Lao Sze Chuan (Downtown)

Overall dinner was delicious, good selection of dishes. There was no kids menu, ordered noodles but it was a large portion, we were visiting Chicago and staying at hotel, unfortunately had to leave it behind.

Food was good when it finally arrived, but despite having a reservation the wait for a table was very long, and the wait for the food itself was even longer (over an hour).

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding my family's experience at this Restaurant on Christmas Day. This was our first visit, and we made a reservation several weeks in advance, fully aware that Christmas Day would likely be busy and believing that a reservation would help ensure an organized and pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that reservations held little to no value. Upon arrival, we found ourselves waiting behind parties who reportedly had reservations 45 minutes prior to ours and who still had not been seated. Even more concerning, guests without reservations were seated before us, and at no point were we asked whether we had a reservation at all. Beyond the excessive wait, the overall dining environment and service were extremely disappointing. The restaurant was uncomfortably hot, the food was served cold, and the service was poor throughout our visit. The entire operation appeared disorganized and ill-prepared to handle the volume of guests—both walk-ins and those with reservations—on what should have been an anticipated and well-planned holiday service day. After reading many positive reviews prior to our visit, I had high expectations for both the food and the customer experience. Regrettably, the quality of service and lack of organization fell far short of those expectations. A reservation should provide clarity, order, and respect for a guest's time, especially on a holiday. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and used as an opportunity to improve planning, communication, and guest experience moving forward. This was a deeply disappointing experience for my family, and one I would not expect from a restaurant with such a positive  reputation.

I have eaten here before and thought it good. No Longer! They were woefully understaffed. The waitress took our order and never checked back until we flagged someone down to ask for the rest of our order. We waited a very long time for our mains and when they came the plates were warm and the food was cold. We did not get rice or 1 dish until we found the waitress to ask for it. The food which used to be very good was fair at best. The staff appeared to be trying but they were not sufficient. Looked like the kitchen was too busy with take-out to take care of those eating in. I will NEVER go back.

Nice restaurant, good food. Looks a bit more fancy in pics than IRL, and we didn't know it's in the food court at Nordstroms. Hard to get to off-hours (we went on Christmas Day.) Overall good, pricing in-line with other similar restaurants on the Mag Mile. I'd say it's a better lunch spot than dinner.

We are regular diners here, and I'll start by saying the food was excellent, as it always is. Unfortunately, our experience on Christmas Eve was disappointing due to very poor service. We were seated promptly, but it took quite a while for a server to come to our table. We asked for silverware, which never arrived—I ultimately had to get forks and knives myself. When we ordered appetizers, each guest ordered something different, but they were all served together on one plate. When our entrées finally arrived—after a much longer wait than we've ever experienced—they were delivered by the robot with no wait staff present, so we had to take the food ourselves. We also had to ask several times just to get water. At the end of the meal, we waited a long time for someone to bring our bill. They also did not have enough “to-go” containers. We asked for 5 they only gave us two. When we asked for more they gave us smaller containers. It was like they forgot it was a holiday and was very unprepared. We have never had an experience this bad here. It appeared the restaurant was severely understaffed, with perhaps only two servers working on Christmas Eve. We do plan to return, but not on a holiday.

Very authentic Chinese restaurant with spicy food and its remarkable Perking duck plates. The half set is good for three people (10 rolls) with purely fresh duck meat. I like the garlic source but unfortunately they did not offer this time. A great experience!

One of my favorite asian restaurants in the country. Unassuming place serving authentic dishes with quality ingredients. I eat here almost every time I'm in Chicago, and try to bring a group so we can eat a variety of dishes family style.

Waiter was not helpful. Recommended dish that was way too spicy hot and did not acknowledge that I was not eating it. Generally rude to me and my guests. Very expensive for what we got.

Service was horrible! Waitress wasn't friendly. Everything took forever. Asked for more rice which never came. My food got cold waiting for it. Waitress asked if the rice was delivered after I had given up and ate my cold food. When I told her I never got the rice, but there was no need for it now she didn't even offer an apology! This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but not any more!

Exceptional Chinese restaurant with delicious dishes! We had an exceptional selection of our host: chicken, pork, fish... dishes to share in the center of the table. The spices, the cooking, the quality of the dishes were exceptional! A restaurant that I recommend without moderation if you want to discover the richness of Chinese cuisine!

They have disgusting gangster rap so-called music blaring very loudly. The gangster music is using lots and lots of profanity, violence and sex vulgar language.
The ambiance is scary and restaurant looks filthy. The food is overpriced and seems like cheap quick food.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Rude staff, missing food, and zero accountability.

I ordered three dishes on Fantuan for pickup. When I arrived, the front desk lady told me my order had already been taken by someone else — and acted like it was my problem. She was busy, impatient, and completely rude. Instead of helping, she told me to contact Fantuan myself.

When I said that wasn’t acceptable, she told me to leave and even called me “a terrible person.” I couldn’t believe it. A few minutes later, she suddenly came out with a bag — but when I got home, there was only one dish inside, not three.

To make it worse, I asked for a refund through Fantuan for the two missing dishes, and the restaurant refused, claiming they gave me everything. Just unbelievable.

Horrible service, no professionalism, and no respect for customers. Lao Sze Chuan used to be one of Chicago’s top Chinese restaurants — now it’s just embarrassing. Never coming again.

Food: 1

Service: 1

Love it. Great flavors!!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

If you want a vast, consistently excellent meal served with genuine warmth, stop your search and come here. It’s the gold standard. Four stars—my high standards were definitely met! 😉

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5