4. Restaurants

Lao Sze Chuan

2172 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL, 60616
  • (331) 248-3524
  • Store is closed

Lao Sze Chuan Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Dave C.

    The Chinese hotpot here kills most of the places I frequent out here in LA. Sadly, the hotpot also kills healthy stomach bacteria and creates interesting digestive situations for 1-2 days thereafter. But it was worth the pain!

    (4)

  • Larry W.

    I found a fly in my dish!!!!!!! Disgusting!!!!! Seriously!!!! I don't think the sanitation condition in the kitchen is ok.

    (1)

  • Katie T.

    I'm a fan! Gotta get Tony's 3 chili chicken! Crispy, light but sooooo flavorful! I also had pan fried noodles with beef - can't go wrong! I love that they don't rush you out of there. You don't have a server creeping over your shoulder asking if you're "still working on that?"

    (5)

  • Theresa D.

    The crispy shrimp in mayonnaise sauce almost made me cry with happiness. And the rest of the food was awesome, too. The duck was perfectly done and not greasy at all, which can be a frequent problem with that dish. We ordered expansively - had something with curry, potstickers, and combination lo mein, I think - without a single disappointment. Corkage charge is $10 per table and we weren't discouraged at all from BYOB. We were seated promptly and the service was professional and super-swift. It's been a week and I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back without looking like a stalker. A stalker of shrimpy delights.

    (5)

  • Cherryl L.

    This is the best chinese food I've ever eaten. We came here with my BFF for her bday. She suggested we must go here if we visit Chinatown in Chicago. So, we went and waited a few minutes to get seated. We were seated upstairs and it was more nicer upstairs than downstairs. Downstairs dining room was too much stuffier. hmmmp!!! we ordered eggplant in garlic sauce- japanese eggplant with garlic sauce..delish...if u love eggplant like me this is the best.. shrimp kung pao- they said it was great...but too much sauce I didn't personally tried it coz I was allergic into shellfish. Pork Fried rice-- I tell you this fried rice is soo diffrent to all fried rice i've ever eaten....it was moist and very flavorful. we ordered noodles for long life...but oh boy my BFF ordered a very spicy noodle.. one noodle bite for me was already extremely super hot and spicy....so that is my part from me. She said it was very hot and spicy and she luvs it. i am sure we ate some sort of chix but i have to get back with u on that.... this place can be crowded after 7pm so make sure u gotta have reservations....or else you will wait outside with longer lines u could expect. we we're all soo stuff and full...the best chinese food ever..no one can compare not even in nYC...

    (5)

  • Meghan B.

    This is the third day in a row that I have eaten the Ma Po Tofu from Lao Sze Chaun. That's right, the portions are so big at this place that you can get three solid meals out of it for a mere $8.95 (plus $1 extra for rice). The menu is ginormous and overwhelming and there's a good mix of traditional Chinese fare, vegetarian options, and basic dishes you see at most places (ie: sweet and sour chicken). I definitely made a good choice in ordering the Ma Po Tofu. It's spicy and full of flavor. My friends and I also had the spicy cabbage appetizer which is officially addictive. Bonus points for the cute panda photography on the walls, and maybe minus some points for the contempo-plastic chairs.

    (4)

  • Jane T.

    So I've been coming to LSC quite frequently since my first review. I'm sure I've tried almost all their popular dishes at this point - even the host remembers my boyfriend and I. I also recently took an out of town friend here for dinner and I must say, their salt and pepper ribs are a must try. I think it's the best I've ever had. Their twice cooked pork is just so-so - I definitely would not order it again. And as I'd mentioned in my previous review, I have tried the dry chili chicken and it's become one of my regular staples at LSC. Unfortunately, the place recently burned down! I have no idea what happened but I'm praying that they fix it up soon!

    (5)

  • Emily D.

    Oy, I thought for sure this would be a winner. A solid four-star restaurant with numerous amply-worded reviews. Yelp has never steered me wrong, but there's a first for everything. "Meh. I've experienced better." Perfect summation. My experimental taste buds are happy to indulge in sea cucumber and frog legs. . . if your kung pao and mushu blow me away. And these didn't. In fact, it was all mediocre to completely dissatisfying. Admittedly, my coy friend ordered chicken curry (for which he soon repented) and it was quite bad, but not the place. Not the time. The Chinese broccoli with garlic was good enough I would eat it as a meal in and of itself. Fiber-tastic. But the pot stickers, la-la-la chicken and pork mushu were bland, and suspicious. I know LSC is legit because it has legions of fans, but I'm a touch burned by my first Chinatown experience. Sad face. Not to mention the service. I was impressed that our waiter could identify the numbers I scribbled on our paper table cloth (making life easier for people wherever I go) by name. . . that's some fancy decoding, Power Ranger-san. But he dropped our food off and went out to smoke a pack, I think. We waited, and waited and waited. Not just to leave, but to be seated. So, fooey. I'd go to LSC again, but only after I try every other restaurant in C-Town. And that's going to take a hot minute or two.

    (2)

  • Robert Y.

    VERY DISAPOINTING! We took my dad there for a Father's Day luncheon treat and man what a letdown. First about the service. Even though they knew it was going to be a very busy day (a podium and hostess was stationed outside the front door), they had only two waiters and three bus people to service the entire restaurant. We arrived around 12:15 and were promptly seated but given only two menus for four people. A waiter came by about 10 minutes later and said he would be right back to take our order and rushed away. We noticed that other guest were given a small plate of hot chilli cabbage right after they sat down, but not our table...no big deal. Ten minutes later and still no waiter; it was impossible to get his attention because he would rush by without looking around. Another ten minutes goes by and he finally sees me waiving my arm and comes by to takes our order. About fifteen minutes goes by and our order of beef tenderloin with pea pods arrives before our appetizers, which took another ten minutes. We ask them for rice and water. Ten minutes later we are told that they didn't have any steamed fresh tilapia because the delivery truck didn't come that day; I ordered some other kind fresh whole fish. The eggplant with pork arrives. Waiter comes back ten minutes later (notice a pattern here?) saying that they are completely out of fresh fish and hands me a menu to make another seafood selection. Wouldn't you know it, he then disappears again for ten minutes. We get our salt pepper pork ribs. Finally the rice and water comes. Waiter comes back and we order a hot shrimp dish. Almost finished eating and it's now about 2:10 and no shrimp. I was about to cancel, but someone comes by and said it was coming right out...yeah right. Yep, it arrives about ten minutes later. I won't comment on how long it took to get and pay the check. We finally left the joint around 2:40. Looking around, I saw about two thirds of the customers were without food and very few smiles. What really burned me was that a tour operator led group of about sixteen people came in about a half-hour after us and they were seated, fed and finished in less than an hour. Now about the food. It's on par with an average Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet but with a liberal application of hot peppers. Lao's description of his dishes may sound exotic but the final product did not measure up to his words or hype. The pot stickers were very chewy and doughy and the filling almost tasteless, absolutely not freshly made. Except for the heat from peppers, everything we ordered was otherwise bland and over sauced. Not worth the $15 per dish average that they were charging. I noticed that just a third of the customers were Chinese...not a good endorsement of the food quality at Lao She Chuan. We have eaten at his Lao Beijing and Lao Shanghai restaurants with almost equal disappointment. Perhaps Tony Hu may have lost quality control by over extending himself with too many locations?

    (1)

  • Julie B.

    Oh Lao Sze Chuan, how my mouth waters as I say this!!!! Ok, if you are seeking a great restaurant in China Town, this is it! It has so many choices for us Westerners - while allowing us to try some authentic dishes. Again, I took my family here for dinner on Friday night and they loved it (no egg rolls) but still loved it! We ordered their Famous Duck (moo shu style) and takes 45 minutes to cook, but when the waitress comes over and does her famous presentation - you will wow your guests! We also ordered their chicken fried rice, chicken w/veggies and shrimp with lobster sauce (this was mouth watering delicious). Parking is a bit difficult, services well, not many speak english here but they will try to make good recommendations. I love it, love it, love it!

    (4)

  • Ji K.

    I found myself tagging along with my married couple friends one evening for dinner, and this was their restaurant of choice. I had never been here, but they know I love to eat so the husband immediately insisted that I try the "hot pot." Oh, the hot pot . . . two delicious bubbling liquids waiting for endless amounts of meat, seafood, vegetables and herbs to be thrown in and then eaten with fresh, white rice. Gosh . . . what a brilliantly delicious idea. It costs about $17/person for that hot pot smorgasboard but it is well worth it since they pretty much let you eat to your heart's content, however long that happens to take. Mmm . . . you will be stuffed beyond comfort. Both a good and bad thing. ;)

    (4)

  • jenny m.

    I have to write an update because I went again tonight with my fabulous dinner club ladies and it was just as delicious as the first time I went. Seriously, the ma po tofu - good. The mushrooms in oyster sauce - good. The salt & pepper seafood combo - good. The crispy shrimp in mayonnaise sauce - good. And when I say good, I actually mean mouth watering, want to lick the plate, stuff myself silly, good. The food here is just top notch in my book (and I now have about a dozen dinner guests I've gone with to back me up on that opinion). Also, just a note on the service. Yes, you will probably have mutliple people waiting on you, but it doesn't mean the service is bad! Just make eye contact or flag down anyone walking by and they are more then happy to help you. Its a different type of service yes, but bad service, no. And, I learned that they do allow BYOB. $10 per table - not so shabby if you are like me and my friends and bring 4 bottles for 4 people :-) So, not sure what you are waiting for. Go, enjoy!

    (5)

  • Rebecca H.

    GOODS: Easy to find, good location in Chinatown A/C Has a 2nd floor that was less crowded. Lots of water refills Good cabbage, good wonton soup. Husband had the special Tony's Chili Chicken and I had the Sole in Black Bean Sauce. The chicken was very good dipped in the sole sauce! Upstairs bathroom was clean and had a green light! BADS: Sweating and sticking to plastic chairs. Food took a long time to come out. Charged extra for rice (I hate this so freaking much). The special we ordered was dry - would have ordered up some more veggies with it if we knew. Will be back and will try more!

    (4)

  • Tiffany L.

    Yum! Husband and I headed to Lao Sze Chuan to get our Chinese Food Fix on and glad we found a seat there! We started with the veg. spring rolls, quite good! Husband had the egg drop soup, which I couldn't recommend just by looking at it. It was VERY oily. He was only able to eat about 1/4 of the bowl, he realized that much oil would make him sick. Then we got our entrees. I had the three color bean curd which was really very very good. I'll go back, because I will absolutely be craving it within the next couple of weeks! Husband had the salt and pepper trio of shrimp, scallops and squid. He loved it. Really loved it! By far the most efficient, friendly, service we've had in Chinatown. And we've been just about everywhere in Chinatown, lol.

    (4)

  • suzanne l.

    Take note, yelpers: 5 stars rating on a Chinese restaurant, from a very critical Chinese diner. Yes, it's that freakin good! Okay, I am a Chinese food snob. I lived in Shanghai for a year, and fell in love with Sze Chuan cuisine, particularly the "ma la" (translated as "numbing spicy") spice. Most Chinese restaurants in the US will have some form of "Sze Chuan Chicken" on their menu, but, lacking the "ma la" spice, it's usually a pretty embarrassing representation of Sze Chuan cuisine. And that's why I loved Lao Sze Chuan--this is authentic Sze Chuan cuisine. Finally! I don't care for the trendy "fusion Asian" crap, or the gloppy, syrupy Americanized Chinese food (Orange chicken? Gross). Give me REAL Chinese food, something that people in China would actually want to eat. Lao Sze Chuan? Bingo. We ordered the Eggplant with pork (owner Tony's recommendation), the garlic Dou Miao (eek, fob moment--don't know what this vegetable is called in English), and the Lalala (ie, "spicyspicyspicy") chicken. Tony, who happened to be good friends with my fellow diner, also brought us a beautiful five plate sampling of spicy "cold" appetizers--I hadn't had these since I left Shanghai three years ago, and man, it brought me right back. The food? Amazing. Tony? Incredible entrepreneur, with such charisma. Congrats, Tony... I think I found my favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago!

    (5)

  • Emily C.

    4 stars for Chinese food in Chicago, 3 stars for Chinese food overall. Having been raised on Chinese food, I guess I can vouch for the authenticity of it. But again, having been raised on Chinese food, I can't give it more stars. Lao Sze Chuan is a great place to get real Chinese food- none of that Panda Express nonsense but alas, the portions are on the petite side and the prices, definitely inflated. Don't get me wrong, the food tastes good. My complaint really, is for the prices. That and perhaps the lack of intense spice that a true Sze Chuan menu should carry. But since I really don't have many other options in the area, I do frequent this restaurant and suggest the hot pot, dumplings, or if you're going for adventurous: spicy pot of pork blood and intestine. Follow the crowd and follow your nose. Lao Sze Chuan is the place to be in Chicago's Chinatown.

    (3)

  • Christian P.

    This place made me think of a place where you actually get gourmet chinese food for a decent price. I had 2 appetizers (hot chopped green beens dish and the cold rabbit dish) and one entree (chicken cup sze chuan). The service was really good and it's def a good place for spicy food addict.

    (4)

  • Chris V.

    Exceeded all of my expectations. I ate here on a summer Sunday evening. Of course there was a short wait... 20 minutes or so. During the wait, the owner came out and proceeded to play some Chinese drum, which was mildly entertaining during our wait. At least they tried. Everyone seems to complain about the service here. I had great service. They repeated every item I ordered to ensure they got it right. They made sure everything was prepared to my liking. We had the Chili Chicken, the Mongolian Beef, and Vegetable Fried Noodles. Every one of these dishes was perfect and delicious. The chili Chicken was spicy. The chicken was like Fried Chicken- and I love fried Chicken. Everything was great at this place. I would easily place this as the best Chinese meal I have ever had.

    (5)

  • Julian M.

    Too busy eating to talk. Om Om Om. Why are you still here?

    (4)

  • Cathy B.

    Delicious! Whether you're feeling adventurous for some really authentic Chinese food or something more traditional, this is the place to go. I had the crispy duck and it was perfect. The skin was perfectly crispy bit the meat was tender and juicy. Be careful for the bones, though. With no question, if you're in Chicago and want Chinese, give some thought to Lao Sze Chuan!

    (4)

  • Dave L.

    Good food good service

    (4)

  • Soren H.

    What a place. Very nice and authentic chinese food. Everything was good. The dried chilis for appetziser was so incredibly HOT it almost made me feel bad in the restaurant. Highly recommended

    (5)

  • Andrew T.

    This is where you go for STRONG flavor. Always gets the job done and I always eat at least one bowl of rice. The Tony's Chili chicken is pretty good, but the flavor I come for is the Szechuan style fish or beef that comes in a huge bowl of spicy redness and cabbage, with pepper flakes all over the top... I guarantee you when you go someone will have it on their table. Sometimes they seat you upstairs (have to walk up from outside) which seemed a little more dead the last time I went.

    (4)

  • Justin G.

    One of the best Dim Sum places, the other I know of is Triple Crown Restaurant/Mountain View. Has the american ones (BBQ Pork Bao) to very authentic (tripe/tongue).

    (4)

  • Liv H.

    Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken - goooooooooooooood Fried rice - goooooooooooooood Chinese Broccoli - goooooooooooooood love this place for spicy chinese food!

    (4)

  • Janet S.

    We always come here when in Chinatown, cosy, spicy and yummy. We tramped over in the snow last night with our friend eric who arrived with a vitamin water bottle full of whiskey to keep warm. sliced spicy pig ear to get us going, carpaccio of pig ear - not too much flavor but ok, spicy cabbage freeby appetizer - yummy. Sliced spicy pork, duck with smoked tea and baby octopus with bok choi just about filled us up. There is great hot pot on the menu and lots of spicy dishes - we veered away from szechuan for some reason - no matter. Lots of very chinese specials on the menu - be brave. This is my fave Chinatown in USA. Probably should have had the peking duck as there is nowt like it in Nashville.

    (4)

  • Sally W.

    I'm not sure what to give, this used to be my favorite place to go when I lived the neighboring state. And I'd still visit now and then because of the authentic Sichuan spicy taste. But maybe 'Chef. Tony' has gotten too famous and the dishes has become bigger or the food is less. There's always a line outside, thanks to 'Chef Tony' and like many restaurants in China Town, the wait staffs are over worked so not much service if you look and speaks Chinese. Unless the rest of your party isn't or maybe you know one of the owners. You've probably read about why people like this place. So I'll just tell you why I stop going there, just two reasons. First off since my parent live in Indiana, they would always order something to go after having dinner there. And we've noticed a few times that they had made mistake on our bills. Then they'd forgot something on our to-go orders since the to-go comes after the left overs there are too many boxes to count, silly us to believe. And one time when I take my friend out, I found hairs, jet black short hairs there. I asked the waiter and he joked about it with the other staff there. So I asked for refund and they insist on a free 'replacement' but still pay for half of it. Did I mentioned that I had originally ordered it to go but they made a mistake and it's on a bowl, which I thank them for letting me see my food before I take home. I didn't end up in a hospital or anything but that was the last time I went. I paid the bill and left them my 'replacement' meal as tips because I know how 'good' the 'replacement taste.

    (2)

  • KL S.

    Why did it take me four years to dine here? I went to Lao Sze Chuan with a group of six so I was able to sample all of my friends' entrees, and couldn't find anything sub-par! I recommend ordering the pot-stickers and basically anything from the items from the chef's specials, particularly the 3 chili chicken and the spicy pork. However, if you want to stick to the classics, you'll find pages of them! On a Saturday evening, we waited about a half hour for a table of six - not too bad and completely worth it. Note: I also highly recommend the sister restaurant Lao Beijing, just down the street.

    (5)

  • Rich W.

    My prior impression of Lao Sichuan had been "good food, but horrible service." That was why I had not returned to the restaurant for over a year. My most recent visit, however, was a refreshing experience. I went with a friend from China who was in need of some authentic Sichuan cuisine. The food was good as usual - slightly watered down, but still authentic-tasting Sichuan dishes. More importantly, the service has markedly improved. Our waitress was brisk but efficient and friendly. All wishes were granted without attitude. I still wouldn't use "good" to describe the service. But service is much better than before, and is definitely above the Chinatown-average. So if you have been deterred from going back because of its service, I'd say give it another shot. You might just be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

    (4)

  • Nicole B.

    This is the best Chinese food I've ever had (never been to China, sadly). Their Ma Po tofu is one of my top 10 favorite dishes ever. The garlic peapod leaves are delicious- kind of a cross between peapods and bean sprouts. Try them if you haven't. I've had many other dishes here, and they've all been fantastic. You don't *always* have to wait for ridiculous amounts of time like at some other popular restaurants, but be warned that if you come during peak hours on a Friday or Saturday there will most likely be a 45-min wait. There's nowhere to wait inside the restaurant, so be prepared to put your name down and then amble around Chinatown for a while. It's well worth it to eat at Lao.

    (5)

  • Laila C.

    this used to be my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. As the restaurant has gotten more popular, the size of their dishes have shrunken by a lot, although I guess by regular (non-chinatown) standards they still give huge portions for reasonable prices. Whenever I eat here, i always order the same things and they've never disappointed. Fu Qi Fei Pian for an appetizer, shui zhu rou (I always scope the chili flakes off the top first), pao cai yu (love the pickled veggies), and the chili chicken which I can't remember the chinese name for and usually just point to it on the menu. I've gotten hot pot here only once and it was also a great deal. Lots of meats and seafood for under $30 bucks

    (4)

  • Hanzhe M.

    Bad service, we walked in the restaurant but every waiter played like not seeing us, when I asked where we could sit, they kept telling me to wait outside. How come a Michelin bib gourmand restaurant treat a customer like this?

    (1)

  • Ivankah S.

    I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food but this place excites me! The food here is so good. Unfortunately, I don't get to this neighborhood much so I always order the same thing. Hot and sour soup, Dan Dan noodle (spicy,spicy) and sole fillet with black bean chili sauce. The sole fillet is like little disks of heaven. It reheats beautifully the next day. Service has always been good for me. Love the massive menu! I left off one star because the new chairs in this place are awful. Very uncomfortable and awkward. I'd be afraid they would break with anyone over 200lbs.

    (4)

  • Liz G.

    Worth the hike... We try something new every time we're here and haven't been disappointed yet. The menu can be a little daunting- it's like a mini novel with page after page of options. I think my favorite discovery has been the chicken sizzling rice soup. It was a cold day and I was looking for tasty bowl of soup, but wanted to branch out beyond the standard egg drop/wonton/hot & sour options and I am so, so, so glad I did. It's now a standby, and one of those random things I'll get a serious craving for.

    (4)

  • Jesse B.

    first off don't get lost its at the very beginning of the mini-mall (or at the very end if you're one who sees the glass as half empty) Tradition long wait (unless you get there at 5:30 PM) bad service? I disagree, our servers were on point. all three of them! Highlite: we learned Tsingtao (aka Miller Lite) is pronounced Ching-taow! the spring rolls were just a'ight yeah we got dat modafukin 'crack' chicken everyone speaks of it was crunchy and delightful but i'm not sure i'd get it again Mongolian beef tenderloin tender as silk? duh Cashew shrimp, saucy! Egg Drop Soup not the most fab i've had but def enjoyable overall this was by far the best Chinese food i've exp'd in Chi. My friend from LA who joined me (terrible 2sum) said it was the best Chinese food she'd had in her existence and that she's bringing the 'rents to Sze Chuan next time they're in town. Ross H. said "For anyone who gave this place less than four stars -- how?" and I feel that. yet... Quality of Food: 9/10 (beef/shrimp/chicken/soup) Service: 9/10 (other than being yelled at by the general of the army who decides which little birdie gets to sit down, once seated we was constantly poured fresh tap water etc) How Long I Stayed Full For: 6/10 (starving lyke 3 hours later) Stomach/Digestion: 4/10 (was strugglin') Fortune Cookies: 2/10 (LAME 2 cuTesy)

    (4)

  • Rohan B.

    Nobody can recreate their Szechuan sauce!

    (5)

  • Suana W.

    i was absolutely STARVING when i walked in the doors. altho there was a wait, we ran into colleagues and managed to join their table. luckily, they had already ordered food so we helped devour that while placing a few new orders. i've tried: - spinach with garlic: a chinese staple, good as always and not too oily - potstickers: just okay, a bit too thick-skinned for my taste - szechuan chicken: decent - lamb and sour pickle soup: not sour enough!!! :( - dan dan mien: YUM, totally hit the spot. i slurped those bad boys down in a couple minutes. - salt + pepper chicken: decent the only food item i was disappointed with was the soup. it was okay, but not as sour as i'm used to. other than that, chinese food totally hit the spot that night and filled me up.

    (4)

  • Javier B.

    Lao is back baby!!! I can't describe the sadness I felt when we ventured to Chinatown for lunch on a random weekday only to find out that Lao was closed due to a fire. They moved quickly and Lao is open again! I love the new decor. I agree that the chairs looked really uncomfortable, but they were surprisingly comfy once I sat down. I had no problem with the way it was before, but now it looks fresh and modern. I'm sure we will get the usual malcontents complaiing of how now it has no character anymore. Here's an idea...don't go there if you don't like it! I don't think they will be hurting for business any time soon and it will be easier for me to get a table. Don't know if it was because we were so happy to be there again and loved the new look, but the food somehow also tasted better. Pot stickers are the best I've ever had. Tony's 3 chili chicken is a standard. La la la spicy pot is one of my favorite dishes in Chicago period. Don't come here and order egg rolls, wonton soup and sweet and sour pork and then write about how mediocre it was. You don't come here for that. YOU are the only reason they even have that stuff in the menu to begin with. Best Chinese food in Chicago hands down! I've brought at least 30 different people to eat here and have yet to hear otherwise.

    (5)

  • N. Mary I.

    Went for the first time with a group of 8. the meal was just over $11 dollars per person with two appetizers, two veggie dishes and duck, spicy beef, crispy chicken, tea and rice. It was amazing and we all walked away with spicy mouths and full bellies. The smoked tea duck is something else. My boyfriend and I enjoy, nay, love bejing duck and this was a special surprise. The spicy sze chuan beef was indeed, incredibly spicy but so tender and flavorful. I'll be going back for dim sum which my bf says is worth it. Also, does anyone know how to make the spicy shredded cabbage appitizer? Its amazing and I'm looking to replicate it They lost a star for the service. The staff and servers were not friendly, nor helpful and didn't seem to care whether we were having a good time or not. Plus they let some strange guy take photos of us from outside the restaurant.

    (4)

  • Paul K.

    This is a fantastic authentic Sichuan restaurant. We used to dine here weekly, especially in the winter time. There's nothing like real Sichuan cuisine on a cold wintery day. If you're plan to dine here, order the real Sichuan dishes and avoid the few pseudo items they have on the menu to appease those not familiar with real Sichuan cuisine. Some items that are outstanding here are: - Boiled Beef: slices of beef in a red spicy stew with Chines cabbage on the bottom. The dish is really garlicky and spicy. The way Sichuan should be. -Cumin Lamb: slices of lamb stir fried with cumin, fennel, chili peppers, garlic, ginger, soy, bell peppers and onions. This is a nice and flavorful dish with strong Northwestern Chinese flavors. -Spicy dry beef: shredded beef fried and then stir fried with shredded celery, carrots, chili peppers, ginger and garlic. The texture is slightly crisp and flavor is nice. -Spicy pork with Chinese celery: shredded pork that is really tender stir fried with Chinese celery (stronger in flavor and smaller stalk than celery), chili peppers, garlic, ginger. This is a great spicy pork dish. =Yu Shiang (Xiang) Pork - shredded pork with tree ears (mushrooms), water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, onions, garlic and chili. This is a famous Sichuan dish. -Double dry chili pork or beef or shrimp -Three Color HOme Style Appetizer - three shredded vegetables in hot oil and garlic. i think it's carrots, dried tofu and i forgot the third vegetable used there. -Tender (fatty) pork with garlic appetizer: Pork belly boiled and sliced thinly marinated with loads of garlic, some chili peppers, soy paste, sugar and a hint of ginger. Pork belly is very fatty but tasty. This is served cold. There are some items on the menu that are not "authentic" designed to cater to the non-Chinese. So, if you order the "standard" Americanized Chinese items - eggrolls (not sichuan), sweet and sour (not sichuan), egg drop soup (not sichuan), mongolian beef, pot sticker (not sichuan), mushu pork (not sichuan) you will detect no significant difference from what you normally have in other Chinese restaurants. In fact, they may not be as good as other Chinese restaurants. Why? Since people already have very strong ideas of what these items should look & taste (they're practically American dishes), most Chinese restaurants just serve those dishes like what the non-Chinese expect them to taste. Sure, those items exist in China, but they rarely made available in the authentic form since Chinese rarely order those item. So, don't order those items! Try real Sichuan food and then decide if it's for you or not.

    (5)

  • Daniel D.

    The food is delicious and authentic. I had the pot stickers and dried chili chicken. This was enough food to feed two people and it was affordable. They serve you free hot tea. Sodas come in cans, and they charge you $1 for a small bowl of rice that they bring to you without asking. The service is rather poor. They really ought to hire more people. If I wasn't trying to kill some time in the first place I would've been upset at how long it took to get in and out.

    (4)

  • Tom B.

    Tried this place for the first time today and was really happy with the whole experience. Before we even ordered, my friend spilled his water everywhere and the staff rushed over and were really nice and cleaned it up right away. The three of us ordered the vegetarian chicken appetizer, which was very interesting...I didn't really like it, but it was something different. Definitely not like you'd find at Chicago Diner or in the Morningstar freezer. For the entree, the three of us ordered three different dishes and shared them all, which was a great way to do it. We all agreed that the eggplant in "garlic" (I use quotes because it did not taste garlic-y at all) sauce was the best. The sauce was kinda spicy-sweet and the eggplant itself was fresh and tasty and well cooked...and I'm not a huge eggplant fan. The homestyle bean curd and sauteed potatoes were good as well. Usually I end with a complaint but honestly I don't think I have one about this place. Check it out!

    (4)

  • John G.

    The food looks so spicy I thought I was going to die. But I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Overall the food was well-prepared and not your usual Chinese food, however I wouldn't say that this place knocks it out of the park.

    (4)

  • Lillian M.

    This is a great introduction to Chinese food and to Chinatown. I understand that it's kind of an icon here, and I can see why. The menu is absolutely, intensely HUGE -- thank goodness I had Suz C and Chan (again) to help place our order, or we would have been there all night waiting for me to decide what to try. We had Tony's Chicken, baby pea pods, crab rangoon, spicy cabbage, a spicy lamb dish, and a dish of green beans cooked with chiles and other spices. Oh, and a duck dish. Have I mentioned yet that we got all this food for $22 a piece including tip (4 people)?? WOW. Ok, the food is absolutely, intensely GOOD. Best ever? Perhaps not, but damn, it's up there. The only disappointment, Deb and I agreed, was the crab rangoon. The duck was fair but not particularly spectacular either. The lamb dish we had was quite good, nice and spicy that warmed up your mouth but didn't make you cry. Thank goodness, because I forgot to wear waterproof mascara . . . ha ha Clean, good feeling about the place. And it's busy. Serv ice was good. Another note: go early if you want to spend the evening checking out the shops and other things in the area -- most places in Chinatown close at 8 or 9pm, even on Saturdays. Overall, a good experience. I would definitely eat here again.

    (4)

  • Laura W.

    My mouth is watering just thinking about that spicy red cabbage appetizer. I need more of it in my life. I thought the pricing was a little high for Chinese food, $10-15 per person, but the quality was great and the portions are very large. We didn't wait long to be seated (we arrived a little earlier on a Sunday night) but there were about 15 waiting as we left (closer to dinner time). My only problem with the experience was the service. Our servers argued in front of us, acted very annoyed by us at some points, brought us the wrong check and then took about 15 minutes to return the check once we paid. I will be back, and will just keep my fingers crossed that the service is better next time.

    (4)

  • Megan L.

    This was the very first place I ate at in China Town. Immediately entering I notice the enlarged photos of panda bears on the walls; very cute. Next, I noticed the relatively small room packed full of white tables & chairs; interesting. The first time I ate here, I ordered the spicy fried rice with added tofu. To be honest the rice was bland, not spicy, and the tofu was dry & unflavorful. Thankfully there was soy sauce available on my table. That helped the dish quite a bit. The second time I ate here, I ordered Lao Mein with added tofu. I was surprisingly impressed, because it was full of flavor, the tofu wasn't dry & overall the dish tasted great. The service, on the other hand, wasn't terribly great. I'm not sure if it was because it was during lunch hour or what. Who knows. I'm still interested in trying other vegetarian-friendly items on the list, however, I'm not in a huge hurry to go back right away.

    (3)

  • Robyn T.

    I was SO excited to head to dinner in Chinatown on a weeknight knowing that I could more than likely get a table at Lao Sze Chuan. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a few tables and then what? The host said go upstairs? Smart move Lao Sze Chuan...you got a second space upstairs! Yes folks it's true there are now count them two dining spaces for Lao Sze Chuan. Service was super slow and I was salivating the second the waitress set down the menu. I got my favorite staples (green beans with black beans and dry chili beef) and while they were good they weren't great. Huh, what's going on? I'm chalking it up to an off night... Yeah for the additional seating. Boo for the food that is still as spicy as ever but was missing something...

    (3)

  • Keiko S.

    3.5 for now. The first couple of bites are tasty, but after a while, everything starts to taste the same. Here are some dishes (can't remember the exact names) we recently ordered: 1) fish and vegetables in spicy broth -- simply hot, not well seasoned 2) deep fried beef in chilli oil sauce -- super spicy, oily and salty 3) stir fried string beans -- the best among the three The food is generally very spicy (not to mention greasy), but the depth and layers of flavor aren't as impressive. Plus, you may get digestive problems the next morning... NOT FUN. Price wise, it's average...or arguably a bit on the higher end for a Chinese joint in Chinatown.

    (3)

  • Amy X.

    lao sze chuan delivers via grubhub! takes about 45mins-hour, but i'm okay with that. i ordered dishes that you really shouldn't order as delivery (e.g. the spicy boiled beef dish that everyone raves about which also subsequently comes with a gallon of piping hot spicy soup). also just recently tried the three cup chicken, which tastes great heated up the next day. that sauce! poured over white rice! i ate this at lunch the next day and quietly smacked my lips in satisfaction. try delivery! not too shabby.

    (5)

  • John B.

    If my experience at Lao was typical, I can see why some people come away dissatisfied. The loud and stupid party to my right ordered a mess truck of Americanized dishes after repeatedly disclaiming any desire to try anything "gross" or "too Chinese." Then they brayed for a long while about whether cock fighting was less reprehensible than dog fighting. If these people typify the behavioral and ordering patterns of Lao's clientele, it's no wonder that there's not universal satisfaction with the place. Sole with sour pickled cabbage. It comes in a huge bowl, and can serve two. It smells slightly of wood varnish. But it's piquant, satisfying and growingly addictive. To accompany this, you can have eggplant with fried ground pork. But never mind the pig ear: one should never go to a Chinese restaurant and expect to eat actual "Chinese" food, right? Go to Lao if your inclination is to avoid Americanized food. You probably won't avoid the maddening crowds, but you'll still do well if you order well.

    (4)

  • Patty S.

    Normally for Chinese New Years, a group of us will travel down to Chinatown for our yearly ritual. The last couple of years, we've leaned towards family styles meals rather than Dim Sum. I'm so glad last year we went to Lao Sze Chuan!!! There were 9 of us in the group and since it was Chinese New Years, we made reservations. I'm so glad we did because it was a very popular place! It was super packed and every table was filled. This restaurant is 2 levels with most of the big tables on the 2nd floor. We did a traditional family style meals - ordering between 10 - 13 entrees raging from sauteed veggies, beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. The menu is quite extensive, so either ask for recommendation or bring someone familiar with the menu with you. I really don't remember one bad dish. I thought everything was very tasty. I also went there another time to have hot pot. They have an all you can eat hot pot where you can order as much as you like off their set menu. My friend that came with me has celiac disease and they were very accommodating in making sure whatever we ordered she could eat. The service is what you can expect in another other restaurant in Chinatown. When they are busy, it isn't very fast... but overall, their food is solid and reliable. You know that every time you go, the food will be good.

    (4)

  • April W.

    This place was perfect for when you are craving really good authentic Chinese. We had their signature Dry Chili Chicken, which was AMAZING. We also had the crispy shrimp with lemon sauce which was also divine. The egg rolls which are boasted about, were really nothing great, very little flavor in them. We also ordered the crispy duck, which friends recommended but to be honest it tasted like it was reheated and then crisped up. We had beef and green peppers which was a big hit as well as the green beans with spicy black bean sauce. All the dishes were great and looking around at what others were eating, makes me want to come back and try a million other things. Couple of negatives which I can overlook because the food was so good. 1. The service is awful, slow, and no one speaks any english at all which makes it hard to ask questions. 2. The menus were dirty which just kind of grosses me out that I am touching it and then eating. 3. The chairs were plastic and weird and reminded me of Barbie furniture and were very uncomfortable. 4. The beers were warm, almost undrinkable. That being said, it is STILL work coming to because the food was so unbelieveable, except for the duck, but that may have just been a fluke. I am anxious to try one of their many other places located in the same strip mall. The strip mall this is located in is also pretty cool to walk through and shop!

    (4)

  • Su X.

    In fact, as a Asian, the dishes and hotpot is really non-formal, and the most serious thing is service attitude. Therefore, I gave 1 star.

    (1)

  • Anthony S.

    I'm torn between giving this a 3 or 4 star rating, I feel like I can't give this place a fair shake since I haven't tried enough of the food on their menu but since this was my first time dining at this establishment I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt. I went stag, arriving at half past six on a Wednesday, the place was pretty crowded but they were able to squeeze me into one of their smaller tables after just a few minutes. Like many Chinese restaurants, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the amount of choices on the menu! I decided to play it safe since I tend to have bad experiences at Chinese restaurants when trying to be adventurous, so I ordered the Mongolian Beef Tenderloin. I tried asking my waitress for advice on ordering an appetizer but she had difficulty understanding me. I think I was finally able to get my point across by using hand / pointing gestures to which she responded, "Pot Stickers or Crab Rangoon." I'm not crazy about either but I took her advice and ordered the Crab Rangoon. While I waited I sipped on their hot tea and munched on their spicy cabbage appetizer (both complimentary). The hot tea didn't seem noticeably different from the tea I've had at countless other places but not bad. I really enjoyed the spicy cabbage though, it was just the right crispness and the sauce really gave it a good flavor. The Crab Rangoon and the Mongolian Beef arrived at the same time but the rice was not yet ready so they served me yet another plate of spicy cabbage. The Crab Rangoon seemed to have a more generous share of meat but as far as taste I could tell little difference from other restaurants, next time I'll try the pot stickers. The Mongolian Beef was quite good. I thought the sauce had a flavor very similar to the plum sauce that is typically served with duck in Chinese cuisine, but it wasn't as strong and didn't have a strange after taste that I had been accustomed to. After having eaten 4 Crab Rangoons and two plates of spicy cabbage I was feeling a bit full so I took a significant share of it home. Overall the service was quite good given how busy the place was, I think my only complaint would be that it took a few passes before one of the waitresses asked if I had been waited on. I will definitely be coming back here to try other dishes on their extensive menu.

    (4)

  • Aron T.

    First time I ordered from here so this may have been an off night but I was extremely disappointed. First, it took almost 2 hours. My governors chicken entree was cold and only had 3 little pieces of chicken (it was 95% vegetables). I ordered it extra spicy, it was mild...at best. The soup was cold, no flavor, the corn in it was an unpleasant surprise, and they only filled the container half way. Overall, it was NOT good and I will not be ordering from here again. I feel I am actually due a refund based on the quality and quantity (or lack thereof) I received.

    (1)

  • Sian C.

    Best Peking Duck in Chicago. This place is always crowed with people trying to get in for dinner so leave yourself enough time to wait. It's worth it.

    (5)

  • Kim W.

    the only restaurant you should be going to when you're in chinatown. (the seats make me want to cry. amirite or amirite?)

    (4)

  • chris g.

    There are a lot of great reviews on this place so I was anxious to try it based on my fellow Yelpers. We opted for take out on a Sunday night. I was told 30 - 40 minutes. I arrived in 44 minutes and was told it would be another 15. I ordered off of their website menu and figured my food to be $30. pre tax. The cashier who did not speak English very well rang up $39.25 with tax. That was a good $5. more than I expected. When paying for my food a patron came up (very upset) asking where his table's food was. He proclaimed that they ordered their food 1-1/2 hours ago. I got my food and left fast as it looked like he was about to make a scene. The food was good but not as good as I hoped based on the reviews I was reading. I considered it overpriced as well.

    (3)

  • Dawn D.

    This was the first Lao restaurant that I ever ate at....and it was delicious.

    (5)

  • Pavithra M.

    We are regulars at Lao Sze Chuan. During the past few years, we have been there at least once every month, as a couple, with a group of friends and with family from out of town. Our favorite orders are the Sze Chuan Wontons (which may not be on the menu by that name, but the server usually knows it) and the chicken fried rice. The fried rice has on occassion been slightly over salted, but otherwise tastes great. Stay away from the chilli fish curry - it is too spicy to eat, we literally had to eat just the pieces of fish with no sauce. We went there when I was pregnant and they gave us a really huge table for the two of us so I did not have to wait in the cold. I thought it was pretty nice of the young host.

    (4)

  • Tulsi P.

    Delivery was fine but the food was waaayyy too spicy and I didn't ask for that and also found a little rock or something in my food - which resulted in me throwing away all the food - waste of 30 bucks!

    (1)

  • Steve M.

    2nd visit to the Lao family of restaurants... and it was... awesome! It was more crowded than Lao Shanghai, but they were definitely on their game last night. We had: - Spicy cabbage appetizer that every table gets - like kimchi, but crunchier, with dried shrimp flakes and so good. - Hot and sour soup - excellent. Would've liked to see more mushrooms in it, but still great - Crab rangoon - lots of people seem to love this appetizer. I am a newcomer to it, so dont really have a basis of comparison for Lao Sze Chuan's version. Alls I know is that I liked it. Suuuuper fried though. - Moo Shu Shrimp - probably my favorite of the meal. Their cabbage isn't as finely chopped up as other Moo Shu [anything] I've had, and I think it works. Also, plenty of yummy mushrooms. An order comes with 4 HUGE pancakes to roll up, and the plum sauce was lighter than most I've had. Suuuuuper tasty. I'd definitely recommend. - Ma Po Tofu - It was really really really spicy, and the tofu was much softer than versions I've had in the past. However, the color is this fantastic bright red with green shoots and the white tofu. Probably the most photogenic dish on the table.. really good. Fortune cookies were mealy, but I'm not a huge fortune cookie guy, and that really has no bearing on my view of this restaurant as a 4-star experience. Go there. It's awesome! The menu is so huge that last night's meal is only the top o' the iceberg. I'm definitely going back.

    (4)

  • Christine O.

    I have now also been to the Chinatown location with a group of 7~. It gave me the chance to try a few others things, but nothing was mentionable other than what I always order (detailed in other review). The service was as good as the other location, however there was a hair in our kimchi. It was replaced, but it was tough to get the appetite back. I still recommend it. One of the better Chinese/Szechuan restaurants in the Chicago area.

    (4)

  • Yb W.

    Solid sze chuan food! I tried the gan guo chicken, cumin lamb, and the ma la san si. No misses. The food was flavorful, filling, and friendly on the budget (especially considering how much rice you can eat with food this spicy!).

    (4)

  • Mike T.

    A pretty popular place to eat at in Chinatown. Definitely a great place to try. We have to go back to try the hot pot.

    (4)

  • Chris S.

    I don't know if there is anything that they don't have here. The menu is a bound book about 20 pages long, but it's broken down in a way that makes sense. It still takes about 15 minutes to get through, but if you can't find something that looks good, that's your fault. They have everything from Orange Chicken to a soup with pork blood cakes (not as creepy as it sounds). I tried a couple of soups, the shredded pork, and an appetizer of pigs ears in a spicy sauce. It was all really good, the flavors clean and fresh, and it was very affordable. There are plenty of items for those looking for true Szechuan spice and rustic, traditional dishes. The service was great. There were plenty of people working when we arrived for an early dinner, so numerous people were stopping by to make sure we were taken care of. All said, a fine experience that warrants a return trip.

    (4)

  • Deana L.

    Eh. Food was okay, just reg'lr ole Chinese food though. Maybe I was disappointed because I didn't have one of those hot pot things. Maybe I was disappointed because the egg drop soup looked like yolk and raw egg whites, but just tasted like raw egg whites. Maybe i was I dunno. The lamb dish was supposedly great. If you don't like cumin, don't get it. THe sweet sour soup was really good, but everything else was just okay. The Kong Pao chicken was okay. The sesame chicken was okay. The veggie fried rice was okay. Just okay. I will try this place again, but I am going to have to get one of those hot pot things to really figure out why people like this place. or maybe I'll just get it cuz there is nothing like a little open flame in a small area. 3 stars...eh. it was so reg'lr I don't even want to add up the stars.

    (3)

  • Tom D.

    I am beginning to wonder about going back to places where I have experienced some of my favorite meals....you know when you have had that quintessential and forever memorable food experience....yet, there is always that little piece of hope that it can be replicated. It is the classic setup for disappointment.....yet, you keep going back, again and again -- sometimes there a glimpses into that past magic, but I am not sure they can ever be replicated. Each experience is unique, which makes those memorable experiences even more treasured. That all being said, I was in Chicago and jumped at the opportunity to go back to Lao Sze Chuan. Yes, it was very good -- but the food was a little bit different and didn't quite live up to my memory of the last meal there. Dan Dan noodles were excellent, but didn't make me weak in the knees. Salt & pepper scallops were good but fell just a bit short of expectations based on my last vist.... That all being said, next time I am in Chicago I would again jump at the chance to try and revisit that one amazing meal I had here last year.

    (4)

  • elizabeth r.

    the food was delicious .... My husband took me here for lunch on my birthday and i simply loved the place and food .we ordered the hot pot ,it was very spicy but was so delicious, we could not sop eating it ... we also got the Mongolian beef , it was so delicious ... the staff was friends but a little slow . I am surely going back to this place .

    (4)

  • Kevin A.

    51...52...53...54! I counted 54 chili peppers on my dish of dry chili chicken! My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this dish is. The chicken has a light crisp texture on the outside, is moist on the inside, and is bursting with chili flavor. My only complaint was that I wish the portion was bigger as I practically inhaled this dish. I also loved the dry chili string beans and the eggplant in garlic sauce. I requested that they go easy on the oil as eggplant is sometimes be deep fried before it's stir fried, and it came out perfect. I only wish I didn't have to go to Chinatown to enjoy Tony's food. Tony, if you're reading...open up shop on the North Side!

    (5)

  • Grace L.

    I found su ji here. That's a Chinese/Buddhist-style mock chicken and that's how I know how authentic this place is - it just brings back memories of the food I used to eat as a child at my grandmother's house. No, this stuff doesn't actually taste like chicken, but it's freaking delicious, and they did it just right. I think everyone should try this. Made from layers and layers of tofu skins wrapped around chopped bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, braised in a sweet soy sauce, chiled, sliced and served cold, this is the perfect side dish to get as an accompaniment to whatever spicy hot food you're probably gonna order. But I suppose if you're going to go here, you should try the hot pot, as it's what everyone around us was having.

    (4)

  • Leah P.

    The most interesting meal of my life! First, my boyfriend and I walk in and everyone stops and stares. We were the only non-asian people, so I guess we stuck out. Then we tried asking a couple servers about the BYOB and they clearly did not speak any English. Servers were actually avoiding us. Finally a guy who spoke a Little English told us, "You give us some money." Apparently he was trying to tell us there was a corkage fee ($10). Then there was a fight. This crazy guy was screaming at people who worked there in Chinese, then he would leave. Then he came back and yelled and then the workers yelled back, more and more yelling and leaving and coming back. It was like Chinese Jerry Springer. I wish I knew what they were saying because our fellow diners looked deeply disturbed. The place cleared out and someone was forced to take our order. Our food was pretty good, tasted like any other Chinese food I have had in the past. Then the delivery guys and people in the kitchen were wrestling or something because we could hear people laughing and people hitting the wall. So go for the food, stay for the entertainment!

    (3)

  • Nari H.

    Awesome sichuan chinese food, close to what it's really like in the Sichuan Provence in China (though less spicy, which is a good thing. I sometimes wanted to die of the spice when I was the Sichuan part of China). They do an excellent job and I hear they deliver now!! definitely worth checking out!

    (4)

  • Tiffany K.

    I really want to give them 4 stars, but I can explain why I gave them 3. -Food was delicious, but not the best I've ever had. -We had like 5 different waiters who were sort of impatient with us. At one point, three of them even argued in front of us, which was awkward to watch. -The food was a bit pricey ($10.95 for Mongolian Beef is the most I've ever paid for!) But they did give us a lot of food, which was a definite plus. I'd probably get something else from the menu whenever I go back. It's so hard to find good Chinese food, so I'll definitely come back and try another dish.

    (3)

  • Ali A.

    Customer service sucks!!! Takes forever to get your food. None of the waiters speak English. However, the food is descent. When the owner is not working all the managers are lost. On the days the owner is working, you will have better service.

    (1)

  • Ashley V.

    Hot spicy food on a cold night. Perfect combination! It was a spicy themed night out for us and Lao Sze Chuan was perfect for this theme. They have a pretty huge extensive menu and a lot of the meals were noted as spicy. I did notice that they have options for mild, hot or super hot but most of the things we order were all between hot and super hot. We started with a couple of bowls of Hot & Sour soup and a bowl of Egg Drop soup and some pork potstickers. The Hot & Sour soup was SPICY!! It was a heartier soup than I expected and had great flavor and a tons of things in it (I couldn't tell you what was in it if I tried.) The potstickers were HUGE, way bigger than I am used to but they were a bit to much for me considering it was only meat inside. For entrees we decided to just stick to what we know this time around. We got Kung Pao Chicken (super spicy), Sze Chuan Beef (spicy) and Moo Shoo Shrimp (not spicy and super refreshing.) They were all super yummy and the portions were HUGE. I have to say that my favorite was the Moo Shoo shrimp but I think it was partly the overload of spiciness on the other two dishes. The service was great. Everyone was friendly and the food came out fast. The place is tiny but they let us enjoy our bottle wine and food coma long after the food was packed up. I would love to go back and try the Hot Pot -- it looked like so much fun. I would definitely recommend this spot!!

    (4)

  • Frances X.

    I am Chinese. I have had Sichuan food many many times in China and have certain expectations given that this seems to be the only Sichuan food place in the Chinatown of Chicago. One of the most common dishes in Sichuan food is Boiled beef/fish. But the boiled beef dish there is a joke. I cannot believe that they even dare to recommend that in the menu. It is nothing like the boiled beef I had in China. It taste like stir fried beef soaked in some red sauce. I believe for any Sichuan food restaurant to be in business, it at least has to get this one right. It is the minimum respect to the wonderful cuisine. To be fair, some other dishes are fine: the chili chicken is good.... but please get the staple of Sichuan cuisine right!

    (2)

  • Jennifer G.

    I feel like I can't give this place a fair review as I could barely taste my food past the heat of our dishes. I am sure it was my fault since I tried to order the things that I read numerous yelps about - Ma Po Tofu, Chicken with chilis and a spicy lamb dish but everything was just so darn spicy it was hard to enjoy. Would like to go back and try some different dishes.

    (3)

  • Robert R.

    My gosh was this place good, When myself and a group of friends decided to head into Chinatown for a nice dinner i was not sure how good it would be, then as he headed a few blocks away from the main Chinatown gate , i worried a little bit more. And once more when walking through the doors to an unassuming restaurant brightly lit, but not one to be the Debbie Downer of the group i decided to give it a chance, and boy was i glad i did. upon sitting down in a large table in the corner we where handed what can only be described as a large book of approx 20 30 pages of menu items written in small type (so don't forget your reading glasses). While we all took are time reading page after page we enjoyed a bottle of saki ( kinda of a yummy Surprise,i had never had it before) We started our meal with some Spring rolls and Crab Rangoon(damn good) and a plate of spicy cabbage (and i do mean spicy, but so good) next was a hard decision what to get for the main course and while i could have been a bit more daring i went with a shrimp lo mein.. So good, and even now i type with one hand and wipe the drool with the other. i think they only mistake i made was not asking advice From my server. but i will know for next time, cause even though I'm not a local i will be back for more

    (5)

  • Hyung S.

    One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago! The food is amazing traditional Chinese food, so you can get everything from spring rolls to kidneys here. The menu is huge, and the food is spicy and yummy. I will get 4 people's worth of delivery, and eat it for an entire weekend sometimes. The chef's specials are all good, and not too adventurous for the squeamish, but some hidden gems: all the eggplant dishes, the dumplings, the veggies. The hot pot is also great. If you're not familiar with the concept, it's like broth fondue where you cook all kinds of veggie and meat in boiling broth at the table, and then you can cook noodles in it if you want. This may not be the best dish to share with people you don't know that well because you all share the same broth. Do this with close friends.

    (5)

  • Cindy D.

    I went here with 5 other people for the hot pot buffet. We got a hot pot that was split with nonspicy broth and spicy broth. It comes with three different sauces to be mixed up as your dipping sauce (satay sauce, sesame, and garlic oil). Then comes the raw foods - shrimp, mussels, squid, lamb, beef, fish, fish balls, meat balls, watercress, romaine lettuce, and tofu. You basically want to wait till the broth boils, then start cooking to your heart's desire! Everything was yummy, especially the beef, watercress, and seafood. After tax and tip it ended up being $24 pp. Honestly, I probably could make it at home for a whole LOT cheaper, but it was still fun and good nonetheless.

    (4)

  • Michael W.

    360 reviewers can't be wrong, can they? Well...actually...they can, but in this case, I think they've got it just right. Since I'm just coming off the flu, I'll admit I'm a little too lazy and tired to read many previous reviews. But I managed enough strength to see the handful of negative reviews focused on service at Lao. So let me take a stab at it. Folks....this is Chinatown. This is a culture that might be different to you. Welcome to the melting pot that is our happy little country. I claim to have no inside knowledge of the chinese culture, but I think it's not hard to determine that the service vibe is just a little different sometimes in Chinatown. In some ways, I think the lack of the "kissing your aarse" smiling hostess even though she is slammed is a bit refreshing! You're a little busy to put on the smile and you probably seriously don't give a damn about that. I feel ya...no sweat....just keep workin' the tables to get me and my lovely wife a seat, thanks! Look...you get some thankyous and general politeness too. They aren't the gestapo or anything. These guys are focused and efficient....just without the niceties you get in other restaurants. Different than what you are used to is not automatically bad. And if you can't give props to that unusually energetic guy at the door, you are simply missing out. Yeah....he's kind of like your slightly sauced(booze or upper?), overly loud, and sometime overly sarcastic uncle. He could be a freaking character in a movie....that's how much flavor this guy has. So enough of my liberal rantings. Love your brother, peace..etc.....move on to the grub, bud. And the food is where these guys shine. I can't say I've had many dishes here, yet I've been here numerous times. That's simply because it's hard to try new things when you like the first things you tried so much. Did I just skip the gateway drug and go straight to the crack? Maybe my friends...and I think it's time for you to upgrade yourself, if you haven't tried it. Wink...wink....creepy overly mature dude in school trying to get you to try something you are not sure you should try.... My wife loves the broiled beef in the spicy szechuan sauce, craving it every couple weeks. On our last visit, we had this app that I absolutely love! Thin slices of beef in that delicious spicy chili sauce(same sauce as the pickled cabbage slices)...little bit of fat mixed in there and some sinewy bits too....awesome app, I'm telling you. I couldn't begin to pronounce it, but damn it tastes good. Now...I also like the Governors Chicken...that's probably like a totally white person dish(not sure?), but it's a great sweet compliment to the spicy dishes you are likely to encounter here. Real chicken chunks in this great batter that hold a nice level of crunch even while drowned in a sweet saucy glaze. LSC is almost always bustling, and you might have to wait a smidge, but it's well worth it! Thx LSC...you deal good product and you know I"ll be back for another dime bag soon....

    (4)

  • Rob C.

    4.5 part of the lao group (beijing, shanghai) -- come here for authentic sichuan cuisine, esp. for chicago. to have a good experience, it's important to order sichuan dishes. first, focus on the spicy stuff. don't order the typical midwestern dishes. i had the cold appetizer spicy chicken and the spicy beef soup. oily and tasty. try paul k's recs. this place is still putting on the hits. had the cumin lamb, fish in chili sauce. still doing all the right flavors.

    (4)

  • Heidi F.

    My husband and I just went to this restaurant on 8/11/11. I ordered the General Tso's chicken and he ordered the orange chicken. This is actually the second time I've been here, and I can't see myself returning. The chicken was so hard and tough that it was difficult to cut and eat, especially without a knife. The texture of the meat was also a little questionable. It was extremely tough and unlike any chicken I've ever had. The sauce over the chicken was the only thing I liked. While we were there it was really uncomfortable because in the middle of dinner the manager went off on one of the cooks and waitstaff. He was yelling so loudly across the restaurant that the whole restaurant turned to watch him. I thought I saw the manager even hit the cook a few times. The manager looked like a time bomb ready to explode as he walked throughout the restaurant and then out the front door and back. He signaled the waitstaff constantly and it was stressful watching him. I would NOT recommend this to anyone.

    (1)

  • John H.

    Great spicy food. If you don't like spicy food this is not your place. Go Friday or Saturday night and get the hot pot. For $17.00 a piece you can cook your own food and have some fun. The dishes are great and filled with hot peppers, but you can ask that they be prepared without the hot peppers. Unfortunately, they do not always get it right. As far as the food is concerned this place gets 5 stars. So if you want great spicy food and reasonable prices this is a winner. Six people for less than $90.00 plus a $20 tip. But here is why I give it one star. Service was as bad as it gets. We had to ask for everything over and over (water, napkins, etc.). We waited for everything. Our table was never cleaned or even brushed off. We were ignored and they were not apologetic. They simply did not care. We came in late, but we were not the last people to come in. And the final insult was when we wanted desert and we were told the kitchen had closed down. Never go her late in the evening or when they are packed. There are too many great restaurants in Chinatown to waste your time on one that does not take service seriously. OK, so why did I leave a big tip? There were six of us and that is a lot of work even if the work was not done well. Whenever I go to a restaurant and they force a tip I just leave the minimum. When the place respects the patrons I show respect back by doing the right thing. This place did not add the tip into the check and so I was respectful to the servers. The food was good enough to make me go back and when I do I will give it another review. A meal without good service is simply not fun and that is why we go out, to enjoy ourselves. Restaurants must understand that. The experience is only good when both food and service are done well.

    (1)

  • Zack C.

    The food is so very spicy and delicious. I added a fifth star because of Tony Hu's host, whose barking voice is as welcoming as it is startling. The spicy cabbage, which was provided as an appetizer on the house, brought me closer to God. Somehow it was the spiciest thing we ate that night.

    (5)

  • Sam M.

    Well.. There has been enough said about the food. Of course delicious enough that makes you want to go there time and again... Their service has been downhill off late. Long waits and even the food takes for ever.. And Customer service is not something that is in abundance in Chinatown... I hope Mr. Hu realizes customer service matters to keep the interest alive.

    (3)

  • Jade T.

    Props to Lao Sze Chaun for offering vegetarian hot and sour soup. It's not the best I've had, but it's better than none. I tried ordering the vegetarian chicken appetizer but they were out! Instead, the waitress suggested other items like Dry Beef and Jelly Fish even though I informed her of my diet. My boyfriend and I had the Hunan Vegetables and Double Fried Eggplant with Fresh Chili. I preferred the Hunan dish (it had sauce and crisp vegetables), but both of them are extremely boring and overpriced. Lao Sze Chuan was a disappointment. I am really surprised that Chicago doesn't have vegetarian Chinese restaurants like Vegetable Garden and Harmony Cafe in DC. The food is absolutely delicious.

    (2)

  • Sid B.

    Very ordinary...Overrated is what one must say...... Crab rangoon was the worst I have ever had.. the fried rice noodles was very ordinary.. And so were the other dishes.. Top this with some ridiculous frowning service and you get what is an established overrated place in Chinatown....

    (2)

  • Ross H.

    For anyone who gave this place less than four stars -- how? I rarely think anything is perfect, but this place is "as good as it gets" in terms of quality of food and bang for your buck. I went with four others, and between us, we ordered Crab Rangoon, Hot and Sour Soup, Pork Dumplings, Spicy dried Beef, "Crack Chicken," Orange Chicken and Beef, Garlic Chicken. Everything was delicious, minus the spicy dried beef, which was kind of just like beef jerky with a spicy sauce drizzled over it. I still found it decent though. The crack chicken, AKA Tony's 3 Chili Chicken, was my favorite. It doesn't look like it's coated in anything, but it is with a sort of sweet, smoky and spicy glaze. The Orange dishes were superb and extremely flavorful, the soup was scrumtrulescent, and the rangoon was honest-to-God the best I've ever had. The only other "qualm" I have is that the hot pepper oil is EXTREMELY hot, and I wasn't really warned about it -- but I guess that's more my friends' fault because they knew prior to me ingesting it. And the price was very good as well. It's not extremely cheap, but it's about what you would expect dishes to cost in a sit-down place, and they give you A LOT of food. The service was kind of slow, but hey, they were extremely busy, and I'm willing to let that slide because the food was worth the wait. A DEFINITE MUST-EAT PLACE if you are even a casual fan of Chinese.

    (5)

  • Jun Hee D.

    If you visit Lao Sze Chuan, YOU MUST TRY the mayonnaise shrimp, best i've tasted, DELICIOUS. If you like and can handle spicy, the mapo tofu is really good. I've tried various other dishes and they've all been really good. You should def come here with friends and do family style, so you can taste all the different dishes. I always also get shrimp fried rice, and a vegetable dish such as the garlic spinach or watercress. I think it's kind of pricey if you come in 2, compared to the other chinese restaurants in chinatown. The wait is pretty long and there's a lot of people, but I think its worth it. I didn't really like their hot pot. But if you're craving their mayonnaise shrimp, I can suggest no alternative.

    (4)

  • Food S.

    Excellent, authentic Sichuan food. We insist that they don't hold back the spices for us. Just wish the waiting queue was shorter at this place- we often go at odd hours to beat the lines. I wish that they spell 'Sichuan' the right way- there is no such thing as 'Sze Chuan'. It's a gringo misnomer.

    (5)

  • Rajan G.

    I've been meaning to write this review for over six months, which is funny because if I was as prompt as I really should have been, my rating would have been higher. I first ate at Lao Szechuan about 5 years back. Since then I live walking distance from there and have been there or ordered out from there way too many times than I care to count. Food has been excellent and spicy - just the way I have come to expect. Ive had many different dishes there, some very strange sounding but all of them taste good. The dry chilli chicken and szechuan dry chili string bean kind of stand out, as does their spicy lamb dish. But the last three times I have been there (last two months), while the food definitely still retains the flavor, the service has started to get very tardy and rude. Late service, grumpy faces, throwing your check on your table without even looking at you, are all experiences I have had in the last three times. C'mon guys, is my 70 buck check amount not even deserving of a smile while you present it to me? Do I have to beg you 3 times over a period of 20 minutes to get my flipping check? Given that and the long average waiting period standing outside, I have to take away two stars. When service was good and friendly, I was willing to overlook this but now I may probably go back to eating once in a rare while here and even then probably take out.

    (3)

  • Eui Jeong K.

    Lacks in service, food is good.

    (3)

  • Kat D.

    Crispy Mayo Shrimp = The best Fried Rice = The best Crab Ragoon = The best This place is the best

    (5)

  • Lyn B.

    Great food. Great service. In the heart of Chinatown. My favorite Chinese restaurant in Chinatown!

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    Food was reasonable, but not cheap by chinatOwn standards. Portions were not too good, neither was the service, menu had a million things and could stand to use some pictures.

    (3)

  • Tracey M.

    This is one of my favorite places in Chinatown. The food and service are above average for sure, and they recently got some new, more modern decor! I always order the Fish fillet with chili bean sauce, and Mongolian Beef, which is always a good combination with rice! But, when I ate there recently, I noticed that the food did not taste the same as the last time and it was missing a certain zing. Perhaps it's just of their chefs cooking it, but I could still taste a difference. Comfortable place to just relax and look out the window (not much of a view) and chat with whoever you're with! Also, I just remembered, that I ordered a smoothie from there once but I wouldn't recommend it. I felt a few ice chunks and had a hard time sucking it through the straw because the smoothie wasn't smooth enough. I can't even remember what I ordered because all I tasted was ice and a bit of sourness but it was either mango or pineapple. I'd just get it from Joy Yee's or somewhere better if I had a choice.

    (4)

  • Shayna N.

    This is the best Chinese food i've had in Chicago so far. The dumpling soup was delicious. The potstickers were awesome. a spicy lamb something dish - awesome. and a mild mixed vegetable dish which was good and balanced out the rest of the spice, but wasn't fabulous. The wait to be seated for Sunday night dinner was about 15 minutes, but once we sat it took for ever for the food to come. They definitely made it spicy too. no skimping there. I will certainly return.

    (4)

  • chris c.

    Dry Chili chicken, Cumin Lamb, Shrimp in white wine sauce. I love you all. Szechuan dumplings and boiled beef I love you as well. I just wish they would get their act together on the service upstairs which is really lacking. But not even this can keep me from giving you 5 stars.

    (5)

  • Jennifer J.

    Terrific Szechuan...there is always a crowd. We went last night and ordered the Lamb Cumin Chef Special - this was such a wonderfully seasoned dish. For vegetarians (and meat eaters also like) the Ma Po Tofu is a recurring favorite.

    (4)

  • chad n.

    Decent Chinese. Finally. This is my first chinese meal where I enjoyed every dish. Its also my first in Chicago's Chinatown. We started with soup - dumping and hot and sour were both good, then we had potstickers done very well. For entrees we had a bland mixed vegetable dish and a house lamb dish that was good but too much dried crushed red pepper sprinkled on after the fact. Nothing we ate blew me away, but I could eat any of them again. Service was good, but slow. Probably the slowest chinese place I've ever been - we there almost 2 hours and our food came out slowly in stages. It was a busy sunday night with people waiting, tho. I would definitely eat here again but I would try other chinatown spots first.

    (4)

  • Kay J.

    I have to admit that I never know what to order here so I usually see a dish another diner has and order that! They have several lamb dishes on the menu and they are always tender and delicious. The complimentary dish of spicy cabbage is a nice start - make sure you have a beer in front of you BEFORE you eat it. The Hot Pot seems intriguing but intimidating. Someday... someday... I never feel rushed here and I never know which bow-tied server is mine. Doesn't really matter as they are all attentive. Lao Sze Chuan is someplace I'll return again and again.

    (4)

  • Tommy M.

    Run of the mill restaurant with OK food but nothing to write home about. The fried noodles with shrimp was pleasantly mild, but the Hunan chicken was heavy on the salt. Oh, and doesn't rice usually come with a main dish? No, if you want rice with the chicken, that'll be extra. Not expensive, but overpriced compared to competitors in Chinatown.

    (2)

  • David S.

    This is probably one of the best Szechuan restaurants in the states as far as I can tell. Really - they will (and do) make actual Chinese food here. The menu is pretty large and the (of course) do Chinese Hot Pot which will help you survive the most brutal of Chicago winters. But here's the deal. Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) is good here, but there are four things which are phenominal. 1) Dry Chili Chicken 2) Salt and Pepper Lamb 3) Ma Po Do Fu 4) Stir fried Sting Beans The food is just packed with layers of flavor and texture and plenty of Szechuan heat. It's really the only place to get Chinese in Chitown. Oh, and they will take a reservation for 6 or more. Or (and I've never participated in this evil action) you can just go upstairs (from the outside of the strip mall) and say they sent you up to expedite your seating. But, like I said, (ahem) I've only heard of that being done.

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    If you're ever in Chinatown, make it a priority to stop at Lao Sze Chuan. It is easily one of the best Chinese restaurants in the whole city. Everything is good at Lao Sze Schuan. Like the name implies, the food originates from the Sichuan province in China. They are known to like their spices, so obviously Lao Sze Chuan specializes in very, and I mean very spicy. The restaurant is two levels, and both levels are pretty spacious. The service is not good here, but don't expect good service at Chinese restaurants, only expect good food and fast service. You can order your typical Americanized Chinese food like mongolian beef, sesame chicken, general tso's, etc, and it is very good, but they have a ton of authentic Sichuan, as well as Mandarin and Cantonese food. I love their dim sum. Their house noodles come in a broth with chunks of ground meat, along with some spinach, and noodles. It comes with a little kick, and you can ask for it to be spicier if you'd like. The sesame chicken I've had here, is the best I've ever had. The fried rice is always tasty, I love their egg rolls as well as their pot stickers. Don't be afraid to try anything here, unless you do not like spicy food. Even their spicy cabbage appetizer they bring you is delicious. For the best Chinese food in the city, come to Lao Sze Chuan. They offer very good portions for their prices, and have the most consistently delicious Chinese food I've ever had. 5/5 *Head down over to Joy Yee Noodle for a smoothie afterwards, if you saved some room that is.

    (5)

  • Jorge V.

    This has been my favorite Chinese restaurant for years. The location is great, the food is A + and the workers are the best. You can't be in China Town and not eat here! And don't forget to say hello to the host, he is such a welcoming person.

    (5)

  • Luis C.

    I wouldn't consider myself an expert at Szechuan but will admit that this place knows how to prepare dishes. I've been here a few times and have tried different dishes and have tried to build my heat index palette to higher levels each time. The boiled Szechuan beef is fantastic but i will cautiously warn those with sensitive stomachs to beware!

    (4)

  • Mantas V.

    Twice fried pork forever and for always

    (5)

  • Frank T.

    As a Chinese American liviing in San Francisco, I was looking for a place for a wedding reception. They advertise banquet room in the yellow pages and on their awning and they had decent reviews. I had my African American grand kids with me for dinner and their mother. I requested to talk with someone about their banquet room repeatedly. The waitress pretended not to understand English. So I used Mandarin. Finally they claimed they did not have a banquet room. When I used Mandarin to order she pretended not to understand me until I used English. It was strikingly odd that she had not understood my English earlier but needed my English for me to order. She scowled at us throughout the time there. I have never been treated so badly.

    (1)

  • Chaz A.

    best chinese restaurant in chicago? methinksnot. no.... see.... i had what the waiter suggested... tea duck.... i like tea. i like duck. wow, what could go wrong? except, tea duck, one of the house specialties, is like an entire duck, -barely seasoned, with shake and bake-like breading on it. for $12.95, it could feed two. but it's overwhelming for a wee man of my size. just a pile of duck. and my mother's soup was like a big bowl of sweet and sour sauce, in flavor and texture, so wouldn't recommend the "chicken sizzling rice soup" will come back probably to try "hotpot"

    (2)

  • Cathaleya C.

    This place is located inside Chinatown Square. Parking isn't easy to find since it's always crowded and you need to find a spot along the streets. The restaurant itself is tiny but the portions are large. The prices are average and the waitresses aren't as bilingual as expected. I love their baby clams and snails. Very fresh and very tasty. Not to miss dishes: salt and pepper pork, salt and pepper smelt, Tony's Three Chili Chicken. Although I love the food, I have to confess there was an instance when the service wasn't that great, (i.e. untimely drink refills, untimely check). We walked out with little or no gratuity and our waitress followed us out asking why we didn't give her a tip. So it's NOW that she shows us some attention. That was the last time we set foot in there. I still gave this restaurant a high rating because I don't mind being stalked once in a while. Makes me feel important. For the same quality in food and far better service, and if you don't mind the drive, venture out to Lao Sze in Downers Grove on Ogden Ave. It's the same owner. This restaurant , as well as the Lao Sze in Downers Grove, are Zagat-rated.

    (5)

  • Samantha L.

    The Tony's Three Chili's Chicken is DELICIOUS. I was a little disappointed in the Smoked Tea Duck, probably cause it reminded me of early grey tea, which is the only tea I can't stand. Overall, I recommend checking this place out. Don't be too creeped out by the giant panda images on the wall, lol.

    (5)

  • Kelly U.

    I'm teetering between two and three stars because my last experience there was horrible. The first time I went, the food was delicious and almost too spicy. (I'm one of those people for whom very few things are too spicy to eat.) We were seated in a timely manner for a Friday night. The bill was reasonable. My only beef was that my red wine came chilled. I went back after raving about it to some friends. The menu was, as always, overwhelming. I ordered a glass of red wine and was served instead plum wine. I shrugged it off. We were waiting for a fourth to join us, but she was going to be very late, so I was authorized to order for her. I told the guy who seated us this. We still had to flag down someone to take our food order. Then, whenever we needed anything, we had to flag someone down. No one checked on, despite walking past us many, many times. I'll give it another go, simply because the food is that good. The Vegetarian Chicken Shanghai Style is delicious and I love the Ma Po Tofu.

    (3)

  • adera l.

    This is a great place for Chinese food. The prices are great for the quality and quantity of each dish. The first time I ordered the fried intestine at Lao Sze Chuan (which I've had many times before from different restaurants), it had a funky smell to it and I sent it back. Intestine is not a good food to be risky with! The oysters with green onions are fantastic, definitely worth a try. The fried tofu is awesome fresh but difficult to reheat with success so eat it all there.

    (4)

  • J. N.

    Chinatown is mad intimidating when it comes to food... A friend asked me to dinner at his favorite Chinese restaurant and happily accepted - Lau Sze Chuan it was. Greasy? No. Everything fried? Nope. Lots of concealing sauce? Nada. Unpleasant wait staff? uh uh. Tacky atmosphere? Naw. I really enjoyed my food and dining experience. The server was friendly and efficient, the food was full of flavor, fresh, and tasty, the atmosphere was pleasant. All in all, I was really impressed and look forward to returning in the future.

    (4)

  • Will B.

    I took my mom and sister here after a day of exploring Chinatown. I ordered the spring rolls and potstickers for all of us, my mom ordered shrimp fried rice, and my sis and I had Tony's Three Chili Chicken. My sis and I thought the chicken dish was awesome; the perfect balance between spicy, sweet, and salty. My mom liked her fried rice, which I thought was a little greasy though. The appetizers were good and I enjoyed the fact that fresh tea (oolong, perhaps) was served. Service was attentive and friendly!

    (4)

  • Paul S.

    I will never go back here. Service was terrible. Never brought waters despite asking (I have to ask???). Bathrooms disgusting. No one sat us after waiting for minutes. Basic soup order never came out. Food was average. Very disappointed.

    (1)

  • Purnima M.

    I'm a fatalist. And, being a believer in the greater world order of things, this had to be my hundredth review. After all, in a few hours, I will be suffering from intense heart burn and a splitting chili-induced headache, and who knows if I'll ever recover enough to yelp again. But at least the meal that caused all this pain was worth it. Absolutely delicious Chinese food, at hard to beat prices. Service was quick, efficient, dare I say even bordering on polite. And the food, ah the food. Tony's chicken, sauteed szechuan string beans (addictive!!!) and that Ma Po Tofu. No other ma po tofu will ever measure up to this one, in taste or spice. I may not be a huge fan of Chinatown, but this is a place I'll gladly return to again and again. And again. And again...

    (4)

  • D S.

    Why is it that when it comes to ethnic fare, the Midwest magically turns it into the most bland thing possible? Fortunately, there's Lao Sze Chuan, the exception to the rule. Been here a few times, excellent food, excellent flavors. Also, a work colleague who's Chinese-American and grew up in Chicago, tells me this is the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, and he is totally right. One star off for ambiance. It's nothing fancy.

    (4)

  • Nam D.

    The Szechuan(spicy) cuisine was quite enjoyable, if you like spicy Asian food I'd come here. My group ordered 4 entrees and we finished it all so yum-oh food. The only problem was it took awhile for the wait staff to get us our water but they apologized for it due to the restaurant being so busy.

    (5)

  • evan c.

    Lao Sze Chuan was just OK. The food was not really highly flavored (read this as under seasoned) and the heat level was was pretty low on dishes that should have some kick. We had Szechuan pig ears, dry chili duck tongues and salt and pepper squid. The service was polite and to the point..

    (3)

  • Slu S.

    My favorite Chinese in all of Chicago. For those looking for spice, this place will set your GIRD in motion. I love the spicy and I take a few pepsid tabs as a amuse bouche. From the pepsid course, I highly suggest the szechuan jelly fish. Certainly not the egg roll, crag rangoon or pot sticker, but delicious. From there, I had, but one choice, the 3 Chili Chicken. The dish was sweet and extraordinarily spicy. On my next trip, I will skip the chili's and simply dine on the chili flavored chicken which was nearly perfect. No rice needed, just the Chicken Crack and a pair of chopsticks (an 2 tabs of pepsid).

    (5)

  • John C.

    I've been three times now to Lao Sze Chuan, and each visit has been a bit of a culinary adventure. My only complaint is that the menu is so sprawling and sometimes vague or clumsily translated into English that it's hard for someone who isn't "in the know" about traditional Chinese dishes to make decisions. I prefer to visit with a large group in order to try a bit of everything. Better yet if I can visit with Chinese friends who can really steer me in the right direction. I'm a very adventurous eater, and it's nice to be able to process all the details of a menu before making final decisions. All that said, everything I've had has been terrific. The famous "three chili chicken" is as good as its reputation. Pig stomach in garlic sauce was spicy, garlicky and a welcome addition to my culinary repertoire. I even love the little cabbage-in-chili-oil amuse bouche presented on the table before the rest of the meal is served. My preference is to order a variety of dishes (meats, vegetables, seafood) in varying degrees of spiciness. This being a Sze Chuan restaurant, "spicy" is usually the order of the day, but there are variations to be found in noodle and dumpling dishes to help cool down from some of their more intense creations. One word of warning: this place gets crowded very quickly, and one should expect a wait for a table during peak hours. The staff aren't the most helpful people in the world (not rude, but not inclined to engage in friendly banter either). If you are at a table during peak times, you may have that feeling that you're getting the eye from someone who is anxious to clear your place and give it to the next person in line. It may not be the most "traditional" Chinese restaurant for some who know better, but it's a quantum leap ahead of the completely Americanized "Chinese" restaurants that serve up gelatinous servings of sweet-and-sour pork.

    (4)

  • Tom D.

