Don't be turned off by the strip mall location. This place is cute on the inside, clean, and has above average food. Prices are reasonable and portions are healthy. Veggie fried rice to go is only $5 and easily feeds two healthy adults. Service is fairly reliable and not a lot of kids here because it is a narrow dining area (if there are noisy kids, the whole restaurant will hear it).
(4)
Paul B.
The BEST Hot-N-Sour Soup anywhere. Lunch specials are great and very reasonably priced.
(4)
Jeff L.
Ordered "Inn" last night. Pun intended. Orange Chicken, Pu Pu Platter and House Chow Mein (I freeze most of it so I can have dinner when needed.) Everything was perfect! Orange Chicken was not a thick breading like most other places. It was very thin and flavorful. Everything in the platter was not overcooked. Chow mein...no clue. Froze it. Will be my number one Chinese delivery...as long as they keep up the good product.
(5)
Brooke K.
I love their Hot and Sour Soup..but order a half size or you will have left overs for a month. Their Mongolian Beef is really good as well.
(4)
Lance H.
I read the less than stellar reviews on here and decided to try it anyway. The restaurant is located next to Albertson's on 59th Ave, just north of the 101. It's a smaller restaurant, probably 10 tables and 10 booths. We were greeted promptly by the hostess and given the choice of a booth or a table... we took the booth (of course). Tea was served promptly. The menu tells a little back story of the restaurant and how it was voted best Chinese food in Phoenix in 1999 by the Arizona Republic. The menu has all the usual suspects for a Chinese restaurant, and a couple of newcomers. I decided to branch out and get the Sun Devil Chicken (ASU Baby!). It's white chicken (all their chicken dishes are) with a creamy garlic/jalapeno sauce and with fresh sliced jalapenos mixed in. She got orange peel chicken. We decided to share an appetizer of crab puffs. I barely got through one cup of tea by the time they arrived. They were hot, fresh and were huge! 8 of them came in an order, along with hot mustard and sweet and sour sauce. Normally judge a Chinese restaurant by the quality of their crab puffs. Abacus may have the best I've ever had. Soon after the entrees arrived. Both were HUGE and had a complete bowl of rice. I tried both dishes, both were good... I won't go into the "It was so savory with a hint of spice" crap that everyone on here thinks they are giving an audition for Iron Chef. We ended up taking about half of each home and will be going again without question. Price was decent. Both dishes were $8.25 and the crab puffs were $5.50. The check came with 2 fortune cookies. Mine said "You will soon be surrounded by luxury"... her's said... well, we'll never know... because she ended up eating the fortune. Which prompts, thing's you are very unlikely to hear at a Chinese restaurant.... "Did I just eat my fortune?" They have lunch specials and also deliver between: 35th Ave & 83rd Ave Bell Rd & Jomax Rd.
(4)
Ross L.
LOVE this place. The sweet & sour pork wasn't phenomenal, but the orange chicken was. The sauce they used was a perfect combination of citrus mixed with a sort of teriyaki spice. Also, their servings were huge in comparison to any other Chinese restaurant I've ever ordered from. They stuffed mounds of food into plastic containers that dwarf the traditional midget-sized white take-out boxes. I ordered delivery about 10 minutes before they closed and they were happy to oblige. Not only did they still take my order happily, but they had the food delivered less than 20 minutes after I placed my order. I will certainly be eating here again; I recommend you do the same.
(5)
Julie S.
If I could give it a negative star I would! Fried wontons stale & awful, Kung Pao chicken was so dry it was not worth eating, sun devil pork was stringy & filled with gristle! Awful! We didn't even eat any, told the waitress how awful it was & she did nothing. Had coupon for free dinner b1g1 & they refused to take it! Do yourself a favor don't go!
(1)
Josie G.
I'm of Asian descent born in the states and I am pretty familiar with my Chinese food. Parents were visiting from the Bay Area and we had already visited the Chinese Cultural center, so I thought we could hang closer to home. Very cute and clean restaurant. Plate full of fried wonton skins as well as a pourable container of sweet & sour sauce were awaiting at every table. Which made me skeptical as to how long it had been sitting there. Decent prices. Service was fast and friendly. My parents had the egg drop soup to start. They said the soup was not bad as it had pieces of chicken and water chestnut throughout. Good start. My mother had the teriyaki chicken and my father and I had the shrimp in lobster sauce. Large portions and wafting aromas were very promising. I was so hoping that this place would have good Chinese food. It is freeway close, not too many miles from home. Alas, we were very disappointed in the meals. The teriyaki chicken (bummed also that it did not come with any veggies) over rice was drowned in a heavily salted and sugared teri sauce. There was not one iota of white left in the rice. She had 3 pieces and stopped. Granted the chicken was not over done and it was all breast meat. The shrimp with lobster sauce, also drowned, but in a heavily salted lobster sauce. Lots of shrimp, but not very edible on our taste scales.
(1)
Matt N.
This Chinese food is the best I have had so far and I have tried many Chinese places the service is amazing as well their half size soup is the standard large in most Chinese restaurants the only thing I don't like is you have to add white pepper salt and chile oil to make the hot and sour soup spicy I ordered the general tso chicken and they where able to do it non battered which is a plus for me because I have the gastric bypass can't have alot of deep fry all waiters waitresses and bussers have a smile this is something I see no where anymore amazing serving sizes perfect for price very genorous
(5)
Lisa G.
Absolutely love this place! It was very clean, the servers are extremely nice and super quick service. The number one thing about this place that was shocking is the quality of ingredients they use. The beef was thick, the shrimp was huge, and the chicken is all white meat. The veggies are fresh and the rice is perfect. I was really impressed. My hubby raved about the hot & sour soup, and everything we have tried is excellent. They also give you hot tea and its delish. If you go for the lunch specials, its and excellent value so much for cheap. Dinner is a little more, but still a good value, we always have to take food home.
(5)
Moses Z.
This is a nice, clean, and small place. The service is prompt and friendly. The food is good. Ive come here more than a couple of times. The only reason I gave this place a 3 star review and not a 4 or 5 is because Ive been getting sick. Ive noticed that the last 2 times I got sick I had Abacus Inn prior to getting sick. It doesn't happen every time but I think I've narrowed it down to the egg rolls. Every time I get the egg rolls I get sick. I will be returning. The food is good. I will just try and stay away from the egg rolls.
(3)
Rob L.
They use good quality ingredients and the food is good. I love thier chef's special salad (cabbage and chicken).
(4)
Jeff M.
Not the first time I have been here and won't be the last. Good Chinese food at a good price. The egg flower soup had a generous portion of chicken in it, making it very much like another order of food and not just an appetizer. The sun kept shining through the window as we at near sunset, so that was the only detractor of the decor. In addition to the soup we had the sweet and sour pork, beef broccoli, and teriyaki chicken (mostly 'cause our kids are picky.) All were good.
(4)
Sean L.
We Order takeout here quite a bit and the food is fantastic. The food always taste fresh, I suggest the mongolian beef and the cashew chicken. The special chicken is great too if you like your fried foods. the only downside I have ever had is it took an hour and a half for delivery one time and I was pretty upset but the food makes up for it
(4)
dave m.
This is the best neighborhood Chinese restaurant that my wife and I have ever been to. The staff is friendly, I have never had a bad meal and the prices are reasonable. I highly recommend Abacus Inn to anyone looking for good Chinese food. We bring our family here every time they visit.
(5)
Alex J.
5 years ago I would have given them 5 stars, but as of late the quality has gone down a bit. Not sure why, it just has. We just ordered from there last night, we got our regular dishes which include orange beef, mongolian beef, pork and rice. The beef dishes were extremely dry and they tasted more like shrimp than beef. For the most part we are always happy with the food from Abacus, I just hope it gets back to where it used to be.
(3)
Sully B.
Big portions, but it is a bit expensive. The delivery guy showed up an hour after I ordered. The shrimp fried rice so far after going through almost half of it had only ONE SHRIMP lol. I recommend avoiding this place if you can, but for chinese place that delivers, you can do worse.
(3)
Joey S.
Wife and daughter ate here and got food poisoning. They had the shrimp lo mein. Beware!
(1)
Brian A.
We have tried every Chinese food restaurant in the Northwest Valley...for the last 10 years, this is by far our favorite. We especially like the value of the lunch specials.
(5)
VK W.
My wife and I either eat in or take out on a regular basis and the food is fabulous. The service is always friendly and our take-out orders have been on time. The place is small and unassuming but you'll love it once you try it!! Good family-owned resturants deserve rave reviews and repeat visits :)
(5)
Wendy H.
We just moved to phoenix from the bay area of ca where we have been eating great authenic chinese food from a great mom and pop chinese place for the last 5 years. We've been searching high and low for good chinese since we moved here, we were really hoping this was it as it delivers! The girl on the phone was very nice portions were large, delivery guy was nice and prompt but thats the best I've got to say. We didn't enjoy the food. It was not the authenic food we were hoping for, no where close to what we are used to in san fran. The food was over salted, over sauced, and all fried. It just didn't have much flavor. The sweet and sour chicken was filled with canned pinapple?!The search continues, this place is not the answer to great chinese food here.
(2)
Lora F.
Good chinese for a chain. Always consistent. Hot and sour soup os my fav. Actually has a bit pf spice.
(3)
Tara M.
The Abacus Inn was very clean and the customer service was excellent. On the other hand the food was terrible it tasted as if it came from the freezer or out of a package. I have had better chinese food from the grocery store. The tea had to be Lipton and lacked all the flavor normal tea has in Chinese restaurants.
(1)
Gloria H.
For Chinese food, THIS PLACE IS THE BOMB! It's not a fast food greasy take out joint!!! This is a little cozy spot, very low key but Oh man let me tell you the food is great! My kids get the beef broccoli and usually I'll get the sun devil chicken or the orange chicken with steamed rice, It's not over breaded and the meat is all white no skin! Soooooooooooooo yummy! Prices are super good too, very inexpensive meal! I promise! Abacus you rock!
(5)
John L.
