The food at this restaurant is amazing. They have some of the best General Tso's Chicken that I have ever had--it is spicy without being overwhelming and impossible to eat. I also believe that the service is quite good--we have never really waited long for our food. Sure, the staff isn't exactly friendly, but hey...the food is great, the prices aren't too bad, the portions are big (I'm a big eater, and usually I wind up taking my food home), and you even get oranges with the bill! Maybe I like this place so much because it's the first restaurant at which I dined with my wife and her family, but in any case, it's a place that's a must-visit when we go back to visit her parents! (Edit: I recently returned to this restaurant after a long absence and I am pleased to report that the food is still as good as ever. My FIL had the Hunan Chicken and it was amazing--seriously, the spiciness was mesmerizing...I hope I get some leftovers! Also, the service was especially awesome and the new staff are quite friendly! Too bad we flew down this time or else I'd swing by on the way home to get score some take-out so I can have some in Cleveland...)
(5)
Bob C.
Its certainly not the best Chinese food or even above average Chinese food for the Washington DC area - there are just too many restaurants that are much much better, but for the convenience of home delivery its acceptable food. The singapore noodles are good; the kung pao chicken is not good and they deliver within a 2 mile radius - on many nights its a good alternative to making dinner at home. I've never eaten inside the restaurant so cannot speak to the service.
(2)
Shu C.
It's the worst and most expensive dim sum lunch I have ever had. They sell living social coupons with picture advertising traditional dim sum dishes. In reality, they only have few dim sum choices that are likely from frozen dim sums. The portions are very small. Two of us had 7 dishes with a total bill of $54. All dishes are awful; and they charged nearly $3.00 for a pot of cheap and poor tasting tea. It's too expensive even with a 50% off living social coupon. The dim sum photo they show on the coupon is deceptive. They served noodle soup in a disposable plastic bowl. I will not be fooled by this restaurant again.
(1)
Tom Z.
Last Sunday our family went to Shanghai Cafe in Potomac for the dinner. It was so delicious and very good service .20 people really really enjoying the Shanghai food! I never eat Shanghai food before because of Cantonese. The live fish with fresh spring onion , tradition cooking without cornstarch! So delicious! Also the sweet and sour spareribs Shanghai style , so tender that it melt in my mouth.
(4)
Melorin S.
Very good service, delicious food, and a good bar all in one and it's usually pretty quiet. The owner is super friendly and nice. Great place
(4)
Victoria W.
Went there today with the Living Social coupon. Seems like my experience and others' experiences on Yelp were a totally different restaurant. Dim sum selection was slim and quality of food was awful. Food tastes either cold or overheated/cooked. The soup dumplings were served in a plastic bowl. Dirty silverware and tea cups. The pickled cucumbers were not fresh and borderline bad. The manager needs to work on his tact and customer service as well. Overpriced for the amount of food and quality.
(1)
Gyu L.
Worst Chinese food ever. No, worst food ever. I hope anyone who wanna try from here pl don't even think about it. I am so angry that I had to pay 40+$ for these food(trash)
(1)
Dara B.
I love this place. We order take-out almost weekly. It's consistently good. Their dumpling dough is ridiculously good. I'm surprised by all the so-so ratings. Can't speak to ambience since always order in but food quality good. I do prefer their Chinese to their Thai food. Eggplant in hot garlic sauce and Szechuan string beans are stand outs.
(4)
Joseph D.
The restaurant was EMPTY. I negotiated with my dad whether to eat there or not, but we decided to try it anyways. Since it had a 3-star average, and only 7 reviews, I decided that it was worth trying anyways. I started off with ordering some wonton soup, while my dad got summer rolls. The wonton soup tasted pretty much the same as most other places. The summer rolls were SEVEN DOLLARS! Just for two!! They didn't even come with peanut sauce, rather, they came with sweet & sour... Next, I ordered Singaporean Rice Noodles. They were very oily, and weren't very satisfying in general. I couldn't eat it any more after finishing 1/4 of it. Fortune cookies were stale.
(1)
Kyle D.
I had the general Tso chicken lunch. It was fatty and a bit chewy. The sauce had good spice and flavor. The rice was boring as was the egg roll. I only ate a few bites of chicken and rice before I threw it out. I would not recommend this place.
(2)
Puja L.