    Tony's Dry Chili chicken is one of my all-time favorite dishes - get a double order and take the rest home! Baby bok choi (baicai?) is a nice compliment. I always get the same thing when I come here, and the people I'm with sometimes bitch about that, and I say, hey, it's their signature dish, their keynote, what they do best!

    (5)

  • Sal W.

    This is the only place I have eaten at in China Town, only because I am such a fan of Sichuan food. But, it is time to start branching out to other restaurants. Okay this time the service was pretty good, but the food was not what I was expecting. I ordered the orange beef tenderloins ($12.95, with rice). There is only one word different than the Sichuan beef tenderloins (recommended)! I saw a picture on the menu and I swear it did not look breaded!! At one point I was wondering if there was actually any meat inside the breading. For your average American tourist who likes the breaded stuff, he would have "never tasted anything so flavorful before" (5/21). I couldn't even finish it because the breaded garbage makes me feel queasy. I did find out though that once your order rice, you get an unlimited supply thereafter.

    (3)

  • Julia B.

    In my opinion this is the best restaurant in China town. When we go, we try to always choose something new and the worst I've had here is still really good. Most of their food is absolutely amazing. The green beans with fermented black beans, the 3 chili chicken, ALL of the eggplant dishes, the spicy cabbage, garlic spinach, Twice cooked chili pork, chili pork, the ribs, the okra. The dishes here are something special. If you don't like spicy food though, this is probably not your gig. Although the food is awesome, the service is relatively lame. One of the guys is ok and seems to take up a lot of the slack of the other servers. You get the feeling that they don't like you - at all. It's sort of like being waited on by that one aunt that came over and looked at you disapprovingly all night at a family gathering when you were fourteen because she knew you'd started masturbating. I knew this about the service and still brought my entire wedding party here after being married because the food is that good. I made advanced reservations and they seated us upstairs in the catery looking area of the restaurant. My stepmother, who eats nothing but microwaved garbage was the only person who was unimpressed with the food.

    (5)

  • Dennis J.

    Delicious, well done Chinese. And they deliver!

    (4)

  • Sharon G.

    Relying on reviews, we ordered the dry chili chicken, salt and pepper lamb and crispy shrimp. Never had a worse meal. Chicken was small,dry pieces like left over for two days and sauce was just thrown on the side. Lamb was dry "mystery" meat almost like jerky, very salty with no pepper flavor. Shrimp was actually very good but could not make up for the awful other entrees. Service was not attentive. Cannot understand why people wait 30-60 minutes when so many other restaurants offer FRESH, tasty food.

    (1)

  • Nicole L.

    Authentic Chinese Food in Chicago. Must Go when you are in Chicago.

    (4)

  • June J.

    Get the roasted duck! It's finger-lickin' good!

    (5)

  • Steven F.

    Absolutely the worst experience in Chinatown I've ever had. I had heard good things about Lao Sze Chuan... not sure what happened? I'm on a restricted diet currently and had hoped I could order something tasty and still stick to my plan. Waitress had trouble understanding me, screwed up the order...not to mention it took an hour and a half for my order to arrive. With no warning about the wait. The waitress blamed it on us and I was appalled. Try another place, please. Big thumbs down.

    (1)

  • Melinda W.

    The food was sooo good here. The wait staff very helpful and knowledgeable. Always a good thing to see Asian people coming in to an Asian food place. Prices were reasonable. It was definitely some of the best Chinese food Ive ever tasted. Ambiance could be more, but its all about the food. Definitely worth all of the stars its getting.

    (4)

  • Dustin W.

    Wow, huge menu. Legit regional fare. In the heart of chinatown. You will likely see all walks of life eating here at any given time lending to the absolute fact that this place is sure to please. If youre into spice, stop reading and head down now. Nothing bad to say.

    (5)

  • Joseph G.

    I used to like this place. Since it's become insanely popular and busy, the quality and service for the high price has been increasingly going downhill. I waited three hours for a delivery that I ultimately had to cancel because I learned that they forgot to prepare my order after assuring me several times that it would be at my place in 15 minutes (I live 5 minutes away from Chinatown). The final straw came when after giving this place a chance to redeem itself, I ordered food that tasted like fish despite this not being any component of the dish. Somebody clearly forgot to clean out the dish my food was cooked in properly unless chicken is the new fish. With all the fantastic, cheaper places surrounding you nearby, I will be taking my business elsewhere from now on. I suggest others explore the many options as well because this place isn't the only one that serves up basic Chinese dishes (and many of their dishes are no frill Chinese dishes). It's not worth waiting in line for 60 minutes to eat Mongolian Lamb, especially when many of the meat dishes are increasingly featuring mystery meat.

    (1)

  • Christina A.

    I've spent time in China... And this was the most authentic Chinese food I've had in the US. Awesome! I would go back!

    (4)

  • Jaime C.

    Great value. Very yummy, spicy, not too salty. Excellent service! Good for veggie food, too.

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    From the boards on chow.com and lthforum.com , we ventured to Lao Sze Chuan last night to try what people have been calling "Chicken Crack" otherwise known on the menu as Tony's Chicken With Three Chili. The dish was everything everyone said it would be, sweet, savory and spicy. Delicious. It was also very greasy but that's okay. Looking through the menu was like perusing a high school yearbook. The hardcover menu has over 800 items and very, very overwhelming but that's okay. I thought the misspellings were funny - Carlic Chicken, Noosles. When you sit down, they bring you a small appetizer of spicy cabbage. If you can't stand the heat, don't try this. We consider ourselves lovers of all things hot but even the free cabbage was almost too much for us to eat. We finished it anyway with a lot of water. Along with the Crack, we had Spicy Noodle with Beef and the Chengdu Dumplings as the appetizer. The jus that came with the dumplings was so good, I drenched my rice in it. The dumplings, crack and noosles came to $26, not bad. When we asked them to doggy bag our left overs, we asked to take the left over rice as well. The waiter said he would give us fresh rice instead, nice touch. I might go back today to get another fix.

    (5)

  • Jacob J.

    What can be said now that you can't read in 220+ other reviews and the shining number of stars. We walked in around noon, most of us in a dazed fog from the night before, reliving it with every step. I had assorted appetizers and spicy sweet on my mind. Some of the other guys were thinking the same or spicy hot soup the answer to a foggy mind. The place was packed, every table full, yeah it's Saturday noon but damn, every last table! The cute hostess in the red cheongsam (aka one piece Chinese dress) greeted us with a smile right away, "ten minutes please wait outside" is what she tells everyone walking through the double doors. Not five minutes and a table was cleared and we were seated. Lunches with friends in these kinds of scenarios are perfect for getting a chance to taste everything you've ever heard about a restaurant and sharing a bill is always fun(with the right people). Agile R. suggested we check it out per a friend's suggestion. Everyone ordered a dish, appetizer and shared. Pot stickers, dumplings, crab Rangoon, even Tony's dry Chili chicken and more! The only entrée which stunk was my choice, Ma Po Tofu, which at most places can be awesome and when ordered spicy it's even better. Theirs was clumpy, mild and boring. Maybe they forgot to add spice? I dunno. Everything else was tasteful and we tried our best to finish it all, I know the hostess was hoping we'd leave sooner than later instead of lounging around. During our feast people came and left, most would see the full room and not bother waiting. It's worth waiting though, most tables are receiving their food pretty quickly and parties are leaving without prolonged sitting. First time was great, looking forward to the next time.

    (5)

  • Aaron W.

    Ma Po Tofu has been inconsistent and overall their dishes are just not quite as good as I thought they were the first few times we went. Still a solid 3.5 stars.

    (4)

  • Tim R.

    Best Chinese food you'll find in Chicago, maybe even this side of the pond. They primarily do Szechuan style so take the pepper ratings serious if your sensitive to spiciness. I recommend the Chef's Special Dry Chilli Chicken if you can take the heat. Service is very hit or miss but the food more than makes up for it. You can get in and out in a timely manner or sit around for an eternity.

    (5)

  • Elisa C.

    I love this place! Fabulous food and so many choices. You get a lot of food which is great because it's lunch or dinner for the next day. When friends come to town and want Chinese this is where I take them. I've never had a bad meal there.

    (5)

  • Phillip R.

    This place is so authentic you have to dial 011 to get out. Looking around at everyone's food, I definitely have a lot I need to come back and try (especially the hot pot); the menu has to have like 150+ items. This is definitely a popular place, so be mindful if you are going on a peak day at a peak time. When I went, there was a line out the door but it didn't take more than 20 minutes to get a table.

    (4)

  • Matt R.

    I was pretty scared by a lot of the reviews on here and I almost did not want to go here because of them...however, my friend invited me to go with some co-workers and I figured she being Chinese, it couldn't go that bad. My dinner experience was totally fine. I would not call the service great, but it was not terrible either. The service was just completely random. We had at least 6 different people take care of different parts of our meal. It probably helps that our friend spoke chinese, but to be perfectly honest, they listened to her sometimes, and other times chose to ignore her. So as far as a bias towards non-chinese...I don't think it's like other parts of Chinatown. My group went with the full-fledged hot-pot experience. I had never had hot pot before but I really love szechuan cuisine and the spices that go along with it. I did not come out a big fan of hotpot. We got the spicy hot pot and the spiciness was not bad. The spices however were really quite overwhelming. After eating for a bit, my mouth was just tired of being assaulted every time I put something in my mouth. As far as what goes into the hot pot, a lot of the stuff is really just not that good. The beef was good, as was the shrimp, fish, vegetables, rice cakes, etc. Call me american, but I just don't think things like sea cucumber, fish balls, SPAM, blood cake and pig intestine are that good in a boiled soup. If you went authentic hot pot, I think Lao Sze Chuan is a great place to get it. Just know what you are getting into and you'll be fine.

    (3)

  • min. r.

    Another stop on my quest to try every place in Chinatown. We came here for a late night dinner after a Sox night game and damn, what a great idea. After spending about 20 minutes reading their novel of a menu (I think it had about 800 items on it?) I finally decided to go with the salt & pepper prawns. They were alright. Not nearly as good at the head/shells on version from LTH, but good enough the entire plate got devoured. Also at the table: Salt & Pepper mixed seafood (the best dish on the table), Sweet & Sour chicken (yuck - too cloyingly sweet), and a beef dish that was tasty. Don't get me wrong - everything was delicious - but it just wasn't as delicious as some of the other Chinatown eateries. But, a decent night in a Chinatown restaurant beats Northside Chinese food any day, so it'll still get 4 stars. If I hadn't been to Kam Fung or LTH, it'd have gotten 5 stars, and rave reviews.

    (4)

  • Michael L.

    I dunno what happened to this place. When I first came a few years ago, I was shocked to find the best Shui Zhu Niu (water-cooked beef) I've ever had, in Chicago of all places. I thought it was better even than any of the places I'd had in Sichuan, China! I recently came back on a visit to Chicago, though, and was majorly disappointed. The first thing I noticed was that everyone in the restaurant was now non-Chinese. The second thing I noticed was that the food was no longer nearly as spicy or flavorful as it once had been. I don't know which one was the cause and which one was the effect here, but overall this place has gone way downhill.

    (3)

  • Rakesh K.

    This is my favorite restaurant in the City. I initially went with one friend, but over the course of the last year and a half since i found this place, I have brought dozens of people to this place. It is the best Chinese food hands down in the City and one of the two best I have had in the country, along with a place in San Francisco. The following dishes are unbelievable and you cant go wrong with: tonys chili chicken, mongolian beef, mayonaise shrimp (don't let the name deter you), orange beef, twice cooked pork, the house special fried noodles and pan fried combination noodles are must sides for your main meal. I have never been disappointed and I make it a point to go at least once a month. And the best part is I live in River West and they deliver to me

    (5)

  • Kwoky L.

    Lao is one of my favorite restaurants in the Chicago area. I love their unusual combination of ingredients and spices in their food which sets them apart from places like Panda Express or even popular places like Lee Wing Wah or Happy Chef. It tastes like what my grandma would make. Their hot pot is very good too. If there's any reason to doubt their authenticity, look at their "very Chinese" menu items. They've got pig ears, pig blood, pork intestines and things that regular people won't eat unless they know how to appreciate it. That tells you the kind of customers they are targeting.

    (4)

  • Rebecca B.

    We had the Sliced Beef and Maw Szechuan Style, Lamb with Cumin, Chicken w/ Three-Chiles, and stir-fried green beans. I'd absolutely recommend all but the first (just didn't enjoy it because of the high spice factor*), but if you're feeling less of a wuss--go for it. I loved the options we chose--great combination of flavors/textures and would definitely recommend being adventurous with the option available. I know next time it will be even harder to decide since we already have a couple of favorites but have so much more to try... *Full disclosure: I'm a tremendous wuss when it comes to truly spicy food, and found some of the food too much for my taste, but it was flavorful spicy, not just spicy like a dare...you dig?

    (4)

  • Gerrick W.

    I love this place. The service here might seem a bit curt or impersonal to some, but I find it pleasing. It's much better than getting a chatty waiter who feigns interest in "how you are doing", the weather or, perhaps, your dazzling political insight. Also, I recommend the following: chef's special dry chili chicken (quintessential "white-person" dish), boiled sole fish fillet in spicy szechuan sauce, crispy shrimp in mayonnaise sauce, double fried eggplant, cold crisp jellyfish, and of course the extra hot ma po tofu.

    (5)

  • molly c.

    spice-ay. awesome. i went here for lunch one week day and had the tony's chicken. since i was dining alone, i didn't get a chance to eat more! i am only one person...with a finite stomach. the hot and sour soup that you get with your entree is really the best i have ever had. i plan on coming back with a group in the forseable future and will hopefully have a way WAY more in depth review then. cheers!

    (4)

  • Jennifer K.

    This is probably one of the best restaurants in Chinatown. Their hotpots are amazing! I would also look into other dishes, but the highlight of the restaurant is definitely the hotpots. However, don't expect great service. First, if you cannot speak a word of Chinese, it can be hard to order certain items. Miscommunication has often resulted in wrong dishes being brought my way. Also, on crowded nights, it seems like you have to fight your way to acquiring a table. Questionable service, excellent food!

    (4)

  • Madelyn H.

    i'm not a huge chinese food fan, so i'm not sure if this is legit sze chuan cuisine or not. there were some really tasty dishes, such as the mayonnaise shrimp (i know, it sounds weird but it's really good) and sze chuan green beans, and some that i would have happily skipped, such as the hot pot. the menu is huge so i very well could have missed out on some highlights. there's not really any atmosphere but the waitstaff was friendly and pretty helpful.

    (3)

  • andy b.

    my favorite chinese food in china town plus: very clean/ nice people/very spicy/ and the food is always good. There ma pow tofu is awesome and they are open until midnight!!

    (4)

  • Christina S.

    A few of us went here for hot pot one night. Unfortunately none of us had had much experience with it so it actually ended up being a little frustrating trying to order how we (thought) we wanted it. The waiter kept suggesting that we get the deluxe hot pot which would have been about $22 per person with tax and tip which I would not have minded but some people didn't really want to spend that much. So we went with two pots one spicy and one not spicy. The waiter insisted that only one pot would be okay and that we could have a spicy and non-spicy side since the pot has a divider but a few thought that would not be enough...Anyway in the end that's what we should have done. I was extremely hungry and it took forever for them to get our pots out and going. We should have ordered appetizers but I didn't know that it would take that long....I wasn't extremely happy nor satisfied with the experience, partly our fault and partly theirs. I think next time I go we will just order dishes and go family style....

    (3)

  • T. T.

    Wow...this place's Orange Beef Tenderloin and SzeChuan Stringbeans are TO-DIE-FOR. Warning: the orange beef dish has quite a kick to it. For those who cannot stand spicy food, I suggest you order something else or make sure the wait staff knows your preference!

    (4)

  • Justin S.

    The best Chinese food I have eaten. It's tiny though, so be prepared for a hefty wait outside.

    (5)

  • scott a.

    They have a ton of veggie options. Almost too many. I always get the spicy garlic string bean appetizer. The service is excellent. They bring you're food out as soon as it is ready. You also get a free pot of tea. The prices are cheap and the food is good. Many vegetarian options. Beware of fish/oyster sauce!

    (3)

  • caroline k.

    nice find in chi-town, came with a host of friends who say this is the real deal for szechuan. 80's zoot suit 'host' at the door is a nice riot. we ordered a ton. cold spicy noodles. chinese 'kimchi'. sauteed bean shoots. spicy fried diced chicken. white fish and vegetable stew. mabo tofu. all good and very spicy. also swing by joy yee noodle further down the strip mall for fruit bubble tea.

    (4)

  • Sheau W.

    The BEST RESTAURANT in China town that I have ever experience, although it can be a little pricey for China Town's standard but the food is good. My All time favorite everytime I go there is the "Steamed Fish", the fish is sooo freshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Love it Love ittttt.... I have never tried their Hot Pot though, but from the looks of it.. everyone seems to be enjoying it. Would try it next time if I can resist my Steamed Fish temptations. :P

    (5)

  • Aaron K.

    No kidding this food is really spicy and great. Beer works better than water to quell the spicy. Go now ok?

    (5)

  • Sean C.

    really great dinner here. went with 10 others, and ordered a ton of food. maybe the most delicious spring rolls ever. pork potstickers so porky good. highlights: salt and pepper scallops. string beans spicy black bean sauce. boiled beef in spicy szechuan sauce. also had some delish sole, chefs special chicken, some nice duck, also a couple dim sum dishes. GO HERE!

    (5)

  • Tobia C.

    Probably the best restaurant in Chicago for Hot-Pot. I haven't tried anything other than the Hot Pot, and I probably never will. The service here is questionable at best. I went with someone who is fluent in Mandarin, and our experience was much different than it had ever been before (better). The last time we went, we were with a vegetarian...she ordered some fried rice. The dish never arrived after MANY requests. Do not expect this to be catered to here. Also, it can get very crowded here...but it is much more fun with a group. Make sure you're not expecting to eat right away. Sit downstairs if you can. Enjoy!!

    (3)

  • Alexandra S.

    Spicy food and I are best friends and I especially love Szechuwan cuisine having had the true thing in China. This is as close as it gets in Chicago but I can't give it all five starts because its not as authentic given it has to appeal to an American audience. The Ma Po Tofu is a revelation as is the little treasures chicken and I dream about the white pepper in everything. This is a solid bet when you want a little zing in your life. Don't expect good service or decor, just great food.

    (4)

  • Jendy B.

    I went back again over the weekend. Tasty, yes! But, super greasy, oh hell yeah! The salt & pepper shrimp is just ok and the garlic chinese broccoli was slathered in oil. I love chinese broccoli. However, it was difficult to chow down on it when it's so oily. Tony's Chicken was as delicious as ever, though.

    (4)

  • Anastasia A.

    Food decent but the service is terrible. We were sat at table promptly but it was all down hill after that. We never got water. They took forever to take our order. They brought one of our main beef dishes and after waiting and waiting for our chicken dish 30 minutes had gone by. We asked about the other entrees and we were told they had run out of chicken and by the way sorry we didn't tell you sooner. We were given a menu to select something else but they never came back to take our revised order. We paid for the one entree and left never to return again. I don't know who their focus is but I know it is not their customer.

    (1)

  • Isaac G.

    I've been going to Lao Sze Chuan for over 10 years and the food has been consistently delicious, but I've noticed a decline in the service of late. I'd heard rumors of this decline in service for awhile now, but until recently hadn't experienced it myself. Recently I dined here with my wife, son and 2 friends, so a group of 4 adults and one toddler. We ordered a bunch of dishes, including appetizers and were enjoying our meal when, after about 1 hour, one of the servers very rudely came over an asked us if we were finished. I understand the restaurant is popular and they like to turn over the tables quickly, but this was completely unacceptable. We had not been lingering at our table at all, we had ordered promptly and eaten out food at a normal pace. Furthermore, if the restaurant wants to politely move a group along, they could easily ask "would you like anything else?" , "will you be having desert this evening?", or even just "please let me know if you'd like anything else". All of these statements have the effect of gently suggesting the group order more or begin to wrap up their dinner. This wasn't the only issue, but just an example. As I said at the beginning, I've been going here for years. so I'm not ready to write them off completely, but it is disappointing. Rating the food alone, I'd still give them 5 stars, but with the service it really drops down, I just don't know if I can trust bringing a new group here, because they might insult my guests. Hopefully they will get this stuff straightened out and realize it isn't only about the food, but also the experience, especially with long time patrons.

    (3)

  • Celine K.

    Went here today for lunch with my boyfriend. We ordered the sesame chicken, sweet and sour pork ribs and the garlic eggplant. About 15 minutes after we ordered I was told they were out of eggplant. I was a little annoyed by this development because, 1) garlic eggplant is one of my favorite dishes and 2) it was only 1pm. To replace the eggplant I got an order of spring rolls. The spring rolls were mediocre, I have definitely had better. The pork ribs were good, but nothing special. The sesame chicken was a definite let down Everything about the meal seemed half-baked. I don't know if my experience was a one-off event, but I will not be returning to confirm my initial judgment.

    (3)

  • Oscar the Death Cat B.

    The impression you might get from looking at Lao Sze Chuan's official web site - laoszechuan.com - is that they run an upscale and sleek operation - in reality, their main dining room is closer to a modest hole-in-the-wall, like just about every other shop in Chinatown's Archer Av. strip mall. But the food is great! They have a huge menu, I've not yet tried their hot pot dishes, but have enjoyed several lamb and seafood entrees (the mayo shrimp is not to be missed!). It's best to go in groups of 3 - 4 or more so you can sample several dishes. If you feel really adventurous, you can order one of their "Very Chinese" selections, which features dishes made from less-beloved animal parts such as (literally!) blood & guts. The one downside is getting seated, they don't take reservations for parties less than 6 people, and management of parties waiting for seats can be a bit unorganized & chaotic - but you can use your wait time to check out the dishes that are being served, the staff is usually pretty friendly & willing to answer questions & provide suggestions about the food.

    (4)

  • Flor P.

    I realize this is supposed to be one of the best Chinese restaurants in Chicago but I won't be going back ever again. My friends and I went there for lunch today and we were left speechless. None of us had ever been there before, but one on my friends was especially excited because she was considering having her graduation dinner there. Well, midway through our meal, Erin asks with her fork in mid-air, "Hey, you guys, can you take a look at this? What do you think this is?" Yep, we looked, eye glances were exchanged, and everyone put their forks down. It was indeed a cockroach! Gross. Needless to say, we told our server, got a lame excuse and were told the bill was on the house, as if there was another option. We were completely disgusted and left immediately. The worst part is that because Lao Sze Chaun is a family style restaurant, we have no idea which dish had the cockroach nor could any of us at the table be certain we hadn't already had a roach with our food...

    (1)

  • Craig C.

    Had the dried chili chicken and it was fantastic. Lots of heat, lots of chili peppers.

    (5)

  • Adam P.

    Let me start out by saying that the food alone is definitely worth 5 stars, so if it is just food that you're looking for, then go and enjoy a unique and exceptional meal there. Where I dock them an entire star for is their service. My table began by ordering crab rangoon (yes, I know, it is one of the Americanized foods there, but that doesn't make it any less delicious) and it very well might have been the best crab rangoon I've ever had. For the main course we decided to get adventurous and order a hot pot. Having never had anything like it before, when the waitress threw down a plate of raw meat and a boiling kettle of God knows what in front of us, we were thoroughly confused about what to do. After sitting there for a minute simply staring at the plate of raw seafood, with it's side dish of raw beef and lamb we decided to ask some fellow restaurant goers how you go about attacking such an intimidating dish. After help from some very nice people we figured it out, and the meal itself was fantastic. I think the hot pot was one of the most unique dining experiences of my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for something different out of their Chinese food experience. Overall the food was so good that it almost made us forget that we had a plate of raw meat thrown in front of us with no explanation, but I did have to knock them a star for it.

    (4)

  • Leang E.

    After the rave reviews on Yelp and Chef Tony being interviewed on the news, I had to come check this place out. Going to lunch here before the Chinese New Year parade hit the spot. It was perfect. They have good tea here, and they placed a plate of spicy cabbage on the table as well. I'm not sure if this was typical or for the new year. My interpretation was that it would make for longevity, hence the long slices of cabbage and the spiciness adds to an interesting year! Of course, it meant that I had to eat some so that I could have some of that spice in my life. I had to be selective of the items to eat since my friend doesn't love Chinese food the way that I do, and she has specific allergies. The crab rangoons here are some of the best in the city. You actually see the pieces of the crab in there when you take a bite out of them. They added broccoli to our orange chicken per our request and made salt and pepper shrimp for us even though the shrimp wasn't really an option on the menu. As large as the menu was, they were very accomodating. The food came out piping hot, and the presentation was terrific. They totally impressed me, and I can't wait to take my family here the next time they are in Chicago. My friend said she'd come back and even try something new. The boss came out to pour us each a cup of hot tea and wish us a Happy New Year as well. I'm very tempted to try the new Lao Beijing and Lao Shanghai now. Oh my fortune cookie says that I will be showered with good luck before my next birthday. What a way to start the New Year!

    (5)

  • Yo U.

    The food here is good, but not great. Also, it's significantly overpriced for what you get. In a town of bad Chinese food options, this is about the best that I've found. Pity, that.

    (3)

  • cynthia t.

    Sichuan eggplant - filling, not-scorching spicy, and light on the oil. A masterpiece!

    (4)

  • Sarah F.

    Don't let the name scare you off. The food is really good here, especially if you like spicy food.

    (4)

  • Lisa Q.

    As someone who grew up eating amazing Chinese food (thanks grandma and mom), I am absolutely certain that Lao Sze Chuan is as good as it gets in Chicago. If you crave authentic Chinese food, then do as I say. Go there on a week night, and order the string beans with spicy black sauce, ma-po tofu, and sole fish with chili sauce. Or if you're feeling really brave, bring some friends and get the hot & spicy hot pot. It's more work, but I don't mind getting a little dirty for good food. Should you decide to venture into the menu on your own, here is one last piece of advice: Don't be that guy/girl who orders the Americanized dishes (sweet & sour shrimp, kung pao chicken) because I'll be the girl sitting near you, laughing.

    (5)

  • Rafael M.

    We always keep going back to Lao Sze Chuan when in Chinatown. Great food, prompt service, and perfect for large groups.

    (4)

  • A.S. V.

    A small restaurant in the mall, I had carryout here a couple times, and the portions were good for the price. Kung Pao can be spicy if you ask for it. A friend I worked with thinks it's the best place in Chinatown, but I'll have to try it again to reevaluate.

    (4)

  • Alexandria C.

    Food here is mostly for drinking people. So it's not really a family friendly place. Overall the food was not bad.

    (3)

  • Leslie L.

    I placed my order on LivingSocial using a voucher and moments later, I received an e-mail that told me that my food would be ready in 17 minutes. 10 minutes later, my friend decides to order from the same restaurant using the same LivingSocial voucher. After he orders his food, we wait another 20 minutes before going to the restaurant to pick it up. That's a good thirty minutes and both of our orders should be ready. When we get there, none of the waiters/waitresses approached us to serve us. So we decide to go to the counter and tell them we are here for a pick up. They say okay, turn around and forget about us. So we say it again and the people at the counter are so clueless as to what we are doing and we get ignored again. Then a third time, we tell them we are here for a pickup and they finally ask us what we ordered. We tell them that we ordered on LivingSocial and they finally have an "OHHH" moment. They look through their orders and find my friend's and he receives his food, but I am still waiting for mine. So we ask them how long it will take for mine and the waiter does not reply. We wait another 5 minutes and ask another waiter and this waiter tells us 5 minutes. Another 5 minutes pass and we ask another waiter and he tells us it is coming. We wait a little longer and as we wait, one of the waiters cough into his hands, does no wash his hands and serves a table. Finally, our food comes and the waiter hands it to us with a very sour look on his face. Horrible.

    (1)

  • Jen T.

    I had the most amazing Kung Pao Tofu here. My mouth waters just thinking of it! This place can get really crowded and have long lines, but it is worth a wait.

    (5)

  • Jim W.

    I felt Lao Sze Chuan was actually more authentic than Ken Kee, but it still suffered some of the same problems of hit or miss dishes. Like its name implies, they specialize in dishes from Szechuan province, which is known for its spice. We went on a Mon evening and were promptly seated. A friend brought a bottle of wine not knowing if they had BYOB - the answer was a resounding yes, and only $3.50 for corkage! Being a native Mandarin speaker, I ordered for the table. We ordered a signature Szechuan dish, the beef in boiling chili oil. The beef was extremely tender, and it actually was less spicy (as long as you don't eat the chilis) than some other dishes we had. Anyone who enjoys a little bit of spice would be well served to try it. The siu long bao (pork dumplings) were terrible, and I knew they'd be (not a Szechuan specialty, much less a Chinese restaurant in the USA) but a friend wanted it so we ordered it. Also a bit disappointed by the Chinese peapod veges - they were the small leaf, lot of stalk kind and not the nice leafy variety I had expected (as it wasn't noted on the menu). The garlic shrimp were excellent and an example of something that was extremely spicy. The pork and shredded tofu dish was very ordinary and looked funny. The jewel of the evening though was really the 3 cups chicken. The sauce was heavenly and a sweet reminder of what real Chinese food should taste like. Funny that it wasn't a spicy dish at all - I would highly recommend it, in fact, since there was a picture on the front page of the menu, I think it's one of their specialties. In the end, 6 ppl w/ corkage, $75 after tips. Awesome deal. Can't wait to go back to try the spicy hotpot and be a little more adventurous w/some of the innard dishes!

    (4)

  • Eric E.

    Pretty solid, old-school Chinese fare. Massive menu in need of an English-speaking editor, but entertaining nonetheless. Service was a bit passive, but what do you expect? Tasty Asian delights, just like Mom used to take you to when you were young. I'd go back.

    (3)

  • Deb W.

    Visited pevious location and think its as good as ever. Great place to get a variety of tastes and will work if you have family that likes varying degrees of heat. Have stopped often while in Chinatown and always like to try something different. Would lik to get a little more adventurous wih some items, but will get there. Have recommended to people in for conventions and they love its close y and not the typical fare they have when in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Arvind G.

    I've been going here for the best Chinese food in Chicago for a few years now, and haven't found anything better. The only thing I don't like is the service can be poor at times, and the lines can be long. The food is very spicy, which I like, but be warned, there tends to be lot of oil in the dishes. The vegetable dishes are always fresh and not full of the weird sauce that you get at most Chinese places.

    (4)

  • Ally N.

    this is the best restaurant in chinatown, by far! and it's one of my favorite restuarants in chicago. i go here at least three times a month and still crave the food. the menu is massive, but when it comes down to it, the menu consists of 15 or 20 flavors in different combinations of meats and seafood. if you go there, don't order the usual american chinese crap like sweet and sour chicken. be more adventurous -- and ask the staff for help if you have trouble deciding. if you've never had hotpot before, you should try the all-you-can-eat hotpot -- it's not the best hotpot in the world, but so far, it's the best i've found in chicago. in terms of entrees, my favorite dishes are (i'm not sure what the english translation is, but this is my best guess): the cumin lamb, boiled beef in spicy broth, sichuan green beans, and three bean curd with pork. the specialty of the house is fuqi feipan (the first dish listed on the menu) which is a combination of beef and tripe -- it's definitely for the adventurous eater but it's spicy and simply delicious!

    (4)

  • Daisyville C.

    Don't know what all the hype is about this place....I've had better elsewhere. Don't waste your money or time because for some reason there is always a line. One time we tried going there and got stopped by a guy who looked like a bouncer taking names for the wait list so we turned around and went somewhere else.

    (2)

  • Arnold C.

    this restaurant is def on my top 3 fav chinese restaurant in chicago! love the dishes here specifically the shui zhu niu and wu geng chang wang. i personally feel is a waste to get hot pot at a restaurant since it's something you can easily do at home but my gf loves it (i guess koreans dont do hot pots at home) and it's very well done at this place. but be forewarned: be ready to get very acquainted with the bathroom after eating here, especially if you ask them to make everything extra spicey!

    (5)

  • Sam T.

    The place to go in chinatown for spicy food. This place serves Szechuan chinese food which is generally very spicy. The chili chicken is fantastic. This dish comes out covered with red chilies, but it is more for show than spice. Its like a tastier, spicer version of popcorn chicken from KFC. The hunan beef is also awesome. Great place, and I hope the food stays this way..

    (4)

  • Alice H.

    The boyfriend and I visited Chi-town during Valentine's Day weekend and on Chinese New Year, we decided to get Chinese food for dinner. We yelped this place and because of its high reviews, we gave it a shot. We ordered the ma-po tofu, garlic shrimp, and some spicy chicken dish and honestly, I've definitely had better Chinese food. This place is just a hype. It wasn't anything special. Definitely worth skipping out on.

    (2)

  • Christine U.

    THE BEST Chinese/Sze Chuan food in the city. You won't want to eat Chinese food from anywhere else after you've had the food here. Don't be afraid of the huge menu. Like jesca c. says, order the sole filet with black bean sauce, as well as the string beans, you won't regret it. Possibly the best crab rangoon ever, trust me.

    (5)

  • Sam C.

    The food is good, but honestly we can get better food around Chinatown with less expensive prices. I would give this restaurant more stars but their service is bad. During the times we've been there, the servers were rude, impolite and blatantly disrespectful of their customers and when serving or handling our food. One time we ordered a whole steam fish. As tradition, when asked, the server will help to cut up the fish and serve. However, when asked, one server didn't want to do it and he asked this other server. This man totally massacred the fish and later chucked the silverware on the plate and left. He then started laughing with the other server that was too lazy to do it. Honestly, where are your manners and we should have called the manager and asked for a refund or what so ever, but I was entertaining guest from out of town and didn't want them to feel more uncomfortable. Thereafter our other times being there other servers were rude and we feel rushed to sit, eat and leave for the other customers waiting to get in... Therefore, our experience have never been comfortable for us. I think their food is rather on the expensive side as well and best if you try other restaurants not only in this new plaza but the other old plaza.

    (1)

  • Beau M.

    Best Chinese I've had in Chicago. It can be inconistent sometimes though. When you get take out you have to ask for soy, mustard and sweet and sour, they will never ever just have it in the bag. And still only give you 1 or two of each on a $50 take out order. That being said try the Spicy Pan Fried Pork. Be sure to eat it with some rice or I gaurantee you will be on the toilet all day the following day w/ flaming diarhea coming out of your ass. The Dry Chili Beef is also excellent.

    (4)

  • Paul S.

    Definitely #1 Chinese restaurant I have been to in U.S. Very authentic Si Chuan food, but that's not all. Surprisingly they cooked amazingly good food normally served in China east coast as well despite the restaurant name indicate it specialized in Si Chuan food. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Palindrome G.

    You have to try Tony's Three Chili Chicken---its the best chicken dish ever!! A little on the spicy side but its absolutely amazing. It will change your life.

    (5)

  • Zac B.

    I was taken here simply to share one of their traditional style hot pots. I had never experienced such an gustatorial event, even though I have been a huge Asian food fanatic since the womb. This style of hot pot is different than the clay pot style, which predominates in most Southeast Asian cuisines (Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Southern Chinese I believe). Who knows, perhaps this style is more central Chinese or Nothern. I had never even heard of it before. Initially this restaurant looks like all the others in the Chinatown strip mall, and I would expect no less than above-average food, with poor service in broken English, and of course something of a wait. We didn't have to wait too long and soon we were seated and attended to. Because we were only getting the hotpot for four people, we didn't really need to look at the menu, although the other dishes that I saw floating by to neighboring tables looked fantastic. They brought us an appetizer of spicy cabbage, sort of like a Kimchi dish you would see in a Korean restaurant. It was very, very spicy, but I am in love with spicy food and couldn't stop picking at it. I also noticed that the other table had ordered either cow intestine or pig ear, which usually comes similarly spiced. I am not such a fan of the tripe, but if you haven't ever eaten a Chinese pig ear appetizer, it's not as disgusting as it sounds. Try it! The hot pot came out promptly (this is their specialty after all), and they placed a burner on our table and then a boiling pot of soup, divided down the middle, one side mild and the other side spicy. Next came the platter of raw meats and vegetables that you were supposed to boil in the soup and then take out with these little strainer scooping spoons. The whole process was almost exactly like fondue. All of the offerings were fresh and clean looking, from the sliced beef, to the fish balls, to the cabbage and scalllops. The shrimp were frozen and unpeeled, however, which made for a lack of flavor and a hard time eating them, so we just kind of gave up on the shrimp. If you want chicken you have to ask for it, which we did, but then when it came out it was very mushy. They must pound it or something. It tasted just fine, so I wouldn't be afraid of it. A word to the wise: be very careful with cross-contamination. Make sure, especially with the raw chicken, that you use only one utensil to transfer it to the hot pot, and only use it for the raw chicken. There were several sauces that accompanied the hot pot: a roasted garlic sauce, a black bean and sesame sauce, and a peanut sauce. All were great when spread onto the cooked items. The spiciness of the food was cut down dramatically by the sauces. The peanut one was the best overall, although I wanted to drink the garlic sauce just because I love roasted garlic. Manners and my desire to smell good in the morning precluded me from such debauched behavior. And yes, the service was rude and bungled. Even if they spoke any English, they pretended not to. But this is typical of Chinatown and I wouldn't expect any better. I am really a strong believer in visiting ethnic places on their terms, not holding them to high-brow yuppie Americano standards. They clearly do just fine without the politeness and seem happy to be impatient and pushy. Sure it would be nice if they spoke to me on a level I understood and respected, but they don't, and we just have to live with it. It would be nice if we could just walk straight onto an airplane, too! The world is a crazy, callous place sometimes, so don't expect your butt kissed at every corner. UPDATE (3-28-07): I went back and had a regular dinner, and no change, still three stars. Everything was decent, and one dish was way too spicy. I'd give them an extra half a star for having good marinated pig's ear, but then again, I'm not so sure that's a turn-on for most of y'all out there. ;-) UPDATE (5-30-07): Okay, okay. It's good. Went back again with the uncle and had some amazing spicy green bean appetizer, and delicious Szechuan chicken and Mongolian beef.

    (4)

  • Edmund W.

    by far the best chinese food I have ever had...no contest. I hear it's the most authentic as well, although i can't verify that. I recommend bringing someone who has already been before. Otherwise, I'd highly recommend this sole dish that we had. The garlic eggplant was really good as well. Of course the dry chili chicken.

    (5)

  • Mike O.

    The service here was absolutely awful and I didn't notice anything special about the food. We tried the recommended chili chicken and it was decent. The garlic chicken was pedestrian. Regarding the service, in addition to a very inattentive waiter, my dad ordered orange beef and it took them over an hour and thirty minutes to bring it out. By that time, we were just being passed around various restaurant and waitstaff. The rest of us were done and ready to leave, so my father told them to take the orange beef back and take it off our tab. The chairs were also small, plastic, and uncomfortable.

    (2)

  • Lindley E.

    I've had hot pot here and it was very good...hard to compare it to the hot pot I've had in Guangzhou and Shanghai (obviously the style is going to be different, but one can objectively judge the flavor of the boiling liquid, the ingredients, and the sauce), but for chicagoland this place is just fine. I actually like the 'regular' menu items better than the hot pot and have had some delicious meals...both take-out and dine-in. It does get very crowded, so go at an off time if you don't want to wait.

    (4)

  • Mrjustice ..

    Though off the beaten track, this IS the place to go for very authentic Chinese food (tending on the spicy side -- which is good by me). Probably the best dishes are the "soups" or actually broth-based Chinese-style fondu, where you boil various meats and vegetables in broths and suaces. Lots to eat at very reasonable prices.

    (4)

  • Jen Ellen D.

    Ok, so I'm a bit more of a flexitarian than a vegetarian when it comes to what I consider culinary anthropology so when my friend suggested hot pot I relented because I had no idea what that was. What it is is delicious, at least at Lao Szu Chuan. We ordered the split pot which came with a large soup pot with a metal divider separating the chicken based spicy broth from the non-spicy broth. With the lunch special we got a set list of goodies to boil in that broth at leisure - fish balls, some kind of seafood ball, baby bok choy, water cress, raw fish and other raw meats, cabbage, noodles and a few other unknowns in the vegetable area. I recommend asking for the glass noodles rather than the vermicelli the special comes with. The vermicelli tend to get too soggy, sticky and chewy. The problem with the glass noodles is the logistics of getting it back out of the pot without making a mess, but it's worth it. The dish also comes with three sauces to add. One is a sweeter oil base with garlic, another - soy ginger, and my favorite- peanut. Although you can do the individual order hot pot in which you choose individually priced items to boil (all veggies including black mushrooms) the dish would still not be appropriate for the true vegetarian due to the chicken base broth. Unfortunately that can't be altered, I asked.

    (4)

  • James W.

    If you can stand the heat this is a good chinese restaurant. I tasted the kung pao chicken, crispy duck w/plum sauce, egg drop soup and egg rolls. TYhe kung pao chicken was great. The sauce was just right not over powering or to light. The egg drop soup was rich and delicious, the egg roll were average and the crispy duck was a little bland but the plum sauce pump it up sevel levels. Overall I had a great meal and will definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Taylor O.

    Hit the Lao up last week again; my 2nd visit, both times with at least one native Chinese speaker which is helpful but don't be intimidated if you don't have access to a beautiful Asian woman (just be jealous). The dry chili chicken which is fried and delectable and pretty spicy as a result of an abundance of chilies overflowing from the plate like the red army ready to assault Taiwan if Taiwan was your tongue. Had some sort of sesame filled rice balls in a sweet soup for dessert. There's over 900 menu items, try them all?

    (4)

  • Zu K.

    Incredible spot. After this all other Chinese food doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned. The only reason I knocked off a star is for the inconsistency of the service. Sometimes it's right on point, often times it's not. But the food is incredible!

    (4)

  • Eva V.

    Just not that impressed. Granted, I'm not a Chinese food expert, so I went with the "safe" choice -- the famous hot pot. It was alright, and a novel way to eat, but at the same time way pricey for what it was ($16 per person). Of the 40 fondue-dipping ingredients the menu promised, probably only half showed up, and while there was plenty of meat selection to chose from, the vegetables that we were interested in never really showed up. The hot broth is hot and little else, and it just wasn't a very interesting mix of flavors at all.

    (3)

  • Paul R.

    If you've never eaten in Chinatown, you have to start here. Like many other authentic Chinese restaurants around here, the menu features a thousand or so different options, so prepare yourself. I went on a weeknight and my buddy and I ordered, probably, ten different things and paid $25 or $30, it was insane. I can't remember everything we had, but the Hot and Sour soup stood out and the food was deliciously spicy. Definitely one of the top spots around.

    (4)

  • Hector M.

    This is the place for authentic Chinese. The menu is overwhelming with over 500 dishes. And unfortunately the wait staff may not be of much help due to language barriers, and a review intheir own window suggested asking for a manager or Tony the owner. There is usually a line at the place and No reservations are taken. Regarding the menu, you have never had a pot sticker until you had had them here. The other dish I reccommend is the Sesame Chicken. I know this dish is fairly common, but it was amazing at this place, the flavors blew me away. I've seen many different things being eaten at other table, some in large bowls and under burners installed at the table or brought out with the dish. So, knowing what to order might be a matter of who you know, so ask for a manager, or talk to people while you wait if it's not too jam packed. It is also fun to get to Chinatown, walk around, see the people, shops, etc.

    (4)

  • Zach H.

    Best place in Chinatown. Walk past Joy Yee's on your way to LSC and sneer at all those chumps overpaying for noodle soups they could have got from Whole Foods. LSC does it right-- greasy, spicy, large portions (share!), and good service. My only complaint is that the menu is poorly organized and hard to decipher (though the sad translations do make for fun reading). You can bring veg and vegan pals too! My fave is the Ma Pao Tofu. I also recommend most of the spicy chicken dishes and the beef with oyster sauce.

    (4)

  • Anne V.

    wow, i like it...i'm in pain. thank you very much finally some real tasting chinese food and jeezus could you make this any spicier? i went here and we had a big group but we got a big table quick luckily and then everyone began to have a line out the door. i didn't look at the menu because someone else ordered. i also didn't pay for anything because someone else paid. but i still put the food in my mouth and i mostly liked it, although it had an underlying colour theme of orange, thank you very much hot chili oil. some people at the other table had hot pot. yum, that looked so good! and a lot less spicy, as it was not orange. next time i'll go and write some better stuff. meanwhile i need to find a bandaid for my tongue.

    (4)

  • Jonathan K.

    ive heard hype on this place...yea it held up. crispy garlic chicken was it? it was a dry, crispy chicken plate with a grip of peppers. and we also had the tom's 3 spice boiled beef or something like that. this stuff was spicy, just the way i like it. i'll be back for some hot pot...

    (5)

  • Brick W.

    I happen to think this is one of the most amazing Chinese places ever, one of my clients who is a chinese interpreter said it is some of the best and most authentic regional chinese outside of China, I've never been but Im going to have to take his word on that. Szechuan food is generally thought to be really spicy and Lao Sze Chuan wont let you down. One of my favorite dishes is the dry chili chicken HOT but that perfect kind of hot. Some of my friends aren't really into spicy stuff and they didn't have any problems finding items that weren't to overwhelming. Im officially addicted!

    (5)

  • ninja p.

    the food here is excellent and the owner, tony, is really nice. luv their garlic pork and the free spicy cabbage! YUM!! & the prices are great as well!

    (4)

  • Amanda P.

    The real deal. This is the best place to find authentic Szechuan food in Chicago. I recommend the dry-chili chicken (lazi ji) and the fish with sour pickle cabbage (tender, succulent, and slightly sour in a light sauce. I dream of this stuff)

    (5)

  • Jessica C.

    This is a mandarin style restaurant, so it's a lil different from the other restaurants around Chinatown. I went here for the hotpot and I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't too busy that day, so service was decent. A lot of the food is served spicy, which is great for me :)

    (3)

  • Rodney E.

    This place is great! My wife and I only go for the lunch special (M-F; ends at 3:30p) for $5-$6. It comes with a main dish, rice, and soup. If you like spicy, do yourself a favor and try the Tony's 3-chili chicken. Very super happy tasty! You won't regret it until you go to the restroom!

    (5)

  • Louise S.

    I was really disappointed with this place. The service was terrible and the food tasted like cooking gas (at least I think that's what that flavor was...). They give you a bit of spicy cabbage when you first sit down and I made the mistake of eating it. It was so spicy it closed up my throat and I couldn't talk! I have to admit though, that the menu was huge and everything was cheap. Maybe if you like spicy, it's good? I won't be returning.

    (2)

  • Eric L.

    How I miss chinese food in the bay area. its so hard to find good ethnic food in chicago. Thus far, this is the best chinese restaurant i have been to in chicago. its not great, but its good enough.

    (4)

  • jason t.

    CRAZY extensive menu, almost intimidating. i had this chili duck with beer sauce, it was amazing. very spicy, hearty, delicious!

    (5)

  • Lee-Han H.

    The food is cheap and anything you order tastes really good. I've had almost everything on the menu and I think everyone should go here atleast once or twice. The food is cheap though. They give you more food than expected.

    (5)

  • Arjun C.

    I haven't been this satisfied by an el cheapo meal in a long time. The chili shrimp, 2x Pork, Chili Fish, and Tony's Chicken were great and this is arguably the best Chinese meal in town for the price. One caveat: I love spicy food and this place tends to overdo it for those who aren't willing to wake up with a Delhi -Belly the next day. BYOB. I actually have gone to this place several days in a row when I get cravings. Bring your friends. They have a couple of lazy susan tables. 5 stars for price/quality ratio and BYOB.

    (5)

  • joanne y.

    i didn't have a normal dining experience here because we were in the private dining room upstairs but this place was very yummy. i love the mayo shrimp!! that sounds yucky but it's very good. =P there are a lot of different dishes to choose from but some of the dishes that were ordered for us were very spicy. so becareful and make sure to ask how spicy a dish is because there have been restaurants which claim the food is hot but not really.

    (5)

  • Dee W.

    Their menu is coded for spice level - try their spring rolls and dry bean curd. If you're feeling risky, try the delish pig ears, jellyfish, and spicy beef tendon. There's hot pot available, too which is awesome and also try the pork rips seasoned with cumin and ma pao tofu.

    (3)

  • erika s.

    my favorite chinese restaurant in chicago. one of the best fish dishes i've ever had anywhere. do not try dessert. all the vegetables are really fresh. the service is good. the menu is daunting--but they're great at pointing you in the right direction. some of the spiciest food i've had. i've never had anything close to this good.

    (5)

  • Julian C.

    I've been here probably 50 times now. Amazing food especially if you like it spicy. Highlights include house special sole fish fillet (delicious!), pan fried sliced pork, Tony's three chili chicken (think spicy and sweet popcorn chicken), lamb with cumin powder, Szechuan string beans, don don noodles, and sliced beef with maw for the adventurous. Great lunch special for $6 or so. And they're open til midnight every day of the week. Service is up and down but who cares when the food is this good. Unfortunately it can get really crowded for dinner (thanks a lot Check Please!) but it's worth the wait. Just be sure to get a ticket.

    (5)

  • Carisa A.

    I am not going to pretend that I am any kind of expert on Szechuan cuisine, but the food at Lao is mouthwateringly tasty, kick your butt spicy and leaves you craving it for a week after your visit. I just ate there for the third time yesterday and it just keeps getting better and better. We ordered the Szechuan chicken, the salty pan fried pork, the boiled beef and pan fried noodles. The meat in all of the dishes was tender and tasty and most came in a sauce that I could've just eaten alone over rice. The impressive part is that each dish has its own distinctive taste, rather than a lot of mediocre Chinese places across the city where everything tastes pretty much the same. Even the spicy cabbage freebie that they give you is so addictive! My friends and I love spicy food and they definitely do not mess around at Lao....when they say spicy, then mean crying hot! On our last visit, our noodles were so hot, not even water or rice could stop the inferno. Just a suggestion--unless you are a native or have no sense of pain it might be good to order food "medium". In addition to the food being absolutely delicious, the restaurant is nice and clean, the food is reasonably priced and the service is decently attentive and pretty darn friendly (especially for a Chinese restaurant). If you like spicy and Chinese, this place is a definite must!

    (5)

  • Joanna K.

    rating: 5/5 date of last visit: 2 months ago Lao Sze Chuan was recommended to me by a family member well over a year ago. After looking it up, I figured it was worth a shot. What has followed is some of the most delicious Chinese food I have ever had the pleasure of having. I have now been there five times and have been thrilled with the food every time. Standouts are the Beef with dried chilies (it is a beef dish--dry with TONS of dried red chilies--no gravy--and fiery hot. :) ) and chicken with 3 chilies (also fiery hot and delicious.) I have been there on both weekdays and weekends and while the service on the weekends is OK (food is generally quick but they don't always check on you that often--with all that spice the water needs to be refilled often!), on the weekdays when the volume is slightly lower, it is always very good. They are very nice, pleasant and quick with recommendations. Decor is pretty functional; this is not about the location (it's in a strip mall, for god's sake) but solely about the food. And good food it is. Do yourself a favor and check this place out.

    (5)

  • jame s.

    In a word, disappointing. Shortly after we sat down, a group was seated at the table adjacent to us. One in the group had a cough that made you wonder about what disease he was carrying. We asked the waiters if we could move and their limited english, it seemed, was a challenge. They did not quite understand our request, or perhaps did not care. So, we enjoyed our meal next to another patron who sounded like he was coughing up a lung. We tried the recommended favorites from the reviews listed here: Tony's Chicken Three Chili and the Green Beans in a Black Bean Sauce appetizer. And, we each had a bowl of hot and sour soup. The only thing noteworthy was the tea. The soup was simply tangy broth with tofu, but it did arrive at our table quickly. The green beans had grains of salt (or was that MSg?) making it terribly salty, and the chicken was fried chunks of chicken dust. It has been fried so long that there was virtually no chicken, only dough in every bite. Plus, the dish was so overpowered by sugar that I felt like I had eaten a bowl of Frosted Flakes. The final tab was insulting: $22 plus tip. Never again will we return to this restaurant. We left there and found a bakery selling BBQ pork buns just to eat something that had a bit more protein and was pleasant to our palates. I do not recommend this place, EVER!

    (1)

  • Athena C.

    Yummy yummy...I can't really eat spicy food so I only tried a few dishes but I loved them all! I recommend the Tony's Chicken and tofu dishes!! I haven't tried the hot pot yet, but i looked good and seemed very popular considering more than half the ppl there were having it. I have tried szechwan dishes at a couple of restaurants before and this was by far the best I have had yet....It is worth a visit! As for service - with the restuarant located in Chinatown, I did not expect good service, so I wasn't disappointed... Tip - After you get your number to wait, stay in the close proximity (in between the doors) because they do not seem to make much of an effort to go out and call the numbers to those standing outside.

    (4)

  • Lina V.

    Really good food, service is great but ordering the hot pot meal is confusing as hell! Apparently its a charge of $16.95 per person no matter what if u want the hot pot. No way was I going to pay 80 dollars between the 4 of us at the table. Though I got it for 38 dollars one time just for 2, but the lady couldn't explain why we couldn't get the "for 2" amount and share it amongst 4 people. So confusing. Other than that I can't really complain.

    (4)

  • Lil G.

    One of my favorite spots in Chinatown ever. Great place to go if you like spicy food. We always order our staples: Double Fried Sliced Pork with Cilantro JiaZhou Style (very spicy), Crispy Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce (no spice) and a third new dish to try. We've never had a bad meal here. I love the spicy cabbage salad appetizer they automatically give you upon sitting down. I would give this place a 5 stars if only they were consistent with their portions. Though they are decent sized, some days when it's just my hubby and I, we get smaller portions than when we're with a big group. Not fair! Don't adjust it according to group size. Another thing is the service is not the best, but no different from how it typically is in Chinatown. It's strictly about food and eating it, no frills. Not an issue with me, but may be offputting for some. Other than that, we love this place and it's one of our regular stops in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Leigh K.

    I went here for the second time yesterday. Since the first time I'd been there I had been salivating for a second visit. After sitting down they place a plate of cabbage in a spicy chili sauce on the table. This will never cease to delight me. For an appetizer we started with the 'Never Forget Chicken'. While difficult to eat because of the many bones, it's well worth it. The chicken is tender and seasoned with an unidentifiable spice that required me to down an entire glass of water while eating my portion. For my entree I got the szechuan tea steamed duck (something like that), but it was a tad disappointing. The duck was nearly dry and didn't have much flavor. I wish I had ordered my steamed chicken in onion broth, as that was delicious last time. I sampled the other two dishes my party got and they were both delicious; basil chicken and the lalala. This place is one I suggest everyone try because of the exotic menu, the quick preparation, and the tastiness of the food. They have a great selection for vegetarians as well. For the record, they do have non-spicy menu options, but this is definitely a place for seekers of spice.

    (4)

  • Amy L.

    They bring out a plate of yummy cabbage with chili when you arrive, and the service is quick for how busy the place is. They have pretty good options for vegetarians too.

    (4)

  • vicky y.

    a favorite for many, but not my cup of tea. i like spicy food, but they seem to use only 1 spice here, namely red chili papers in chili oil, kinda boring. and there was a huge fly in my veggie stif fry the last time i was there, ack.

    (2)

  • Sophia A.

    LOVED my experience here, and I'm definitely coming back when in Chinatown. Ever since my time carousing Ghost Street in Beijing (known for its vast array of restaurants from the Sichuan, Hunan, etc provinces), I've had a serious hot pot addiction. I finally got a chance to relieve that craving when a large group of my friends went on a Thursday night a little after Chinese New Year. My boyfriend and I ordered the deluxe hot pot while the rest of my friends ordered various dishes. I must say the hot pot hit the spot! The portions of proteins & veggies to cook in it were very generous, and the sauces were great. The only thing I would have wished for was if the chili broth was spicier. I love that tingly, cool effect that Sichuan peppercorns yield when in hot pots, but I wasn't getting it. So I'm thinking it's either 1) there were just normal peppercorns in my hot pot, 2) the guy kept diluting our concentrated broth with more water, so the heat wasn't as intense...maybe because I was sharing with the white boyfriend, or 3) the friend next to me voiced some serious concern over how spicy her order would be and perhaps the staff extrapolated her concern with the rest of our group. Either way, it wasn't the end of the world because everything was still pretty tasty. Despite my large portions, I had to taste all of my friends' food as well. The lamb with cumin was amazing! On top of the quality food we were feasting on, a man who must have been the manager (I'm guessing...) was wielding around this golden weapon prop from the Chinese New Years parade for some guests. We were amused and took notice, so he approached us explaining he has so many leftover things from the parade he hasn't brought home yet - pointing out the large Chinese drum near the doorway. We must have looked fairly curious about it because he then greeted the whole restaurant a happy new year and started playing on the drum for an astonishing performance. Our table was so entertained, and it didn't stop there! He wanted to show us the parade lion as well, so he had staff from I'm assuming Lao Beijing come over with it. He then put it over his body to dance like how it's done in the parade! It was pretty awesome. Guess I don't feel so bad I missed the festivities over the New Year weekend, Lao Sze Schuan made our diverse group feel like we were part of the celebration anyways!

    (5)

  • Cathy B.

    So my friends and I went to China town to eat something yummy and Aloysius Tak (also a fellow Yelper) suggested Lao Sze Chuan. We went around 8:45PM and it was still quite busy but we were seated right away. Our table of 5 did family style (share all of our dishes) and got the Mapo tofu, dry chili chicken, boiled beef in Szechuan sauce, and salt and pepper shrimp. There was a side dish of the spicy cabbage in chili that was spicy and addicting. I couldn't stop eating the cabbage! The mapo tofu and dried chili chicken came out first with a huge bowl of white rice and omygosh the mapo tofu was so warm and of course spicy but the tofu was cooked just right, not too mushy. The chili chicken was delicious also but I thought there was not enough chicken and too much chili on the dish. The boiled beef in Szechuan sauce was OK, super hot (temperature wise) and burned my tongue and I wasn't wowed by this dish. Also a very spicy dish. The salt and pepper shrimp was very tasty! It was like shrimp tempura but even better. I was surprised the dish wasn't bigger and didn't have alot of shrimp (everyone had about 2-3 shrimps) and the shrimp sizes weren't big at all either. The service here is TERRIBLE. We had to ask several times for our water to be refilled and the waitress does not speak english well AT ALL. I understand this is China town but there is alot of American customers and you should atleast have some sort of understanding of English. Anyways, I loved the food here and I would definitely come back again.

    (4)

  • Randy N.

    I love this place! It's real - deal sichuan cooking, along with the more familiar menu items available too. Spicy cabbage will arrive as soon as you sit down, training your tongue for what is to come. The wait staff is well versed and is able to recommend more adventurous items you might not have had but will absolutely love. The wide ranging menu will guarantee that you find something great, from meat to fish to vegetarian.

    (5)

  • Paul C.

    Best restaurant in Chinatown hands down. I had a fried shrimp dish that was some of the tastiest shrimp I've ever had--and I don't even like shrimp. Don't go here if your version of Chinese food is orange chicken from Panda Express. Also don't go here if you can't handle family style eating. Lastly, don't go here if you're one of those people who expects your server to dote on you. It's not gonna happen. Do go here if you want to have the tastiest Chinese food in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Nadeem P.

    Went here again on my last trip to Chicago and had the hot pot. This was the first time I've had a great experience, the waitress took time to show us how it was done, and mixed the sauces for us. I highly recommend the hot pot as well as the chili chicken!

    (5)

  • tushima d.

    Loved this place. Verrrrry spicy food ( and I eat spicy). But next time will tell them to tone it down. Good veg options. Delicious!

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    I'm giving them two stars based only on recent visits. Several years ago I would have given them 3, maybe even 4 stars, but quality - or at least consistency - has fallen quite a bit since then. Expectations have also risen, as competition has stiffened not just from the two sister restaurants, but from other Chinatown restaurants improving, too. Most people may not know this, but Lao Szechuan is named the same as the most famous restaurant in Chongqing, Sichuan province. Those are big shoes to fill, and it's unfortunate that Chicago's Lao Szechuan doesn't come closer to filling them. First off, the hotpot here is just unacceptable. Even on a good night, it's of poor quality and not reflective of how good hotpot can be. Best hotpot in Chinatown is at Mandarin Kitchen, across Archer from Lao Szechuan. Second, on a good night you can still get well-made Sichuan food here, but it's really become hit or miss. 50-50 is about right. Finally, it's still worth taking the gamble if you want something on their expansive menu that you can't find anywhere else. I'm hopeful that as Tony gets his restaurant empire under control quality will even out and improve across the board. Until then, though, I'm sticking with my two-star review.

    (2)

  • Joan B.

    We opted for delivery and the driver was too much in a hurry to deliver to our apt. so rather than argue we went down and brought it up. The spicy chicken, which we ordered mildly spicy, had 1-1/2 cups of dried red peppers and hardly any chicken. It was so hot that it was inedible. I'm not a sissy when it comes to spicy food, but this was ridicules. The mushu pork was awful and tasteless and the crab rangoon limp and cold. We ordered vegetable soup and it was so bland that we probably should have put a couple of the red peppers in it. $57.00 down the garbage disposal; we had to toss the meal.

    (1)

  • Jesse C.

    Good mapo tofu and liangfen. Best Sichuanese I have had in Chicago.

    (3)

  • Mindy C.

    I like the most of their food. One cold dish is not so great. Other than that, everything taste nice...

    (4)

  • Pamela R.

    The place was packed so we made the mistake of thinking the food must be great with so many people. Wrong! The food was horrible and the the service was worse. So many people because you wait so long for your food.

    (1)

  • Ben K.

    A solid spot. The pot stickers were fantastic, as was the mongolian beef. The Sichuan chicken was all heat and not much flavor otherwise, and the orange chicken was decent but a little too sweet. I'd come back if this place was up in Lincoln Park, but I have the sense that I should be able to do better if I'm coming down to Chinatown.

    (3)

  • Jenny Y.

    I took my co-worker here because he wanted Chinese food and I wanted to try something new. Normally used to Cantonese and Americanized Chinese food, which is more sweet. Sze Chuan cuisine is known to be spicy. When I looked around me, I saw lots of little red peppers with the dishes. We ordered 3 dishes, a fish filet dish, a lamb dish and some dumplings and they were all flavorful with some heat. The portions were generous. I can't handle overly spicy foods, so maybe that's why I only liked it, but my co-worker loved it. The restaurant was just renovated due to a fire I believe and it looks nice, but nothing fancy. You're going there for the food rather than ambiance.

    (4)

  • Agnes F.

    I have been Lao Sze Chuan many times since its opened and i was never a huge fan of the regular dishes (they are not bad, just don't understand why the big hipe about the place) but last night i was definitely impressed with the hot pot we ordered we picked the half and half (spicy and regular) and they gave us so much food that there was no way we could finish all of it (but we came close... which was scary) we had beef, lamb, watercress, lettuce, mussels, shrimp (our fav), tofu, fish, squid, tripe and on a cold and snowy night, that's just what we needed will definitely come back for more hot pot :)

    (4)

  • Darren F.

    this place is awesome! if you like spicy food, this is the place to go! Tony's chicken is a must try, its alittle crispy and the chicken is very tender! the dry chili chicken is very good also. i would stay away from the salt and pepper ribs tho, there is very little meat on them and to me it is just not worth it. i am looking forward on trying other items on the menu!

    (4)

  • Dien H.

    probably the best Chinese food i have had in a long time if not ever! I got the happy lamb, the dumplings was, delectable as well!

    (5)

  • Vaidehi T.

    I have been to this place a lot of times. This is a good place to eat at if someone wants to experience the wonder that is China town. They have an extensive menu, and also a lot of veggie options, which is plus for me. Their food is tasty, although a little on the greasy side. Their service is nothing too great, but that is true of most of the China town restaurants.

    (4)

  • Kathy S.

    I finally got to try the restaurant that my Chinese friends have been raving about and it was a good experience. Service was great and the food was delicious overall. We had the broiled fish in spicy sauce, Tony's chicken and the eggplant in garlic sauce. I was in love with the broiled fish as it was spicy and just absolutely mouth-watering. I would just pour that over my rice and just gobble it up. The Tony's chicken was quite good as well in its own right and I later found out that it was even better as leftovers and made a great midnight snack. I was not too fond of the garlic sauce in the eggplant unfortunately so I think I'm going to take my leftovers and add to the sauce. It wasn't bad but compared to the scrumptiousness of the other two dishes, it didn't compare. Basically if you like spicy oily dishes like I do, you would love Lao Sze Chuan.

    (4)

  • michaelia f.

    Wow, over 300 reviews, so I'll only comment on the specific dishes we ate. Mapo tofu served in a huge bowl was brimming with soft tofu swimming in delicious, spicy, not too thick sauce. A sure winner, and an easy choice for someone who wants authentic Sichuan flavors but is unfamiliar with this restaurant and its tome of a menu. Chinese broccoli was crisp stir fried, with huge garlic pieces that let the sweet, somewhat bitter flavor of the broccoli shine. A really lovely vegetable dish. Lamb with pure cumin was amazing. The lamb was tender, bursting with earthy cumin flavor and not chewy or gristly. This dish would be a good bet for someone who didn't like spicy foods. The fish with spicy house sauce was equally delightful, with tender fried chunks of fish and cabbage in a not-too-spicy sauce. This place seated myself and four friends at 8:30 p.m. on a Friday night with no wait at all. Service was great, with fresh tea and water when we asked for it. I will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Angela C.

    Four other friends and I shared a deluxe hot pot. It was about $25pp (including tax and tip). The food was good and all you can eat, but I think $25pp is pricey for hot pot (at least compared to places in LA), and the service was nonexistent. The restaurant wasn't even full, and we had to ask for water refills and new plates several times.

    (3)

  • Pete C.

    The spicy dishes were really spicy. I was breaking a sweat while eating. I liked the chili chicken and Mongolian beef.

    (4)

  • roger h.

    Great Chinese food in the heart of the Chinatown mall. Mmmmm. Nothing we had was bad and the service was fantastic. Highly recommended.

    (4)

  • Micah S.

    Food was just alright. This restaurant doesn't deserve an average 4-star unless people in chicago truly have limited choices for Chinese food.

    (2)

  • Erik S.

    I ate here for fathers day last year and it was fantastic. Good food, not your standard fare. A lot more flavorful than many places in Chinatown square. One of my favorite places in the area.

    (4)

  • Linh N.

    The service was horrible and the food was decent. I would tell people to try the pork elbow though, if you like pork skin and tendon.

    (2)

  • A A.

    Our favorite place for Chinese food in the city, been going there for two years, service usually OK, not bad but not exceptional. Food is great, you need to know what to order, but our favorites always work - Mongolian beef, Lemon Shrimp, Sechuan beans are just some.

    (4)

  • Patch L.

    Came here for dinner with a friend. The waiter had difficulties understanding our order. Our food came out wrong. We could not eat 2 out of the 3 things we ordered. The one thing we could eat was good. It was busy there so we had a hard time getting our waiter's attention. We gave up and just packed our food and left!

    (2)

  • Vedran A.

    Will never eat here again. Long time customer and at one point this place was the best around but not anymore. The quality of the food is average at best while the level of service is now simply rubbish. The staff is rude, inattentive & full of attitude. No thank you when there are better options next door.

    (1)

  • Mei K.

    This place has tourist trap written all over it. The food and service was nothing more than mediocre. I came here the other day for AYCE hotpot and while the service was lacking (just like every other Chinese restaurant), it was just getting ridiculous. On average, we had to remind our waiter three times on what additional meats, veggies and sides we wanted. Only for them to come back 15 minutes later with half of our order. Asking for soy sauce, refill on water and the check was also a painful task. The meats get fattier and fattier the more you order and they practically have the AC on the lowest setting to get you hot, sweaty, and down right uncomfortable so that you want to GTFO. Eating hotpot here is like signing a contract with a mobile carrier with all its hidden fees and rules. A meal starts off at $17 but remember to tack on $2/person for holidays/weekends, $6/order of shrimp and more 'expensive' seafood/meats and limited veggies/sides option. I rather go to Sweet Station though their service is not the best either. Two stars, because I came here for non-hotpot before and the food was okay. Though you can definitely find better La Zi Ji (Dry Chili Chicken) at other restaurants in Chinatown.

    (2)

  • Patrick D.

    Well the best I can say is this place is consistent. I went again because I was in the neighborhood. Again, terrible service. Slow. Sloppy. Things delivered to the table in an odd order. Maybe I'm picky, but I do think ALL of the appetizers should be delivered at the same time, or at least close to the same time, particularly if there are only two people. The main courses should be delivered at the same time, or close. You shouldn't have to ask when a dish might arrive. The food is OK , but the terrible service kills the appetite. The owner prancing around the room, paying attention to the staff but not the diners, didn't help a bit.

    (2)

  • Aurobindo S.

    Oy vey. I really LOVED the food at Lao Sze Chuan, but the service takes it down 2 stars in my estimate. I went here in October and I was shown upstairs. There, I cooled my heels for at least 15 minutes (it's fairly slow and empty upstairs) with a dirty dish tray and everything. Once the server showed up, the service wasn't bad. Still, a very dingy, sketchy looking upstairs. I'm not sure you could ever take a date here. Now, the food, though. It's fantastic. The spiciness is incredible (and subtle). The food is excellent. It makes your forehead sweat, which means it must be really good. I would come here again, but only on my own.

    (3)

  • Sabrina E.

    We have been here many times before, but have always sat on the 1st floor. I never knew there was a 2nd floor. We had a reservation which I didn't make so wasn't sure how many in our party. We gave the name of our reservation and was told to go upstairs and was greeted not in a friendly way. We sat down and then the rest of our party showed up. They almost were seated downstairs since they were offered to do so. The music was really loud and we couldn't hear each other talking so asked if the music could be turned down which is was immediately done. It took awhile for someone to take our order. By the time our food arrived, the dishes were not hot. My husband said he saw the food sitting for awhile before it was served. We were hungry so we ate the food, but such a disappointment since we always enjoy the food here. I think the initial greeting put a bad taste in our mouth and then when we walked out, the door was immediately locked behind us. It will be some time before we come back here since we have better experiences at many other restaurants in Chinatown.

    (2)

  • Joy R.

    I couldn't tell what all the hype was about. Spicy greasy food with mediocre service.

    (2)

  • Emily J.

    I haven't been to Lao Sze Chuan to dine but I have gotten delivery from them many times. I have to say it's some of the best Chinese food I have had in a while. It's not overly greasy and hasn't ever made me sick or gross feeling. I especially like the chicken fried rice, hot and spicy soup, and wonton soup. The delivery time is really good too, it usually says an hour for delivery but takes closer to thirty minutes.

    (4)

  • Bearcat B.

    This is very good authentic Chinese and worth the trip to Chinatown. We had the kids with us so we kept it on the mild side. The spicy cabbage was excellent and just the right flavor to start a meal. We ordered the ribs, crispy shrimp with lemon and orange chicken. All were excellent. The vegetable fried rice was the best ever! I don't think I'll be able to eat it from the corner Chinese restaurant again after this! Service is a bit slow but there is plenty of good food!

    (3)

  • Dolores Z.

    Best Pot Stickers Ever! This is a small, clean little place in the plaza north of Archer. Good food and an extensive menu which includes more frog dishes than I care to think about! There's many traditional dishes and plenty of selections that please the American palate as well. Sze Chuan Beef Tenderloin was very good, spicy, with lots of tender, thin sliced beef and nice veggies. Don't skip the pot stickers, they are the best I've ever eaten! Service ok, maybe a bit clumsy due to some language barriers.

    (4)

  • Romana Y.

    This is one of the upscale restaurants in China Town, serving Sichuan cuisine. We started with an oily, red cabbage appetizer which was great. The chili deep fried chicken was a bit too salty for my taste, but was the "famous" dish here worthy of trying. The Shui dzu niu roy (chili oil with beef and cabbage) was our favorite dish here: Spicy, hearty, not salty, and ample flavor! The garlic bean sprout dish was worth passing up. The lamb and cumin was good, but not something I'd order at a Chinese spot again. The lamb had a faint taste, that could've easily been mistaken for a different cut of meat. The Jasmine tea helped wash down the sodium and oils from the cuisine. The food here may be catered to Americans, which is what distinguishes the business vibe here from any other restaurant in China Town. The service was prompt, but expectedly unfriendly. The crowd is more professional, the ambiance is nicer, the establishment appears cleaner than the rest in the area.

    (4)

  • Katie P.

    So disappointed. Came here because it was recommended to me by a bunch of different people who told me it was the best place for chinese food in Chicago. I really hope thats not true, because that would mean my hometown (good ole St louis MO) would have better chinese food than chicago, which seems unlikely. Started off strong when we came in, they gave us some very spicy cabbage that was really good. Service was rushed / a little strange but nothing unexpected at a chinese restaurant. We got: potstickers. A little too greasy, but pretty good. The chili chicken that everyone raves about. Meh. The chicken was bad quality, and instead of being crispy was sort of squishy. Felt like oil was being squeezed out with every bite. I loved the pepper taste but chicken quality ruined it. Salt and pepper trio. Also meh for similar reasons. Just way too greasy. Heres my thing - if I'm ordering chinese takeout, this is the food I expect. Not at all what I expect from a place thats supposed to be the best in Chicago. I will be back because the people around us had some good looking stuff, but i'm going to come with a bigger group and with one person who knows the menu. if you go on your own, hit or miss will probably be miss. Also - woman working from the kitchen came out of the bathroom stall with her apron on. Total health code no no

    (2)

  • Erica L.

    Hands down my favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago. I've been going here ever since I moved to Chi in 2007. I've seen the renovation to a nice place with matching tables and chairs and an upstairs eating area. The service has gotten better, and I believe they do take reservations now. Hubby and I try to eat early to beat the dinner or lunch rush. Everything we've ordered here has been great. My ultimate favorite is the Crispy Shrimp in Mayo Sauce. I like how crispy it is and flavored with a touch of orange, without the giant overcooked broccoli and candied walnuts that usually accompany this dish. Simple and delicious. I also love the Szechuan String Beans. Hubby is addicted to the complimentary spicy cabbage and usually orders one to go. Tony's Special Chicken is also delicious. My family, except my Mom, is not a fan of spicy. One time, when we ordered the jumbo spicy crab, Hubby and Mom devoured it between the two of them. Hubby tried the spicy hot pot, it was pretty spicy from how red the soup base was. Years ago, Hubby and I were eating a quiet lunch close to opening time on a Saturday morning when it wasn't busy. There were only a few other occupied tables when we suddenly heard women screaming and yelling. It turns out two of the servers were fighting when they came out from the back and started pulling each other's hair, almost knocking each other into one of the tables. Another server intervened and quietly ushered both of them back to the kitchen. It was the first kitchen fight I've witnessed! Another time, during peak dinner hours, we waited more than 1 hour to get our food after we ordered. The service has gotten better over the years, but regardless of service you come for the food and the food speaks for itself. There's a reason why Lao Sze Chuan is one of CNN's 50 Top Chinese Restaurants in the US (2012) and Travel + Leisure's Best Chinese Restaurants in the US (2013). Also, the sister location in Uptown is not as good, even though they offer the same dishes from the menu. It's a convenient location for us, but we make the trek down to Chinatown regularly to go to the original. Go for the food, the lively atmosphere, and perhaps some drama!

    (5)

  • Matthew B.

    Ok first the only 2 slightly wrong things about my experience,1 it took maybe 5-7 minutes after getting menus for the waitress to come to our table, 2 it took a decent amount of time for our food to come out, however after the meal these things do not matter at all. This is easily one of the top meals I've had at a Chinese restaurant ever. First they start you off with a complimentary spicy cabbage appetizer which is extremely good, it is drizzled in a red sauce with pepper flakes. For starters we had the potstickers which are hand made and hands down some of the best I've had anywhere, they are tender yet still firm. For our entrees we had the curry chicken which was just great, the vegetables in the dish were insanely fresh, the chicken very tender and the curry sauce the perfect amount of subtle spice. The sesame chicken had huge pieces of chicken which again was really tender. But far and away is the must have dry chile chicken. Omg simply put it is the best dish I've ever had at a Chinese place. It is also the spiciest meal in a Chinese place you'll find. The chicken is crispy the chiles are hot but once it is mixed with the white rice all I can say is wow!!! This is a must visit of you're in Chinatown. Definitely one of the best in the city.

    (5)

  • Arun A.

    Been going here for years but i feel it has gone downhill since the restaurant started expanding. The food is still decent but the customer service is really bad. Sometimes they don't bring you water or don't bring you your check for a half hour after you are done eating.

