We placed a large take out order including shrimp and chicken fried rice, egg foo young, sesame chicken, honey chicken, steamed vegetables, lo mein, fried chicken, and shrimp egg rolls. Everything was fresh, warm, and delicious, but the egg rolls and rice stood out the most, both as good as my favorite Chinese spot in Chicago. Portions were generous for our large family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Texan
Golden Chopstick, at $12 for a large beef chow mein, runs on a completely different model. Smaller batch cooking means higher costs, but also meals that are tailored by hand. The noodles are meant to be long, soft, and saucy—carrying flavor instead of grease—and that reflects the effort of wok-fired preparation and fresh ingredients. Economically, a portion this size stretches into two meals, so the “cost per serving” is often better than Panda’s combo.
Panda Express has its strengths: $10.85 gets you a plate that’s fast, consistent, and built on a nationwide supply chain. That efficiency makes it accessible and cheap, but the trade-off is quality—ingredients are pre-portioned, flavors are standardized, and noodles often turn out oily, broken, and more filler than food.
The comparison is straightforward: chains optimize for convenience, while family restaurants fight to stay afloat by offering authenticity and craftsmanship. Sometimes speed and savings win. But other times, it’s worth spending a couple more dollars to enjoy food that feels intentional, cultural, and made with effort instead of automation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Born2fap
This place is a hidden gem, their fried rice is the greatest fried rice that I have ever had,
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anna Figueroa
Ordered at 8:02 pm, original time estimate was 8:33, then adjusted to 8:46. 9:29 now and still hasn’t come. Called at 8:50, told driver had just left and maybe 15 minutes. Called at 9:10, the woman said she would call the driver then hung up. Called at 9:22 and she said maybe 5 more minutes. They close at 9:30. Just got a call from the driver saying he’ll be here in 3 minutes. I’ve been flying since 04 am pacific time and haven’t ate and don’t have a car, so I’m extra cranky but an hour and a half+ delivery for one persons order from a place 1.5 miles away is ridiculous regardless. Update: food arrived at 9:43 pm. The food quality does not improve my review. Requested second hottest heat level, but not spicy at all; food excessively saucy and not much chicken in the dish. Don’t recommend.
Food: 2
Service: 1
John
The fast, friendly service coupled with a robust, traditional menu wasn't quite enough to overcome the wildly mediocre food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Mal S
Quick and great value. Standard Chinese fare and setup for pickup and delivery only.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mikaylah Tenette
Terrible service and took forever to get the food
Kera Jones
One of the best Chinese take out I’ve ever had!!
Timber Rose
This is me and my family’s favorite Chinese takeout place. The food is always good and honestly the egg rolls are my favorite!!!
Joshua Glenn
I ordered food for delivery at 415 i was told it would be an hour before delivery, 630 rolled around and I was told it would be another 20 minutes. And don't call to check one of them had a attitude I was calling to check where the food was after my card was charged.
No heat and the employees are freezing!!! 🥶🥶🥶🥶 And the bad quality of the food.
Ryan
Food was terrible, service is great though !
julia engert
Super fast service. Good is amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will Deitt
So good! Service was fast and friendly. Great prices!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: General TSO's Chicken with Fried Rice
Jannick Korsholm
Golden Chopsticks offers a decent Chinese food experience, but it’s not without its flaws. The food was ready remarkably fast—only two minutes—. The dish was just okay, with a noticeable amount of sugar and a lack of fresh ingredients.
On the plus side, the portion sizes are generous, and you get an eggroll and a soda with your dinner meal, which adds value. The price is fair for what you get, but overall, it’s more of a convenient option than a memorable one.
We placed a large take out order including shrimp and chicken fried rice, egg foo young, sesame chicken, honey chicken, steamed vegetables, lo mein, fried chicken, and shrimp egg rolls. Everything was fresh, warm, and delicious, but the egg rolls and rice stood out the most, both as good as my favorite Chinese spot in Chicago. Portions were generous for our large family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Golden Chopstick, at $12 for a large beef chow mein, runs on a completely different model. Smaller batch cooking means higher costs, but also meals that are tailored by hand. The noodles are meant to be long, soft, and saucy—carrying flavor instead of grease—and that reflects the effort of wok-fired preparation and fresh ingredients. Economically, a portion this size stretches into two meals, so the “cost per serving” is often better than Panda’s combo.
Panda Express has its strengths: $10.85 gets you a plate that’s fast, consistent, and built on a nationwide supply chain. That efficiency makes it accessible and cheap, but the trade-off is quality—ingredients are pre-portioned, flavors are standardized, and noodles often turn out oily, broken, and more filler than food.
The comparison is straightforward: chains optimize for convenience, while family restaurants fight to stay afloat by offering authenticity and craftsmanship. Sometimes speed and savings win. But other times, it’s worth spending a couple more dollars to enjoy food that feels intentional, cultural, and made with effort instead of automation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
This place is a hidden gem, their fried rice is the greatest fried rice that I have ever had,
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ordered at 8:02 pm, original time estimate was 8:33, then adjusted to 8:46. 9:29 now and still hasn’t come. Called at 8:50, told driver had just left and maybe 15 minutes. Called at 9:10, the woman said she would call the driver then hung up. Called at 9:22 and she said maybe 5 more minutes. They close at 9:30. Just got a call from the driver saying he’ll be here in 3 minutes. I’ve been flying since 04 am pacific time and haven’t ate and don’t have a car, so I’m extra cranky but an hour and a half+ delivery for one persons order from a place 1.5 miles away is ridiculous regardless.
Update: food arrived at 9:43 pm. The food quality does not improve my review. Requested second hottest heat level, but not spicy at all; food excessively saucy and not much chicken in the dish. Don’t recommend.
Food: 2
Service: 1
The fast, friendly service coupled with a robust, traditional menu wasn't quite enough to overcome the wildly mediocre food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Quick and great value. Standard Chinese fare and setup for pickup and delivery only.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible service and took forever to get the food
One of the best Chinese take out I’ve ever had!!
This is me and my family’s favorite Chinese takeout place. The food is always good and honestly the egg rolls are my favorite!!!
I ordered food for delivery at 415 i was told it would be an hour before delivery, 630 rolled around and I was told it would be another 20 minutes. And don't call to check one of them had a attitude I was calling to check where the food was after my card was charged.
Restaurantji Recommends
No heat and the employees are freezing!!! 🥶🥶🥶🥶 And the bad quality of the food.
Food was terrible, service is great though !
Super fast service. Good is amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So good! Service was fast and friendly. Great prices!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: General TSO's Chicken with Fried Rice
Golden Chopsticks offers a decent Chinese food experience, but it’s not without its flaws. The food was ready remarkably fast—only two minutes—. The dish was just okay, with a noticeable amount of sugar and a lack of fresh ingredients.
On the plus side, the portion sizes are generous, and you get an eggroll and a soda with your dinner meal, which adds value. The price is fair for what you get, but overall, it’s more of a convenient option than a memorable one.
Ordered: General Pho’s chicken
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
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