I have a nostalgic attachment to this place...but I honestly cannot believe they are still in business. I've never seen it particularly packed (although the only customers I have seen in here are Chinese....so I'm sure they know something I don't). The service is a bit weird because of the fact that it's do empty. It feels a little funny and too cozy to be the only ones in a restaurant. Growing up, my favorite thing was their crispy eggplant in garlic sauce. It was the most amazing thing. It is no longer. We ordered house special lo mein, veg fried rice, the crispy eggplant and a crispy whole fish. Nothing was good. Everything was quite mediocre. We all left with a very heavy, greasy, 'why'd I just eat that' feeling. So sad because it's really convenient for us. It's also worth mentioning that when when we ordered takeout from here some time last year, there were rubber bands (from the spring onions) and plastic in our food. I'm not sure why we still came back.
(1)
Matt P.
Nothing fancy, just good Chinese food at a great price. They also deliver. The hot and sour soup is excellent. They throw Potomac's other Chinese joint, the execrable Fortune Garden, into the shade.
(3)
John M.
This place has gone so far downhill I will never eat food from here again despite the fact it's the closest restaurant to my home. Yesterday we ordered for delivery, General Tso's Chicken, Lemon Chicken, House Fried Rice and Crispy Beef. All these dishes were poor at best and the General Tsos Chicken in particular tasted like the meat was actually spoiled. My advice is avoid this place at all cost.
(1)
Paul L.
Soup dumplings and crispy beef....that's all I gotta say. What are you waiting for...go already!
(5)
Justin S.
In my experience, this is an odd duck of a Chinese restaurant. They offer an extensive menu with Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes, and I've tried everything but the last. If I described Chinese food to a chef who had never had it, and neither of us had any knowledge of how it was made, the result would be the cuisine at Shanghai Cafe. For the most part it's good, but it isn't quite like anything you've had before. The sauces are a little "off" and the textures of the food are unfamiliar. If you have an open mind, you might enjoy it, but it can be jarring if you expect the good-ol' comforting American Chinese food you've had a hundred times before. Who knows? Unless you've got guests that you absolutely need to impress, give it a try! If you consider it on its own terms, it's on the whole quite tasty. P.S. Maybe it's just me, but I don't recommend the Thai food at all. I couldn't find anything redeeming about the few dishes I've had. The remaining cuisine Shanghai offers (Japanese) will likely remain untested by yours truly.
(3)
Mickey L.
*4+ Stars* My dining companion and I have made it a ritual to lunch at Shanghai Cafe when attending a workshop further up River Road. With a solid lunch with a group of our friends on previous visits, we went as a group 9 this time and had a wonderful experience. Do note that we only ordered off of the traditional Chinese (not American Chinese) menu. Shanghai Dumplings (XLB): While not spectacular or a main attraction like at Bob's Shanghai 66, it was a very good pork dumpling with a decent amount of soup, not to mention better than at BS66. Spicy Salty Heads-On Shrimp: Fresh (evidenced by plump, flavorful, and clean-tasting heads), crispy, well-seasoned, and cleared by our table. Shanghai Bok Choy: A crunchy green veggie dish to balance some of the fried/richer selections. It was rather heavy on the stems than the leaves, but not to worry, we totally enjoyed a simply better vegetable that our server recommended... Shanghai Greens (Taku Choy): More green, more flavorful, and totally refreshing for the hot summery day, this dish complemented perfectly with much everything else we ordered. One of our favorites of the day! Tofu & Eggplant: The Eggplant's texture and taste were nicely done, and the Tofu gave a nice buffer to sweet sauce, which worked just fine as it was the only sweet dish we ordered. We'll definitely order it again. Shanghai Noodles: Plump and firmly tender like a bucatini, these were a fun textural experience to the crispy, crunchy, tender, and soft from the other dishes. Flat Noodles with Chicken: Very pleasant in a mild and gentle way, it was like enjoying rice (the noodle's base) in another way. Daocheng Beef: Initially, there was a characteristic fragrance to the beef (a cross between from Northern Chinese and North Indian) which dissipated and turned into a plain sauteed sliced beef dish--the only characterless dish of the afternoon. All in all, everyone in our party had a fabulous lunch, and it clearly showed with us devouring everything but the beef dish. My DC and I really enjoyed the shrimp, taku choy, and tofu+eggplant; each of us enjoyed a different noodle dish. In total, 7 hits on 9 dishes is outstanding! The restaurant was quiet that afternoon, which definitely worked for us. Very much recommended for big groups who like to try a variety of traditional Chinese dishes!
(4)
Shashi B.