    (4)

  • Vince L.

    GET THE DREID CHILI PRAWNS. After that, you are set. I have never eaten at the restaurant, but delivery has been awesome. The green beans are great any style, and the sticky beef dish was awesome too. We had friends visiting our studio from NYC say that it was the bed Chinese food they had eaten in their entire life!!

    (4)

  • Jennifer K.

    Very disappointing, especially for the prices we paid. Most dishes are over priced. Not worth it, many other better restaurants in the area. We went for lunch recently on a Sunday. It wasn't terribly busy, but the service was slow and bad. We were told a dish we ordered was not available but it came out anyways. Each dish was mediocre and not as flavorful as expected based on the restaurant's reputation. The vegetable dish was not fresh. I've ordered the same vegetable many times at restaurants in Chicago and other cities. Never has it looked like what we got-the color and taste was off. I guess there's a reason I've only eaten here twice in the 9 years I've lived in Chinatown. However the newer location in Uptown is decent and has a good lunch special during the week.

    (1)

  • Kyle D.

    The good: Spicy as hell, authentic, and cozy atmosphere. Came in for a family lunch on a cold day and left warm and full. Tons of spicy options, and everything tasted great. The food is authentic, and priced right too. Also it came out quickly, and the service was pleasant. The bad: Not much? It's nothing fancy, but it's not run down either. It's great! Overall: A fantastic, authentic Chinatown experience. If you don't want dim sum and want something spicy, try it!

    (5)

  • Amy W.

    Prepare for you to be punished by your bowels after you come to this place... in the best way possible. Love love loove the spiiiciness of the hot pot, sole fish filet with spicy bean sauce, the complimentary spicy cabbage. and the don don mien. I was clutching at my stomach in a beautiful, exquisite pain. Portions are hearty and prices are reasonable. Try to come in off-hours because the waits are ridiculous, and the front waiting area gets as crowded as an elevator.

    (4)

  • Sandi C.

    We really wanted to like this place, but nah!! One of the busiest restaurant, so we decided to give it a try, wait for 1 hour and finally got seated upstairs. 0 Zero star for the service. While we were waiting, there was the rude manager outside yelling down the street; he was holding a mini flash light point all over the place, was it really necessary? We got seated upstairs, no services at all, I wasn't expecting much anyway, but this was bad. We wait 20 mins to flag down a waiter to take our order. We ordered 3 dishes, took 30 mins for the first 2 dishes, and another 30mins for the final dish. We had to flag down another waiter to get rice, oh boy, he just nodded this head and kept walking. What does that mean? Did he heard us or not?? Alright, back to the dishes. Dry Chili Chicken: It was spicy and crispy. But where is the numbing sensation? Where is the peppercorn that's makes the "Ma" in Sichuan cuisine? Very disappointed. Napa with Wine Sauce: It was ok, I can make this at home. Spicy Boiled Beef: Bad ... the whole dish was lack of flavor, spicy, but not numbing! Definitely not worth the wait, won't be back.

    (1)

  • Hillary M.

    I'll keep it plain and simple - Food alone would get 5 stars, but I'll deduct one for service. Not that I expect good service in Chinatown but I don't want you thinking this will be the best experience in your entire life - 5 stars is reserved for that :) But, my husband and I go here ALL THE TIME. I don't know why it's taken me so long to review it, but it's the absolute best place in Chinatown and we love us some Chinatown. But you should note that Tony (the owner of a whole restaurant group) has tried opening up additional Lao Sze Chuans throughout Chicagoland, and they do not compare to the Chinatown location by a landslide. Whoever is doing the cooking at Chinatown knows their stuff and unfortunately the others don't - we have tried them all! Our true test is the Tony's Three Chili Chicken (not to be confused with the Chef Special dry chili chicken!! That's something different and not as good). This stuff is...as my friend described it to me for the first time....crack. It is literally chicken crack! It's sweet, crispy and moist at the same time. It's not spicy, don't let the name fool you. If you're a first timer, you must try it! Other staples on our regular Lao Sze Chuan visits include the hot and sour soup, and the Szechuan Beef (this can be spicy but it's different every time lol). But it's always good! We have also tried the mayonnaise shrimp (sounds nasty I know but get it, it's amazing), and the duck. We have never been disappointed in a dish there. Husband has tried the pork potstickers and swears by them as well. Now how do we know it's the best you ask? We have literally done a Chinatown crawl and tried at least 5 of the other restaurants just to prove it to ourselves. And we always return to Lao Sze Chuan. Going there tonight with the in laws!! Can not wait.

    (4)

  • Jack N.

    The food here was subpar; nothing too great and nothing too bad. I came in with a group of five for the hotpot buffet on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant wasn't busy at all, probably two or three other tables that had begun their dining as we walked in. We ordered the half spicy and half mild soup base for the hotpot. It came out with two big plates of items to be cooked in the soup, one with just beef and the other with assorted seafood and greens. The flavor of the soup was not overpowering and had a slight punch of spices. It wasn't that bad and it wasn't the best I've had. You could tell that the shrimp had been frozen for quite some time, which leads me to question the quality and shelf life of the other items on the two plates. The waitstaff was not pleasent at all. We had to ask multiple times for simple things that should have been brought out for the hot pot (I.e. sauces, strainers, napkins, and small bowls). After asking for some of the things listed above, the waitstaff slammed or threw them on the table. I would personally not recommend this location or return as there are plenty of hotpot spots around Chinatown to taste.

    (2)

  • Shutian X.

    Never tried hotspot before but tried a lot of spicy food. (Not really "spicy"), delicious, though.

    (4)

  • Marissa M.

    This is the shittiest place ever. Not kidding man, I downloaded this damn yelp app just to write a review on this terrible place. FIRST, we are rudely yelled at to sit down at a table. Then they brought us a soup that is nothing but water and chili oil. Then they completely didn't bring my friend his food throughout his whole meal. Waiter Wouldn't speak to answer any questions. Then tried to charge us for food we didn't get, and didn't believe us that we didn't get it. Basically this place sucks, go to anywhere else but here.

    (1)

  • Raquel D.

    Damn, this lemon shrimp is good. I seriously crave it. Also gotta have the salt & pepper trio (shrimp, scallops and calamari) and green beans. And chili chicken is fire. for real. Buuuuut, why oh WHY did the portions get smaller??!!! It's already an "expensive" option when going to Chinatown (seriously, I can get 10 dishes for what I spend for 5 here), but to be smaller now too? ehhhh not cool. That would bring it down to 3 stars if only that lemon shrimp wasn't so damn good. You lucked out, Lao Sze Chaun cuz i'ma keep coming back as long as that lemon crack shrimp dish stays on point and as long as I can't find it anywhere else.

    (4)

  • Suzy D.

    We came here for my husband's birthday and the service was terrible. I know that service is normally bad in Chinatown but this was deplorable. I had made a reservation a few weeks prior for a party of 12. I called a few days later to let them know it would actually only be 10 people. However, our waitress seemed very annoyed that our party was smaller than she had expected. She also seemed angry that only 3 people in our party were doing hotpot. She kept shooting us dirty looks and even made us change to a different table. It took 45 minutes to get waters and some of our dishes didn't arrive after well over an hour. The food was still good but the energy was so negative it put a damper on the meal. We also requested to get the ying yang hot pot but wanted both sides to be spicy. We had a vegetarian with us and wanted one side that would not have meat in it. We explained this to our waitress and she still brought out a pot that did not have a divider. When we asked her again about the divider she looked like we were asking for too much even though we had explained this to her in the beginning. I know that this must have been an off night and an issue with our waitress in particular because we have been here countless times and have never had this problem. However, I am now hesitant to ever come here again. There are plenty of other restaurants in Chinatown that serve hotpot that don't act annoyed to be serving you.

    (2)

  • Wesley H.

    I am a Chinese guy and I don't like Lao Sze Chuan. 1. Food not Chinese at all but claimed to be authentic. 2. Service too bad. 3. I recall last thanks giving, me and my friends spent night in Chicago before leaving for Salt Lake City. We ordered hot pot (the most authentic Sze Chuan food) from Lao Sze Chuan. Next day, we were all feeling bad about stomaches. FYI, yes we all grown ups and we all experts on hot pot, and yes we think it was Lao Sze Chuan.

    (1)

  • Bruce M.

    Our favorite Chinese food place! Killer egg rolls and friendly people (dine in or delivery)!

    (5)

  • Daniel M.

    They are great! been going there for the longest time.

    (4)

  • Kristina W.

    I've experienced Lao Szechuan on 2 occasions. While I enjoyed it both times, I don't necessarily consider this restaurant one of the "Top Ten Chinese Restaurants in the USA," as advertised in the restaurant and on the menu. Since I'm from the SF Bay Area and frequently visit relatives in Los Angeles and Seattle - all three of these Asian-populated areas have a plethora of Chinese restaurants that surpass Lao Szechuan. Anyways, onto the food... Once, I came with a group of 5 friends and had the Deluxe Hot Pot Special ( yelp.com/biz_photos/lao-… ). $16.99/person for groups of 2+, $19.95/person for a single person. We chose the half spicy/half non-spicy soup base, since some of us girls couldn't handle the "Szechuan level" of spiciness. This came with a variety of vegetables, meat, and fish balls, etc. Everything was fresh and delicious, and the steaming hot broth was especially satisfying in the dead of Chicago winter. My only complaint about the Hot Pot Special was that the portions seemed kind of small. I wasn't completely full at the end of the meal. The second time, Lao Szechuan catered for an event at my university. There were steaming hot trays of maybe.. 10 or so different dishes, such as chow mein, fried rice, bok choy, string beans, broccoli beef, etc. Everything was pretty good, but I've had better. OVERALL: This place is definitely one of the better Chinese restaurants in Chicago, along with MingHin Cuisine, but in no way do I think it's worthy of it's "Top 10 in US" rating. But of course, authentic Asian cuisine is rarer in the Midwest than the West Coast so I should just be grateful.... I'M SO EXCITED THAT THEIR NEW LOCATION IS OPENING ONE BLOCK FROM MY APARTMENT!! No more long El rides down to Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Craig L.

    Congratulations - the worst business dinner I ever attended was at your place. This isn't just overrated - this food is awful. Over 600 items on the menu and the best thing was the white rice. I enjoy great Chinese, even spicy Chinese, but spices should compliment - this just overwhelms. And the good lord made lobster with the skeleton on the outside because the meat is so tender - why did you, Mr Sze Chuan, destroy the dish with so much excess peppers?! The crustacean died for nothing. ;( Fried, flash fried, and deep fried are the major methods your food will be served. And your food choices are unnecessarily spicy, very spicy, and over spicy. There's better throughout town. In one meal, I was turned off by Chinese, dining with my work colleagues, and several beef and fowl dishes regardless of how presented. I left hungry and had a hamburger at the end of the evening.

    (1)

  • John Z.

    Lao Sze Chuan is arguably the most well known of Tony Hu's restaurants. The dishes are very authentic, and I applaud the restaurant for not holding back on some very unique dishes. However, with such an extensive menu, I'd make sure you think through what you're ordering. The meal starts with a cabbage appetizer that's pretty tasty, yet spicy. I'd definitely try the Dry Chili Chicken, Ma Po Tofu, and fish filet in chili. Problem is, you may not want to try ALL of them at once -- most things here can get quite spicy. I'd throw in something like Yu Shiang Pork (excellent!) to round it out, as well as a few other less spicy dishes. I've just never come out completely satisfied. Perhaps I just haven't found a good balance; I always find my meals here as a little too spicy and way too oily. The fish in particular comes with a shimmering layer of chili oil on the surface. I'd be happy to give Lao Sze Chuan a few more shots; I just wouldn't say it's amazing, or even much better than most of Tony's other (less crowded) restaurants in Chinatown. Service is not good, even for Chinatown standards. Don't expect much interaction with your servers.

    (3)

  • Michael U.

    Items Selected: Spicy Cabbage Spring Rolls Peking Duck with Pancakes House Special Chili Rabbit Pan Fried Noodles Double Crispy Egg Plant Crispy Shrimp Mayo Fried Donuts with Condensed Milk Fried Sweet Potato Cakes Fortune Cookies Tea Gathering the family and making our way down through Pilsen to China Town it was again with good fortune that Black Friday had kept the masses at bay when we arrived at Tony Hu's celebrated Lao Sze Chuan just after noon to find a six top ready and waiting as the immense menu of items both traditional and modern, tame and daring beckoned. Small and cramped but astonishingly friendly and efficient in service even as the kitchen was experiencing technical issues limiting their repertoire it was with some deliberation that we sat and pondered our options before negotiating a multi-course feast attempting to cover a large swath of the menu, the end result a bit of a mixed bag despite our best intents. Admittedly dining with a combination of palates both adventurous and decidedly not it was with rather run of the mill spring rolls and deliciously subtle shrimp mayo that the meal began and progressing then to a pair of sweet dim sum selections I think all were duly impressed by the execution until the large plates began to arrive, the spicy eggplant and pen fried noodles both showing a deft hand with the wok while the $30 "Peking" Duck proved a pre-carved disappointment of excellent flesh but regrettably flaccid skin and the Rabbit, although tender and intense with chili oil, provided so many bones in the rough-cut stew that it was actually unpleasant and onerous to consume no matter how delicious or authentic.

    (3)

  • Christopher L.

    Place so tiny, and the condition is little bit dirty, food is not traditional sze chuan food, just mostly similar, but maybe people outside of China might like this one. Service is good, but if they are busy, they sometimes lose their temper to Chinese customers, if you are non beige don't worry honey:)

    (2)

  • Joanna F.

    I love spicy food and this place definitely delivers. Their dry chili chicken was really good, and their hot pot was so good. Hubby and I stuffed ourselves silly with the hot pot and I like both of their regular and spicy broths. This place gets really busy, but they have a second floor that they use for overflow.

    (4)

  • Nathan M.

    Solid chinese place. Can't really get much better than this in Chicago. White people take note: everything is served on a bed of chilies, and it definitely adds up. Minus a star for outrageous customer service: called for a reservation for Chinese new year last year and the lady who answered assured me they were entirely booked for the evening. Had my Chinese friend call back (to ask in Chinese), and suddenly there was space. Can't say how far this extends, but honestly I've never been without a Chinese-speaking friend.

    (4)

  • Will X.

    The food here is supposedly good, but their delivery service is rude and unprofessional. I had to wait more than three hours for my food (and I live a 15 minute drive away) and it eventually never came. I called numerous times which all ended up in them putting me on hold indefinitely after telling me they would "ask the driver". Finally the driver texted me 3 hours later saying that he/she had 12 orders in their car and cannot get to me because I was "out of the way". This is something that should have been communicated the minute I placed my order so that I could order elsewhere. It is an extremely inconsiderate policy to the customer and just plain unprofessional on their part. I can't give this place any stars if they cannot even give me my food. Do not order delivery from this place.

    (1)

  • Kristina V.

    I'll be back for more!! We ordered spring rolls and chengdu dumplings to start then Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken and veggie fried rice for our meal. Next time I'll be more adventurous with the menu but I'm so glad we chose our usually comfort Chinese foods for our first time. Both chicken dishes were excellent. I could taste the fresh orange in the orange chicken. The sauce was just the right consistency and the chicken just the right crispiness.

    (4)

  • Dr R.

    Found a rat dropping in a order (in the rice) placed yesterday! Then when I told a friend about it, they said they found dead roaches in a bag when their food got delivered once. This place is nasty! I plan to file complaints with the health department. Unacceptable!!

    (1)

  • Era L.

    I tried this place for the first time yesterday. I ordered the dry chili chicken (good but not as spicy as I had hoped based on other reviews), orange chicken (not good at all) and the shrimp fried rice (very tasty!!). Overall the food was decent but overpriced. Delivery service was on point though. I ordered my food at 4:40pm and was told it would be a 1 1/2 hours before the food would arrive (not surprising given it was Valentine's day). I was pleasantly surprised when my doorbell rang at 5:06pm!

    (3)

  • Lisa S.

    I also LOVE this place! I crave the Mongolian beef all the time! We have dined in and ordered delivery. Both were great! My fiancé really likes the orange beef and some of the other things he's ordered, but doesn't share my desire to eat Lao at least once a week. The lemon shrimp is also a delicious dish!

    (5)

  • Diana J.

    I found this place via trip with some college friends. We did the group reservation and had a four couse meal. We dont remember what ee haf exactly, but well worth th experience! I try to come back every year just to get some authentic cusine!

    (4)

  • Sach M.

    I'd give it 4 for food but for service.. I choose to give you guys a ZERO! No matter what day we go, you guys are super slow. The people who take order are rude and won't bring in water even after being reminded 3 or 4 times. The only time servers pay attention is when they want to hand you your cheque so you can leave them a tip. The guy who I believe is the host, who wears all the jewellery, is our only ray of hope. He would fetch us water or take our orders as soon as he would see. The guy who stand in a black suit, may be the bartender, is least bothered about service or the food. He would bring water, if he chooses to oblige us, with his fingers dipped in. There are two older ladies, a smiling short height lady and then another smiling chubby faced lady who are much better. Sometimes we turn around and go to another place if we don't see those two. And let me say it again, the service sucks even when less than 5 tables are occupied. I don't think you guys are worthy of a good review. Bib gourmand? You got to be kidding me.

    (1)

  • Elizabeth W.

    Incredibly disappointed but my review is not based on the food because, unfortunately, I was unable to try it. Placed a delivery order. I was a bit surprised when my order, which I placed at 2:30pm for a late lunch, was scheduled for delivery by 4:15pm...seemed a little ridiculous but I figured...fine...I'll have an apple and make it an early dinner instead. At 4:45pm not only had I not received my food but apparently it had not yet left the restaurant and likely would not do so for another 30-45 minutes. I guess they not only prepared my rabbit but raised it from birth before making it for me...I can't imagine any other rational explanation for a three hour wait time for delivery. And just in case you were thinking OH you must be WAY outside their delivery area and they must have been making an exception to bring you late lunch/early dinner...NOPE...not the case...less than a mile away...should not have been an issue. Too bad. I was really looking forward to trying this place. Long story short, don't advertise delivery if you really don't deliver.

    (1)

  • Pia F.

    I read the reviews and took the family, after the 40 minute wait, we were really disappointed with the food. Total waist of time and money.

    (1)

  • Wei G.

    I had dinner there during my visit to Chinatown. The place was packed. I had high expectations because of the reviews and reading about Tony Hu the chef owner. However, the place was such an disappointment. The food the terrible and I would not recommend it. I had the chef special wok fish, pea leaf, mapo tofu, pot stickers. The pea leaf was tough like leather. Not edible at all. The rest of the dishes were extremely oily and salty. The over use of oil and salt really destroyed the flavors. I wouldn't go back there and I would not recommend it.

    (2)

  • Amy E.

    Extremely disappointed with my first delivery order from here. I ordered off GrubHub (might have been my first mistake?) and selected the House Special Fried Noodles and the Hot and Sour soup. The House Special Fried Noodle dish was described as "Extremely Spicy," which I believe was the only dish labeled as such-The Dry Chili chicken was described as "Extra spicy," so I thought Extremely would be greater than Extra. Fair logic? Anyway, I ordered around 2:30 pm, and my order arrived around 3:30pm, which is pretty standard for Chinatown delivery, but I thought I might get lucky and get it sooner since I ordered at an off-time. The guy who delivered my order was not unfriendly... bc he didn't really say anything beyond "hi" when I opened the door and "ok" when I thanked him. I also didn't get a receipt, but nbd to me since it was an online order. Now onto the food. The hot and sour soup arrived fairly warm, but the taste was nothing special for something marked as one of the Popular Dishes. The Fried Noodles, however, arrived quite cold and had.....dun dun dun....NO SPICE! Ugh!!!! I mean it was hilariously underspicy, I've had mild buffalo wings spicier than this. I wasted precious time debating between the Dry Chili Chicken (which I still haven't tried yet) and the noodle dish, but ultimately chose the noodle dish because of the EXTREMELY spicy label. GrubHub even asked me during checkout how spicy I would like my dish cooked, and I made sure to mark the highest level of spicy.... just, :(. The flavor was also rather bland. It reminded me of yakisoba, with the cabbage and noodle texture, which isn't a necessarily a bad thing, but I was expecting something significantly more intense given its description. the online menu also mentioned it had "calamari and pork"- I would suggest a revision to "some calamari and pork" or even "a touch of" because that's all there was. Perhaps I've been ordering the wrong things here (I ate at the restaurant once before and was impressed, but not overly impressed- Ordered the Ma Po Tofu and something with wood ear mushrooms that time), or perhaps the GrubHub thing just messed with their interpretation of the order.... Either way, I'm going to try them ONE more time, order the Dry Chili Chicken for sure (since this dish seems to have received the highest praise here on YELP), and see how my opinion changes... I really want to love this place b/c I love spicy and have been told numerous times this is the place to go for spicy dishes.... but this delivery order is really making me question whether I ever will.

    (2)

  • Sylvia O.

    Tommy is a character and very friendly! We had Don Don Noodles, crab rangoon, chili chicken and Mongolian beef! It was all amazing especially the chili chicken!

    (5)

  • Kim B.

    We were met by Tommy and he was the host with the most. We had four of us so shared. My choice of dry chili chicken was great. My fav but the others just liked it. Wish I could remember the name of the fish dish as it was everyone's favorite. Pea pod chicken I thought was very bland. I love crab Rangoon but these were probably too authentic (if there is such a thing) as I didn't care for. I really liked the spicey cabbage they brought for free...others didn't as much.

    (4)

  • Evelyn Z.

    OMG...As a Sichuanese I always missed food of my hometown. Lao Sze Chuan offers best Sichuan cuisine I've tried since I've been in the states. It resembles the lovely taste of my hometown restaurants perfectly. I almost shed tears. Thank you Lao Sze Chuan.

    (5)

  • Saddiq N.

    Absolutely terrible service. I ordered food at 10:30 A.M. and they delivered the wrong food two hours late. After I called back multiple times they promised to send me the right order which never came. I spent the whole day hungry and I never got the food after paying $25 for a simple one course meal. I spoke to so many people on the phone and they all kept passing the phone round and round to each other. NEVER I repeat NEVER order their delivery. You WILL regret it.

    (1)

  • Nick H.

    The hotpot is amazing (tear dropping seriously). Super highly recommend if you haven't try their appetizer. (Small cold plates) Try all the house special!!! 118-bean curd. Trust me. It ain't normal bean curd. 563-dry chilli chicken. Must have!!! Drooling.... Ask their staff for more suggestion. They are super friendly and fast!!! Nick

    (5)

  • Kate Z.

    Despite the raid that happened recently, we decided to keep our reservation and give LSC a try. My take: - The food was pretty good but not extraordinarily so. - Large portions. - Spicy means spicy. - Service was also fairly slow and not especially friendly, but we got the food we ordered in a decent amount of time. - The overall vibe was a little dated and worn. I'm not sure I'd make a point to go back given the other reviews on Yelp, but I did enjoy the meal.

    (3)

  • Anh N.

    I eat here all the time, but it still excites me every time I come back. The service is spotty, though. This is one of those places where you come for the food, but you can't really expect good service or warm waiters. They're also not cheap for Chinese food, so again...go for the food. Needless to say, they're a treat for spicy food lovers, REAL spicy food lovers. I feel like I can take spice like a champ in most cases, but this place gives me a run for my money. I recommend their famous Dry Chili Double Cooked Chicken and Dry Chili Double Cooked pork! Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Lisa L.

    I came here once last summer and got the Three Cups Chicken, which I would really recommend...flavor is great and makes you feel warm and cozy! But after last night's service, I don't feel like going back. We came a little after 8pm, and the hostess told us it would be about a 15-20 min wait for a party of 3. Not unreasonable for a Saturday night, so we hung around...kept waiting... a spot eventually opened up for us after about 40mins. We thought the hostess had really poor estimation skills or people were just enjoying their meals very slowly. Once we got seated though, no one greeted us or gave us water. After 5 mins of nothing, I finally flagged someone down and she said she'd be back. Hostess and wait staff all seemed frazzled and disorganized. I'm not one to be picky about restaurant service- I'm more into the food than how I'm being served, especially in Chinatown- but our hypothetical award-winning meal didn't seem worth the wait. So we jumped ship and Hing Kee got our business! I can't say anything about the food this time except that it seemed promising.

    (2)

  • Emma C.

    I got some comments asking why Asian like to leave bad comments in so poor English....I would say that I do not know...since my English is too poor..I do not know how I can express myself in good english...I should have written in Pinyin. the attitude is incredibly not so nice.....I understand u r busy so I did not ask u to be so nice but at least be patient. wo bu juede you shenme keyi mangdao zheme bu wenrou de. Lol

    (1)

  • Thao P.

    OVERRATED greasy and oily food So I checked this place out with much excitement after reading all the rave reviews on Yelp and seeing the popularity of the chef. I even read the menu extensively before heading to the restaurant to fully decide what I wanted. My group and I ordered the Two Cups Chicken, Sole Fish Fillet with Tofu, Mongolian Beef, Soup with clams and tofu, and Fried Three Seafood Combo. As many previous yelpers proclaim, service is SLOW but they are nice and friendly. My waitress was especially nice. The Two Cups Chicken is overrated. It is too salty and saucy. The cuts of chicken are nice and tender though. As a Vietnamese person used to Thit Kho (which is a little similar to this dish), my expectations were high. The Sole Fish Fillet with Tofu took FOREVER to come out. I had the impression it would be a whole fish fillet, but it was actually small diced up pieces of fish doused with chilli oil and soft tofu... It was completely drenched to the point where it looked like soup. Ugh The Mongolian beef wasn't bad, especially for an Americanized Chinese entree. The soup with clams and tofu was one of the better dishes due to the freshness of the clams. The Fried Seafood combo of squid, shrimp, and scallops was DELICIOUS! Overall, this place left me feeling like I digested too much salt, MSG, and oil. Spice level was great- I admit but this place is overrated!

    (2)

  • Stephanie S.

    This has become my go-to Chinese spot. Like a wise man once said, the worst part of moving is leaving your Chinese place. And it took me a while to become familiar enough with the area to find this one. Tony's Three Chili Chicken is our favorite. Spicy but not too much -- they call this "crack chicken" for a reason. You'll eat it all up and want more. Fried rice is good (I've had better) but no complaints about it. The tea-smoked duck is crispy, fatty (in a good way) and satisfying. I'm also a fan of the mayonnaise crispy shrimp (name sounds weird, but it's more like what you'd find in a walnut shrimp dish). I once ordered takeout and they forgot my drink. By the time the driver got back to the restaurant, they'd already refunded my Grubhub account for the amount of my Diet Coke. Also, Grubhub always says it's going to take more than an hour, but I don't think I've ever waited more than 45 minutes. We've been to their location to eat as well. The space is cute and modern. The chairs are kind of uncomfortable. It gets real busy, so be prepared, especially if you come with a group around dinner time.

    (4)

  • raj p.

    It used to be my fav.restaurant but not anymore. One afternoon for lunch I been to this place with my family and my wife ordered chicken fried rice, after couple spoons she picked a HAIR from the plate. We couldn't continue eating further. Unfortunately, the waitress didn't even care to apology. But they didn't charge for the fried rice. I used to be big fan of dry chilli chicken at this place, but now I don't feel like going back to this restaurant any more. We strongly feel this ain't hygenic. Be careful, watch before you eat.

    (1)

  • Brian N.

    I came here on 11/29/2014 with a table of friends for a birthday hotpot lunch. The service was extremely impolite and unresponsive; we had to get glasses of cold water and chopsticks ourselves, and they didn't bother starting the hotpot for us for an hour. Especially ironic was that the next table was a waiter bragging to an industry table about Tony Hu's "charity contributions," alongside "his friend Yao Ming." Was very disappointed, and I should have vetted the place before holding an event there.

    (1)

  • Arvind P.

    The best Chinese I have had in Chicago. Their Chef's special dry chilli chicken, salt and pepper three delights and fried noodles are a must try.

    (4)

  • Andy C.

    Disappointing, menus are very worn and grungy, seats are clear plastic with marks on all of them, time for a interior clean up. Hunan beef was very tender and spicy. Crab Rangoon was chewy, not very crispy. Won ton soup was very greasy.

    (2)

  • Mengran L.

    My favorite Szechuan restaurants in Chicago. I've been there for numerous times, so don't expect a whole list about food or I'll die XD. Nothing there is totally non authentic. In the U.S. that represents "good". You can't expect too much from the opposite site of the world =.= I love the Szechuan Cold Noodles Salad 四川凉面, one of the best I ever had (including the early 22 years when I'm in China). The dishes with pickle inside are all great. Looks like they make Szechuan pickle themselves. There're also many other delicious dishes, like Ma po tofu 麻婆豆腐, Beef Maw and Pork Blood Cake Home Style 毛血旺, Never forget chicken 口水鸡, Sliced Tender Pork with Garlic Sauce 蒜泥白肉, Boiled Beef In Spicy Szechuan Sauce 水煮牛肉, and sooooo on. They make the steamed ribs with mashed rice 粉蒸排骨 an appetizer, so it's not salty enough to serve rice. Twice cooked pork 回锅肉 is not spicy and crispy enough, and the garlic leaves and peppers inside don't produce enough flavor. They even put more black bean sauce 豆豉 than broad bean sauce 豆瓣酱 inside. Won't order it again. Dry chili string beans 干煸四季豆 are awful, not crispy at all. Some downside. Bad service. As bad as the other Chinese restaurants. And I'm really confused, as many other comments said, by the spiciness of the dishes. They make some dishes really spicy and some others really mild....

    (4)

  • Pieter W.

    Amazing, delicious Szechuan cooking. Five-star food, some of the best Chinese food you'll ever have in the Midwest. Unfortunately the service is inexcusably terrible. I understand that there are cultural differences between dining service between China and the United States, and that most authentic Chinese restaurants do not have the same kiss-your-ass "the customer is always right" attitude that Americans are used to. Be that as it may, I don't think one should leave an eating establishment feeling flat out *abused* by the servers and waitstaff. Bottom line is that LSC knows that it has great food and that people will line up out the door to eat it, so why put any warmth or care towards service? But really the food is so good that it's almost worth suffering the abuse sometimes. I wish I lived closer so I could order for pickup.

    (2)

  • Justin B.

    750-odd reviews in, the averages at Lao Sze Chuan in the reviews I've read and now the experience I have sum it all up: whether you like it or not, the service is terrible, the food is great, the food is even better if you're with other Chinese people (sorry, fact) and while the food is tasty, it's relatively bland, so know that any of your "yeah, I'm not that down with spicy food" will be perfectly fine at LSC. The prices are good but not nearly as cheap as some other spots in Chinatown; that said, our group of six spent $108 plus tip last night (typical of other Chinatown spots, bring cash to save 5-10% on the final bill) for about 10 entrees and 2-3 small plates. When I go back, I will be with native Chinese speakers; honestly, it was embarrassing to watch the servers take time and be jovial with other Chinese diners then come to our black and white patron-laden table and provide service that was essentially "what the f*** do you want?" and bring out dishes a little slower to our group. Something tells me this goes away when our, ahem, demographics align closer with the Chinatown community. Hey, I get it, but just don't make it so blatantly obvious!!

    (4)

  • b k.

    Don't let the szechuan style scare you - they can make milder versions of many of their delectable dishes. As a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of their garlic eggplant (to which I have tofu added) and the customizable hotpots are a hit with groups. Service is always a bit slow so don't go if you're in a hurry. Relax and enjoy the food. I also love that you can get the Chengdu sweet rice balls for dessert - small pounded rice balls filled with sweet black sesame paste. One of my favorite things when in China.

    (4)

  • Phil S.

    I haven't been here in years so I wanted to relive my favorite dishes before penning a review. We just simply ordered the first two items from the spicy section of the specialties menu: Dry Chili Chicken and Ma Po Tofu. While both dishes were better than I remembered, they were also much more spicy than I remembered as well. I'm no noob when it comes to spice but the combination of these two dishes kicked our asses. I was constantly wiping sweat off my head and face and sipping water. Sort of embarrassing but worth the wait and suffering. My only gripes are that the chicken had way too little chicken and way too many dry chili peppers and the tofu itself was super extra salty, as if it were infused with salt. The chicken dish literally had more peppers than chicken volume wise. I'd say a 3:1 ratio of pepper to piece of tiny chicken. I still loved the hell out of it but it started to get annoying when half of my plate was a mound of peppers. The saltiness of the tofu can be offset with copious amounts of rice resulting in an excellent savory flavor. I think this is the most spicy ma po tofu I've ever had in my life. We waited for over 30 minutes to get in all the while watching the guy ahead of us in line continuously try to bribe the hostess with what looked like a dollar bill to be seated next. I've done the line hop via bribe before and it takes at the very minimum $10 but more towards $20 for this to succeed. We just watched him and laughed. Our waitress literally came one time to take our order and never came back. Not once. I had to have a chat with the manager who was very apologetic and cleared our table. Then promptly dropped a dish and broke it. Then came back for more dishes from another table and slipped on what he spilled the first time smack on his ass. The entire restaurant went dead silent and cringed in pain for him as it was a tremendous fall. The kind where Peter Griffin grabs his shin and goes "ooooooooooowww. ssssssssssssss. ooooooooooowwww. ssssssssss" for minutes on end. He was still cringing in pain as we exited the restaurant and I asked him if he was okay and he gave me a courageous smile. Great food, cheap plastic chairs, and shitty service. Everyone else had great service from their servers, ours just disappeared. Oh well, I'll be back to torture my taste buds and intestines again next time.

    (4)

  • Yvonne B.

    I went in expecting amazing. Expectations can be your Achilles heal. At least it was for Lao Sze Chuan. First, it was a hot day. As in, ten steamy degrees above average and Lao Sze Chuan did not have AC. They just had a box fan in the front door. A box fan that some employee would drape his body on blocking the breeze for the entire freakin' restaurant. Punk kid. Second, my guest is a chef. As in a caterer. I loved his company and all, but he shared a few observations about Lao Sze Chuan that irked me. Like, how they were operating with minimal wait staff and about how they were stingy with certain ingredients. He explained how Lao Sze Chuan must be making a killing which is naaaat what I wanted to hear when I was ornery from being uncomfortably hot. The servers were freakishly slow for our table. We observed two other tables who came in after us get their food before we even ordered. When we ordered, we hit a language wall with our server. She didn't understand us and we didn't understand her. She got us another server who successfully took our order. We got appetizers: crab rangoons, pig ears and cucumbers, duck (?) dumplings; and entrees: spicy sauteed pork and dry rub ribs all for just over $46. All of the food was delicious. Not so delicious that I would go back for them or anything, but they were all good. I think the portions were good too. The two things that set Lao Sze Chuan apart from other Chinese restaurants are: 1) They have a phenomenal reputation. 2) Their menu is crazy long. Like, instead of saying Szechuan style [followed by a list of meats and veggies options], each option is listen separately. It was impossible to figure out their specialty. I would probably try Lao Sze Chuan for take out if I lived closer. The dining in experience was really horrible but the food was good - hence take out preference. NOTE: They serve alcohol but they also have a BYOB option with a corkage fee. I didn't pay attention to the fee. If I ever go again (which is extremely unlikely) I will definitely bring my own alcohol. It'll probably enhance the experience.

    (2)

  • Liana L.

    This place is definitely one of the better chinese food places in Chinatown. When my parents are in town we usually come here. My favorite dish is the eggplant in garlic sauce. The texture and flavor of their dishes are on point and you can definitely tell the difference when you compare places in Chinatown. Warning - their ma po tofu is very spicy... To be expected. My tip would be to balance dishes you get - spicy and non- in order to not gorge yourself on rice. Try bitter melon for nonspicy cooling food. Negatives - they charge for rice and you need to ask them not to add MSG. Employees- Tony the manage is so baller, I'm jealous. Some of the waitresses are not always friendly

    (4)

  • Timothy G.

    I have been going here a few times year for 8 years. The last two times were so so, and today was the last time. The Hot Pot was a joke, they came out with a plate of meat that was not sliced thin, but thick like a flank steak almost..it was a just a huge lump on the plate. It should of been shaved, neatly roiled, and also separated by meat type, Lamb/Beef. The staff is more and more surly, almost like they know they have a good thing and rest on their laurels. Well, not me, maybe the fact the place got raided by the FBI a few weeks ago means the owner is not there any more, but there are better places for service and serving correctly, chinese traditional hot pot.

    (2)

  • Jeremy L.

    Recommended to this place by a few people whose opinions on food I trust. Sad to say, I thought it was just *okay.* First off, like many other folks have already said, the service was terrible. I didn't expect it to be stellar at an authentic restaurant in Chinatown, but I also didn't expect the staff to be rude to members of my party. At the end of the meal, after we had paid and signed our receipts, they had the nerve to question our tip amounts... Since when is leaving a tip/tip amount not at the discretion of the guests?! This was very weird. The food itself was not bad. I'm a big fan of their Dried Chili Chicken - I would always have it at a Szechuan restaurant in Champaign (Cravings) and I think Lao's was just as good! Other folks in my group had Garlic chicken, Moo Shoo Pork and Mongolian Beef (we're not that adventurous). The Mongolian Beef was probably my favorite. Overall: Food was okay, service was terrible. I would not go back. I think I'll stick to Joy Yee Noodles from now on. BLOOP!

    (2)

  • Adam J.

    BEWARE !!!! COCKROACHES INSIDE THE FOOD !!! I cant give 0 star for this miserable establishment because Yelp doesn't offer it. To ALL people who read this post please beware of cockroaches in this filthy restaurant. I went there yesterday around lunch time and i ordered the spicy beef bowl and half way through it i found a dead COCKROACH inside the beef bowl ....YEEEEKKKK. I was so disgusted and about to throw up. I called the waitress (who barley speaks any English) and told her what i found and she said "ok i will give you some discount" !!!!! can you believe that. Any way i took pictures to show everyone here how filthy and disgusting that restaurant is. Can you imagine the filthy operation inside the kitchen !!!!! my wife got so sick she went straight to her doctor. This RESTAURANT must close and the department of health must take action against this filth. !!!!!! TO ALL: DO YOUR SELF A FAVOR AND NEVER GO THERE AGAIN. Please see the pictures

    (1)

  • Janet K.

    Always a treat to experience LSC! By far the best kimchee, potstickers and Mongolian Beef (with lots of fresh mushrooms) I've ever had! I've always had fast, friendly service. My go-to in Chinatown.

    (5)

  • Karen S.

    I have been to this restaurant several times.. and can I say this was the worst service ever.. wont be returning.. Came here Saturday for Lunch.. and of course it was REALLY BUSY.. however there were a few tables that were empty.. It was two of us who were waiting to be seated.. and the hostess delayed seating us, in hopes of finding a larger group of people to seat.. After 15 minutes she finally decided to seat us at the empty table that was empty the entire time. Once we were seated we decided to order Pork Pot Stickers, Mongolian Chicken and Fried Rice. We were waiting for at least 20 minutes for a server to come take our table. It was as if they were ignoring us the whole time, there was a couple who came in after us and had their order taken way before us. After flagging down the hostess to have our order taken were we able to order. The lady who came to take our order is a regular who I always see at the restaurant, she seemed either in a bad mood or just annoyed that she had to take our order. First we were given the yummy spicy Kimchi, then the Pot Stickers arrived 10 minutes after ordering, which were really good (the food here is yummy) and another 15 minutes later the Mongolian Chicken dish came (which was bland and not as flavourful as the other dishes we have tried - check below for some recommended dishes) During the meal, the waitress came to fill up our water glasses and she spilt the water all over my plate and tissues and didn't even apologize. So I was stuck with a watery plate and water all over the table. The service was TERRIBLE.. really disappointed.. yes we may have only been two people who were eating.. but I was shocked at how we neglected we were. Last time I will come here.. there are plenty of Chinese restaurants to select from.. i have been here several times .. if your looking for a good dish try: Tonys Three Chili Chicken Dry Chili Chicken (REALLY SPICY) Sesame Chicken Chili Prawns Vegetable Fried Rice

    (2)

  • Mark S.

    I love spicy food and Lao Sze Chuan does not disappoint. Last night we ordered the pork potstickers, dry chili chicken and moo shu pork, all of which we have had many times. The chicken seemed hotter than usual and was great. The pot stickers are huge and tasty. Service was OK, it's been better and it's been worse. We had plenty of food leftover for lunch today. I like this location better than the one in Uptown on Broadway, even though it's further away. There is also a good Chinese bakery a short walk down the plaza.

    (4)

  • Padma A.

    The number of times we have eaten and ordered carryout is countless! the cumin lamb has to be their best item on the menu, its super good....took over our original favorite Chilli chicken with the dry red chillies that will burn your mouth. If you like spicy food, its a must visit.

    (4)

  • K S.

    Awful experience. Do not waste your time or money. Cold, tasteless food and a manager who didn't care.

    (1)

  • Hillary M.

    I have to update my review of this restaurant, one of my favorite places. I was shocked last night with how incredibly rude and offensive the staff was to my guests. First, the manager -- an incredibly gruff and pushy man named "Tommy" -- yells at us outside when our table is ready. We didn't know he was talking to us, so we didn't react right away, and he yelled a sarcastic, "HELLLOOOO!!!" Not a great start to the evening. Then, once we get sat (at one of the many empty tables, which is normally not the case for this place), we are basically ignored for about 15 minutes. While we are ignored, other tables are sat and attended to. Every time we wanted some service, we had to stop whatever server was rushing by -- even just to get some water! The food wasn't as good as it normally is, and even my favorite dish -- Ma Po Tofu -- wasn't up to par. I was disappointed. At the end of the meal, my friend picked up the tab, and though I normally wouldn't do this, I supported his decision to forego tipping the staff that had treated us so incredibly poorly. He explained very calmly and politely to the manager, who pushed him about not leaving a tip, and then to the cashier, who pushed him further, and then THREE TIMES to our main waitress (I say "main" because we clearly didn't have any assigned server to our table), who even FOLLOWED my friend back to the table and harassed him about his "not liking her service" in front of other customers. I was appalled. I will certainly purchase my beloved Ma Po Tofu from here again, but it will be take-out only from now on. I can't be responsible for how I'd react if those people ever tried to treat me like how they treated my friends. And Tony Hu, the owner and "unofficial mayor of Chicago's Chinatown," is such a nice guy -- with many successful restaurants! But what the heck is happening at this one? I wonder how he would feel if the majority of his clientele were able to sit down in front of him and explain how incredibly rude and offensive his staff is. I hope he becomes aware of it sooner rather than later.

    (3)

  • Tom U.

    Worst services, worst quality, perhaps because there are not enough competitions in this kind of Chinese food, or in China town. Very much disappointed at all, don't even go there. It's the worst!

    (1)

  • Peter Y.

    This place is a haven for food lovers everywhere. It's got the holy trinity (or at least to me) of what a good restaurant should be. One is atmosphere. You know you're at a good Chinese restaurant when it's packed with actual Chinese people, and this place is packed all the time. The second is authenticity. When you go to a restaurant, you're either craving a certain type of food or are trying to experience something new. If the food isn't authentic, then you might as well as go to "insert restaurant with Wok in its name" and get their Americanized Chicken.. I mean General Gao's. This place is quite authentic, seeing as they not only offer the standard menu found at other Szechuan places, but also the rare dishes found in China (think frogs, rabbits and various parts of a cow). The third is food. Being a Szechuan restaurant, most of their dishes are going to be spicy and flavorful. And trust me, when I say spicy, I mean get ready for multiple bathroom trips spicy because you'll be drinking glass after glass of water. This may seem like a bad thing to most of you, but that's when you know a dish is good in Szechuan standards. I can list off what I got, but I highly recommend bringing some adventurous friends and trying something out of your comfort zone. I can't promise you'll find everything to your liking, but I can promise you a great, authentic experience.

    (5)

  • Rachel B.

    Great dinner here. We had ma pao tofu which came with a very very spicy warning. We had then take it down to medium and I was still trying to swallow without chewing. While I didn't complain, the server must have noticed because he came to the table twice and told me to add more rice. Haha. Or maybe that's because I was sniffling or chugging water! We also ordered the home style eggplant which was amazing. Great customer service here. My favorite part was the servers wear name tags with numbers rather than their names. It kind of reminded us of the numbered menu. Perhaps they do this because they assume we won't get their names right?!?

    (4)

  • Zengcong L.

    Nothing worth commenting, except for all the dishes being extremely hot. If you tried this, and brag about your love for chinese food. You are dead wrong.

    (2)

  • Amy S.

    BEWARE!!! We went here twice this summer and love the food. Unfortunately each time we went my husband and I each used our debit cards to pay and afterwards there were mysterious charges from China for over $330 on our debit cards. We surmise someone in the joint is stealing card numbers-Ancient Chinese Secret! So if you go enjoy the food and bring your cash!! BEWARE!!!

    (1)

  • Anna L.

    What is Lao Sze Chuan made of? Chili, oil and everything nice. So when you're feeling a lil' frigid, there's nothing that some intense spice can't fix. I'm pretty sure by the time you finish your meal you'll shed a few pounds from profuse perspiration and it'll deem you a champion in a wet t-shirt competition. From that first plate of spicy cabbage brought out, it is a test of one's capsaicin threshold. Even so - you still find yourself picking it up between your chopsticks, putting it right in your mouth, and perhaps taking a big gulp of ice cold water. Yep, it's that addictive. We continued to order dishes according to a variety of heat levels from mild to intense. Shanghai style jellyfish - crunchy texture finished off with a hint of sesame oil. Dan dan noodle snack - spaghetti-like noodles topped with meat & pickled veggie, green sprigs, and fiery sauce on the bottom to toss. Boiled sole fish in spicy Szechuan sauce - definitely not for the faint of heart (ulcer beware!), my favorite dish of all even if I end up with oily lips - my kiss would light you on fire. String beans with sour pickle - good alternative to mellow down the heat and change up the flavors if my tastebuds haven't already burnt off. Definitely skip the blah salt and pepper lamb - overly battered, greasy, and muttony. Good restaurant - probably a one-hit wonder for me. Food swimming in oil and chili can be intimidating - hey it's nice to break the healthy habit and splurge sometimes, even if it means I'll put myself through agony by shatting out fire the next day.

    (4)

  • Jane G.

    I'm not the biggest Chinese food fan and I liked everything that was served. The vegetables are really fresh and the seasonings from dish to dish were distinctive. They have an extensive menu with lots of exotic stuff, but if you want familiar favorites, just ask and they serve tasty versions. Hot pot looked like a fun choice for a participative, communal experience. Service was slightly stand-offish by chain restaurant standards, but not inattentive. It was busy and our servers were businesslike. Not a bad thing. Can recommend.

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    It was late and I wanted something spicy. I'm tired and starving. Yelp says this place is open til midnight, so I called for carryout. After several rings, lady picks up and puts me on hold. While I hold...listening to her conversation with another man... I repeatedly ask, "Hello...Hello....Helloooo..?" for a total of 10 minutes (no kidding, see my screenshot upload lol) until I finally hung up and went elsewhere. Lousy Lao Sze Chuan.

    (1)

  • Jun J.

    Yelpers please note that this is 1.25 stars. The Only reason it's not zero is that the food is quite descent (if you don't mind spending 45min on and/or over the toilet afterwards). I went to Lao 2 weeks ago with a group for a Friendsgiving dinner. Let me open with this: I do fully grasp that service in Chinatown is awful, it's a part of the Chinatown experience :). If anyone needs an explanation for this, hit me up. However! The service we received at Lao was unacceptable. 1. Two of us order a beer each, we remind the waiter 3 times, we receive the beers after 45min (I do not exaggerate) 2. We came for hot pot (the hot pot is a Set menu folks), hot pot comes after 1h45min (again, no exaggeration) 3. It appears the waiters here completely disregards anything you ask for 4. My friend got food poisoning and spent a good deal of the night throwing up. (this does happen occasionally with Hot Pot not bc it's the restaurants' fault but bc ppl undercook the seafood or meats). E.g. I was fine the next day. 5. Gratuity is already included so they could give less of a f So now that I am on the blacklist of the Chinatown mafia and Mr. Tony Hu. I just want to say that I did this for y'all. I bought a hot pot off Amazon immediately after this experience lol.

    (2)

  • Orgil O.

    Casual Chinese restaurant, seafood in hot pot is amazing. Definitely good experience :D

    (4)

  • Jourdan S.

    Not nearly as good as it was years ago. Last night there I saw what appeared to be a hair in my dumplings. Upon pulling it out I found it was the antennae if a nickel sized roach. A hair I can understand. A roach is beyond unacceptable. Upon brining it to the server's attention he didn't apologize (on behalf of the restaurant, I understand he's not in the kitchen) and whisked the dish away. I was a little surprised and figured the bill would be taken care of and he'd be out with a round if drinks. No such service. Merely a 20% off and no for address of the foul encounter. Keep in mind my company had all eaten dumplings from this shared plate before my discovery. I'm appalled. Never going back. It's too bad because I loved this place.

    (1)

  • Jay G.

    I don't like judging people or restaurants so I don't yelp but this place made me do it. I felt obliged after last night dining here that I need to write a review to help others weigh their options when they feel like spending a lovely evening with friends/family out here in Chinatown getting a fix of Chinese food. 1. Service: There was no service. I get it. you don't expect service in a Chinese restaurant especially when most of these servers probably never received any kind of service dining in their entire lives. I didn't expect any service but please at least have the human decency of acknowledging our presence or be cursorily courteous? There's no language barrier because we speak Chinese too? We waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged after sitting down, and then another 30 minutes for the hotpot to be set up on the table, then another 10 minutes for the raw meat, vegetables, seafood plate to be placed on the table. The waiter didn't speak a word to us after getting our order, and made us feel like we must have wronged him grievously in the previous life. 2. Food: My friend and I are both Chinese Americans from LA. We had our fair share of chinese hotpots in our lives, and have an idea of what consumers in other parts of this world are getting when they order chinese hotpot. The meat they brought for the hotpot was a hodgepodge of old, thickly sliced meat so after being cooked in the pot, it was robbery and embarrassingly difficult to chew, and I basically swallowed them whole because my jaw just gave up on chewing them. The cod fish was too heavily battered with flour to hide the fact they were not fresh. The soup base was too oily for the spicy part and the extremely bland in the non-spicy portion, and they didn't even bother to get frozen tofu. Instead they served the regular tofu you get in Walmart. The only thing that I felt was fresh and safe to eat there was the vegetables, which I preceded to devour after realizing that the meat/fish/tofu were not very edible. Also beware of the bean curd skin or yuba or tofu skin, because it tasted like they were made from used NASCAR tires. After this ordeal, we decided this was a Chinese restaurant from hell and we better not pay and just make a run for it. But our good conscience set in, and we paid, and left with a night full of regret and ill feeling in our bellies.

    (1)

  • Barbara B.

    Favorite Chinese restaurant in town and it's always a treat to see Tommy at the entrance. The szechuan chicken is fantastic and the portions are generous so there's always food left to take home. The atmosphere is great, too - almost always full on weekend nights.

    (5)

  • Jeff C.

    It's okay. Service is extremely spotty. The alcohol selection sucks. Hot pot is okay. Not great, not life changing. It's about the experience of being in Chinatown and eating something different but next time I do hot pot I will go to the north side by Argyle.

    (2)

  • Dan E.

    When I venture to China town its usually with a group. I often try restaurants randomly depending an where I park. I got a spot at the west end of the mall so it was time for Lao Sze Chuan in the rotation. The place is exceptional because of the huge authentic menu. For me the place is special because of the ample use of peppers. I don't remember the names but a mix of chicken, beef, vegetarian and seafood. All of the dishes we chose were amply spiced. We weren't adventurous enough to try some of the 'offal' on the menu. So bottom line, a solid choice in the melange of restaurants in China town.

    (3)

  • Sheetal R.

    What happened to the taste of dry chili chicken? It use to be amazing - today it was so bland. Spicy but bland. We were surprised at the lack of flavor we once loved. Yes service is slow - but expected that from previous experiences. Didn't get the hot pot like usual, but it's really good... Or is it anymore?

    (2)

  • Yu L.

    Rice is not fresh, feels like overnight stuff. Chicken is not fresh, feels like eating chicken jerky.

    (2)

  • Jing L.

    This restaurant is cheating customer with old bad food if you order to go. We went to Lao Sze had dinner on 10/22/2014, and ordered a spicy beef tenden to go for a friend. We did not check and taste the food in the restaurant. After taking to home and find out the food is old and not eatable, we have to throw away, my friend is very disappoint, because he could not enjoy his favor spicy food. When you order the food to go from this restaurant, must check the food, especially cold dishes.

    (1)

  • Manfred S.

    Spicy cabbage, tiger skin peppers, Chongqing style dry chicken and a phenomenal fish (may be fei zhou yu, not sure) that the waitress recommended. Service was good and very, very funny.

    (5)

  • Brett F.

    I know, I know. Lao Sze Chuan is the crowning jewel of Chicago's Chinatown hit list. Always the busiest. Always the longest wait. It must be the best, yes? No. No. No. Been several times and always feel it falls short. This last trip proved no exception. Bland appetizers. Doughy potstickers. Over sauced, one-note Szechuan beef. Sesame Chicken so beyond battered it tasted more fritter than poultry. Hot Pot that is more expensive - yet far more sparsely appointed - than Lao Beijing's. And then there's the service. I know, the language barrier is a 'thing.' But, come on, asking repeatedly for water and tea, small requests for soy sauce, chili sauce, etc. that constantly go unfulfilled... This Lao just does not wow.

    (2)

  • Jessie W.

    It's my first time here! But the food is amazingly good and very authentic. Def recommend the bean curd, you can't find it anywhere else!! The hot pot is very good too, exp the lamb meat, heard its from Australia!! I think I ate like two full plates by myself. Btw, the staff are super friendly and always have good suggestions, so talk to them if you are first time there!! But come back and try more dishes if you can, cuz all of them are equally good!! Hope you guys enjoy the food as much as I do!! Cheers!!:)

    (5)

  • Austin N.

    When I'm in the south side of Chicago again I'd definitely drop by this gem. I enjoyed everything we ordered, from the pan fried noodles to the egg drop soup. We just asked what our waitresses favorites were and ordered those.

    (4)

  • Jen J.

    Underwhelming cumin lamb. The flavor was good but the meat was oh-so-chewy and stringy. It was more like cumin lamb jerky.

    (3)

  • Steve S.

    This is not the Lao Sze Chuan of old. Figuring something must have changed, I did a quick search and found that Chef Tony is opening a restaurant in Vegas this month (Sept '14). Is it possible the quality of ingredients and culinary expertise of old is missing with the cost and attention required to open at the Palms? Similar lack of attentiveness in the dining room was also disappointing. We were there for an early dinner after a busy day and not having time for lunch. With only a few tables seated and plenty of wait staff we still had to flag the hostess down to ask for service. They do still have an exceptional number of items on the menu. The food we ordered (dry chili chicken and Governor's chicken), however, lacked the homemade feel and distinction that used to set Lao Sze Chuan apart. Very disappointing when you want to showcase Chinatown to a colleague from out of town. I think it is safe to say something is going on beyond the scenes and definitely not for the better.

    (2)

  • John B.

    This really should be 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because the food is simply the best. The reason it's not 5 is that the service is usually average to poor. Sometimes you have to tell your server 2 or 3 times to bring you what you asked for, etc., and sometimes you will get seated and have to wait 5-10 minutes before they even bring you water. Some of the wait staff has a very casual, lackadaisical attitude. It takes a lot to have such lackluster service and still get five stars from me, but the food is simply out of this world, and quite simply, I'm willing to put up with bad service to have their Dry Chili Chicken, their Spicy Lamb w/ Cumin Xin Jiang style, their Twice-Cooked Pork, their Spicy Rabbit appetizer, and the delicious spicy cabbage they bring out when you sit down. I've never had a dish here that tasted even mediocre...everything is pretty much fantastic. It deserves all the hype it gets. Just get some better servers.

    (5)

  • Yiqing C.

    Tried the all you can eat hot pot here. Not very spicy. Service was slow. Probably just because it was a busy night. But the food portion sizes were great. Will go back for the all you can eat when super hungry. lol.

    (3)

  • Kevin Y.

    So many places to eat in China town. AVOID THIS ONE!!!! My girlfriend and I were hungry so we saw the nice awards on the windows and figured why not. We were seated immediately and ordered 2 waters. We then ordered orange chicken and mongolian beef steak. The food came in about 15 minutes. We never got our waters. We had to ask for water and when it came, one has no ice and was room temperature. Food wise..it was ok. Nothing better than panda express. Cost was 12 to 14 for each plate and an extra dollar per person for rice. Service was simply horrible...didn't care about our waters, never checked in on us until after we were done eating and our glasses were empty...didn't know how to even crack a smile. Tip/gratuity: 15%. We only had a party of 2 people and I read the part in the menu that mentioned gratuity is added for parties of 5+. Being from MN, I'm not sure what the Chicago tip policy is so I gave the lady $40 at the register and she gave me whatever change back. As we were leaving near the 2nd door already the cashier comes storming at us making a scene, demanding we owe her tip money. Of course I didn't want to look like an idiot or thief, I walked up to her and said how much do I owe you. She then said blah blah 15%, $4.5x. I literally threw a $5 at her and walked out. Most disrespectful and embarrassing experience and the food wasn't even that great for an award winning place. Note that we saw no Chinese people eating in here. They must know what's up!!! Avoid this place and save yourself a fake chinese, bad experience. Vent over. Thanks :)

    (1)

  • Edward W.

    I got the 706 combo a little spicy. I really liked it. Located in the Chinatown mall I got a pay parking spot nearby. The mall is very authentic. Cool place to bring the family and do some shopping for novelties. I went early, around 5pm on a Friday and although the first floor was packed I was able to get a seat upstairs. I was by myself and had to eat at a table for six, but I did get seated right away. Friendly service but limited english. The menu is huge! I asked for a recommendation and I loved what I got. I asked for noodles and shrimp. Although I told the waiter I like hot, he recommended a dish that wasn't. I told him to spice it up a little. I'll be back. Next time with the family. I can't wait to hear what they have to say about all the unusual food on the menu.

    (4)

  • Pari P.

    After driving around in circles several times for parking, we finally decided on eating the cost and parking in the lot. When we arrived, there were several groups waiting outside in 35 degree weather. Everyone was here for the same reason - to dine at the highly publicized and notorious Lao Sze Chuan. This place is infamous as seen by the many awards and media coverage it has received shown at the front window of the restaurant. Business has been going well since they expanded to the second floor and renovated the interior and exterior of the space. I remember the food being excellent when it first opened but is it just as good now that I have to wait an hour before being seated? We ordered the shrimp in mayonnaise sauce, noodles Peking style, and curry chicken. The shrimp is outstanding and as good as I remembered it. It's definitely a must have. At other places, it's normally dense and you feel like you just ate spoonfuls of mayonnaise. At Lao Sze Chuan, it's more refined where the batter and sauce are light with a citrus aftertaste. I come specifically for this dish even though they specialize in Szechuan cuisine. Lao Sze Chuan is still worth all of the hype but the wait is aggravating for dining in Chinatown. It's bad enough that you have to fight for parking and the food takes some time to come out. For city folk, take the Red Line to avoid parking expenses. For drivers, avoid peak times to save your sanity. Since they are open until 2:30am, I would definitely come back again but maybe try off times to avoid the crowds.

    (4)

  • Damian C.

    The stars will align the second you place a bit of the dry chili chicken in your mouth. Seriously. Battered and fried chunks of chicken sprinkled with crushed red pepper in a sea of red hot chili peppers. Sure, you stomach will rumble and your poo will be flaming, but this stuff will take you on an aeroplane to a whole new level of deliciousness. But aside from that, 3 out of the 4 dishes were delicious. To start, the pot stickers were humongous and the 6 of them were plenty for the 4 of us to split. Honestly, you probably could have made a meal out of them. Perfect. The orange beef was another one that had my heart. Though red meat is unhealthy for you, and I am sure deep-frying it makes it much worse, and let's not get started on how orange sauce will go right to your behind, it was another star for the group. I certainly could not get enough of it and felt bad taking more than my fair share. My only food disappointment was the Sichuan chicken. I had a hard time deciding between that one and the Kung Pao and, to avoid repetition and ensure I was getting white meat (key!), switched to Sichuan at the end. The sauce was OK, but it was heavy on the veggies and less on the meats. The bonus of the plate was having some baby corn. I can never get enough of that. Otherwise, skip it. Water service was fairly slow overall, which sucks when your mouth is shooting out fire, and the $1/pp for rice was a bit odd (what Asian restaurant charges for rice with their entrees?!). The price point is pretty high compared to restaurants of the same quality, and especially for Chinatown. However, considering this place has so many accolades, and because I left satisfied, I will definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Christa Lei S.

    This place is kind of overrated. However, I'll give it props. My now-bf and I went out on our first date here, and for that memory alone, I'll say that it's OK. My big beef with them is that the boo and I ordered BOK CHOY as our vegetable for hot pot, and they gave us iceberg lettuce. Um, wtf? I wasn't aware there was an iceberg lettuce variety of bok choy. The broths tasted pretty good, but I still can't tell the difference between the "hot," "spicy," and the "hot and spicy" broths. My boyfriend tried to explain it to me and it just went over my head. Essentially, the broths are HOT AND SPICY, y'all. Get some. I don't really know what else to say. The service is decent, and the hot pot is not as good as Taiwanese hot pot. This place is OK. Just disorganized, and remember that they have TWO floors and you have to go to the first floor for a number. Idk. Maybe it's because my man is just an idiot and has no sense of direction whatsoever, but yeah... we ended up going to the wrong floor. Cool. Yeah, this place is OK. Not great.

    (3)

  • Paul W.

    Americans seems to love this place. I'm Chinese and I only find this place so so. It is definitely more "authentic" than your typical Chinese American restaurant, but it's not the same as eating in China. They do have a few dishes I like, such as the spicy tripe and the "water boiled beef". However, I can only give this place 2 stars because: 1. The service sucks 2. I always seem to get diarrhea after eating here. Could it be the ppl who handle my food have poor hygiene?

    (2)

  • Brandon C.

    Eat upstairs, this is one of the most impressive cultural experience you can have in the city. The food here is very good with spin-wheel tables for sharing if you ask. The China town corridor is really worth your visit.

    (5)

  • Fei W.

    I don't know how it's taken me this long to write a review for Lao Sze Chuan. Every time seamless offers a promo code, I use it here. Like most Chinese places, it's best to come with a group, order a ton, and eat it family style. Tony's dry chili chicken is a stand out. Boiled Beef is tender and flavorful Mapo Tofu. If you don't like tofu after trying mapo tofu, you're wrong. Szechuan string beans. Simple flavors but cooked to perfection. Spicy fried eggplant with ground pork. Again, fairly simple flavors but really tasty. There are better Chinese places in Toronto, but I doubt they exist in Chicago. This is the place to go. I don't think the others in the chain quite get up to this caliber.

    (4)

  • Shannon G.

    After waiting more than 2.5 hours, no exaggeration, for our food to be delivered, they left it on our porch. We had to find out from grubhub that it was even there. If I could give them zero stars, I would.

    (1)

  • Heather S.

    I don't know what's happening to my Lao Sze Chuan! Over the past few months, the food I've received has been steadily declining in flavor and quality. I had hoped I could get through this rough patch, but I think tonight's will be my last order. The meat in the three chili chicken was dry, and the "crispy" crust was spongy with grease. Normally, the dish has chunks of garlic that just make my life--my husband has pulled out leftovers many times to discover the garlic chunks mysteriously missing! This time, the dish had no garlic, and about 2/3 of the container was filled with chilis. And my beloved ma po tofu... Gone is the flavorful, mouth-numbing sauce I fell in love with. Gone are the silky chunks of tofu. Tonight's order was heavy on the heat, but lacking any discernible flavor, and filled with SLABS of flavorless tofu. Last time I ordered, it was topped with at least triple an appropriate amount of Szechuan peppercorn. Tonight, it was topped with half a cup of oil. I suppose under the circumstances I shouldn't complain that the takeout container was only half full. Sigh... I suppose I am officially taking recommendations for Szechuan restaurants in Chicago.

    (2)

  • Brent H.

    Consistently great Szechuan food from someone who used to live in China. Great delivery, too. Five stars.

    (5)

  • Dung N.

    This place hit the spot! They didn't have the AYCE special for the hot pot on the day we went though. They have a regular special that seems worth it if you're hungry! We got the half spicy broth and it still has a lot of kick. Our guy server seemed annoyed when we asked for things, but the girl server was very nice. The food was good and cheap. We left satisfied. :)

    (4)

  • Ran C.

    Out of all the delicious meals I had in Chicago, this was the restaurant that made me wish I lived there. I don't want this review to be about how much better Chicago's Chinatown is compared to DC's "Chinatown" so let's just move on to the points I loved about Lao Sze Chuan. First of all, I am very impressed by how big the menu is here. There are easily over 100 dishes! We picked four that we thought was the most interesting (a cold rabbit dish, whole pork shoulder in chili sauce, cumin lamb, and spinach with ginger). With a menu this big, I was blow away by how uniquely different each dish tasted and manages to be so delicious as well. The prices are ridiculously affordable too. The two of us only ended up spending like $25 each... I like that the servers spoke Mandarin as well as English. They were very helpful in giving recommendations. I'm surprised that this place wasn't more packed on a Saturday lunch when we went. The restaurant itself has a very clean feel to it with a clean white interior, which is also a welcoming change from Chinese restaurants in DC... But I digress. Go eat here! You won't be disappointed! Pro Tip: It definitely helps to have a high spice and salt tolerance to eat here.

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    HOLY HELL this place is HOLY HUZZAH! We only had a 20 min wait...totally fine. This place packs the spice...so if you dont like spice, definitely tell them ahead of time. The spicy cabbage was so garlicy and hot. I loved it. Crab rangoon-meh, but what did we expect... Pot stickers-doughy meaty balls...just how I like them. Yu Choy has like the same ones. I love the carb balls! Dry chili chicken-so freaking good, crunchy, spicy, delish...just get it! You wont be disappointed! Ma Po Tofu-so amazing. The tofu was so silky. It could have used a bit of pork. I am used to it having more meat. It was great though. Lots of sauce and lots of spice. Perfect over a heap of rice Everything comes out so fast. It was a great meal. I loved it. I think the bill came to like $40...that is RIDICULOUS! SO CHEAP! I will be back. Tony Hu! I love you! I want to call you my booo!

    (5)

  • Mark S.

    Chef Tony is great. Best Chinese food I have had in the midwest! The location on the north side is just as good!

    (5)

  • Elsie H.

    I am a Chinese and I am sooooo disappointed at this restaurant. The food is not authentic at all, even their cheft-recommended dish is totally different from the real ones back in china. And this restaurant charge the tip in bill already! Disappointment is all I got!

    (1)

  • Mad I.

    Good as we all now know! We had: *Dry Chicken Chili: code for spicy nuggets, juicy, not dry at all, not too hot... *Ma Boa Tofu: tofu in hot chili oil *Orange beef: CRISPY beef done so right in this delicious sweet sauce-NOT hot Really speedy service, yummie free kimchi cabbage Downfalls: *NO ambiance *Even at random times you will wait, and if it's cold you are screwed because the entry way is the only place to wait indoors and its teeny. *parking kinda scarce * a bit too pricey for what it is..........

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    Amazing time!! So awesome:)) went here as my first dining experience in Chinatown for a birthday and everyone was soo satisfied. Such great people and food! Tommy is the man.

    (5)

  • Ritika K.

    I am a big fan of chinese food. I went to Lao Sze Chuan with high expectations since this is one of yelp's highest rated restaurants in Chinatown. We went on a weekday night and it was relatively crowded but we were seated right away. We ordered beef in schezuan sauce, curry chicken, pork dim sums and chicken with green peppers and mushroom. The dim sums we ordered for appetizer were really good but it was all down hill from there. All entrees were extremely spicy. I love spicy food but it was 10 times more spicy than any human being could eat without falling sick. One of the dishes had a big bowl of crushed red pepper flakes just floating on the top. We were so hungry that instead of complaining we removed all the chilli flakes from the top (half inch thick layer) and ate whatever was left of it. Even after that, it was not a pleasant dining experience. To make things worse the service was very slow and our server did not seem to care. They brought one of our entrees just 5 minutes before our check came and obviously we turned it down because we were done eating. I will have to look for another chinese restaurant that has good food and cares for its customers. Lao Sze Chuan was a big disappointment!

    (1)

  • Sean P.

    While the food here might be quite good (according to some), you MUST be careful of what you do order. I would highly recommend steering clear of anything that says "with bone". These dishes are usually really delicious, however, the bone is cut up and not whole, thus making the dish a pain to eat. Also, the service here is.....okay. It is noticeable that the waiters treat those of the same ethnic background better, but this doesn't bother me (it is Chinatown, after all). What does bother me though, is the lack of communication between the waiter and the patron. The waiter/waitress barely knows English outside of "water?", "order?", and a few other words, much less understanding English. I ended up getting a different dish that what I wanted because my waiter didn't understand what I wanted and I had to point to it on the menu, but I guess he read the wrong thing. This also didn't bother me as what I got was still good. But I haven't the slightest idea what it was. My tips for this place? -Bring someone who speaks Chinese fluently. It'll greatly smooth and enhance the experience. -Don't order anything that has "with bone" on the menu unless you plan on spending a loooooong time picking apart your meat from the bone. Other than that, the food is good and I will be back sometime in the future, though I'm not in any hurry.

    (3)

  • Igor L.

    Lets start of by saying the food the is great 5 stars for that. It's either the servers were having a bad day or I was just not lucky to receiver good customer service. Me and my girlfriend both order food at the same time hers came in 15 minutes and I waited about 10 minutes to ask for mine, they said it was coming. Another 10 min passes and I inquire again and the answer was its coming, so finally I got my food 30 min after my girlfriend got her. Like I said the food was great but I do not see my self going back

    (2)

  • Betsy L.

    I went to there for only one time, the food is really spicy and origin as I am originally from Sichuan, China. I really miss the noodle in there but the line is always too long to try for dinner.

    (3)

  • Carolyn A.

    Tried to have lunch there on 9/5/14. Roaches was running all over our table. Ask for sugar and roaches were in sugar bowl too. Place was packed with customers. We are not a third world country. Will never go back.

    (1)

  • Ja V.

    This was GOD AWFUL!!! Yes, I said it- GOD AWFUL! Let me repeat it once more so people get - "IT'S GOD AWFUL!!".. I have been coming to Chicago Chinatown for over 18yrs+ and I have noticed a few changes. Most of the restaurants have been renovated with modern decor and menu options have expanded!! BUTTTT the quality in Chinese food has been in a spiral downturn with quality while increasing prices!!!!! I remember coming to Chinatown and spending 5-7 dollars a plate now its $12 dollars a plate for some measly vegetables!!! So let me begin with this restaurant!! Some stranger recommended this place so I decided to try it since it was one of few restaurants I have not been too. *We sat down and the people took a while to take notice and begin our order - not a deal killer but there wasn't too many people in the restaurant. *Next looked at the menu option - LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOICES! but prices seemed pricey for relative to what you are getting..... *We order spring rolls!! THESE WERE COLD!!!! how do you serve me cold spring rolls? Imagine taking some spring rolls out of the freezer and letting it nuke in the Microwave! That's how they tasted like - NOT crispy as they should! and definitely not what I paid for. *Next we ordered variety of vegetables - It had mainly American Veggies and no Bak Choy which I think should automatically be inside mixed Chinese veggie plate. They are trying to cater to the West (American) rather than keeping it's standard Chinese Vegetables! Not American broccoli but Chinese broccoli! I don't go to Chinatown to get American Vegetables. *TEA- cold cold cold! And no we did NOT order cold Jasmine tea!! *Fried Rice - Was the worst Chinese fried rice I have ever had!!! They literally put in American Frozen veggies and tasted like American fried rice. Hardly any eggs. The color was looked like they just dumped some soy sauce and cooked it on the wok with frozen vegetables!!! And that's how it tasted!!! Our bill came out to be around $30 dollars! What a complete waste of my money! I am not too sure how we have over 770 ratings for this restaurant and averaged to 4stars! Maybe I just had a bad experience but I can tell you that the Chinese food 18yrs ago tasted better than the NEW Chinatown in Chicago.. Yes - I like the decor and the renovations they have done in New Chinatown but the Chinese Food has actually gone down and I mean down hill in many of the restaurants. JOY YEE - still good though!!!!! I believe a lot of the restaurants are more concerned about trying to cater to the West rather than keeping it Chinese food to drive more revenue/profit! They are getting lazy hoping for Americans to go based on the idea they are in Chinatown.... I have rated it a 1star hoping to drive the overall rating down to 2-3stars since I believe this was a 1-2star experience. Don't go here I don't recommend it!!

    (1)

  • Erik S.

    I'm a junkie for spicy food. When I walk into Chipotle they start pouring the hot salsa. I've always got 2 bottles of Sriracha in my fridge. They know me at Wing Stop. This place makes a Dry Chili Chicken that puts them all to shame. It's like an old stove, it heats up really slowly, but before you know it there's smoke pouring out your ears. They use these tender chunks of really fresh dark meat, just lightly breaded. You can imagine an old chef with a cleaver whittling a whole chicken down to the bones and throwing it all into a wok bubbling with super spicy chilies. I've ordered from here so often in the last couple months that it's unusual for me not to have their leftovers in my fridge. Seriously, stop fighting with your significant other about what's for dinner and order from here right now.

    (5)

  • Sonia F.

    Absolutely the worst service I have ever experienced. What happen to HELLO my name is! The restaurant is not clean at all. First of all my party of 5 had to leave out and go upstairs to the second floor. We were seated in a back room with dirty tables and a box of unclean table linens in the corner and forgotten about. It took over an hour no exageration for our food to come after I couldnt take it any longer and asked for the manager. Our first time to " the best chinese food in the world"!! The first 3 things we asked for duh eggrolls of which your old outdated menu says were the greatest. The uninterested waiter said oh we dont sell eggrolls, the next item "oh we ran out". I can go on and on but you choose where to spend your $$ but I will not be back and have told everyone I know don't take the risk.

    (1)

  • Kristina R.

    Went for a party and we had the back room booked. The four stars come from the lack of service. Although not terrible we did have to ask for a few things multiple times. But then again, its probably hard to keep track of 30 people's requests?? Now to the Hot Pot!!! Amazing! My first time doing this, but it was sooo good. I call it the Chinese version of fondue. The spicy broth was my favorite and I stuck to that most of the night. So much food.. At all you can eat they just kept bringing plates and plates of meat/seafood/noodles. Not sure if all Hot Pot places are this good... But I would def recommend this place and would be back. (Big props to my Chinese brother-in-law however to point out what everything was... If you don't go with someone who knows what all the seafood/meats are it could be a game of mystery meat!)

    (4)

  • Jean C.

    There's always a long line at this restaurant, and this restaurant was recommended by Michelin, so I was excited when I gave this restaurant a try last night. After about 15 minutes of waiting in line, we were seated. One set of the bowl and cup was dirty (had some dried remnants of food attached), so we asked the waiter to replace them. All the waiters were super busy and difficult to catch. After ordering hot pot buffet for two, we waited for about another 20 minutes before our hotpot arrived along with beef, veggie, tofu, wood ear, mussel, fish coated with some slimy sauce, and tofu skin. I asked the waiter where the lamb slices were, and was told that the lamb would come soon. Ten minutes went by, still no lamb, and I had to ask again. Eventually I got my lamb slices, but I was really hungry after such long wait. We had the split-pot - spicy soup on one side and non-spicy on the other. Both soup bases were good. However, the beef slices had literally absolutely zero marble and were really tough to chew (picture dry beef jerky). We asked the waiter about this, and he said this lot of beef is all this lean. The lamb had some, but very little marbles and was better than the beef. The veggie, wood ear, and tofu were good, and the fish was ok (didn't taste very fresh). 20 minutes after finishing the meal, I had a "liquified bowel movement", and another one the next morning. Maybe I didn't cook the fish thoroughly? Anyway, this restaurant is the first Michelin-recommended restaurant where we feel the food is sub-par.

    (2)

  • Ved S.

    Delicious food. Perfect spice, makes up for the bad service. Try the crispy fried chicken, cumin lamb and la la la chicken

    (4)

  • Amartya B.

    Great food but horrible service !! And we got hounded by a waitress because we left a small tip (since we were so unhappy with the service) !! Highly recommend Tony's Three Chili Chicken though.. !!