For the most part, Abacus Inn is a clean and reliable choice for Chinese. The prices are reasonable, about like you would expect, in the 7.5 to 11 range for most dishes. Some of the chicken dishes are a little dry, but I really enjoy the beef with snow peas and chow main.
(4)
Paul G.
This place used to be amazing. I started eating here in late 2007, and they had by far the best General Tso's chicken I've ever had, and very good egg fried rice. Sometime around 2010 it all changed drastically. I've gone back several times since then, and it has not been great, but this last time I went it was just horrible. I ordered the same chicken, but some of the pieces were not cooked through, I had shell in my egg fried rice, and they were both very bland. It makes me very sad because there really aren't any good Chinese restaurants on the west side, and to say that I'll never go here again is not something I easily do, but this place is just not worth it anymore.
(1)
Nefretiri H.
Thanks to yelp we discovered our new favorite Asian restaurant. Small & not so fancy but they sure make up for it quality. It was hot in there when we walked in but they immediately lowered the air conditioner to accommodate us. The prices are a little higher than the other Asian restaurants that we've been going to but you get what you pay for. We ordered the Orange Beef which was a little sweet & spicy with orange slices arranged on the top, I can't wait to go back just for that. The Shrimp with Cream Sauce was excellent & loaded with shrimp. My mother wasn't too impressed with the Teriyaki Chicken but to be fair she doesn't care for white meat chicken & that's all they use in their chicken recipes, a big plus for most. My husband got the Abacus Special Chicken & it was excellent but he loved the sauce in the Orange Beef so much that he ended up dipping his chicken in the extra orange sauce I ordered on the side. Staff was very friendly too.
(5)
Cindi D.
I've never had worse food - of any kind. It was inedible and gave my poor mother food poisoning. She has been violently sick since an hour after she ate it. For my b'day, my elderly mother came out from Boston. She wanted Chinese food and Yelp rated this place pretty highly so we gave it a try although it seems we have a decided lack of decent Chinese Food Restaurants in Arizona compared to other states. Ordered: Beef Chow Mien and received a container full of lo-mein noodles with four quarter-sized slices of rubbery, flavorless beef, 3 chunks of yellowing, limp broccoli and 4 pea pods in a flavorless sauce. Pork Fried Rice - received a container of sticky, mushy, overcooked white rice - again flavorless, with some peas, carrots and a few shreds of unidentifiable white meat. Pork Egg Foo Yung - An oil slick of congealed flavorless brown sauce topped with the prerequisite peas n' carrots topped with slices of fatty, gristly pork. It looked like throw up and tasted not much better. I gave my dog a piece of the "pork" and he spit it out. Too bad my mother didn't do the same. I've had Egg Foo Yung in 18 different states and this did not resemble any foo yung I'd ever seen. Supposed to be an omelette made with eggs, fresh sliced chineses veggies and meat/pork/chicken, pan fried and covered in a brown sauce...not a pile of canned peas and carrots with slices of meat mixed with a scrambled egg and congealed sauce. Honey Glazed chicken wings - Rubbery boiled chicken covered in honey and sesame seeds. Not crispy or crunchy, rubbery, overly sweet and again, FLAVORLESS. Looked like it had been microwaved. Crab Puffs - At least they were edible, more cream cheese than crab, but at least they were cooked well and tasted OK. I ended up throwing all of it in the trash (what a waste of $40.00) as it was an inedible mess (except for the crab puffs). They should be ashamed to serve customers this garbage. My husband and I only ate a few bites (thank God!) and I felt slightly sick whereas my mother ate more and is very, very ill. Unfortunately, she will miss her plane back to Boston and have to continue to stay at her motel as she is too weak and sick to fly so this horrible meal cost her over $750.00. I've had better frozen chinese food and made better at home. If I could rate it a negative 3 stars, I would. They should be shut down by the Board of Health!
(1)
Shaun Y.
Food has always been delicious every time that I have gone here. Unfortunately the service is not very good. I only return because I love the food.
(3)
Peter P.
It had no taste. Ordered many different things and was left unsatisfied.
(1)
Jason V.
It was the blandest fried rice I'd ever eaten...and it cost me ten bucks.
(1)
Aggie R.
Delicious, friendly staff. Favorite item there are the Crab Puffs, yum!!
(5)
Bill F.
Abacus, used to add subtract, multiple and divide. In this case, it's subtraction. The food was very bland, we ordered take out. Should be trash out. We've eaten a lot of Chinese takeout over the years. This is a place we won't order from again when in Glendale area. My wife thought it was horrible. Food we ordered: pupu platter for 2, hot & sour soup, House special chow mein, moo shu pork, orange beef (requested not spicy) total with tax $49 + change. pupu platter: poop poop - egg rolls tasteless, bbq pork overcooked, flavorless chicken wings and drumettes, fried shrimp (neutral) crab puffs, (deflating) Hot & Sour soup (afraid to try it for now, will prep myself to try it later) House special chow mein, definitely not special, flavorless, and if you like thin tasteless linguine like noodles with a hint of diluted brown color sauce as flavoring, then you might like it. Moo Shu Pork, sorry, should call it shoo shoo pork. go away go away. Orange beef: not use to having orange beef that is breaded battered fried. In my book, placing an orange slice garnish on the food doesn't make it orange beef. Call it a day and call it a lemon. Let's hope my wife and I find a better place. We ordered from this place, based on Yelp reviews, proximity of where we're staying and didn't have a car to get around. This take out food reminds me of Chinese food from the 1950's and 60s. My wife said you can't even call it Americanized, it's worse than that!!
(1)
Allie M.
Best Chinese in the valley. Been going here since I was a baby (literally- started at the older location & moved up to this one) & am in love with this place! The staff is so friendly & the food is delicious!! The hot & sour soup is the best in the nation (well out of the 3 states I've tried it in-my fav soup)! Do yourself a favor & try it!
(5)
Eric H.
2.5 stars, barely. Based on their food alone, they deserve 2 stars. Lunch specials are drenched in sauce, beef are chewy and not tender, and onion pieces are cut too long that it doesn't fit in one bite. Egg rolls are huge resembling something that is not an egg roll. Go to George and Son's in Glendale if you want better Chinese lunches for similar price. They do serve you tea for free though (although very heavy/dark/non-fresh) that pushes them up to 2.5 stars.
(2)
Stella C.
I have been coming to this location about 4 or so odd years and I have been very happy with them. If you want a cheap lunch with large portions, you have come to the right place. When you first enter a friendly server will seat you and then leave you with two menus. Then the server will quickly return with a hot steaming pot of tea, glasses of water, and then ask if you are ready. If not then they will return in a few minutes. I must say that I have never had more attentive servers than I had have here, and even better they are quick. That includes take out as well. Here is a break down of pros and cons. Pros: -The lunch prices are amazing. You get so much food for what you are paying. -Their hot and sour soup is absolutely divine. -The tea tastes very good and the type they chose acts like a pallet cleanser. -The food is very good quality. The rice is cooked in a traditional Chinese way, their meat is tender, and chowmein is never over cooked. Cons: -Dinner can get a bit expensive so I suggest you eat lunch here. -The chicken was diced way too big and tended to be overwhelming, but when I returned I saw that they fixed that. I have only been disappointed once because the food wasn't cooked very well, but they jumped right on it to straighten it out. I had a problem, they understood the problem, and then took care of the problem. I appreciated their understanding and commitment to their customers. If you are in the area, check them out because their lunch prices are worth the visit!
(5)
Katarina G.
Hot and Sour Soup is AWESOME! Love it. Lunch menu is great deal. Orange Chicken is family favorite. Waiters are always super fast. Have been coming here for over 10 years and service and food has always been consistent.
(4)
Nick R.
Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken. Got it? Ok. I'll let you order an eggroll too. Their orange chicken is seriously good.
(4)
Eric C.
Abacus is the best! They have the best hot and sour soup I've ever tasted. Eggrolls are awesome too. I've tried many things on the menu and have never been disapointed. I can't comment on the table service because I always get take-out but the cashier has always been very nice. Be sure to ask for thier special mustard, it's awesome too.
(5)
Mark M.
Placed a pick up order they advised me that it would be 15 min. When I arrived I noticed a lot of people waiting. The guy next me said he has been there waiting for 20 min for his order he placed it over a half hour ago. It took 40 min for my pick up order! For years I have always ordered the Abacus crispy noodle chow main with the crispy noodles on the side as they would be gross by the time I get home. Tonight I called and went to place my order was told they can no longer do that it has to be all mixed together at the same time. I asked are you sure I was just there last week? Yes I am sorry no exceptions. I said yes I am sorry as well and cancelled my order which was going to be a big one as I have 2 growing boys! Complete bummer as we always enjoyed the food will not be returning.
(2)
Viet D.
Take-out order review. Overall the food was decently good, better than Pei-Wei, Panda Express, and those chain restaurants. Quick service, friendly. Hot and Sour soup was too watery and too sweet and not enough sour. Steam rice was cook correctly, not dry from sitting around too long. Mongolian beef was good. Meat was tender and not overcooked. Cashew chicken was excellent, vegetables not overooked and limp but firm and crispy. Teriyaki chicken was also good, lots of meat, chicken tender, not too much sugary flavor. Plenty of food for the price. My biggest complaint would be not enough spices, chili pepper, or heat in general. Need to kick it up a notch. Would eat here again but ask for more chili.
(3)
Lucy S.
Not the best... or even average. I ordered take out from here, and just finished eating right now. I got the crab puffs which had been highly reviewed from a fellow yelper. I was very disappointed, yes they were large. but not filled with crab or anything tastey...just filled with cold cream cheese. my entree much in the same. it was cheap chicken that was oversalted. i think that the chef must be a smoker because he obviously cannot taste the salt content in his food. The place was pretty full, so i'm guessing some of their dishes must be alright or people wouldn't eat there. I dont think ill be going back anytime soon, or ever at all. Next time ill just go to Panda Express across the street. its alot cheaper.
(1)
Kitship L.