We have been wanting to try this place out for a long time since it is in the neighborhood. The Potomac/North Potomac area has a god choice of . Chinese restaurants. Some the nearby palces are Oriental Cafe, China East, Gui Lin, Michael's Noodles (Love it) Taipei Tokyo . My son chose Shanghai Cafe since it was right next to his Karate place . It was a brrrrr.. freezing day and we adventured out to have lunch here. There was lenty of parking since this is a residential neighborhood . There were not too many people in the restaurant We ordered Kung Pao chicken and Singapore Rice Noodles from the lunch menu. Cheap at $7.50 each along with rice and a spring roll. From the regular menu we chose the Shrimp Noodle soup. The portions were generous. The Kung pao Chicken was good . Since th portions were large but should have been severd on a larger plate. Singapore Noodles were dry and the bacon was too dry as if it was out for a long time. I told the lady serving us that the srping roll four was under-cooked. She said she would tell the chef. Enjoyed the service, the tea that was complimentary was a bit weak. Boy, it was so cold and we needed the hot tea. We will carry out from here again and may be try the dim sum on the weekend. I wish them well as a friendly neighborhood small business.
(3)
Ted K.
This is based on my first experience with Shanghai Cafe - a delivery order. The food as delivered was excellent - scallion pancakes, shao mai, steamed dumplings, steamed pork buns, green beans & snow cabbage, Lion's Head with baby bok choy and mu shu pork. The mu shu had wonderful smokey undertones, the Lion's Head - large stewed pork meatballs - was tender and delicious. I'm sure dining in would be a real treat.
(5)
Lei Z.
This is the best Chinese restaurant in Washington DC metro area, at least from my perspective. And so far all the friends I bought to it really enjoyed the high-quality and delicate food!
(5)
Peter H.
Like some of reviews that went to try this restaurant with Livingsocial dimsum coupon and the experience was pretty much the same like others..."terrible". I think it was deceptive business practice to lure customers in using coupon deals but give them a bad dining experience. Who would be stupid enough to go the 2nd time? The dimsum selection is very limited and dishes are very very small for the prices they charged...for example a small dish size usually fit for cold appetizer and used it for a rice noodle dish and charged $7 for it!!! It's a total ripoff with so little food on a small plate! They also charge tea when most traditional Chinese restaurants would offer for free. I understand they'd use coupon to attract more customers to come since it's located at a remote and small shopping plaza probably only visited by its nearby local residents. Location is not as much a big deal if food and business practice set itself apart from the rest and I believe customers would continue to come if they enjoy it. However I'd never go back again no matter what promotions or deals they try to pull again in the future...so beware and stay away!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Joseph F.
The food at this restaurant is amazing. They have some of the best General Tso's Chicken that I have ever had--it is spicy without being overwhelming and impossible to eat. I also believe that the service is quite good--we have never really waited long for our food. Sure, the staff isn't exactly friendly, but hey...the food is great, the prices aren't too bad, the portions are big (I'm a big eater, and usually I wind up taking my food home), and you even get oranges with the bill! Maybe I like this place so much because it's the first restaurant at which I dined with my wife and her family, but in any case, it's a place that's a must-visit when we go back to visit her parents! (Edit: I recently returned to this restaurant after a long absence and I am pleased to report that the food is still as good as ever. My FIL had the Hunan Chicken and it was amazing--seriously, the spiciness was mesmerizing...I hope I get some leftovers! Also, the service was especially awesome and the new staff are quite friendly! Too bad we flew down this time or else I'd swing by on the way home to get score some take-out so I can have some in Cleveland...)
(5)Bob C.
Its certainly not the best Chinese food or even above average Chinese food for the Washington DC area - there are just too many restaurants that are much much better, but for the convenience of home delivery its acceptable food. The singapore noodles are good; the kung pao chicken is not good and they deliver within a 2 mile radius - on many nights its a good alternative to making dinner at home. I've never eaten inside the restaurant so cannot speak to the service.
(2)Shu C.
It's the worst and most expensive dim sum lunch I have ever had. They sell living social coupons with picture advertising traditional dim sum dishes. In reality, they only have few dim sum choices that are likely from frozen dim sums. The portions are very small. Two of us had 7 dishes with a total bill of $54. All dishes are awful; and they charged nearly $3.00 for a pot of cheap and poor tasting tea. It's too expensive even with a 50% off living social coupon. The dim sum photo they show on the coupon is deceptive. They served noodle soup in a disposable plastic bowl. I will not be fooled by this restaurant again.
(1)Tom Z.
Last Sunday our family went to Shanghai Cafe in Potomac for the dinner. It was so delicious and very good service .20 people really really enjoying the Shanghai food! I never eat Shanghai food before because of Cantonese. The live fish with fresh spring onion , tradition cooking without cornstarch! So delicious! Also the sweet and sour spareribs Shanghai style , so tender that it melt in my mouth.
(4)Melorin S.