    (3)

  • Kyle M.

    I've been here 3 times, and was always impressed by the food. The dry chicken was my favorite. It's authentic, consistently prepared well, and service is good if you recognize that they waiters here are treated like people. For example, I witnessed a couple next to me tip 15 cents because, by their words, a table was temporarily pushed in front of them. The manager Tommy came out and defended the waiter in front of the couple, which I understand rarely happens in a restaurant. Tommy is actually a great guy beneath his tough exterior. Anyway, service is perfectly fine if just speak up when you need something, and don't expect to be coddled throughout your meal. Anything that I wanted, the staff was happy to bring. They also have student discounts, which are great since I'm on a limited grad stipend. The establishment is nationally ranked as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the nation, and it certainly lives up to its name.

    (5)

  • Sima F.

    Don't miss out on the eggplant in garlic sauce.

    (5)

  • Justin L.

    I don't really see what the big deal about this place is...with the whole long wait...? I like spicy and this place does spicy but the flavor is kind of lacking...maybe we were ordering the wrong things? I came down from Milwaukee hoping to get some GREAT Chinese/Szechuan food since Wisconsin is sort of lacking in that area...and I know great Chinese food...I grew up in San Fran...I think that, in itself, vouches for my review. House Dried Fried Ribs: I've had better house fried ribs...way better...both in flavor and quality...the ribs they served us were filled with fat and barely any meat...basically low quality ribs. The seasoning was not all that great. I've had salt and pepper ribs that were better than this. Lamb w/ Cumin: This was basically lamb slices cooked covered in cumin spice and chili flakes/seeds, period. I think that was all they used to flavor the meat... Each piece of lamb was COVERED in chili seeds and the cumin was too overpowering. There was so much cumin powder that I could literally see the seasoning and powder caked onto the meat. It needed a little more salt element to it also. Mapo Tofu: Again...I've had way better mapo tofu. The tofu was served in pure chili oil, chilis and scallions...They was no sauce or flavoring that came with this. I could honestly have made this dish at home. Buy some scallions, red chili oil, and silk tofu and toss it together...That was basically this dish...disappointing. I don't know...I just don't get it...someone tell me what to get here, maybe?...Because I just don't get the big deal...at all... oh, but the host was entertaining..your typical chinese man with a loud hoarse voice...you could just tell he smokes a pack of cigs a day. haha...he was a character.

    (2)

  • Bret D.

    Great spot...They have a ton of dishes to add to make any visit an adventure. In the winter months, I'm a big fan of the Hot & Sour Soup along with spicy plates. The wait staff is good. The wait can be a bit of dice roll depending upon the time. Yet, is any place that is known for great food. Lao Sze Chuan is a great spot to meet-up or go for a big meal. I definitely give it a thumbs-up with a Spring Roll to add to the fun. BD

    (3)

  • Nicole B.

    Pretty bad food and pretty bad service. Waiters don't care about the customers at all. Don't go there. I regret I went there yesterday. Will never go there again!

    (1)

  • Jamie S.

    If you've ever wanted to poop fire, this is the place to eat. This is a busy China town restaurant thus, simple atmosphere, fast service (but it comes in spurts), hot food, and bathrooms are as clean as you would expect. It's always busy and good for groups of 2 or 12. The delivery through grub hub is good too. My personal favorites are: mapo tofu, dry chili chicken, boiled beef, anything with fried noodles, cumin lamb, sole fish with black bean sauce, string beans in spicy black bean sauce, and mayo shrimp.

    (4)

  • Carlos M.

    The food is spectacular but the service is lacking. If you come Monday-Friday 11:30-3:0 ask for their lunch menu... If you don't ask they won't give it to you. I guess everyone's trying to make a buck, right?

    (3)

  • Steve S.

    Disappointed. Had heard so many good things from so many people. Saw it on a bunch of lists. Weird. We got egg rolls, mongolian beef, chicken fried rice, and shrimp in lobster sauce. Pretty simple order. The egg rolls were inedible. I know. What I mean is that they sucked. And I did have TWO bites; the second only because I thought my first bite was wrong. Panda Express makes a better egg roll. The mongolian beef was ok. Greasy, but ok. Not particularly fresh and flavorful. Meh. The chicken fried rice was dry and uninteresting. Less than meh. And the shrimp in lobster sauce was nothing special by my count, but my wife liked it. Of course, she grew up on shrimp in lobster sauce and if it reminded her of her youth, then maybe it was better than meh. But only slightly. The whole meal; entirely underwhelming.

    (2)

  • C J.

    Do not ever go there when you are starving, or eat a bagel first! Be prepared to wait for at least 30 minutes to be seated on weeknights (1 hour or longer on weekends) and another 30 minutes to be served if your waiter doesn't forget to put in your order. Keep an eye on your waiter to make sure that he is not slacking off at the bar and ask him to check on your order every 15 minutes despite the fact that he might spit in your food. And don't ever expect this to change since the demand is inelastic. Try the restaurant next door if you can't put up with the service at Lao Sze Chuan. The food is decent and the service is a lot better.

    (3)

  • Vishal P.

    This menu is HUGE! Come with a group so you get a chance to try a little bit of everything! All the dishes are served family style and served on a lazy susan so you can just rotate what you want. Service is only okay but the food is really good. We came with a group of 12 and had a good number of dishes and all were good. Some of the dishes are a little too exotic for the common folk but I'm sure they taste great too if you're daring enough to try it. I had the spicy pork. Exceptional! Prices are good too

    (4)

  • Krishna P.

    After experiencing Lao Beijing, I was more than excited to try another Lao restuarant. Unfortunately, I had one of the worst experiences. To begin with, the service is horrendous. The staff treated us poorly, and almost appeared angry we were asking for basic items, such as water. After 10 minutes of not being served, we were able to flag down a waiter and place our order. We got the eggplant, tonys special chicken, and the ma-po tofu. The eggplant was great, really enjoyed the sauce. However, I was not a fan of tonys special chicken, it was overly sweet and not spicy enough, just not very good. On top of this, the ma-po tofu was downright bad, it was drowned in black pepper, and was barely edible. Overall, would not return both because of the food and the service.

    (1)

  • Tian Y.

    When my family is in Chicago, we always come here for dinner at least once. My mom is a great cook, and she'd never eat things she could cook better at home herself. But she loves this place! We usually get the spicy fish stew thing (shui zhu yu), eggplant in garlic sauce or pork in garlic sauce, beef noodle soup, and a wildcard or two, but always authentic Szechuan dishes. Everything is always very flavorful, and we always keep coming back for those particular 3, but I've never disliked anything we've tried as far as authentic food is concerned. Can't speak for their Americanized fare though. Food comes out pretty fast, too, which is nice. The prices are very reasonable for the portions - we almost never finish. Unfortunately during their dinner hours it gets pretty hectic, and they are grossly understaffed for the rush period. This could mean waiting at the door for 5-10 minutes without being greeted though there is like an empty table of two you can sit down in, 5-10 when you're ready to order, needing to flag down frantic waitresses for anything you need during your meal, or waiting 10 minutes without a check even after chasing down said waitress a few times. Just... don't go if you're in a hurry during dinner rush, or if you are expecting decent service. But I'd say the food is worth it if you don't mind.

    (4)

  • Connie L.

    You're in luck if you're craving spicy Chinese food. The chef's special dry chili chicken and Tony's chicken with three chili are good. They offer a discount if you show your student ID and pay with cash.

    (4)

  • Misty C.

    Been here several times! Mostly they are known for their dry chile chicken, but my personal favorite is the Szechuan Green beans! They are amazing. Only rated 4 stars due to parking in Chinatown and the long wait to be seated for dinner.

    (4)

  • A E.

    This a great choice in Chinatown. The food is tasty and I especially love the mayonnaise shrimp, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

    (4)

  • Binh N.

    The quality of food and services has gone down terribly recently. We came to Lao Sze Chuan for our favorite Dry Chili chicken dish yesterday and it was a huge disappointment. The chicken is not crunchy and tasteless. But the service was even more terrible. We was ignored for most of the time there, and we had to wait 15 minutes just for the check to arrive at the end of the meal. I know that everyone has a bad day. But yesterday the owner was at the restaurant and he seemed to be attentive and took care of other tables!

    (1)

  • Vincent Y.

    You can get the huge tables in the back (and occasionally private rooms). I really like the dishes--I don't know if I've had better sze chuan food in the SF Bay Area, but here--really spicy, really savory, really delicious. Chinese menus are always complicated and difficult to get through, but go for the sze chuan classics. I haven't been disappointed yet.

    (5)

  • M. T.

    The Peking duck for $30 was very good. It came as a single course with the thin pancakes instead of the fluffy bao. The skin was crispy and there was plenty of duck meat underneath. The accompanying scallions and cucumber slices and tasty hoisin sauce finished it off beautifully. The only reason it's wasn't a 5 star meal is that the duck arrived somewhat cold, and the service wasn't great. But I'll definitely come back!

    (4)

  • Raviphol S.

    !!! DON'T GO TO THIS PLACE !!! !!! 1 HR WAIT, FORGET ORDER TWICE !!! This place serves a good authentic Chinese food, and I used to have a good experience here. Last Sunday evening, the restaurant was crowded but not full. We ordered 6 main dishes and 1 appetizer. After 30 mins of waiting, all tables got their food already, even ones that came after us. We asked our waiter to see what happen. Then, she realized that the restaurant "FORGOT" our order. However, that's not the worst part. We waited for another half an hour, and the food still did not come out. We talked with the manager and he said that we have to wait for another 20 minutes. We just couldn't bare with this shit anymore and decided to leave. I believe place LOST OUR ORDER TWICE, and they did nothing to resolve it. They know that we had waited for 1 hour, but they did not even try to put our order into head of the queue If you just want to eat their free cabbages appetizer and drink tap water for the whole meal, this is the place for you.

    (1)

  • Noemi A.

    I've been going to this restaurant for about 10 yrs now. I've tried other restaurants, but they don't compare to the food that's served at Lao Sze Chaun (can't pronounce it - lol). However I've noticed the following: - prices have skyrocketed over the years - portions have gotten smaller (FYI - a large 'to go' orange chicken only serves 1 person, which is really disappointing & the staff should mention it or start calling it a small or regular size instead of confirming that its a large) - language barrier between customers & staff. At times I would like to try something new & have asked the waitress for suggestions, but due to the language barrier that exists I haven't had a chance to do that. - when placing an order for pick-up, I've noticed that the cashiers are not friendly, they don't smile or greet you! I've gotten ignored & rushed at the same time. Serious help needed is here! I still like the food but would like to see some improvements. It's a restaurant & customers should be their main focus!!

    (3)

  • Ubz D.

    Even though the service isn't the best, it's still alright and more importantly, the food is amazing! I always get the same thing, an order of Dry Chili Chicken, the best/most popular dish here by far!! I've also tried the lamb with cumin and lo mein noodles which weren't bad. They give you chili pickled cabbage when you sit down and even that is great. Would def come to this place if you're in Chicago - it's worth the trip to Chinatown!

    (4)

  • Johnny L.

    Recoginzed as One of the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. The HYPE is real!! Lao Sze Chuan comes before me with all these 5 star Yelp reviews, word of mouth talk, and is recognized as one of the top 50 Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. by CNN. This place is such a tiny little spot that it's hard to imagine how it can accomodate the demand. There are so many great Chinese restaurants within steps of this place but it's still always packed. The interior is nice and the service is uber friendly. We came to a Sichuan restaurant...but didn't order spicy food. Shame. But we did enjoy every little morsel that we could pick up with our chopsticks. We ordered the Sole Filets, Three Cups Chicken, and the Szechuan Smoked Tea Duck (w/bone). The Sole filets were just incredible. How can I describe it to you? It was melt in your mouth chunks of fresh firm perfectly cooked fish filets with just the right amount of sauce and spice. You basically ate it until your mouth quivered (or your personal parts - whichever came first). The portion was large enough to feed a table, but the gf and I shared three dishes... The Three Cups Chicken is a specialty as well and it was just as amazing. The chicken is cooked perfectly where the outside is a bit charred but the inside was just tender and flaky. The chicken was sweet, maybe a bit too sweet, but that's just me being nitpicky. It comes with bone which I actually prefer and I really feel like everyone should try this dish. Now I don't want to end on a sour note, but I was a bit disappointed with the Szechuan Smoked Tea Duck. If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll begin to realize that I have a duck fetish that extends beyond acceptable levels. That being said...I didn't really enjoy this dish so much. I thought the duck was a bit overcooked. It was a bit dry and the flavor was a little bitter (most likely the combination of tea and the smoking method). The skin was crispy and the portion was large though. To say that the dish was disappointing but was still better than most Chinese restaurants I've ever been to, speaks volumes about this place. You'd be absolutely stupid for not coming here. Great food, great prices, great service, great ambiance, etc. I would eat the chopsticks if I could. **One day I hope to be rich enough to hire Tony Hu as my own personal chef. Until that day, I'll just keep going to Lao Sze Chuan.

    (5)

  • Robyn C.

    HUGE! Pretty much the word to describe Lao Sze Chuan, except for the actual size of the restaurant. It's pretty cramped and tight inside. Their menu - HUGE! I was impressed with the many seafood selections especially for this Catholic girl coming here on a Lenten Friday night with a bunch of friends. Our table was HUGE! We thankfully had a reservation so we had the big table against the wall by the door. I seriously recommend making a reservation, there was a crazy wait to eat here, I never even knew this gem was in China town. They have one in Downer's Grove, which I have to try since it's closer to my house! So the Hot Pot, or in other words, Chinese fondue looked incredible. The people in my group who ate this, kept eating it and couldn't stop. It helps that the food is unlimited. I ordered the sole (fish) with lobster sauce. It was pretty tasty. The food here isn't out of this world. I think it's more the experience and great conversation that people have over eating the Hot Pot. I will definitely try it when I can eat meat though!! YUM, I can't wait :)

    (4)

  • Joanne M.

    Delicious Chinese. Authentic. Spicy! (can I get some vegetables with these peppers please?). Great for big groups. Has some great veggie options especially ma bo tofu and braised green beans.

    (4)

  • Lynze C.

    The food is so good and authentic. The service has been AWFUL every time I eat there though. Enough to take a star (maybe 2) off. 3/21/14 Still yummy and the service is still horrible as of today.

    (4)

  • Carly G.

    This is my go to Chinese spot. I am so happy I live in the South Loop to be able to indulge whenever my heart desires. Every time I order out or for delivery, its scalding hot, super big portions, and to fresh and tasty. Orange Chicken, King Pao (so spicy) anything, Sesame Chicken, Egg Rolls and the Crab Rangoon, ohhhhh the Crab Rangoon. so freaking awesome. The inside of the restaurant is clean, and welcoming, and the staff is so awesome. The menu also has a bunch of eclectic dishes too if you want to walk on the wild side. You will not be disappointed. I promise! Signed, Customer for life

    (5)

  • Andrew J.

    Amazing. Their prices are fair and their entrees are hard to eat in one sitting. Very nice atmosphere and prompt service. Will definitely be going there again, and suggest you do the same!

    (5)

  • E. T.

    3 stars for the food but the service was soo BAD, DISAPPOINTING, and RUDE that I have to take off 1 star. First off, I'm very lenient with Asian restaurant service because I go there for there for the food, not the service. So taking off one star for Lao Sze Chuan just means the service was very unacceptable for even my lenient standard. First, the food. The food are just ok for the price. They are authentic and very spicy, just how szechuan food should be and it can satisfy my craving for good chinese food. They have some non spicy food that are as good as the spicy ones, and I can say that this place is one of the best chinese restaurants in Chicago. My bf and I Loved the boiled fish. It's as authentic as it can get (so beware, tons of hot peppers!). I took my best friend and her family here and they LOVED the dry chili chicken. It has some kick in it but much milder than the boiled fish. They were VERY disappointed with the noodle. It was stale. Bad food quality. Next, the service. My best friend's dad ordered the canned tea twice and the waitress took the order, went to the kitchen, never came back, and the tea never came. My friend finally walked to the counter and asked a waiter to get her the tea from the counter. We ordered the garlic green beans in the middle of our meal, it never came out until we finished eating. It was not even crowded, there was only 3 table eating that time and they didn't have the time to prepare the green beans. When we got the bill, tadaa it was charged on us. My friend asked the waiter to take it off the bill because it never came out. He refused and argued with her in a very rude manner. He told her that it had been prepared. She argued back saying, we'd been waiting for it foerever it never came out and now he told us to WAIT again for it? No. In the end she still had to pay for it, left the green beans, and didn't pay any for the tip. My friend and her family were definitely not impressed with this one of the best chinese restaurants in Chicago.

    (2)

  • John S.

    They advertise they are open until 2:30 AM Saturdays. Just came back after driving 30 miles to try their food. Arrived at midnight - restaurant closed. Disrespectful.

    (1)

  • Vina O.

    Love this place. Speedy and friendly service, and able to accommodate large parties readily. I enjoyed every dish we ordered (I can't remember all of them, considering we were a party of 12 and my cousin had ordered everything before I sat down). Standout dishes include Boiled Beef In Spicy Szechuan Sauce, Sweet & Sour Chicken, and House Special Spicy Sole Fish Fillet.

    (4)

  • Tom H.

    Very popular--and usually crowded--Szechuan style resto, located at the western end of the Chinatown Square mall. Lao Sze Chuan is the beginning and the linchpin of the small Tony Hu restaurant empire of several different "Lao" restaurants, each specializing in a different Chinese regional cuisine (Lao Beijing, Lao Shanghai, etc.). chicagomag.com/Chicago-M… Lao Sze Chuan is where I get my spicy, peppery, blazing hot tongue on. I started with the really tasty and refreshing (and free!) appetizer of cold shredded raw cabbage, in a fiery hot pepper sauce. This salad is nothing short of amazing. I could eat it all day, it's peppery enough to make your hair sweat. I then had a small bowl of wonton soup, which was a nice, salty, almost bland counterpoint to the fire cabbage. It was chock full of pork filled wontons, beautifully al dente, with an interesting and welcome note of ginger in the filling. The broth was rich and flavorful, which is sometimes not the case with this soup at other places. My main dish was "lamb with cumin"--shredded wok-fired pieces of tender lamb spiced up with red pepper and, not surprisingly, cumin. Along with the lamb were onions, garlic cloves, pieces of fragrant ginger, dried red hot chilis, sliced green hot chilis and chunks of red bell pepper. I also ordered a dish of "mixed Szechuan vegetables" in a thin non-peppery sauce, with baby corn, onions, cooked cabbage, bamboo shoots and other healthy goodies. The veggies were the perfect "yin" balance to the "yang" nature of the cumin lamb. Though I didn't order this on my latest meal at Lao Sze Chuan, another dish I've really enjoyed here in the past is the chicken with dried red chilis, a spectacular flavor explosion on a platter. All told, the spicy cabbage salad, wonton soup, lamb with cumin, mixed Szechuan vegetables, bowl of steamed rice, several pots of tea, a fortune cookie and many necessary glasses of ice cold water to put out the chili fires--was $29.75 plus tip. And I carried enough leftovers home for another terrific meal the next day. The waitstaff here has always been friendly and efficient, even extending to the nice greeting and farewell from the hostess, but this place is way too busy to expect fawning service. You won't have a waiter anticipating your every move, but on the other hand, assistance always seems to be there for the asking.

    (5)

  • Peater J.

    I'm currently obsessed with this restaurant. It's one of the best Chinese restaurants I've been to. (I've been to lots of restaurants in China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan) This one is definitely the best I've been to in Chicago and in my top 4-5 all time. Do: -Order the authentic Chinese / Sichuan items -Come during off-peak hours -Exhibit some patience, since service isn't the best -Drink lots of water Dont: -Don't order the Americanized Chinese / "Everyday" Chinese items. i.e. Beef Broccoli, Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Fried Rice, Lo Mein. These dishes are prepared, cooked, and taste pretty much the same in every Chinese restaurant in America. Dishes I've Tried: Boiled Beef w/ Szechuan Sauce - 5* - Fantastic, Very Spicy, Ask for it "Less Spicy" Sliced Pork w/ Garlic Sauce - 5* - Cold Sliced Pork Belly w/ Chili OIl and Garlic - Probably one of the best dishes I've had all year. Very Rich. 3 Cups Chicken - 5* - Delicious braised chicken - Love the sauce and the fried basil leaves. Lamb w/ Cumin - 4* - Good, lamb could be more tender Chili Prawns (Dry) - 4* - Good, simple, nice sized prawns Chili Chicken (Dry) - 4* - Good, simple, spicy I can't wait to try some more of the items on the menu. Next on my list is Lao Hunan. But needless to say, this restaurant has re-invigorated my interest in Chinese food. Good Stuff.....

    (5)

  • Lauren H.

    Take-out order of the dry chili prawns, 3 chili chicken, pea shoots and green beans. Beware of the prawns as they are deep fried and contain shells. If you remove the outer fried layer, the inside prawns are edible. Chicken is sweet hot spicy and stacks up to the reviews. The pea shoots make you gag and should NOT be the same price as an entree! The appetizer green beans were tasty but not enough to ever order from this place again. Totally underwhelming and disappointing.

    (2)

  • Palita S.

    Lao Sze Chuan is awesome. Tommy the doorman is hilarious. He recognized my family from back in the day where we used to eat at Triple Crown Seafood in Oakbrook., where he also worked as a doorman there Either way, he gave us great tips on what to get and we followed. This is one of those places where the page says "house specialty" and it actually means house specialty. We got chilled spicy beef tendon for our appetizer, garlic on-choy (we have to have vegetables, even if it is slathered in oil), steamed fish with ginger, hot pot, and the special chili chicken. Oh the spices were just right on the beef tendon, hot pot broth and the szechuan chicken. It had the numbing spice perfectly done. It was just the right. For those of you not used to numbing spice... its a great feeling of a small electric current that's just addictive. The chillis are native to Szechuan, China. It really adds an umph to any other spices and flavors on it. Its a little more hard to find than other typical chinese places, but Lao Sze Chuan offers it and specializes in it. However, I think my dad was a little ambitious when he ordered hot pot on top of what normal families would consider gluttonous amounts of food. The hot pot was awesome. We got everything from beef to intestines and kidneys. All of which were tender. This place even did a fancy cut/score on the kidneys so it even stayed tender after cooking. Its the little details that count. We killed the hot pot and only ate... a third of the other dishes. The staff was extremely friend and readily boxed our food and extra rice. I'll be enjoying my left overs for days.

    (5)

  • Monica T.

    On our last day in town, my boyfriend and I red lined it down to Chinatown because, well, we wanted some Chinese food, and isn't that where you go? We wanted something spicy, and you Yelpers said this was the money Szechuan in the area, so this is where we went. I was so overwhelmed by the menu. So many choices, so little time! I went with something that's hard to find in Utah Chinese restaurants: stir fried kidney. My boyfriend got some supposedly extra spicy special crispy noodle dish with pork and squid. We started with the sizzling rice soup. The soup was slightly underwhelming, mostly because I was expecting a chicken broth based soup (which is how I've usually had sizzling rice soup). This was more sweet and sour based, and while good, I *love* that other version, so I had my hopes up. The kidneys cured me, though. They were meaty and delicious, though the sauce wasn't that spicy. I should have gone with the Kung Pao version. The super spicy noodles had a bite to them, but it seemed like they definitely gringoed up the spices for us. We can handle it, I swear! But the flavors were nice, and I really liked the dish. They served chili cabbage before the other dishes came that we seemed to eat in record time. Very nice flavor. Service was pretty standard for a Chinese restaurant, which means they were polite and efficient, and you can't go wrong with that. The price was very nice as well. Overall, a very good experience.

    (4)

  • Roberto H.

    Unfortunately, the more often I eaten here the less I have liked Lao Sze. On the first visit a few months ago, our dishes were delicious. However, with every delivery (or visit) we've found that each new dish we try is less appealing than the last. Lots are just unimpressive and the only reliable superstar has been the Ma Po Tofu. Overall, it's time to try another restaurant in Chinatown. Also, table service is frustrating sometimes - servers go MIA often and communication can be tough. Sorry guys.

    (2)

  • renee k.

    Three of us had lunch here: chicken with vegetables, mongolian beef and kung pao chicken. Everyone liked their dish, but no one raved about it. No one ordered rice, but one bowl came with our meals. Surprised to find out we paid $3 for rice we neither ordered or ate. One of our dishes was billed a dollar more than the menu. I guess I should have looked at the check more carefully before I paid. Service was unfriendly and perfunctory. Tables were on top of one another and chairs are uncomfortable. Not much reason to go back.

    (2)

  • Love B.

    Lao Sze Chuna increased the price of each dish by more than 10%, but the size of each dish decreased more than 10%. Additionally, they charge $1 for rice. They really make authentic chinese foods though.

    (2)

  • Jenna S.

    I guess I don't really get the hype about this place. Or maybe I'm just not into Chinese food. Either way, our experience here was pretty blah. The wait is long during the evenings, so prepare to stand around outside (there's no room at all inside). The restaurant is cramped, so be wary of the jerks that bring their kids, strollers and other accessories (they're definitely in the way). The menu is enormous, which makes choosing a meal difficult. We decided to order three different entrees to share and that seemed to suffice. Most of the food was blah - some overspiced to oblivion and some just tasted blah. I guess I just didn't see the appeal of this place, but I left with a belly full of warm food, which is OK in my book. I definitely won't go out of my way to eat here again and if I ever find myself in Chinatown, I'll probably go somewhere else on Archer.

    (3)

  • Pradeep R.

    I went by the recommendations of Yelpers. So Chilli Chicken and Lamb in Pepper&Salt were really good (Thanks Yelpers!). I tried chicken fried rice, which was also very good. In my opinion, this is one of tastiest chinese foods I've eaten. Definitely a must -go for chinese food in Chicago!!

    (5)

  • Risa T.

    Had the general tso's chicken, cabbage chicken dumplings, brown rice tea, and schezuan chicken. First of all the food WAS tasty however the "dumplings" were run of the mill gyoza and the brown rice tea was literally a green tea teabag in a pot not even good quality tea much less "popped rice" tea which i was assured it was. This is decent quality decent food that seems fairly fresh. They are not very authentic or all that special (im an american caucasian former resident of china btw so i can say this honestly)

    (3)

  • Viet H.

    The food is definitely good here. The reason for the three stars is the customer service. The waitress was ok. It was a busy night so he had to divide his attention which was little to none. Every time I come here they tend to treat me and my friends like cattle. Raising their voices and telling people to move out of the way when waiting for a table. Especially to close the door because of the cold draft. A little more organization would help people. Beware! Keep the door closed unless you want to receive an attitude. It seems like no one really acknowledges that this is happening. I'm pretty sure this part of the service will never improve since it's rare they treat their customers with respect at most Chinese restaurants. It had more of a feeding of the masses and cafeteria feel to it. If you don't mind the ill mannered treatment then I suggest you come here and try the good food. I'm pretty sure this is why they have three and half stars. Step up your game yo.

    (3)

  • Evan S.

    One of the best Chinese restaurants that I've been to in Chicago. Some dishes that we had that were outstanding: shrimp fried rice, orange chicken, chilli pepper chicken. Crab ragoons weren't that good to me (kind of dry/hard), go with the pot stickers instead. And yes the chairs do suck, but get over it. This place will be packed, so put in a reservation.

    (5)

  • Rachel L.

    One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, and my favorite in Chinatown. Spicy chicken, twice cooked pork, and rib meat with mashed rice are some favorites!

    (4)

  • Danny M.

    The food here is good, but nothing amazing. My favorite dish is the dry chili chicken and the mapo tofu. The Mongolian beef is okay, had better paying half the price of this dish in Chinatown. My only complain about this place is the service, which completely sucks. Servers are rude and seems completely unhelpful. Our whole table had no water for about 10 mins when I finally found a server, only to be given a weird look. Lastly, we asked for our check only to never received one.

    (3)

  • Marissa G.

    I brought an out of town friend in to Lao Sze Chuan for hot pot, and it was not good. 1) Terrible service: It took 15 minutes to get our check. At one point I flagged down every server inside of 2 minutes, and half of them ignored me or looked away when they caught my eye. Even the person who looked like the manager passed our table three times and gave me nothing but a rude look when I asked for the check. 2) The service is inconsistent. The sauces they served for dipping were not the same at every table. 3) And after $100 for hot pot for three, it just wasn't that tasty. I'm not coming back.

    (2)

  • Melanie V.

    Ummmm, ok. LIke, the food is GOOD, but I don't understand how it's Zagat rated nor why there's a line out the door on any given night. The food seems comparable to any other restaurant in Chinatown. The orange beef and chili chicken were my highlights of the meal, but nothing to sit here and rave about. The seafood platter, tripe stew, stir-fry eggplant and peapod leaves were fine, too, but, again, nothing to dream about. However, this restaurant is distinctively CLEAN....and that's probably one of the reasons why it's put on some type of pedestal. Maybe? It's also pretty pricey for the amount of food you're getting. Expect $10+ for an entree - no joke. For Chinatown, those prices are just ridic. Oh, and the service is bad. I don't know if we went on a bad night, but whoever wrote that the service was friendly and quick were clearly smoking something. We asked for water 2x before they actually brought it out. (I don't think we ever got a refill, btw.) I also asked for more rice 2x before someone completely different brought it out. The only time they were attentive was when they wanted us to free up our table, so they practically threw down the bill at the same time they started clearing away our plates. Summary: +Overpriced +Small portions +Bad service +Potentially overrated

    (3)

  • Nikhil A.

    Fantastic and a Chinese food Paradise in Chicagoland Its always packed there, but I guess its good and you get fresh food :) We got a salad (spiced up) which was fantastic and we ordered House Hot and Sour soup with appetizers. Good start i must say. And not to forget, there menu is Huge... i am sure you can find something to your choice. Been Curd Home Style was the BEST I have ever had. Really well done. And Ma Po Tofu was yummm and spicy (unfortunately its the 2nd best now). I have ordered it multiple times and sometimes delivered, but eating there itself, its much much better. Couple pork dishes my friends ordered weren't that great in comparison. So if you like spicy food, a Must visit. If you dont eat too hot, do let them know as its kinda spicy to american taste. Enjoyy P.S.- For students, if you pay cash, you can get discount.

    (5)

  • Vicki Z.

    I grow up in China. I have been to Sichuan and i love sichuan food. This restaurant is really not so authentic...!!! Yes, some dishes are spicy enough but the way they cook the dishes are not authentic. For example, that popular dish dried spicy chicken is fried chicken. The real one should be really hot pan stir-fried chicken. A little disappointed but we don't really have a better place to go in Chicago.

    (3)

  • Esther K.

    Probably one of my favorite eateries in Chinatown, in terms of the food itself. The ma po tofu (#609), sole fish fillet chili bean sauce (#428), string beans spicy black bean sauce (#208), and chef's special dry chili chicken (#563) were all winners on my most recent trip. Everything was flavorful without being overpowered by general greasiness and random spices, which is often the case at generic Chinese restaurants. The portions are decent; they can accommodate large parties; and our server was easygoing about splitting the check for us, which is always appreciated. The service in general though- eh. We felt rushed to order and pay our check while having to wait for certain requests (rice!), and the folks weren't very friendly. Part of it is the language barrier and cultural differences- I was treated the same way at many spots in Beijing and Shanghai- but based on other reviews I do think it might serve them well to step up their service a notch. Still, always one of my top choices when I'm hungry in Chinatown!

    (4)

  • S P.

    The spicy cabbage slaw starter is addicting, makes me wonder if it was doused with MSG...nonetheless it gets me excited just thinking about it! Spicy Sole fish filet 427 - it'll make you wanna sing! Juicy, perfectly cooked pieces of sole with light breading swimming in a sauce of chillies and garlic. Szechuan veggies 601 - hmm must not have been a memorable dish...because I don't remember this. Pea pod leafs with garlic 618 - this bland dish was necessary to tolerate the spice and heat of everything else! Ma po tofu 609 - not a fan of soft tofu, or fermented black beans I realized in disappointment.

    (5)

  • Hyeon-Woo P.

    if you like eating on paper like an animal, and you love a dirty floor ( full of rests of food and spills of pepsi) and you love beging for the atention of the waitress for expensive and noth worth it food then i recommend it 100%.

    (1)

  • Joe L.

    So I went to this restaurant before my flight out of Chicago, and was absolutely floored by the food. I've been eating at Sze Chuan restaurants since I was 12 with my parents, but the chili chicken here was by far the best item i've ever had at any sze chuan restaurant. It was slightly crispy and salty, and cooked perfectly (not overcooked at all). The dishes were hot and fresh, and filled with chili's. No wonder it has an award winning chef! One downside to this place: the service. I'm not usually a stickler for service, but I wasn't really attended to. The staff seemed much more interested in each other than the customers. In fact, 5-6 of the waiters/waitresses sat around a table and prepared green beans, while only 1 waiter or waitress would get up from the table from time to time and help out 6 tables of guests. It was a little frustrating and probably the only thing preventing a 5 star rating. Would definitely go back, but the staff might need some serious upgrading.

    (4)

  • Udey K.

    Consistent, excellent, authentic. Chef's Dry Chili Chicken Boiled Beef in Spicy Szechuan sauce. Szechuan String Beans (My suggestions for 2 people) There is always a line on weekend nights. It is not bad for me but borderline too spicy for most people. This is the reason I go to Chinatown. I guanrantee that if you like spicy food, this will be your new place!

    (5)

  • Melissa H.

    This is a great spot to come if you're looking for something other than run of the mill Chinese food. The menu is complete with your standard fare as well as pages of dishes with items like sour pickles, stomach, intestines, frog legs, ears... not much of the animal going to waste here. We went with the rabbit salad which was served chilled - small chunks of rabbit (with bone) along with spicy chili flakes. The rabbit with the bone in it was rather tedious to eat, but definitely spicy. We also had a Szechwan chicken entree which was very spicy. I appreciated that spicy really meant spicy! Excellent : ) Friendly & prompt service - and affordable!

    (3)

  • ML C.

    Ahh. Everyone seems to love this place; in its defense my first experience was a delivery order so please keep that in mind. Tony's special chicken and peppers........chicken over cooked, too sweet, too much breading....peppers??? just a handful of dried peppers......the tough, inedible ones. Spring rolls......plain, pre-made, not fresh....... house special hot and sour soup.....regular soup with a spoonful of hot pepper seeds.....ick....straight to the garbage. Very expensive. Probably won't go back.

    (1)

  • Tasha K.

    Decent Chinese. 5 stars for spiciness. I'll prob go back but there are better places in Chinatown. Ordered the potstickers, boiled beef in spicy Szechuan sauce, chef's special dry chilli chicken, & the ma po tofu. They were all good choices but the boiled beef stood out as best to me. The almost broth-like sauce comes blanketed in chili pepper flakes (see my pic), great over sticky white rice, the cabbage gives it a nice crunch, the beef is soft & tender, but the spicy flavor punch hits you hard in just the right spot. Our chicken was ok. It had potential but it came out kind of dry like it was over fried. Yes, it's breaded & fried chicken pieces. We were not expecting that but it was eaten up despite it's arid texture. Potstickers are a classic. Great doughy outside. Always my Chinese comfort food. The tofu was the runner up. Great flavors. I forgot to mention they serve a spicy cabbage & onion "slaw" app that comes with your food. I dig it. Unfortunately it took quite some time to get our food. We went tonight on a Friday at 7:30. It was def busy but I know they could have done way better service wise. At least the server was nice & they didn't mind splitting our check 4 ways on credit cards. My take: the spot is a Chinatown staple. If you haven't been you should try it especially if you love spicy. Not recommended for those afraid of spice. They would be in some kind of hell I'm sure. If traveling w/ "those people" I would bypass this place & head to Joy Yee--- where the white people go.

    (3)

  • Melody W.

    I use to love this place, but after so eating so many times, I am used to the spiciness of the food. However, still recommend for non-Chinese people to try it.

    (4)

  • Gregory B.

    The tea smoked duck was unique and truly smoky and crisp, with the best plum sauce I've tasted. My wife wanted a shovel to eat the black bean string beans, which she liked better than any dish she'd ever had. The dried chili chicken is very different from Lao Hunan's similarly named dish, but was quite good, if not as incendarily amazing. Even the timid choices of my daughter, plain old fried noodles and egg drop soup, were perfect. And delicious fried sweet potato cakes for dessert! When you go, and you must go, budget your time for go-slow service-with-a-smile.

    (5)

  • Ryne D.

    Been here twice now for two different experiences - one was a family-style dinner with Grubwith.us (as in, random strangers), and the other was hot pot with a couple old friends. Both experiences went pretty well. The food is solid. Not anything I'd consider mind-blowing, but it's definitely good, especially if you go the hot pot route. How can you not love copious amounts of seafood?? (Just avoid the coriander!) Note that since this is a szechuan place, expect a lot of spiciness. Also, have to give some props to the service, something Chinatown's notoriously bad about. Even with a packed house, it's pretty easy to flag someone down if you need something. Sure, it's something that you'd expect from any other restaurant, but it's a stand out attribute on Archer.

    (4)

  • Jessica G.

    Delicious, authentic sze chuan cuisine. Chef Tony is a genius. The Chef Tony's Chili Chicken and Salt and Pepper Lamb are to DIE FOR. I could take a tub of either of these to the movies and snack on it for hours. The black bean whitefish and sze chuan beef tenderloin are also really good. Actually, never been disappointed. HOWEVER - DON'T GO ON CHRISTMAS. We stood outside for an hour and a half in the snow before we could be seated. Any weekend prepare for a wait, but Christmas was ridiculous. Although it is fun to hear people cheer when their number is finally called.

    (5)

  • Lesley A.

    I still DREAM about the food from Lao Sze Chuan! The biggest pro-tip I can give you is to go with your friend, who is from Szechuan! My friend knew exactly what to order and we were so pleased. So here's what to order! All of which can in sum, be called "TASTY!" Non-spicy: Szechuan string beans (good garlic flavor to them) Seafood tofu soup (plain delicious) Spicy (but really not that spicy if you're used to spicy): Chef's Special Sole Fish Fillet with Tofu Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken (I'm addicted to this...) Ma Po Tofu Stewed Eggplant Hometown Style Note that Szechuan spice is different from other spices in that it hits you hard upon first taste, and is a little sweet. However, this restaurant does an amazing job of bringing out different flavor profiles in the spices that veer more towards savory. As for ambiance, the chairs are a little uncomfortable because they are plastic, but I admire that they have the restaurant's logo on them. In addition, the second floor seating area is very cold, but the downstairs is too warm. Choose your temperature battle. They also have a full bar.

    (5)

  • Em S.

    Hm, I expected better for a big city famous Chinatown restaurant, but overall it's definitely a stellar mainland-Chinese (Szechuan region, hence the name) restaurant. The menu is very large with numerous (read: pages and pages of) authentic options you won't see at the corner takeaway. Most of it is meat or seafood, but there's a very decent vegetable and tofu section with lots of different choices. Our party had the mapo tofu (without meat), which was very soft and spicy as expected. The spiciness tasted rather similar to the "freebie", a starter plate of spicy cabbage for the table. The snow pea tips was good but not superb, as it had far more tough shoots than tender leaves. The restaurant has ground floor dining room and an upstairs dining room. Presumably, the nomz are the same wherever you get seated, so go enjoy the food!

    (4)

  • Jane L.

    Short story the free cabbage app is delish, super spicy even for a Mexican girl that puts hot sauce on everything. The 3 chilli chicken was delish, the Mongolian beef was average. Overall the portions are huge! We walked away with left overs that could have fed 2 more people. I would def go back next time I'm in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Mike H.

    I like this place a lot, but it is slightly expensive. I would give it 3.5 stars if possible. The dry chili chicken is really solid and you gotta try it.

    (3)

  • Jenny F.

    are you in the mood for some steaming hot bowl of make it yourself all you can eat boiling deliciousness? If so, LOOK NO FURTHER, THE HOT POT WAS MM MM GOOD. (~$16pp +tip and tax)) I'm reserving a star because 1) haven't tried anything else from them 2) service was as others have said, a little pushy. I'm ABC too, so the waitresses and owner, I think, spoke English to us, and basically assumed that we were there for the hot pot, and instead of asking what we wanted, she just said "3 orders hot pot, right?" 3) the lamb was really gamey, not a fan. BUT the goods: 1) all you can eat hotpot comes with seafood (jellyfish, squid, fish, fish balls, mussels), meat (beef, lamb), tofu, veggies (cabbage, lettuce, green onions, watercress). Everything was SO FRESH. (didn't like the lamb tho) 2)The broth was delicious from the get go--and that's what really makes or breaks hot pot. 3) the service to refill our plates was impeccable--they asked us if we wanted more even before we waved anyone down! They even came around with a pot of hot water when the broth was getting low. They could use some better dipping sauces (they had a weak XO-like sauce--spicy seafood, sesame paste, and garlic). I would totally come back though. And we came around 8:30pm on a Thursday night and it was seriously packed to the walls, we got the last table, and about half of the people had hotpot. Get it. You know you want some steaming vat of goodness.

    (4)

  • Kent C.

    Came here for the all you can eat hot pot. Definitely a pretty good deal. Coming here you definitely need to speak some Chinese or they're essentially not going to listen to you. When my friend and I were ordering we starting rattling off things that we wanted, but the waiter ignored us and started to walk away. Friend: Can we have the beef and... Waiter starts to walk away. Kent: Hey wait we want to order... Waiter: I will bring out popular thing. Kent: Ugh... Friend: Oh that should be fine. Kent: But he's gonna bring stuff that we're not gonna like or eat... Okay whatever. Out comes huge platter of fish, fish balls, beef balls, watercrest, tofu, random seafood stuff and noodles. Friend: Where's the beef and meat? Kent: See told you so. (gotta love those told you so moments) I was a fan of the fish. The beef itself that did eventually get ordered was 95% fat... The broth used for the hot pot was delicious. I would give this place 5 stars for hot pot but minus one for the lack of service until I busted out my broken mandarin.

    (4)

  • Audre L.

    A little greasy, and over spiced for my palatte. The good: Clams with black bean sauce, garlic peapod shoots, mapo tofu, Tony's Chicken with Three Chili (fried up like popcorn chicken, but the flavor is actually pretty good), Hot and Sour Soup The Bad: House special noodles (straight up spicy with no flavor) and the Dry Chili Chicken was not as good as the Three Chili chicken. Salt Pepper Three Delight was too much fry-action going on, and the House Special Chili Prawns with the shell are gross and annoying with shells. Not my fave in Chinatown, but if you like Szechuan food, you might find some winners here. Order carefully. The next day after this dinner, my mouth was a mess - salty, spiced out, and thirsty for water and something to cleanse my palatte

    (3)

  • Lisa L.

    This review is for a delivery order - while I have eaten in this location, I haven't been there since the fire. My husband and I were happy to see LSC pop up on our choices on Grub Hub tonight; previously they hadn't been listed as a delivery option in our area (Bridgeport). Our delivery was estimated at taking about 1hr10min, but we didn't mind the wait because we were doing some work around the house. Amazingly the order came to the minute estimated - 10 points right there! My Ma Po Tofu (medium hot) was outstanding. My husband got the Tony's chicken with three chilies - we both thought the dish was kind of bland on it's own, but when mixed in with some of mine it was great. This is a nice addition to our delivery options, for those nights when we just don't feel like going out, or cooking. The added bonus of being able to use grub hub makes the whole experience totally painless (other than the massive food coma I am fighting off right now).

    (5)

  • Winston G.

    If you are looking for spicy, Szechuan style Chinese food at an affordable price, this is the place to come to. We had a ton of dishes and it only ended up cosing about $15-20 per person. Definitely ordered way too much food, but if you are looking for variety and some tasty Chinese food, here are some of the dishes I recommend. I don't remember all of the dishes we got, but I really enjoyed this popcorn chicken like dish, the deep fried pork spare ribs, the fish fillets with bok choy, their spicy shrimp, mongolian beef, and the ma po tofu. If you can't handle spicy food, make sure to tell them to make it non-spicy. However, I would say their mild is pretty good and certainly not spicy to the point where you can't enjoy it.

    (5)

  • Rita Z.

    Worst Lao sze chuan ever. Hope u guys could come by to have a bite of seattle's Lao sze chuan. After the dinner in Chicago's Lao, I didn't believe in love anymore.... It hurts me so bad..... Yack

    (2)

  • Eric W.

    I'm not a Chinese food connoisseur, but I thought Lao Sze Chuan was authentic and had a nice atmosphere. This is a extremely busy place on a Saturday evening, which is when we went. Some reviewers mentioned you can call ahead to be placed on their wait list. I will definitely give that a try the next time. A little heads up, they will bring a spiced cabbage starter to your table. It is very SPICY. I really enjoy spicy food, but this made my lips burn for at least an hour. I will likely avoid the cabbage starter on the next trip. For the main course we ordered the dry chili chicken and cashew chicken. The dry chicken chili was labeled extra spicy, but it was not nearly as hot as the cabbage starter. The dry chicken chili was OK, in my opinion. As other reviewers stated, the chicken was a little overcooked. I really enjoyed the cashew chicken. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the veggies and mushrooms were amazing. I have one dislike: our waitress went missing. She served us our appetizers and took our orders and disappeared after that. Random waiters/waitresses refilled our beverages, cleared our dirty dishes and got us our check. I sure hope she (missing waitress) is okay.

    (3)

  • Allison E.

    This is my friend's favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago. The menu was overwhelming, but I trusted my buddy's expert guidance. I had the crispy duck. It was delicious. My friend had something with chicken that was hella spicy. Service was just fine. My only complaint is that the chairs are ridiculously uncomfortable. Like they were molded from a solid piece of hard, too-small plastic.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    This is real authentic proper delicious Szechuan province style food. The service was decent but if you speak Mandarin it is better (just real basic knowledge here) but if you don't it is spotty that I could see. Food was perfect and proper would not change a thing. If you don't like the service here I get that and you can knock the place, if you knock them because you just learned chinese food is different than egg rolls and general tso's chicken from panda express I cannot take you seriously.

    (5)

  • Kexin Z.

    I heard about this place for long time. I knew it won a lot awards. But I really don't think it has anything but spicy about Szechuan courses. My friend came from Szechuan, and she was so disappointed. If this place can win that much awards. I am thinking about to be chief!

    (1)

  • Kimberly L.

    Oh Lao Sze Chuan. You were once my favorite spot in Chinatown. But I will never come back. I came here with my family and we were shoved in the back room upstairs, which was filled with cigar smoke, presumably from the diamond-studded manager. Said manager was fond of yelling at the top of his cigar-smoke filled lungs. Our waitress left 5 min after arriving for her shift--maybe he yelled at her too. Now that I've set the stage, let us discuss the food. First, there was hair in the spicy cabbage. A dark, real human hair. Gagging ensued. Next, we were not provided with soup bowls or spoons. Said soup was bland and cold. We were brought spring rolls with no sauce. And there were still veins in the shrimp--an absolute sanitary no-no. The rest of the food was just average. Service was terrible. As I mentioned, our waitress left right after starting her shift. So the other waiters came over every so often as time permitted. The timing of the food was poor; most of the time we were waiting around and then we were slammed with food. And even after we received the food, we were always waiting around for something else. Very annoying. The final straw was having a family member trip over a bus pan that was left in the hallway on the floor. They've been in business way too long to be such a disaster. What the heck happened to this place?

    (1)

  • Paul K.

    Liked this place a lot, pretty good Chinese food at very reasonable prices. I had Egg Rolls (good), Mu Shu Pork (good) and Mongolian Beef (very good). I didn't have to wait at all but went pretty late (I think they are open till midnight) Overall, well worth the visit. Be aware, it's a bitch to hail a cab around here at night, so either come by train (the L stops just across the street) or have them call you a cab.

    (5)

  • Tuyen V.

    Helloooooo dry chili chicken.

    (5)

  • Gary C.

    Twas my birthday. I wanted to have a family dinner...and my pops really only eats Chinese food [cuz ya know, we Chinese]. I got to talking to myself.. Me: So where oh where could I take the fam? Me: Umm..Chinatown. Me: Oh, okay...but where? Me: Where else? Tony Hu has taken over, so anywhere you go it's gonna be a Lao restaurant. Me: Good point, Me. Pops likes the spice, so let's go to Sze Chuan. ______________ So I busted out the smartphone and OpenTable app to make a reservation for 8 people. Done deal. ...until we got there. No reservation on file. Ouch. Server and manager[?] didn't understand that we had a reservation after repeated attempts in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Ouch. Party of 8 seated at the entrance...when there was an empty table in a different corner of the restaurant. Lame. But hey, that didn't stop us from enjoying the food. We ordered a lot of food...and ate it all. A few words of caution: the food is spicy. While eating, you'll feel like Buster Poindexter singing "Hot, hot hot!" You honestly can't go wrong with anything on the menu...but here are some Chinese Dad approved items: ---Dry chili chicken (think spicy popcorn chicken) ---Mongolian beef (a traditional approach to the American favorite) ---Salt and pepper squid I can tell when my dad is enjoying himself at a restaurant because he can't stop talking about his next visit to the restaurant. The funny thing is that on the way to Lao Sze Chuan, he was kinda downplaying the place. I guess I found a new Chinatown spot for him!

    (4)

  • Melanie S.

    Went here with a fellow Yelper who loves this place. I trust his taste so I knew it would be good. We arrived at prime lunch hour and was told there would be a 10 minute wait for a table. Not being in a hurry, we happily waited and enjoyed the near-balmy temperatures outside and caught up. We could smell the delicious aromas emanating from inside and couldn't wait to eat. The adorable hostess dressed in traditional chinese garb soon came and showed us to our table. We looked over the huge menu and it was overwhelming. I deferred to my dc to make suggestions, but I had a couple of my own as well. We opted for the crispy salt and pepper lamb, potstickers, and chinese broccoli with garlic. The potstickers were fantastic. Just enough filling and the wrapper itself wasn't glue-y like you'd find at lower quality establishments. The salt and pepper lamb was perfectly crispy and quite flavorful. It was unlike anything I've ever had in a Chinese restaurant before. My favorite dish though, was the Chinese broccoli. If you've never had this underrated vegetable before, I urge you to give it a try. It has a marvelously mild bitter flavor, almost like a cross between broccoli and asparagus. I could have eaten that whole dish by myself, but then that wouldn't have been very gracious of me. Service is perfunctory; that is, not friendly, but also not surly. Just efficient and no nonsense, which is all you expect from a bustling restaurant at lunch time. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu.

    (4)

  • Evelyn T.

    Got our $60 hot pot bill and lady said she charged us for each dish instead if the advertised deal. I don't like being suckered. Oh..n saw the cook take a dump in the bathroom n not wash hands with soap. Lots of places in California are better than this...don't see the hype!!

    (2)

  • Jean C.

    So it's St. Patty's day. Everyone is either going to the parade or most likely drinking green beer or Guinness. So what do we do? Go to Chinatown! I randomly found this place on Yelp a while back and not really sure how. All I knew was that I must eat here. We arrived around 5:30 and had to wait 5 minutes. Instead of taking your name, they write how many people in your party next to a number. Great idea if you ask me. Easier to say the number then names! We waited for a brief time and got seated. I knew I wanted hot pot and talked the hubs into getting it with me as well. Foolishly, we ordered the hot and spicy. The amount of food we got was insane. There were veggies, seafood, fish as well as lamb and beef. I am not familiar with how hot pot works so we needed a lesson from the server. She made a delicious sauce for us combining the three together. This is similar to fondue but Chinese style. Each item has a cooking time but the lamb and beef literally take seconds. You dip it in the boiling broth and out it comes. Everything was delicious except the fish balls. Not a fan of those. Everything on the menu is spicy as they dedicate one small area titled non spicy items. This is definitely my kind of place. My next meal here is going to be the Mapo tofu. That just looks delicious.

    (5)

  • Lynn P.

    Don't get delivery. I am so mad that I just spent nearly $30 for burned, refried pot stickers and an extremely small portion of old sesame chicken. I ate at the Chinatown restaurant once, and it was OK. Lao Sze Chuan won't receive any more of my money. Their fax was down, so they were unable to take orders through the online ordering system. So after nearly 2 hours, and 3 phone calls later, I received the worst food I've had in a long time.

    (1)

  • Jake S.

    This was the best Sichuan cuisine I have ever eaten outside of China. Everything tasted unreal, super spicy, lots of garlic and ginger, just the way it shoud be. The chef specials were great: dry chili chicken and boiled beef in spicy home made broth. All were incredible

    (5)

  • Weisun C.

    I heard there was a fire here back at the end of March 2010; their kitchen was destroyed. But Tony Hu, owner of the chain of "Lao" eateries had his flagship restaurant back in business by the first of May. So having never been here before, I guess we are part of their post incendium (after the fire) customers. The decor is all still spanking new (no doubt to get rid of any smoke smell), and here is where my first complaints arise. The clear acrylic chairs! Others below have commented on these too. They are cheesy looking and rickety, even though they are one-piece molded. The smaller-than-standard seat of these chairs was OK for our group, but I fear bigger (I'm sorry, but American-sized) butts are not going to be comfortable with them. Most of our group loved the food here, even though we usually go for Cantonese cuisine. We had two appetizers, the jelly fish Shanghai style and the ginger calamari (the all around favorite). We had six main dishes that we shared, and we liked them all, but the stand-outs were the stir-fried sole fish fillet with straw mushrooms (the largest any of us had eaten) in oyster sauce and the still memorable Mongolian lamb. There are plenty more dishes on their extensive menu that we'll want to try on another visit here. The table nearest to the entrance or to the kitchen are usually the ones we avoid or reject. But on this visit, there wasn't another option, so we took the table at the entrance. We had to ask that the door be closed so the sparse amount of air-conditioned coolness wouldn't escape. This was also the gathering spot for the clamor of diners who showed up without a reservation and where the "Lao" chain's "traffic cop" would direct them either to the overflow room upstairs or to the close-by other two Lao restaurants (Lao Shanghai + Lao Beijing). Our table was large enough (set for 8 places) that it had what looked like the traditional "lazy susan" you'll find at many Chinese restaurants. But after many failed attempts to use it as such, to rotate food to fellow diners, we discovered (with one accidental spill) that it was an immobile model and useless.

    (4)

  • Erica W.

    Lao Sze Chuan is good, quality Chinese food - I have finally found a place in Chinatown that I can go to. The restaurant is very popular and crowded, and they display all of the press and awards that they have gotten in the past. We ordered a chicken and basil dish that was quite tasty, along with a spicy beef dish. The spicy beef dish was way too spicy for my taste. I enjoyed the other flavors, but I couldn't take the heat. I plan to go back and try some of the other items on the menu. Definitely tell them that you want mild or no heat if you are sensitive to spicy food like me.

    (3)

  • Erik H.

    A group of 5 of us, including a Chinese person who is a regular here, went to Lao Sze Chuan for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. After we had eaten and gotten the bill, our Chinese friend said she had gotten us a 10% discount, and yep, there it was right on the receipt. She just went up an asked for it, and I don't know if she got it for being Chinese, or speaking Chinese, or being a regular, or for just plain ballsiness, but maybe you should try it. Anyways, the food here is spectacular and I can easily see how this is considered the best Chinese restaurant in Chicago. The complimentary spicy cabbage is something every single restaurant should start meals with, bursting with flavor and giving your mouth something to do without filling you up. The dishes we split - Boiled beef in spicy sauce, Mapo tofu, Kung pao beef, Sichuan string beans and a mysterious, but delicious, chicken dish - were spectacular, with particular props to the spicy dishes. The Boiled beef, for example, packs a generous amount of equal parts heat and flavor, while the Mapo tofu really takes it home with such mouth-numbing spiciness that it's almost sour. The string beans provided a welcome respite for your mouth and the Kung pao beef and the chicken dish were both done right. And on top of all that, the price is reasonable and the chairs are weird!

    (5)

  • Kris B.

    This place. Oh, man. Best Chinese I've ever had. My stepdaughter is going to college in Chicago and we went here last weekend while we were visiting her. I cannot wait to go again. I am sure we'll be back every time we visit her. I had a cow maw soup that was one of the freaking hottest things I have ever eaten. I love hot food but I'm a whitey, so i was sweating. The broth was un. Believable. So,so delicious. The maw itself, I gotta admit, wasn't my thing, but I think that's just because I had hit my cultural limit. I don't fault the soup. My husband had the Three Cups Chicken, tender and fantastic. My stepdaughter had the orang chicken, a standard, so probably not too interesting for the chefs to prepare, but it was really good. I gotta believe this is the best Sichuan in Chicago.

    (5)

  • Jane K.

    Woke up from day drinking on Saturday at 9:45pm to find that we had missed the music festival that we had been pregaming for altogether and that we were intensely hung over. Fastforward 20 minutes of searching on yelp and a cab ride, and we find ourselves at lao sze chuan. Being hung over, we ordered the following: xiao long bao mapo tofu sizzling rice soup with chicken hot pot combination(for two) ...oh and two tsing tao beers. Considering the sheer number of dishes we ordered and the normal serving size of this place, the amount of food that we got was completely ridiculous. But, everything was really good. I especially loved the sizzling rice soup and the mapo tofu. I had also been craving hot pot, so it was great. the hot side of the combination is REALLY HOT. Being Asian, I had heard rumors that it would be hot before, but I underestimated other people's tolerances for spice, trusting my Asian upbringing to be above it all.....to a certain degree I guess it helped, but at one point i tried to drink a spoon of the spicy part of the soup and died. The only con would be that I would have loved to be able to order just one order of the hot pot and share it because we had gotten so many other dishes, but they insisted that we could not share...so we got two and did not finish nearly half our food

    (4)

  • Alvin Y.

    Great tasting, authentic szechuan place. Really spicy! We ordered spicy chicken with peppers (basically half the dish was just peppers!). Everything tasted great but my only complaint is some of the serving sizes seemed small compared to other szechuan places I've been to. Good idea to go with a lot of people so you can try a ton of different dishes!

    (4)

  • William B.

    On my second dining experience at Lao Sze Chuan, I am still impressed at what this place pulls off. I'm surprised they havent moved/expanded, but I guess an always crowded restaurant is a good thing. This place was almost packed at 3 in the afternoon on a wednesday. We did get a table right away, and the table turnover was pretty quick, for the time of day. This menu is huge. Not one to be able to grasp just by browsing. Ya better know what ya want when you go in. Of the things ordered, the best was an item not typically found on the usual chinese cuisine menu- the salt-n-pepper lamb. Outstanding. A must try. We also ordered the pot sticker, which were excellent. The fried jumbo shrimp were mushy in the middle. The Empress chicken (typical chinese fare) was nothing special, even though it has been a favorite at other places in the past. Overall, I'd probably stick to the specialties that are unique to Lao Sze Chuan (salt-n-pepper lamb) over the fare typically found on any chinese menu.

    (5)

  • Michael P.

    Hah. Another negative review filtered by Yelp. Will throwing them another star get it into the ratings? [Edited] I was excited to try this place, since all my chinese friends (including my girlfriend) said it was the best Chinese in town. We went between Christmas and New Year's, and boy were we in for a surprise. After waiting in frigid weather for 20 minutes (they refused to let us wait in the entryway), we sat down and were excited to eat. The three of us ordered a pork dish, hot and sour soup, a chinese broccoli dish, and squid. The hot and sour soup and the squid came without incident, and were pretty good. That's when the chaos began. We got a beef tripe dish that we hadn't ordered, and sent it back. The broccoli dish arrived after an extended delay, and was fine right up until the point we found the fingertip of a pink latex dishwashing glove in it. Having lost our appetite, we got the check (after looking for our server for a good ten minutes) and found that not only had the beef tripe been included in the bill, so had a chicken dish. We argued, and the two dishes were removed, but the original pork dish (which we hadn't received) was included. Had to argue again to have that removed. Unbeknownst to us, they were charging a mandatory 15% service fee during this period, and therefore to add insult to injury we weren't able to not leave a tip. Two of the three people at the table were native Chinese speakers, and there was definitely no mix-up during the ordering. At least when they have a guaranteed tip, the entire staff of this restaurant could not give a damn. Slow service, careless order taking, debris in the food, and surly waitstaff - never again. Chef Tony or whatever his name is has gotten to big for his britches. Wake up - you're not that important, and if your restaurant continues to operate this way, people will walk away. There are a hundred restaurants just like it in Chinatown.

    (2)

  • Hannah P.

    Another great find in Chinatown. My Mexican friend suggested this to me. There is no malice in that sentence. I have a lot of Mexican friends but I've been to Chinatown a gazillion times, with a gazillion different friends and never been introduced to this place. Parking was plentiful at about 5:30pm. Ordered: Tony's chicken with 3 chili and the Crispy shrimp in lemon sauce (suggested by the waiter after I asked). I loved both choices. Dislike: slow service My friend tried Tony's chicken before so she knew it was good and yes it was. Crispy, spicy, a hint of sweet peppers and very addictive. The shrimp was really good too. Crispy lemon flavor whole shrimps. After doing some more research on this restaurant, I discovered LSC is part of Tony Gourmet Group and there are other restaurant bearing same names - Lao Beijing & Lao Shanghai which I will definitely check out too. Next time I patron LSC, I will have the Chef's special dry chili chicken as I see lots of customers love it as well. it looks similar to Tony's chicken but without the sweetness. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Sharon H.

    I normally don't like Chinese food, but I came anyway because my boyfriend and I were in the area. This place is okay. It is obviously a sit down restaurant to come and enjoy a drink after work. The people were kind of nice to my white boyfriend lol. Very nice to him. The waiter was kind of nice to me, but kind of not. Maybe white people look like money bags hahaha.... only kidding. A lot of groups were here so I am assuming people like to come here. As for the food. It was just okay. I ordered the Kung Pao chicken and they were a little heavy handed on the soy sauce. I was a little overpowered by that taste but overall the pricing was decent for what it was. The owner had a lot of bling on, looked like a gangstar. lol

    (3)

  • Ed U.

    You have to understand I'm a San Franciscan who starts to shriek like a little girl when the temperature dips below 40. OK, maybe not shriek...just silently moan. OK, maybe not so silently since I hate how I have to take an inventory of all my clothing every time I move from place to place this time of year. Well, in the midst of this wintry turmoil, I was determined to try a Chinatown restaurant in Chicago, so I took the Red Line down to come to Lao Sze Chuan. The editorial staff at Citysearch picks it as the city's best Chinese restaurant, so I took the leisurely walk down Cermak to find it since I loves me some Szechuan food. I was tickled to see the Yelp sticker on the door, so things looked promising. The elaborate hotpot dishes looked good from afar (...it's just sukiyaki to me!), but I was by my lonesome and didn't have quite the appetite to Hoover a whole hotpot myself. I have to tell you they are none too pleased by the presence of single diners during the dinner hour. Every table accommodates at least four, so I must have represented a net revenue loss by taking a whole table to myself. You should have seen the face of the veteran waitress when she saw me. You would have thought I invaded Manchuria single-handed. I felt guilty enough to volunteer to share a table, but all the diners came in groups of four. I guess I could have eaten in the kitchen. So my alternate plan was to eat like four people, not the first time my mind came to the feeble conclusion of overeating to feed my basic insecurities. I was first treated to their fiery pickled cabbage appetizer, which nearly burned my tongue and lips off concurrently. I loved it. Suddenly I went predictable and ordered a $1.95 cup of Won Ton Soup (see my photo). Small bowl, two won ton. That would be considered a double-fault at Wimbledon. Things looked better with the $10.95 Chef's Special Crispy Duck (see my photo) - definitely a hefty portion, but the meat was strangely dried out. It came with a plum sauce, but I usually don't need that much lubricant when it comes to parsing out Daffy and Donald. I had to remind them to bring me my order of the $7.95 Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce (see my photo). They probably couldn't believe I was tossing it down my gullet. Well, they were kinda right since the eggplant gave me a long night of heartburn. But it was tasty going down. The decor is very simple here, just a single room in a calming peach tone from what I saw (though I noticed a second floor when I walked outside, perhaps a private dining room?). Lots of people came in and out with a lot of regulars who knew what they wanted. The comprehensive menu overwhelmed me quite a bit. I wish I could have gotten more of a recommendation from the staff. By the way, except for the grizzled veteran, the staff was very nice to me throughout. FOOD - 3 stars...not the best Szechuan I've ever had...I shall be prepared to be pelted with stones AMBIANCE - 3 stars...pretty simple set-up though it would be nice if they could accommodate single diners with large appetites like me SERVICE - 3.5 stars...if it weren't for that initial glare, I would have given them four stars TOTAL - 3 stars...I need to bring friends with me next time 'cause those hotpots looked pretty darn good

    (3)

  • Yeng T.

    After reading the reviews and being told that I would enjoy the food here.. I was actually a little disappointed. When looking at the pictures online the HOTPOT looked amazingly delicious, however again I was quite disappointed. It was a lot of work, really messy.. and they also provided sauces on the side. However i didnt really like the sauces. I also ordered 2 different dishes to go, it was chili and beef and chili with chicken. The beef dish was basically in oil. The chicken was actually kind of like general tos chicken (without the sauce) with a ton of dried chilies that werent even hot. Over all, like I said its ok. It probably wont be my first choice to go to again if I went down there, but I probably would go back just to try the different dishes. Also, we had to wait about 30mins or longer to get into the restaurant because it was just so busy. However when we told them that we wanted to eat the Hotpot.. they brought it out pretty quick. A few mins later, they brought out my 2 dishes to go.

    (3)

  • Meat Hunting A.

    Very hot place. Waited about 20 mins to get the table. Food is good and keeps the original taste. Tried following three dishes and really good. Never forget chicken Sliced pork garlic Boiled Beef SZE

    (4)

  • Drew G.

    I really hated to give this place 3 stars, but I felt I had to. First off, the food was bar-none delicious, no question there, but our service was a little bit lacking. We ordered egg rolls to tide us over, but the food took easily 30-40 minutes. I understand that the service is typically slower but for two people we didn't order anything too crazy and watched at least three groups of people come in after us and finish before we received our meal. However, back to the food! Wait aside, the food was excellent, and definitely worth waiting for. We tried the crab rangoon, and it came out hot and fresh, probably the best ragoon I've had in a good while. We also tried the garlic pork, cumin lamb, and the spicy pork. All were delicious and we had plenty of good leftovers to take home. The location is really clean and nice, but has very little room for waiting and doesn't take reservations under 6 people. If it's a busy night be prepared to bundle up as you might have to hang out in the cold for a bit.

    (3)

  • c t.

    Nice restaurant with modern decor. Attentive wait staff. We arrived for lunch to find they do not offer a lunch menu = somewhat pricey for lunch and large dinner-size portions. Had the Spicy noodle soup and rice cake with chicken. Like other reviewers, I loved the spicy cabbage that was complimentary, I definitely wanted more but food portions were filling. Would return with group so we could try more dishes!! Great find on this trip to Chicago!

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    Warning: Lao Sze Chuan will ruin Chinese food for you. After eating here, you will never be able to quite enjoy cheap Americanized Chinese the way you used to. I have been here multiple times over the years, and I am yet to be disappointed. The first time I came in, I was here with friends who lived in China for a couple of years, so they knew what to order. I LOVE spicy food, and Lao Sze Chuan delivers in that category; they have things that aren't so spicy as well though. Everything I've had here is outstanding, with the hilight being boiled beef. Nothing I've ever had here has even been mediocre. I am confident I can show up, point to something at random on the menu and leave impressed. Don't miss it.

    (5)

  • Darshini R.

    My companion and I were very disconcerted to discover three pieces of hair (one of which appeared to be pubic in origin) on our table before even being served our food. The condition of the bathroom was also deeply troubling, as was the lackluster and apathetic service. Furthermore, the establishment does not appear to be equipped with heating. Needless to say, the quality/taste of the food is at this point completely irrelevant. Save yourselves from a diabolical experience and avoid this place.

    (1)

  • Vince V.

    Lao Sze Chuan is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants based on the quality of the food alone. There is not a lot to distinguish most restaurants in Chinatown for ambiance, theatrics or for that matter flavors so their direct take on Szechuan cuisine is why I like it so much. I tried their House Special Hot and Sour Soup for the first time. For a totally vegetarian version, this soup was rich, flavorful and surprisingly complex. Crumbled peanut mixed into the soup was a yummy twist. Their Dry Chili Chicken is still my must-have dish. Lightly breaded crispy coated, tender chicken, all spicy and salty. This would be so good in a bucket with a beer while watching a movie. The Mongolian Lamb was an excellent second dish. One of our friends ordered the Kung Pao Shrimp, not exactly Szechuan but still very well executed. Like most Chinese restaurants, the dessert options are lacking to non-existent but if you know this ahead of time, there are places for bubble tea like Joy Yee just a few doors over and they have something like 80+ sweet options on their drink list. This was a relaxing meal after my group had spent the day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Today was a good food day, the meal was just perfect.

    (5)

  • Jean C.

    I wasn't going to review this place until I'd been more than once, but I figure it's taken me years to get there; who knows when I'll get back? The place was busy when we got there and within a few minutes of being seated people were lined up out the door. To be honest, nothing I tried quite convinced me that waiting in line for this place was worth it. The spicy cabbage that comes to the table gratis was tasty but much hotter than I liked. Never mind that, you can't like everything in a restaurant, right? The pot stickers that we split as an appetizer were excellent; really tasty. I opted for one of my favorite dishes, twice-cooked pork. The menu said "fat" and honestly, I should have paid attention to that warning, but I'd had the dish many times before and it usually had a nice edge of fat which could easily be removed before eating the lean part. Well not at Lao Sze Chuan. The pork was 60% fat and 40% lean. It had the right amount of heat, and was made with leeks instead of cabbage and scallions the way I'm used to eating it. That change didn't make too much difference to me, but the fat was a problem. Also a problem was the fact that the dish was WAY too salty. Not I-can't-eat-this-salty, but far saltier than I like (and I like the stuff.) My dinner companions were disappointed that I was not enjoying my meal, but it happens. I could've sent it back and said "Too salty" but I'd still have gotten a plate of fat in return. I figured, why bother? I did taste the dry chili chicken and it was very good, and the pig elbow -- one of the specials of the day -- which was tasty, too. The service was so-so. The dishes came out with big lags between each, presumably because it's expected that you'll share your food, but if that's the case they should ask first. It would have been much nicer if we could all have eaten our entrees at the same time. So why three stars? Because: 1) I should have paid attention to the menu. It was my fault that my entree was unpalatable because of the fat. The salt was their fault, but it was kind of a minor thing by comparison. 2) The other things I tried were tasty. 3) Our waiter really did try very hard. When I go back, I'll do an update. I hope the star level will go up. I suspect it will.

    (3)

  • Sruts A.

    A previous visit to Lao Sze Chuan resulted in my friends and me going to Lao Shanghai because of the long wait time. I never have had to wait for a table at Chinatown! But that's how famous and crowded Lao Sze Chuan is! This time around, I went there for lunch with a group of work friends. If you are a large party and call ahead, you can get a reservation!! We were seated at a large round table, menus handed to us, green tea placed in front of us in a large pot and a nice plate of a Chinese version of Kimchi (maybe there's a name for it...). A good start. We ordered a lot of food, so I'll just mention the ones we really liked - Fish in Bean Sauce, Tony's Three Chili Chicken, the dry Chili Chicken was quite good dry to be had on its own, the bass with tofu and rice served in a large bowl was refreshing, and the jumbo shrimp appetizer. A friend of mine is a big fan of the crispy orange beef. All the others were alright. The peppercorn chicken was extreme; too much peppercorn so I would avoid it all costs unless you want to experience that numbing sensation peppercorn induces. The portions are large and well worth the price. My issue? Our appetizers came at the very end; the waiters were bordering on rudeness when we asked about missing dishes. The host, however, made up for it with her courteousness. But I think I might stick with ordering take out from them rather than endure long wait times and mediocre service.

    (3)

  • Eliza Z.

    I brought my (Chinese) mom here the last time she was in town and we were craving some spicy food. We ordered a couple of dishes off the "recommended" list - yu xiang pork, the pea sprouts with garlic, and the "House Special" hot and sour soup. That hot and sour soup changed my life. It is probably the BEST hot and sour soup I've ever had. The pork was also quite delicious - usually I go for the boiled beef, but you really have to be up for the whole soaked-in-chili-oil deal, and we were more in the mood for a medium spicy with veggies dish, and this dish definitely did it. And if you've never had pea sprouts/shoots before, you should definitely try the ones at Lao Sze Chuan, they have a light garlicy sauce on them and are a great for breaking up the burn in your mouth.

    (4)

  • A W.

    I came here wanting the hot pot. I was gonna have the hot pot. Where on the menu is the hot pot ?!?! It's all the way on the back. Ahhhhh! I told the waitress what we wanted and began to order. She told me that the á la carte hot pot would probably be too little for the two of us (two females). She suggested we get the deluxe. Now, in all fairness I was pretty confused by the deluxe hot pot, really by that section of the menu period, so I didn't really follow why she felt that way. Hey, but seeing as how this was our first time there, or better yet first time even getting a hot pot. . . we went with her suggestion and got the deluxe hot pot. 1rst. Came the little hot plate for the table. 2nd. Came the big hot pot of broth. . .we're in business now! 3rd. Came the two meats we ordered to cook in the broth and it was plentiful. . . oh yea! 4th. Came 3 big tubs of condiments. . . . um miss. . . we don't need all thi.. . 5th. Came a ginormous bowl of rice noodles . . . ok, well that must be it then lets e. . . 6th. Came a big ol' platter o' stuff: veggies, shrimp, clams, fish, etc. . . . . . *mouth plummets open* Oh my! And this peeps, is why you don't go with suggestions from the waitress if you don't know what the hell is going on. I don't know what in the world made her think we would eat even half of that food. I mean seriously, it looked like a victory feast for a tribe of gnomes! I was going in the right direction with ordering á la carte in the beginning. Be warned, this is a lot of food! We were a little annoyed by being stuck with all this food, but we still dug in. I can say, it was a nice experience, but I don't think I'll be doing that one again. Maybe with a group of 4 or more, and that's a strong maybe. I will however be back to Lao Sze Chuan to order more specific entrees though. I liked more than I disliked out of the gnome victory feast. And most of what I liked, were the important bits like the meat, noodles, and sauces. So I have a good feeling about the other food there. Not too happy with that watiress, and not only for her wild, more-costly suggestion. We had to wait pretty long to get our tab and again to get it back. We had been there quite a long time trying to consume what we could of that gnome feast and we were past ready to go.

    (3)

  • Vivian H.

    THIS IS THE REAL SHIZZ. I actually called my mom to tell her she needs to come visit Chicago so I can take her here (she's half Szechuanese). We had the dry chili chicken (boyf's fave) and the spicy crispy eggplant (I effing love eggplant). Both were really good, although I wish the eggplant was a little more flavorful. Also love the spicy cabbage app, yum! We finished everything, and the dishes were big. I was a little sad face because the tea was cold though...

    (4)

  • Miesha D.

    Plenty of options to choose from. Menu is very extensive. Food was good! Especially if you like spicy food. For those that do not like spicy, do not fear, they have a large amount of non-spicy selections. Love the complimentary hot tea and spicy cabbage. Ordered the crab Rangoon as an appetizer which was the best that I've ever had and the dry chili chicken which was also go, however felt that it needed some more sauce to add with the rice. Will definitely be back to try other entrees on the menu.

    (4)

  • Pascal M.

    If all the dictators, terrorists, violent criminals, and Rosie O' Donnell sat down to a 20 course meal by Lao Sze Chuan...the world would be a much better place. Lao Sze Chuan is soulful, spicy, comforting, authentic, and super good. Located on a perfect corner in China Town, one can take in China Town for a while if there's a lengthy wait. Or you can just stroll around this interesting cultural area to help your food digest. The interior is busy, bright, and full of amazing smells. For the food, I can only speak for a few items. These items however, are outlandish. The dried chili chicken is almost unsharable. It's so good I want to eat it all. Leftovers? Not possible, you'll eat em' in the car or as a late night snack. Or your significant other or family members will find out about it and it erase it's existence. Their Mapo Tofu is hella spicy and will punch you in the face with flavor. Lao has ruined suburb Chinese for me, but I'm happy it did. I was continually getting burned by these Chinese restaurants that are unauthentic and forced to appease the American pallet. Most of the dishes at these kinds of places are loaded with cornstarch, and everything is unbearably breaded. Thank you Lao Sze Chuan. Next time I go to here, it's gonna be tough not ordering the same thing. But I'm excited to try all the other great items they have to offer.