My boyfriend and I probably come here once a week. Their food is excellent, the staff is awesome and friendly, and their prices are great. I recommend the dumplings, crab puffs, Sun Devil Chicken and Chicken Chow Mein.
(5)
Ron P.
Abacus has excellent food for takeout or if you want to eat in. If you are from the east coast the wonton soup will see a little different because they include shrimp and chicken along with all the other ingredients you would expect. It is very very good. Not cheap so don't expect this quality for less.
(4)
Stephanie B.
Great egg drop soup. Kung pao chicken - meh. Beef broccoli - yum.
(4)
Conrad F.
Excellent orange beef, large and flavorful egg rolls, and great hot n sour soup make this a great place for lunch or dinner. Lunch specials are reasonable AND include soup. Large luncheon portions. I have had the pork egg food young also and it is equally delicious. A nice touch is the free hot tea and noodles/sauce when dining in...A must try!!!
(5)
Alyn C.
Fast and friendly service... Dropped in for takeout spur of the moment visiting a friend- and before my flirty conversation was over with the cute girl, Alice, behind the counter- food was ready! (And wow, huge portions!)
(4)
Josh J.
The orange chicken is delicious!! You can't beat the lunch specials, entree, egg roll, 2 won tons, rice and soup. Hot and sour soup is also very good. This is my favorite place to get orange chicken.
(5)
Newton H.
Unfortunately, my family and I have noticed a marked drop off in quality & quantity over the last six months. We have ordered delivery from Abacus for the last 5 or 6 years. An example is the shrimp in garlic sauce. It started out as a substantial portion size, but the last 2 times we ordered, it was like a soup with a few pieces of shrimp. We save the to go containers for reuse for our leftovers at home and the new containers are now 1 inch deep instead of the 2 inches that we got before. (major drop in quantity)
(2)
Heather H.
Have visited the location on 35th and Tbird and always order their amazing Kung Pao Chicken. Not so amazing at the Arrowhead location. Too many green onions (I thought I got the wrong order until I found a few peanuts) and chicken was dry. Didn't finish it. Fried rice was good as was the egg roll. Crab puffs were pretty small, though. Hoping this is just an isolated situation as my workplace has moved to the arrowhead area.
(2)
Susan W.
We ate here for the last time on Friday. I have to say, the food was fairly good. But this review isn't about the food. We were seated in the one booth that looks into the kitchen. Big mistake. After our meal, I noticed the waitress pouring liquid into a large percolator-type coffee urn. It looked like she was pouring from a small tea pot. Sure enough, I sat and watched while she poured pot after pot of tea that had been sitting on tables, back into this urn to be served again. By now my kids were watching, too, and the manager walked into the kitchen and spoke to the waitress. She imediately stopped what she was soing, but as tables were cleared, the staff continued to set tea pots next to this urn. Now I personally don't drink the tea, but I have seen people do all kinds of things to these teapots--add ice, add sweetener, toss in a couple of lemon slices. Grossed me out and made me wonder what they were planning to do with that eggroll on my son's plate...
(1)
Sarah K.
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Chinese food connoisseur. But I do love to have lunch over here whenever I'm on this side of town. If you're looking for some gong bang for your buck, you've found it. The lunch servings are generous, and the prices are low. All lunch items come with these yummy fried won ton crunchy things, a cup of soup, fried rice, an egg roll, and of course, whatever you ordered. All meals - lunch and dinner- also come with hot tea. I've been for both lunch and dinner, but I really recommend going for lunch if you're in the area, because it's just a great deal. And the selection is pretty wide, as well as vegetarian friendly. My favorite thing here is their hot and sour soup. I had honestly never eaten soup at a Chinese food restaurant before Abacus, because they always grossed me out. But I love their hot and sour soup. It has just the right amount of hot and the perfect amount of sour. This soup even inspired me to try making it myself at home because I started craving it, but I live so far away. Oh yeah, every meal also comes with free dessert: a fortune cookie My last one said that I would start writing some great reviews. But I don't think you're really supposed to add "in bed" to the end of that one.
(4)
J Y.
We decided to give them a second try. First the service was horrible. We were never asked for our drink order and the menus were just dropped on the table. It is always hot in the dining room. The soup and Kung Pao were both tasteless. No third try coming.
(1)
Christine T.
.......Where are the chopsticks? A Chinese restaurant is clearly not Chinese when there are no chopsticks on the place setting! Tea was lukewarm upon arrival, tasted unauthentic, with the help of any ambiguous American tea bag. The hot and sour soup had peas...peas! Side of rice was stiff and tasted as if it had been in the cooker all day. Had the stir fry vegetable dish that consisted of broccoli, snow peas and mushrooms overly cooked to mush; where was my bok choy or kai lan or any type of actual authentic Chinese vegetables?! One thing I do give them credit for: service was clean, fast, and efficient. Other than that, your money's better off at Panda Express right down the street. Same quality of food, and at least there you won't have to pay for tip!
(2)
Alicia P.
The food here was really good. I would say I would go here again and the only reason I did not give it 5 stars is my chicken dish was not spicy at all when I was told it would be.
(4)
Seth P.
Based on the reviews I was excited to try this place. It feel well short of good. I had the orange chicken lunch special and @ $8.25 seemed a little high priced for lunch in a strip mall. I tried the hot and sour soup- blah, I couldn't get past 3 spoonfuls. The orange chicken was dry on the inside but the sauce was okay, I ended up shoving the chicken to one side and just eating rice + sauce. One bite of the egg roll and I was done with that too - you can buy better crappy egg rolls in the freezer section at the grocery store, then let them sit outside in the heat for a day or two and serve them up and they would be better than that excuse for an egg roll. The plus side was they kept filling my water - which was needed to choke it all down. I will not return.
(2)
B T.
The food is okay, nothing stellar but what put me off is that they refuse to drive one block away at lunch to do delivery. Really? If you're going to do delivery, and I know it's busy at lunch, but guess what, it's also an order! I took my business elsewhere who were more than glad to deliver my order. Don't say you're delivery if you're only delivery after 5pm.
(2)
Scott H.
I eat here every time I'm working in the area. The service is excellent and so is the food. And it's really inexpensive!
(5)
Brian H.
Been here a few times each time I have been here the food and service was out standing.. They have some of the best orange chicken and there crab puffs have lots of filling in them. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Anna C.
I have been living in the Phoenix area for over a year now and had yet to find a great Chinese food place. I have had a few friends recently mention how great Abacus Inn was, so I knew I had to try it. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The crab wontons were amazing. Orange chicken was flavorful and tender! Chow mein was full of delicious veggies and chicken! The portions are very large! The staff was very friendly as well. Even though they were quite busy when I came in, the hostess was kind enough to pause to help me decide what to order. I will definitely be returning! I highly recommend trying this place, your tastebuds and stomach will thank you!
(5)
Mike M.
Compared to the Orange chicken I had last at Good China Abacus is 10 times better. Hot and sour soup very good. Place crowded at noon lunch a testament to the food quality. My neighbor hood favoritem
(4)
Siobhan N.
My favourite Chinese Restaurant. Better than PF or any of that nonsense. I order the Orange Chicken, Chicken Chow Mein or Mu Shu Pork and I love them all! I crave this place and its deliciousness, maybe it's the addictive MSG but for once, I don't even care! On my last visit, the owner gave everyone a Chinese Calendar as a holiday gift which was kind! Fair warning, some of the staff are strange but most of them a great! You should go there now.
(5)
Karina H.
I got the chicken lettuce wraps and it gave me food poisoning. The place is also filthy...look at the fans/vents and decor. It's like they don't clean at all - no wonder I got sick. I do not recommend this place at all.
(1)
Charlie P.
Best orange chicken and egg drop soup you'll ever have! Their daily specials just adds that "icing on the cake" as they say. I definitely recommend anyone coming to this place. I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, but when I get the craving - I come here!
(5)
D. H.
Walked into restaurant at noon today, was seated immediately. The entire place smelled like a sewer had backed up. We sat there for a minute, husband had his menu stuck to the table. The waiter came over with hot tea and water and we then announced we were leaving as the place has a terrible sewer odor. The waiter said "odor?" That place needs the Board of Health to investigate it. Absolutely disgusting. I'm not talking about a little "smell", the entire place reaked of some kind of backup odor. Go next door and have the pizza....
(1)
Trevor W.
It's a small restaurant... One of those easily missed "hole - in - the - walls" that luckily I ran into. Absolutely the BEST orange chicken and beef & broccoli. Their chicken is lightly breaded , very crispy, and tender, definitely not the cheap chicken you find at other Chinese food places. The sauce is outstanding, with a light hint of orange flavor, without the actual orange peel. I like it extra spicy, and they nail it every time. Beef and broccoli has the most tender, non - fatty pieces of meat you will ever find. I still have not found any beef more tender, or even close to where this one is. Plenty of veggies, plenty of meat. I have since moved away, and nobody can come close to their quality and excellent taste. I just visited the area again and made this my first stop after landing, 45 minutes out of my way (one way), and it was worth it. It was as good as I hoped it would be. Food portions are generous...you will not go home hungry. The ONLY drawback is it is a small restaurant and you have to wait on busy nights. Take it to go on those nights. You will not be disappointed! This will be my first stop any time I fly into Phoenix.
(5)
Sarah M.
This place is a local hidden gem. I love how they serve free tea to start off before you even think of ordering anything! Furthermore, I enjoy the food here because all of it is absolutely amazing!
(5)
Angela T.
Best Chinese food in the valley. Excellent price to quantity. Dine in service is not the sharpest but the food makes up for the lack of great service.
(5)
Monique C.
I have been here at least a baker's dozen times when visiting. The food is fresh and consistent, the service reliable, and the lunch specials are very reasonably priced. Overall, it's a somewhat generic menu. To my taste, the kung pao dishes are generally over sauced, a bit mushy in texture, and not very hot/spicy. Yet overall everything is tasty. The lunch portions are huge and reheat well. Their best dish is the hot and sour soup. This is my dad's favorite Chinese restaurant in Phoenix and I don't need to have adventure-some dining when out with him. In addition, my parents came here for years. When my mom got lung cancer and could no longer go out, Dad would order the soup to go - and the owner was incredibly kind to her in her last months. How can I not continue to patronize such a human being??
