresh and made with care. The place is cozy, the service is friendly, and the prices are reasonable for the quality. Definitely worth a visit! Oh they have robots running around so can be fun with kids.“

“fantastic food and service. Will definitely be back“

“The food was very tasty and quality of service was excellent“

“Omg best place in dc will come again“

“Must GO! MUST EAT! Sooo GOOD! Will NOT disappoint! YOU WILL GO BACK, AGAIN and again and again!“

“I came from the zoo and wanted to sit down for some lunch. We got the Peking Duck and we’re not disappointed. Order a hot tea, the tea service is beautiful. We tried Beef and Vegetable Dumplings, they were juicy and rich, and earned a high recommendation. We were delighted we chose Han Palace it is beautiful and welcoming with superb service.“

“BEST LO MEIN I have had in a long long long time. Didn’t know it was possible to find a place that cooked it like this. Perfect texture, delicious. My favorite Chinese food place. Will be ordering at least every two weeks. Praise the chef.“

“We are passionate about good dumplings and have had them all over the world. The ones at Dumplings & Beyond are as good as they get. Our only regret is it took us too long to start ordering others dishes. We have never had a dish that wasn’t excellent.“

“Staff are extremely friendly and speak English well. Other Asians eat here too. Service is very quick and we went twice in the last week for their lunch special. Chicken is white and tender. They will omit vegetables as requested. We’re keeping their menu for our next trip on the red metro line to Chinatown.“

“Such a nice place right at the start of china town. The sushi is so fresh, recommend the salmon roll, salmon avocado and tuna avocado. The crispy tuna rice was so yummy. Miso soup always hits the spot, the chicken teriyaki was also yummy. The prices are so good for happy hour. Perfect lunch spot!“

“Good Hot Food, Prefer Cash, Hard to park but can across the street. Suggest visiting during day light. Extra charge for any additional condiments but they give you a heafty amount. Not an Eat in establishment but can sit in windowsill comfortably. My only go to Chinese Spot when tempted“

“Takeout only. Cash only. You can call ahead to place a pickup order. Wide variety of food options. It's delicious, great size portions, and the prices aren't bad. This is the only Chinese food I eat within the DMV, I will, and I have traveled over an hour to get food from them.“

“We were on our trip to DC. By chance I pulled into the parking lot to check GPS. The wife suggested we grab a quick bite. The food was very decent. The waitress was not rude, but not polite either. Maybe that’s the thing with Chinese, we are not warm to our own kind.“

“In DC for 6 days, if it weren’t for family gatherings that included tons of food, I Would Have EATEN HERE EVERYDAY! Seriously love, the Love! Bring some of this great food to Boston!😘“

“Not only is every dish delicious, but the service at Isshin is so warm, so welcome and so lovely. Secret menu item is the handmade dumplings (they have two types so ask for these specifically). Their miso soup is very rich but not overly salty, which can be difficult to find, yet it is here daily and for a good price. I’m particularly in love with their udon noddles, which I get vegetarian with tofu, and the veggies are perfectly crisp. Their sushi rolls are fresh and I never get the seaweed burps. They know us when we walk in and make my wife and I feel like family. Become a regular, it’s worth it.“

“It’s a staple on my list of comfort places to go. I usually deal with Stephanie and shes always courteous. The food is also usually consistently good.

Came in today and my order included 5 wings split. Tina made it a meal and I didn’t notice till I got home. There was a bit of a misunderstanding when I called in regarding it but she took my name and number and will provide a credit next time I’m in so that was resolved. This review is to keep them accountable for the next time I’m in the restaurant since I don’t know when that’ll be next.

Also, the place is REALLY clean. Love that for all of us“

“We went to Washington, D.C., for the first time and enjoyed this beautiful city. We went to eat at some places, but one of our favorites is this place. A family restaurant with humble and kind attention. The food is so good. We went twice. If we visit this city again, we will come back to this nice place.“

“I am Chinese. I have eaten a lot of Chinese food in my life. This is excellent Chinese food and certainly the best I’ve had in DC proper thus far. The Kung pao chicken and house special soup in particular are spot on. No notes. Just order it“

“My favorite part about this experience was the karaoke had every song you could imagine, the rooms were sizable, and the drinks were relatively affordable we had a group of perhaps 12 and the room was able to be split amongst all of us. Reserve in advance!“

“The dish that I ordered was great!!!“

“Delicious everything!!! I usually make my own tabouleh, but there’s is so great I get it from Muncheez. And the labne is the best. My daughter loves the shawarmas. Love the drinks too!!!“

“The best Chinese take out in Washington D.C.
Please support this family business for lunch or dinner. Candy and her family are the kindest people. I have been coming here since I was a kid and seeing her kids all grown up is such a special gift of time. Wonder Chicken rocks!“

“The place is just a long and narrow people with two employees. You order on a screen and wait. There are zero chairs or ambiance but the food is DELICIOUS. I would say the dumplings are on par with what we get from Rockville. Really, really good food.“

“This was probably the lightest Chinese food I've ever had. It tasted a bit like it was reduced sodium or something. Still flavorful, fresh, good portion, good price and service was good just... lighter.Hard to explain. But I recommend the shrimp and broccoli.No indoor dining only carry our.Funny I saw some kids actually come here and order the burger and fries. Colombia Heights is an interesting area.“

“By far the best Chinese place in the area. I grew up nearby, and it was a staple for my best friend and me on our Sunday afternoons after having scoured the flea market for anything reasonably priced. The food is consistently rich and flavorful, the staff is always friendly, and the location itself is so cute. My favorite dish is the crispy beef. The portion size does suggest being split between two, but it's so good I usually just get greedy and have all of it myself. Perfectly crispy and the sauce is just sweet and savory enough, pairs perfectly with the side of rice. The classic lo mein options are also very good. With more of a mild flavor, I usually like to pair them with a protein. The fish dishes are also delicious, super fresh and rich, the spicy hot pot fish melts in your mouth. Overall my favorite place to hit up after a long day, especially in the winter 🫶“