Very good service, delicious food, and a good bar all in one and it's usually pretty quiet. The owner is super friendly and nice. Great place
(4)Victoria W.
Went there today with the Living Social coupon. Seems like my experience and others' experiences on Yelp were a totally different restaurant. Dim sum selection was slim and quality of food was awful. Food tastes either cold or overheated/cooked. The soup dumplings were served in a plastic bowl. Dirty silverware and tea cups. The pickled cucumbers were not fresh and borderline bad. The manager needs to work on his tact and customer service as well. Overpriced for the amount of food and quality.
(1)Gyu L.
Worst Chinese food ever. No, worst food ever. I hope anyone who wanna try from here pl don't even think about it. I am so angry that I had to pay 40+$ for these food(trash)
(1)Dara B.
I love this place. We order take-out almost weekly. It's consistently good. Their dumpling dough is ridiculously good. I'm surprised by all the so-so ratings. Can't speak to ambience since always order in but food quality good. I do prefer their Chinese to their Thai food. Eggplant in hot garlic sauce and Szechuan string beans are stand outs.
(4)Joseph D.
The restaurant was EMPTY. I negotiated with my dad whether to eat there or not, but we decided to try it anyways. Since it had a 3-star average, and only 7 reviews, I decided that it was worth trying anyways. I started off with ordering some wonton soup, while my dad got summer rolls. The wonton soup tasted pretty much the same as most other places. The summer rolls were SEVEN DOLLARS! Just for two!! They didn't even come with peanut sauce, rather, they came with sweet & sour... Next, I ordered Singaporean Rice Noodles. They were very oily, and weren't very satisfying in general. I couldn't eat it any more after finishing 1/4 of it. Fortune cookies were stale.
(1)Kyle D.
I had the general Tso chicken lunch. It was fatty and a bit chewy. The sauce had good spice and flavor. The rice was boring as was the egg roll. I only ate a few bites of chicken and rice before I threw it out. I would not recommend this place.
(2)Puja L.
I have a nostalgic attachment to this place...but I honestly cannot believe they are still in business. I've never seen it particularly packed (although the only customers I have seen in here are Chinese....so I'm sure they know something I don't). The service is a bit weird because of the fact that it's do empty. It feels a little funny and too cozy to be the only ones in a restaurant. Growing up, my favorite thing was their crispy eggplant in garlic sauce. It was the most amazing thing. It is no longer. We ordered house special lo mein, veg fried rice, the crispy eggplant and a crispy whole fish. Nothing was good. Everything was quite mediocre. We all left with a very heavy, greasy, 'why'd I just eat that' feeling. So sad because it's really convenient for us. It's also worth mentioning that when when we ordered takeout from here some time last year, there were rubber bands (from the spring onions) and plastic in our food. I'm not sure why we still came back.
(1)Matt P.
Nothing fancy, just good Chinese food at a great price. They also deliver. The hot and sour soup is excellent. They throw Potomac's other Chinese joint, the execrable Fortune Garden, into the shade.
(3)John M.
This place has gone so far downhill I will never eat food from here again despite the fact it's the closest restaurant to my home. Yesterday we ordered for delivery, General Tso's Chicken, Lemon Chicken, House Fried Rice and Crispy Beef. All these dishes were poor at best and the General Tsos Chicken in particular tasted like the meat was actually spoiled. My advice is avoid this place at all cost.
(1)Paul L.
Soup dumplings and crispy beef....that's all I gotta say. What are you waiting for...go already!
(5)Justin S.
In my experience, this is an odd duck of a Chinese restaurant. They offer an extensive menu with Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes, and I've tried everything but the last. If I described Chinese food to a chef who had never had it, and neither of us had any knowledge of how it was made, the result would be the cuisine at Shanghai Cafe. For the most part it's good, but it isn't quite like anything you've had before. The sauces are a little "off" and the textures of the food are unfamiliar. If you have an open mind, you might enjoy it, but it can be jarring if you expect the good-ol' comforting American Chinese food you've had a hundred times before. Who knows? Unless you've got guests that you absolutely need to impress, give it a try! If you consider it on its own terms, it's on the whole quite tasty. P.S. Maybe it's just me, but I don't recommend the Thai food at all. I couldn't find anything redeeming about the few dishes I've had. The remaining cuisine Shanghai offers (Japanese) will likely remain untested by yours truly.
(3)Mickey L.