    (5)

  • Jay L.

    While in china town I checked yelp for a good place to get lunch. This was a great choice I'd highly recommend. The service was good food delicious and restaurant was clean. We ordered vegetable noodles, sake, and spicy lamb sakay and was all wonderful. The only thing I would avoid is the pot stickers.

    (5)

  • James W.

    Excellent, top of the line authentic Chinese. There is nothing glamorous or glitzy about it, simply exceptional food. Started with egg rolls and pot stickers. The egg rolls were solid, pot stickers were fantastic, the pork was very tasty. The Mongolian beef was amazing; I definitely would double up on this next time. We also had Tony's three way chicken which was crispy, garlicky and delicious. Veggie fried rice was very good. The only dish that we really didn't enjoy was the moo shoo chicken, something about the flavor just wasn't appealing. The table next to us was plowing through an order of it though so that might have just been personal preference. I know many of the negative reviews are for poor service but that was not my experience at all. We sat down right away, attentive servers and we were served quickly. If your looking for authentic Chinese, definitely hit up Lao Sze Chaun.

    (5)

  • Adam K.

    Been going to the Lousy Shoe since i was a pup. Did my first work here. For the Triads. Not really. Service - C- = Mean surly waitresses who have been working here forever. Bus boys don't bring water until you ask them 2 times. Ambiance - C - Cramped. Never enough seats, even for Lunch time on a freaking Tuesday. Food - B = I used to think this place was the bees scrotum, but I have fallen out of love with Chinese food. Also, why is it whenever I try to order Chinese food on the phone they always ask me for Chinese food? Example- Me: Hello, is this Lao Sze Chuan? Can I place an order? Them: "Chinese food?" I reccomend: Dim Sum Cashew Chicken Lamb Curry Mongolian Hot Pot Steamed broccoli

    (3)

  • Trang V.

    came in expecting the A quality szechuan food... but im asian and let me tell you, it fell short. the beef tendon was decent and the salt and pepper small fish was tasty but nothing spectacular. and for driving 45 minutes in town to Chicago's Chinatown I wanted fireworks in my mouth. instead, i just got maybe a little spark.

    (3)

  • Carrie J.

    I came with some friend and we ordered the sesame chicken, Peking style noodles, and the (super-d-duper spicy mother-load) boiled beef in spicy szechwan sauce. "Wow", is what I can say about their chicken. It melts in your mouth and it wasn't even soggy after half an hour. The noodles were very good, sorta "mushroomy" tasting & it reminded me of the Korean Jajangmyun noodles but less saucy and salty. As for the beef, oh wow, this dish is pretty big and it is so delicious! However, it is not MEANT for those who cannot take heat. It is literally covered in chili flakes! But all scary spiciness aside, the beef is very tender and it is served on top of cook Chinese cabbages with the spicy sauce (kinda looks like soup). Very glad we visited this place and this is the place for anyone who loves spicy food! Oh just a head up, the service might be a little slow but the food is worth the wait. After all, great tasting foods takes time to make!

    (4)

  • Kymberly J.

    It was a long day in the city and as the snow got heavier and the two got more wet, the couple headed down Cermak towards Lao Sze Chuan because of a reccomendation. They were hungry. The anticipation of good Chinese food was exciting. They walk into a suprisingly crowded restaurant and told the hostess there will be two tonight. The hostess looks around the room carefully and then back at the couple. She scribbles something on a white square sheet of paper. "OK. You take this upstairs and give it to the man. They are waiting for you up there." she says. Feeling like they had walked onto a strange movie set, they headed back out the door and proceeded up the steps to the same restaurant. The square sheet of paper was handed over and the two were seated. They were handed a vast menu. It was hard to make a decision but they were forced to make one fast. It will be: Sweet and sour soup, Peking style noodles, orange beef,and mixed veggies. Before the feast began they were tempted with a delighful cabbage treat delicately covered with a spicy sauce. Before they could finish their soup the noodles came. There was no description of the noodles on the menu but they were feeling adventurous. To their delight, they were tasty yet some f the ingredients remained a mystery. was it tofu? Was it mushrooms? it didnt matter, just bring on the rest of the food. Out came the orange beef. The crispy coated beef melted with the citrus and the couple exclaimed "mmmmmm!" in unison. The crisp Chinese Veggies were a wonderful compliment to the entrees. More and more people poured into the place. Big groups of folks; all kinds. The two observed what looked to be Chinese fondue. Oh how delightful! and a little disappointed that they had already eaten. The passing waiter was summoned and explained that it was called a hotpot. The fresh meat and veggies were cooked in one big pot placed on the table. ooooooh, this will surely get the couple back to Lao Sze Chuan!

    (4)

  • Renee E.

    My husband and I stopped for a bite at La Sze Chuan over the weekend after a stop in the neighborhood. I was craving Dim Sum, but I'm not at all familiar with any of the restaurants in Chinatown, so we decided to walk around til we saw something with pictures that we recognized (we are complete Chinese food novices). Unfortunately, we meant to go to the restaurant next door. But, we didn't realize that until we'd finished eating. So, we sucked it up and soldiered on through the entirely daunting million page menu. We were so confused by this point that we just ordered as basic as we could. I got the broccoli with garlic sauce plus tofu. Hubs got the kung pao chicken. Mine was good, but I would've preferred the tofu a lot firmer. I tried a bite of some of the veg in the kung pao and it tasted quite different than I remembered from kung paos of old. But, I have to hand it to them, all the vegetables in both dishes were very fresh. No canned mushrooms here! Even better, I had enough food for leftovers (although, they didn't include my rice with the rest of my leftovers...sad).

    (3)

  • J W.

    I thought Lao Sze Chuan was a great experience--it was my first time eating in Chinatown! So I guess take that for what it's worth--I eat tons of Chinese food, but random places in my neighborhood (Andersonville) and I do eat at corporate places like PF Changs. But with that said....I grew up on south indian food, so I am not completely unfamiliar with authentic asian cuisines. We got here about 6:00 on a Saturday night-we got a number at the door, and the line moved pretty quickly. We sat down and ordered our appetizer (eggrolls-amazing) and got water and tea (also good). The waitress gave us a complimentary appetizer of spicy cabbage, which it appears is the standard. It is very good, but VERY spicy. Like your lips feel like they are burning off spicy. I'm part Indian, so I tried to fight through it and eat it all. Then came time to order our dinner. Per yelp reviews, we chose the chili chicken. My husband also picked a cashew chicken. The cashew chicken was excellent--very tasty, great sauce, yummy mushrooms with it, etc. The chili chicken was just okay I guess--we left about half of it on the table. Service seems to be similar to others'. Our waitress took our order and then we never saw her again. BUT, we were taken care of by others working in the restaurant, so I guess whatever works. I would definitely recommend this place-the food was good and it's a unique experience. I did not give it a 5 because I think I need to give it another try and try a different meal, and not OD on the spicy cabbage! I also need to see what the difference (besides the location, clientele, and atmosphere) is from this restaurant, and others I have been to throughout the city.

    (3)

  • Caroline C.

    I am seriously considering renting a flat above just so I can live, breathe, and dream in the delicious aromas of this place 24/7. We finally made it down to Lao Sze Chuan after years of being distracted by other goodies such as Joy Yee and Hong Kee... let's just say if I could give this place 10 stars I would. The menu, first of all, is a BIBLE of truly authentic Szechuan food... I was about to high-five the waitress for not seeing a single General Tsao's chicken or Mongolian beef on the menu. We tried the fried green beans, spicy fried chicken, and the beef with black bean sauce. Aaaaand wow. We were blown away not only by how delicious all three dishes were, but also by the unabashed, in-your-face spice level of each one. I had a constant grin on my face in between chugging iced water and wiping the snot off my nose. This is what real Szechuan cuisine is, peeps! Be forewarned though: I usually order in English at Chinese restaurants to soothe the bf that I am not ordering anything potentially sketchy like fried cow penis (I would for giggles), but I had to switch over to Mandarin since both the waitress and bus boy could not fathom a simple phrase such as: "Iced water, please." No English? Chicken hearts it is. The bf also got a little miffed at the slow service, but I had to remind him that the more authentic a Chinese restaurant is, the more horrible the service (and the worse the decor) is going to be. Is there even a translation for "good service" in Chinese? If there is, I don't know it. I would pick dining at Lao Sze Chuan and their plastic table covers over the swanky lounge of a hoity-toity restaurant any day. This is definitely my new favorite restaurant in Chicago!

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    My mother came to visit me in the city the other day... Considering she had never even come to visit once in college or ever for that matter... this was kind of surprising. Naturally, I took her to Chinatown. There's endless choices in Chinatown. We settled for Lao Sze Chuan because I had never been before and have heard good things. Plus, dimsum is pretty much the same everywhere so if you're looking for a place to get delicious Chinese dishes outside the usual dimsum style then this is a good option. It's hidden on the end of the strip. It's pretty pricey, about $12-14 per dish, but the food was really good and authentic. Easily shared. The spicy bamboo shoots that come free at the beginning of your meal are SPICY. Beware, it'll make your palette numb. I don't really know the English names for the dishes we ordered, so I'll do my best. The garlic with Chinese veggie (gonshing chai) was delicious and brings me back to childhood. Light and not too salty, it was a good palette cleanser since everything else was pretty spicy. The fish filets in chili sauce was delicious. Not overly spicy and great over white rice. The 3 cups chicken is a must order. So good, the sauce is a bit sweet and the chicken falls off the bones. Reminds me of the 3 cup chicken I ate in Taiwan. I will order this every time. The noodles were forgettable. The Don Don noodles were just ok, the sauce was a bit salty. The wonton soup wasn't very good either. I've made better at home. The whole dish was very bland and the wontons were ordinary. I'd skip these. Overall though, it was a really good meal and I'm glad we chose this over dimsum. Again, dimsum is pretty much the same everywhere you go, although delicious. If you want traditional family style shared plates, then Lao Sze Chuan is a great option. Note though, the menu is like a book so it helps to have someone that knows how to order come with. The waitress was rude. My mom tried to order something off memory and instead of just saying they don't have that dish, the waitress was like 'do you see that in the menu? please show me cuz it's not on there.' Umm ok then, unnecessary but this is as expected in Chinatown I suppose.

    (4)

  • Kelly H.

    All the food was great. Only complaint was the table next to use ordered and even pointed out a picture in the menu of what they wanted ( tables are pretty close so watch this all happened) when their food came it was not what they pointed out, then their server yelled at them and said that not what you ordered. VERY Unprofessional!

    (4)

  • Ron I.

    Wow...just wow. I have never ever had an experience like this. Before I get into what happend, I will say that the food is excellent but that is it. For all those yelpers that think that is all that matters, I disagree. You're paying for food and SERVICE...not just one or the other. My buddy and I have been here twice now for lunch and this was definitely the last time I'll be back. The first time, the service was lacking, with all the Asian and white patrons getting their food faster and being treated nicer than we were. I figured it was just a fluke and decided to try it again based solely on the food. This time it was much worse than the first time. 1.) Almost empty restaurant when we got there so there is no excuse for retard waitstaff especially when there are like 6 of them there. 2.) Like 4 tables of Asians and 2 tables of white folks got there after we were there for about 10 mins. Their orders were taken first and they received their food before we did even though we ordered the same things. 3.) I asked one waiter if he would take our order. He said, 'Wait' and proceeded to take all of the other tables orders before ours. 4.) Our food came out 30-40 mins after we got there. The food was great but that is totally unacceptable. We ordered basic things just like everyone else around us. Lunch took over an hour to complete. 5.) We asked for sodas. They never came. We asked twice more and they were taken to the table right next to us. The 2 white businessmen were confused and sent them back 10 mins later. The waiter then tried to bring over those same sodas and melted cups of ice over to us. I told him, 'Nooooope'. 6.) The only thing they managed to do right was to get us out of the restaurant. I left them a nice note and no tip for their version of service. I don't plan on returning, ever. So cliff's notes: I don't know if they don't like Indians or what but this was just absolutely the worst service I have ever had in my life...even in the deep, deep South. If anyone is ever in the Boston area, check out Sichuan Gourmet which has much better food and downright friendly service. I'm actually pretty disappointed because the food is actually good and authentic here but after the 2nd instance of what I'm definitely thinking is prejudicial service, I won't be back.

    (1)

  • Osiris V.

    YUUMMMOOO!! I love the cabbage appetizer with crushed red pepper oil they give you at the beginning of your meal. Went to visit my sister downtown and decided we should come here. Good choice, even though she hates Chinese food...how dare her!! lol We got Sichuan Chicken, Chicken fried rice, noodles and some vegetable soup. It fed ALL four of us and it was as scrumptious as I hoped it would be. Spicy food is at the top of my list of things to eat so this place does not disappoint. My sister also got a mango shake and I couldn't believe how good it was. I will definitely be going back sometime soon. The only downer was when one of the waitresses spilled water on my chest but hey, it happens right? lol

    (4)

  • Laurel H.

    Excellent food. The eggplant and pork was amazing!

    (5)

  • Andy M.

    I'm still amazed that I can't find a great Chinese place in Chicago. I have lived here for most of my life and I have yet to find a Chinese eatery that knocks my socks off. Lao Sze Chuan is a no frills eatery that offers more quantity than quality . In other words, the portions are huge. I ordered the Dried Chili Beef. The food was decent, but there seemed to be something missing. The Beef was Tender and the dried Chilli's were pretty tasteless. I tried some of C.R.'s Dry Chili Rabbit and even that seemed to be lacking in taste. Not to mention the fact that the Rabbit was filled with Tiny bones that scared the heck out of me. I'm still in search of the one Great Chinese restaurant in Chicago. I will let you know when I find it.

    (2)

  • Angela S.

    Had this delivered at a meeting and it was so good. Shared several dishes, but the favorite was the shrimp w/ chills. Would love to get down to the restaurant and check it out.

    (3)

  • Alisa N.

    Really good food! The portions are really big so 2 people can probably share one plate. Its my new favorite place in Chinatown! Try the Tony chicken and fish with black bean sauce :)

    (4)

  • Chouster S.

    Went there for hot pot. Hot Pot is not as good as the east coast, service is ok, but the owner was there opening doors and greeting guests with a smile on his face (I suppose he doesn't cook anymore with suit and tie on), seems like a down-to-earth person.

    (3)

  • Kathy K.

    If you want spicy food, this is the place!! I went with 5 other friends and we ate like kings. We ordered about 12 different things to share and the entire bill came to about $118 for everything and we still had food to take home. The place isn't fancy but I like that they bring the food out as it's made so everything is always fresh and not sitting under a heat lamp. The service was so so but the food made up for it. I can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Adam C.

    I will never, NEVER go to Lao Sze Chuan or any Lao establishment ever again, and you shouldn't either. This place used to be my go-to Chinese place. This was the place that I would take out-of-town friends to when they came in -- to show them the best that Chicago's Chinatown had to offer. Unfortunately, I did just that last Sunday and had the worst restaurant experience of my life. We were seated on the second level of the restaurant. First, we waited over 20 minutes as our waiter frequently walked by without stopping to welcome us, deliver water, or even acknowledge our existence. Finally, he came to deliver menus and water. After waiting another 20 minutes, the waiter promptly demanded our order. Both my order (spring rolls and Tony's Chicken) and my friend's order were straight-forward. My girlfriend, however, had some questions about the menu. Her queries were met with downright consternation. Asked what he would recommend with chicken on the menu, the waiter quickly rattled off the Szechuan Chicken. When asked if it was fried, the waiter affirmed as much. My girlfriend asked if he had a recommendation that wasn't fried. The waiter simply shrugged and stared at her. And the wait began again. We waited almost an hour until our food was served. Not surprisingly, the waiter forgot to ever bring my spring rolls. Assuming he forgot the order because he wasn't writing anything down, I politely stayed quiet and assumed it would not be on the bill. More about that later. Anyways, our food finally came. My chicken had been left in the frier for an extra 10-15 minutes. The chicken was fried until burned. None of the other dishes were up to Lao Sze Chuan's usual standard either. We quickly finished our meals as we were starving by this time. And here comes another wait...Twenty more minutes of awkward glances, staring down the waiter, and him walking right past. He would not come to our table until my girlfriend actually yelled, "Waiter!" as he walked by. He begrudgingly stopped by our table before slowly walking back to the register where he finally calculated then delivered our check. What do you know, he charged us for the never-delivered spring rolls. Although our waiter had disappeared (literally walked out of the front door...), I flagged down another waiter. I explained to him that the spring rolls were never delivered. He looked at me inquisitively like he didn't believe me before offering to deliver an order of spring rolls. By this point, we had been at the restaurant for around three hours. The LAST thing that I wanted was an order of spring rolls. We pleaded with him to simply take the spring rolls off the check, until he finally consented. To add one final insult, as the waiter took the check back to the register, he took our fortune cookies, as well. Upon delivering the amended check, he did not deliver more fortune cookies. Apparently, taking a $2.50 item off your check that was never delivered means you don't get fortune cookies with your check... In the end, the service was rude, extremely slow, and inaccurate. The food was mediocre. I'm not sure what happened and what Lao Sze Chuan has become, but it begins and ends with its terrible wait staff.

    (1)

  • Joseph Y.

    Taste: 5 Value: 5 Service: 4 Situated in Chinatown, this place has great authentic Chinese food. We went there on a weeknight and they were almost near capacity. I could easily see it being packed on a Friday or Saturday night. We had the Mapo Tofu, green beans, garlic spinach, and whole steamed fish. If you're going to get the fish, let them know early. It takes 15-20 minutes to prepare. All the dishes were fantastic. They had piles of spinach and green beans. The Mapo Tofu is authentic (has some numbing feeling). And the fish was cooked to perfection. The bill was reasonable, and the waiter did well by recommending a different style of preparation on the fish. I look forward to my next trip here with friends to enjoy a delicious Chinese meal.

    (5)

  • Linda L.

    It is the BEST SZECHUAN CHINESE food in the world. the spicy fish and spicy frog leg are to die for.

    (5)

  • Theresa C.

    Love it!! I think it's a great compliment when I took my mom (who is basically an egg roll and shrimp fried rice person) and she loved it. Considering she is not into spicy food at all. Thank you Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, you have expanded my mom's culinary boundaries. I always love coming here. The spicy cabbage appetizer is excellent. I try to horde as much of that as possible. And I always order 503. To this day, I can't remember the name but the number. It's so so spicy, tears come rolling down your cheek. Just an excellent place with great food that I, Miss Antisocial, don't mind sharing a table with another party to eat some food.

    (5)

  • Wayne H.

    Dishes are hit or miss here. Dan dan noodles (dandanmian) are great as is the "sliced beef & maw szechuan style" (fuqi feipian) cold appetizer. However, a staple of Sichuan cuisine, laziji, some of you refer to it as "dry chili chicken" is so wrong at this place--they use crushed red pepper instead of Sichuan peppercorns, and the chicken is boneless. It's sad that a chinatown food tour was taking people to Lao Sze Chuan to experience this chili chicken.

    (3)

  • Nick C.

    Hot pot, steamed tea duck, chili chicken awesome

    (5)

  • Darren S.

    I made the trip out to Lao Sze Chuan based on recommendations from fellow Yelpers and LSC didn't disappoint. When we arrived, it was clear that the place is very popular and there were six parties of different sizes in front of us. In light of all of these guests, the wait was reasonable. A big reason for the line moving so fast was that the host split large banquet tables with couples that were willing to share a table. LSC has a stereotypical restaurant host that has a limited grasp of English, shouts out at guests and is impatient with people. Definitely my kind of place. When he brought us upstairs (where the large party tables are) with two other groups, we began thumbing through the gigantic menu. If you can, do some recon on their menu online and decide on what you want beforehand. Menu browsing while hungry is not fun. We ordered the Szechuan Chicken, House Special Szechuan Noodles and long green beans. For those that haven't had Szechuan style Chinese food, requesting 'mild' doesn't compute. If it's labeled as spicy and you don't like spicy too bad. The dishes will come out spicy. Play it safe and don't order anything with the chili logo. That said, I love spicy food and the noodles were excellent. I was crying and blowing my nose the whole time, but I enjoyed the dish. The chicken dish was nice and so were the green beans (if not a bit too salty). LSC is a great showcase of the Szechuan style. While the dishes we ordered weren't difficult to make or exotic, they were great. Other notes: The prices at LSC are a bit high but it's obvious popularity will help to keep the prices high, I'm sure. If you're a visitor, have some taxi company numbers programmed into your phone. Taxis are not easy to come by in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Jenn G.

    BEST Chinese food in Chicago! I have to admit that Chinese is not my cuisine of choice, but I have eaten enough of the greasy practically fast-food variety to know that Lao Sze Chuan is the real deal. It's deceivingly good, despite the medium-grade (at best) decorations and walls full of cheap panda images. Fortunately the food speaks for itself... and when it does, it says "eat me! i'm delicious! and relatively cheap!" I almost stopped after the complimentary plate of spicy cabbage damn near sent me to the hospital... easy on the intake, one red pepper flake to the back of the throat and your meal could be over. But I powered through and managed to gorge myself on a feast of: Cashew Shrimp (SO yummy!) Friend Noodles w. Shrimp (great balance of sauce / noodles / shrimp) Ma Po Tofu (super spicey, but with the right blend of rice it balanced out nicely) Eggplant in Garlic Sauce (didn't love the texture, but the garlic sauce was delicious) The other two diners with me also got a chicken dish, which I didn't eat (but they liked) The whole meal only cost us $60 and there were TONS of leftovers. I will absolutely be back here again. Worth noting - we got here around 1pm on a Saturday and had a 10 minute wait for 3 people. By 1:30pm, the line was out the door.

    (4)

  • Jake H.

    Interesting that few reviews mention the only dish I go there for...hu gu, Chinese hot pot!! Amazing. Lao Sze Chaun (I just refer to it as hot pot) is at the end of the new chinatown mall on the left-hand side walking west. -faily small, typically non-descript. ...but it has amazing hot pot! This is a dish/bowl of near boiling oil/water. -Split: one side light garlic, and the other spicy. I always get the combo with meat, fish, shell fish, fish balls, assorted veggies. Also, ask for the three sauces (I don't know their names) One is a creamy, peanut, garlic, one is an oil, and the other is dark and savory. ...mix all three on the side and use as a dip for the cooked meat, etc. Service is what you'd expect. Price is what you'd expect. BYOB. Warning, you will have that fat kid feeling, like you're sweating oil from your pores. -and with the sauces and the dipping in multiple liquids, etc. You're likely to get gunk all over your black on black ensemble. If you're cool with that then bring a date to a non-cheesy fondue!

    (4)

  • Takeshi T.

    The best I'm Chicago!

    (5)

  • Camia B.

    I tried this place & not impress. I came on a Saturday. doesn't open till 11AM. While other restaurants on the same strip open at 10AM. I should of ate somewhere else. anyway when it is finally open for service....we were seated. Floor is unattractive. it is carpet & it smell. clear plastic chairs. serious? Only 4 tables were occupied. all the servers busy setting up a families meal tables at 11AM. While one server running around trying to take orders. The workers/employees need to eat before open or after lunch run and not when business is just open. The server who is running around & asking for help. All the employees ignored her. Finally I tried to flag one of them, one of the guy got up with food in his mouth came over & took my order. is that unsanitize or what. I never expect much from Asian restaurant but that is uncall for. When our food finally came, I'm not impress at all. Shrimp is not fresh. Taste like it been spoil. As for the spicy dish, just taste a lot of chili pepper and no other flavor at all. I won't be back when I'm in town. Will try other restaurants instead.

    (1)

  • Dax R.

    Very good. The dry chili chicken is awesome and so are the pea shoots

    (4)

  • Ritesh P.

    Excellent food, horrible service. The DMV has better service than they do. Typically, when you go into a restaurant, you're asked if you want drinks and if you decline, some sort of beverage is brought out to you, typically being water. My entire lunch here went without anything to drink besides the oolong tea they serve every table, which is piping hot. I had ordered a Coke only to discover they were out and so I changed the order to a Sprite. I'm guessing they were out of this as 10 minutes later, two of the waiters walked in with 10 cases of an assortment of Coke products. Apparently, they forgot I ordered drinks. Giving them a few minutes, I flagged down a waiter. Asking him for a soda yielded the response, "Please ask your waiter for it." To which the only thing I can think of is, "YOU ARE THE WAITER!" Beverage issue aside, when you come in for lunch, you SHOULD get the Lunch Menu, but they give you the dinner menu. You have to specifically ask for a lunch menu or else your bill will be closer to $40 instead of $20. And to get this, I had to wait another 10-15 minutes because I'm guessing the waiter did not understand which menu I was referring to or even what a a menu is. If you want to go here, great, but don't go expecting good service. Best solution is to do take out from here. It'd be quick/easy without the fuss of dealing with people who cannot understand simple requests from you.

    (1)

  • Partha A.

    The dried chili chicken was overcooked and hard. The chicken fried rice was tasteless and the spicy fish with red bean sauce was salty. Overall a very disappointing experience.

    (2)

  • Jerry B.

    Probably the most unique of the Lao restaurants, you really have to be into the dried chilly paste they infuse most everything with there.

    (4)

  • Stephanie H.

    The service was AWFUL! It all started with my dish (chicken with vegetables) which was bland and disgusting. Then got our order of crab ragoons, which were ice cold. My rice had a piece of hair in it. Then received my boyfriend's dish (dry chili which wasn't bad) and got our pot stickers right as we were getting up to leave. We spent 2 hours there, our food was nothing special, our appetizers were late and cold, and the service... well there wasn't any. I didn't realize you could mess up chinese food but they sure did. I would recommend going elsewhere. I was completely disappointed!

    (1)

  • George H.

    Delicious food - we went on Friday night and only had a 15 minute wait and enjoyed our meal immensely! The starter of the "spicy cabbage" was incredible. I had never had that before - both my wife and I joked that we could make a whole meal of it. We were battling each other with our chopsticks to get the last few bites. ;) For appetizers we weren't adventurous and went with potstickers and egg rolls - both were perfectly executed and the egg rolls were crisp and not greasy. We had the sizzling rice soup and the (if I remember right) mushrooms in oyster sauce for our main dishes. Both were tasty but the mushrooms blew us away - they used five different types of mushrooms and the sauce was perfectly seasoned so as to not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the mushrooms. We will be back...

    (4)

  • Zach A.

    TASTY! Fu Ji Fai Pian is the best, just like Chong Qing's! I've been a regular for over 10 years and can't rave enough about the food. Having lived in Sichuan for 2 years, I found this to be the most authentic Sichuan cooking in Chicago. Xie Xie!

    (5)

  • Kelsie T.

    Some of the tastiest Chinese I've ever had... But, about three hours after leaving, I had the worst food poisoning in my life. Absolutely miserable.

    (2)

  • Brian C.

    This place has pretty solid reviews, which I think it deserves. It's a Chinatown establishment. I went for their hot pot; all-you-can-eat for 16 bucks, which I think is a really good deal if you're a fat-ass like me. They have two soups to choose from--MaLa (spicy) and the bland one. You can also get a soup base which is half MaLa, half bland. In that event, they give you a pot that is shaped like a yin-yang with an s-shaped metal divider separating the two soups. I dig kitsch. I've been there before for dishes, and the spicy boiled beef and dry fried chicken with chili are amazing! I think the true test for a Sichuan restaurant are the Dandan Noodles. For that, I give them a passing grade. Tsingtao Beers are 5 bucks; they have a bunch of Japanese beers like Sapporo that are only $4. Not sure why I remember that, but though I would throw that out. To add to the authenticity, there were shoe prints on the toilet seat where some Chinese guy squatted on the toilet seat, choosing not to sit. Just like a trip to China without 16 hours of rude flight attendants! The only bad part is that the service is horrendous. The waitress will not check up on you at all, so you literally need to flag her down for everything you need. It is pretty disappointing that a restaurant so famous in Chicago would not do a better job training their staff. I do think the waitresses are nice people and hard working. But it's the restaurant management that needs to be more organized.

    (4)

  • Lina W.

    The wait at this restaurant is always ridiculously long and filled with tourists. I ordered chili fish filet, spicy beef tendon, ma po tofu, and pea tips. The food was mediocre, but I am mostly outraged that I got ripped off on the garlic snow pea tips, which is one of the most expensive Chinese vegetables. At first the waitress told us that the restaurant did not have any left and then she came back and said they did have snow pea tips. Instead of bringing out snow pea tips, the chef served us baby snow pea SPROUTS, which you can find in a grocery store for like $2. Of course, they charged $12.95 for a heap of grass. I did not bother arguing over the dish since I brought guests with me. I am never coming back to this restaurant again.

    (2)

  • Nikolay K.

    "negative": Food is ok, not great, just ok. I have had much better. First Chinese restaurant I have been to that doesn't offer crispy aromatic duck (Pecking style, with rice pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce). Not even boneless duck. 5 min to be seated 15 minutes between first attempt to ask for the check and the second reminder service is terrible. I understand that it was a "rush hour". but it doesn't justify poor service "positive" quant atmosphere "total" never going back to that restaurant and do not recommend anyone to go there.

    (1)

  • Blythe Z.

    My husband and I for a while were coming here pretty much every Friday. My last three trips here in the past two months have been terrible.. utterly awful. I wish I could give ZERO stars. The staff/kitchen is totally disorganized. The wait time - each occasion was considerably longer then what we were told. When we were seated we waited a very long time 10+ mins for water and then longer to place the order. I was here 2 weeks ago, on a Saturday... utter mayhem the worst it's ever been. We waited 60mins for a table when we were quoted a wait time of 35mins.... then as we are being seated the host says "you share table, yes?" and right behind was another couple taking their seats at out table. I hate community seating, I was so hungry I just didn't care at that point. However, we were seated next to the cash register and the ceiling was dripping.... no joke. There was a rag next to the register trying to catch whatever liquid was dripping. It was very unnerving. Also, there was a at all times through out the dinner at least 3 to 4 ppl. waiting for there carry out orders that were very late. Everyone was annoyed and waiting on there food - really gripping about service and here we are seated next it it all. I think I have made my point, just in case the time I was previously there.... the waitress forgot to put our order in. I would not suggest eating here any longer unless they get their act together.

    (1)

  • Neetha V.

    Dry Chilli Chicken.. Yummy and spicy!! Always crowded!! Best bet to take-out, order by phone and available in 30-40min over the weekend! Only for Spicy food lovers!!!!!

    (4)

  • Eric Q.

    Not quite what I was hoping for. Long wait followed by cold egg rolls for appetizers. Food was very spicy and just seemed average for Chinatown. Would not recommend.

    (2)

  • Deborah W.

    One of the best Chinese joints in the city. Be brave-try something new. If you like spicy, you will love it. Fiance and I eat here a little too often.

    (5)

  • Mishelle O.

    Oh it hurts so good! I no longer live in the Chicago area, and I am so homesick for Lao Sze Chuan! If you like spicy food, you will love it! When I am feeling down, I just close my eyes and think of the MaPo Tofu, and it replaces the frown on my face with a smile. But then I remember that I am in New York and cannot have it and my smile is replaced with an angry grimace. The Lao Sze Chuan Noodles (that's the name of the dish) is a spicy dry sauce noodle dish and Lordy mercy, it is absolutely delicious! Order it extra spicy and feel the wonderful burning in your mouth. The great thing about it is that even though it can be very spicy, the flavor is excellent. I hate it when food is spicy but the taste is nasty- like Tabasco Sauce, for instance. It's such a waste of delicious pain when that happens! Another note about the Lao Sze Chuan Noodle dish, you can now order it without the meat and seafood! If you aren't down with tear-jerkingly spicy food, don't worry because their non-spicy dishes are fabulous as well. I recommend ordering a few dishes and sharing family style with your dining companions. There is such a vast range of flavors and dishes here, so having a few options in front of you will help you figure out what you like, and you won't have to be stuck with one dish that's not to your liking. This restaurant is great for large groups. The service is probably not the best, especially if you have a lot of questions about the menu (unless you speak Mandarin, of course!) but whatever! The food is so amazing!!!

    (5)

  • Brian P.

    This place really disappoints me when you get delivery. Very greasy, not at all traditional, too sweet. Something happened in the last year here, and it really is lagging in quality! The ingredients are lacking--no longer very fresh. Before I was raving about a ton of items on the menu. Now, I've been back a couple times and something tells me this owner/chef combo has hit growing pains. They have opened a few new chains and it's just rough--the original equation no longer has magic.

    (2)

  • Sujay K.

    Just awesome.

    (5)

  • David B.

    Extensive menu, very unusual items available. Food pretty good, but far from "one of the best in the country", as is trumpeted on the menu. Service poor-to-indifferent. Worth a three-star rating ordinarily, with the food counterbalancing the service. But... After finishing my meal and while on a cell call, I noticed some commotion near the cash register area, which is at the back of the dining room, near the kitchen. Somone had screamed and other guests were looking under their tables. Other waitstaff moved to the end of the dining room and were watching the under-table area. I quickly finished my cell call and asked my server what was going on. The server told me, "nothing". I said it didn't look like "nothing", with someone screaming and other patrons looking at the floor around their seats. The server repeated that "nothing" was going on. A few moments later, I felt something behind my back, and startled, looked behind me. It appeared that my jacket had slipped off the back of my chair and settled at the small of my back. But a minute or two later, I scooted my chair back to put on my jacket, and a brown rat about 9" in length (body length - not including the tail), scurried from behind me, along a windowsill, jumped down onto the floor and ran back toward the kitchen. Not wanting to cause a panic, I pointed it out to waitstaff, who seemed content to let it go. I confronted the server who had lied to me, who only grinned/grimaced and shook his head. The manager came and presented my check and left without saying a word. Never once did management alert customers that there was a rat loose in their dining room. In fact, the only apparent reaction to this "issue" was to continue service as per normal, evidently so as not to interrupt the flow of money through the cash register. If management had said, "please, everyone... step outside for a few minutes - we think we may have a problem but we'll get you right back in..", that would have been a different story. But to continue service and deny that anything was happening: completely unacceptable.

    (1)

  • Jamie C.

    Third time to this place and another solid meal. We tried the chef special dried chili chicken and man was it hot. We also shared beef and broccoli, pork fried rice and the moo shu chicken. We went with a group of first timers and believe they will all go back.

    (4)

  • Luan N.

    After eating here, I can comfortably say I am not a fan of spicy Szechuan cuisine. Although, I will let mapo tofu slide though the cracks of my judgement. I still prefer more of the canto style with light, subtle flavors and the smokiness of those magical woks. Anyway, my father, Anh, and I shared the Szechuan pig ears, Yu Shiang pork, pork intestine and kidney, and a dish that looked like sliced beef in a kim chee soup. The Yu Shiang pork and intestine were the only recommendable dishes out of the four.

    (3)

  • Jeffrey M.

    My visit to Lao Sze Chuan was prompted by it's Michelin Bib Gourmand rating. It was my first trip to Chinatown, and my first experience with authentic Chinese food. Two things I've been dying to try are peking duck, and hot pot. The peking duck was delicious. They served it a bit cold though. A server also served up all the duck wrapped in flour tortillas with a sauce and onions. I found that I preferred the duck itself with some cracklin and sauce. The hot pot didn't live up to my expectations for heat, but the flavor was amazing especially with the white fish and lamb. The "very Chinese" section of the menu looked very interesting, and I look forward to returning to explore it. I almost want to hold out my review until I do. Service was a bit awkward, but I chalk that up to my white ass being outside of my cultural comfort zone, and not a knock on the restaurant itself.

    (3)

  • Nicole F.

    By far the best Mongolian Beef we have ever had!! We also tried the dry chili chicken it was equally delicious!! The menu was a little intimidating but overall we had a great experience we cant wait to come back with friends and order alot more.

    (4)

  • MARIA R.

    One of the best Mongolian Beef I've had in a long time. And I totally fell in-love with the Dried Chili Chicken. Dali spicy!! The only downfall is the Chicken Fried Rice. It wasn't that great.

    (4)

  • B T.

    Don't do it. It was a waste of $50. We were starving and had the chili chicken special and the ma po tofu (both chosen bc of yelp reviews) and they were god awful. Just tasted like an oily, gross mess with chili flakes. There were no real flavors at all. Just so disgusting. Oh and service is almost nonexistent.

    (1)

  • Tim H.

    Probably the most popular and well known restaurant in Chicago Chinatown. I have Asian friends living in cities all over the US and it seems like they have all heard of this place or been here. You may have a wait a bit to get your table, but the wait is usually under 15 minutes and if you want Sichuan cuisine, this is the place to go! Dishes to order: Sichuan cuisine is known for spiciness so you have been warned. My favorite dishes here are the water boiled beef and the mapo tofu. The water boiled beef comes in a fiery red chili sauce and contains chinese cabbage. A great sauce to eat with some rice. The mapo tofu here comes red and fiery as well. The other dish my dining companions always get is the chili chicken. Lightly battered and flash fried chicken that is stir fried with fiery whole dried chilis. Not my thing, but if you like chicken and spicy, try it out. The other thing to try Lao Sze Chuan out for is their hot pot. For under $20 per head you can get all you can eat hot pot. Veggies, meat, and seafood. This may get a bit messy, but it is definitely worth trying out hot pot here if you haven't before. Other places you can go if spicy isn't your thing: I think Lao Sze Chuan is a little dirtier than the other Lao restaurants. Still cleaner than a normal Chinatown restaurant. If you don't like spicy, try out one of Tony Gourmet Group's other restaurants, Lao Shanghai or Lao Beijing.

    (4)

  • Patrick M.

    Dug it! Hard to say anything that hasn't already been said here, really. Except I'm disappointed that so many (but still relatively few) people had such poor experiences and/or passionately negative reactions. Making my first visit, I was almost prepared for the worst and I'm glad to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I admit, I wilted a little bit when the waitresse dropped off some complementary spicy cabbage to wake up my palate. That stuff get's your attention quickly! It packed some straight-up heat that caused me to question what exactly I was in for when the rest of the food arrived. But, I found that the dried pepper chicken was fantastic and actually not quite as soul-scorchingly hot as I expected it to be considering that there's a 1-to-1 chicken to chili ratio on the plate. And, the chicken is truly "popcorn" crispy, maybe even crispier, with nice, big, satisfying chunks. Good stuff. I also nommed the Don Don noodles, which were about as expected, and delivered another good greasy alternative. I also bagged some Peking Dumplings, which didn't quite hit the spot. Hard to say why, exactly - but a lack of heat and savoriness just kept them hidden at the back of the table. As an inexperienced Chinatown frequenter, I walked away with a great impression of this place, and I plan to come back. With a menu that large it looks like LSC can deliver some serious food adventures.

    (4)

  • Chris D.

    This place is definitely 5 stars but I decided to take one star out because I have a few issues with the restaurant. TIP: Go during lunch time and ask for their lunch menu (it is hidden but thanks to yelpers, I knew it existed). The more popular dishes are on there at almost half the price. The food comes with soup and egg roll. The quantity of the food was maybe 1/2 to 1/3 less but two of us ate for less than what one of the regular entrees would have cost us. Pros: The best Chinese food I have ever tasted. I usually get their Hunan chicken and it is really delicious. Their crab Rangoon is made with authentic crab meat- not the imitation crab that 9 out of 10 Chinese places use. I have recommended this restaurant to many of my colleagues and every one of them rave about the food. Cons: The wait staff is pretty bad.The waitstaff , after taking your order ignore you. The waitresses almost every time I have been there forget to bring me water. Szechuan cuisine is centered on spice- so isn't water a must at the table? Sometimes the wait staff forgets to bring utensils!! I look ridiculous trying to use serving spoons to eat . When the kitchen staff bring the food, I request the forks but they forget and after waiting 10 mins, I resort to using the serving spoons.I just think the organization of waitstaff is very poor- to consistently forget water and forks ( I have seen it happen to other customers) is not good. The next thing is the rice. They charge $1 extra for the rice. When I am with others who order noodle dishes , they also get charged $1 each for the rice (which they didn't order, they didn't want and is not necessary for their entree). Honestly it's a pet peeve of mine when places charge for rice that should be included with the entree. My friends have said it is like ordering a burger but charging extra for the bun or ordering spaghetti and getting charged extra for the pasta. The entrees here are around $13 and there is absolutely no reason to be stingy with the rice. On a side note, when I do carry out, there is no additional charge for rice. Finally, I absolutely hate the seating here. The seats are awful hard plastic and narrow chairs. They definitely need to upgrade the furniture. Bottom line: Why do I repeatedly go here and give this place 4-5 stars? The food is that phenomenal! The food more than makes up for bad service and the other issues with this place. Tony Hu ( chef and owner) should definitely be commended for allowing us to taste some of the best food China has to offer.

    (4)

  • Alissa T.

    met here with my fellow "teach in china" friends for a mini reunion. we were all very excited to order tsingtao and our favorite szechuan dishes. since we all lived it china, we've tried our fare share of various regional chinese foods and i think it's fare to say lao sze chuan has some of the most authentic szechuan cuisine in chicago. the gam bien dou jiao (fried chili green beans), cu liu tu dou si (potato strings in garlic vinegar),yu xiang rou si (slices of pork in a sweet sauce), and gong bao ji ding (kung pao chicken) were all very tasty :) service was awesome. the only reason i gave it 4/5 is because i think it's a tad overpriced butttt i'm still excited to go back and try other dishes!

    (4)

  • Grace N.

    I was visiting from out of state and had no idea where to eat. From the outside, it seemed pretty impressive from the zagat ratings, pictures of important people dining there, their menu saying it's one of the top chinese places in america, etc. My kung pao chicken and chow mein was good....hot and sour soup was bleh, should have skipped on that. I've had better. I tried my friend's spicy beef noodle soup and it was fine as well with a funny aftertaste. The soup itself was bright read and looked really oily. From my experience, everything I had was pretty standard, nothing spectacular that would have me coming back or rave about to my friends

    (3)

  • Ramya P.

    I assumed that Sze chuan cuisine would be definitely more spicier. But don't worry, the dishes are modified to be spicy and flavorful yet won't set your mouth on fire. The spicy cabbage is delicious. Our table ordered a spicy chicken, two shrimp dishes, two veggie dishes and one mapo tofu. The food was delicious and perfect to warm us up on a cold winter night. The portion sizes are decent... in fact mapo tofu was actually pretty large. The service was less attentive but that's to be expected in most places in Chinatown. Will definitely be back when in the area!!

    (4)

  • Linh T.

    After a second visit to Chinatown, we decided to try out this restaurant. I ordered the mapu tofu (my all time favorite trad. Chinese cuisine) but it wasn't too great, average at best. My other friends ordered some other things and they were pretty good. One of the dishes was sautéed beef with tofu- AMAZING. The fried spicy pork(?) (it was the first on the house specials) was really good too, we ordered it mild. Overall, this place was PACKED when we went here so you def know it was good. I would come back to eat again for sure.

    (4)

  • Sam L.

    Loved this restaurant and worth eating at during a rush just to see the amazingly quick seating they do. I thought the guy at the door was a bit rude but then understood he was just trying to move people through the restaurant asap. The food was pretty darn tasty and the veggie spring roll was fanstatic. My guy's wasn't as delicious but Szechwan Vegetables were great and both were huge portions :) The decor was pretty cute, too. Hope to check out a few other places in Chinatown that got really good reviews but also wouldn't mind swinging back here again sometime.

    (4)

  • Nessie V.

    Kinda standard for me. Had a large vegetarian selection, but not many things with tofu or mock meats (only 1 thing with veggie chicken and it was a cold dish). I ended up getting something with rice noodles and a boring description but it turned out pretty good. I asked for tofu and veggies and the tofu was super soft, like dessert tofu. Should have said bean curd instead. Still was good. bathroom smelled like a pack of cigarettes being smoked all at once. Kinda gross, above and beyond the normal bathroom smells. I didn't realize people still did the smoking in the bathroom thing. The owner guy was really friendly and quite the host. Made sure to interact with everyone and make sure they were ok. You can tell he's a character just watching him. I'm not sure this will end up on my go-to list. I'll try a few other places in C-Town first, but I'll always be comparing them to this.

    (3)

  • Clara M.

    No star for service (If I can) Two stars for food (Hot pot is below average level) We ordered spicy noodle and hot pot. Waited for a thousand years to get the food. Another thousand years for napkins. Food was terrible and we were too old to order other food. So we ate the rest and requested check for another thousand. A Couple days later, my group found we were overcharged. WE ARE SO UNHAPPY even though they consented to return me the extra part. Will never go back for Lao's again.

    (1)

  • Michelle S.

    Excellent food! Very fresh. HUGE menu. Yum!

    (5)

  • Jason D.

    Lao Sze Chuan was a 3.5 star in my book because the meal my girlfriend and I received was delicious, but the service was a little strange and the decor even stranger. It seemed there was 4 people helping us in different order so we never knew who to speak to when we had a question about this lengthy menu. When we got there from a quick facebook recommendation it was around 12pm for lunch and nearly empty. I had to find out where to eat because I couldn't tell which place would be decent and which would be stellar. (it all seemed to blend into one) So we settled on LSC and eventually decided to share the hotpot for 2 with an assortment of everything you could possibly put into a hot pot, at least 10 kinds of meats- at least, and many different kinds of vegetables, rice and noodles. On top of that we also got 2 different sauces to go along with it and before we knew it, our table was a feast! It was gluttony waiting to happen. I thought the broth could have been a little tastier but that is what the sides of sauces help with. I believe its meant to be on the mellower side due to it being a tourist type of restaurant. No worry there, and no complaints about the food either, it was something I would keep going back here for. I think we ended up paying 50-60 dollars, but well spent. By the time we left, the place was packed. Try this place out, and go for something more adventurous like the hotpot or specials- you may have to ask for it....

    (3)

  • Ben N.

    I've got a few issues here after dining in, rather than carrying out. Prior to arriving, review the menu in the privacy of your own home for an hour or two. It's obnoxiously extensive. And thank you, but I can do without all the dishes prepared with blood, brains, lungs, entrails, and gore at large. Best bet is to keep those selections on an "authentic style" menu that you keep hidden along with the lunch menus you don't want anyone to know exist. If it's lunch, ask for the lunch menu. They won't give it to you otherwise, and expect you to order off the dinner menu at a significant up-charge for the exact same entrees. Shady. Also, don't accept recommendations from any of the wait staff. We took some suggestions on both entrees - BIG MISTAKE. I agree with other comments here, the spicy dishes are FAR too spicy for the average heat seeker. We should have stuck with our original order. And prepare to wait for your drinks, or not receive them at all. You will get water and tea, and that's it (unless you BYOB and they'll RUSH to open for you to get their $10 corking fee). But alas, here is my MAIN REASON FOR WRITING THIS REVIEW - I recently brought an out of town friend to lunch here last week, and glanced over at an empty table in the dining room. Seated were two servers working on what looked like a large frosted layer cake. In reality, it was a huge mound of filling for Crab Rangoon that was being stuffed and sealed into wrappers. I was shocked and immediately sickened. Now, I don't work for the Illinois Department of Health, but anyone can clearly observe that many food safety rules were tossed out the window here. Some may say, "What did you expect, it's filthy Chinatown". No Excuse. How many potential health department violations do we have here? The first is that two of the servers at the restaurant were doing this themselves. You can't be both a food server and preparing food in this type of sit down restaurant. Second, they were doing it right out in the open at an empty table in the dining room, picking up and putting down their utensils right on the table in plain view of patrons. Third, said food was not in a contained kitchen/prep environment or sanitized work area. Fourth, the food product, which contained both seafood and dairy, was not stabilized at a food safe temperature, and should have been in a bowl with ice. Fifth and finally, gloves were not worn for the duration, and I clearly saw both servers leave the table and touch things and return without washing their hands. I'm sure the Michelin rating committee would have swallowed their spoons had they seen this! Sure, you may think that boiling oil kills all germs and bacteria, but tell me what you think when it's coming out both ends, or worse, you end up in Northwestern Memorial with a food borne parasite that puts you out of commission for weeks. Perhaps management is too busy focusing on its new hotspot Lao 18 in River North, but that's no excuse to let quality and cleanliness standards fall off the cliff at the other locations within the "Empire" . . .

    (1)

  • Maura H.

    This was the first place I went in Chinatown...I wasn't disappointed! I'll definitely be back and would recommend it to anyone! The pork dumplings were the best I've had.

    (4)

  • Nik B.

    In the southwest most corner of Chinatown square, there lies a small but elegant Chinese restaurant known as Lao Sze Chuan. It's great for groups as they happily accommodated my family and I at a large round table. Like most Chinese restaurants, you are served free tea upon sitting. I found this tea to be especially delicious, and also felt like it stimulated my appetite. The vegetable egg rolls are skippable. They tasted clean and fresh, but I didn't desire to eat more than half of one as they were underseasoned. The highlight of the evening was the Ma Po Tofu. Possibly the best tofu, I've had at a restaurant, this huge bowl of spicy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness had us all sweating and craving more. It is served in a large family style bowl and pairs well with some plain white rice and some solid Szechuan mixed vegetables. To round off the experience, the service was great. We were given a plate of delicious spicy cabbage on the house and were accommodated nicely for the two kids in our group. The food is all great and comes to the table relatively quickly even though the restaurant was packed. I definitely wish I knew about Lao Sze Chuan sooner!

    (5)

  • Mario M.

    Food was tasty and delicious, so no issues. Service was worst I have experienced at a restaurant. We waited almost 2 hours for 3 orders of potstickers!!! Spent $200 and was treated like we were ghosts....never going back!!! They were rude with a smile....smh!

    (1)

  • Rosa K.

    Lao Sze Chuan is one the places my friends always go to. I like it a whole lot better than Joy Yee's. At Lao Sze Chuan you are never disappointed from lack of flavor, though most things come out similar in flavor, a.k.a. spicy and maybe salty. Poor service is to be expected in Chicago's Chinatown. But the food is worth a half hour wait, though I wouldn't have the patience to wait much longer than that.

    (4)

  • Jake R.

    My friend brought me to this place for some "real chinese" food. I was really hesitant because it was the first place I had been to, and he brought his Chinese friend with. His parents own restaraunts in China, so his standards for food are incredibly high. We opted to get some really spicy dishes and share them. I think they were rib tips, white fish in a spicy broth, and a shrimp dish. The rib tips weren't that great, but that's cause I hate fatty foods. The fish, which was my first time ever eating fish, was incredible. The shrimp was also just as tasty. The spiciness was flavorful, not just mouth destroying, which was amazing. Overall a fantastic place for some real Chinese.

    (5)

  • Caitlin G.

    Took my parents here for my Ma G.'s birthday. It was the perfect place for us, and the food was delicious. No reservations for any parties under 6 people, so be prepared to wait. On a Tuesday night around the Christmas holidays, we waited about 15 minutes after arriving around 8 PM. I liked the interior of this place. It was cute, despite the bizarre clear plastic chairs. Since it was Christmastime, tinsel adorned the walls. Despite a wild child toddler seated directly behind me who seemed fascinated by jumping up and down on her chair and coveting my hair, the vibe of this place is somehow relaxed at each table, despite the hustling, bustling waitstaff. To get started, we ordered spring rolls and crab rangoon. I thought the spring rolls were particularly delicious. I also ordered the hot and sour soup which I finished to the last drop and practically pried from a waiter's hands so I could do so. On the advice of some of these Yelp reviews, I ordered the Mapo Tofu when I was completely overwhelmed by the bajillion menu items. It was good, but I was so full that I can't totally say just how good it was. I would say that if you have out-of-town guests and are looking for a good Chinatown spot to take them, this restaurant is perfect. Remember to make reservations for parties over six!

    (5)

  • Arthur M.

    Pork (fat). Service good. Paper tablecloths.

    (5)

  • Tawheed H.

    We were both hungry and when we walked up to a line out the door at 1:30p, it gave us really good vibes for this place. We were sat, well she pointed out our table, thats cool, they're busy. The table had 2 menus and shortly after we sat down, the busser brought us our setting and tea. More than 5 minutes later the server came up to us, and the first thing out of his mouth- what do you want to order? Luckily we had enough uninterrupted time to figure this out. 2 waters, 2 wonton soups, a crab rangoon, a ma po tofu for Sara and a chili chicken for me. The entree's came first, followed by the crab rangoon, then the soup AND then after that our water. The crab rangoon was full of lump crab and really good. Sara's dish was really spicy and good, a lil too spicy for her. My chicken was very crispy, flavorful and had some spice. It definitely looks spicier than it is. I'd go again hoping I had a different server. Go for the food, not the service!

    (3)

  • Tina P.

    Ok, so we all know this place is spicy. However, the level of spiciness varies from visit to visit so this is what prevents me from giving it the full 5th star. Anything you order here is bound to be anywhere from decent to amazing. Make sure to order a variety of spicy and non-spicy items. Also, the hot pot is a fun date idea!

    (4)

  • Dave W.

    I'll state sarcastically although emphatically, that I don't give out many five star ratings. This place though, took me by surprise. A good friend of mine who lives in SE China most of the year suggested it, as 'hotpot' for him now ranks up with the likes of (authentic) Philly Cheesesteak and Bourgogne escarcot in terms of preferred exceptional global regional cuisine. Magnific. My recommendation - go with the hotpot, and do forgo the option they provide to pick your own dishes (if you're not familiar, it's more or less a hot plate with a boiling cauldron of vegetables and broth of your choice which you... just think fondue. sort of). Get the sampler plate(?).. or whatever they call it. $17 / person, which - believe me - is incredibly reasonable considering the portions. Various vegetables, beef, veal, shrimp, squid, etc, etc (a smorgasbord). Anyway - as you can see, I enjoyed it. Just be prepared for a two to three hour dinner.

    (5)

  • Matt C.

    delivery is terrible. They often forget things, namely the rice.

    (1)

  • Jeremy M.

    Quite good food, though the service upstairs in the banquet room was a bit slow. We got the hot pot for 5 of 10 people in our group, and it was a LOT of food. If you're into making your own food in a family style, putting it in boiling broth, then definitely give the hot pot a try. The place is BYOB, and it was nice to save some $ by bringing a case of beer for the group.

    (4)

  • Gigi N.

    Although the food tasted okay, the quality of their service was downright despicable. The staff had absolutely no interest in serving my table, but they gladly reprimanded us for not "tipping them enough." We gave 15% and that was more than enough for the crap they had given us. Trust the other reviews and save yourself the drama.

    (1)

  • Alan M.

    On a brilliantly cold Chicago evening, we ventured into Chinatown from the northern suburbs. We had to drop the ladies at the restaurant, and go park the car. I think we had to park in Michigan and walk back. By the time we returned from our trek (weather beaten, with ice crystals dangling from my beard), the ladies had been seated, and had a warm pot of tea, and some sort of hot spicy appetizer on the white-linen clothed table. We asked for recommendations from our very non-English speaking waitress... and just left our meal in her very capable hands. I have no idea what I ate, but I know it was delicious! Well worth the trip, but not so sure about the trek. My fingers are still numb.

    (5)

  • Susan S.

    This is a family favorite, great food, awesome prices and good for groups.

    (5)

  • Ram. S.

    Great for a group of friends. The food is amazing. I liked how the waiters knew so much about the menu and the ingredients in detail. The dumplings taste delicious--I recommend! It took them some time to serve the bread, but overall the experience was great and a very humble place.

    (4)

  • Jamie G.

    Well, we got in right away. We made the huge mistake of ordering as if we were at an Americanized Chinese restaurant. What we ordered was good, but I don't recommend the Mongolian Beef, Potsickers, Kung Pao, or Crab Rangoons. We actually received the CRs by mistake. We were told they would be taken off our bill, but they weren't. We didn't say anything, because we waited for what seemed like eons of looking around the room for our server, who was MIA for the entirety of our dinner. After doing some quick research, this is what I plan to order if we return: Dry Chili Chicken, pickled cabbage and Mo Po Tofu.

    (2)

  • Veronica C.

    I have been to Lao 3 times because I had a good experience the first 2 times. I've also visited their new restaurant in Uptown, and The Sweet Station (my 19-year old and her friends love it) and Lao You Ju in Chinatown. My last experience at Lao Sze Chuan was so bad that Tony (Hu- the owner) has lost 2 stars from me. We arrived on a Friday evening and were seated upstairs, no problem, until it was time to take our order. The waiter was not patient at all, with 300+ items on the menu, you would think he'd expect a few questions. He was being very short and you can feel the impatience. One of our friends finally said, "Just get me an order or crab rangoon, and I'll share whatever everyone else is having". I ordered something and asked if it had mushrooms, he said yes, and I said no mushrooms please. He didn't ask if we wanted drinks, and took off, we had to flag him down to order drinks. Our meals all came at different times, about 5-10 minutes apart and we had to ask for rice. I got my meal and it had mushrooms, and the waiter expected me to keep it when I pointed out the mushrooms. I had to ask him to take it back. Our crab rangoon came last, and was very cold. The waiter also kept disappearing. I don't think the waitstaff are held accountable for their tables after the order is taken because every dish was brought out by a different person, and our waiter never came back to check on us. We even had to flag him down to get our check. Once the food came, it was ok. I think the waiting for it to come out one-by-one and the cold appetizer ruined our appetite. I was very disappointed, especially since I had "talked it up" to the 3 friends that were there with me. But like I said, I've been the two other times, and the service was better and I enjoyed the food (Sze Chaun Chicken is great) so I might give it one more chance, hopefully they were just having a bad day. I just cant recommend it after my last visit.

    (3)

  • Kirstie S.

    I'm going to start right off and say there was a dead cockroach in the bathroom. Still reading? The sink was also plugged. Still reading? Food was delicious but they couldn't tell us what any of it was and it was a large group who ordered meat and vegetarian options...as I'm a vegetarian, it kind of mattered to me to know which dishes were vegetarian. Still reading? Ok, well, my stomach has hurt since I got home. I don't think it's food poisoning...it more reminds me of when I accidentally have had meat. I'm not violently ill or anything but I think it's clear that they are very insensitive to vegetarians and may not actually understand the term. Also, a friend of mine found a piece of "mystery meat" in her dish. It could have been because it was adjacent to other meat dishes and maybe someone just wasn't careful but with everything else (especially the roach), I don't think I will ever go back there again. Also, the seats were plastic...tacky? Yes. Very very tacky.

    (2)

  • Alex L.

    You will not find better Chinese food in the city. The only thing more amazing than the food is the price!

    (5)

  • Linda L.

    This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in all of the U.S. I haven't been there since I moved to Seattle from Illinois, but I can't find anything on this side of the country that even comes close. All of the traditional Sichuanese food here is awesome, and they have my favorite fried dumplings in the world (and that includes all the dumplings I've tried in China also). They are HUGE, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and filled with a slightly sweet ground pork that is beyond delicious. There was also a super cute, friendly Mexican bus boy there who I had a huge crush on, and he would always give my 12 year old brother extra fortune cookies. Not that that last part had anything to do with the quality of the restaurant, but on that note, I remember the service being pretty good also. The atmosphere here is also great and just how I like it - small and dive-y with gaudy, cheap decorations everywhere. That is exactly what I like to be surrounded with when I eat Chinese food.

    (5)

  • Scott O.

    I can't believe I forgot to review this when I went here at the end of August. I and another work colleague were taken here by our boss. We let him order the appetizers: a shredded cabbage appetizer ( too spice for me) and a bean curd appetizer that was amazing. I don't usually like bean curd but it was seared brown on the outside and moist on the inside and was served with a load of vegetables. The menu (which is extensive) had a list of dishes they were known for and I ordered prawns in a mayonnaise sauce. I was nervous about the mayonnaise sauce (imagining something gloppy and awful). Instead, the mayonnaise sauce was something the prawns were coated in before being cooked and this was truly one of the best dishes I've ever had at any Asian restaurant. My boss and colleague made fun of me ordering this but when they both tried some their eyes lit up and agreed that it was a must to order the next time we go. No frills decor-they put the emphasis on their food.

    (4)

  • Daniel L.

    Best restaurant in Chinatown. Hands down. And I grew up in Chinatown! I usually go there for their hot pot but I've also been there for private party events and let me tell you, their food is just out of this world. If you're wondering where you to go in the enormous sea of restaurants in Chinatown, give Lao Sze Chuan a chance. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Susan A.

    HOT POT! Other food is ok, but not super-duper. Given the other options around, this is not on my top visit list.

    (3)

  • Yang B.

    The food quality here has gone down hill. I will not go to this place again unless some out of town friends drag me into this place.

    (2)

  • Tim C.

    This is definitely one of the best in Chinatown. It's one of the first places (Ken Kee being another) that I bring people to when they want to try Chinatown in Chicago for the first time. I love the 3 cup chicken there as well as the pork belly on preserved vegetables. Tony's Dry Chili Chicken is a great dish that is a good compromise between the authentic Chinese food critic and the person in your group that might still favor the Americanized Chinese food that most people in the US are familiar with. The decor of the place is pretty tacky but I'm not going there to admire the chairs.

    (5)

  • Samson P.

    If you like really spicy food and can take the heat, I recommend you come here! Sze Chuan cuisine is known for its spiciness. They grow chili in that part of China and it shows in the food. Lao Sze Chuan is located on the corner in Chinatown square. They have a great deal - all you can eat hot pot. The hot pot is in spicy broth and you request trays of finely marbled fatty beef, veggies, tofu, mushrooms, and many nice hot pot items. I definitely recommend you give this a try. They also have nice cold spicy finely sliced beef. They have excellent service and you won't be disappointed.

    (4)

  • JoAnn O.

    We are from Houston, Texas. I think this restaurant is definitely overrated. I guess the standard in Chicago is different than Houston. We ordered Chili pepper chicken, Mongolian beef, Beef with broccoli and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. They were all OK and we had better elsewhere. The service was very slow at the beginning. Waiter staffs were just standing around. As they got busier, the service got better. The place is small and it is kind of pricy compare to Houston. They gave you free hot tea and pickled cabbage but yet they charge you white rice which is very odd to me.

    (3)

  • Jeffrey C.

    Let me open this review by saying- Quite honestly, I have eaten here probably more than 20 times. Out of all those times I've dined here, there have been 2 times that were simply horrible... not bad... HORRIBLE. One of them was today. (feel free to skip actual details and F-FWD to the bottom bits) I've had the Dry Chili Chicken more times than I am willing to admit, and usually it is simply magnificent chicken bits crisply fried into a frenzy of heated spice with ginger and garlic riding shotgun into a forehead sweating terror of joy and bliss- but today it was the most rubbery fatty oozing with greasy and undercooked-ness I could have imagined. Mongolian beef - Ok, I agree, this is a somewhat normal pedestrian dish, but usually, these 'normal' dishes are simply amazing versions of what you get elsewhere - today, the dish was literally sitting in more oil than is in my car's engine. The entire dish was quite literally underwater in oil.. not sauce/juice- OIL. Needless to say, every attempt to keep this oil at bay was impossible, and every bite was indeed a cascade of luke-warm sesame oil. The oil run-off from this dish would be enough to power a bio-diesel school bus for a month. I won't even bother to continue to list the dishes we ordered, and didn't eat. I feel it necessary to add that, over the several years I've been dining here, it is incredibly rare that any of the waitstaff has been able to answer even the most banal of queries. I can understand that in a start-up type situation, somewhat untrained or un-fluent english speaking is fairly par for the course, I can let it slide for a while. But at this point in time, we are years into this place, and it is very hit-or-miss on having any question you have, answered correctly or with any actual accurate detail whatsoever. Whoops, my bad for expecting something a little more than a smile and a nod, possibly with with the occasional 'its spicy' tossed in to mix it up. I'm simply tired of making excuses for this place when I bring question-bearing out-of-towners in for amazing food. And frankly, I can totally deal with the lack of fluency in english-language skills, but when I am trying to speak with the waitstaff to let them know of my dissatisfaction, and they nod and smile and walk away mid-sentence.. well I can no longer make excuses to rationalize this situation away. IN SHORT- Consistency is the key to success in my opinion. Why should I afford unskillfully or carelessly prepared food an excuse of 'a off day'. Consistency is KING. 'Off-days' are the mating-call of the mediocre. Exceptional restaurants don't have off-days... I really wanted to say Lao Sze Chuan was exceptional, but I can't.

    (2)

  • Samuel M.

    Since a bunch of us are rotating through a hospital nearby, we decided to check out Lao Sze Chuan for lunch. What a good call. They offer an encyclopedic variety of cheap ($7 for entree, soup, tea, and rice) lunch specials, most of which are delicious. Kung Pao squid is fork-tender, and served with just the right amount of mildly spicy sauce, veggies, and peanuts. The garlic eggplant comes with perfectly fried Chinese eggplant and a richly flavored garlic sauce. The clear standout among the dishes we sampled, however, is the dry chili chicken; perfectly fried, not remotely greasy chicken served simply with chili oil, chili flakes, and scallions. Blew me out of the water. There was one dud at our table: steamed shrimp and vegetables were bland, even for an un-sauced dish. Hot and sour soup was delicious, and crispy spring rolls were sufficiently flavorful to not require sauce. All in all, deliciously authentic Chinese dining experience. I will be back very frequently.

    (4)

  • Michelle C.

    Pretty good szechuan cuisine. Good place to go if you're from out of town and looking for some good, authentic, spicy chinese food.

    (4)

  • Angela D.

    First time I ever went here was when i first moved here from cali... I was in love. I tried out the orange chicken. It wasn't too orange-y or sweet, not too spicy. (Back then I was a total wuss about spicy stuff...) The tea they serve complimented the chicken very well. I couldnt handly the cabbage stuff they serve before your meal... We went again when his sister was graduating college, with the boyfriends mama & sister. I still couldn't eat spicy stuff but this time was cause of my breastfeeding babes... I ended up returning my favorite dish *orange chicken of course* and waiting about 1/2 an hour while i hungrily watched everyone else recieve & finish their dinner. After patiently waiting, i recieved my dish, COLD & still spicy. It was clear to me they had taken my dish, let it sit (was i being punished?!) and get cold. I was let down, dissapointed... but still in love with my orange chicken. I went again on Christmas Eve to reward myself for going out on such a dreary cold day during the busiest season of the year just to return a few items on PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, too. (poor me...) I don't mind going and having lunch alone once in a while, but wondered how I would be treated by the staff.... I was pretty much ignored. two tables came in after me, and were both served before me. Lunch came quickly, chicken fried rice, potstickers (delicious!) and wonton soup. Yes, i was starving but my eyes were bigger than my stomach... it was too much for one person. fried rice: if you LOVE bean sprouts, go for it. I have never eaten so many in my life, let alone one sitting. The chicken was flavorless. I think they used a can of peas & carrots or maybe the frozen stuff. I've made the stuff myself & consider mine flavorful, simple yet delicious. you can be sure i was highly dissapointed. potstickers: SO GOOD. they're sweet, full of flavor & great with the dipping sauce. wonton soup: simple, hot, satisfying. I've also gone for take out once & the boyfriend does not like his *old favorite* beef & broccoli anymore.... The orange chicken was perfect that time but i was so let down to go out of my way to get dinner for us, only to have the boyfriend turn his nose... i couldn't enjoy my own dinner. I ordered potstickers that time too, which i ended up waiting WAY too long for! it was ridiculous, waiting 30 minutes longer than they said it would take. All in all, I will be going somewhere else. It seems every time I go, it gets worse & the staff is not very great in my opinion.

    (2)

  • Donna K.

    I really used to like lao sze chuan because they make their food SPICY. But my last dining experience was awful which says something since I'm pretty tolerant of bad service from Asian restaurants. I ordered mapo tofu and asked if it came with meat. They told me 'no' so I asked for them to put some pork in there. When I got my dish there was a THICK red layer of oil on top and about a teaspoon of ground pork in the middle. It was disgustingly salty, too. Needless to say, I couldn't finish it. They asked if we wanted rice. We thought that was strange but shrugged it off. *tip* If an Asian restaurant asks if you want rice, ask if they charge for them. We both got charged EACh for our bowl of rice. They told us it was endless refill but only after we asked why we were charged. I'm sorry but Chinese restaurant charging for bowls of rice is just appalling. I wish they would have told us about charging, too, because we didn't even eat it. Anyways, the service is always horrible and this experience did it for me. No more.

    (2)

  • Cecilia T.

    Whenever i see a clean chinese restaurant with modern decor, my first thought is to be wary, since typically the best ones are hole in the walls that only have asian people eatin in here. Lao Sze Chuan had nice waiter service (seriously? a nice waiter in a chinese restaurant?) and was clean and modern. But most important, their food was really good!!! We first ordered the Mapo tofu. The waiter was accomodating -when I requested mildly spicy, he asked "on a scale of 1 to 10, how spicy." - i thought that was a thoughtful and helpful question, as no one wants food that turns out spicier or blander than expected. Also loved their Chicken Lo Mein - that really suprised me how much i liked this dish, considering it's really more of an americanized dish - but man they make it really well here! Tender steaming meat in a tasty perfectly seasoned sauce and i think the noodles are homemade as it had a great texture. I mean, i really do think it's hard to make a standout Lo Mein dish, of all dishes. But this one was one I'd go back just to have! Also liked how fresh and perfectly seasoned /stirfried was their Garlic Chinese Broccoli. Almost refreshing in a sense that the veggies just tasted fresh and "crisp". Their Beef Noodle Soup is their signature - but for americans, watch out how spicy this can be. It's quite intense and a red colored brot, and not what i was expecting. Very flavorful, a little too salty for me. I think i prefer Taiwanese style Beef Noodle soup over this. Lastly, unlike most chinese resaturants that service dry cheap rice, their rice was pretty decent and the better quality stuff. That totally is rare. In summary, their chinese food was pretty good for the chicagoland area.

    (4)

  • Will C.

    THE BEST SPICY ASIAN FOOD YOU WILL EVER EAT IN YOUR LIFE. Here's a list of what I get every time I go...been coming to this place for over 10 years and loving it every time. Remember......you come to Chinatown for food, not service, so stop griping! lol...and FOOD is greater than service. Their spicy cabbage is yummy~! Dry Chili Chicken (A Chef favorite) Dry Chili Prawns or Dry Chili Shrimp (if you dont like the shell) Salt & Pepper Scallop Dry Chili Pork (i call this dry chili bacon as that is what it looks like) Broiled Beef or Pork is Spicy Szechuan Sauce (Also, anythign with black bean sauce is always delicious!) If you don''t like this place, there is something wrong with you as all who come here would agree.....you won't be disappointed. **Note: If you are one of those people who go to Chinese restaurants to order the "American Chinese" dishes like kung pao chicken, sweet & sour pork, egg foo young, fried rice, etc....don't bother eating here or ordering those" You must order form the "Real Chinese Menu"....if you don't you will probably gripe about the price, and no one likes whiners lol =)

    (5)

  • K B.

    This is definitely the best spot in Chinatown. The dry chili chicken and two other dishes (ask for the top 3 most popular) were absolutely spectacular. This place is highly recommended, in so many ways.

    (5)

  • Mustansir M.

    Dry chilli chicken and sole fillet and sour cabbage soup. Amazing idea! The soup was super spicy with all the black pepper but that only helped open up my sinuses ;) Don't be fooled by the number of red chillies accompanying the chicken; the dish isn't as spicy as it looks but the chicken is a perfect accompaniment to the soup. The rest of the menu looks quite exciting and a bit overwhelming. We focused on the chef's selections right up front. There is a bit of a wait during the weekends but its worth it!

    (4)

  • Sophie C.

    I've been to the other Lao Sze Chuan locations in Downers Grove and Boston, MA, and this one is by far the worst of the three. I'm comparing across the same dishes - Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, Twice Cooked Pork Intestine, Ma Po To Fu, and Pork Intestine with Pork Blood. The Chili Chicken is usually a winner but here it's dry and flavorless. There are so many chili pepper flakes that they actually interfere with the texture, but even they don't add flavor to the chicken. It's just sad and oily, even to me. The Twice Cooked Pork here is also kind of bland and tasteless instead of rich and flavorful the way it should be. The twice cooked pork intestine dish is actually quite yummy, but the portion is quite small. The dish I enjoy the most now out of the ones I've listed is actually the Pork Intestine with Pork Blood. It kind of comes in a soup and there isn't much besides the two listed ingredients, but once you fish them out they're rich and delicious. Love it. I've also tried the twice cooked duck tongue once when I was in an adventurous mood. Don't get it. They're the saddest little peanut-sized morsels that are mostly bone and you spend most of your time trying to figure out what is edible instead of enjoying the dish. Cuisine aside, the atmosphere of the place is also mediocre. It never seems like they have enough room to accommodate people, and the hostesses are all rather rude. (Watch out for the guido middle-aged Chinese guy with glasses who will try and manhandle you regardless of gender!) The chairs are made of transparent plastic and they're kind of haphazard about refilling tea and water. When you dine in, though, they do give you a little dish of spicy cabbage as an appetizer Overall, this would not be the place to take someone you want to impress. It's where I go when I am desperate for some sort of Szechuan food downtown, but not when I want genuinely GOOD Chinese food. It's not a place where I would take friends who are visiting the city, for example - unless they were suffering a similar craving that could not wait until their trip out to a likely better Szechuan restaurant. Hint: guys, I would not pick this as a date venue unless your girlfriend loves spicy, super Chinese food. P.S. If you call for delivery, the woman is strict about zoning but the man is not. Aka if you live outside of their delivery zone, chances are the man will get you your food, but the woman will shut you down.

    (3)

  • Mike S.

    There's the conventional wisdom that after eating Chinese food, you'll be hungry again in 20 minutes. Yea, if you order from the crappy place in your local strip mall. I don't think I can go back to those days. Is Lao Sze Chuan the best Chinese restaurant in Chicago? Possibly. Is it the best I've ever had? Absolutely. A short walk from the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop gets your senses going as with all the restaurants along Archer, the entire neighborhood smells like Chinese food. Unlike the super-fried half-asseries common in most Chinese places, here, the Chinese food actually tastes like...you know....FOOD! But Spiceophobes beware. The name of the restaurant has "Sze Chuan" in it. You are in for some fire. For an appetizer, I had the Sze Chuan dry beef, which another member of our table aptly described as "Chinese Jerky." Perhaps accurate, but I kinda wish I had a bag of it that I could eat at my desk at work. Delicious. I can't accurately describe each of the entrees, because I grabbed them all and made it into a giant Sze Chuan mound on top of rice. The self-made melange consisted of Sole Fish cutlet in chili bean sauce, Salt and Pepper Prawns, Tony's Chicken with Three Chili (the clear winner at our table), that by the end left even this spiceophile reaching for his Tsing Tao to put out the flames. Baby Baicai with Mushrooms and a Crispy Sweet Potato dessert helped mellow out the end of the meal. The only complaint that I have is they screwed up our tabs, putting some drinks on other people's tabs, and giving our table fewer checks than we had people, then accusing our group that some people had not paid. Well yea, because you put the drink on another check.... In other circumstances, that could have been a lot more annoying. I would highly recommend Lao Sze Chuan for a date, or a group of friends, especially if you want to take your date or friends out of the sheltered purview of the North Side, but make sure you call ahead! By 7:30 the place was packed and they were turning away people at the door...ON A TUESDAY! Safe to say Lao Sze Chuan is the first Chinese restaurant in Chicago that left me feeling...full!

    (4)

  • Tiff B.

    I really, really, really like the Tony's Chicken. I'm kinda boring when it comes to Chinese food and don't venture out much. That being said, the fried rice, eggrolls and other chicken dishes are pretty solid too. The egg drop soup was so hot it almost burned my lips off my face, but once it cooled, it was good. The service left a lot to be desired, but we got our food in a reasonable amount of time during the busy dinner rush. Will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Chaos M.

    This is authentic Chinese Sichuan Style food. Great food! Less spicy than the Szechuan House in Iowa City.

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    one of the many places in China town to go visit.. this place is very modern huge menu with lots of options... take your time

    (3)

  • Jared J.

    Oh Tony, you genius bastard! How do you keep your Tony's three Chili Chicken so crispy! It defies physics. My usual lunch order. Dry chili beef to eat in and an order of Tony's chicken to go. For some reason, it tastes even better cold- it's pretty much the ultimate popcorn chicken. I open it up at home the next day to take one nibble, then find myself finding reasons to step back into the kitchen to grab one more piece, and this charade continues until I've eaten the whole thing. I've got several of my friends addicted to this same routine. Try it some time. Also, the big guy with an enormous pinkie ring that appears to be the manager is always bossing the staff in the most animated way as if he's Tony Soprano of Chinatown- it's really quite comical

    (5)

  • Angelica D.

    I liked that popular spicy fried chicken dish. Everything else was alright.