(3)
Joshua K.
One of my favorite Chinese food restaurants. I suggest the hot and sour soup with orange chicken for lunch. Food is amazing and very reasonably priced. I have been going here for over 10 years and love it.
(5)
Patricia S.
Love it! My husband loves the hot and sour soup and the egg rolls are really excellent. We have tried all sorts of things on the menu from crab puffs to wonton, sweet & sour chicken, shrimp and pork, Tso' s chicken, cashew chicken, beef dishes, chow mein, etc. Everything is great! Fresh, well seasoned, and very ample portions. People are helpful and courteous. We would recommend Abacus Arrowhead on 59th Ave. in Glendale to anyone!
(5)
Beverly D.
This place used to be a great place to eat. Now I must say it was a very bad experience. There were 6 of us today to celebrate a birthday. The wontons were burnt, the egg rolls were burnt and the lemon chicken was tough. I was very disappointed and won't be back for another celebration. Also not enough help. Had to get up and get silverware. Asked the waiter for more and he forgot. Also asked him for table chips and he said he would and never brought them. The place is too small and crowded to enjoy your meal. People on top of each other so to speak. The service was terrible. Also the place needs to have a good cleaning done.
(1)
John F.
Pretty good! Not the best, but not the worst out here! Try it!
(4)
Janine F.
The food is pretty good but I HATE going in to eat. The restaurant is too small and crowded. The atmosphere just feels uncomfortable and the service is lacking. They need to deep clean this place and have better customer service. Always iffy about eating here because it's dirty.
(2)
Eric J.
This place is great! Have been going here for over 10 years. Great service and great food. Portions are rediculously large for the price.
(4)
Mike M.
Read there reviews was excited to try and no delivery still after 5very disappointed they should not advertise delivery then not do it?
(1)
Bad L.
When we first moved to Arizona we lived in Ahwatukee and Abacus Inn was on restaurant of choice on Elliot and 48th. Fast forward 20 years and one pops in closer to us so we thought we would give it a try. I liked it, she didn't. It wasn't the same as we remembered. Maybe we aged. Maybe they did. The place is tiny and packed. There appears to be a brisk take-out business happening. The menu appears to be "lite" on menu options and not like other Chinese joints where there are endless pages of options. We preferred Shanghai on 67th and Happy Valley (in the Fry's shopping Center) as our favorite Chinese in the Northwest side. There is some serious commentary needed and it's how these Chinese restaurants seem to make take out orders, over in restaurant orders. They must teach them that in Chinese Food school but I have seen full packed restaurants of people waiting up to an hour + for food, while the take out is brisk. I have seen people walk in, order takeout and then sit and eat it whiles others wait. I'm not sure why they do this, but all Chinese joints seem to partake in this mistake.
(2)
Keith S.
I have been coming to this restaurant for over 10 years and there are times that they have had by far the best Chinese food, Valley wide! Most of the time the food is awesome and once in a while we will get one of our favorites that is not as great as usual but still good. (We believe they have 2 cooks and one is just a little better than the other). Great Egg Rolls,Beef & Broccoli, war wonton soup, house F rice, SS chicken, lemon chicken are our favorites and are very good. the veggies are always fresh. Even the drinking water, they made the investment to have their own RO system which makes a big difference on the food and drinks. Have you ever been some where and the drinking water is horrible? The food rocks! Only down turn to me is that it is a small place with not a lot of seating. I recommend going early on the busy days or enjoy during the week. I grew up to very good C. food and it took me 10 years in Phoenix before I found what this place offers, which is great flavored Chinese food with fresh ingredients!
(5)
Brandon C.
Great food and great service! Staff is always friendly and fast! Stopped going to the one on thunderbird because they changed their recipes. This Abacus is far better and is more like it the old one was way back in the day even better. BEST Hot and Sour Soup I've ever had in fact all their soups are amazing! Even the egg drop which to me anywhere else is inedible! Recommendations aka personal favorites-Sundevil Chicken, Kung Pao Two, Shrimp with Cream Sauce, Chow Mein, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, ALL their soups.
(5)
Kay K.
I'm pretty surprised by the reviews. We have been here more than a handful of timea for lunch and dinner. Food is fresh and plenty. Service is pleasant. Only drawbacks are long wait times for carry out and dine in. Orange chicken and hot sour soup are delicious!
(4)
Joseph F.
We have been going for a few years and we do like it. The food is consistent and good. Is it the best Chinese we ever had - no, BUT its is very good. I always get beef and broccoli and have never been disappointed. We look forward to going again.
(4)
Tony K.
The place is very compact. Started with their honey chicken this dish was Great nice and crispy skin with no breading. I ordered their shrimp chow mein. The dish came with a lot of noodles and crunchy broccoli which is perfect for me . We finished with their sun devil chicken . The service was good
(4)
Kevin S.
Great food for a reasonable price. Always prompt delivery.
(5)
Leslie N.
This was a very disappointing representation of Chinese food!! We ordered take out for the family - egg rolls (the won ton skin was not fried and mushy), wor won ton soup (there's was less than a teaspoon of fitting in the won ton - very pasty and the broth was flavorless), the house special fried rice was flavorless, abacus special chicken was over done and dry (thank goodness for the sauce that we had to drown it in to swallow), the General Tso chicken and Mongolian beef were less than mediocre. I asked if the Abacus chow mein had Hong Kong style noodles & they asked me what that meant- a term a good an authentic Chinese restaurant would know - It's a crispy thin noodle. They told me it was a crispy noodle and they were but it was the type you get out of the can in the grocery store. The best thing about the meal was the fortune cookie that was made somewhere else.
(1)
Michael S.
Great pricing and excellent service. This is our go to Chinese restraunt. I recommend the orange chicken.
(5)
Lisa M.
Have been here many, many times since my initial review. Things are always good. Food very fresh and consistent. Have had almost all the lunch specials and everyone of them has been great. The restaurant is always busy no matter what time of day. People trickle in and out all through the day. You can't go wrong here.
(4)
Chris R.
4 stars for this Glendale Chinese food. If there are better places in Glendale, please tell me. I love coming here with my mom when I am in town, the chicken lo-mein lunch special makes me happy.
We went for dinner. Environment-Appeared clean and casual a little small. The restaurant was extremely warm and uncomfortable. Service-Mediocre. We waited sometime before getting our drink order taken. Water refills were slow. Appetizers. We got egg rolls and wontons. The egg rolls were fantastic, in fact some of the best I ever tasted. The wontons were good. Dinner-We shared orange chicken, egg fried rice, and moo shoo pork. The orange chicken was good, maybe slightly above average. The egg fried rice lacked flavor/seasoning as did the moo shoo pork. Salt on the rice helped, and we used soy on the moo shoo. However, with no added seasoning it was very bland and below par. I would go back but not seek it out.
(3)
Ryan R.
Most amazing Chinese food place in Arizona. I'm from New York and I know my Chinese food and this is pretty close to New York as it gets fast and great friendly service.
(5)
Korie B.
Had a great dinner there tonight. Clean, friendly, great deal on delicious food. Good sized portions for a great price. We will definitely go back soon.
(4)
Sargis N.
This place lacks everything.. The food is disgusting. I threw up after I ate there food. It's just not good. It's sucks because Arizona lacks culture foods. Id rather go to Panda Express than step foot in that place.
(2)
Alberto S.
Delivery is not very good !! Was late and didn't bring plastic wear or plates or not even soy sauce! Very disappointed specially because we have order many times from there before and lately not getting good service.
(2)
Staci L.
Went there on 8/05/14 with my kids. The wait staff was very pleasant, I have nothing negative to say about the service. The interior was coolish, designed with a lot of Asian arts, your normal small hole in the wall dine in. I ordered the wonton soup, chicken chow mein, and mongolian beef. The soup came out first and the presentation was grand, it came out in a big bowl (enough for 4 pp to eat) with shrimp, boiled wontons, chicken, strips of pork and napa cabbage. I was like "Finally a good Chinese restaurant!". The broth itself was very tasty and so were the meats. I fed my son (2 yr old) the wonton first because that's something he would like. Upon first examining it, I noticed that it didn't look cooked but I assumed that that's probably the type of wonton they used. My son ate it and spit it out. So I tasted it and it was uncooked. It was still cold and doughy. I was very bummed that I gave it to my little boy and that the soup was ruined. Then I tried the napa cabbage and it was bitter...like old veggie bitter. I told my kids to stop eating and when the server returned I told him the issue and he took it off my bill. Then the entrees came out. The mongolian beef was very mediocre. Mongolian Beef is one of my favorite Chinese dishes and it wasn't up to par at all with what I've had in the past, very very plain. The Chow Mein had good flavoring and my kids enjoyed the dish but the veggies were really raw and bitter. So I decided to just box everything up and head home. When I got home and warmed up the Chow Mein, I looked at the veggies again and saw black spots on them. They were seriously over due and should have been tossed out instead of cooked or added to dishes for their guest. We will not be going back to this place. I've been in AZ for a year now and so far, I've been disappointed at every Chinese restaurant I've been too. I mean Panda Wok taste better and that is very sad. The only one that I kinda enjoyed was Bamboo off Happy Valley. Prices are kinda high but at least they are consistent. If anyone knows of a good Chinese restaurant, let me know so I can go check it out.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes 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.
Albert H.
Don't be turned off by the strip mall location. This place is cute on the inside, clean, and has above average food. Prices are reasonable and portions are healthy. Veggie fried rice to go is only $5 and easily feeds two healthy adults. Service is fairly reliable and not a lot of kids here because it is a narrow dining area (if there are noisy kids, the whole restaurant will hear it).
(4)Paul B.
The BEST Hot-N-Sour Soup anywhere. Lunch specials are great and very reasonably priced.
(4)Jeff L.