*4+ Stars* My dining companion and I have made it a ritual to lunch at Shanghai Cafe when attending a workshop further up River Road. With a solid lunch with a group of our friends on previous visits, we went as a group 9 this time and had a wonderful experience. Do note that we only ordered off of the traditional Chinese (not American Chinese) menu. Shanghai Dumplings (XLB): While not spectacular or a main attraction like at Bob's Shanghai 66, it was a very good pork dumpling with a decent amount of soup, not to mention better than at BS66. Spicy Salty Heads-On Shrimp: Fresh (evidenced by plump, flavorful, and clean-tasting heads), crispy, well-seasoned, and cleared by our table. Shanghai Bok Choy: A crunchy green veggie dish to balance some of the fried/richer selections. It was rather heavy on the stems than the leaves, but not to worry, we totally enjoyed a simply better vegetable that our server recommended... Shanghai Greens (Taku Choy): More green, more flavorful, and totally refreshing for the hot summery day, this dish complemented perfectly with much everything else we ordered. One of our favorites of the day! Tofu & Eggplant: The Eggplant's texture and taste were nicely done, and the Tofu gave a nice buffer to sweet sauce, which worked just fine as it was the only sweet dish we ordered. We'll definitely order it again. Shanghai Noodles: Plump and firmly tender like a bucatini, these were a fun textural experience to the crispy, crunchy, tender, and soft from the other dishes. Flat Noodles with Chicken: Very pleasant in a mild and gentle way, it was like enjoying rice (the noodle's base) in another way. Daocheng Beef: Initially, there was a characteristic fragrance to the beef (a cross between from Northern Chinese and North Indian) which dissipated and turned into a plain sauteed sliced beef dish--the only characterless dish of the afternoon. All in all, everyone in our party had a fabulous lunch, and it clearly showed with us devouring everything but the beef dish. My DC and I really enjoyed the shrimp, taku choy, and tofu+eggplant; each of us enjoyed a different noodle dish. In total, 7 hits on 9 dishes is outstanding! The restaurant was quiet that afternoon, which definitely worked for us. Very much recommended for big groups who like to try a variety of traditional Chinese dishes!
(4)Shashi B.
We have been wanting to try this place out for a long time since it is in the neighborhood. The Potomac/North Potomac area has a god choice of . Chinese restaurants. Some the nearby palces are Oriental Cafe, China East, Gui Lin, Michael's Noodles (Love it) Taipei Tokyo . My son chose Shanghai Cafe since it was right next to his Karate place . It was a brrrrr.. freezing day and we adventured out to have lunch here. There was lenty of parking since this is a residential neighborhood . There were not too many people in the restaurant We ordered Kung Pao chicken and Singapore Rice Noodles from the lunch menu. Cheap at $7.50 each along with rice and a spring roll. From the regular menu we chose the Shrimp Noodle soup. The portions were generous. The Kung pao Chicken was good . Since th portions were large but should have been severd on a larger plate. Singapore Noodles were dry and the bacon was too dry as if it was out for a long time. I told the lady serving us that the srping roll four was under-cooked. She said she would tell the chef. Enjoyed the service, the tea that was complimentary was a bit weak. Boy, it was so cold and we needed the hot tea. We will carry out from here again and may be try the dim sum on the weekend. I wish them well as a friendly neighborhood small business.
(3)Ted K.
This is based on my first experience with Shanghai Cafe - a delivery order. The food as delivered was excellent - scallion pancakes, shao mai, steamed dumplings, steamed pork buns, green beans & snow cabbage, Lion's Head with baby bok choy and mu shu pork. The mu shu had wonderful smokey undertones, the Lion's Head - large stewed pork meatballs - was tender and delicious. I'm sure dining in would be a real treat.
(5)Lei Z.
This is the best Chinese restaurant in Washington DC metro area, at least from my perspective. And so far all the friends I bought to it really enjoyed the high-quality and delicate food!
(5)Peter H.
Like some of reviews that went to try this restaurant with Livingsocial dimsum coupon and the experience was pretty much the same like others..."terrible". I think it was deceptive business practice to lure customers in using coupon deals but give them a bad dining experience. Who would be stupid enough to go the 2nd time? The dimsum selection is very limited and dishes are very very small for the prices they charged...for example a small dish size usually fit for cold appetizer and used it for a rice noodle dish and charged $7 for it!!! It's a total ripoff with so little food on a small plate! They also charge tea when most traditional Chinese restaurants would offer for free. I understand they'd use coupon to attract more customers to come since it's located at a remote and small shopping plaza probably only visited by its nearby local residents. Location is not as much a big deal if food and business practice set itself apart from the rest and I believe customers would continue to come if they enjoy it. However I'd never go back again no matter what promotions or deals they try to pull again in the future...so beware and stay away!
(1)