    (4)

  • Vanitha S.

    I got some type of fish dish that left me licking the plate. Everything here was so great, from the food to the service to the ambiance. This is a more authentic experience than the ever crowded Joy Yee's. Would come back here in a heartbeat!

    (5)

  • Jess L.

    Lao Sze Chuan is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. It's amazing for Szechuan delicacies, like on par with Szechuan food you'd get in Szechuan! Service is fast, and the turn over of tables is pretty decent. They definitely "do" spicy, so be careful what you wish for.

    (5)

  • Paul B.

    My first trip to China town included dinner at Lao Sze Chuan. Wow. I had no idea Chinese (Szechuan) could be this amazing. Before you order anything they bring cabbage (I believe) in a oil with red pepper flakes... what a great way to introduce the fire that is about to be consumed. We had 2 entrees and a vegetable dish which was way too much food for two people, but provided sufficient and tasty leftovers later. You absolutely MUST try the Boiled Beef! It is definitely spicy but oh so delicious. Also very good is Tony's Chicken which has a very interesting texture because it's breaded but cooked in the wok. I honestly don't think I can eat 'regular' Chinese food ever again without thinking about Lao Sze Chaun

    (4)

  • Brian B.

    Great food. Wonderfully spicy chili chicken. I went there with co-workers and ate up a feast of Lao Sze Chuan's Special Dry Chili Chicken.

    (4)

  • Tom X.

    like the other restaurants owned by the same group (lao beijing and lao shanghai) this place serves authentic chinese fare at a fair price. The dishes we've tried here are always good so you can't really go wrong with anything here. The squirrel fish ( i think that's what it's called) was crispy and flavored very well. Not a place you go for ambiance but it's definitely clean and simple. There is always a short wait on fri/sat nights so you know it's good when there are so many similar restaurants in chinatown.

    (4)

  • Chi-Li C.

    In Chicago for the weekend and I wanted to eat Hot Pot since it was 15 degrees outside. Decided to try this place based on the reviews. We decided on the all you can eat hotpot for $17. Bad decision. The hot pot items were brought to our table. The meat was NOT cut thinly. Service was not good in bringing us the items we ordered. Also, certain items are NOT included in the all you can eat, such as the shrimp. Also, you can't make your own dipping sauce. You only get garlic sauce, peanut sauce, and soy sauce. I was very disappointed.

    (2)

  • Raytus C.

    I've never had a hotter meal at any restaurant. When they put the peppers on the side of the menu items -- you better watch your step. Szechuan cooking is like a mix between Cantonese and Thai food. You don't get a whole lot of corn starch gummy sauces, and you get a lot of heat in exchange. There are too many menu choices at Lao Sze, and the staff doesn't have the language skills to explain the menu or get a feel for what round eyes are looking for. You're on your own with literally hundreds of menu items - and that kind of makes it a crap toss, unfortunately. But when you hit the jackpot, its a world class experience. We did have one night where everything was off. We suspect the chef was on holiday as they were out of ingredients and there was a general feel of "ship adrift' in the dining room.

    (4)

  • Joanna C.

    Delicious! Looking for great food and ok atmosphere, this is where you should go. Prices are very reasonable too. Pot stickers and crab rangoons a must! Big portions too:) I'll be back!

    (5)

  • Gayle G.

    Two years in a row for NYE and two years in a row, it's a win! I shouldn't be telling you this, but Chinatown is empty on NYE. We walked right in with no wait at all at 9 p.m. Hot Pot was awesome, as usual. My faves are the fish and the porky meatballs. The hot broth is so hot, I love it!

    (4)

  • Berlin G.

    The portions here are pretty good. Nice spice to it. Prices aren't that expensive, especially when you think about the size of the dish. My main issue is how much oil is in the dishes O_O It looked like they just threw a bottle of oil in the pot and threw the spiciest shit they can find with it. Don't get me wrong, that oily stuff was tasty but I definitely had a stomach ache that night well into the next day. So if you don't mind feeling a some pain after your delicious greasy meal then I suggest this place. hahaha. Wow, this review sounds so bad even though it isn't my intention. Oh well.

    (3)

  • Monica Z.

    So I decided to take someone here knowing the food is great and the place is known for its authentic cuisine and they have a pretty extense menu. We were seated at a shared table which was no problem. I was looking to accomodate a specific diet so I had initially ordered the dry chili chicken for myself ,which is phenomena,l however decided to cancel that since we decided on splitting a steamed fish dish. We specifically asked if the dish came with a sauce and requested it be served on the side. We were VERY clear about this part of the order indicating he could not have any type of sauce or grease on the fish. 10 -15 minutes after we ordered I received an order of the dried chili chicken...yes, the order i had cancelled...one waitress took it away and then the waitress that had taken our order insisted that I had not cancelled it. I decided to not argue and take the chicken...30 minutes passed and the rest of the table was enjoying their food, still no fish...1 hr went by, the other patrons were getting their checks and we were still waiting. When a waitress came back asking if we needed our check we told her we hadnt eaten because we were waiting on the fish. My date had to get up and ask the waitress who took our order when his food would be ready and she told him that dish would take a long time...wouldve been nice to know beforehand...anyway the fish finally came and guess what...it was covered in sauce. We refused it and sent it back and paid for the chicken and 2 bowls of steamed rice that we never even ordered. Its a shame that a restaurant with such great food lacks decent service Never again Lao Sze Chuan, thanks for the great food, I will miss it...I can get better service at a Taco Bell.

    (1)

  • Candy Eden M.

    The food is very good do not expect great services.... the chilly chicken is very tasty and also the sze chuan beef stew..

    (3)

  • Mathew K.

    If you love spice, and love chinese food there is no better restaurant for you! From their Dried Chili Chicken or beef, to their Dried Chili Pork which is like bacon with a kick, the spic is intense but perfect. The prawns are wonderful, the salt and peper scallops are awesome and the cabbage in the chili oil is a great way to get started! You can't help but gorge yourself but be sure to eat a lot of rice or you'll regret it the next day!

    (5)

  • Bob D.

    Time to reload my favorite Chinese spot. After a quick bout with Chinese lightning, Lao is open again! A nice remodel that features some tasteful updating, although I found the chairs terribly uncomfortable, but that may be by design. Tony doesn't want you sitting on your bloated ass while diners are waiting to spend their money. The bathrooms are the biggest improvement, although clean and new, maybe not the most efficient, but a nice surprise. Food was fresh and spot on as always, the potstickers were good, as was a beef and snow pea, very rich and the pods were among the freshest and most perfectly cooked I have had. I worked in the garden extensively over the past week and was really in the mood for veggies. I ordered the Szechuan vegetables, a simple preparation of stir fried veggies and some chicken stock (I think). While on many occasions this dish may have left me wanting something that had organs, it was perfect, a nice melange of very fresh vegetables perfectly cooked, the snow peas and bamboo shoots really stood out. This would be a nice dish to add to a large family style dinner to round out many of the heavy traditional Szechuan dishes. In the past my favorites have been the Pork belly with Tofu, a long braised rich decadent dish. Fried salt and pepper lamb, (My sons favorite food on earth) crispy and tender it defies logic, Three chili chicken with bone, remember those old Reese's peanut butter cup commercials where the chocolate and peanut butter crash into each other? Well sometimes the whole is greater than the parts, a southbound chicken slams into a north bound bag o hot peppers, garlic and ginger, there is a fire and from this tragedy comes a bowl of fiery goodness. Another great are the bok choy and black mushrooms, there are many variations, but this is simple and relies on the ingredients freshness, the green is super green, the black is like that brand new heavy metal shirt you bought back in '83, each item shines on it's own and the whole creation is Zenlike. Don't be shy ordering here, always get one dish more than you need, just to taste. Freshness is key here and if you are paying attention you will see what is wrong with many other Chinese restaurants.

    (5)

  • Kristine M.

    We had lunch with my boyfriend's father here on Father's Day because he loves Chinese food. This is quite possibly the best authentic Chinese restaurant in Chicago. Their menu is fucking huge, and if you're not afraid to try new things their menu will definitely get you cross-eyed. Service is fast and friendly, but the food is ON POINT. Make sure you get everything spicy because that is their specialty. :)

    (4)

  • Melissa D.

    Wow, this was my first ever time to Chinatown, and I am so happy that we chose Lao Sze Chaun... The doorman was really nice and eager to seat us...and the smell of all the food just emanated and filled the room, which made my mouth start to water and tummy start to growl.... We couldn't get to our table fast enough.... Our server was nice, exact and straight to the point. We sat there for a lil bit, which we weren't complaining at all about because of the extensive menu...WOW! They have everything! and when I mean everything, it. is. everything. I was unsure on what to order except for one thing. First things first. Tsing Tsao. Yes, please. I would order 2 at a time if I was allowed... The beer is fantastic, and super easy to drink. The restaurant is lit up very brightly, even at 10 o'clock at night. Perhaps so you can see your food, maybe so you don't sit around and linger, I dunno, but at first it kind of weirded me out, but I think I might have liked it. I wasn't getting sleepy from stuffing my face, and it allowed me to see what others were eating, to help me figure out what the heck I was about to put in my belly. I decided on the Beef and Peapods. I know, I know, Seems kind of boring, but it was AMAZING. Not like your typical take out beef and peapods, but a million times better. Very flavorful. And yes, it tasted like beef. We also ordered the Chicken and Red Chiles... Not at all what we imagined, but delish all the same. It was more like fried chicken with about 75 red peppers with it, but it doesn't have a sauce or anything. We followed other yelp reviews and ordered, and yes, it was pretty good, however, I think we could have found something a little bit better. The spicy coleslaw they serve at the beginning of the meal is a great starter. Nice work. The spring roll was your typical spring roll, however, minus the plate full of grease. Being a Chinatown virgin, and picking this place out, I feel like we sealed the deal, and we'll be back. thank you - (Xièxiè)

    (5)

  • Jen F.

    What a yummy lunch spot! I met my folks for some late lunch here and we were all very happy with the food. We're definitely "American" Chinese food eaters, so I can't comment on their authenticity because we all ordered American style dishes - Mongolian beef, sweet & sour chicken, and mu shu pork. But all three were absolutely delicious. The potstickers we ordered were fantastic too. They charge $1 extra per person for white rice, maybe that's normal but I haven't experienced that before. Luckily, the rice is perfectly cooked and plentiful so it wasn't really an issue. My biggest complaint was the chairs - they are those clear "ghost chairs" with the restaurant logo on the back. They are simply the most uncomfortable chairs ever. Besides that though we had a great lunch!

    (4)

  • molly w.

    Extremely disappointing! Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I just don't actually like "real" Chinese food. Either way, it was not worth the trek. On their menu, we did not see egg rolls listed, only spring rolls, even though Steve Dahl is quoted on their menu as saying they have the best egg rolls. So we asked our waiter if they did serve egg rolls, he said yes, so we ordered 2. What came out were definitely spring rolls, and not very good ones at that. Too much over fried crispyness on the outside or something. We also ordered the crab rangoon, which also were too fried and not very flavorful. Maybe I'm just used to the kind of rangoons that are mostly cream cheese with little crab, but I think these had heavy crab and little cream cheese, which in my book were not very good. I read the rave reviews here on yelp of the ma po tofu, and since it was listed as one of their spicy specialties, I ordered it. This was probably one of the most disgusting dishes that I have ever been served in my life. Ok, that may be a bit of an overstatement, but it was inedible. I'm not sure if they used silken tofu or what, but it was like eating mushy baby food but with an even more weird texture. The flavor of the spicy sauce was decent, but since the majority of the dish was mushy tofu, it was inedible. Even my boyfriend who eats anything didn't like it. My boyfriend's dish wasn't nearly as terrible as mine, it was also from the spicy specialty menu, some kind of spicy chicken chili dish, which he said was quite good but way too many hard, inedible peppers in the dish. It was quite spicy by his account, he was definitely sweating and his face was flushed while eating (which is a good thing). My mom ordered the kung pao chicken, which was the highlight of the meal, the flavor was what one would expect from top notch kung pao. This dish was at the level we thought all the dishes would be....alas, we were not that fortunate. Will not return, would much rather try the hundreds of other Chinese restaurants nearby than return. Or I should probably just stick to Thai food....more veggies, less oil and better spicy flavors....

    (2)

  • Shawn C.

    There is nothing bad I can say about this place. My dining companions and I just loved every thing that was brought to our table. Our service was good, prompt greeting and seating. I should have known that I was in for something good when a nice little plate of 'yumminess' arrived to wet our palettes - Spicy cabbage, wow was it good and spicy. We ordered a few things, vegetable fried rice, garlic chicken, Tony's three chili chicken and peppered beef. All were just delicious. in fact the veggie fried rice was the best I've ever had. I remember this restaurant from the Taste of Chicago - Dry Chili Chicken which in fact set my entire body on fire. A good fire I might add, that shit is delicious. This will definitely become one of my favorite places in Chinatown...

    (5)

  • Marie B.

    Good food, but not as impressed as I thought I would be because of the reviews. Egg Roll: fresh and not too oily. Mongolian Beef: I'm a mushroom lover, so the fresh large mushrooms in the dish was what sold me. Just like the egg rolls not too oily. Juicy and moderatly tender beef strips. Staff was very attentive and friendly.

    (3)

  • Leaht F.

    Delicious and spicccccy food! Fun atmosphere, and attentive wait staff. Can be a bit packed sometimes and get a little noisy. The free cabbage is really tasty, and if you like SUPER spicy foods, the LaLaLa Chicken is awesome. The neighborhood is a bit shady, but there are a multitude of fun little shops and restaurants along the block that are neat to explore. An adventure for the taste buds and soul!

    (4)

  • Jeff K.

    Really good, authentic Chinese food -- fun atmosphere, inexpensive. The maitre'd was demonstrating Kung Fu in the alley while we waited for a table -- he's a hoot! They ran out of clams so we couldn't get the dish we were looking for; the octopus dish we ordered was overcooked, so the octopi were pretty tough & chewy. Seafood hot & sour soup was great, combination fried noodles very good. A little tough getting the order & communicating because the waitstaff speaks very little English and, well, I don't speak any Chinese. For us it just added to the fun, but just be warned this ain't no trip to PF Chang.

    (3)

  • Steve B.

    I would love to give this place NO stars if I could. Having eating in Chinatown easily over 100 times, this was far and away my worst dining experience for multiple reasons. The service was so dreadfully bad I honestly don't know where to begin. First, the host was some gentleman outside who had to be the the loudest and crudest doorman in restaurant history. I know most restaurants in this area don't have a first priority on service, but this guy was like a military sergeant. Once we actually got inside, It literally took 30 minutes to just get us water and menus. Then once our appetizers started arriving, we had to ask for utensils about 5 times before they could manage to bring over chopsticks. We were checked on zero times and if I wanted a refill on my water, I had to frantically wave down my waiter and pray he doesn't ignore me. We eventually found out there was a massive delay on water because THEY WERE OUT OF CUPS. Maybe this is acceptable where you dine, but if I'm going to be consuming spicy asian food, I'd like to have a glass of water. I really don't know where to start with the food. If you want to stop reading now, that is fine. Just head right next door to Ming Hin where I guarantee you will have an excellent meal for about half the price in a much much nicer setting. We got the 3 chili chicken which everyone on yelp had been raving about. Granted it was the only decent thing we got on the night, but by no means was it stellar. It was a decent chinese chicken dish that wasn't exemplary in the slightest. We got the hot pot which had a decent flavor, but the meat was pretty atrocious and bordeline inedible. We got a bunch of other dishes which were all mediocre at best. By far the biggest disappointment for me was the salt and pepper seafood dish. This dish contains shrimp, squid, and scallop for 14.95 and should have the signature chinese salt and pepper seasoning. If you want to have awesome salt and pepper seafood for literally half the price, walk a few doors down to Chi Cafe and you will be satisfied. The portion on this dish was incredibly small and lacked any flavor. I was with a party of eight and had been talking about this dish at other establishments. A few people in my group had never been to chinatown so I figured they would be wowed by this flavor. Sure enough it was so poorly executed just like everything else on the night. I urge you to just go to Ming Hin next door or for even slightly cheap just hit up Chi Chi Cafe. Their food is so so much better and far cheaper.

    (1)

  • Hoang L.

    Lao Sze Chuan, you are the winner of the best Chinese restaurant in Chicago. You are the best in your class. You're clean, you're authentic, and you have class. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge Chinese food fan, so I won't be one your regulars. I'll probably stop by once a year. If I had to pick one dish to recommend all my fellow Yelpers, I would say the Orange Beef Tenderloin is my #1 choice. ~$12, but it's a good split between 4 people.

    (5)

  • Erron F.

    Friday night, you ain't got no place to be, i'm going to get you chinese. That was our mentality last night, but the problem was, the weather sucked and we couldn't motivate out. Solution=delivery; let some poor sap bring it to us for the $3.00 delivery fee (plus tip of course). This would have been a five star review, but the dumplings were cold when they arrived. That said, they were still wonderful. This place has some great flavors, spices and sauces. I'm sure when its warm enough to walk, i'll try going there, but south loopers- if they deliver and you feel like a bottle of wine, movie and your own couch-with some good chinese food....this place is it.

    (4)

  • Scott P.

    Came out here for dinner tonight with a good friend of mine, and I absolutely dig it. First off, let's take a look at the the menu shall we? It's HUGE. There's a TON of stuff, and a lot of stuff out here that will be REALLY impressive to order in front of your whiter-than-thou friends. We started with a couple of Sapporos and some Szechuan rabbit. Now, keep in mind, there's an actual warning ON the menu that the rabbit has bones in it, so I don't wanna hear anyone bitching about bones. RABBIT HAS BONES. If you're not willing to commit to nibbling and gnawing through tiny rabbit bones then you don't deserve the tender marinated goodness of the meat. Man up. On to the next. My friend ordered the triple-spice lamb, which was so good that it "baaaaaah-ed" while you ate it. I ordered the spicy pork intestine (cause I'm that guy!!) and it was incredible. Problem is, I was halfway through the dish when I discovered the delicious bed of cabbage beneath the offallic goodness. The crunch of the cabbage is the PERFECT compliment to the soft buttery goodness of the meat. And good lord, I want to be embalmed with their spicy sauce. I can't wait to come back here and try something new. I'll be hard pressed to try anywhere new until I try at least five new dishes here!

    (4)

  • Jonathan H.

    Just had dinner here tonight with 4 other friends. We all left very satisfied. For you spice lovers, this is the place to go. The restaurant has an extensive menu and you will be left wondering what to get. We ordered the ma-po tofu, dried chili chicken, boiled beef with sauce, beef stew noodles, garlic green beans, and chengdu dumplings. Everything was delicious but my favorite dish is probably the dried chili chicken. I won't go into much detail here since there are plenty of other Yelpers who have commented enough about it, but if you like popcorn chicken, this is an item you must get. The spice isn't too overbearing (for me at least), but I'm used to eating spicy food. The texture of the food was great and the tofu was probably one of the more flavorful tofus I've had in a while. The only drawback is that everything comes out very oily, but that's what you get with Sichuan food. Place was crowded when we came in, which was a good sign. We waited about 20 minutes to get a table and were served timely. Very friendly servers and host. I won't make a habit of coming to eat here because it's probably not too healthy. For example, when they brought the tofu out, you can see the layer of oil glistening and glazing on the top. Also a plus if you're a student and you pay with cash...you get 10% off. Afterwards, do yourself a favor and stop by Joy Yee for a freeze to cool you down.

    (4)

  • Ben S.

    Went there for lunch, seated faster than they warned. Had the Dry chilli chicken and Tony's Chicken. Both were amazing, but not as spicy as they warned. Great value and great food, even though they added an extra 50c to my credit card (yes, I check my receipts against my statements because I've been ripped off before)

    (4)

  • Denzil K.

    I can always count on this place to hit it out of the park. The chili chicken from there easily beat the korean chicken. I also love the other spicy food they offer. Pair them with Chinese beer. The wait to be seated isn't the quickest in the world, so be prepared to wait standing around in the cold.

    (5)

  • P S.

    What does a girl do when she has a day off and is already haunting Cermak Ave due to the location of her printer? She hits up Lao Sze Chuan for some Chef Tony Dry Chili Chicken, that's what! Friendly and welcoming to the solo diner, the kind servers set me up with some hot and sour soup, a little plate of hot n' spicy house-made cabbage gratis and my order of Tony Chicken. Oh and the tea, a hot, steamy pot of delicious either oolong or jasmine tea, I couldn't tell and luckily I love them both. It doesn't come cheaply, these trips for Tony Chicken, but it's worth every red cent. And red pepper flake. Got a head cold? Go order what I just did and your passages will clear right up.

    (5)

  • Angelo P.

    Everyone in Chicago seems to love Lao...but they haven't won my heart :( I lived in Beijing for a while and used to frequent hot pot restaurants with large groups of friends...hotpot restaurants were all the rage in Beijing at the time...some of my fondest memories are from the hot pot joints and the food was always pretty good at them. I came to LSC with a group of people having hyped up hot pot for them for weeks...I order some meats, spicy broth...everything looked fine until I actually ate it. Frist of all the broth was missing one of the main ingredients which is the Sichuan Flower Pepper...it's just not the same without that ingredient and I have no clue why they omitted it from the broth! I ordered some tripe only to find out it tasted exactly like chitlins from aldis in the plastic container...:/ the dipping sauces were mediocre and the meats and veggies seemed low quality. On top of the bland food the check was super steep for what we ordered...had it been a good experience the price would have never registered in my mind but it honestly sucked ass. I asked a waitor in mandarin if there was a good hotpot restaurant nearby at the time, and he said "no...there is no very good one. Most restaurants around here are somewhat americanized so we can do business" After we left the place everyone got a ridiculous headache probably from all of the msg in the broth. Lao Sichuan was a massive disappointment for me :/ If this place was dropped in Chengdu, Chongqing, or even Beijing it would most definitely fail miserably. Sorry Old Sichuan, but nothing about you reminds me of the old country :/ [Someone just told me that Sichuan Peppercorns were illegal in the states until 2005 and businesses still haven't added that ingredient into their dishes that traditionally have it...please add them to the spicy recipe now! lol]

    (1)

  • Laurence K.

    Jammed packed on an early Sunday night we thankfully had a reso. We all came for the Hot Pot. we ordered regular and Spicy broth and all the fixings. The only thing I didn't like was the tripe, I'm not a fan and there was a lot of it. Everything else however was great. I want to come back to try the other dishes which looked great

    (3)

  • Dusty K.

    Having lived next to Chinatown for 5 years, I figured it was finally time to give it a try. If you haven't noticed, I don't get out much. But Lao was the obvious choice after speaking with my Asian friends. The menu is roughly 53,281 pages long so picking an option took 35 minutes of browsing. Jokes aside, I closed my eyes and picked one. With my horrible luck I ended up getting one of the most boring and bland dishes they serve. But others ordered a spicy beef dish and fried pork which were nothing short of outstanding. I was grabbing seconds and thirds as I pushed my order to the side. My advice - don't get the chicken with vegetables. Seriously, don't. Follow my advice and you'll love this place. Delicious.

    (4)

  • Y V.

    Two words - TONY'S CHICKEN! It's also referred to as "Chicken Crack". It's the perfect mix of crispy, fried chicken bites in a spicy-sweet sauce with sauteed garlic and jalapenos. It's so delicious! I have also tried their Ma Po tofu, which was good, but next time I will ask them to add ground pork to it for extra flavor. Their salt-and-pepper green beans are the best. I also recommend their *spicy* pork and squid noodles. Their menu is HUGE, and it's very authentic. Be adventurous and try something from the "very-chinese" portion of the menu :) The service isn't great, but we come here for the fantastic food.

    (5)

  • J M.

    I have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant since I never really developed an appreciation for Chinese cuisine in general. Sadly, this restaurant didn't help. They were out of the pea shoot dish, so we ordered the Chinese broccoli and it was tasty. We also order chicken sizzling rice soup, which turned out to be inedible goop akin to pork and beans. Yes, we ordered soup and, instead of broth, a bowl of liquid with the consistency of pork and beans arrived at our table. GROSS. We also got the fried chicken that comes with szechuan peppers. I didn't really care for the dish as it wasn't discernibly spicy, the chicken meat was almost non-existent, and it was oilier than a little ceasar's pizza. There seemed to be a language barrier (even though I went with a person who spoke Chinese) and the total bill topped $60 for lunch for two people...in Chinatown. Something is clearly wrong with that. * from my visit on 12/29/11

    (2)

  • Nahbee S.

    I guess it's all a matter of taste. I've had Szechuan food all over the US and I can say that Lao comes very close to eating in Szechuan Providence. I live in the burbs so I don't get to eat here as often as I'd like. I like all of there seafood dishes and just had the fish and tofu. There was a little bit too much chili oil floating at the top but no big deal. Maybe ordering it take out had something to do with that. My friend ordered veggie Mu Shoo and it didn't knock my heels off. Too sweet. Beef and vegetables were incredible as always! Oh yeah, the kimchee!! Being Korean, I can say that I've had my share of kimchee. Dang! The kimchee here is so delicious my mouth waters thinking about it! I've tried to duplicate it but I just cant get it right. I'd pay for the recipe:) There's a reason the Chef has been awarded numerous medals for his work.

    (5)

  • Devin H.

    Hot dried chili beef and chicken were great. The chicken fried rice is good too. The chicken was soft -- most restaraunts cook the chicken until it is dried out.

    (4)

  • Patty S.

    If you want authentic Chinese cuisine in the heart of Chinatown, stay on Archer Avenue and find Lao's! Anything you order is out-of-this-world! My regular meals here are the mayonnaise shrimp or the eggplant with garlic sauce. The portions are smaller than what most Chinese restaurants provide, but the quality can't compare! If you only have one night in Chinatown, go to Lao's!

    (5)

  • Angelina K.

    Great place. Wonderful food, spicy and hot. Tonys chicken is good, a little sweet flavor. Service is great, very cozy place and the owner is great , meeting customers at the Door, seating them. He also helped us choose the dinner choices:) Very great place.

    (5)

  • Eric H.

    Yea, they got Rice mutha F*cka, Rice!!! So when the Wu Tang Clan are in Chicago, not only do they eat in the upstairs dining room of Lao Sze Chuan, but after closing they kick it with the owner Tony ( called Fat Tony, cause he's really skinny) Hu at his favorite disco in Schaumburg. Yes you know you're "in" when you get the invite join Fat Tony at a disco in Schaumburg as I have. I've not been yet, but I'm sure that it's the only cool joint in Schaumburg. Any way, back to my review. One of the reasons why Chicago is such a provincial back water of a major city is because unlike New York, San Fran, or Nola, before my man Tony Hu arrived on this desolate scene, you couldn't even get real Chinese here. Yes Chicago, Egg Foo Young and Chop Suey are not Chinese Mutha F*ckas! What my man, Fat Tony be cook'n up is "the really real". I'm talking Szechwan Soul Food!!!! How do you know it's real? Well first by the heaps of fresh spicy heat used. Yes bland Midwest taste buds gooooo else ware! Second, real Chinese People are in there, straight grubbing down on Duck Bone Soup, Beef Tendon with Sour Pickle, Twice-Cooked Spicy Pork Intestine, Pig Ear Szechuan Style, Stir-Fried Beef Maw, House Special Dry Chili Duck Tongue, Sea-Cucumber or Jelly Fish Home Style. O.K. I'm not that adventurous, but my point is, this food is the real deal. Personally, my favorite is the Famous Dungeoness Empire Lobster with fresh red chili, garlic and ground pork. I get this every time, yo! Yea this place is the really real, all the way down to the "maître d" who looks like he's from central casting of major villains from Bruce Lee movies. But instead of gold, he rocks jade bracelets and pinky ring, a diamond ear ring, Gazelles, and a cool vest that might even be bullet proof! But warning yuppie and older hipster Americans, don't bring your brats here! Chinese children are super well behaved. But pale faced brats running around restaurants are NOT considered cute, but in fact are an insult to The House of Lao Sze Chuan and an offense to The Shaolin Temple and Bobbie Digital. Also the staff will laugh at you if you order shrimp fried rice. And No they don't speak English like the Americanized Chines places, but if you get huffy they will ask if you speak Mandarin. And when you say no, they will tell you to shut the hell up because they speak Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese,Yue, Min and English!

    (5)

  • Adjoa T.

    Service was pretty quick and attentive. Checking out other people's plates before we decided to stay and eat, the food looked pretty good. Sesame chicken I ordered was a little disappointing. The menu indicated it was sweet, but that was not the product I received (or was used to). It wasn't that bad though, just not what I'd been craving per se. Nevertheless, my faux acid reflux got the best of me, so I maxed that chicken to kingdom come. My friend got the spring rolls and crispy sweet potatoes, which she seemed to enjoy enough to finish. Overall, it served a purpose, but definitely didn't hit the spot. It's possible I ordered the wrong things, however.

    (3)

  • neesha d.

    not a big fan of chinese food but this was really tasty! the spicy cabbage they start you with was really delicious but burned my mouth! i couldn't stop eating it and then cursing myself fo rcontinuing to set my mouth on fire!! hahaha. everyone recommends hte dry chili chicken which i agree is pretty good (beware, when it arrives to your table it looks like someone accidentally spilled a whole jar of red pepper chili flakes on the dish) but it's really not that spicy. the star of the evening was the yu shiang pork- really delicious!! it's also on the recommended dishes at the front of hte menu. a bunch of people got hot pots which we will definitely be back to try- can't wait!! go here.

    (4)

  • CJ B.

    I used to enjoy this place, it's my mother's thing to go here either before or after a white sox game. This past time that I went, service was terrible....and I mean I know that Chinatown service is really crappy anyways but this was beyond anything else.... The host was smoking at the entrance and wouldn't put her cigarette down to seat us until I stepped outside and told her that she can't be smoking that close to the entrance. She wanted to seat us at a table that had flies on it and when we asked for a different table she rolled her eyes and said the other table is reserved. Of course no one sat there the whole time we were there. We always get the white fish in the spicy sauce but the last few times we have been there the amount of fish has been decreasing significantly and gets spicier....I love spicy but it's gotten to that level of hotness that you can't taste anything! I think Tony is too busy expanding his empire that he stopped caring about the quality of his dishes....

    (2)

  • Kate S.

    Lao Sze Chuan makes me very very happy. I haven't tried the hot pots, but I can say that the mapo dofu and home style bean curd are fantastic, and their pork and chicken are actually edible. (I have found numerous Chinese restaurants in Chicago that serve something stringy and tough and call it chicken.) I love that you can get dishes extra spicy, I love the appearance of less than Americanized items, like blood and tofu stew, and I love the spicy cabbage appetizer that comes with every meal. Negatives? I think the menu is too large. If they picked their best dishes and focused on those, they would be absolutely stellar. Also, when you get things to go, they are begrudging to give you extra rice. You really have to beg them for it, which is very annoying.

    (4)

  • Dennis C.

    Decided to come here on the recommendation from the cuz. Said the dry spice chicken was to die for. It was tough walking around Chinatown Chicago trying to decide--I'd wanted to try another seafood place. In the middle of winter. As someone from LA. Honestly, I had low expectations -- not cause i"m a snob but because a LOT of people kept telling me not to expect much from the chinatown here. I walked in for a brief moment, I was transported back to HK as the waft of the offering hit me... it's the smell of authenticity. I think? Okay, maybe I am a snob. I ordered the combination chowmein and the spicy chicken. Both were pretty good. Lots of ginger, garlic, dry chilies in the fried, then sauteed chicken. The chowmein were the deep fried thick ones I'm used to from childhood. The combination meats, seafood and vegetable with sauce that came with it was both great in flavor, consistency, and freshness.

    (4)

  • Matt S.

    Back again. Home-style pan-fried kidney and the twice-cooked pork with dried chilis (I think that's what it's called--it's actually what REAL twice-cooked pork, and not the crap you usually get in Americanized places, is like). Best things on the menu. The liver's great, too, as I said earlier. But I think the kidney and the pork have it beat. Pandas. LOLOL!

    (5)

  • Lydia S.

    I struggle with giving this place anything less than 3 stars because without tony hu we would be without semi-decent Sichuan food in Chicago. I have to say though Lao Sichuan is not nearly as good as other Sichuan restaurants in the u.s., in new York or even in Boston. This hurts my pride a little - I know we're not New York, but surely we can do better than Boston when it comes to good food?? Somehow the Sichuan peppercorns they use are not quite as flavorful as other places ive been, so the food ends up being very spicy but lacking in dimension. As an Asian person, I have to say that the rice they served me last time was just unacceptable - it was old and lukewarm as if microwaved and was still clumped together in the shape of the pot that it was in. Not serving fresh rice, not doing the basics right demonstrates complacency or lack of pride in your food. Of the two times I tried the hotpot, once the vegetables didnt look washed and the second time the cooking mechanism came with leftover noodles stuck to the side of it from the last customer. We have found wrappers in the sautéed spinach. Also, the last time I went, the waiter refused to give me a la carte pricing on the hotpot, though i have previously picked my own ingredients there before. We ended up paying $18 per person and getting a lot of food we didn't want and not getting enough of what we did want. With all said they do have a huge menu, and I do think it's better that we have this place than nothing at all. I just wish it were better.

    (3)

  • William W.

    I had the Peking Duck which was amazing but it takes 50 minutes to prepare.

    (3)

  • John S.

    There are so many reasons why lao Sze Chaun continues to be my favorite Chinese restaurant. Went again last night and had my personal Favorite number 503 Twice fried pork with Cilantro. I just can't ever get enough of this dish it is just full of flavor. I really wish it was on the menu at there downers grove location because I would be going so much more often. The dinning room looks great after the remodel also. The pandas on the wall look great as well as the wood trim. So far all the dishes I have tried here are great. We ordered the fried jumbo shrimp as an appetizer and they were amazing as well. It has only been 2 days and I'm already ready to go back. Still the best place in town for Chinese :)

    (5)

  • Michael S.

    I've been here before and the food was really good but somehow everything seems to be going downhill. The wonton soup didn't have any flavor, the jumbo shrimp was definitely reheated since it was cold inside and the rest of the food was just eatable. It's sad to see how such a well known and decorated restaurant could become so horrible and overpriced :(

    (1)

  • Maegan G.

    Food was decent but service was not good at all. Waiters were unresponsive to requests and food came out at random times.

    (3)

  • Sarah W.

    This place was fantastic! I pride myself on having a high tolerance for spice, the hotter the better is usually my motto, and rarely do I find a restaurant that makes food so spicy I can barely tolerate. That being said, this place delivered! No extra hot sauce needed, their dry chili spicy chicken was not only well cooked, it had me sweating and mouth tingly within the first few bites. My personal favorite chinese dish is stir fry potatoes, and this place's version was very well done. Just the right amount of spicy and vinegar added!

    (4)

  • Marie C.

    So good! Had the pork fried rice, hot sour soup and Kung Pao shrimp. The rice had fresh green onions, slices of tender pork and was seasoned perfect. The soup had the perfect balance of hot and sour and pieces of mushroom. The shrimp was tender and not over cooked and had the perfect amount of Chili spices. They don't get five stars because our waiter brought one of our dishes and the other came LONG after. A little too long and had to be flagged down for everything. All the dishes on our neighbors table looked good and yes I'm nosey. Family style and sharing seems to be the thing. The place is small so be prepared to wait a little. But the manager with the cool jade rings and bracelet kept the workers on their toes.

    (4)

  • Gayatri D.

    My meat loving husband and his family LOVE this place. They go all the time and have even had parties catered by this restaurant. I really really want to give the restaurant 5 stars. But I can't. My vegetable fried rice arrived with egg in it despite a clear "no egg please" request. I could smell the beef stock in my Mapo Tofu. I stayed hungry despite being terribly hungover and starving. Needless to say, my husband and his family thoroughly enjoyed their lunch. I know it's a lot to expect a good "vegetarian" meal from a Chinese restaurant. But if Melbourne can do it, so can Chicago.

    (3)

  • Gary E.

    For someone who moved to Chicago from NYC 8 years ago and has complained about the awful Chinese food here for that entire duration, I guess I should be held somewhat accountable for never checking out any of the restaurants in Chinatown. This past weekend, two friends and I headed to Lao Sze Chaun (only one in the group had been prior and raved about it) - myself and the other person (both NYers) were very excited to try what might finally be great Chinese food. The drive from the West Loop was really quick and although they don't deliver, its definitely close enough to me for a last minute Chinese food craving. Anyway, we pulled up to the packed, but very unassuming restaurant and were told the wait would be about 20 minutes. The place was split in terms of clientele - The Chinese contingent definitely boded well for a great meal. When we finally sat, we are all starving and the menu is ENORMOUS. Many of the things on the menu are very traditional and not really my cup of tea - however, after navigating the menu, I'd say at least 3/4 of it are very accessible for just about anyone who enjoys Chinese food. We settled on the following: Egg drop soup - some of the best I've ever had Green beans in spicy black bean sauce (appetizer) - perfect spice/kick and we housed the dish in like two minutes Pork potstickers - different than any I've had. Cooked perfectly (seemed to be seared then deep fried) and the flavor was phenomenal Spring rolls which I didn't sample (there were only two) Tony's Chicken with hot peppers (don't recall the exact name) but it was great quality white meat chicken battered and deep fried with spicy peppers - AMAZING Szechaun beef tenderloin - nice cut of beef, great array of fresh veggies, and a fantastic slightly spicy sauce Garlic chicken - only had a taste of this, but as the most "Americanized" dish we had it was head and shoulders better than any similar dish I've had at any Chinese place in the city. Service was efficient, nothing to write home about but that's the last thing we were worried about. There's tons of places to eat in the one strip where Lao's is located but I think my next trip to Chinatown will be right back to where the experience started! Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Yen A.

    The food here is good, really good. But we had the worst experience I think I've ever had in Chinatown last weekend. We made a reservation for 6 of us for 6 pm. Not a problem, table was saved. But when the hostess sat us, the waiters talked about how we took the table without checking in, right in front of us in Chinese...I speak Chinese. When the waiter came, he quickly brought glassware for our wine and he opened it for us. Nice. We ordered pot stickers to start. When I bit into it, it was dark dark pink and mushy. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with the pinkness (pork cooks that way sometimes) but it looked and tasted raw in my mouth. I asked if he would send it back and recook it more. He comes back and says that's the way they serve them there. We all kind of sat there dumbfounded until I said, "OK, if you think they're safe, we'll keep them..." when all of a sudden he throws his arms up and walks away. So now I don't know if we're getting them or not because he never came back. Ever. The entire evening. I really didn't think I was rude or anything and our table was in disbelief. Fine. We move on to entrees. We flagged someone down to order. My husband ordered Salt and Pepper Ribs. She repeated "Salt and Pepper Pork" (same thing). We get our food and they bring us Salt and Pepper Prawns. When we tell them, they apologize and bring us the Pork. All the food was good and authentic. But we never got service again. For the next two hours we had to hail down a server for water, to pay the bill, ask for more rice. No one checked on us once. We thought that they would want to shoo us out on a busy Saturday night but they never served us at all. We as a group dine out quite a bit and I like to think that we are a pretty easy-going crowd. We all try new things, we ask for things nicely...so I really don't get what happened here. When we get the bill both Salt and Pepper items are on there along with the pot stickers. We only asked to have the pot stickers taken off since I only ate one bite. All in all it was such a disappointing experience because our friends had asked us to take them there hearing all the good press. We aren't ever going back again.

    (2)

  • Victoria L.

    OK, people, first of all, this is a biased review. If you don't like spicy and oily food, don't even think about going there, because you will NOT like it at all. Since I am from Chengdu, Sichuan (Sze Chuan) and the owner of this restaurant is from my home town, and I am by default biased. That being said, this restaurant does serve the most authentic Sichuan food I have ever had in the US. Here are some suggestions if you are into spicy food: 1. Ma Po Tofu--one the most famous Sichuan Dish, must try 2. Twice cooked pork--see above 3. Dong Po Pork Elbow--this dish is named after the famous poet, so, of course it's excellent 4. Water boiled beef/fish/pork--don't let the name fool you, cos it's not bland, it's spicy and tasty 5. Spicy peppery soup (Ban Tang Yu Pian) 6. Never forgotten chicken--appetizer 7. Lai Lai Lai Chicken (in a pot) 9. Crispy Eggplants And many other more dishes that I can't remember all right now. But do try them if you like spicy food. If you are more adventurous, try the pig ear, rabbit meat, pig intestines, and perhaps blood soup. Although personally I am not too impressed by the last two. They also have hot pot. I tried it several times, but I still love the dishes better. My boyfriend loves the Ma Po ToFu and Water boiled beef the best so they are our staple every time we go. One last thing, the service is OK, and it's crowded during the weekends. They have upstairs, so ask for it when you get there if it's crowded and you might be able to be seated faster.

    (5)

  • Karl Z.

    Sometimes the service is a bit spotty, but that seems pretty standard for places in Chinatown, the food makes it all worth it though. I've loved everything I've ordered here. I could write a really long review saying how great everything is, but with 400+ reviews it is mostly covered... My recommendation, if it is your first time just stick top the chef's specials near the front of the menu. You can't go wrong with any of those. If it has two peppers next to it the food is actually spicy, I love it!

    (5)

  • Bill T.

    I hadn't had Chinese food this good in a very long time. Ordered: ma po tofu, fu qi fei pian (spicy beef and tripe), water boiled beef, and pork clam soup Strongly recommend: water boiled beef, pork clam soup Water boiled beef: Really good flavours, really tender beef. It's probably very spicy if you are not used to eating szechuan food. Pork clam soup: Somewhat of an odd combination. Even though this is a clear soup, it was packed with flavours. I would have never thought of combining thick-cut pork with clams, but they worked wonders together. Ma po tofu: I'm pretty sure they used the wrong type of tofu; the tofu chunks were mostly intact, whereas I was expecting a more mushy texture. The flavours were really really good though. Fu qi fei pian (beef and tripe): Again, really good flavours; beef very thin, a lot of surface area for sauce; tripe had very good texture, just the right amount of chewiness.

    (4)

  • Vanessa P.

    This is probably one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. There is usually a wait, but never long enough that I've been tempted to go somewhere else. I've been here several times and always try something new. My favorites: Hot & Sour Rice Noodle Soup, Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Stir-Fried Chinese Okra. The food is cheap, especially in terms of how much you get. I've never not been satisfied when coming here.

    (5)

  • Rachel H.

    I absolutely LOVE this restaurant. Invariably I always get the same entrees. As soon as you are seated, the wait staff bring you a spicy cabbage appetizer. The cabbage is crunchy and spicy!! The potstickers are good, they seem like any potsticker you might get in any run of the mill chinese restaurant. I suspect restaurants buy them pre made and pan fry them. The boiled pork is awesome, I absolutely love ths thin slices of pork that soak up the fiery sauce. The boiled fish is excellent, the sauce is the exactly like the boiled pork, but fish for some reason does not soak up the sauce. The salt and pepper ribs as well as the salt and pepper fish are excellent. The Yangchow fried rice is very good. Ok I must stop now, my mouth is watering and I have to clean up the keyboard!

    (5)

  • Anna P.

    Loved it! The dining room is really nice, spacious and very clean. The service is not the quickest ever, but it was perfect for my girlfriend and I to catch up and chat and (sort of) get through the tome of a menu - literally, it is a book. Really enjoyed that they provide you with hot tea, ice water, and spicy cabbage right off the bat. We ordered wonton soup, which was one of the best I've ever had, then we shared the Kung Pao Shrimp and the Tony's Chicken. I loved both our entrees but preferred the shrimp - the chicken was great but it was fried and therefore kinda heavy but had a wonderful sweet taste that I've never had before. Both of our main courses had one chili pepper next to them, but I honestly didn't think they were that spicy. Just perfect. Delicious meal - perfect choice for having a delicious dinner on a winter night with a friend. Next time I might even upgrade to two chilis ;-)

    (4)

  • Laura G.

    I was expecting to be blow away by the "best chinese food in the city." Maybe we ordered wrong, but I thought everything was good. Nothing was great--except maybe the green beans! I thought I would love the dry chili chicken, but it was very dark meat and extremely fatty, which made it much less enjoyable than I hoped!

    (3)

  • I. O.

    This place has awesome food! It's by far my favorite Chinese restaurant. However, it's a little bit pricey and now they've started charging $1 extra per person for rice. They don't ask if you want it either--they just give it to you and then it shows up on your bill. The staff is either really nice and helpful or fairly rude depending on the day and who's working. However, their food just can't be beat and they have an amazing selection!

    (4)

  • Tami N.

    Ok for the hot pot broth, expected more veggie/greens. They gave me frozen shrimps with ice. Seafoods was not cleaned. Eww... Oh darn Poor service. Heard yelling n fighting in the back. would not come back!

    (3)

  • rhea w.

    Last winter, the guy I was seeing would always want to go here on Sunday afternoons. I didn't really like "Chinese Food", but I liked him, so I'd put up with it. In time, the place grew on me- the food was regularly good, the staff were regularly friendly and we were never rushed to end our lazy Sunday meal. Instead, they patiently waited for us to stop drawing pictures of each other's mothers on the paper covering the table cloths. When the plates get too messy, they bring a new one...and sometimes the tall woman waitress sings. Eric likes Dungeoness Lobster, I like dry chili beef, and cumin lamb. We both like the cabbage that comes out as an aperitif. It's been a little over a year since I first tried LSC, and sometimes, I get sentimental for it. Looking back, we've had some important times in that place. Maybe if he and I make it another year, we will have a party in the upstairs room where all the people we know, and all the staff who remember our order will come and celebrate with us. anyways. this place is nice. just dont go when its crowded.

    (4)

  • Jeanie P.

    I love going to Chinese restaurants with my chinese friends!! I learn so much about the different regional food. Anyway, Sze Chuan style food is all about spicy! And so we had a lot of the traditional Sze Chuan style dishes such as dan dan mein, mapo tofu, and this beef in chili sauce dish. The dan dan mein were these noodles in chili sauce with pickled vegetables (appetizer)- and was surprisingly tasty. The beef in chili sauce was very tender but there was so much cabbage vs. meat. I think next time I would only order one of these spicy type dishes b/c they were too similar. We also had some dumplings and shrimp and broccoli which were tasty but average. I think this place is all about what you order, so I'm sure I can change my rating next time around. It's so crowded and a very popular place when we went for Friday lunch. Yummy option in Chinatown.

    (3)

  • Carolynne M.

    Lao is either significantly different than the last time I came here, or else my memory ain't what it used to be. I thought it was supposed to be rather spicy cuisine...? (hence the word "szechuan": a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of the Sichuan peppercorn?????) So where was my spice dammit. The Dry Chili Rabbit I ordered LOOKED amazing - crisp pieces of meat mixed in with giant, lovely red chilies - heck I even requested extra spicy! But nothing...not even a single tear formed! ugh. that plus the rabbit was very displeasingly full of tiny bones, which made eating difficult and I am sure unpleasant for my dining companions to have to watch me spit out all over the plate. Potstickers were lovely and full of flavour, which I appreciated because I really got tired of picking through all the bones after awhile. oh well, let the search continue for spicy food...

    (3)

  • Andrew B.

    Sub par Chinese food. It all tastes the same, like the oil they use is over powering the food. Guess that's what happens when you use cheap ingredient

    (2)

  • Atulya B.

    For me and my buddies, China town in Chicago is a place we seek to find food after a drunken night or a late night movie show. And so one night, after helping my friend move out of his apartment, we came across this place tired and hungry. It was past 10:30 and we quickly went in only to notice that this place was still busy. Our waiter wasn't very eager to lead us through the menu, which stretched a few pages long, but was helpful enough to suggest what and how we should order. And so we ordered the "Dry Chili Chicken", "Szechuan String Beans" and "Ex-spicy Fish Fillet in a flaming wok" with Tsingtao beer as appetizers. Trust me the "Ex-spicy Fish Fillet in a flaming wok" is a spicy-hot food lover's delight. And it's not the stupid hotness that you get a Wild Wings; there is flavor to be found here even though it is hot. The Dry Chili Chicken, which is deep fried, was also nice with hotness imparted through dry red chilies. For the main course we decided on eating something mild and ordered egg fried rice with Mongolian chicken. It was alright but it definitely lacked the zing the first two dishes provided. To eat only once at La Szechuan is like going to Six Flags and just doing one ride. You need to come here at least three times to enjoy the variety and authenticity this place is so celebrated for. All in the all, La Szechuan is a place that offers authentic Chinese food that is a far cry from the watered down American Chinese we've all come to know, like and eat at places like Pei-Wei or P F Chang's.

    (4)

  • Janice L.

    A Must Try! One of the first restaurant that serves all-around authentic szechuan cuisine in Chicago! For those with a palate for spicy food - I can't even remember when I started coming here. I order the same two dishes every time. Red chili pepper drenched fish fillet and baby pea pod leaves. They really do have less intimidating names on the menu but I'm embarrassed to say i still don't know what the dishes are called or even how to pronounce them. I speak chinese and must have had the same order 20 times. The baby peapod goes really well with the chili pepper sauce. If you're feeling the taste of the cuisine, also try the chili beef appetizer (cold dish - again I know my description is lacking but the waiters are helpful). Just be aware if you're allergic to peanuts or have a distaste for cilantro. They are key garnishes on the dish. The restaurant also serves hot pot there. For those who are not familiar with it, I'll equate it to chinese fondue (like you get at Melting Pot) or shabu shabu if you've tried on the West coast. You cook all kinds of seafood, veggies, meat in a broth of two selection. The chili one is my preference but of course there's a herbal broth for people who can't take the spice. You pay anywhere from $16 to $24/pp for all you can eat depending if you go on a weekday or weekend. The experience is fun and definitely more intimate. There are a few places in Chinatown that serves hotpot and lao sze chuan is decently good. Try it in the winter, nothing's like cooking your food over a steaming pot of delish broth to warm you up. I want to say that the rest. is BYOB but I've never brought my own bottle there before and they do have a wine bar upstairs. It'll be good to check beforehand.

    (5)

  • Christine S.

    First time visitors. The wait was very long for a Wed night, and it took forever to have a waiter show up. But, once ordered, the food was out super quick. Menu items were classics mixed with the very unusual - which you'd expect for a Chinese restaurant. The flavors were only OK. Kind of disappointing. The meats used seemed to be of good quality. So, for us, we will keep looking for our "favorite' chinese restaurant.

    (2)

  • Lizzy L.

    I can't believe I didn't try this before! It is super authentic, delicious chinese! everyone just needs to relaaaax on the service complaints..and to the girl that said she thought there was "too much crab" in her crab rangoon? Seriously? Do i even need to?

    (5)

  • Lauren C.

    I believe this to be one of Chicago's hidden secrets. The food here was amazing! I was literally mind blown when I sampled what this place had to offer. If you like Chinese you would be a fool not to go here. The place was packed with Chinese people, that should tell you something.

    (4)

  • Al C.

    After having the best szechuan food in china, and after a long search having found an amazing szechuan place in Los angeles that i used to frequent at least 1x a week for years, i was super worried that when i moved to Chicago i would be left depressed and craving those little MJ-bud looking, tongue numbing, rascally szechuan peppercorns. After consulting Time out chicago and Yelp, i dared allowed myself to experience a slight glimmer of hope. My big test is the Mapo Tofu. It actually passed. it was really really good. the braised string beans were also tasty and the deep fried pepper and chicken was yummy. Overall, i am utterly impressed and oh so relieved that i have found my spicy szechuan fix. WHEW HOO!!!!!

    (4)

  • Jay B.

    Best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, nope, Chicago, nope, Midwest. Different from any Chinese restaurant I ve been to before, it is what I would imagine Chinese food to be like in China, or Chinese heaven if there is one.

    (5)

  • Ashley H.

    First dinner in Chicago and my expectation was set too high. Given it's in Chicago with limited raw materials and ingredients for Sze Chuan cuisine, it was actually an okish place. But as a Sze Chuan food lover, it was not that authentic. My personal standard is actually not too high, but I feel that the simple dish of cucumbers (pai huang guang) is already self-explanatory why this is not authentic. They need to use better chilli peppers for sure.

    (3)

  • Wilbert O.

    I believe that a three-star rating is a bit unfair for this place. I was quite dissappointed. The night before, we went here and saw a long queue, and I built up my expectation, believing that the restaurant should be a real treat for me. The next day we came again, and sat. We ordered some fish, beef and broccoli. When the dishes were delivered, I was not so happy. I expected much better food. The food was betten than average, but didn't match my expectation. So a four-star was too generous from my side.

    (3)

  • Mike N.

    Sat there for 10 minutes without being acknowledged, left and went two doors down.

    (1)

  • Brian J.

    3 words: Dry chili shrimp. And the tea smoked duck is nothing to sneeze at, as my father would say. Another fine reason to visit Chinatown and learn what Chinese cuisine really should be! The hotpot looked amazing... next time.

    (4)

  • Sonia B.

    From the 40 minute wait on a Wednesday night (after being refused to make reservations two nights prior), to a rat sighting, greasy foods, and horrific service, our experience at Lao Sze Chuan was the absolute worst. We did not receive menus, water, and utensils for 30 minutes after seating, and telling our waitress 5 times, so my Mom got up 3 times to get all the items HERSELF. Every dish we ordered was drowned in oil, and tasted mediocre at best. The table next to us screamed mid-meal because they saw a rat run under their table, which cast a deathly silence on the packed restaurant. I literally cannot fathom how this restaurant received so much praise and countless awards. Sorry Tony Hu, but your restaurant blows. Please, everyone, do yourself a favor and do not fall for the hype. There are a ton of other restaurants in Chinatown that deserve your patronage, but this unfortunately is not one of them.

    (1)

  • Liz B.

    Wow, Lao, I like your style! Your food is bangin'. The twenty-minute wait, not so much. I'm not saying a wait is not to be expected at a delicious restaurant, but there is nowhere to sit so you have to stand there smashed up against some other starving waitee and have nothing to do but stare at everyone's food. But, I digress. On to the food. I had been craving hot and sour soup all day, and was delighted when I ordered a cup and it didn't have UFO's (Unidentified Floating Objects) like many a H&S soups I've experienced before. This hot and sour was straight to the point- hot, sour and tofu/mushroom-laden. And vegetarian to boot! Much like the chips and salsa placed on the table at a Mexican restaurant, Lao Sze Chuan's version of this is the spicy cabbage dish served once you've been seated. Slightly vinegar-y, this chili-oil dressed slaw with flecks of chili pepper sucked the sinus issues right out of me! For an appetizer, my roomie and I ordered the green beans in black bean sauce. Chopped green beans with a hint of soy sauce and fermented black beans- absolutely delicious, and not over-powering and filling (ahem...eggroll). My only complaint is the apparent Carpel Tunnel Syndrome I developed from picking up tiny beans one at a time with chopsticks. Oh, I'm just complaining because I didn't want to be the only person using a fork in the entire restaurant. Anyway... For the main event, we decided to get two different entrees and split them after much debate about getting the Hotpot (which we will most certainly explore next time). So, we went with the staple Orange Chicken- crispy and flavorful, and they even asked if we wanted it spicy! Yeah! Also, the Sze Chuan Beef, which was good but the beef was a little soft and strangely textured. The sauce was spicy and flavorful though, and the veggies crunchy and fresh. I think I might just go with vegetarian options next time. To all the vegetarians out there- check this place out. There are TONS of veggie options! Overall...a very satisfying experience. I can't wait to get back there and try some other dishes (all 900 of them).

    (4)

  • Christine F.

    Man, talk about a hole in the wall. It's very easy to miss. However, open the door to the restaurant and it's bustling with customers. We got the last table in the joint and it was just 6pm on a Friday night. Busy busy. Scanning their huge menu, I ordered Kung Pao shrimp and crab rangoon (yeah, yeah). The crab rangoon was actually mostly crab. Or maybe imitation crab. Very little cream cheese, which was a surprise. It was good, just very different than what I was used to. The Kung Pao shrimp was OK. The sauce was overly thick (and there was a buttload of it), but it had a pretty decent flavor. The shrimps were cooked well. The vegetables weren't overdone. I gotta say though, when I compare this with the holes in the wall I've eaten at in San Francisco, it just doesn't measure up. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, and I'm totally willing to go back and try more off the menu. But right now, I can't give Lao that high of a rating. Best I've had in Chicago, but definitely not the best overall.

    (3)

  • Liz S.

    First of all the service is hit or miss at this place. But it doesn't matter to me because the food is that good. This place has the best Chinese food I've ever eaten, gave me my taste for spicy food, and always leaves me satisfied. Living in Chicago I would hit up Lao's for lunch at least once a month, and almost every time I had a visitor in town we would end up here for a meal. I've since moved, but when I'm in town I try to make it to the restaurant and often bring tupperware containers in my carry on suitcase to take some food back with me. When my friends from Virginia find out I'm going to Chicago they automatically start placing their orders from Lao's. That's how much we love the food. I can't testify to the hot pot because I've never had it. I happen to be a big fan of the spicy cabbage they serve you at the beginning of the meal, and yes it is very spicy. I always always get the Don Don Noodles, spicy noodle dish that is just heavenly. Some other favorites include Dry Chili Chicken, Spicy crispy eggplant with ground pork, Lamb with Cumin, and Tony's special three chili chicken. I almost never order Americanized Chinese food here although I have had the beef with broccoli and the moo shu beef which are both good. Their pork pot stickers are also delicious. As another reviewer mentioned, make sure you order one of the more authentic dishes. You can get Americanized Chinese anywhere but I've never had better authentic Chinese cuisine anywhere else. And believe me I've looked! Get over the extra charge for rice. The food is worth it!

    (4)

  • Tori D.

    I heard about this restaurant on Check Please and HAD to check it out. I'll just get to it...the service was beyond HORRIBLE and not to mention the roach that crawled by. The food was okay, but wasn't good enough to make up for the service and the roach. When we asked the staff about menu items, their responses were abrupt and not very helpful; and I'm still waiting for my Coca-Cola. Was not worth the 2+ hours in traffic and parking for this experience...could have been an off-day, but roaches don't take an off day. Since so many others have enjoyed their experiences, I was really disappointed; however, the couple walking out just before me commented on the poor service too. What do you do...not go back EVER!!

    (1)

  • Rng L.

    Let's admit it - it serves some sort of authentic sichuan food, but it is nowhere close to the standard of good sichuan dishes. The only thing makes it so well-known is its location in Chicago. Last time i was there their bowls were not clean enough and the whole place is just kind of greasy. If in your city there is authentic sichuan restaurant, u will probably get better food than here.

    (2)

  • Jeff R.

    I'm a huge fan of Chinatown but my family always goes to the same two places: Emporer's Choice and Phoenix. We love them both that we never had a reason to explore other options - that's why I'm grateful some work friends decided to organize a Sunday evening trip to check out Lao Sze Chuan. As a local foodie I've heard a lot about Tony Hu and his empire but had never experienced it myself. Chinatown is great because it's both authentic yet approachable (and most restaurants have figured this out by having entirely different sections or floors for seating). Lao Sze Chuan does a very nice job of presenting a menu with an overwhelming number of choices with clear labels to steer you on your desired path. Our Sunday night dinner didn't need to go exotic or push the envelope so we ordered familiar dishes and didn't even really flip the pages. Everything we ordered came as expected and tasted great - fully embracing the "Americanized" Chinese food we've come to love growing up on Panda Express :) I'm not disappointed by this because the food was high quality and gave us what we wanted. If we were interested in pigs feet or hot pots we could have ordered those (which is to say if you want adventure, there's plenty to try). We didn't send back anything left on the plates but if I had to pick a favorite dish it was the classic Mongolian Beef - with a slightly sweeter sauce than usual as opposed to spicy. It's a tried and true dish but when you do it well, it's one of my all time favorites. I also really liked the pork mu shoo and the vegetable fried rice. The most surprising dish was our dry chili chicken, which looked a lot scarier and spicier than reality. It was simply very good fried chicken pieces in an interesting sauce. I would definitely order that again. I didn't love the pot stickers (sad day) and the string beans were nothing compared to Emperor's Choice beans. The lone fish dish - sole in black bean sauce - was solid but middle of the road comparatively. I'm a fan of LSC even if we had a little trouble with the language barrier ("white rice?") and couldn't quite understand the out of focus panda pictures on the walls. Our service in the beginning was also strangely absent since it was a high volume time of night. But even so, the food was very good and we had a lot of fun with a large table on a Sunday night (and it's hard to ever complain about poor value in Chinatown). It would be for me to choose a new place over my long time family preferences - but it does go to show how many great options there are in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Yvonne S.

    If I could give this less, I would. I ordered this at 11:30, was told it was on it's way at noon. It did not arrive until 1pm.... this is just ridiculous service. Not to mention, my order was wrong... I will not be ordering from here again.

    (1)

  • Hula B.

    this location proves to have similar service principles as their uptown location. complete crap. upon being seated, the first words greeted to us by our waitress were 'are you ready to order?', not even so much as a "good evening". she returned every two minutes with the same question until we were ready to order; then promptly disappeared the rest of the night. additional drinks, water, a share plate, some chili sauce and other items we needed through out the night required us to literally grab someone to get the required items. absolutely the worse service - which is unfortunate - because the food is good. i'm officially 'over' the Lao empire - there's lots of great places with great food who have some basic manners and can provide at least the most basic service - some that even provide both great food and great service - i choose to spend my time in money in places that at least pretend that it is appreciated.

    (1)

  • Wesley R.

    Spicy lovers will be in for quite a delight, while some others are in for a fright (more on this in a bit)! First off, much like a vegetarian shouldn't be surprised if they walk into a steakhouse and find the overwhelming amount of spicy menu items, you shouldn't be surprised to find spicy menu items at a place that specializes in Szechuan-style cooking. Fortunately: 1) Any "spicy" dish can be altered into a non spicy, mild, medium or extra spicy dish. 2) Szechuan-style cooking also implies unique dishes, of which they have a good variety of. The menu itself tries to keep recognizable choices in earlier in the menu, keeping the more exotic, authentic or adventuresome choices for later in the menu. They serve a small appetizer of spicy cabbage that you should probably refrain from trying if you frequently complain that "mild" spicy things are too much for you. They had a very tasty Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken, which comes with a good abundance of dry chili, which gives a decent amount of pop, without taking away any flavor. The Mongolian Beef is not made to be a spicy dish. Instead is a combination of beef, onions and mushrooms with a light brown sweet sauce. The beef comes out nice and tender and works well with the sauce. And for those that prefer things less meaty, the Tong Cai is a Chinese broccoli or spinach that is stir-fried in a light sauce or oil. I recommend getting it with the garlic, which is thinly sliced, fried and served with the dish. So what's so frightful, you may ask? Well, we were in on a Monday night around 10 pm, knowing that they close at 12 am. Being fans of white rice, we ordered a portion to go along with our meal. After finishing the first portion, we tried asking for a second portion. Guess what we found out? "Sorry, we're out of white rice." What? WHAT?!?!? Such a frightful world to live in, I tell you. A Chinese restaurant that's out of cooked white rice? I'm sure it was an aberration, and it will never happen again, but if it happens to you, let me know. It may be the first sign of the apocalypse! Anyway, lots of tasty options to come back for, a tasty delight!

    (4)

  • Fred D.

    If your looking for great spicy Chinese food this is the place. A group of us went before our union meeting. We go once a month and pick a different restaurant in Chinatown to visit. This month was Lao Sze Chuan which was put on hold last month due to the fire. New decor is modern but the plastic patio furniture chairs felt like they would break under us. Started out with the House Special HOT and Sour soup and if you are a chili-head than this is for you, the hottest I have ever had. The spring rolls and pot stickers are good but not much different than other restaurants. We had Dry Chili Chicken (Great), Mongolian Lamb (tasted like the beef), Kung pao shrimp (Good), House Fried noodles ( not as spicy as we thought), Dragon and Phoenix ( OK). Most of the customers were having the hot pots so next time we will try that. Overall a great experience.

    (4)

  • Christopher C.

    My partner and I used to love this place but with the recent decor and menu change, the place is somehow less appealing. The restaurant put a good amount of money into redoing the interior, new chairs, tables, wall murals etc but now it just feels off. Guess I don't like change. The food is the same but the prices have gone up reflecting the overall upgrade of the restaurant.

    (3)

  • Ivonne Marie C.

    My father looooooooooves Chinese food, but not just any kind of Chinese food - for example you can't get him into a Chinese restaurant in Miami to save your life. He does love Sze Chuan food. Loves the spiciness of it - and you know what? so do I. While I lived in Chicago I looked forward to my dad visiting me every time. Not only b/c I got to see him, but b/c I knew that on the way home from the airport before doing anything else, we were going to stop at Lao Sze Chuan for a huge family dinner. This restaurant is always packed, which says a lot. It's just off the Chinatown strip, but with huge lettering on their awning it's hard to miss. I still remember the first time my husband and I drove past it. We immediately made a note to remember and bring my dad here. We were definitely not disappointed. The food portions were plentiful and had just the right spice, and the prices moderate; the service (was okay - that's where they loose a star). I do have to admit, since moving back to Miami - I miss it! The Cantonese place down the corner from my house now doesn't even come close. Oh well, it will have to do for now. But I think that like my father, next time I head to Chicago - this may just be my first stop straight from the airport - mmm mmm good!

    (4)

  • Char Y.

    I came here long time ago with my friend and her parents for hot pot. It was only, but I have vowed to explore Chinatown, a place I have long given up on, so I am venturing into the unknown. We ordered the chili chicken bits, tea smoked duck, and green beans. Everything was done perfectly, not oily, not over fried/cooked, and very fresh. The portions were large and the price was right. We were very impressed with this place with its speedy service, and cleanliness overall. Now I can understand the long line in front on the weekends.

    (4)

  • daniel v.

    I only order the fried rice and string beans because all of the other stuff on the menu is a hit or miss, and I'm tired of striking out. I had really bad service once wherein I ordered garlic chicken with bone, as it stated on the menu. It came chopped up like nuggets and boneless. I complained to manager and they said it was a typo. Well that's great! I ordered something I didn't want and it didn't even taste good. That was definitely a miss. The service was also terrible. They were somewhat busy, but took 15 mins to get my check, sent me wrong order, brought out my friend's meal 10 minutes before my meal, and the servers barely speak English there! If you go there do try the fried rice it's the best in Chinatown.

    (3)

  • Karen N.

    If you want to see the biggest pile of chili peppers in your dishes, go for it. The fire power is all there if you order hot dishes which is denoted by chili peppers on the menu, but if you order all hot dishes, they all kind of taste the same. I agree with Kake S. that the depth and layers of flavor are not impressive. My favorites are: chili stir fry string beans and home style tofu. Also, order a couple items from the cold appetizer list, it will help balance the meal and cool you down. In the winter.. their HOT POT are the best. Go with a few good eaters and get the half and half broth(half spicy, half non spicy). Go there early in the evening or expect a line.

    (3)

  • Alex Z.

    I loved this place. Every dish we ordered was spicy. Many dishes push the boundaries of what westerners are comfortable with, but there are some options for picky eaters too. The flavors are bold and diverse, and although most dishes are spicy, they're all flavored in very different ways. Good for vegetarians. Reasonably priced. Service was slow, but the waiter was very courteous, and the slow service was understandable given that the place was absolutely packed when we were there. I definitely plan to come back here, although in general, my experiences in Chicago's Chinatown have all been top-notch. A lot like Cleveland's Chinatown, and in stark contrast, say, to Philadelphia's and New York's, which are hit-or-miss. Chalk it up to the hidden secret that the midwest is actually the cultural capital of ethnic cuisine in America.

    (5)

  • Anne S.

    My favorite place for authentic spicy szechuan cuisine. Go there on a weeknight or better yet for lunch. They have a lunch menu with smaller size versions of many popular dishes (not much smaller). You have to ask for the lunch menu because they don't give it to you willingly (kind of annoying actually - but now you know it exists). Monday through Friday is when the lunch menu is served. Prices are cheap and each dish comes with your choice of Hot and Sour soup or Egg Drop Soup (I always get Hot and Sour) and an egg roll, but they charge $1 for a bowl of rice, but even then its still cheap. Another tip, is sometimes if you pay cash, they'll give you a 5% discount off your bill, but you have to ask - but it may not always be the case. My favorite dishes, in no particular order, are: 1. Dry Chili Chicken (for a slightly sweet version order Tony's Dry Chili Chicken); 2. Dan Dan Noodles; 3. Szechuan String Beans; 4. Pork with Wood Ears; 5. Potherb 6. Salt and Pepper fish; 7. Potstickers (really excellent); 8. Tri-Color Bean Curd There are a lot of delicious veggie and fish options. As far as Ma Po Tofu is concerned, it is very authentic here, but a bit greasy for me (its the large pool of red chili oil floating on the top), but its is very tasty. I just don't always order it because it can be kind of painful to eat.

    (5)

  • Edl S.

    This is a review for the Chinatown location only... I've been going to this location since it first opened back in early 1999, I can say the food has always been pretty good, but the service at this place continue to deteriorate to the point of not respecting your customers, while the portion sizes get smaller... Like many other reviewers mentioned, the staff are unable to provide the customers the service in a timely fashion, and unable to manage the flow of the traffic well. However, this latest incident pretty much just pushed me over the edge. I wanted to get some takeout last Wednesday night, I called the restaurant to place my order, I got put on hold for over 10 mins, and then the woman hung up on me. I called back thinking either she forgot or they are too busy, now the phone is busy, after trying for another 5 mins, she picks up again, and put me on hold, all the while I can hear people talking loudly in the background, she hung up on me 5 mins later. Called back again, she hung up on me immediately. I finally got to the restaurant, walked to the cash counter, a woman (probably the same person who has been hanging up on me) and a man, either were really busy, but neither spoke to me or asked to help. I asked if they still take orders on the phone, they said yes what do you want (not so nicely in Chinese), I said it's rude to keep hanging up on a customer for the last 30 mins, she said our phone doesn't work, you can't hear me. That is such a load of "B.S", I heard people talking on the background when she put me on hold, which just means she never spoke after she answered my call. I think the "celebrity" chef Hu should really train his staff better!! While he is too busy expanding his Tony Gourmet Group through restaurant openings, he neglected to teach his staff in building a solid customer service experience for your customers! (And there is no excuse for being Chinese!)

    (1)

  • Kristy K.

    The heat seekers have met their first real challenge in Chicago. That is right, my boyfriend and I ate the most deliciously, spicy lunch at Lao Sze Chuan last week. We endured all sorts of sweating from every pore of our body and deep breathing that can only be compared to what mothers-to-be do in Lamaze class. Still, we managed to clear our plates and already start planning our next visit. Note: we did order extra spicy, so for the weak, I am sure ordering at normal levels is tolerable. This is the second time eating at Lao Sze Chuan. First time, we enjoyed it, but we were kind of overwhelmed with the intimidating menu and ordered hastily, not reading recommendations before. Earlier this month, I was reminded of the amazingness of Lao Sze Chuan at Taste of Chicago when I had the Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken. That is when I became obsessed. Seriously, obsessed. Meaning, I thought about it at least twenty times a day and bugged my boyfriend until he finally got sick of the constant harassment and agreed to go with me. We ventured out to Chinatown where we had what I call "the meal to end all meals." Of course, we ordered the Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken and it was spectacular. We also ordered the Boiled Beef in Spicy Szechuan Sauce. I hate to admit it, but the boiled beef stole the show, which is obviously a hard feat. I read a couple reviews before hand that raved about the boiled beef, and they also warned readers not to be intimidated by the idea of it being boiled. I am so glad I listened and we gave it a try. This was hands down, the most flavorful, tender, divine beef I have ever tasted. Not to mention, it was sooooo spicy. You could see the spices in the broth and the many different peppers used to give it such a scrumptious, full-bodied flavor. I get very excited just thinking about how flavorful the broth was. With every bite you could taste the delectable spices that perfectly marinated the beef. Each bite was like fireworks of flavor and heat going off in your mouth. I was going to ask for the remaining broth to go, but instead we decided to be gluttons and order more rice so we could eat it on the spot. It was that good that we couldn't even wait to eat it, we had to eat it all right there. In sum, the combination of the Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken and the Boiled Beef in Spicy Szechuan Sauce made this the meal to end all meals. The heat seekers left Lao Sze Chaun happy, satisfied, and sweaty. I don't even care what the service is like. The food overshadowed every flaw this place may have. I am contemplating moving to Chinatown just so I can get this place regularly. It is amazing! I never thought I would claim a Chinese restaurant as one of my favorite restaurants I have ever been to, but I cannot deny that Lao Sze Chuan has stolen my heart. There will never be better Chinese food. NEVER! NEVER!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Randie W.

    My daughter and I ate here tonight early with two kids! This was one of our favorite places for the last 10 years! What happened to the place? New owner? Some large man with a gruff voice was frightening and the ambience gone. We were pushed outside to Wait when their were 5 open tables. Service non existent and no one knows what is going on there. I will never go back. Ever since the place has been on every channel and check please, this restaurant has gone down the tubes. The energy in their tonight was so bad, we couldn't wait to leave

    (1)

  • Jordan M.

    Everything I've had at this restaurant has been great -- maybe too great. I've enjoyed the (complimentary) spicy cabbage, Szechuan string beans (dare I say, better than Girl & The Goat's green beans?), crispy shrimp in mayo sauce, and Tony's chicken with Three Chili so much that I have a hard time branching out and ordering anything else. I really only get to try new menu items when I bring a friend here and can sneak a couple bites from their plate. The portions are large and the prices are certainly reasonable. I have no problem calling this the best Chinese food in Chicago, partly because there's almost no good Chinese outside of Chinatown and Argyle Street, but mostly because the food really is that good. The menu is enormous and there is plenty of something for everyone -- from proteins to vegetables and everything in between. The decor is pretty poor (the Uptown location is much nicer) and communicating with the wait staff can be a bit tricky but who really cares. The important thing is that you are getting great food on a consistent basis. If I lived anywhere remotely close to Chinatown I would be here once a week. Note: A large number of reviewers claim the food is incredibly spicy here but I just don't find that to be the case. Maybe my taste buds have just adjusted to spicier food over time, I just don't get the heat. If you want more heat, I'm pretty sure you can request specific dishes be made extra hot.

    (5)

  • Erik W.

    Food was ok! But the service is just HORRIBLE! Obviously they do not know what is called customer service. :(

    (3)

  • Dawn M.

    This place is authentic Chinese cuisine. Food was excellent service was quick. I had the orange beef tenderloin and my friend had the la la chicken and vegetable fries rice. They also gave us complimentary spicy slaw which was deeeelish. Definitely would go here again.

    (5)

  • Juan V.

    OMG. I have to defend the restaurant. I have been a loyal customer since 2008. The food has always been consistent, and I am always bringing friends to try it out. I have never been dissatisfied with the food nor have I ever had a "rat experience". The staff knows me well and they are always attentive. When you sit down, you get an appetizer; spicy cabbage and the best unflavored tea ever! I would not put sugar in it, it defeats the whole purpose. My favorite dish is the Chefs Special Chili Dry Chicken which is spicy and out of this world. DISCLOSURE: Bring Pepto with you, even as a Hispanic who is used to eating spicy food; its blazing hot!!!! But I love every burning sensation when eating. Warm sake is amazing, and the orange chicken too. Best place ever, and worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Stephen S.

    We ordered from Lao Sze Chuan for lunch at the office. First off, the menu offers no shortage of options as it's huge even for a Chinese menu. I was a bit concerned looking at the prices but it turns out a single dish could feed an army. I'd really recommend going with a group, putting your heads together, and making some decisions (don't worry you can get one of the other 5 billion things next time). Also, if you can't handle spice watch out here because they will legitimately bring it. I like my food super spicy and found that the really delivered on the stewed tofu with sour pickle. Some of the other folks went with a dry chili chicken which they really liked. So if you like choices, quantity, and spicy Lao Sze Chuan is the place for you.

    (4)

  • Erik O.

    Hands down some of the best Chinese food (if not the best) I have ever had. How good you ask? *slap* DON"T ASK QUESTIONS! Let me share my knowledge with you, young padawan. This place specializes in spicy. Right when you get your seat, they put a plate of cabbage soaked in chili oil, and fairy dusted with dried chilies. It's the perfect warm up for your meal. I ordered the chef special dry chili chicken and it was amazing. There are no less than 4 billion chili peppers in the dish and the chicken is crispy, spicy heaven. Second I ordered the House Special Noodles, which are dry (somewhat), and coated with pepper dust. It had a ton of fresh veggies in it, and some meat. It was very delicious, and a nice component to the meal. Third, came the orange beef tenderloin which was my date's favorite. It was thinly sliced beef, fried, and then tossed in a sweet orange sauce, garnished with a sliced orange. We squeezed the orange on it and it really made the dish. It was slightly "Americanized" but hey...who gives a shit if it tastes good! And last... and the real star of the meal....was the Dong Po Pork. Bite sized hunks of pork belly (fat with streaks of meat), braised in a killer sauce for hours. They then add fried pieces of tofu, and serve. It was one of the best things I have ever tasted....ever. It was porky, fatty, and I will forever look for it. If you are in Chinatown and you're ready for a great, spicy, Chinese food experience, come here.