Ordered "Inn" last night. Pun intended. Orange Chicken, Pu Pu Platter and House Chow Mein (I freeze most of it so I can have dinner when needed.) Everything was perfect! Orange Chicken was not a thick breading like most other places. It was very thin and flavorful. Everything in the platter was not overcooked. Chow mein...no clue. Froze it. Will be my number one Chinese delivery...as long as they keep up the good product.
(5)Brooke K.
I love their Hot and Sour Soup..but order a half size or you will have left overs for a month. Their Mongolian Beef is really good as well.
(4)Lance H.
I read the less than stellar reviews on here and decided to try it anyway. The restaurant is located next to Albertson's on 59th Ave, just north of the 101. It's a smaller restaurant, probably 10 tables and 10 booths. We were greeted promptly by the hostess and given the choice of a booth or a table... we took the booth (of course). Tea was served promptly. The menu tells a little back story of the restaurant and how it was voted best Chinese food in Phoenix in 1999 by the Arizona Republic. The menu has all the usual suspects for a Chinese restaurant, and a couple of newcomers. I decided to branch out and get the Sun Devil Chicken (ASU Baby!). It's white chicken (all their chicken dishes are) with a creamy garlic/jalapeno sauce and with fresh sliced jalapenos mixed in. She got orange peel chicken. We decided to share an appetizer of crab puffs. I barely got through one cup of tea by the time they arrived. They were hot, fresh and were huge! 8 of them came in an order, along with hot mustard and sweet and sour sauce. Normally judge a Chinese restaurant by the quality of their crab puffs. Abacus may have the best I've ever had. Soon after the entrees arrived. Both were HUGE and had a complete bowl of rice. I tried both dishes, both were good... I won't go into the "It was so savory with a hint of spice" crap that everyone on here thinks they are giving an audition for Iron Chef. We ended up taking about half of each home and will be going again without question. Price was decent. Both dishes were $8.25 and the crab puffs were $5.50. The check came with 2 fortune cookies. Mine said "You will soon be surrounded by luxury"... her's said... well, we'll never know... because she ended up eating the fortune. Which prompts, thing's you are very unlikely to hear at a Chinese restaurant.... "Did I just eat my fortune?" They have lunch specials and also deliver between: 35th Ave & 83rd Ave Bell Rd & Jomax Rd.
(4)Ross L.
LOVE this place. The sweet & sour pork wasn't phenomenal, but the orange chicken was. The sauce they used was a perfect combination of citrus mixed with a sort of teriyaki spice. Also, their servings were huge in comparison to any other Chinese restaurant I've ever ordered from. They stuffed mounds of food into plastic containers that dwarf the traditional midget-sized white take-out boxes. I ordered delivery about 10 minutes before they closed and they were happy to oblige. Not only did they still take my order happily, but they had the food delivered less than 20 minutes after I placed my order. I will certainly be eating here again; I recommend you do the same.
(5)Julie S.
If I could give it a negative star I would! Fried wontons stale & awful, Kung Pao chicken was so dry it was not worth eating, sun devil pork was stringy & filled with gristle! Awful! We didn't even eat any, told the waitress how awful it was & she did nothing. Had coupon for free dinner b1g1 & they refused to take it! Do yourself a favor don't go!
(1)Josie G.
I'm of Asian descent born in the states and I am pretty familiar with my Chinese food. Parents were visiting from the Bay Area and we had already visited the Chinese Cultural center, so I thought we could hang closer to home. Very cute and clean restaurant. Plate full of fried wonton skins as well as a pourable container of sweet & sour sauce were awaiting at every table. Which made me skeptical as to how long it had been sitting there. Decent prices. Service was fast and friendly. My parents had the egg drop soup to start. They said the soup was not bad as it had pieces of chicken and water chestnut throughout. Good start. My mother had the teriyaki chicken and my father and I had the shrimp in lobster sauce. Large portions and wafting aromas were very promising. I was so hoping that this place would have good Chinese food. It is freeway close, not too many miles from home. Alas, we were very disappointed in the meals. The teriyaki chicken (bummed also that it did not come with any veggies) over rice was drowned in a heavily salted and sugared teri sauce. There was not one iota of white left in the rice. She had 3 pieces and stopped. Granted the chicken was not over done and it was all breast meat. The shrimp with lobster sauce, also drowned, but in a heavily salted lobster sauce. Lots of shrimp, but not very edible on our taste scales.
(1)Matt N.
This Chinese food is the best I have had so far and I have tried many Chinese places the service is amazing as well their half size soup is the standard large in most Chinese restaurants the only thing I don't like is you have to add white pepper salt and chile oil to make the hot and sour soup spicy I ordered the general tso chicken and they where able to do it non battered which is a plus for me because I have the gastric bypass can't have alot of deep fry all waiters waitresses and bussers have a smile this is something I see no where anymore amazing serving sizes perfect for price very genorous
(5)Lisa G.
Absolutely love this place! It was very clean, the servers are extremely nice and super quick service. The number one thing about this place that was shocking is the quality of ingredients they use. The beef was thick, the shrimp was huge, and the chicken is all white meat. The veggies are fresh and the rice is perfect. I was really impressed. My hubby raved about the hot & sour soup, and everything we have tried is excellent. They also give you hot tea and its delish. If you go for the lunch specials, its and excellent value so much for cheap. Dinner is a little more, but still a good value, we always have to take food home.
(5)Moses Z.
This is a nice, clean, and small place. The service is prompt and friendly. The food is good. Ive come here more than a couple of times. The only reason I gave this place a 3 star review and not a 4 or 5 is because Ive been getting sick. Ive noticed that the last 2 times I got sick I had Abacus Inn prior to getting sick. It doesn't happen every time but I think I've narrowed it down to the egg rolls. Every time I get the egg rolls I get sick. I will be returning. The food is good. I will just try and stay away from the egg rolls.
(3)Rob L.
They use good quality ingredients and the food is good. I love thier chef's special salad (cabbage and chicken).
(4)Jeff M.
Not the first time I have been here and won't be the last. Good Chinese food at a good price. The egg flower soup had a generous portion of chicken in it, making it very much like another order of food and not just an appetizer. The sun kept shining through the window as we at near sunset, so that was the only detractor of the decor. In addition to the soup we had the sweet and sour pork, beef broccoli, and teriyaki chicken (mostly 'cause our kids are picky.) All were good.
(4)Sean L.
We Order takeout here quite a bit and the food is fantastic. The food always taste fresh, I suggest the mongolian beef and the cashew chicken. The special chicken is great too if you like your fried foods. the only downside I have ever had is it took an hour and a half for delivery one time and I was pretty upset but the food makes up for it
(4)dave m.
This is the best neighborhood Chinese restaurant that my wife and I have ever been to. The staff is friendly, I have never had a bad meal and the prices are reasonable. I highly recommend Abacus Inn to anyone looking for good Chinese food. We bring our family here every time they visit.
(5)Alex J.
5 years ago I would have given them 5 stars, but as of late the quality has gone down a bit. Not sure why, it just has. We just ordered from there last night, we got our regular dishes which include orange beef, mongolian beef, pork and rice. The beef dishes were extremely dry and they tasted more like shrimp than beef. For the most part we are always happy with the food from Abacus, I just hope it gets back to where it used to be.
(3)Sully B.
Big portions, but it is a bit expensive. The delivery guy showed up an hour after I ordered. The shrimp fried rice so far after going through almost half of it had only ONE SHRIMP lol. I recommend avoiding this place if you can, but for chinese place that delivers, you can do worse.
(3)Joey S.
Wife and daughter ate here and got food poisoning. They had the shrimp lo mein. Beware!
(1)Brian A.
We have tried every Chinese food restaurant in the Northwest Valley...for the last 10 years, this is by far our favorite. We especially like the value of the lunch specials.
(5)VK W.
My wife and I either eat in or take out on a regular basis and the food is fabulous. The service is always friendly and our take-out orders have been on time. The place is small and unassuming but you'll love it once you try it!! Good family-owned resturants deserve rave reviews and repeat visits :)
(5)Wendy H.
We just moved to phoenix from the bay area of ca where we have been eating great authenic chinese food from a great mom and pop chinese place for the last 5 years. We've been searching high and low for good chinese since we moved here, we were really hoping this was it as it delivers! The girl on the phone was very nice portions were large, delivery guy was nice and prompt but thats the best I've got to say. We didn't enjoy the food. It was not the authenic food we were hoping for, no where close to what we are used to in san fran. The food was over salted, over sauced, and all fried. It just didn't have much flavor. The sweet and sour chicken was filled with canned pinapple?!The search continues, this place is not the answer to great chinese food here.
(2)Lora F.
Good chinese for a chain. Always consistent. Hot and sour soup os my fav. Actually has a bit pf spice.
(3)Tara M.
The Abacus Inn was very clean and the customer service was excellent. On the other hand the food was terrible it tasted as if it came from the freezer or out of a package. I have had better chinese food from the grocery store. The tea had to be Lipton and lacked all the flavor normal tea has in Chinese restaurants.
(1)Gloria H.
For Chinese food, THIS PLACE IS THE BOMB! It's not a fast food greasy take out joint!!! This is a little cozy spot, very low key but Oh man let me tell you the food is great! My kids get the beef broccoli and usually I'll get the sun devil chicken or the orange chicken with steamed rice, It's not over breaded and the meat is all white no skin! Soooooooooooooo yummy! Prices are super good too, very inexpensive meal! I promise! Abacus you rock!
(5)John L.
For the most part, Abacus Inn is a clean and reliable choice for Chinese. The prices are reasonable, about like you would expect, in the 7.5 to 11 range for most dishes. Some of the chicken dishes are a little dry, but I really enjoy the beef with snow peas and chow main.
(4)Paul G.
This place used to be amazing. I started eating here in late 2007, and they had by far the best General Tso's chicken I've ever had, and very good egg fried rice. Sometime around 2010 it all changed drastically. I've gone back several times since then, and it has not been great, but this last time I went it was just horrible. I ordered the same chicken, but some of the pieces were not cooked through, I had shell in my egg fried rice, and they were both very bland. It makes me very sad because there really aren't any good Chinese restaurants on the west side, and to say that I'll never go here again is not something I easily do, but this place is just not worth it anymore.