“Awesome food and service, the food is as authentic Chinese as you can get.“

“I ordered on UberEats yesterday after seeing a TikTok review on them. 10/10 would recommend. I ordered 4wings with mumbo sauce, shrimp egg roll, and shrimp and broccoli. Everything was bomb. Best mumbo sauce in the city hands down. I could tell by the color it was going to be fire! Wings were seasoned and good. Shrimp and broccoli was torch. Shrimp egg roll actually had a nice amount of shrimp. Everything was so goood. Only carry out I’m going to from now on.“

“Got wings and fries with extra mumbo on everything and sauce on the side. She opened the platter in front of me and put the sauce on the hot wings and fries in front of me so I could see it was extra. Crispy fries crispy chicken mild mumbo that’s not super sweet and it’s actually mumbo and not sweet and sour sauce. and not watery at all. Will definitely be going back.“

“On my way into DC, I got takeout from Panda Express. On the way back home, I stopped at Wok-A-Holic in Union Station. The latter was decidedly much better—Wok-A-Holic’s orange chicken and broccoli chicken were far superior to Panda’s serviceable but bland orange chicken and broccoli beef. The fried rice was just okay, but overall I was pretty satisfied with the quality of my quick takeout meal.“

“This was some of the best friend chicken I’ve ever had.

I came here try the a chicken w/Mumbo sauce.
It took a few days but Kenny’s ended up being the best of the best of the best of the best.
The chicken is perfectly cooked and the sauce is great.
The other spots overcook the chicken or the sauce is just sweet and sour sauce.“

“Honestly this is my go to carryout. Ive tried many carryouts and from my experience this is the best one I've ever tried! The staff is very kind, hardworking and really understand how to do their job. Every time I come in I always see them multitasking and still keeping the food coming. Im always looking forward to getting my food from here. Highly recommend!“

“We've been eating here for over 20 years and it has always been good. It is recently under new management and the way some items are prepared has changed, but still very tasty -- just a new twist on an old favorite. The one thing the new management needs is someone who knows their way around a bar. The people there this week had a very limited range of knowledge about drinks (gin on the rocks got a blank look), but once you explained they happily made a very acceptable drink.“

“A+. Inexpensive and authentic. Was shocked it wasn’t packed on the 4th of July. So hard to find good Mongolian BBQ and this place didn’t disappoint.“

“食物新鲜 ，每个订单都是特别订做的。全手工制作的食品。“

“My family has been ordering from Simon's since they opened. They have always been kind and we have watched each other's families grow over the years. Their food is good especially if you are a steak and cheese lover! Make sure you get a jumbo mix to wash down all that good food!“

“General Taos chicken is delicious. Sweet and sour chicken was great. The wings are crispy diner wings, not Asian fusion like you’d expect but still good. Had pan fried chicken dumplings (EXCELLENT), shrimp fried rice, and steamed shrimp dumplings. Also the drinks were strong, first time having a blueberry margarita and I highly recommend. Wish they had egg rolls and not just spring rolls. Atmosphere could be better, maybe try dimming the lights? But pretty no-nonsense and straight forward overall including decent service. Def will be adding this to the rotation“

“They served hot green tea with delicious egg foo young! The staff was friendly and found the warmest seats in the restaurant for us in the very cold weather. I would definitely come back again.“

“This spot is perfect for a casual night out with friends. The vibrant atmosphere, especially in the evening, gives you the feeling of being immersed in the heart of Chinatown. We walked around, checked out some shops, and even stopped for a delicious meal. It’s a great place to enjoy good food, shopping, and the cultural charm of the area. Definitely recommend it if you want to explore the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C. in a relaxed setting“

“Good food“

“This was my first time going to Spring Garden! This is a wonderful restaurant with a great menu of Chinese cuisine. Today I opted for wings and vegetable fried rice. I liked that the food was not oily and the wings were the right crisp! Ms. Nana was very pleasant with us, and the restaurant is nice, too. Can't wait to return!“

“Great food even better service love this place try it real mumbo sauce is here

Parking: Free parking with a very large area to par a convenience store slash/Liquor store few doors down and a Daycare in this parking lot

Wheelchair accessibility: Ground level wide door for a wheelchair can enter without a effort really“

“My experience is that I live in Georgia but my house bound brother lives in DC he needs to eat and this restaurant that is just around the corner from his apartment and I have never had any problems or issues ordering and having his food delivered to his door.“

“AMAZING! We were in town visiting and wanted Chinese food. This is a hole in the wall place that was so delicious. We ordered the chicken and broccoli and the egg drop soup. It was perfection. Will definitely be back when we are in town again.“

“Great portions, nice people, and they dispose of waste properly, whereas the wings and dollar places next door pollute the neighborhood with sloppy trash disposal and cleaning. Sometimes the whole neighborhood is covered with the trash blown out of a dumpster and bus stop is flooded with dirty floor washing water, especially the wings place. Bad!! Yum’s does not have any healthy offerings but the wings and dollar places do-so it’s a trade-off. Beggars can’t be choosy ??“

“I absolutely love Bonkers! I keep coming back for the cold noodles and wontons! I agree the Chinese burgers fall short of their potential but just get anything else on the menu! Very authentic feel and smell to a comparable spot in China. Definitely a place i could eat at everyday. Love that dc is finally getting authentic Chinese in Chinatown!“