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    Ate here last night after searching for top Chinese in Chinatown. I was vastly disappointed with everything I ordered. First was the hot and sour soup. This was ok but I have had much better. Mostly broth with very little tofu and bean sprouts. The crab Rangoon had little cream cheese and a ton of imitation crab. The texture was way off compared to what I care for. The Szechuan green beans were very soggy and had an overwhelming fish taste. The moo shou pork was decent but the plum sauce was very watery instead of the normal thick paste. Finally, the dry chili chicken was good. I like my food spicy which this definitely lived up too. I guess I was expecting some sauce with it but it was rather dry especially when served with rice. As a rule I try restaurants 2 times before never going back just to make sure it's not a one off bad experience. I will try this place again but will not be ordering any of these dishes.

    (2)

  • Simon K.

    We ordered the famous spicy chicken, the fried duck and the mapo tofu. My thoughts on each: Spicy Chicken: This is unbelievably hot. Once you see the dish, you'll see that this is obvious by how many peppers are on the plate. The weird thing is, it's not the same type of heat you would receive from most hot foods. I would classify it as a "dry heat" that kind of keeps burning inside. However, it is very, very addicting and I couldn't stop picking at the plate to find bits and pieces we had not eaten. Fried Duck: One of the most delicious pieces of duck that I have ever had. If you love fried chicken or duck in general, you should not pass on an opportunity to try the duck here. The duck is cooked perfectly and I had to have my friend restrain me from eating the bones. Mapo Tofu: Once again, LSC does not mess around when they tell you a dish is spicy. This compounded with the fact that we had already eaten the aforementioned chicken probably burned a hole in our stomachs. However, that just means that we just have tofu bits floating in our bodies which I'm pretty sure is okay because tofu is healthy. So if all this food was so good, why is it only getting 4 stars? Well for one, the food comes out unbelievably slow. I understand food service can be slow at times, especially when the restaurant is packed, but there were empty tables there (3:30 PM). It took us about an hour for us to get all of our dishes. I can't imagine how long it would have taken if we came during a normal dining hour. The other con is that their portion sizes look big at first, but they are actually smaller than you expect. Just be prepared to drink a lot of water. Recommendation: For the faint of heart - fried duck, for the bold - spicy chicken

    (4)

  • Terry T.

    Food poisoning from their ma po tofu. Not quite two hours after I finished eating, I had the worst experience of my life. It's been 2 days, and my doctor thinks I should continue to take sick days from work for another 2 days. I was not eating at first, but now I'm able to do Jello.

    (1)

  • Scott R.

    China Town was really hopping Saturday night and all the restaurants were busy, especially this one; we got our number and stood waiting; even though there were copies of the menu available, by the time they were ready to seat us I had pretty much forgotten my research. So I asked the Owner-with-the-big-crazy-watch who happened to be there what to order. The OWTBCW insisted I order the beef satay, item 158 or something as an entree; I had my doubts but ordered it anyway. BIG mistake, the satay was dry and not even remotely as good as the Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai versions I've had. I also ordered as appetizers the cold pork with garlic sauce (very good) and the rabbit with bones (more bones than rabbit). My wife ordered an entree that I warned her against (salt and pepper lamb) which like most salt and pepper dishes is deep fried. Service was pretty disorganized; entrees came before appetizers, some people served before others, etc. Our order probably confused them. The other couple with us ordered very conservatively and enjoyed all their dishes, but I don't recommend that. I am willing to go back and give it another try concentratng on the dishes they (supposedly) do best.

    (3)

  • Kevin W.

    Food is very delicious. Service is also very perfect. In this time laoszechuan I ordered dry chili chiken mopotufu boiled beef and potstickers. The right and the new food soicy frogs zigongstyle. Every dish is very classic. Waiters are very good I want to go also say happy New Year

    (5)

  • Amy L.

    Wah, after trying their hot pot, I am giving it one more star. We ordered a la carte: spicy and non spicy soup base, 2 plates of beef, 2 plates of beef balls,1 plate of tofu, 1 plate of wood ear, 1 plate of scallop, 1 plate of eggplant, 1 plate of baby bai chai, and 2 eggs. I split it with my friend and our sig. others got to taste too. It was more than filling. We polished everything off. Everything was delicious in there. It came with 3 different sauces. I usually go for the XO sauce but I actually preferred the garlic one this time. It was perfect for that night because it was a little chilly out. I ate mostly from the non-spicy side and my friend ate mostly from the spicy side. She was dying from the spice, haha, but she said it was worth it. We were so full afterwards yet after 15 minutes of resting we still went to get milk tea at Saint's Alp. The boys ordered 3 additional entrees: a chicken dish, pork intestines, and twice cooked pork belly. All were good, especially the twice cooked pork belly. Though these dishes are from szechuan region, I did not think it was too spicy which is good for me because I can't handle too much spice. Oh and we also ordered dumplings which worked out for my 3 year old son because that was pretty much all he ate. He loves dumplings. We came on a Monday night around 7:30pm. It was not very busy. We did not have to wait and service was fast. Also, this is my fav out of all of Tony's Gourmet Group of Restaurants. Oh and next time, I would go for the Deluxe Hot Pot Special where you pay a flat fee $16.95 per person and get unlimited items. It is much more worth it, however, you cannot share with others unless they pay the flat fee as well. Our boys wanted to order other things as well as try some of the hot pot, so that's why we did a la carte instead.

    (4)

  • Jason H.

    While the food was really good, I give it one star due to lack of customer service and a very VERY(!) rude manager. We were sat near the door and nearly froze to death. Every time a person went in and out, the cold air from the outside would cut through you. If they truly cared about customer service they could add a little vestibule that would eliminate the problem. Or they can keep the manager from walking in and out of the restaurant to play with the cheap Christmas lights outside the store or whatever it is he was doing. I like my food hot instead of frozen due to his preference to keeping the door open next to customers when it is twenty degrees outside. I also use the word rude because the terms I would like to use to describe this manager are too inappropriate for this forum. Not only did I watch him get into the face of a customer who was curious about when a food order would be ready, the manager shoved one of his employees out of his face in front of everyone in the restaurant. The employees offense was attempting to help the customer that wanted to know where his food order was. He kept on saying that he was the manager and that he only knew what was going on in the restaurant. While the food was really good, I will never return to this place because of the lack of respect that manager had toward his employees and customers.

    (1)

  • Shalu S.

    2 stars because I love Sichuan food (Sichuan being my home province) and had high expectations from the reviews. But was sorely disappointed. Dish 1: Dongpo pork - it came out slightly spicy and a lot tangy/sour...which is definitely not how this dish should taste. (Picture attached) Maybe it's their own take on it, but to me it was a fail. Dish 2: Spicy fish filet with pickled veggies - this dish was super sour and not nearly spicy enough, not even to the Americanized spicy level. Now some sourness is expected because of the pickled veggies, but here it was so overwhelming that I had to neutralize every bite with a mouthful of rice. Yet another fail for me. Perhaps I should have stuck to the signature dishes like spicy stewed beef or twice cooked pork. But the dishes I tried did not live up to the good reviews or level of authenticity expected.

    (2)

  • John W.

    Hands down best Chinese I've ever had. I had a guest from China visiting and wanted some Hot Pot. She had actually been here before and suggested it. I wanted all vegetables which is not on the menu but they put together a gorgeous plate for us. It came with a split bowl for cooking. One spicy and the other was just soup stock. Three sauces of which Di instructed me to add a spoon of each to my bowl. It is all you can eat but by the time we finished the gigantic plate they brought us I couldn't even think about eating more. That was a week ago. I've been back since for a plate of Baicai which was quite good and now I'm going back today for the Hunan Vegetables. It can be a little pricey for Chinese but so worth it. If you go at dinner time, 7 PM be prepared to wait in line. It's very busy.

    (5)

  • Kensey W.

    i had high hopes for this place because it gets rave reviews but i don't know if it was as good as i expected. it's possible we came on an off day, but i just wasn't terribly impressed. i came here with my family and we had szechaun style sliced beef and maw, hot and sour soup (both the regular and house versions), sole fish fillet with pickled cabbage in spicy soup, yu shiang pork, garlic sauteed peapod greens, spicy lamb satay, and a sweet eggplant dish. the sliced beef and maw was a really great appetizer. it's one of my favorite cold dishes and i think they did it really well here. it was spicy and had a good dose of si chuan peppercorns. the fish soup was also pretty good. it didn't look spicy at all, but there were a ton of pepper seeds in it and also heavily seasoned with white ground pepper. the lamb satay was pretty standard but a little dry. plus it was really expensive for a tiny bit of what is essentially street food in china. the disappointment was the yu shiang pork. it was listed as one of the house specials and that got my dad excited because this is his favorite dish (he's from si chuan) and always orders it as an indication of whether a restaurant is good. it wasn't bad, but he didn't like that it wasn't authentic. i don't care about authenticity usually as long as it's good, but i have to say it was too sweet for me too. the servers were nice and spoke great mandarin and english, which is always a plus, but service was kind of spotty still. there was a line out the door when we got there (which is how my dad decided we should eat here), and it was unclear who was taking names and how we were supposed to go about putting a name in. we were finally seated upstairs and that was kind of weird because it was really quiet and there was no music or any ambient noise. also, we ordered an additional dish halfway through the meal and had to wait almost a half hour after we were done eating for that to show up. i think they just forgot to make it and when we asked if we could cancel it, they made it up really quick and told us we couldn't cancel it because it was already made. plus there is a boss-ish guy with a huge diamond stud earring that was intimidating even though he wasn't unpleasant exactly. i want to come back here and give this place another chance. i got outvoted on twice-cooked pork and tea-smoked duck, which are my indicators. so i'll probably be back to try those here, but not because of having a great experience the first time.

    (3)

  • Grace C.

    one thing I want to tell you is that; please start with non-spicy. I am a Korean who can bear very spicy food....but their spicy is bit much...I ordered moderate, and it was still very spicy/hot!!. We shared chili chicken and pork & veggie dish from the house special. It was really good. One thing is odd to me is that they charge $1.00 per rice bowl. I've never experianced this in any Chinatown in NY...so it is very weird to me that they charge for rice. but, the food is really good. I can't wait to go back there and try other dishes.

    (4)

  • Keith P.

    I really enjoyed the heat! The spicy cabbage was a treat and hinted at what might lie ahead. Do yourself a favor and grab an ice-cold Tsingtao. The spicy sole was outstanding! Red chilies, bok choy, and the freshest/delicate sole. The heat was the star. What's not to like? I must admit that I had to send a teacup back because of cleanliness issues but the staff was quite attentive and had time to chat. Will be back!

    (4)

  • Shiana D.

    Lao Sze Chuan should NOT be rated the top chinese restaurant in Chicago. If this is what Chicago has to offer in the way of Chinese food then take me back to DC/California/etc. Friends and I ordered a wide variety of relatively "safe" dishes and no one liked their food. I will speak on the dishes that I tried: Broccoli w/ Shrimp (brown sauce): I ordered broccoli with shrimp in brown sauce. First, the shrimp were small pieces of baby shrimp. I've ordered shrimp w/broccoli ALOT at ALOT of different restaurants. It's a staple chinese-american food dish that should be relatively the same no matter where you go. I have never in my life seen baby shrimp served with shrimp and broccoli. I started eating the dish and noticed that the shrimp tasted old, fishy and gross and had a strange aftertaste. I kept suffering through the bad sauce and the bad shrimp only to (ow) eat a shrimp that STILL HAD THE SCALES ON IT. Disgusting. Sizzling chicken rice soup: this is one of my favorite soups that I've literally had everywhere and it is ALWAYS a clear broth. They essentially gave me a hot & sour RED soup with sizzling rice inside...absolutely disgusting. I took one bite and let it go. All in all, the food was terrible.

    (1)

  • Igor V.

    I came here with my Chinese friend who ordered everything he knew. The pickled fish soup was one of the tastiest Chinese dishes I have ever had. The three chili chicken is irresistable but exteremly spicy so be warned. As I understand Sze chuan food is the spicy cuisine of China so for those who are not able to handle spicy food approach with caution. To all others...this is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Chicago...highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Justin F.

    "HYPE" & "OVERRATED" are the two words I left with, coming out of the restaurant. Our party selected 1 chicken, fish, and noodle dishes. I do give some credit to the chef for preparing a tasty fish plate but the latter two were unpleasant. The chicken and noodles were OVERSPICED to a point where you cannot taste the food anymore. From there on you are left wanting to pay your bill and leaving to get a gallon of milk to cool your mouth. I infer the head chef wasn't there during my visit; however, the quality of food should be maintained at all time not just when a TV show is reviewing the place. "OVERSPICED you cannot taste the food anymore" is my warning to anyone planing to eat here.

    (2)

  • Max B.

    Whoever put this on the Eater38 should be forced to put a campfire out with his face. Save yourself the long line and drink a bottle of crisco instead.

    (1)

  • Shannon S.

    I've only had one meal here but I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite Chinese restaurant, not just in China Town but in the entire city. I actually stumbled across Lao Sze Chuan at the Taste of Chicago. Unfortunately it was near the opposite end where I'd entered and after eating my way through the maze and stopping at almost every booth I just did not have any room left to try their stuff. What i saw though was fantastic! I nodded at the booth and whispered in my sexy voice that I reserve for ordering food, "We shall meet again." We, in fact, did meet again and it was glorious! I got the Dry Chili Chicken , Crispy Shrimp with Lemon (both of which were on their Taste menu) and the House Special Clam Soup (which was chosen at random from their huge menu). All 3 things were delicious. My boyfriends favorite was the shrimp which were covered in a sweet sticky sauce. The thing that originally drew me to these shrimp is that they were not covered with breading like you usually see in dishes like these. Instead they appeared to be void of breading altogether but still managed a light crisp on the outside while being perfectly cooked throughout. When I ordered it, I half expected it to be a smaller portion but we had so many shrimp that we didn't even have to fight over the last one. I would kill to have that clam soup every day. The clams were served in the shell and swimming in a perfectly spicy broth. This dish also overdid itself with the quantity of clams. My takeout order came in a large soup container and was packed so full of clams that the lid barely closed over the top. I ordered for carry out and while I was standing at the register waiting for my food I had the opportunity to check out what was on all the other tables and coming out of the kitchen. Everything I saw looked fantastic. A few times I contemplated snatching a potsticker off the waitresses tray. I seriously wanted to eat ALL of the food i saw. If you're familiar with China Town then you know it can be hard to find parking so navigating a food pick up can be tricky. The only warning I have is to beware of the red peppers because they are burn your face off hot. The Dry Chili Chicken came with so many that we had a pile leftover after eating. Who can really eat all those? Really?!?! I can't wait to try EVERYTHING else from the menu.

    (5)

  • Saahithi G.

    I have been here more than a couple of times now. We have always went in a group. My favourites: - Dry Chilly Chicken -House special Spicy Sole Fish Fillet -Tony's chilly Chicken - shrimp mayonnaise Every item mentioned is spicy. I give a star less because of the service. They are not very attentive and often rude. Many donot understand English well.

    (4)

  • Monica M.

    We ordered the chili chicken and double fried pork with chili and cilantro? And spinach and soup. OhMyGodzilla my mouth was on fire. We totally neglected to acknowledge the fact that our choices could have been bad due to the hot factor. It was good though! I will def be back, but make sure that our choices will be more well rounded.

    (4)

  • Grog R.

    I'll continue to attest that Chicago does not have a great Chinese restaurant. I've eaten at a couple of Tony's restaurants and this one was by far the worst experience from a food perspective, it was borderline a nightmare. My girlfriend and I order takeout last night, we went with our usual order of Sesame Chicken, Muu Shu Chicken, Pot Stickers, Vegetable Fried Rice, and Wanton Soup. The Wanton Soup was average at best as the broth was excessively oily. The Pot stickers were the highlight of the meals were excellent, plenty of filling and not super doughy. Here's where it started going down hill, Muu Shu Chicken was really sweet, but it wasn't terrible, but could definitely have been better. Sesame Chicken was really a let down as every other piece was 90% grizzle and fat. I also think they took the spice that was supposed to go in the Chicken and dumped it into my rice . Oh the vegetable fried rice my favorite part of dinner. It was inedible, I love spicy food and I have zero issues with really really spicy, but whoever made this rice must have taken the whole container of spice and dumped it in and then added a second container as well. Overall for $55 I expect a much better meal and especially from a place that is considered one of the primer Chinese Restaurants in the area. Pretty disappointed. Probably the last time I'll be visiting one of these restaurants.

    (1)

  • Steven M.

    My mouth is on fire, but I can't stop eating! Send help, or more dry-chili chicken! Dry chili chicken, mapo tofu, and spinach with garlic (eat your greens, yo) is my standard order. Yes, the service is sketchy, but if you stay on top of things you shouldn't have problems. Protip: you can avoid the line or crowding at Lao sze chuan by going to lao beijing or lao shanghai lots of menu overlap (read: the good stuff)

    (5)

  • Jasmine L.

    This was on my list of restaurants to eat at. I actually only ended up here, because my uncle had mistaken this place for the dim sum one next door, to which he made the excuse that I wanted to come here anyways (Yea, sure, whatever you say). Either way, I'm glad that we went. We had the intestines, rice cakes with vegetables, and Tony's 3 chili chicken. The intestines had the perfect amount of spiciness - it tasted marvelous with rice. However, Tony's 3 chili chicken was the star of the show. It had the perfect amount of sweetness, crunchiness, and spiciness. If I were to go there again, I would definitely reorder that dish. The fried sweet potatoes (dessert menu) were delicious as well. The reason why I took off a star is because the bathrooms are pretty dirty. Also, some of the dessert items weren't available, which lead me to wondering why they still included them in the menu.

    (4)

  • Kim V.

    We went here yesterday for lunch and really enjoyed it. The place was really busy being lunchtime on Christmas Eve- lots of folks out doing last minute holiday shopping, so we had to be seated upstairs. I had a lot of trepidation about this, but it turned out to be a good thing- it was much quieter and we had 4 servers to help us. Every one was very nice and quite attentive. They start by bringing tea and some spicy pickled cabbage which is very tasty. Our order was dry chile chicken, beef in oil and bok choy. The chicken was crunchy and a bit dry (not sure if that's what is meant by the name), loaded with whole chiles and so, so good. The beef in oil was a little chewy, but the flavor of the oil broth was great and the bok choy was perfectly cooked crisp and tender. It all arrived in a very timely 15 minutes and we were able to get our leftovers boxed up and get our check quickly. The decor of the place is not so hot- might be time to update that a bit- but we had a good experience and will come back for more of that addictive chicken.

    (4)

  • Linh N.

    Erm, how about noooo. Perhaps we ordered poorly (spicy eggplant, egg roll appetizer, jumbo shrimp appetizer, and Governor's chicken), but it was all meh. The appetizers were too doughy. The spicy eggplant was not spicy enough, as far as I was concerned, though the caramelized garlic sauce it was sauteed in was good, but nothing mind blowing. I ended up making my own dish by dousing my rice with the sauce and adding the jumbo shrimps to it. Oh, and they charge you $1 for a bowl of rice, which I did see on listed on the menu, so I was forewarned, but you're not asked if you want rice with your meal, it's just assumed that you do, if you order a non-noodle dish, and then you're charged for it. Where I come from (Houston) the Asian restaurants do not charge for rice that accompanies non-noodle dishes. That, to quote Tony Harrison, is an outrage: youtube.com/watch?v=YBCq… We were initially enthused about this place: hole in the wall, in Chinatown, a queue of people waiting and hoping for their number to be called by the harried, cheongsam wearing hostess. Instead, our visit brought to mind the dulcet harmonies of that Public Enemy song, "Don't Believe the Hype." Not only was the food unremarkable, the service was borderline atrocious ( I know it's Chinatown, I don't expect kowtowing, I don't even expect full acknowledgement until I have to flag you down, but even after I've flagged you down, you disappear), and the restaurant itself was hot, stuffy, and poorly ventilated. The decor details of panda photos and faux Starck chairs did little to distract from these faults. Once we escaped, we promptly headed to Aji Ichiban for some Asian candies to make up for this mistake.

    (2)

  • Il P.

    While I was in Chicago for a few days (academic conference), I ate at Lao Sze Chuan 3 times. It's an excellent chinese restaurant. Compared to all the other restaurant that tried in Chicago, this is definitely the best one. I tried more than 20 dishes already (we went in big groups), and I absolutely love the food. If you can take the spice, this is the place to go.

    (5)

  • Lori J.

    Ok! This is my dad's favorite place so it only makes sense to go there for Father's Day. Ok, there were 9 of us and they seated us right away. We ordered the sole in black bean sauce (the best!) the Mao Po tofu (spicy good and the second best) and we ordered cashew shrimp and cashew chicken. Probably the best I've had for cashew dishes. My dad and hubby got the hot pot-they got to choose their meats, veggies, sauces and cook it at the table. The kids got plain noodles (boring and for $9 not cheap) and beef fried rice and orange chicken. The orange chicken looked fabulous and my 8 year old said it was the best he ever had. The food came out super fast but they forgot our appetizers (probably a good thing!) and they never bought us water which we asked for sever times but when we ordered beer that came fast. They also had only two cans of soda left (1 diet, 1 coke). Still wanting water we persevered thru the meal...the hot pot was fun and they made it easy to cook. I will go back but not with the kids so I can experiment with the food more. Parking was easy. Service , well we had 3 different people waiting on us.-other than the water we were happy. Good fortune cookies, too! We bought the kids rice candy across the "mall".

    (4)

  • F Z.

    4-star rating. Based on 186 reviews. Umm...... really?!?! Personally, I find my 2 stars quite generous giving the quality of the dishes that Lao Sze Chuan shells out. To start, two different servers delivered two pestering attempts to sell their "impressive" list of beers and wines. Declining politely both times, they continued on to advertise their real fruit smoothies. Admittedly, that sounded great on the humid day that we swung by; disappointingly enough, lychee was not an option so I settled with the pineapple smoothie instead. Onto the food. Having read many reviews about the Tony's chicken with three chili, it behooves me to order the dish. Yes, the spices blended well, but imagine my surprise when I found that most of the chicken chunks were actually breaded chunks of batter. The salt and pepper fried smelt was equally uninspiring. Typically, smelt are fried to a crispy perfection -- i.e. crispy enough that one would not have to wind up in the emergency room having choked on the bone and all. LSC's version? Great blend of flavors once again, but have 911 on speed dial if you wish to conquer the dish. Lastly, the szechuan beef. Surprisingly the only okay dish of the night, but the slices of beef were oddly soft and moist. Do yourself a favor and check out the other (better!) dining options in Chinatown Square instead.

    (2)

  • ava l.

    Always a delicious time at Lao Sze Chuan. I was first introduced to the restaurant by a friend who works in China, who claimed it was the most authentic Chinese in Chicago. Etc etc. She's right, and so are the denizens of Chinese-food lovers in Chi-town who flock to this unpretentious, delightful corner of Chinatown. One of their best dishes is the ***tea-smoked duck***mmm-mmm--don't be fooled by the image of shreds of pink limp meat in a stir fry; this dish is closer to a rustic duck confit in a parisian bistro. NO: this baby comes on the bone, with shatteringly-crisp duck skin, dark and white meat portions, all chopped up in gnaw-friendly morsels and served with a lovely dose of hoisin on the side. For our most recent dinner, we opted for the truly perfect Szechuan dumplings (savory ground pork folded into delicate wonton skins, topped off with chili oil--what not to love?) and kept our little fingerbowl of chili oil to mix with the hoisin as a rich, more complex condiment for our duck. We then cleansed our palates with neverending tea and chinese broccoli in garlic sauce--bright green, fresh, crispy, with mellowed shards of lightly toasted garlic. I give Lao Sze Chuan my highest recommendation as a chinese food restaurant in chicago--follow the other posters on this website and order what people recommend. The menu is vast and they have some real standout dishes. All this from a girl who would rather eat most any other cuisine other than chinese--except if it's LSC (or Mandarette in LA).

    (5)

  • Pam B.

    How do you spell a total mess in Chinese???? Good food, ok service BUT a totally filthy restaurant! Really? All the rave reviews and hype -- the walls have not been painted in years, the carpets not cleaned in decades and....well... Need I say more? Filthy restaurant. Can't believe the City of Chicago passes their inspections......I will never return.

    (2)

  • Steven M.

    I had such high expectations for this place. It was rated ninth best chinese restaurant in the country. This country? So I got a some friends to go after the auto show. I tried to make reservations but they didn't take them for less than six. No problem, they told me that it would be about a 10 minute wait at that time. It was 20 degrees out and windy. We were told that it would be a 20 minute wait. Outside! Again no problem. We had lucky number 13 after all. The first problem started when a group went in to put their name on the list. As they came out I saw that they had number 15. The guy at the desk immediately came out and said that is was to cold for them to stand outside and they would be seated right away. Everone that had been standing outside had some choice words. I couldn't say anything as I was the one who dragged everyone here. When it was finally our turn they made us go upstairs. From the outside? When we got there we had to wait for our table to be ready. They were kind of small and we are big eaters. I asked if we could be seated at a table for 6 so we could get the hot pot. No! You sit at table for 4. There were 5 tables for 8 that were empty until we were about to leave. They put two groups of 4 at 2 of them and the rest sat empty. So that changed our menu plans. I asked for a soda right away. It never came. I asked for another pot of the luke warm tea. After the second time I asked, they brought it at the same time that we got the bill. The spicy cabbage could have been used as a salt lick. The crab rangoons were very dry. The pot stickers had a good taste and were very plump. The hot and sour soup was also good. They brought us the steamed rice and spicy pan fried pork. Which was spicy and full of flavor. About 5 minutes later they brought the chaun beef. You get the picture. It took about 15 minutes for everyone to get their food. The orange tenderloin was very tasty. The crispy egg plant was so soggy and full of garlic that nobody ate it. The meat in it tasted and looked like tofu? Where did the crispy come in? The pork was very smokey and that's about all you tasted. Well, that and grease. The portitions were quite small for the price. The service was horrible. Every one of the servers seemed to be in a bad mood. When ever the waiters walked by me they knocked into me. It became a joke at the table. There is a whole side of the restaurant that isn't being used. Walk on that side. They have all those stickers on the door from Zagots to Yelp. Did they stop trying? And what's with the plastic chop sticks? Even the crappiest chinese restaurants have wood. It gives me the sence of cleanliness. When I went to wash my hands. The water was freezing cold from the automatic faucet. If you have no hot water in the washroom. Then what about the kitchen? From now on I will stop listening to other peoples reviews. It's the original Three Happiness for me.

    (2)

  • Greco R.

    Great spice and flavor. Service was good. The main guy in the room was entertaining. Had this military-like stern handling of the large crowds and line, but then could break into belly full laughter at any second. It was worth the wait, especially considering one can browse the nearby shops to kill some time. Food was the best Chinese food I've had in the city, but there are many other places I need to try out.

    (5)

  • erin k.

    I guess the trick is to go early - I was in the neighborhood and able to score a table with only a short wait on a Saturday afternoon, about 5:30. By 6:15 there was a line filling most of the courtyard. I guess that means this place is the best, because there were plenty of empty restaurants along the path of the line to get in the door here! However, the popularity makes the servers a little pushy. The menu is something like eight pages long and we ordered our appetizer and soup right away, but then were asked three times by two different people about our entree choices. Sorry - I'm only on page two! The food was good and plentiful, but the constant "okay? everything okay?" was a thinly veiled "get out so I can seat someone else". perhaps I'll be back, but next time I'll go even earlier and read even faster.

    (4)

  • Heather B.

    Great Chinese food. I went in with a larger party tonight and the food was plentiful for the price and of very good quality. I highly recommend the wanton soup and the orange chicken. You should know there is a long wait (call ahead) and that the service is SLOW.

    (4)

  • Sujie L.

    If what you are looking for is some real Chinese food rather than some Americanized so-called Chinese food, this is definitely not the place to go. I've been there twice. The first time I was so excited because of the good reviews on this website, so I ordered a very typical but hard to prepare dish-the hot sour noodle, as well as some other ordinary Sze Chuan food. However, it's a huge disappointment! The hot sour noodle is horrible, and other dishes are just so-so. Last month, I decided to give it a second chance, so I brought my parents there. The result turned out to be that I was wrong, again! Not to mention their unfriendly waiters who continuously chatting in groups beside your table, their food is still as horrible as it was. They are expensive, ridiculously spicy and not tasty at all. I would say that any roadside restaurant in Sze Chuan can do much better than that. Even in a small town like Ann Arbor, I can still find several Chinese restaurants better than it. So really, don't try their real Chinese dishes.

    (2)

  • t. o.

    Best Chinese in Chinatown. Price point is a little higher than hole-in-the-wall so its not the go-to for cheap night out, but its still affordable, and the food is definitely a step up. Three words: tea smoked duck. One of the few places I go for one special dish, but never had a dish here that wasn't above average. if you need reliable traditional Szechuan, you won't go wrong.

    (4)

  • Terri M.

    This place has so many fans and so many reviews, I almost wondered what I could add that was new. But given that this is a Szechuan restaurant among a majoity of Cantonese places, it's worth pointing out a couple of things about this particular dining experience that's distinctive from many others in Chinatown. Also, while there are a lot of hot and spicy items on the menu, and you're in heaven if that's what thrills ya, there are also a fair number of non-spicy items, so more sensitive palates need not fear. Nor do vegetarians have to struggle to find what's doable for them. Here are a few of my veggie-friendly and non-flammable favorites: --the peanut and pressed tofu appetizer--little cubes of smoked, pressed tofu (very firm) tossed with peanuts, scallions, a little chili and sesame oils. addictive. --the vegetarian "chicken" appetizer--rolls made with dried, reconstitued tofu "skin" with mushrooms rolled into them, sliced on the bias and served cold. tasty and refresing. --pea pod greens sauteed with garlic or another green like Chinese broccoli sauteed with garlic or with oyster sauce. I like that they have beer to go with all that spicy, salty food. My one gripe is that often the food is overly salty. Sometimes the wait is outrageous, but when their upstairs annex is open, that tends to relieve some of the congestion.

    (4)

  • Ryan M.

    Probably the best Chinese food I've ever had. I generally rate an entire restaurant by the quality of their crab rangoon and it was top-notch here (some may disagree with my methodology, but at least it's consistent!). Beef Satay was extra spicy, extra juicy, and extra delicious. Good tea, good service, good selection: this place is the whole package.

    (5)

  • Moomin T.

    Very spicy authentic Sze Chuan cuisine.

    (4)

  • Ajay K.

    Some of the most amazing Chinese food I have eaten in Chicago. Almost everything has been exceptional - though our favorites are the Sole fish fillet with Chili Bean Sauce, the Pork with Cilantro, Twice cooked Pork and the String Beans. Have probably been here more than 50 times. If it were closer, would probably go even more often. Tony and Vincent are the owners and are great. Some folks have mentioned problems being seated... We (usually just 2 of us) have never had a problem with being seated in the order in which we arrived. One just needs to wait in line and let the servers know when you are next. Of late they have started opening up the space upstairs on busy days. Service can be a bit hurried on weekends so weekdays are definitely preferable. Of late even weekdays can get crowded at peak mealtimes. Definitely worth the wait though.

    (5)

  • Matthew P.

    My favorite Chinese restaurant outside of San Fran. I always look forward to their spicy cabbage while waiting for food to arrive. Try the mayonnaise shrimp [sounds wierd, but is amazing], empress chicken, tony's 3 chili chicken, ma po tofu and the hot and sour soup. Quality is always top notch, thanks Tony!

    (5)

  • Duncan S.

    I normally do not bother writing reviews for places with 500+ reviews, what value could I possibly add? However, this place is very exceptional and worth reviewing. Lao Sze is fairly casual inside, with a combination of 4 seat tables (did not appear to be two people options) and larger banquet style tables. Paper table cloths, wooden take-out style chopsticks and with a Chinese version of Kylie Minogue pop playing in the background. The place gets really hectic so I would recommend booking or getting in early. Crowd is very mixed with a large number of 20-30 year old Chinese, some older couples and larger tables featuring groups of friends. Probably not the best place for a date. There is a sense of urgency in this place and no time to linger. For the food. Yup, we can confirm no Peking duck with hoisin, it is a Szechuan restaurant and that is why we were here. The menu is a little out of control and daunting. We ran with the dried chili chicken in the chefs specialties which was super hot and had great warmth (could not get through all the dried chili). Along with crispy eggplant with ground pork (it has 1 chili rating) and it was nice to get some contrast and relief from the chili and hot spice onslaught - quite delicious, though do not expect much pork. The dishes were served with some house chilled cabbage and chili which was also has a really nice strong spicy flavor. Service really good, fast, friendly and our Chinese waiter had some great banter with our English/Chinese translations. My tips: take plenty of tissues and be prepared for a couple of extra beers to wash away the spice.

    (5)

  • Emily R.

    After time spent studying in China (with a roommate from Sichuan province, no less) I despaired of ever finding the Chinese dishes I'd come to love anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. I was about to resign myself to a lifetime of "sweet and sour chicken" and "moo shu pork" when I stopped into Lao Sze Chuan for lunch one cold afternoon. The menu has a good mix of white-people classics (broccoli beef, fried rice) for the less adventurous eaters in your party, but also offers an enviable selection of Sichuan dishes. My friend and I split the Sichuan dumplings, the spicy and sour squid, and the hometown-style stewed eggplant, which tasted just as good as any I'd had at my favorite greasy-spoon haunts in Beijing. They didn't skimp on the spice either - the hallmark of good Sichuan food. Everything was delicious and I would definitely go back. It looks like some reviewers had problems with the service, but that wasn't an issue for us, and we came on maybe the busiest day of the year (Chinese New Year, and it was packed.) Special mention goes to the gorgeous seating hostess, who kept everything moving nicely and still had the time to joke around with the waitstaff and talk to me in Mandarin. What a rad lady.

    (4)

  • Helene S.

    If you are a foodie and love never-ending platters of food be served to you, this is the place to go - for hot pot that is. And if you don't know what hot pot is, you are definitely missing out and need to try it here. (Btw, it is the food version of fondue). The waiters and waitresses were always really nice and attentive at the times I have been there - constantly watching out to see if we need more food, water, tea or need to change out propane cans for the portable stove. They also validate your parking, which is a real plus because street parking is a pain in Chinatown.

    (5)

  • Stacey P.

    One of my favorite restaurants when I have a craving for some good sichuan food. The neiro mien (or beef noodle soup) here is delicious. The noodles, beef, and veggies are excellent... and there's a perfect amount of spicyness in the soup (just enough to rile up your intestines, but not quite enough to give you reflux) (but i think spicy preference is all relative). Also good here: sichuan dumplings, huo guo (hot pot). I forgot what else. Oh, fish. But forgot the name...

    (4)

  • James K.

    I'd heard great things about this place, and have some savvy friends who consider it the best spot in Chinatown, but sadly, I was not a fan. The service was ambivalent, and we had to practically beg to get a server to come our table on several occasions. We tried a large amount of dishes, and nothing was that good, and all of it kind of had a 'dirty' taste to it. Maybe worth another shot, but probably not.

    (2)

  • Michael K.

    The food here is quite good. I highly recommend both the mapo tofu and the salt and pepper lamb. Tony's Chicken is also quite good, though both the lamb and the chicken are quite dry. I didn't think anything at this restaurant was amazing, but everything was very good. I'm definitely planning to go back.

    (4)

  • Eric C.

    Alright, this place already has plenty of good reviews, but I will would like to take some time and recommend this joint. I love Chinese food, and I love spice food. Lao Sze Chuan is the most authentic Sze Chuan restaurant I have ever been to here in U.S. Now days, food alone is not the only indicator of a great dining experience. Service and cleanness are just as important. The service at this place is great. People are very friendly and your food comes out really fast! I have been there many times, and have always been satisfied with the food and service, and have overtipped every time.

    (5)

  • Erin M.

    From the horribly disgustingly dirty windows to the hair in the re-served hot mustard container and slow service-this place is GROSS! I have been here once before but it's been at least a year....I guess it's gone down since then. First off-it took forever for us to get any service and the servers were making people wait even though there were open tables! 2nd-I could tell the mustard and hot/sour sauce containers had been sitting in the fridge for many hours (probably put back in the fridge after someone else's table didn't use it all) because the top of the mustard sauce had congealed and when I moved the spoon to put some on my plate it broke through the congealed layer of mustard to reveal fresh mustard underneath. 3rd-There was a hair in the mustard sauce! 4th-DO NOT order the Ma Po Tofu unless you enjoy a huge bowl of gloppy goopy sauce with the softest tofu you have ever eaten swimming in it. We did NOT take home leftovers it was awful! Oh, and the spicy cabbage slaw they give you at the beginning of the meal had a slightly rancid flavor to it. Finally-to top everything off-the rice costs $1/per serving and they don't ask you if you want it or tell you it is extra-they just bring it!

    (1)

  • John S.

    When I lived in ChinaTown I would eat here at least twice a week. This may even be the best place in China Town. They have really good fried rice and the portions are huge. The service is really friendly. I *really* like their Chili Chicken, but everything on the menu is good really. Also, it seems to be authentic, which is always a plus in my book. My only complaint(s) is that the location is small so a reservation is (probably?) required if you want to eat there. I also wish it were open a bit later.

    (5)

  • Mary I.

    This place is definitely a clean Chinese restaurant. When u walk in, the servers are wearing the black and white bowtie uniforms. The food is pretty authentic and flavorful too. We ordered the Mapo Tofu and the eggplant with pork since there was only 2 of us. Both of the entrees were defintely good. I would have loved to try more items on the menu. Will definitely come back. Our total bill for 2 people w/ tax and tip was about $30.

    (4)

  • Caroline B.

    My friend who grew up in Taipei always wants to come here and I always let him take me. Hours have flown by happily here.

    (5)

  • Annie W.

    I should've prepped for the heartburn. Best dish of the night was probably the artery clogging Tony's Chicken. That stuff is seriously like crack. It's heavily breaded but the chicken is super tender and it's spicy and sweet. As equally good was the garlic peasprouts--mostly stems (which my bf didn't prefer). The shui-zhu niu rou ("water boiled beef")--beef was rather rough and the flavor wasn't up to snuff. The dandan noodles were completely soaked with soy sauce on the bottom so if you let it sit too long, you might as well be eating soy sauce flour. Value? Dude, Chinese in my book should never be more than 20/person! But we came here relatively early on a Fri evening and service was actually one of the better I've seen in Chinese places. Still, 3.5 stars. I'd go back to try other dishes but it's not OMG GOOD.

    (3)

  • Rachelle G.

    I've been here twice now and definitely a good staple in Chinatown. Definitely not for the spice conscious as they are known for their spicy food. The menu is huge! It almost hurts to try to look at all of it. My must order is the sole fillet in the spicy sauce, I forget the exact name but I believe it's under the Chef's Specials. Two things that irritate me are they charge for rice and if you order Beef and Broccoli but want Chinese broccoli, it's an extra $3! The walnut shrimp is fantastic here as well, a good option for those who don't want to eat spicy food. Service was friendly and definitely one of the cleaner restaurants in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Renato P.

    Ok, this place seems to be the place to go with the kids in the know when in Chinatown. To be honest , it probably did produce the best food I've eaten in the neighborhood. The downside, it was crowded as hell and the service was crappy. The server delivered one of our 3 entrees 15 minutes before the others were ready, and forgot to bring a side of spring rolls we ordered. The food, on the flip side was very good, I especially loved the selection. It was probably the biggest Chinese menu I've seen in my entire life. It was chock full of obscure goodness like frog dishes and clam dishes. We started with potstickers, which were perfect as far as I'm concerned. The crab rangoon was very good, but I haven't really had standout crab rangoon in years. My date ordered the Seafood combo lo mein , I thought it was a solid good. I've had way better Chinese seafood, but it did the job. The beef fried rice was very good, standard but very good. The real star of the show , as far as I'm concerned was the salt and pepper lamb. If your neighborhood Chinese places carried this dish, it might make it into my rotation of dishes I always order, it was great! So to sum up, if you aren't a service snob, the food here was pretty damn good, just make sure you keep bugging that server for what you ordered.

    (4)

  • Rayid G.

    My favorite szechwan and chinese place in chicago. If you like hot and spicy food, you have to be a lao szechwan fan. The chili platter is my favorite appetizer and the innocent sounding but deadly tasty boiled beef as the entree. Don't be fooled by the name - it is beef and it is boiled, but the dish is not about beef or being boiled. it's about the sauce infused with szechwan peppers. Just like everyone else, I also like the green beans and 3 chili chicken. Overall, very good food but it's been toned down in spice levels the past few years to cater to a more mainstream audience.

    (5)

  • Lori Taylor R.

    We timed this just right. We got to the restaurant a little before 7 on Tuesday night and totally missed the rush. Within minutes of being seated they were lining up outside the door. The menu is gargantuan and I am not exaggerating, pages and pages and pages of options. All of the food we ordered was delivered quickly to our table, piping hot and very tasty. We look forward to going back and sampling the more from the book!

    (4)

  • Kristen F.

    As my companion said their slogan should be: "Lao Szechuan: We'll ruin every other Chinese food experience you'll ever have." I'm never really satisfied with my chinese food experiences in Chicago. I have to say that I've tried not to venture far from the experiences that have pleased me and now I'm glad that someone made me go somewhere that wasn't on my radar. I love spicey and Lao Szechuan totally delivered. The Orange Chicken was intensely spicey the potstickers were amazing and the Szechuan String Beans were really delicious. I have to rave for a moment about Tony's Chicken with three Chili. It is the most amazing thing I have put in my mouth in a very long time. It's spicey popcorn Chicken.. it's heaven in your mouth. YOU MUST GET IT. I order you.

    (5)

  • Nichole S.

    Great food I go at least once a month really good spicy food loved the tea smoked duck and spicy boiled fish definitely worth checking out waiter was amazing as well

    (4)

  • christine c.

    maybe their regular dishes are better or maybe they gave us all the crappy hot pot stuff b/c we had 25 people. i dont know. but the lamb was hard to chew as was the beef - which was also SUPER fatty. there wasn't a lot of other stuff to put in the hot pot (at least not what i'm used to from california) the meatball tasted weird. i dont know what was wrong w/ it, but it was just nasty. i asked for pork and they didn't have any. it took them forever and a day to bring out new plates of meat and they only refilled the soup once all night.

    (2)

  • Laurel W.

    Amazing! Echoing other reviewers, LSC has the best Chinese food I've ever had. Four words--Tony's 3 Chili Chicken! This is an amazing dish. Quite spicy, of course, but it's absolutely fantastic. I also tried the Lamb in Cumin, which was also very good. The string bean with black beans appetizer was good. The flavor combination in this dish was new to me, and I enjoyed it. I will definitely be going back for Tony's 3 Chili Chicken. Bring a 6-pack of Tsing Tao and you're all set (they are BYO but also sell Tsing Tao. However, it's cheaper to bring your own. If you're like me, you'll need a bottle or two to soften the incredible spiciness!).

    (5)

  • Bani M.

    When I went to this place first time and was given a Menu (long menu) I couldn't decide what to choose from a huge list so I asked the waiter for suggestion but!-The waiter hardly understood ENGLISH and we struggled to explain what we wanted to eat, we asked for some gravy dish and finally the waiter got us a completely dry dish-Very disappointed. The waiters in this restaurant don't know proper English and if u r to ask them for suggestions or have questions-then u r in big trouble!!! I finally called the manager who seems to understand lill English and explained him the problem and he got us red chili gravy. We didn't at all enjoy our dinner here. The manager should really work to train his waiters to speak/understand English!

    (2)

  • Erin R.

    We went here with my family for dinner and I can't say I had the best time. Maybe it is because my mother and boyfriend always HAVE to eat meat at every meal even though my sister, husband and I are vegetarian. It is just sad to go to a restaurant that serves things family style and not order things other people can share with you. The food we did get was in my opinion just ok. I ordered a hot pot which I would have appreciated some help from the waiter in deciding what to order along with it and the best way to eat it. Also we ordered the cold vegetarian chicken appetizer which came about ten minutes after we finished our entrees. It was very good but we were too full to even eat it. So we had our leftovers packaged to go and realized the next morning they did not even give us our extra rice. Maybe I will try again just my husband and I (because their menu is completely huge and very yummy looking). I really wanted to try the spicy eggplant. On the "vegetarian" menu though items with shrimp and pork were included. Watch out.

    (3)

  • Neal L.

    I didn't think I would consume anything that would stimulate my taste buds when I left Thailand and Los Angeles, but this place does the trick. I've walked past it many times when I visited Chinatown, usually for dim sum, but this restaurant certainly sticks true to its ethnic billing - szechuan, which if people don't know, is Chinese for "hotter than hell". I ordered trademark szechuan dishes, which I've done at other "szechuan" restaurants, which I have had at more authentic szechuan restaurants in Los Angeles, and some places just didn't have that taste, that flavor, that heat. This place does and I would go back again, but be warned - when it says "spicy", they really mean it.

    (4)

  • Erin S.

    OMG, the best Chinese food in town, bar none. And cheap! Get the green beans with black been sauce for an appetizer. Lot of people like the Three Cups Chicken. I personally love all of their spicy eggplant dishes. Their menu is overwhelming, but that can only be a good thing, right?

    (5)

  • choong l.

    I came here with a friend who sang praises about the place. The unusual offerings you can find in the exhaustive menu (although most of them are similarly prepared, just different meat) and even more unusual specials (frogs cooked in a dozen different ways, anyone?) can certainly dazzle the eyes. The food was admittedly pretty good. We had the orange beef (crispy with strong orange rind flavors), chinese broccoli (seasoned just right -- salt and garlic) and dry-chili chicken (not my favorite, a tad too salty, but okay), and they were definitely above average / pretty good. Service, however, leaves much to be desired. The vegetables didn't arrive with the rest of the dishes, and when prompted, the server told us that he'll check on it. Then 15 minutes later, it shows up -- he definitely didn't put in the order first. As typical of most restaurants in this area, we did find less-than-sparkly-clean water glasses and even found a speck of chili powder in our rice bowl. Well, some might gag at the sight, but if you frequent any of the area establishments, you probably won't bat an eye. I'd go back again to try their different dishes, but will probably move on once the initial romance passes away.

    (3)

  • Jan L.

    Amazing food! I was especially loving the Tony's special -- 3 chili chicken! I've never tasted anything so flavorful before! Order that with the garlic kang kung, steamed rice -- and you're set for a dining experience!

    (5)

  • Rich K.

    Some of the best Chinese food I have had in Chicago. Every dish we ordered was perfect.

    (3)

  • Victor L.

    Always looking forward to get a meal there every time we visit that side of Chicago. Will go there tomorrow for lunch.

    (5)

  • Matt W.

    If you want spicy Chinese food , you can't get it anywhere better in Chicago land than here. My favorite dish - chili peppers with shrimp. Thick butterflied shrimp sauteed with a boatload of red chili peppers. Honestly, i can't eat spicy, but this place makes it so good, you will not mind the little burn while you enjoy every savory bite that comes with dining here.

    (5)

  • Philip P.

    Surprised by these reviews - not impressed with the food. Less impressed with the service. Our waiter was rude and awkward (not even a hint of a smile on his face). It was a long while back so I don't recall what we ordered. Unfortuantely nothing was memorable except the poor service.

    (2)

  • Angela K.

    This place was packed on Saturday evening. Mapo Tofu was pretty spicy and delicious. I also liked the Kung Pao Shrimp. Service was quick.

    (3)

  • N I.

    Not AT ALL all it's cracked up to be, we're never going back there again! After waiting outside for 30 minutes, another 10 minutes before our order was taken, being yelled at very rudely by the host, we finally ordered 2 dishes. The waitress told us the dishes don't come with anything and we'd have to order rice or veggies separately, we told her that's ok we don't want to order anything. Over an hour of waiting later one of the dishes came along with 2 bowls of rice. We thought maybe she was wrong and the rice does come with the meal, but the second dish wasn't coming so we asked what was going on and the waitress said we only ordered one thing because apparently she saw me nodding and thought that meant I don't want to order food?? We called the manager over and he was siding with her story, not willing to compensate us in any way for waiting over an hour and not getting any food. Not to mention the fact that our one dish was sitting there getting cold since we were waiting for the other to eat. He wasn't willing to compensate us in any way, he offered to make my dish but said it would take a half hour which was ridiculous and I'd still have to pay for it! He wouldn't budge on the price of the meal since he said we received what we received and ate it, so we don't deserve a discount or free dessert or anything!!! But wait - lo and behold when the check came there was a $2 charge for 2 rice bowls which we didn't order! We assumed it was her mistake since she said they don't come with the meal and we said then we don't want rice, but when they brought we figured she was wrong and it does - so we ate it.. But at no point did she tell us we'd be charged for it especially after making it a point that we don't want anything extra! The manager/host was also rude blaming me for canceling my order - why would I do that?? For a restaurant that claims to be of such high caliber they need to get their service straight! Just because you're a "top restaurant" doesn't mean you can be rude to your guests! I know mistakes happen and dishes get forgotten or confused, but when that happens the restaurant needs to compensate the guests for a bad service. If they would have done something to compensate I'd consider trying it again, but considering they act as if all their clients are taken for granted and yell and disrespect people, I'm never going back again! Apparently they don't care if they have customer retention since they got so big and famous and think that whatever they do they'll get customers waiting outside, but I doubt they can last a long time treating people like crap! Not to mention that the food that we did get wasn't anything special, we've had much better food, quicker, and better service at the other chinatown restaurants and are never wasting our time on this "wannabe" high class restaurant again!

    (1)

  • Dave M.

    Made what I believe is our third trip to Lao Sze Chuan last weekend, and again, I was quite pleased. Prior to heading up to Chicago for the weekend, I phoned 24 hours in advance to order the Peking duck (this is a requirement). After seeing these ducks hanging in the window throughout Chinatown during our last visit, I felt the need to partake. It always reminded me of Atari's "Adventure" game where the dragons(ducks) were killed by the arrow and their neck were broken and they just hung there lifeless. Sadly, the ducks are not brought out in this fashion as I had hoped, instead they are sliced up into little bite-sized squares. This actually was fairly upsetting as I really wanted to stand up and yell out "One land, one sword, one king!" and then slice his head off and chuck it across the room. The waiter actually prepares the duck for you by placing some sauce into a tortilla-typed shell and then adding the duck, green onions and then folding it over to eat like a burrito. Although it wasn't presented in the manner that I had expected, the taste was exquisite. The wife and I finished off the meal which is perfect for two people and at about 28 dollars, it wasn't too expensive. Not something that we'll order every time we head to Chicago, but since it was my wife's birthday, I splurged.

    (4)

  • Andrew Y.

    you know what..im not asian..by any means..but what i do know is this place to me at least was pretty authentic..i say this because the place was packed and my buddy and i were some of the only white boys in there... rocked out the szechuan chicken..ha..why not..it was a yelp recommendation..and it was hot..maybe because they poured the chili pepper bottle into the sauce..good stuff though..the chicken fell apart while i ate it..my buddy had the duck..and i think he was a fan of it..the wonton soup was pretty awesome and his hot and sour was really good too...they made home made sweet and sour and spicy mustard sauces for the crab rangoon and egg rolls also. good stuff big fan..if you feel like being an asian for a day..this spot up right off the chinatown red line..then go get some desserts down the street from the asian bakeries..you cant find that stuff anywhere else in the city

    (4)

  • Joseph P J.

    Right in China Town Square, this was a great place for lunch or dinner. Went there with a friend on a weekday afternoon. We were seated right away. Had a really good complimentary tea. We had fried rice, Three Chilli Chicken, and General Tso's Chicken. The portions were very generous, the chicken was cooked perfectly! Good use of spices and seasonings on the fried rice. The only negatives I found were a dirty table cloth,slow service, an extra charge for white rice and dated decor. But the great meal made up for all those things! Am defiantly going back to try the Peking Duck, heard its suppose to be the best in Chicago!

    (4)

  • Cathy H.

    This was one of the places first recommended to me when I moved to Chicago from SoCal--and I've been disappointed. The food seems super Westernized, it's very crowded, and I wasn't impressed with the winter hot pot. For better Chinese food, I recommend...making your own.

    (2)

  • Josh E.

    Chef special dry chili chicken is the boooooooooooooooomb. Seriously. If you like spicy and you like chicken, this one's for you. Like nothing you've ever had before. This place is just great. I've been back many times. The mood is just right and the food is awesome. If you're in Chinatown, go there.

    (5)

  • Scott B.

    Make no mistake about it, this is a totally ordinary chinese restaurant. By "ordinary" i mean this quality of food could easily be obtained by your local flyer-on-your-doorknob delivery joint. Potstickers and Hot and Sour Soup were passable. Crab rangoon was essentially straight up stagnant imitation crab meat in a won ton. No silky cream cheese nectar filling, just sea food scraps with red food coloring. We ordered the beef fried rice, sesame chicken, mongolian beef, and moo shu pork. The mongolian beef was the only reasonable dish of them. The sesame chicken was your standard run of the mill "whats the lowest quality food my clientele will still consume" situation. This translates into "don't cut your fried chicken chunks in half without being prepared to see fatty grayish dark meat." The remainder of the dishes came in at or slightly below expectations.

    (2)

  • Sara F.

    Authentic, but VERY spicy, Chinese food. Tony Hu's place is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. The food is outstanding and worth the occasional wait. However, fair warning, sometimes the dishes are almost too spicy to be enjoyed. Favorites are the green bean and black bean appetizer, homestyle tofu, hot and sour soup, and the dry spiced chicken. Ma Pao bean curd is essentially tofu cubes swimming in chili oil - killer, but delicious. Again, if you like leaving with tears in your eyes, go nuts. Otherwise, ask for mild!

    (5)

  • john o.

    Lao Sze Chuan food is great but they are the worst when it comes to on-time delivery. 4 out of the last 5 times Lao Sze Chuan has been over an hour late getting delivery food to us. Sometimes it's not even hot.

    (1)

  • JR W.

    wow, i had no idea how popular this place has gotten since i've moved. my family and i have been going to this location for nearly a decade, and it's gone through several owners/spouses. i'll spare you the gossip... the place was always somewhat busy but never packed when we used to go. but last Sat, the waiting line was out the door! good for them. as for food picks, of course you get the spicy dishes, but tell them 'little spice'. trust me, it will still make you sweat and your nose a little runny. i personally like the tender fish fillets. yum.

    (4)

  • Drew B.

    Lao has big flavors and spice. Their portions are generous for one and adequate for family style with 2 or 3 other dishes. I haven't tried any of the *real* chinese dishes, but the more americanized dishes were as good or better than any place I've been before. I just don't feel excited enough about this place to give it anything higher than 3 stars. Sorry Lao, maybe next time.

    (3)

  • Jill W.

    I first experienced this joint after a Sox game with some Asian friends who worked their magic and ordered some delish items. But, thank God we had some beers in our system to dull the pain of the spice. Don't get me wrong, I love spice, but a couple bites of the chili chicken and you've got a 4-alarm going off in your mouth! Visited again last Friday and the food was still spicy. The place was crowded, not unusual for a weekend, but we still managed to get a spot quickly. Unfortunately, it was in front of the door and the cold Chicago air took our breath away each time a patron would enter or exit. The meals are big, quite enough for several people sharing a couple dishes. Don't let them try and tell you that you need more food. Overall, good food, quick service, and a good way to curb your fear of spice!

    (4)

  • Mike V.

    The deluxe hot pot is awesome for a group. Comes with everthing for a good time... Except booze.

    (5)

  • Darrell M.

    A couple of former colleagues took me out for my birthday and when I read the reviews I was full of anticipation - especially since I have never eaten in a Chinatown restaurant before after spending all my life in this city. Anyway, I am the world's biggest Orange Chicken fan - from the McDonald's of Chinese Food (Panda Express) to the hole in the wall places (New Big Wong in Washington DC). So without even reading the monstrous menu I order Orange chicken, spicy. One of my friends orders General's Chicken. Then we wait. And wait. And wait. OK here comes my chicken. But the other two meals are still not here. We wait. We wait. No waitress to be had. Then comes the rest of the order. Here is the Debbie Downer. The orange chicken and the general's chicken was THE WORST I HAVE EVER HAD !. The pieces were as hard and dry as a rock. It was as if they had been re-cooked from the previous evening Brought it to the waitress attention. Futile attempt because did not understand english. Also the complaint about the plastic chairs is valid. They should lose them. I am surprised that this place gets such rave reviews. My friends were very apologetic - they said the food is usually top notch. Maybe I went on a bad night for them. The place was crowded, so who knows ?

    (1)

  • Lily H.

    Love it. We arrived on a Saturday evening and there were a number of groups in front of us, but after getting a number from inside, the wait went by quickly. Looking over the menu, I was amazed by the offerings-- from the mundane to unexpected and everywhere in between. This is a great find for foodies! You should BYOB if you feel so inclined, and don't shy away from bringing your entourage because Lao Sze Chuan seems to thrive on groups.

    (4)

  • Chris F.

    Maybe my favorite restaurant in the city. Among the Sichuanese specialties I heartily recommend the cold beef and maw appetizer (fuqi feipian), the water boiled beef (shui zhu rou), cumin-spiced lamb, the hot pot, the Chengdu dumplings, and the lalala chicken. Delivery is a little expensive but portions are larger than in the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Blinx X.

    Really enjoy this place! The beef w/ oyster sauce is particularly good (and mild for those complaining about the heat!)

    (4)

  • Lover Of Food And Culture Z.

    Authentic Szechauan style food with lots of flavors. My favorite is the String green beans with baby prawns, very spicy. I also like the spicy sole fish dish, Chufun noodle with lean pork, salt and pepper seafood delight is wonderful! Don't forget to try the spicy lamb dish and hot boiled beef or pork. This is my family's favorite restaurant. If you are brave, try the frog dish it's pretty good!!

    (5)

  • Jeffrey W.

    Ate here the first time Thursday night, came back Friday for lunch to make sure this place was as good as I thought. The dry chili beef and chicken are both amazing, salty, crunchy, spicy these two dishes alone are worth a visit. We also tried Tony's chicken which was strangley addictive (a little on the sweet side for me). Also had the szechuan boiled beef which was really good but it was in a large bowl of chili oil which may turn some off, try it over rice. I cant wait for my next visit

    (5)

  • Jasbir S.

    I went with some Chinese friends who didn't let me look at the menu and just said "You're Indian, you like spicy food, we will order for you." I was a bit scared but the food came back and except for one dish which was cold chicken (sorry, the only "cold" meats I do are fish items such as sushi), the food was wonderful. The service is fast and the prices are very reasonable. If you like spicy Chinese food, I can't think of a better place in China town.

    (4)

  • Virginia T.

    We went there with some out of town guests (one of whom lived in China for 6 months) and they were as impressed as we were. It was spicy, authentic, and overall....tasty. Take a group and share, it's best when you get to try a little bit of everything. The only problem I had was that it was a *tad* bit greasy. I will definitely be back to try the hot pot. :)

    (4)

  • Bex M.

    I'd say 3.5, overall. This is supposed to be "the" place for authentic Szechuan Chinese and I did have a fun time! I ordered the hot pot with a friend and my husband had the sizzling rice soup (tomato-base instead of the usual chicken broth of every restaurant I've ever been to) and the sesame chicken. The husband felt everything was "okay" but nothing spectacular. I really enjoyed the weird mix of fish and spices in the hot pot. It reminded me of a Korean BBQ I had in Detroit. I really liked the spicy cabbage served before the meal, as well. Overall, it was an interesting experience with fun dinner companions but probably not one we'd rush to revisit. The service was curt if not outright rude (the norm in the area, from what we understand). Overall, I'm just not sure I was as charmed by the experience as most. Decent food, okay price, street parking. I remember being more excited about my dinner at the Phoenix a few years ago.

    (3)

  • kinke s.

    If you love spicy foods, go try this place, they have a very interesting meun where a lot of stuffs to chose from, I like their boiled beef in hot spicy soup, so good! The only thing I don't like is sometimes we have to wait for a hour for seats on most weekendtoo crowd~

    (4)

  • Michelle V.

    Spicy chinese! Love it! The eggrolls are de-lish. So are the crab rangoon. Ordered the Sichuan Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Chicken Fried Rice. The Sichuan Chicken was wonderfully spicy without me having to preface just how spicy I wanted it. I love spicy foods. I wasnt really impressed with the Mongolian beef but it was still very tasty. The chicken fried rice was a bit soggy and over bean sprouted. I think I got more bean sprouts in a bite than rice. Overall, the servers were really helpful and I havent had any complaints. I've been here 3 times already and just found time to write my review today.

    (4)

  • Anne Marie J.

    This place does a great job of keeping the traditional chinese flavors in dishes that are quite westernized. The walnut shrimp is one of the best I've had since it's not overwhelmed with mayo (like Joy Yee's walnut shrimp) and it's light and crispy even when tossed in the cream sauce. The spicy shrimp is excellent - crispy and super spicy. Tony's chicken was sweet and fried to perfection, the governer's chicken was average. The service is not great but like I've said of other asian restaurants, this is to be expected.

    (4)

  • Jason W.

    really original chinese sichuan food. like it!

    (5)

  • Aaron L.

    I think this place is hit or miss. I've gotten food here twice. I went once with the father-in-law and we got the Hot Pot. It was delicious. We got half and half on broth. I wish we would have gotten the regular. The spicy was extra spicy. I like spicy and I ate it, but I think I will take it easy the next time. The last time I got food from here it just ok. I got take out. I think it helps to eat it there. I'll probably return, at least give it anther shot.

    (3)

  • Fancy M.

    Good food... bad bad service. Ordered delivery and they said 40 minutes. Well it ended up taking an HOUR and 40 min. I had to call 3 times and each time the lady just said its coming, its coming, without even asking what order it was or my name?? The last phone call I told her she needed to call her driver and find out where he was because by now the food would be cold. She refused to call and gave me his cell phone number expecting me to call her driver!

    (2)

  • jennifer b.

    Went here this past Saturday for a friend's birthday (after another had seen this place featured on Check, Please!) To start we got two orders of the crab rangoon which were nicely different than at most places - more crab and less cream cheese - yay! For our dinners, the girl next to me got shrimp in lobster sauce, which was very tasty. I got Sauteed Tofu which was.... well, soft and pretty bland - it was a white sauce not unlike moo goo gai pan (sp?) and the tofu was ultra-soft. The birthday girl got Sweet & Sour Chicken - which never arrived!! We were all basically done eating, and then we reminded our waitress and she finally brought her dish out. Next to her, a friend got the Orange Chicken made spicy, which was quite good. Finally, the last friend ordered a chop suey dish which was also good. Overall, I think the food is very good. However, the service (our waitress seemed incredibly irritated to have to do her job at 8:30, but gradually got nicer) was, as others have said, questionable at best. At least we didn't have to pay for the birthday girl's dinner?

    (3)

  • Ellen E.

    delicious every time I go! There are plenty of choices for the adventurous and also a good selection of vegetarian (i hope/ they claim) dishes. The Hot Pot is tons of fun and an enormous amount of food for the price; if you can get a group of at least 4 non-squeemish friends together I definitely recommend it! Otherwise you will definitely be able to find something on the ginormous menu to order, I wish you the best of luck in choosing just one item. Lastly, the tofu is very nicely prepared, a definite plus.

    (5)

  • Steve G.

    We asked waitress to split the bill between 2 credit cards. It was $86.00 so we expected it to come back $43 apiece. I said 50/50 so the waitress came back and had charged $50 each. I've never been to a restaurant that charged its customers more than the actual bill. So we just paid $50 each to include the tip. We would have tipped more had we been give the opportunity. I can't believe the waitress could be that dumb. It's all about getting the money.

    (3)

  • Jing T.

    One of my favorite restaurants of all time, its been a dependable family favorite since I was a kid. It's worth the drive from the suburbs! The walnut shrimp is crunchy and fresh, the mayo isn't overbearing. The dry chili chicken is always good. The szechuan cold noodle salad is something I've recently discovered on the menu. Spicy and flavorful, it's good straight out of the fridge the next day. Don't be afraid to try the very Chinese section on the menu, it's as authentic as it gets around here. Also try the hot pot fish, it's literally translated to "water boiled fish". It is EXTREMELY spicy, so dripping sweat is normal, make sure you have a lot of ice water ready. It's a fish stew with some celery and chili peppers and mouth numbing peppercorns. My boyfriend and I call it poison soup, but we can't stay away! Leftovers are great for boiling noodles the next day. It gets busy during the weekends, but weeknights are pretty free. Prices are very reasonable, and parking is usually accessible. Don't forget to try it's sister restaurants Lao Beijing and Lao shanghai, which are also in Chinatown square!

    (5)

  • Edward H.

    This place is great for those who like it hot. I'd say about a good 1/2 of their menu is devoted to spicy dishes ranging from a bit of zing to "I can't feel my tongue" levels of heat. Typical of most places in Chinatown, the food is very reasonably priced. The service is better than quite a few of their competition. If you're feeling extra hungry, you might want to go for their all you can eat hot pot special. They have one of the better Ma Pao Tofu dishes around. Great place to coat your stomach with chili oil.

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    Fillet of fish with black bean sauce and Szechuan string beans. Everything else I've had is great but those two dishes are standouts. Who knew beans could be so exciting? They do have a different lunch menu with slightly smaller portions and prices, so ask for it if you don't get one.

    (5)

  • Stephanie A.

    I was introduced to this place by my Chinese friend who brought me to Lao Sze Chuan to try "real" Chinese food. She helped me chose the very authentic Chinese dishes and they were delicious! Everything I tried was incredible, although I have to admit that I avoided the intestines, pig ears, etc. The service was not great, but I am willing to overlook that in light of it's amazing food. 5-star ratings do not come easily to me; I've tried lots of Chinese food over the years, and this is the best I have found. I'm so excited to bring friends and family to enjoy this place as much as I did.

    (5)

  • Kaycee M.

    I give this place 5 stars despite the indifferent service- in fact, because we joke about how crabby and inattentive the wait staff can be! It's part of the experience. It's worth going for three things, specifically: their pot stickers, Tony's Chicken (HOT), and the Mayonnaise Shrimp (SWEET). That combination always works for my husband and I- we leave with about half of the food (for later or next-day's lunch) and go get a Bubble Tea down the square at Joy Yee's for good measure. It's an indulgence, for sure- and I don't vary from my favorites. Go here for the food, not the service or decor. The food IS the experience.

    (5)

  • Mike W.

    Probably my favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago. I've only had a few of their regular entrees (which were good), but my favorite is to order the hot pot special (where you pay per person). All you can eat hot pot, with decent meat and seafood options, as well as good broth. Definitely perfect as the weather gets a little chilly.

    (4)

  • H. S.

    eh.. we got the hotpot, lots of food, broth was way too salty, which I guess was ok, cause you can dilute it with water. The seafood wasn't very fresh..... I woulda rather they just not served it. I really wanted to like this place, but this is the second time we've been dissappointed here.

    (2)

  • Dee C.

    If you're interested in Chinese food in Chicago, it's hard not to have heard all the praise for this place. With that in mind, I'd been looking for a chance to try this place for ages, and I'm happy to report that it met my expectations. For some reason most of the Chinese restaurants I've happened upon in Chicago have been Cantonese-style or super-Americanized -- light on the spice and with few interesting vegetarian options. Lao Sze Chuan has pages of exciting-sounding vegetable dishes; it has pages of just about *every* kind of dish, in fact. I decided to try the "Double-fried Eggplant with Fresh Chili," and my meat-eating companion had the dry chili chicken. A word on the service: it's clearly well-intentioned but very erratic. We were greeted by a smiling gentleman (the owner?) who silently held up two fingers in lieu of asking how many we were; later he assisted a table next to ours with very precise and plentiful instructions on how the hot pot should be prepared and eaten. Our orders took a long time to appear, and mine came out long before my increasingly hungry and irritated companion's. Water was refilled frequently, however, and it's a good thing, too -- my eggplant was extremely spicy, though the heat magically stopped right at the point where pleasure would have turned into pain. My companion found the spice one-dimensional, but I had to disagree, tasting undertones of extra-fresh ginger and garlic. The eggplant itself was shaved thin and perfectly soft, no sauce and not much grease -- simple and excellent. The dry chili chicken was a terrifying-looking plate, bristling with more whole chilis than chicken, but my companion said that the spiciness was actually quite bearable. Prices here are a little higher and portions a little smaller than most places in Chinatown, but this is quality stuff. It'll take me many, many visits to work my way through the veggie section of their menu, but I intend to try.

    (4)

  • Monica J.

    What a great spot! I've heard that this is the place where chinese people come to eat in chinatown. And now, I can see why. The menu items seem very authentic. We ordered the following: -Pork dumplings dim sum -House special spicy Fried Rice -Sze Chuan Chicken -Pork Intestines Except for the pork intestines, everything tasted fresh and delicious. We had heard great things about pork intestines, but I think we're just not hardcore enough to try something so exotic (yet). I will definitely be back to try one of the other 176378634637 items on the menu. The staff was eager and patient to help us choose our dishes. The place get's pretty crowded and if you're not present when they call your table number, that's it...no soup for YOU! So go at off peak hours and wait for your table..it will be well worth it!

    (4)

  • david n.

    So I had to try this place after hearing so much about it. Ordered the "crack chicken", salt and pepper shrimp, yi huan pork (shredded pork) and the garlic string bean. The chicken lived up to the hype as well as the other dishes. It's a little bit pricier than the other joints in Chinatown I frequent - Triple Crown, Happy Chef and Lee Wing Wah. The quality is a notch higher and I din't leave with dry mouth and a headache due to too much msg. My wife detected some but says it wasn't too much. I also took 1 star off due to difficulty in communicating with the staff. I had a question about one of the items on the menu and I just gave up because it was too frustrating.

    (4)

  • Mike O.

    I both hate this place and love it. I love the food. It tastes SO good. The dry chili chicken and hot and sour soup are absolutely astounding. I recommend this place to everyone. Unless it's for hot pot. Dealing with raw meat is a really delicate thing. Everything needs to be kept super clean and away from the raw meat to prevent things like *gasp* food poisoning to happen. The last time I had hot pot here the food came out in less than favorable conditions. Oh, it all looked tasty and fresh, but it was touching lots of different utensils and plates and sauce cups. It's no surprise that I ended up suffering in the bathroom for the next few days. Granted it was all SOOO tasty. I'd give them another shot for hot pot, and I've been back numerous times for their other foods. - Eat on!

    (4)

  • Brent D.

    We expected the worst as far as a wait on a Friday night, so we were really happy when we were seated in about 10 minutes. We were seated upstairs which seemed a little less festive, albeit less crowded. Their was a nice mix of folks and a few large tables where we got to observe some of the group eating customs. I tried to spy some of the entrees that others were eating to get some ideas. I spied a table eating meat out of a boiling pot of chili sauce and my choice was made for me. The Lai Lai Lai Chicken for me and Tony's special for the wife. We started with some springs rolls which, while cooked to perfection, were a little lacking on the filling for my tastes. Still they were pretty damn good. The Lai Lai Lai was a little difficult to eat as it was chopped up chicken on the bone. However, the taste was fantastic, albeit really spicy. I couldn't stop eating it, despite almost breaking out into a sweat. The Tony's special was really good as well. A perfect blend of crispy/chewy and spicy/sweet. It's unlike anything I've really had before. We brought our own wine and they charged a $5 corkage fee. Still, it helped keep the price down. While it may have changed from the good old days, I will be more than happy to head back some time soon. It was a great dining experience (for the food, more than the ambiance of the restaurant).

    (4)

  • Bob A.

    One of the best Chinese restaurants I've been to in a long time ! The food was delicious, and the prices were very reasonable. Will def be back.

    (5)

  • shik s.

    The soup was cold, then it was too hot.

    (5)

  • Natalie H.

    Authentic, spicy food and surprise - great service. We ordered the water boiled beef, pea shoots with garlic, dan dan noodles, and salt & pepper lamb. Every dish was excellent, but I especially recommend the dan dan noodles & water boiled beef. The only danger is your significant other may insist on making the trek to chinatown every weekend after dining here. But I don't think I can complain :)

    (5)

  • Neecy T.

    So to start, I am a server in a standard American chain so I know how to serve but I am aware of cultural differences that exist, and even more acutely conscious of the 'Asian stigma,' seeing as I am a half Asian living a few blocks from Chinatown. Okay, overtly long intro run-on sentence. First, I must say I came in an hour before close to order some fried rice. Yeah, I know, super lame but I had a hankering. Upon entering, the male owner instructed me to head on back to make a carryout order. First of all I noticed the waitress was chilling out and eating in the dining room and was definitely unhappy about having me inconvenience her dining experience. Plus, before I ordered she told me I was being unclear when I told her I wanted to get food to-go, which I didn't understand...but I tend not to argue with people who have contact with my food. She got confused about my desire for soup that wasn't egg drop or hot and spicy. She kept on asking me if I wanted a hot pot, which I saw on a table nearby and looked delicious but I couldn't get one to go, so no, I just wanted a different soup. Either way it was frustrating that she kept on asking for something if I wanted something that I couldn't even order. Then after placing my order and awkwardly standing near the back, the owner came up and put a sprite in my hand and led me to a chair and physically sat me down. Now this may seem to some to be man-handling, but he had a kind face and he genuinely wanted me to be comfortable. I then watched as he and his staff enjoyed dinner. But that being said, the fried rice was actually phenomenal. Probably phenomenally bad for me, but tasted wonderful. I ate half of it, and I was full past that comfortable stage. Their hot pot looks amazing and one day when it's super cold, I plan on heading that way and enjoying some. So, it's got really great fried rice, and amazing looking hot pot..so probably does other Asian inspired dishes well. Just be aware of the less than accommodating service.

    (4)

  • Jerry A.

    Love everything about this restaurant, and Tony's other restaurants. However, why do they charge for rice at this location? It's gratis at all of the other places.

    (5)

  • Mia L.

    I would have given this restaurant five stars in the past, but today's experience was terrible. We have never had bad service here in the past and the food was terrific. However today was the worse dining experience ever. We came here for one thing, hot pot. It took the servers twenty minutes to get our order, another 45 minutes to get one plate of food ut after the hotpot came out, and another twenty just to get the cooking baskets,another twenty minutes till we got the rest of our plates of food. I saw our server go out for four ten minute smoke breaks during our dinner, not once did he ask us if we had everything we needed or if things were ok. It's really amazing how a bad server could really ruin dinner, it took him another half an hour to get us our check. The food was as usual, great, but the service gets a zero, maybe even a a negative 4 on a scale of ten. I may have to look for a new hot pot place if they don't improve thier service.

    (2)

  • Derek B.

    The Chili Chicken and the Three Cups Chicken were excellent! The spicy cabbage appetizer was great too.

    (4)

  • Dex Y.

    As a man who grew up with Sze Chuan food, I can tell with certainty that the cuisine here is more or less modified from the original to accommodate local preferences (believe it or not, the original dishes are generally spicier!). But still, they do a good job. Based on my experience, I recommend Bon Bon chicken, Jiao Ma chicken, jellyfish and squid (both appetizers), boiled beef in spicy sauce, Ma Po tofu, dry chili string beans, smoked tea duck, and spicy fish dishes. For first-timers, it's usually necessary to get a glass of iced water on the side. Don't get intimidated by the reddish appearance and chili smell of the dishes. After getting used to the flavor, you'll love'em!

    (4)

  • D V.

    The food here is actually pretty decent and as closest to true sechuan food in Chicago that I've found. Unfortunately it's impossible to enjoy the food when the waiters suck, the tables are cramped, and owner Tony can't control his crew. The waiters are doing a whole lot of wasted busy work while people wait a hour for their food. It doesn't make a difference if you tip $100 or $20 or $0, same bad service. I will never forget one night when the restaurant was busy. Tony was pacing all over the restaurant and looked visibly scared. I had waited for an hour and there were empty tables but no one was cleaning them. He wouldn't look anyone in the eye and talk, even as I tried to get his attention. He then proceeded to wipe clean spoons from a rack. Wtf was that. The reviews from ABC, CBS etc etc are a joke in Chinatown. Every restaurant has a smug picture of a reporter endorsing it. It's too bad I got to hate on the restaurant because I love the food, but service is just that bad. Save your sanity and order take-out.