(1)Nefretiri H.
Thanks to yelp we discovered our new favorite Asian restaurant. Small & not so fancy but they sure make up for it quality. It was hot in there when we walked in but they immediately lowered the air conditioner to accommodate us. The prices are a little higher than the other Asian restaurants that we've been going to but you get what you pay for. We ordered the Orange Beef which was a little sweet & spicy with orange slices arranged on the top, I can't wait to go back just for that. The Shrimp with Cream Sauce was excellent & loaded with shrimp. My mother wasn't too impressed with the Teriyaki Chicken but to be fair she doesn't care for white meat chicken & that's all they use in their chicken recipes, a big plus for most. My husband got the Abacus Special Chicken & it was excellent but he loved the sauce in the Orange Beef so much that he ended up dipping his chicken in the extra orange sauce I ordered on the side. Staff was very friendly too.
(5)Cindi D.
I've never had worse food - of any kind. It was inedible and gave my poor mother food poisoning. She has been violently sick since an hour after she ate it. For my b'day, my elderly mother came out from Boston. She wanted Chinese food and Yelp rated this place pretty highly so we gave it a try although it seems we have a decided lack of decent Chinese Food Restaurants in Arizona compared to other states. Ordered: Beef Chow Mien and received a container full of lo-mein noodles with four quarter-sized slices of rubbery, flavorless beef, 3 chunks of yellowing, limp broccoli and 4 pea pods in a flavorless sauce. Pork Fried Rice - received a container of sticky, mushy, overcooked white rice - again flavorless, with some peas, carrots and a few shreds of unidentifiable white meat. Pork Egg Foo Yung - An oil slick of congealed flavorless brown sauce topped with the prerequisite peas n' carrots topped with slices of fatty, gristly pork. It looked like throw up and tasted not much better. I gave my dog a piece of the "pork" and he spit it out. Too bad my mother didn't do the same. I've had Egg Foo Yung in 18 different states and this did not resemble any foo yung I'd ever seen. Supposed to be an omelette made with eggs, fresh sliced chineses veggies and meat/pork/chicken, pan fried and covered in a brown sauce...not a pile of canned peas and carrots with slices of meat mixed with a scrambled egg and congealed sauce. Honey Glazed chicken wings - Rubbery boiled chicken covered in honey and sesame seeds. Not crispy or crunchy, rubbery, overly sweet and again, FLAVORLESS. Looked like it had been microwaved. Crab Puffs - At least they were edible, more cream cheese than crab, but at least they were cooked well and tasted OK. I ended up throwing all of it in the trash (what a waste of $40.00) as it was an inedible mess (except for the crab puffs). They should be ashamed to serve customers this garbage. My husband and I only ate a few bites (thank God!) and I felt slightly sick whereas my mother ate more and is very, very ill. Unfortunately, she will miss her plane back to Boston and have to continue to stay at her motel as she is too weak and sick to fly so this horrible meal cost her over $750.00. I've had better frozen chinese food and made better at home. If I could rate it a negative 3 stars, I would. They should be shut down by the Board of Health!
(1)Shaun Y.
Food has always been delicious every time that I have gone here. Unfortunately the service is not very good. I only return because I love the food.
(3)Peter P.
It had no taste. Ordered many different things and was left unsatisfied.
(1)Jason V.
It was the blandest fried rice I'd ever eaten...and it cost me ten bucks.
(1)Aggie R.
Delicious, friendly staff. Favorite item there are the Crab Puffs, yum!!
(5)Bill F.
Abacus, used to add subtract, multiple and divide. In this case, it's subtraction. The food was very bland, we ordered take out. Should be trash out. We've eaten a lot of Chinese takeout over the years. This is a place we won't order from again when in Glendale area. My wife thought it was horrible. Food we ordered: pupu platter for 2, hot & sour soup, House special chow mein, moo shu pork, orange beef (requested not spicy) total with tax $49 + change. pupu platter: poop poop - egg rolls tasteless, bbq pork overcooked, flavorless chicken wings and drumettes, fried shrimp (neutral) crab puffs, (deflating) Hot & Sour soup (afraid to try it for now, will prep myself to try it later) House special chow mein, definitely not special, flavorless, and if you like thin tasteless linguine like noodles with a hint of diluted brown color sauce as flavoring, then you might like it. Moo Shu Pork, sorry, should call it shoo shoo pork. go away go away. Orange beef: not use to having orange beef that is breaded battered fried. In my book, placing an orange slice garnish on the food doesn't make it orange beef. Call it a day and call it a lemon. Let's hope my wife and I find a better place. We ordered from this place, based on Yelp reviews, proximity of where we're staying and didn't have a car to get around. This take out food reminds me of Chinese food from the 1950's and 60s. My wife said you can't even call it Americanized, it's worse than that!!
(1)Allie M.
Best Chinese in the valley. Been going here since I was a baby (literally- started at the older location & moved up to this one) & am in love with this place! The staff is so friendly & the food is delicious!! The hot & sour soup is the best in the nation (well out of the 3 states I've tried it in-my fav soup)! Do yourself a favor & try it!
(5)Eric H.
2.5 stars, barely. Based on their food alone, they deserve 2 stars. Lunch specials are drenched in sauce, beef are chewy and not tender, and onion pieces are cut too long that it doesn't fit in one bite. Egg rolls are huge resembling something that is not an egg roll. Go to George and Son's in Glendale if you want better Chinese lunches for similar price. They do serve you tea for free though (although very heavy/dark/non-fresh) that pushes them up to 2.5 stars.
(2)Stella C.
I have been coming to this location about 4 or so odd years and I have been very happy with them. If you want a cheap lunch with large portions, you have come to the right place. When you first enter a friendly server will seat you and then leave you with two menus. Then the server will quickly return with a hot steaming pot of tea, glasses of water, and then ask if you are ready. If not then they will return in a few minutes. I must say that I have never had more attentive servers than I had have here, and even better they are quick. That includes take out as well. Here is a break down of pros and cons. Pros: -The lunch prices are amazing. You get so much food for what you are paying. -Their hot and sour soup is absolutely divine. -The tea tastes very good and the type they chose acts like a pallet cleanser. -The food is very good quality. The rice is cooked in a traditional Chinese way, their meat is tender, and chowmein is never over cooked. Cons: -Dinner can get a bit expensive so I suggest you eat lunch here. -The chicken was diced way too big and tended to be overwhelming, but when I returned I saw that they fixed that. I have only been disappointed once because the food wasn't cooked very well, but they jumped right on it to straighten it out. I had a problem, they understood the problem, and then took care of the problem. I appreciated their understanding and commitment to their customers. If you are in the area, check them out because their lunch prices are worth the visit!
(5)Katarina G.
Hot and Sour Soup is AWESOME! Love it. Lunch menu is great deal. Orange Chicken is family favorite. Waiters are always super fast. Have been coming here for over 10 years and service and food has always been consistent.
(4)Nick R.
Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken. Got it? Ok. I'll let you order an eggroll too. Their orange chicken is seriously good.
(4)Eric C.
Abacus is the best! They have the best hot and sour soup I've ever tasted. Eggrolls are awesome too. I've tried many things on the menu and have never been disapointed. I can't comment on the table service because I always get take-out but the cashier has always been very nice. Be sure to ask for thier special mustard, it's awesome too.
(5)Mark M.
Placed a pick up order they advised me that it would be 15 min. When I arrived I noticed a lot of people waiting. The guy next me said he has been there waiting for 20 min for his order he placed it over a half hour ago. It took 40 min for my pick up order! For years I have always ordered the Abacus crispy noodle chow main with the crispy noodles on the side as they would be gross by the time I get home. Tonight I called and went to place my order was told they can no longer do that it has to be all mixed together at the same time. I asked are you sure I was just there last week? Yes I am sorry no exceptions. I said yes I am sorry as well and cancelled my order which was going to be a big one as I have 2 growing boys! Complete bummer as we always enjoyed the food will not be returning.
(2)Viet D.
Take-out order review. Overall the food was decently good, better than Pei-Wei, Panda Express, and those chain restaurants. Quick service, friendly. Hot and Sour soup was too watery and too sweet and not enough sour. Steam rice was cook correctly, not dry from sitting around too long. Mongolian beef was good. Meat was tender and not overcooked. Cashew chicken was excellent, vegetables not overooked and limp but firm and crispy. Teriyaki chicken was also good, lots of meat, chicken tender, not too much sugary flavor. Plenty of food for the price. My biggest complaint would be not enough spices, chili pepper, or heat in general. Need to kick it up a notch. Would eat here again but ask for more chili.
(3)Lucy S.
Not the best... or even average. I ordered take out from here, and just finished eating right now. I got the crab puffs which had been highly reviewed from a fellow yelper. I was very disappointed, yes they were large. but not filled with crab or anything tastey...just filled with cold cream cheese. my entree much in the same. it was cheap chicken that was oversalted. i think that the chef must be a smoker because he obviously cannot taste the salt content in his food. The place was pretty full, so i'm guessing some of their dishes must be alright or people wouldn't eat there. I dont think ill be going back anytime soon, or ever at all. Next time ill just go to Panda Express across the street. its alot cheaper.
(1)Kitship L.
My boyfriend and I probably come here once a week. Their food is excellent, the staff is awesome and friendly, and their prices are great. I recommend the dumplings, crab puffs, Sun Devil Chicken and Chicken Chow Mein.
(5)Ron P.
Abacus has excellent food for takeout or if you want to eat in. If you are from the east coast the wonton soup will see a little different because they include shrimp and chicken along with all the other ingredients you would expect. It is very very good. Not cheap so don't expect this quality for less.
(4)Stephanie B.
Great egg drop soup. Kung pao chicken - meh. Beef broccoli - yum.
(4)Conrad F.
Excellent orange beef, large and flavorful egg rolls, and great hot n sour soup make this a great place for lunch or dinner. Lunch specials are reasonable AND include soup. Large luncheon portions. I have had the pork egg food young also and it is equally delicious. A nice touch is the free hot tea and noodles/sauce when dining in...A must try!!!
(5)Alyn C.
Fast and friendly service... Dropped in for takeout spur of the moment visiting a friend- and before my flirty conversation was over with the cute girl, Alice, behind the counter- food was ready! (And wow, huge portions!)
(4)Josh J.
The orange chicken is delicious!! You can't beat the lunch specials, entree, egg roll, 2 won tons, rice and soup. Hot and sour soup is also very good. This is my favorite place to get orange chicken.
(5)Newton H.
Unfortunately, my family and I have noticed a marked drop off in quality & quantity over the last six months. We have ordered delivery from Abacus for the last 5 or 6 years. An example is the shrimp in garlic sauce. It started out as a substantial portion size, but the last 2 times we ordered, it was like a soup with a few pieces of shrimp. We save the to go containers for reuse for our leftovers at home and the new containers are now 1 inch deep instead of the 2 inches that we got before. (major drop in quantity)
(2)Heather H.
Have visited the location on 35th and Tbird and always order their amazing Kung Pao Chicken. Not so amazing at the Arrowhead location. Too many green onions (I thought I got the wrong order until I found a few peanuts) and chicken was dry. Didn't finish it. Fried rice was good as was the egg roll. Crab puffs were pretty small, though. Hoping this is just an isolated situation as my workplace has moved to the arrowhead area.
(2)Susan W.
We ate here for the last time on Friday. I have to say, the food was fairly good. But this review isn't about the food. We were seated in the one booth that looks into the kitchen. Big mistake. After our meal, I noticed the waitress pouring liquid into a large percolator-type coffee urn. It looked like she was pouring from a small tea pot. Sure enough, I sat and watched while she poured pot after pot of tea that had been sitting on tables, back into this urn to be served again. By now my kids were watching, too, and the manager walked into the kitchen and spoke to the waitress. She imediately stopped what she was soing, but as tables were cleared, the staff continued to set tea pots next to this urn. Now I personally don't drink the tea, but I have seen people do all kinds of things to these teapots--add ice, add sweetener, toss in a couple of lemon slices. Grossed me out and made me wonder what they were planning to do with that eggroll on my son's plate...
(1)Sarah K.
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Chinese food connoisseur. But I do love to have lunch over here whenever I'm on this side of town. If you're looking for some gong bang for your buck, you've found it. The lunch servings are generous, and the prices are low. All lunch items come with these yummy fried won ton crunchy things, a cup of soup, fried rice, an egg roll, and of course, whatever you ordered. All meals - lunch and dinner- also come with hot tea. I've been for both lunch and dinner, but I really recommend going for lunch if you're in the area, because it's just a great deal. And the selection is pretty wide, as well as vegetarian friendly. My favorite thing here is their hot and sour soup. I had honestly never eaten soup at a Chinese food restaurant before Abacus, because they always grossed me out. But I love their hot and sour soup. It has just the right amount of hot and the perfect amount of sour. This soup even inspired me to try making it myself at home because I started craving it, but I live so far away. Oh yeah, every meal also comes with free dessert: a fortune cookie My last one said that I would start writing some great reviews. But I don't think you're really supposed to add "in bed" to the end of that one.
(4)J Y.
We decided to give them a second try. First the service was horrible. We were never asked for our drink order and the menus were just dropped on the table. It is always hot in the dining room. The soup and Kung Pao were both tasteless. No third try coming.
(1)Christine T.
.......Where are the chopsticks? A Chinese restaurant is clearly not Chinese when there are no chopsticks on the place setting! Tea was lukewarm upon arrival, tasted unauthentic, with the help of any ambiguous American tea bag. The hot and sour soup had peas...peas! Side of rice was stiff and tasted as if it had been in the cooker all day. Had the stir fry vegetable dish that consisted of broccoli, snow peas and mushrooms overly cooked to mush; where was my bok choy or kai lan or any type of actual authentic Chinese vegetables?! One thing I do give them credit for: service was clean, fast, and efficient. Other than that, your money's better off at Panda Express right down the street. Same quality of food, and at least there you won't have to pay for tip!
(2)Alicia P.
The food here was really good. I would say I would go here again and the only reason I did not give it 5 stars is my chicken dish was not spicy at all when I was told it would be.
(4)Seth P.
Based on the reviews I was excited to try this place. It feel well short of good. I had the orange chicken lunch special and @ $8.25 seemed a little high priced for lunch in a strip mall. I tried the hot and sour soup- blah, I couldn't get past 3 spoonfuls. The orange chicken was dry on the inside but the sauce was okay, I ended up shoving the chicken to one side and just eating rice + sauce. One bite of the egg roll and I was done with that too - you can buy better crappy egg rolls in the freezer section at the grocery store, then let them sit outside in the heat for a day or two and serve them up and they would be better than that excuse for an egg roll. The plus side was they kept filling my water - which was needed to choke it all down. I will not return.
(2)B T.
The food is okay, nothing stellar but what put me off is that they refuse to drive one block away at lunch to do delivery. Really? If you're going to do delivery, and I know it's busy at lunch, but guess what, it's also an order! I took my business elsewhere who were more than glad to deliver my order. Don't say you're delivery if you're only delivery after 5pm.
(2)Scott H.
I eat here every time I'm working in the area. The service is excellent and so is the food. And it's really inexpensive!
(5)Brian H.
Been here a few times each time I have been here the food and service was out standing.. They have some of the best orange chicken and there crab puffs have lots of filling in them. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Anna C.
I have been living in the Phoenix area for over a year now and had yet to find a great Chinese food place. I have had a few friends recently mention how great Abacus Inn was, so I knew I had to try it. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The crab wontons were amazing. Orange chicken was flavorful and tender! Chow mein was full of delicious veggies and chicken! The portions are very large! The staff was very friendly as well. Even though they were quite busy when I came in, the hostess was kind enough to pause to help me decide what to order. I will definitely be returning! I highly recommend trying this place, your tastebuds and stomach will thank you!
(5)Mike M.
Compared to the Orange chicken I had last at Good China Abacus is 10 times better. Hot and sour soup very good. Place crowded at noon lunch a testament to the food quality. My neighbor hood favoritem
(4)Siobhan N.
My favourite Chinese Restaurant. Better than PF or any of that nonsense. I order the Orange Chicken, Chicken Chow Mein or Mu Shu Pork and I love them all! I crave this place and its deliciousness, maybe it's the addictive MSG but for once, I don't even care! On my last visit, the owner gave everyone a Chinese Calendar as a holiday gift which was kind! Fair warning, some of the staff are strange but most of them a great! You should go there now.
(5)Karina H.
I got the chicken lettuce wraps and it gave me food poisoning. The place is also filthy...look at the fans/vents and decor. It's like they don't clean at all - no wonder I got sick. I do not recommend this place at all.
(1)Charlie P.
Best orange chicken and egg drop soup you'll ever have! Their daily specials just adds that "icing on the cake" as they say. I definitely recommend anyone coming to this place. I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, but when I get the craving - I come here!
(5)D. H.
Walked into restaurant at noon today, was seated immediately. The entire place smelled like a sewer had backed up. We sat there for a minute, husband had his menu stuck to the table. The waiter came over with hot tea and water and we then announced we were leaving as the place has a terrible sewer odor. The waiter said "odor?" That place needs the Board of Health to investigate it. Absolutely disgusting. I'm not talking about a little "smell", the entire place reaked of some kind of backup odor. Go next door and have the pizza....
(1)Trevor W.
It's a small restaurant... One of those easily missed "hole - in - the - walls" that luckily I ran into. Absolutely the BEST orange chicken and beef & broccoli. Their chicken is lightly breaded , very crispy, and tender, definitely not the cheap chicken you find at other Chinese food places. The sauce is outstanding, with a light hint of orange flavor, without the actual orange peel. I like it extra spicy, and they nail it every time. Beef and broccoli has the most tender, non - fatty pieces of meat you will ever find. I still have not found any beef more tender, or even close to where this one is. Plenty of veggies, plenty of meat. I have since moved away, and nobody can come close to their quality and excellent taste. I just visited the area again and made this my first stop after landing, 45 minutes out of my way (one way), and it was worth it. It was as good as I hoped it would be. Food portions are generous...you will not go home hungry. The ONLY drawback is it is a small restaurant and you have to wait on busy nights. Take it to go on those nights. You will not be disappointed! This will be my first stop any time I fly into Phoenix.
(5)Sarah M.
This place is a local hidden gem. I love how they serve free tea to start off before you even think of ordering anything! Furthermore, I enjoy the food here because all of it is absolutely amazing!
(5)Angela T.
Best Chinese food in the valley. Excellent price to quantity. Dine in service is not the sharpest but the food makes up for the lack of great service.
(5)Monique C.
I have been here at least a baker's dozen times when visiting. The food is fresh and consistent, the service reliable, and the lunch specials are very reasonably priced. Overall, it's a somewhat generic menu. To my taste, the kung pao dishes are generally over sauced, a bit mushy in texture, and not very hot/spicy. Yet overall everything is tasty. The lunch portions are huge and reheat well. Their best dish is the hot and sour soup. This is my dad's favorite Chinese restaurant in Phoenix and I don't need to have adventure-some dining when out with him. In addition, my parents came here for years. When my mom got lung cancer and could no longer go out, Dad would order the soup to go - and the owner was incredibly kind to her in her last months. How can I not continue to patronize such a human being??
(3)Joshua K.
One of my favorite Chinese food restaurants. I suggest the hot and sour soup with orange chicken for lunch. Food is amazing and very reasonably priced. I have been going here for over 10 years and love it.
(5)Patricia S.
Love it! My husband loves the hot and sour soup and the egg rolls are really excellent. We have tried all sorts of things on the menu from crab puffs to wonton, sweet & sour chicken, shrimp and pork, Tso' s chicken, cashew chicken, beef dishes, chow mein, etc. Everything is great! Fresh, well seasoned, and very ample portions. People are helpful and courteous. We would recommend Abacus Arrowhead on 59th Ave. in Glendale to anyone!
(5)Beverly D.
This place used to be a great place to eat. Now I must say it was a very bad experience. There were 6 of us today to celebrate a birthday. The wontons were burnt, the egg rolls were burnt and the lemon chicken was tough. I was very disappointed and won't be back for another celebration. Also not enough help. Had to get up and get silverware. Asked the waiter for more and he forgot. Also asked him for table chips and he said he would and never brought them. The place is too small and crowded to enjoy your meal. People on top of each other so to speak. The service was terrible. Also the place needs to have a good cleaning done.
(1)John F.
Pretty good! Not the best, but not the worst out here! Try it!
(4)Janine F.
The food is pretty good but I HATE going in to eat. The restaurant is too small and crowded. The atmosphere just feels uncomfortable and the service is lacking. They need to deep clean this place and have better customer service. Always iffy about eating here because it's dirty.
(2)Eric J.
This place is great! Have been going here for over 10 years. Great service and great food. Portions are rediculously large for the price.
(4)Mike M.
Read there reviews was excited to try and no delivery still after 5very disappointed they should not advertise delivery then not do it?
(1)Bad L.
When we first moved to Arizona we lived in Ahwatukee and Abacus Inn was on restaurant of choice on Elliot and 48th. Fast forward 20 years and one pops in closer to us so we thought we would give it a try. I liked it, she didn't. It wasn't the same as we remembered. Maybe we aged. Maybe they did. The place is tiny and packed. There appears to be a brisk take-out business happening. The menu appears to be "lite" on menu options and not like other Chinese joints where there are endless pages of options. We preferred Shanghai on 67th and Happy Valley (in the Fry's shopping Center) as our favorite Chinese in the Northwest side. There is some serious commentary needed and it's how these Chinese restaurants seem to make take out orders, over in restaurant orders. They must teach them that in Chinese Food school but I have seen full packed restaurants of people waiting up to an hour + for food, while the take out is brisk. I have seen people walk in, order takeout and then sit and eat it whiles others wait. I'm not sure why they do this, but all Chinese joints seem to partake in this mistake.
(2)Keith S.
I have been coming to this restaurant for over 10 years and there are times that they have had by far the best Chinese food, Valley wide! Most of the time the food is awesome and once in a while we will get one of our favorites that is not as great as usual but still good. (We believe they have 2 cooks and one is just a little better than the other). Great Egg Rolls,Beef & Broccoli, war wonton soup, house F rice, SS chicken, lemon chicken are our favorites and are very good. the veggies are always fresh. Even the drinking water, they made the investment to have their own RO system which makes a big difference on the food and drinks. Have you ever been some where and the drinking water is horrible? The food rocks! Only down turn to me is that it is a small place with not a lot of seating. I recommend going early on the busy days or enjoy during the week. I grew up to very good C. food and it took me 10 years in Phoenix before I found what this place offers, which is great flavored Chinese food with fresh ingredients!
(5)Brandon C.
Great food and great service! Staff is always friendly and fast! Stopped going to the one on thunderbird because they changed their recipes. This Abacus is far better and is more like it the old one was way back in the day even better. BEST Hot and Sour Soup I've ever had in fact all their soups are amazing! Even the egg drop which to me anywhere else is inedible! Recommendations aka personal favorites-Sundevil Chicken, Kung Pao Two, Shrimp with Cream Sauce, Chow Mein, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, ALL their soups.
(5)Kay K.
I'm pretty surprised by the reviews. We have been here more than a handful of timea for lunch and dinner. Food is fresh and plenty. Service is pleasant. Only drawbacks are long wait times for carry out and dine in. Orange chicken and hot sour soup are delicious!
(4)Joseph F.
We have been going for a few years and we do like it. The food is consistent and good. Is it the best Chinese we ever had - no, BUT its is very good. I always get beef and broccoli and have never been disappointed. We look forward to going again.
(4)Tony K.
The place is very compact. Started with their honey chicken this dish was Great nice and crispy skin with no breading. I ordered their shrimp chow mein. The dish came with a lot of noodles and crunchy broccoli which is perfect for me . We finished with their sun devil chicken . The service was good
(4)Kevin S.
Great food for a reasonable price. Always prompt delivery.
(5)Leslie N.
This was a very disappointing representation of Chinese food!! We ordered take out for the family - egg rolls (the won ton skin was not fried and mushy), wor won ton soup (there's was less than a teaspoon of fitting in the won ton - very pasty and the broth was flavorless), the house special fried rice was flavorless, abacus special chicken was over done and dry (thank goodness for the sauce that we had to drown it in to swallow), the General Tso chicken and Mongolian beef were less than mediocre. I asked if the Abacus chow mein had Hong Kong style noodles & they asked me what that meant- a term a good an authentic Chinese restaurant would know - It's a crispy thin noodle. They told me it was a crispy noodle and they were but it was the type you get out of the can in the grocery store. The best thing about the meal was the fortune cookie that was made somewhere else.
(1)Michael S.
Great pricing and excellent service. This is our go to Chinese restraunt. I recommend the orange chicken.
(5)Lisa M.
Have been here many, many times since my initial review. Things are always good. Food very fresh and consistent. Have had almost all the lunch specials and everyone of them has been great. The restaurant is always busy no matter what time of day. People trickle in and out all through the day. You can't go wrong here.
(4)Chris R.
4 stars for this Glendale Chinese food. If there are better places in Glendale, please tell me. I love coming here with my mom when I am in town, the chicken lo-mein lunch special makes me happy.
(4)Pepper T.
In 1999 the AZ Republic Voted Abacus Inn Best Chinese in the Valley. That is sad because Chinese can be so much better. But I do have to say that Abacus Inn does something nice that I don't see too often in other Chinese Restaurants. They give you hot tea and water and fresh fried noodles with sauces when you are seated. I had the Yui Shan Chicken, it was a fail because of the inedible Shiitake Mushroom stems in my dish. Trying to eat the mushroom stem was like trying to chew a car tire but, I do have to admit the sauce was more developed than any sauced dishes I tried from the surrounding Chinese Restaurants including Bamboo Cafe, Ginger China Bistro, and Shangri La. I LIKED the use of cucumber in the dish was light and tasty and successful. Unfortunately the white meat chicken was dry. Maybe a THIRD STRING cook was on the day I was here and maybe this dish is normally prepared better? The sautéed spicy beef was more successful. The beef was very well prepared and unlike the Yui Shan dish this Spicy Beef REALLY WAS VERY SPICY. I am used to a more developed and balanced Szechuan sauce so I wasn't a fan of this dish from here. But I do note this sauce was better than what you'd get from surrounding Chinese Restaurants. The last time I was here I had the sizzling rice dish and that one impressed me because they cook the rice quickly in a very hot oil and puff the rice. It's a toss up between Abacus Inn and Shangri la . Abacus does some more impressive stuff but Shangri la does cook moist chicken.
(3)James S.
We went for dinner. Environment-Appeared clean and casual a little small. The restaurant was extremely warm and uncomfortable. Service-Mediocre. We waited sometime before getting our drink order taken. Water refills were slow. Appetizers. We got egg rolls and wontons. The egg rolls were fantastic, in fact some of the best I ever tasted. The wontons were good. Dinner-We shared orange chicken, egg fried rice, and moo shoo pork. The orange chicken was good, maybe slightly above average. The egg fried rice lacked flavor/seasoning as did the moo shoo pork. Salt on the rice helped, and we used soy on the moo shoo. However, with no added seasoning it was very bland and below par. I would go back but not seek it out.
(3)Ryan R.
Most amazing Chinese food place in Arizona. I'm from New York and I know my Chinese food and this is pretty close to New York as it gets fast and great friendly service.
(5)Korie B.
Had a great dinner there tonight. Clean, friendly, great deal on delicious food. Good sized portions for a great price. We will definitely go back soon.
(4)Sargis N.
This place lacks everything.. The food is disgusting. I threw up after I ate there food. It's just not good. It's sucks because Arizona lacks culture foods. Id rather go to Panda Express than step foot in that place.
(2)Alberto S.
Delivery is not very good !! Was late and didn't bring plastic wear or plates or not even soy sauce! Very disappointed specially because we have order many times from there before and lately not getting good service.
(2)Staci L.
Went there on 8/05/14 with my kids. The wait staff was very pleasant, I have nothing negative to say about the service. The interior was coolish, designed with a lot of Asian arts, your normal small hole in the wall dine in. I ordered the wonton soup, chicken chow mein, and mongolian beef. The soup came out first and the presentation was grand, it came out in a big bowl (enough for 4 pp to eat) with shrimp, boiled wontons, chicken, strips of pork and napa cabbage. I was like "Finally a good Chinese restaurant!". The broth itself was very tasty and so were the meats. I fed my son (2 yr old) the wonton first because that's something he would like. Upon first examining it, I noticed that it didn't look cooked but I assumed that that's probably the type of wonton they used. My son ate it and spit it out. So I tasted it and it was uncooked. It was still cold and doughy. I was very bummed that I gave it to my little boy and that the soup was ruined. Then I tried the napa cabbage and it was bitter...like old veggie bitter. I told my kids to stop eating and when the server returned I told him the issue and he took it off my bill. Then the entrees came out. The mongolian beef was very mediocre. Mongolian Beef is one of my favorite Chinese dishes and it wasn't up to par at all with what I've had in the past, very very plain. The Chow Mein had good flavoring and my kids enjoyed the dish but the veggies were really raw and bitter. So I decided to just box everything up and head home. When I got home and warmed up the Chow Mein, I looked at the veggies again and saw black spots on them. They were seriously over due and should have been tossed out instead of cooked or added to dishes for their guest. We will not be going back to this place. I've been in AZ for a year now and so far, I've been disappointed at every Chinese restaurant I've been too. I mean Panda Wok taste better and that is very sad. The only one that I kinda enjoyed was Bamboo off Happy Valley. Prices are kinda high but at least they are consistent. If anyone knows of a good Chinese restaurant, let me know so I can go check it out.
(2)