    (2)

  • nancy b.

    as far as chinese food goes, this is some of the best i've found. that said, there were still some disappointing dishes here. skip the egg rolls and cashew chicken, both were very unexciting. the sesame chicken, szechuan beef and crab rangoon were all good. i'd go back but try other items and ask for recommendations.

    (3)

  • Patricia P.

    The food was just OK., Not to flavored, but still good. I will try other places in Chinatown before going back. The only stand out dish was Tony's chicken, it was spicy and well seasoned.

    (3)

  • Kate L.

    My favorite restaurant in Chinatown after trying a dozen of them! I am Chinese-American and grew up with a mom who cooked authentic home dishes every night. This place somehow preserves that homey, "made-with-love" taste with that special, restaurant taste too. I have never ordered anything here that was just "meh," it's all soo good..and spicy!

    (5)

  • Dee T.

    We visited Lao Sze Chuan for the second time this weekend. The first time we went, we had pretty disappointing beef noodles and salt and pepper squid. This time round, we went to try their hot pot - our friend recommended it and we thought this place was worth a second shot. It's $17.50 per person, you get two soup bases (we chose one spicy and one mild), and it comes with beef, seafood (some fish and prawns) and veggies. We were disappointed again! The soups were more salt than anything else, and the seafood hadn't been fresh since 2007. It was definitely quantity over quality, and we left feeling dissatisfied and poor. Why do you disappoint so much Chinatown?!

    (3)

  • Lena A.

    OK. Listen vegetarians. The vegetarian Buddha chicken is absolutely fabulous. It's yuba (tofu skin) with a mushroom stuffing rolled and cut like a jelly roll. Served cold and delicious. Tri-color tofu is another winner. They use rehydrated frozen tofu, a green vegetable and carrots to create three colors. The texture is sublime, and the flavor subtle but very pleasing. Perhaps too subtle because it can be lost among the other strongly spiced food. The tofu appetizer with peanuts was a hit with the rest of the table. It wasn't anything I couldn't make, but it was done proper. Uniform small cubes of tofu, probably from frozen tofu as the texture was very firm with no hint of softness, well-sauteed on every side and served with fresh peanuts. I had the eggplant on the recommendations of other yelpers and the whole table enjoyed it very much. On my last visit I went with a much stricter vegetarian than I. After 14 years I've learned that, in places with a slightly disengaged waitstaff, that even if you ask if something is vegetarian and it has chicken broth they will probably tell you it is vegetarian. So don't ask don't tell. Be sure you ALL get the white fish with black beans. I think they are black soybeans. I've never eaten anything better in my life.

    (5)

  • Yahaira T.

    The food is great

    (3)

  • Brandon H.

    Still great, but now they serve booze! Win-Win!

    (5)

  • Spencer S.

    Best egg drop soup ever. Had the dried chili chicken, fire hot and delicious. Great atmosphere, lots of vegetarian options.

    (5)

  • Kevin R.

    On a recent trip to Chicago, we stopped here for carryout. I ordered the salt and pepper ribs which were delicious. Can't wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Eric Y.

    We went in a large party, over 20 people and we had over 12 dishes so we had quite a sample of the menu. Unfortunately, our food was uniformly mediocre, at best. The small steamed dumplings (xiao long bao) were probably the worst that I've ever had. Xiao long bao, when they are good, are little translucent pouches containing a shot of hot broth and a delicate meatball ... a bite of heaven. The ones here are more like cardboard filled with dry ground mystery meat ... a bite of something else, for sure! I would suggest taking them off the menu or just using the frozen ones you can get in any Asian market. The smoked duck was good, as was the whole steamed fish. Cold pork with chili sauce had a nice kick. Seafood tofu soup was crazy bad - thickened water with chunks of thickening agent that were larger than the pieces of shrimp. And tofu? Where? Laughable, to call this "seafood" soup.

    (2)

  • Amy T.

    I went here after reading the yelpers and what a hot tip that was. You have to do a it of searching to fnd it, but it's totally worth it. We were a little overwhelmed by the large menu, so I usually start with the House Specialties. The Chicken with 3 Chilis was highly recommended so that's what we got. Not the healthiest option on the menu, but a-maze-ing. Very sweet and spicy, just like I like it. The prices are moderate ($8-12) and the portions are huge, so don't be afraid to share with our loved ones.

    (4)

  • Buzz and Poxie C.

    Chinese food is great. However, if you plan to come to eat about an hour before closing, they will kinda rush you. I think they are just ready to go home just like anyone who wants to leave work on time.

    (4)

  • Jeff N.

    Wife and I went there on a weeknight a couple weeks ago. An encouraging sign to see the place 90% full at 9:15 on a Thursday night. Shortly after we sat down we were personally greeted by Tony himself. I had read about Tony's Chili Chicken in Yelp reviews and after meeting Tony I felt obligated to order it. Started off with String Bean Spicy Black Sauce. Great start! Tony's Chicken is quite good. We made the mistake of ordering another dish that has that sweet and sour/spicy taste. Too much of one style of food. Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I would be more adventurous and try new things. ENORMOUS menu with many fun things to try. Place is not that big, so I would expect a wait at peak times, but I haven't experienced that yet. One strange aspect of our experience was how fast they brought the food. Too fast.

    (4)

  • Emily C.

    Ate here again, for what my family informed me is now the 4th time. Major complaint is the service, most of our food gets plopped down quite violently on the table, and it can be a bit slow - but they are always packed, even when we go late at night. I would say we tried it the first time because of the Hungry Hound photo on the window but seriously, that guy must hit every place in Chinatown because they all have him on the window. Here are the things we have tried: Vegetarian Chicken - very good served cold (as it should be). Pea Sprouts in garlic sauce - I like these normally but this sauce lacked flavor and was pretty much salt. Szechuan Soy Beans - again salty, light on flavor. Last night we tried the Tandor Tofu spicy and sweet - these are like soups in huge bowls. The spicy was way too spicy we gave up, but the sweet came with a pound of salt in the bottom at first and was inedibile - it went back and came out again with sugar in the bottom instead - far better but nothing to write home about. All in all, the prices are not bad - last night we had the two tandor tofus and a vegetarian chicken - the whole bill with tip was $17. I'm not sure how I feel about this place, we have tried several other dishes, they always give you a homemade Kim Chee to start, but I must complain that my husband and I experience our fingers tightening/swelling on the ride home to Naperville each time - a certain hint that there is too much salt in some form in the food. 3 stars only because the menu is super extensive and features many vegetarian friendly options.

    (3)

  • Jason H.

    Cheap and delicious, they had a great menu. It's a great place to try new dishes, eat there with a large group of friends. There were 5 of us and the final bill was $50.00. It was a great place.

    (4)

  • Jane G.

    The best Chinese food in the city, hands down. Everything on the menu is good. No nonsense service. I try to go to this place twice a month, at least.

    (5)

  • Jeffrey C.

    Let's run through some Chinatown reviews, shall we? First up is Lao Sze Chuan, arguably the cornerstone of Chicago's traditional Chinatown. It's also the crown jewel of the soon-to-be-defunct Tony Hu "Lao" empire that seemingly occupies every other square foot of Chinatown--Hu's intent is to sell most of his properties and refocus on the Lao Sze Chuan brand. Of course, you're not concerned about all that busy-ness, so let's get onto the food. If you like spicy food (and you probably should if you're searching for Sichuan cuisine), Lao Sze Chuan is the place for you. Your options are not exactly limited to hot and hotter, but most of the best stuff trends that way. Nevertheless, I'll present you with a nice menu to give you the non-hot optionality. The mapo tofu is a signature dish here, and it's very, very good. It's surprisingly vegetarian, though a ground pork option can be added. For those that haven't had mapo tofu, it's basically tofu in a black bean sauce. Lao's is, of course, the traditional sichuan style and heavily doused in the peppercorn chili oil that signifies the regional cuisine. Base spiciness of this dish isn't as hot as others (like the forthcoming dish) but still packs a kick for the uninitiated. If you want spicier, try the dry chili chicken. You can't mask the chilis in this dish, since they're cut and intermingled throughout tasty pieces of popcorn-fried chicken bits. Helpful hint: the chilis aren't there for eating. Looking for a a milder chicken dish? The three cups chicken ("san bei ji") is for you. Rather than using chili oil, this dish focuses on the Asian triumvirate of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. There's more of a sauce base as well to douse on your rice. Also note that the chicken is bone-in. It's a nice complement to mapo tofu, in that you can sauce your white rice with both a sweet and a spicy element. Finally for some greens, go with the deep fried green beans. Lao gives you the option of spicing it up (see the dry chili chicken section) or with the traditional, non-spicy version. It's a nice, semi-healthy break from the other, rich dishes. Contrary to what you might have heard in the news, cockroaches are not on the menu (even if they may be in the kitchen). Chalk it up to business as usual in any major city Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Gastón S.

    So this is why you must come to this place if you are visiting chicago and happen to be in chinatown. 1) Dan Dan noodles - if you have never had this. Try it, it's a delicacy. Yuuum. If you are a dan dan connoseuir these are some of the best dan dan noodles in the nation. I've visited 5 china towns in the Americas and this one takes no.1 spot in my belly. 2) spicy cumin lamb, xinjiang (northern province of china, I.e. majority muslim) style. Delicious and definetly shareable. 3) portion sizes are enough to share a dish family style. Ambiance overall is a-ok, service is not terrible. Complimentary tea and spicy cabbage, yums!

    (5)

  • K S.

    The owner is very friendly and u can BYOB! He had jewelry on like an Asian Mr. T. Now the food, love the extensive menu from Chengdu. The dishes were good but none of it was truly "mala" aka tongue numbing spicy. As a matter of fact, none of the food was very spicy even though I asked for it. It was on the bland side even from salt or flavor perspective. I would go back but I wouldn't go out of my way.

    (3)

  • Steve N.

    Lao Sze Chuan is authentic Chinese as you can get. The service sucks, they don't speak very good English, they don't honor the Yelp check in freebies and they forget your orders. If that doesn't say Chinese, I don't know what does. LSC was given a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2012-13 and I'm not surprised that they loss it. Why? Cause they're Chinese and don't give a flying f*ck about no damn Michelin award. I'm part Chinese and I don't give a flying f*ck about awards. I only care about direct monetary awards and instant gratification. If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense. Anyway, we had a few items on the menu that had me sweating as if I was Jonah Hill taking a walk to the kitchen. 1) Three Cups Chicken - This was a pretty good Three Cups Chicken. The dish was served in a melt pan versus the typical pot associated with the dish. The sauce was almost completely absorbed by the chicken. There was still a little drip when you went to grab the juicy bits of chicken thighs. The combination of sweetness and spiciness was really good. It had a crispy texture to it like orange chicken. 2) Dry Chili Chicken - This was probably my favorite dish. The taste and texture of the chicken was similar to popcorn chicken but the spices and seasoning was much better. The crispy salty batter and the tender juicy pieces of chicken thighs with a sh*t load of dry chili that'll have you sweating like you jumped out of the shower. It was an overall good dish to be consume when throwing caution in the wind and forgetting the consequences of tomorrow's bowel movements. 3) Boiled Beef - This was my least favorite dish. The beef tasted very bland and the soup tasted like it was water topped with chili peppers. It wasn't a very exciting dish. It seemed like they added the chili peppers to mask the embarrassment of the dish. It's kind of like how people in the office always go to a different floor to drop a deuce. Overall, it's a good authentic Chinese restaurant with your typical characteristics like bad service and MSG. Did you know MSG is naturally produce in aged beef? Now, you know why you get sleepy after having a large piece of steak. Also, you're not a very bright person if you expect good service from an authentic Chinese restaurant. You have better chances of winning the lottery. Therefore, expecting good service from an authentic Chinese restaurant is like expecting Donald Trump not to make a mockery of the election process.

    (4)

  • Kat G.

    Im addicted to this place. I have to "allow myself" to order from here biweekly because for a while I did some math and I do not wish to share how much I was spending here. But that's a different story.... My go-to meal is: Wonton Soup - Simple, clean, comforting, and delicious. Fried Potstickers - Crispy, juicy, filling. I have sometimes just gone there and ordered only pot stickers to go. Because...why not? :) Tony's Chicken with 3 chili's - I have never had anything like it at any other Chinese restaurant and it is just fantastic. Crispy chicken, with a sweet and spicy sauce that has green and red chilis. It's just worth a try at the very least. Service is good, Tommy is a lot of fun and has more bling than me. :)

    (4)

  • Dominique S.

    Beware of this place. The employees are extremely rude and yesterday when I picked up my food they gave me an incorrect order. I told the staff to not serve it because I had already put my hands in it to confirm whether it was shrimp fried rice like I ordered, but discovered it was chicken fried rice instead. The employee still took the entree and tried to give it to correct person who ordered it. How disgusting...they should remake the order. Unsanitary and that was done directly in front of me, so extremely scared to see what they do when customers aren't watching. The food may taste good, but do you know where it came from or how it was prepared or whether it dropped on the floor or not? If you aren't confidently answering those questions then I would suggest finding somewhere else to eat. This will be my last time eating here, which sucks bc I actually like their food.

    (1)

  • M L.

    Place just got shut down because they had roaches in kitchen! Never again!

    (1)

  • Sangwoo K.

    Great place to come if you want some high-quality szechuan food. I have only been here during non-peak hours (like an hour before prime dinner and lunch times), and I have found it to be quick! The food is great and the hot tea you get is also very satisfying (although I always get a cup of iced water as well..). The dan dan noodles are quite delicious and are better than many other places that I have had dan dan noodles. I think they're spicy enough to give you a bit of a sweat but not melt-your-mouth spicy. The spicy beef in hot sauce (which I have a picture of) is my absolute favorite. It has a lot of beef and some other veggies. You'll feel amazing if you eat this. The spicy beef noodle soup is also a nice dish to start the meal with. I tend to order this one on the milder side just to prime my mouth. Finally, the dry chili chicken is VERY good but VERY VERY spicy. Highly recommended, but just order with caution. If you come here you definitely will not leave disappointed!

    (4)

  • Anuj S.

    Been to Lao a few times now. The food is quite good and so we've been back a few times - however, it's the service which is hit or miss. Our first waitress was quite rude and it seemed that she couldn't care less about our questions. Luckily, their waitresses don't seem to be hard-aligned to the tables, so we started soliciting a different one that was much more attentive. What we had: Eggplant in Garlic Sauce - Excellent flavor - our favorite entree so far Vegetable Lo Mein - Really nice noodles Chile Tofu - was this dry tofu that's fried and comes with a ton of dried red chili peppers Vegetable Hunan - Nice mixed vegetable dish, with quite a kick I forgot the name, but we had this soup which was VERY spicy. It was pretty much too spicy to enjoy. We pretty much didn't have much of it. When we mentioned this to the first waitress, she was like, spicy soup - deal with it. The second one, again, was much more considerate. She offered to get us another order and make it less spicy. In the end, they didn't charge us for it, so that was much appreciated. I've literally changed my rating in this review 3 times. Oscillating between 3 and 4. I'll go with 4, because even though the path was rocky, we eventually got there. I'm almost thinking this would the ideal place to get takeout or delivery - that way you cut out the service issues and get to the good stuff.

    (4)

  • Riva L.

    I'm a huge fan of Lao SZ. I have been going her for a few years now and I've got a consistent menu of things to order -- just enough that I don't get the same thing every time, but not too many! 1) Bon Bon chicken - this is an appetizer and it's delicious. Cold chicken slathered in chili oil and a myriad of other flavors. It's quite spicy to me, but I'm pretty weak when it comes to spice. Still, it's not spicy enough that you're too busy fanning your tongue to miss out on the great taste and flavor of the dish!! 2) Szechuan string beans - stir fried, in garlic and meat. Not spicy at all but VERY good and usually not too greasy. Appease the guilt of eating fried Chinese food and order a veggie :). 3) dry chili chicken - the ole standby, of course. It's spicy, it's crispy, it's oily, it's great. 4) Szechuan eggplant in garlic sauce - a definite favorite. The eggplant is bright purple! It's soft and mushy, but not to the point of being overcooked. A nice, simple, tasty dish. 5) Ma po tofu - soft, silky tofu swimming around in a spicy red pork broth. Something about tofu dishes with meat is super amusing to me. This particular MP tofu is really, really good. The flavors are excellent and it's the perfect comfort food, especially in the winter. 6) sole fish filet with chili bean sauce - light, flaky fish, fried and soaked in red, YUMMY sauce. This is a definite favorite. It's just so good! 7) three chili Chicken -- not my personal favorite, but boyfriend gets it every time. Chicken - not spicy at all! - fried and in a very sweet chili sauce. It's definitely good and sweet, but I'm not big on sweet fried chicken myself. Here are my two cents of caution about Lao: SZ: 1) the delivery food is not good. It's no the timing that's bad, it's that when the food gets to you, the sauces are cold and congealed. I couldn't bring myself to finish the food the two times I ordered delivery, it made me nauseous. 2) the service is pretty wretched. Servers aren't nice, it takes forever to get someone's attention (we've sat down at a table before and waited 30 minutes to get greeted by our server!!), and it's spicy food with nobody refilling your water!! Still, I go back often. Lao SZ, I love you so.

    (4)

  • Rachael N.

    Lao Sze Chuan is by far my most favorite Chinese food I've ever had in any city. Is it greasy, unglamorous, and spicy as all hell? Yep. But its no frills authenticity is what makes it, in my opinion, so good. We got the hot chili chicken since everyone we talked to told us we HAD to get it (I don't eat meat but my fellow foodie deemed it worthy of everyone's praise), the spicy sole filet, and the spicy fried rice (the first time, which just made our meal too painful) and regular fried rice (the second time). We also got the grilled squid the second time, but it wasn't the highlight of our meal... This is the kind of food you have one night, you feel sickly full and your mouth is on fire all night, and then you crave it every day until you return. Service was quick and helpful. All around one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago!!

    (4)

  • Paul L.

    last time I went to this place， the owner was also there and welcome customers. Pretty good food，fast serving，wonderful food. I have been to this place for three times，pretty good. But keep in mind，the Lao Sze Chung in Michigan Ave is just so so，even though they owned by same person，they do have different sevice and taste！

    (5)

  • Sallyann Z.

    Lao Szechuan is a tasty spot in Chicago Chinatown serving up classics! I've been twice now and each time there have been some hit or misses, but I left each time satisfied to get my Szechuan fix. I would give 3.5 stars if I could but overall I have high standards for Chinese food and especially places that aren't dirt cheap like they usually are. Their free spicy cabbage is a pleasant freebie you can count on (only one serving though!) I would order this as a dish even - the spicy, crunchy cabbage is a delightful side! What I've loved: Xiao long bao - I don't even know my friends ordered this; it was named weirdly and not soup dumplings but what a surprise when my all time favorite food showed up at our table! Obviously can't compare to the those from New York or Shanghai, but a good find regardless Spicy Szechuan noodles - peppercorn spice and hot oil, everything a girl could ask for! Disappointments: Szechuan chicken - just a mix of veggies and chicken that did not impress Eggplant - what chinese restaurant can't master the eggplant! 9 months later and my mom still recalls the bad eggplant when I mentioned Lao Szechuan Overall, this restaurant does get a lot of hype and it's for good reason. Come here for a hearty, spicy Chinese meal in the heart of Chicago chinatown.

    (3)

  • Darian J.

    As a new resident of Chicago, and a lover of any and all things Asian related, I was SO excited that Lao Sze Chuan was the restaurant that took my Chinatown virginity. I ordered (truthfully way too much food) the Pot Stickers, LaLaLa Chicken Pot, and the hostess gave me some complimentary spicy cabbage. This was hands down the best Chinese food I have ever had in my life. And that says a LOT because I have eaten Chinese food, at one time in my life, for 7 days straight. After all these years of thinking I've experienced the best, I hadn't. Until now. When the menu says spicy, it MEANS spicy. Which almost made me want to hug the chef considering when I go to some Thai restaurants and specifically ask for my dish to be extra spicy, I don't even sweat. Not at Lao Sza Chuan. My nasal cavity was leaking 1/3 of the way in and I had to stop. I was so depressed, because I wanted to finish, but I couldn't. It was amazing. Those pot stickers...superb. Moist, savory, just the perfect appetizer. I LOVED the garlic infusion with the spicy cabbage. It was the first "taste" when I bit into a few pieces. This too was SPICY. The ONLY reason why I simply cannot give the restaurant 5 stars is because ( as most everyone else has said ) the service lacks in comparison to the great food. I had to wave down 3 different people for a straw, to take my order, a refill, the bill, a box. Had the service rivaled the food, I would have given LSC a 5 star review. But this food. Was heavenly. It tastes MUCH different than what Americans expect Chinese food to taste like. Will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Tabitha P.

    We ordered delivery from Lao Sze Chuan tonight. We opened the bag of food and half a dozen cockroaches ran across our counters. Tried to throw all of the food in the trash and the dumpster before any escaped into our apartment. We are so thoroughly disgusted! We have eaten at the restaurant many times before, but we will never be back and we will never order from the restaurant again.

    (1)

  • Ashley A.

    If I could rate this place ZERO stars I would! I am completely and utterly disgusted with this place. My friend ordered Orange Chicken, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Spicy String Beans in Black Bean Sauce for delivery. After receiving the food and plating it, he noticed a large bug in the Orange Chicken sauce! After closer examination it was a ROACH! DISGUSTING!! We will NEVER eat at Lao Sze Chuan! Having this the food proves the lack of cleanliness, coupled with total negligence by the management of this establishment. If you choose to eat here, please beware!

    (1)

  • Zorin D.

    My experience here could not have been better. I actually initially thought it would be impossible for this place to live up to the hype. Initially upon entering you see a wall of acheivements. Don't listen to the naysayers that seek to knock a place like this down simply because of it's very high ratings. It is by far the best Chinese I've had in my life. As a matter of fact the green beans with black bean sauce was the best incarnation of any green bean dish I've ever had. It was a little spicy and a little salty. The green beans themsleves were fresh bright green and crisp. They turned what should have been an ok side dish in to the star of the show. I had to try the dry chili chicken on the recommendation of like pretty much everything that says you have to get it. The chicken was spicy and crispy. You have to love the depth of flavor that those chilies bring. It makes for a dish that you literally cannot stop yourself from eating without regard as to your current state of hunger. The fried rice cake was also something that I've hadn't tried before but was so diffrent from anything that I've ever tasted before. It was deliciously chewy and you had a wonderful contrast of textures alongside crisp vegetables. This place makes an excellent case for spending some more time in Chinatown.

    (5)

  • H M.

    Fun and delicious! There are a lot of mixed reviews for this place, but we really enjoyed our meal! Went on a Friday night at 8:00, the place was 1/2 full. Our server, Fawn, was lively and funny, even though her English was better than my Chinese! We opted for the following dishes: chengdu dumplings (FAB!), peking dumplings (blah), szechwan green beans (YUM), dry chili chicken (YUM!) and stir-fried baby octopus (PASS) We were afraid to order the chicken too spicy because we had heard it can blow your ears off - we opted for medium spicy, which was perfect. you can order the dishes with your preferred spice level. Only issue was the dishes came out all at once; it would have been nice to have one or two at a time. And the overhead lights were too bright! (We took a picture with Tommy - I think he's the manager - he's a hoot! He gave us a round of beers for that - Cheers, Tommy! 谢谢 Thank you!) We'll be back

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    While the food was very good, it was some of the worst service I've experienced, it took forever for us to get served, they never bothered checking in on us ever, never refilled water, i asked for sugar and never got any plus other tables clearly got way more attention than us and faster service, idk what the deal was but as good as the food was it wasnt enough to make me go back

    (2)

  • Diana G.

    Closed due to FBI raiding.... abc7chicago.com/news/chi…

    (1)

  • Rowena N.

    Came here around 1:30-2pm on a weekend, and no line. We had : -Three spiced chicken, which semi-resembled teriyaki chicken - bit hit with our friends. Chicken was tender, sauce was little sweet and salty. Pretty generous portion size. - Fish in hot pot with spicy oil- my friends love spicy food so they finished this up easily. It came with cabbage in the oil as well. If you haven't had this before it is like a small pot with sliced fish and braised cabbage drenched in the hot chili oil. As expected this is hot hot hot (both in temperature and spiciness). - Eggplant in garlic sauce- this is legit my favorite dish of all time. They sautéed it perfectly. It has a nice sweetness to it, and heat. It is mildly spicy. Def recommend. - Steamed soup buns- Pretty good. These are like tiny buns filled with pork meat and some soup coming from the meat/chives/other veggies in the filling. I felt there are other places with better version but these were okay. Nothing too bad, nothing too memorable. -Chicken fried rice- Pretty generous with amount of chicken included. My friend got this as his "safety" dish in case he did not like any entrees. It was average, although I am not sure who can make chicken fried rice that much more spectacular. - Pork kidney saute- this was our "adventurous" dish. I did not know pork kidney smells but yes it does. The taste is not bad, but for those of you with strong sense of smell, this probably isn't for you. It is sautéed with slices of bamboo shoots and mix of greens. Half of us liked it, half of us did not touch it. Service was pretty good. Ambience is bit peculiar. Throughout our meal we were watching a man (who either is manager or owner) with thick gold chains greet customers loudly and guarding the door... Overall, I'd recommend the food there. We came with relatives from China before and they feel it is pretty authentic, so I take their word for it. For those who love spicy food, you will leave this place with your mouth numbed in a very good way.

    (4)

  • Mikki K.

    We were told by someone who lives in China that this is the best Chinese food in the USA so we had to try for ourselves. We were not disappointed at all. Agreed this was an amazing place with authentic Chinese food as the flavor was outstanding. Very glad to try something other than pizza & hot dogs for our 1st time in Chicago.

    (5)

  • Nancy Y.

    Good food especially if you like real authentic spicy Chinese food! The host at the door was quite the character. His voice was as loud as his jewelry! Very kind and very entertaining gentleman. I would have given five stars if it wasn't for the service. It appeared that they may have been under staffed, because it was a while to get service and we had to flag different servers each time we needed something. At the end of our stay, it was the waitress who was so kind that I have to give her kudos for being so sweet!

    (4)

  • Sam G.

    The food was good, decent price but don't expect good service. The only gripe I had with the food is their jelly fish Shanghai style. Literally just jelly fish with oil. Bland, no flavor, literally a little salt would have made the dish better. We had to ask for ice water from three different waiters until we finally got it.

    (3)

  • Tiffany Y.

    This sichuan style restaurant is aimed towards American customers. I came in on a Friday night, and they were very busy, but we were still able to be seated right away. They gave us a red chili oil cabbage appetizer ( which was probably one of my favorite dishes of the night asides from the dessert). We ordered shui dzu niu rou ( spicy beef and cabbage ), la dzi dza dzi ( the famous chili deep fried chicken ) gai lan xia ( broccoli shrimp the only non spicy dish), sichuan style fried thinly sliced potato with chili, and the sichuan style sesame tong yuan. The dishes are all at least $4 more than I have paid at other places, and when you take out all the chilis there was barely any meat left. Speaking about the meat, the shui dzu niu rou was not spicy at all, and compared the the chili deep fried chicken, it was tasteless. The 'famous' chili deep fried chicken was the saltiest deep fried chicken I have ever had in my life. I had to have 3 mouthfuls of rice for every bite of chicken because it was so freaking salty. It wasn't even spicy AT ALL. The broccoli chicken was fresh and edible, but so overpriced at $15. The sichuan style fried sliced potato didn't have the vinegar flavor that I was looking for, I could have made this dish so much better myself. The sesame tong yuan with the rice wine, was a good finisher, except they gave such a tiny bowl for $6. I honestly don't think I would ever come here again because the food wasn't spicy at all, it was overpriced, and way too salty. I usually don't eat that much rice, but I had to eat 3 bowls of rice here because of all the salt.

    (2)

  • Jeana C.

    I've been here a few times and tried both ala carte dishes and hotpot. I don't like their hotpot because they give you a plate of different kinds of food but of their choice..We couldn't even finish what they gave us... I wonder what they do with the leftover food each time. I also think this place is overrated because I find the dishes to be mediocre. I'll just stick with my dry chili chicken when I come here.

    (2)

  • Jasmine S.

    Too spicy to tell the original tastes of the food... I'm a Chinese and going to Chinese restaurants is one of my hobbies~ but the MaoXueWang and beef aren't authentic and the only impression is "too spicy!".. the free spring roll is just so so. that's it.

    (1)

  • Martin P.

    This is absolutely my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. I am addicted to the Dry Chili Chicken dish. The dish is a plate filled with bite size crispy chicken tossed with Szechuan peppers, garlic, ginger, and green onion. The result is a fiery deliciousness that keeps me coming back for more. In addition, the salt and pepper string beans have been another discovered favorite. The service has improved a great deal since I started frequenting this restaurant, but it can be lacking unless you are assertive about your need. Don't be shy if you need attention. As of late, it has been consistently good service. Because of Lao's popularity, getting a table can, at times, be a pain, and the wait in a small entry way can be less than appealing. In visiting with several of the Chinese patrons, they informed me the dishes were 95% authentic to what is served in China. I believe it, as each dish I have tried is excellent. Parking can be an issue, but most often, with a bit of luck, a spot can be found within walking distance. If you are visiting Chicago and love Chinese food, this is a must visit restaurant. I recommend it highly. In all probability, I will be there having my favorite dish!

    (4)

  • Aashish J.

    May give you an instant heart attack but the food sure taste good :) Lots of people have commented on the Americanized 'Chinese' dishes here. IMO, they are OK. But I will give **** for their hot pots. Must have if you are in groups of 3 or more. Enjoy!

    (3)

  • Mandy Y.

    This place is beautiful inside, cramped when busy but nevertheless it's visually very nice. We went on a midweek evening and they weren't crowded at all which we thought was odd being that this place was very popular (maybe the recent FBI raids scared patrons?) In any event, you would think that when a restaurant is slow service would be much more attentive. Way off. The staff was having a dinner for themselves at the biggest table on the main floor! They were loud and obnoxious. We almost opted to change our order to takeout. I was tired and hungry so we stayed and tried to make the best of it. Our appetizers took 20 minutes to get to us and the entrees another 45 on top of that. So over an hour to get our meal in a restaurant with maybe 4 other couples. Perhaps this was because there was a table of literally 8 employees laughing and carrying on and OF COURSE they had their food. If the owner so chooses to respond to this review, I will gladly post the photos. They had one young lady working the floor serving dishes and waiting tables. When the food finally got out to us, shocker, it wasn't even hot. The flavor was there and we both felt that had it not sat around it probably would've been really good. Such a shame. There are too many other places in Chinatown to eat for us to dine in here again, maybe take-out would be the way to go if we ever return. A total waste of $50+

    (2)

  • Sunny K.

    Where to begin talking about Lao Sze Chuan! For starters, I go here EVERY weekend. The servers know me. I also order the same things each time I go, which expedites the process. Going to a restaurant every week does become (relatively) expensive, but here's three dishes as to why Lao is worth it: - Mapo Tofu: The mapo here is fantastic! It's spicy, it's got a lot of tofu, it's warm and oily, it's szechuan. This thrown on fresh rice is my dream dinner. On some days the flavor changes slightly (this last weekend, it was a tiny bit saltier than usual. The weekend before that, it was perfect) but this dish is a consistent winner. I've tried to recreate this flavor at home to utter failure. - Dry Chili Chicken: If fresh, the Dry Chili Chicken is crisp, spicy, and rich. Basically, it's a bunch of wonderful fried chicken pieces thrown in with a lot of chili and other spices. - Garlic Spinach: Spinach in oil and lots of garlic. We started ordering this because we thought "ah but we can't NOT eat vegetables" and ended up sticking to it because it's delicious. It complements the other two dishes nicely. I've also tried the Green Beans and the Boiled Szechuan Beef, which are excellent. Some pitfalls: - Depending on the time of day you arrive (especially during weekend dinnertime), it can be impossible to find parking nearby. This can mean wandering around Chinatown for 30 minutes looking for that special person just about to leave as you arrive. This can also mean walking about ten minutes from the parking lot by the train station, which is brutal during Chicago winters. - Also depending on the time of day you arrive, there may be a wait. I've gotten savvy enough that I've never had to wait more than ten minutes. Going during lunchtime helps, because crowds gather for dinner. - There's a special table nearest to the kitchen area that each time I've sat there I had to wait an hour to get my food. Sometimes, their service dwindles. Other times, the food comes out so curiously quick you wonder if they defrosted a batch from last week. - I've read some articles about Lao Sze Chuan having issues with sanitation standards and also with the FBI raiding this branch, which is slightly alarming?! ALL IN ALL I love this restaurant and it really does make my weekend. I love the free tea, the spicy cabbage, the not-overly-friendly attitude of the employees, the inexpensive food. I'd give them 5 stars if not for the service and the sometimes-not-so-fresh food.

    (4)

  • Lanash L.

    Wow....this place rocks, if you love spicy food like I do...get the lala chicken and the spicy fried rice and thank me later...I also tried the Shanghai rolls and jumbo shrimp....all piping hot and excellent

    (5)

  • Lupe L.

    This place is solid. It's the best staple of Genuine spicy Chinese food. Would highly recommend if you don't know where to go to eat in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Emily B.

    This is my absolute favorite place in Chinatown!! They have so many selections on their menu and although I tend to stick to my tried and true classics, I always see people ordering up the most interesting and delicious looking dishes!! I probably eat here at least once a month, I start off with the deliciously saucy and spicy ma po tofu, I highly recommend this- it's a crowd pleaser- even if you think you're not a fan of tofu, eating this on top of some white rice is delicious!!! They're known for their Sichuan spice so I like to get the three chilli chicken which is scary because of the peppers but so delicious! The three pot chicken is so flavorful and tender, I think this is another favorite (of mine at least lol). Today we also got the Orange beef tenderloin which was so deliciously crispy and amazingly flavored. They were really busy so they gave us two additional white rices for free! I don't know what other way to say it- I love this place

    (5)

  • Shuo F.

    This place is as authentic as it gets for Sichuan food! Everytime we're in Chicago, we have to come here to eat! We normally order hotpot here, which could get very spicy, so be sure to get ice water before dipping in! A lot of people on yelp has been complaining about service. I don't think tier service is so bad that they deserve a 1 star. We normally wait a little bit before we would get our water refilled, but it's definitely not that bad. The food definitely overshadows the "bad" service. Besides hotpot, also try out the stuff on the "Very Chinese" section of the menu. It includes intestines and stomach, which is very authentic!

    (4)

  • Sarah S.

    If you like your Chinese food spicy, Lao Sze Chuan may be your ideal Chinatown restaurant. Come in non-peak hours to avoid the wait which can climb to very high numbers early in the evening. Our server was a very friendly lady and we had much better service than I'm used to in Chinatown. Chef's Special Pork with Sizzling Crispy Rice $12.45 - This pork is in a very light sweet and sour sauce. It was a great sweet & sour sauce that was a refreshing change because it wasn't heavy at all. The pork was not deep fried either which leaves you feeling like you've eaten something semi-healthy. Getting the dish is kind of cool because they pour the hot soup over the crispy rice making for a sizzling mixture right before your eyes. It ends up being like a soup but personally I still put it over regular white rice to cut the sweetness a bit. Orange Chicken $12.45 - I found the orange chicken not to be very flavorful though I did taste the orange a bit. This dish had some of the best chicken I've ever had at a Chinese joint. It was perfectly deep fried with the right amount of crisping to it, great crunch without drying out the chicken at all - completely moist protein. Overall I thought it was quite a delicious dish but would probably skip it next time just to try something new in hopes of getting a bit more flavor. Spicy Pork Intestine $11.45 - Personally, I liked the small crispy pieces the best. The bigger pork intestine pieces were a bit more chewy so I was happier avoiding those pieces. I really enjoyed the flavor in this dish and if you can stomach intestine, it's worth a try. Chef's Special Diced Beef with Tofu $13.45 - My least favorite of the bunch. I found this dish to be a bit bland. There was quite a bit of tofu at the bottom and a lot of diced beef (of course) in a soup type of sauce. This dish was just fine but it didn't really jump out at me. Steamed rice is $1 extra per bowl. Overall, I'm glad I finally made it into Lao Sze Chuan - I've eaten at just about everywhere else in Chinatown! It's definitely worth a stop, however with the hit or miss dishes and slightly more expensive prices, I will probably opt for other Chinatown spots in the future.

    (4)

  • James K.

    We ordered the food for pick up tonight after eating in the restaurant once before. We got home and the food tasted awful. There was no flavor, it was cold (we live 5 min away). Next time if I'm in the mood for subpar Chinese food I'll go to Panda Express and save some money. Really disappointed. Probably won't go back or order again.

    (1)

  • Wenjie G.

    I would give 0 stars if possible. Probably one of the worst restaurants I've encountered. We ordered hot pot for a party of 4. The tofu they gave us is spoiled and bad, they said "there's nothing we can do about that" and not even offering an apology. We asked for additional meats and had to keep reminding them and ended up getting them after 30 minutes. Waitress/waiter would not refill water. One of the worst service I experienced so far. Absolutely would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

    (1)

  • Allison L.

    I went here with a group of 5 on a Saturday evening and we were seated upstairs right away. The table had a lazy susan (rotating table) in the middle so we could easily share the family-style platters. We tried tea-smoked duck, chili chicken, green beans, honey walnut shrimp and egg drop soup. Everything was delicious, especially the duck and shrimp! I highly recommend this place for a true China Town experience!

    (4)

  • Sam K.

    I had the pleasure to visit this place as part of Chicago Booth's CAP party! What a great choice for party location! The food here is absolutely delicious! I especially enjoyed the double cooked pork, the sweet beef stir fry, the seafood noodle, and Mapo tofu. Additionally, the service is also great. The waiters are very attentive. Like most other Chinatown places, this place's ambience is extremely casual so that we could play many party games and enjoy ourselves fully. Highly recommend this place!

    (4)

  • E Y.

    They seated larger groups ahead of us because they wanted to utilize all the chairs, so we ended up waiting almost an hour to be seated when we were told 20-30 minutes. Food was okay, and nice portion sizes for sharing.

    (3)

  • Justine M.

    Very good. Go during off hours since this place gets busy fast. We came at 4pm on a Saturday and by 5 there was a line out the door. Semi-attentive service, food came out quick.

    (4)

  • Jacob A.

    Great Chinese food! They have a vast selection of choices. The food has always been hot and fresh. Dinner service is usually rather busy so be prepared. Service can be a bit slow at times but the food more than makes up for it. Definitely check this place out!

    (4)

  • A G.

    I'm sad to say I had a subpar experience with the service as well. I still enjoyed the food and feel it is spicy and reasonably priced, but the service is really off putting. Our waitress seemed annoyed to be helping us, never asked us how things were and after I asked three different times we received one refill of water. Our waitress had no idea what we were talking about with the Szechuan noodles I loved and mentioned in my last review- we ended up getting different noodles that weren't what we described. I think I'll stick to going here for lunch and avoiding the subpar dinner staff.

    (4)

  • Santosh R.

    I lived in Chengdu for a year so I can attest to the authenticity of the food at Lao Sze Chuan (or the closest thing in US to Chengdu style food). However, the service in this place is extremely disappointing. I brought my family, group of 10 ppl and a baby, to the restaurant this Sunday. We had to ask twice to bring us water and a chair for the baby, and it took them 15 minutes to do either of them. After taking our order, the waiters never came over to check on us, refill the water or rice, and the restaurant was not even busy. All the helpers were just hanging out in the kitchen, and paid little to no attention to our table especially. The only reason I am even giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 is because they do have decent food, but that is not enough for me to go there again. I have tried their new location in Uptown as well and the service there is much much better, and the food actually tasted better too. I would recommend everyone to go up north if you are craving some spicy sichuan cuisine.

    (2)

  • Bobbie C.

    Food was okay. Saw a mouse behind the panda posters. When we told the server she shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and said "yea we know". Also.... There was a drunk man yelling at the cashier for about 15 minutes then the cops were called. I won't be going back. HORRIBLE!

    (1)

  • Tiffany T.

    Ok so I know it seems like I only write bad reviews but that's not the case. It's just that bad experiences move me to write about them but I promise to do better!! My next review will be good or else!! Had lunch ordered 2 appetizers and 1 main dish with rice, seems like were off to a good start? Wrong!!! Chicken comes out first followed by one of the appetizers then the rice. Finally, the last appetizer comes out when we were done eating. I sent the rice back and had them box the last appetizer. The food is ok. However, the service is horrible as they only have one waitress who speaks English. I get that you are in China Town but you are a huge tourist attraction. Invest in some people who speak English and/or John Tafferty from Bar Rescue to help this place get it together.

    (1)

  • Ashley V.

    The food was great, the service was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. We thought maybe it was just us until the people in front of us got up to leave and the waitress tried to embarass them for not tipping... it was obvious why they didn't tip. All our "server" did was quickly come by to pick up the credit card... of course right. We had to ask one person for menus, and THREE people for water. Then a fourth to get it refilled. You can find better Chinese food and MUCH BETTER service at a good handful of other chinese restaurants in Chicago. Such a shame, make sure you read these reviews before you just look at the ratings and go. Avoid this place.

    (2)

  • Lefai K.

    This place is located in the New Chinatown Square location on the nearby corner of Cermak and Archer. When we arrived, there was an employee outside to greet us. They told us they were closed because of a broken pipe, so sadly we started to walk away. But just then we saw them sitting other people. Scandalous! Racist?? Maybe, although I'm Asian too... anywho, we went inside and got seated in a round table. I asked the waitress of the so-called busted water pipe and she said its "somewhat fixed"... I guess I really don't need to know how that works. On one hand though, they did give us 4 glasses of water... there were 9 of us. No worries, I didn't want to drink whatever water they were able to scrounge up from. The decor there was nothing special, the seats were somewhat weird -- it was clear plastic chairs. On one table was a folder that said "Health Inspection" so at least we knew we were under the careful scrutiny of the health inspector. After waiting for a good 20-minutes, we finally got some of our dishes. A gruff looking asian dude (co-owner maybe?) greeted us and apologized for the wait. He then was making small talk and was making choking gestures and sounds as he was describing the Health Inspection lady and how she took up all of his time. I asked him if he passed the inspection and he said "yes", in which case I only thought it was appropriate to give him a standing ovation (seriously, I did). The food was decent -- there's a common theme to these dishes, and it was hot hot hot! They literally drown the food with dry chilli peppers. The dry chilli chicken was extremely tasty and spicy -- I'm drooling and sweating just writing about it. The Tony's chicken was also delicious. It was deep-fried in a light subtle batter and it came with chopped peppers and onions. Some of our coworkers got fried rice (so white of em) and others got the fried eggplant which was OK. In the end though, your mouth is burning and you're sweating so much from the food and lack of AC, you'd think this ordeal should be called Bikram Eating (much like Bikram Yoga, its something that isn't necessary, but it exists). A tip is to definitely get water and your tongue will be begging for it! BATHROOM REVIEW: I didn't check out the bathroom this round, as the fact that we were eating at an establishment with a broken water pipe was enough for me to just hold it in. I feel like I have let my fellow Yelpers down, for which case I sincerely apologize. Next time.... next time.

    (3)

  • Amoli P.

    Delicious! I had been very skeptical of Chinatown restaurants after ordering take out from 3 different places, only to get items that were so completely drenched in oil that I couldn't even eat them. After a recommendation from a friend, I decided to just bite the bullet and go to Lao Sze Chuan late one Wednesday night. The hot and sour soup was not impressive and I will certainly go without it next time. But the chicken and garlic sauce (with tofu substituted) was fantastic, not oily at all, and full of flavor. Included with the entree was hot tea and a deliciously spicy Chinese cabbage salad - a variety of raw vegetables in some sort of vinegar and chili sauce that I could not get enough of. I will definitely go back to Lao Sze Chuan again and again to try many of their different items. Service was quick and friendly. It's possible that take out dishes just tend to be more oily than eating in the actual restaurant, so I will avoid the take out from now on and just focus on dining in. Servings are large and one entree easily made a dinner and lunch plus a little afternoon snack for me.

    (4)

  • Paul G.

    Food was good, but the service was pretty bad. It took half and 45 minutes to get our beer and 1.5 hrs to get our food. Getting the check took another half hour. Otherwise the food is good but take out would probably be the way to go.

    (1)

  • Bo Y.

    Spicy beef is awesome. The water boiled fish is kinda different for the traditional one in china but still tasty. PS. Paying cash can get 10% off.

    (5)

  • Janet E.

    Hmm.....I'm torn with this review because we had a hot pot dinner that was delicious and filled with meats, seafood, and veggies. Unfortunately, we both got sick after eating the dinner. What is bizarre is that the stomach problems did not hit us until later the next day. I have a sensitive stomach that usually is affected quickly and within a few hours from dirty or bad food. I'm not quite sure why we both suffered stomach problems. But the hot pot was really delicious that I am thinking about going back and hoping for the best (no stomach problems the next time!). We'll have to see...more updates later.... If you're thinking about doing the hot pot, I recommend getting the deluxe hot pot with half regular broth/half spicy broth. The spicy broth is pretty spicy so unless you can handle it, I suggest doing the half and half. The food that comes with the deluxe hot pot is fish balls, meat balls, veggies, mussels, shrimp, beef, tofu, tripe, fish, and bean curd. The hot pot includes six garnish/spices of garlic in oil, cilantro, green onion, hot chili, and two other things we did not use. Cost is $17 per person, but after taxes and tip costs around $24 per person.

    (3)

  • Teresa T.

    Sichuan cuisine is a bit harder to find so I jump at the chance to try restaurants who specialize in it. Found Lao Sze Chaun through some research and reading bout Tony Hu. Apparently this guy is the real deal and all the articles and awards on the windows of the restaurant were proud to let everyone know. Went to dinner on a Sunday at around 8pm and the place was pretty hoppin'. Wait was only around 20 minutes and we ended up splitting a table with another couple (hey..whatever makes me eat faster). Of course ordered the infamous chili chicken, watercress, dan dan noodles, and tea smoked duck. Every single thing was absolutely delicious. The spicy, pickled cabbage given before your meal to munch on is a great preview of what's to come: spicy, addictive goodness. We got the chicken Medium and I think anything else would have been dicey. The spiciness was perfect without being too painful. The chicken pieces were crunchy and delicious seasoned. Bites of white rice (that is $1 a person..lame) and watercress helped cool things down...also the tea helps lots. The duck came with plum sauce and was a solid offering. A good counterpart to the spicier poultry. The dan dan noodles were alright, they came in a good sauce but lacked anything special. The restaurant itself is a funny balance of Hu's global accomplishments and typical Chinese restaurant. The decor is sleek and modern with blown up wallpapers of pandas. Yes, the chairs are clear and kitschy. But the service and food is authentic.

    (4)

  • Jonathan J.

    Dishes are generic and so-so, lots of fried and heavily (greasy, sugary, salty) sauced meats and white rice they charge you extra for--who's so cheap they charge extra for the white rice with entrees? Ordered a dish today (3rd but last time I go back) that I asked about and the waiter said it was sliced pork in sauce. I thought he said soup and I asked, "It isn't soup, right?" And he said, "No, in a hot and sweet sauce" and I said as long as it isn't soup that was fine. Sure enough, thirty long minutes later they bring a bowl of hot and sour soup with pork chunks. I immediately said I did not want the dish and they refused to take it back. I didn't order soup and I threw a mild fit until someone finally took it away. Our waiter was pointing at us and talking about us after this so I didn't bother eating, my companions ate in silence and we left. The waiter got no tip but I'd tell him as a future tip to either work in the kitchen or learn the menu better and NEVER argue with a table full of paying customers. I will never be back and think many other options are better in Chinatown.

    (1)

  • Don F.

    My wife is from Sichuan and she said the taste is very similar as home. We really loved the food and will return often. Now we need to plan to try all the Lao x x restaurants. We are new to chicago from SoCal, so this was a great find. Not the best service, but great food and decent price. We had the gongbao ji ding (diced chicken) and the pea pod leafs with garlic. The big one was the Steamed red snapper with tofu and chili sauce. We ate that for lunch and dinner and we will still have some fish left. The pea pods were very good and hard to find at most restaurants.

    (5)

  • Rajesh K.

    The pickup service is the worst. They told me 20 minutes food will be ready for pickup. Came here and waiting now 45 minutes. When asked how much longer I am told when chef is done he is done.

    (1)

  • Kevin C.

    This is the place to go in Chinatown if you want authentic Schezuan food. DISCLAIMER: Do not take someone here on the first date, unless you know for a fact that the other person thinks sweating is a turn-on. I spent half the meal with my tongue hanging half out of my mouth like a fucking dog in summer. The restaurant serves a free spicy cabbage appetizer that will already be too spicy for roughly 95% of the white people who mistakenly find themselves in here. The issue is not how hot each dish is individually. What's really emotionally taxing is the fact that the spice builds on itself, until your ears are bright red, you're using your napkin to dab the pool of sweat at the small of your back, and you're talking like you've got a speech impediment because your mouth is contradictorily both numb and all-feeling at the same time. We split a dry chili chicken and a spicy crispy eggplant. I would recommend both, but the dry chili chicken is something you will both love and fear for months to come. Don't be a pussy and try this place out.

    (4)

  • Susan C.

    It was my first time there today, the food was so so and so was the service.

    (2)

  • Larry L.

    Highly authentic and excellent Szechuan food, but on the pricey side. Very high recommendations - Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken (#563, $12.45), Ma Po Tofu (#609, $10.45) and Boiled Sole Fish Fillet in Spicy Szechuan Sauce (#435, $14.45). Caution: the fish dish is VERY spicy. I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area and am always on the hunt for great Ma Po Tofu, and this was one of the best. Also tried the Szechuan String Beans (#604, $10.45) which was not spicy, and just ok. Service is about on par with other Chinese restaurants (i.e., not great), but again the food was top-notch Szechuan cuisine. I believe there is a new location opening soon on Michigan Ave at the Shops at North Bridge. One more note - the men's room was extremely clean (especially for a Chinese restaurant).

    (4)

  • Shambavi K.

    The menu options are plenty buts lacks description. I haven't had real szechuan cuisine in a while so I didnt realize how greasy it can be. The spice is not an issue for me but it was oil drenched dishes that i could not appreciate. The mapo tofu, which didnt feel like i was eating anything semi healthy with oil everywhere and there was not much meat in the dish. The spicy lala chicken was the worst in the line-up (if you are looking for a hot oil "soup" with chicken bites with bone...this is it. I wasnt a fan). The best: I will definetly look forward to going back for the lamb with cumin and the fish fillet. I wish i knew the name of the fish but i remember there was a picture in the menu. but it was the mildest of all the dishes we ordered. because of the vast menu i would certainly come back to try something different and hopefully less greasy.

    (4)

  • Jazmin A.

    Visited this location today with my family from out of town and was absolutely disappointed. This place was recommended by a friend and by the end of our meal, I was wondering if my friend was mad at me or something. The place did not seem so bad at first but after waiting for about 20 minutes at our table to have our drink order taken, we knew we had made a mistake. The food was not what was particularly horrible, but the service was absolutely unacceptable and I would never recommend this place to anyone. The service was horrible and might I add that there were only two other tables besides ours. The waiters were standing around on their phones while all of the tables seemed to be in need of something. No one ever asked how we were doing, if we ever needed refills, anything of the sort. Overall bad experience.

    (1)

  • Jessica M.

    Three of us came here on a Saturday night when the place was packed. We had to wait 20 minutes outside the restaurant, but luckily it was a warm evening. Here's what we ordered: 1) House special duck in beer sauce (in hot pot with bone) 2) Boiled sole fish fillet in Szechuan sauce 3) Stir-fried peapod leaves 4) Sliced pork with dried bean curd and chives I definitely don't recommend the duck in beer sauce. If fish wasn't cooked properly and served fishy, I wonder what's the right term for duck? The duck was literally swimming in a bowl of hot oil and we had to fish them out. Worse part was there weren't even that many pieces to have. I really like spicy food but oddly enough, Lao Szechuan's wasn't capturing. I think my favorite dish of the evening was the sliced pork with dried bean curd and chives. P.S. The wait staff was very patient with our questions even though it was a busy night. They were understaffed while tending to a party on the second floor. Kudos to our waitress for recommending the sliced pork with dried bean curd/chives!

    (3)

  • Michael P.

    Great food and service! I love spicy szechuan and this was tremendous. The "boss" was in the restaurant, and he chased a homeless man who was begging in the restaurant around the parking lot with a pipe. Sad, yet entertaining. He was a very gracious host, and is someone I would probably enjoy drinking a beer with. Unfortunately, he has had run ins with this person before and ultimately has a business to run. The city needs to get in there and help the situation. Don Don noodles. Incredible. Crab Puffs...better than average Chinese place. More crab, less Rangoon! Cumin Lamb....Excellent. Sesame Chicken...really interesting and good. Not like a typical carry out place. The tea was hot and nice on a 25 degree day. I will go back. In fact, I want to go back right now.

    (4)

  • Benjamin D.

    When it comes to Chinese food in general, Chicago is not the greatest; in fact it's light years behind New York, Toronto, San Francisco and many other cities with sizable asian populations. With that being said, LSC is certainly a diamond in the rough. Located in the heart of Chicago's chinatown, LSC differs from the "average" Chinese food experience by being Szechuan style instead of the more common Cantonese. What does this mean? You can't except a lot more spice and heated flavors. Highlights for me are first and foremost, the green beans. Second is the boiled beef which actually isn't as spicy as it looks; and finally the salt n pepper shrimp. People love their spicy chicken but I've being trying to avoid fried as much as possible these days so I still with the former. Tony's place overall is a real authentic treat and I just love it! GO.

    (4)

  • Brittany B.

    So pricey for what you get! Ordered takeout and the order was wrong (chicken fried rice instead if shrimp), took over 90 mins and cost twice what normal Chinese takeout costs. My sesame chicken was yummy, but the portion was tiny, especially for the price. Apps were very average.

    (3)

  • Jivesh T.

    I order from here religiously as i am a huge fan of flavorful and spicy food. My favorite dishes are the dry chilli chicken, the three cup chicken, tonys special chicken and the dan dan noodles. My only gripe is that the food spiciness is rather inconsistent. The food is definitely spicier when dining-in, and for deliveries i guess it depends on the cheff thats working that day. Its great to be able to get good chinese food delivered witin an hour when i have the craving for it!

    (4)

  • Satoru Y.

    Went in as a group of three (3) yesterday night Ordered 4 dishes Homestyle rabbit -- all I could taste was salt Mu shu Cumin Lamb Green beans Rice Important thing is, Bill arrived with 15% gratuity already applied Very bad form Did they assume a group of Asians wouldn't leave a tip? Not recommended

    (2)

  • April P.

    From the old Destiny's Child song, 'No, No, No, No' that's truly how I felt about this place. To start, the plates that were a our table were filthy. Mother was not pleased, especially since I recommended this place. Second, they brought 6 glasses of water out for our party. Was not pleased that one of them had a fork immersed in it. Double whammy. Mother did not want to drink water for the rest of our meal. The dishes were decent. My favorite was the lemon shrimp. The dishes were also flavorful and non-greasy. We had shrimp fried rice, combination pan fried noodle, Mongolian beef (which was a small serving) and orange chicken. Maybe I was a group that was less adventurous. I would've went with a hot pot. But the lack of cleanliness dissways me from visiting another time to try more their signature dishes.

    (3)

  • Salil G.

    Ask for the lunch menu. Great deal! Tony is awesome. Love the restaurant. Everything I've ever eaten off the menu is fantastic. The place is always busy and they're open late on the weekends, so if you think you may be up for the taxi to Chinatown after a night of drinking, you will be rewarded with late night MaPo Tofu which will give you the grease and spice you need to quickly get over any potential hangover. Dragon and phoenix is another table favorite. Also best fortune cookies anywhere.

    (5)

  • Grace C.

    Boiled beef. Do it. It sounds weird but it's straight up DELICIOUS. I was in Chicago for a business trip and my bosses brought me here for dinner. There was a bit of a wait when we arrived but were seated within the next 15-20 mins. The downstairs area was VERY packed for a weeknight and it looked like a lot of the restaurant patrons were regulars which I thought was pretty cool. It took us a while to order and even longer for our food to come out which sucks when you're hungry but the food was worth the wait. I've had plenty of Szechuan cuisine before but this place takes the cake. Everything was flavorful and S-P-I-C-Y. My bosses ordered so I can't recall everything we ordered but, as mentioned earlier, the boiled beef was phenomenal. If you're going to be in Chicago's Chinatown...make sure to stop by here for lunch or dinner. It's so (x100) good!!!

    (4)

  • Andrew G.

    Really enjoyed the meal at Lao Sze Chuan. We started with some pot-stickers, and they were among the best I have had (in Chicago or elsewhere). The three-chili chicken was excellent and the double-fried pork was also very good. The only not so good dish was a fried shrimp dish, it seemed like something that you would get at panda express, and they were a bit mushy. I will say that it was a fairly greasy meal, but with a rediculously extensive menu (hundreds of items), I am sure that it is possible to tone down the grease if desired. I have read a number of reviews which mentioned poor service, but it was not an issue for us. Granted, we were there on the later side, and the restaurant was not full, but service was reasonbly quick and pleasant. I think this is my new go-to chinese spot in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Heather L.

    Still the only Chinatown restaurant that earns five stars in my book, and I would've given Lao Sze Chuan five stars before its half attempt at renovating. The wait at LSC has gotten a lot better from before they opened up the upstairs seating area. The totally boss bouncer with the vocal cords of Michael Clarke Duncan from The Green Mile still makes getting seated a lovely experience. The only two dishes I can't recommend enough to people is the Yu Shiang Eggplant and the Dry Chili Chicken. I am already assuming that everyone reading this can take their share of spicy, oily foods - as that defines Hunan/Szechuan cuisine. Also, just like how you don't go to Outback Steakhouse expecting to find spectacular Chicken & Waffles - don't be disappointed if you don't find your favorite go-to Chinese dish in here. There are, however, an abundance of authentic dishes that pertain to the Southeast Chinese provinces.

    (5)

  • Shradha A.

    We had delivery from here and everyone loved the food. From chicken sesame to mixed veggie, we enjoyed our meal! Everything was fresh, tasty and well done. I especially liked their egg rolls!

    (4)

  • Mark H.

    Figured from all the reviews and gossip of this place, it would be worth the hour wait for our seats. Hmmm. The two and a half hour dinner was filled with everything but a good meal. There was the maitre'd that was wearing a bright orange sweater yelling at other waiters. The chicken entree that was obnoxiously filled with mounds of chilli peppers which later I found out was their signature dish. Now I know what hell tastes like. And of course, the plastic chairs that was really meant for people that weighed less than 100lbs. Top it all off, there were photos of local politicians slime-ing the walls. This place was like Alice in Wonderland for Chinese cuisine and decor. Stay away if you are spicy sensitive and dislike heartburn.

    (2)

  • LeTran B.

    The food was good. Not too hot, not too bland. I even enjoyed the leftovers the next day. However, this place's "service" was so terrible that I do not think I will ever come back again. When we first came in, there were 3 staff members walking around the floor and the restaurant was only 1/5 full. None of the staff looked our way. We wanted to order take out so we didn't care much but it was annoying that no one did anything. We had to grab our own menus from one of the open tables. After spending a good 10 minutes deciding what to order, we had to wait for some time before someone even took the time to look our way. When we found out that the take out order would take 30 minutes to complete, we decided to eat in. No one came by to fill our water or tea. I don't think the food is worth going through the awful service.

    (2)

  • Leonard S.

    Decent chinese food, good for a nice fix. It probably is one of the better places for chinese food in chicago, but as a native Angelino, it simply is not particularly good chinese food. It is quite inauthentic and primarily geared toward Western tastes. I went here twice and got hot pot the second time. The food tastes sichuan alright, but it lacks that citrusy heat that lingers in the bottom of your mouth. The hot pot was decent, but they ran out of peanut butter sauce so that sucked. Lao szechaun isnt a bad restaurant; I blame chicago for having a sucky chinatown and therefore having chinese restaurants that all in all feed a more white demographic than the restaurants i am used to in LA.

    (3)

  • Vineet S.

    Probably the best Chinese food I have had in a long time. This place is a mecca for szechuan cuisine which is famous for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of the Sichuan peppercorn ,peanuts, sesame paste, and ginger. I have attended so many lunch get together's at this place. I have always been satisfied with the food served here. The spicy fish, shrimp with cashew are just dead tasty. One can tell them to make the food extra spicy but just be careful not everyone can handle the spiciness of the food. The service is always very good and the staff is attentive.

    (4)

  • Meredith B.

    Such a rockin' experience for my first time in Chinatown! I brought a bottle of wine only to find that BYOB was a $10 corkage but they do serve beer and wine, so knock yourself out! The menu is HUGE. It's basically impossible to know what to get, so ask your server, point at random, or try to pick whatever you're in the mood for? Portions are big and I could nearly see our server giggling as we ordered three dishes instead of two - apparently one per person is enough. You'll have leftovers, undoubtedly, if you order more than that. We munched on spicy cabbage (a very tasty table snack!) as we perused. Garlic Chinese broccoli, salt and pepper three delight, and Mongolian beef tenderloin (I think?) were our three choices. All were large portions, all tasty and different. The broccoli had wonderful garlic flavor with a fresh taste - not greasy and a welcome vegetable to cut through the rest of the meal! The seafood was lightly fried and delicately crisp (fairly mild flavor). The beef was soft and succulent, served in a broth loaded with pepper flakes (you can select how spicy you want it). Couldn't come close to finishing; our server seemed to take pity on us and for no apparent reason gave my friend another beer on the house. Very friendly of them! The food here is delicious and fresh, nothing like the greasy Chinese food you grew up eating! I'd be tempted to return here again before trying another restaurant in Chinatown, because Lao Sze Chuan rocks pretty darn hard!

    (4)

  • Anvesh K.

    One of my go to places for spicy food. Truly spicy food. My favorites here are Chef's Special Dry Chilli Chicken,House special Fish, Boiled spicy beef

    (4)

  • Patrick L.

    Spicy fish WAS my go-to dish here. But I don't think I'll be returning unless they change: Last time I went, they charged $1.00 per order of white rice. What Chinese restaurant charges for white rice? Their reasoning was that there was 2 or less people at our table. WTF? Should we sit with other people so you don't charge us for rice? Do they think we won't mind paying the extra $1? "Oh, it's just a dollar" Sorry, I'll opt for a non-Tony Hu restaurant to spend my money. Am I just making a big fuss over $2? Maybe, if you're a rich American that doesn't mind being exploited for a few bucks. I just think it's kind of ridiculous that they do this. TL;DR: Not a good Chinese restaurant to go to on a date.

    (2)

  • Cheryl L.

    A great Chinese restaurant in the Chicago Chinatown area. Everything here was delicious (as expected) since it was voted as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the US. Service was fast, and the place filled up really quickly by noon on a weekday. This is a must-go for all Chinese-food fans.

    (5)

  • Anton A.

    Well this was my first time in Chinatown in Chicago and I have to say the food was pretty good. My review is actually an interesting one. So I walk into the restaurant and it was packed. So I thought, I would not get a seat and have to wait. It was snowstorm happening and it was cold so I was like where the heck is the waiting area. Well the waiting area is this small area where it is cold. The hostess was right there and said she will be right back, when she returned, handed me a piece of paper and said go upstairs and hand them this paper. I thought that's odd but I did. So they have an upstairs part of the restaurant. Reminded of me being in Asia so at the same time pretty cool. As we wanted to order, it was hard to communicate with our waiter. He couldn't tell us what the different sauces were, but only repeated what we said. I ended up ordering Szechuan Prawns without the shells. Oh they charge $1 for rice; I don't see how you can eat this mean without rice, so that is not cool. When we ordered the appetizers of Crab Rangoon, mind you was fantastic; it had the most crab I have ever had. When he was taking the plate he specifically asked me, can I take your plate sir? He did not ask anyone at the table but me. Find that odd since the plate was in the middle of the table. As for the food, it was very good, very fresh tasting and the sauce was not overpowering. As for the shrimp fried rice my friend ordered, that was simply amazing. The shrimps were big and the meal was not too soggy. In fact, I didn't taste much soy sauce which was a huge plus for me. Here is where it gets weird again. Once again the waiter asked me if I can take the plates from the table. When my friend asked for water, he looked at me and poured my glass full and theirs only half. I am not sure what this waiter's problem was but I do not like other being treated unfairly when we were not even rude. I found it humorous but I still do not think it was cool. Will I return? Sure will, food was great but the waiters need to be more aware when a table wants refills on drinks and not to treat others disrespectfully.

    (4)

  • C W.

    ***Vegetarian review. Went with a big group to celebrate the lunar new year with hot pot. (Slow to post.) Even though I don't eat meat, including seafood, hot pot dining was very entertaining. The table looked like a disaster by the time we were finished, but it was a hilarious experience.

    (4)

  • Reuben H.

    I like Lao Sze Chuan, don't get me wrong. There have been a couple good meals had here. I just don't get though why this place seems to be so much more popular than partner resaurant Lao Beijing. I realize that I need to stick to the staples of this restaurant- like the Ma Po Tofu, and the lamb in cumin. Still- I like one of the lamb dishes at Lao Beijing better.

    (3)

  • Sue S.

    I am really perplexed by all the people who think this place is great. Our group of 9 dined here last night. If the food was great (which it is not), I would have been willing to overlook the lack of ambiance and awful service. We were seated right away but waited 20 minutes for a drink order. The service level never improved from there. The door on the second floor room didn't close well and it was so cold in there that most of the diners in the room wore their coats to eat. Since there were 9 of us, we did try quite a few things and were impressed with none. Bland spring rolls, rubbery pot stickers were how we started the meal. The crispy duck that one person ordered was actually soggy duck with no flavor. The beef quality in both the mongolian beef and the szechuan beef was poor. It was chewy and dry with too much grizzle. The chicken in the chicken dishes was bland. One person did an individual hot pot and though it had a lot of heat but no flavor. While the shrimp was fine in the seafood dish, the scallops were not and the oyster sauce was as bland as bland gets. I honestly think they have too many dishes on the menu to execute any of them well. They should pare down the menu to just a few things and do them better.

    (1)

  • M O.

    Wow. One of the worst experiences ever. I was recently diagnosed with gluten-intolerance, so I asked the waiter what dishes he would recommend that didn't have wheat. "This is a Chinese restaurant!" He said. "Everything has wheat!" How accommodating. Diners with dietary restrictions beware!

    (1)

  • Jake H.

    What can I add to 900+ reviews? Well, first the dry chili chicken is definitely as hot as advertised, but also as tasty. The bad service was not quite as bad as I was fearing - a little long on the wait times but not horrible. Portions could be a little larger for my taste (especially at the not-budget prices) but if you're ordering a spicy dish you'll want that extra rice anyhow to help keep cool tings down! In a nutshell taste triumphs over all here.

    (4)

  • Jing Z.

    I won't recommend this one because it takes years to be served, and the flavor of their dishes doesn't justify this long time of waiting.

    (2)

  • Rachel L.

    This little place was recently featured on Check Please, so if you go, prepare for a wait. Also, this is in an outdoor shopping mall, so plan to wait outside! That said, it's totally worth the wait. Food was delicious and the menu offers a load of options, including a decent number of vegetarian options. The staff is friendly if a bit harried, and I think we completely lost our waitress for a while there, but the meal was excellent. My only complaint is that the staff seemed a tad disorganized, and that I would swear we received the wrong dish. We ordered ginger chicken and the chicken dish we received (among several others) didn't appear to have any ginger in it (despite a confirmation from a passing waiter that it was indeed ginger chicken). Still totally worth it. There's plenty of parking around there (metered), and you can wander around the mall while you wait (or digest).

    (4)

  • Luna L.

    Decent food, their fu qi fei pian is still authentic, the same with liang fen. But their dan Dan Mian was not the best. Hot pot was great.

    (4)

  • Jemmie W.

    First, the four stars average rating here is deceptively low. Check out the negaive reviews - they are almost always because of poor service. If you are at an authentic Chinese restaurant in Chicago Chinatown and expect good (or even moderate) service, you need to go back to P.F. Chang's. You're expecting the wrong thing. This is authentic, ass-kicking, spicy Szechuan food (my mom's family is from Szechuan). I like my food spicy and find the food at the usual Cantonese, northern Chinese, etc. restaurants lacking in spiciness. The food here will may you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you sweat, and it will make your sphincter hate you the next day. And that's a sign of a good meal - when you don't even care when your sphincter punishes you the next day. If you want great service and/or don't like spicy food, go somewhere else. If you want authentic Szechuan food that will make you sweat blood, this is for you.

    (5)

  • Anna K.

    I was here Saturday with a party of 7 for my mother's birthday. I chose this particular restaurant based on a Yahoo article that ranked Lao Sze Chuan as number one in the nation for chinese food, as well as it's authenticity. I know my mom is very picky when it comes to chinese food seeing as she can make a variety of the food herself, plus at a fraction of the cost. I figured with the restaurant's popularity, I'd make a reservation to avoid the wait. I sure am glad that I did, seeing that there was a line of 10 or so people waiting when we arrived. The dishes we ordered were: Orange Chicken Three Cups Chicken Special Dry Chili Chicken Sweet and Sour Ribs House Special Beef House Style in Hot Platter Mayonnaise Shrimp The mayonnaise shrimp was pretty good; it's not overwhelmingly smothered in mayo like at other restaurants and the batter was nice, light, and crispy. The beef hot platter, sweet and sour ribs, and three cups chicken were all just okay. Nothing that really stood out in my mind. The special dry chili chicken was covered in peppers, although it wasn't too spicy. Others at the table agreed and enjoyed the dish. The favorite dish was the orange chicken, which again had a nice light batter and was covered in a delicious sauce. All in all, the food ranged from good to just okay. Nothing we ordered was really authentic, which I was a little disappointed about. But I think next time I will just come back with my parents and give it another try. I think they were trying to please the palates of our American spouses. I hear the mapo dofu is good but that was a dish I never liked as a kid, so I passed on it. I had to take two stars off because of the horrible service. We were constantly trying to flag down a waiter, which really shouldn't have been that hard. We honestly could have finished our dinner in half the time we were there. For a place as small and popular as it was, you would think the servers would be more attentive to get you what you need and out, and then seat the long line of people that's waiting outside. No. We had waited 10 mins at the table for a check, and only had told my family to head out since I'd be paying anyways, one of the servers finally remembered we had asked for a check. Even then I sat I at the empty table for another 5 minutes before I was finally handed a bill. It also seems that a majority of the workers do not speak Chinese, which was a bit disappointing. I know my parents like to order in Chinese since their English isn't so good, but the employees aren't very good at English either. It was very unusual. Maybe they just couldn't hear us. At the end of day, please work on your service. For a place that should be number one in the nation, it could be better. I'd definitely give this place another try.

    (3)

  • Rebecca N.

    Food was good...service brought it down to a 3 star. The schezwan green beans were to die for. The orange beef was very good and flavorful, but the dry chili chicken was a bit grizzly and too dark for me. It was also a tad too spicy and I am not sensitive to spice! The cabbage starter was also a bit too spicy.

    (3)

  • Josh G.

    My friend suggested this place for good spicy chinese, and I have been coming back ever since! The menu is enourmous: From simple dishes to beef stomach (which is actually great!). The Hot pot is excellent here as well.

    (4)

  • Natalie L.

    Lao Sze Chuan was worth the Saturday night Grub Hub wait. The potstickers were awesome. The accompanying sauce had a tang to it that I'm not sure I liked. Hubby ordered orange chicken and I ordered a spicy pork dish. We ended up switching. Unfortunately the crab rangoon did not hold up well in the car ride over. We're excited to find a night to head down to Chinatown to experience this place in person.

    (4)

  • P D.

    Ok let me begin with when we arrived party of 4 for lunch we were seated. A few minutes after looking at the menu didn't see any lunch specials like every other restaurant in America has. Well we asked for a lunch menu and waited probably 40 minutes from the time we sat down till the time we ordered. A waiter toward the back pointed at the portion of the menu that was in Chinese and said maybe that was it, he laughed yo the other Chinese guys there and i was not as amused. They were not that crowded. Waiter brought some soup which smelled like ass and battery acid. I passed on that. Next were fried spring rolls - cold, they must have been sitting out for quite some time. Next was main course and I wasn't too excited about it. Governor chicken was more like a ball of dough with something resembling chicken. Not impressed at all. Overall I think this is the most prejudiced place I've ever experienced - against Americans. Entire staff was extremely unwelcoming and difficult to deal with and communicate. Don't even go here.

    (1)

  • Aubrey R.

    Atmosphere - It's okay. They get crowded at all times, not much room to wait and the hostess is rude. Very disorganized how they give out numbers. We were there before several other people and they were immediately seated. When I told her we were there waiting first, she just said..."oh" with dumb look on her face. Service, horrible. Oh my gosh. So after you get seated, the server takes about 10 minutes to give you a menu then another few minutes to come back and get your drink order. If you have questions, forget it, they aren't helpful. Yup, servers are rude. What we order? Hot and sour soup Crab rangoon Dried chili chicken Shrimp fried rice Salt and pepper pork chops Pan fried noodles Husband loves the hot and sour soup. Says it's spicy, but the best he has had. He tries hot and sour soup everywhere. They put a lot of cilantro on it and nuts. Cilantro my husband loves, nuts, not so much. Crab rangoon, tasted like they re-fried them. Gross. not good at all and all cream cheese inside. Took two bites, spit it out. Dried chili chicken, holy spicy. Husband liked this a lot, it was too spicy for my taste and we asked for it mild. Don't think mild is in their vocab. Shrimp fried rice. The flavoring was good, huge shrimp but lacked rice. It was more shrimp than rice so I had to mix white rice in with this. Salt and pepper pork chops, awesome! Best I've had. Nicely breaded, great flavor, slight heat. Pan fried noodles. Not good, not a fan. It had so much brown sauce on it. It was almost like soup. I might as well have ordered a noodle soup dish. Saving grace was really the salt and pepper pork chops. So good. Service, horrible. Getting a server to pay attention to you is impossible BUT they do speed it up when you are about to pay, you know so they can get you out of there and seat more people. I think they are understaffed. There are like 2 or 3 servers running around and they don't have specific tables. I don't get it. Hire more people, place is busy all the time. Sadly, after my meal, I had an upset stomach for 2 days...

    (3)

  • Shawna V.

    Awful experience: So lets go to hot pot with two vegetarians, one "I don't eat read meat" and one "Eh vegetables aren't my favorite types. Now then lets take our menus away and bring out a plate full of tripe, pounds of different kinds of meat, and a bunch of greens, maybe a few sweet potatoes. Ugh it was awful, I'm used to being able to choose what is brought to your table. Oh yeah and it cost 100$ for four people because we got all this food we didn't eat. She just took our menus and gave us the hot pot sampler. Saw a couple on teh way out with a sectioned dish (so you know we don't have to pick prawn antenna off our lettuce) And a few things they obviously got to pick and choose why couldn't we? Awful experience...

    (1)

  • Ellen Y.

    A three-star rating for Lao Sze Chuan (LSC) is an average: *Four stars for food *Two stars for service (this was generous) We ordered the dry chili chicken and the mongolian beef. Both dishes were awesome! The chicken was ridiiiiculously spicy and I would definitely recommend it, but it's not for the faint of stomach. As for the service, we started the LSC adventure when crammed into the entryway to put our names down for a table for two. Sunday dinner required a 15-20 minute (packed like sardines) wait. Once we were seated, I was disappointed by our seats that were too close to the door and drafty windows that were letting in the winter cold. From the beginning to the end off the dining experience, the staff was not attentive, hard to call over, and forgetful of our requests. The food came out in piece meal with a main dish coming out minutes before we were given rice, which seems backwards to me. All in all, I would definitely have the food again but ONLY if we order take out.

    (3)

  • Lanndre Z.

    Very disappointing experience. This place does not live up to the hype. Very slow service & tastes like fast food. Took 45 minutes to get my Peking Duck order as they must have forgotten about it. When it finally arrived it was cold & tasted like it was left over & reheated in the microwave. Couldn't even eat a bite as I was afraid I might get food poisoning. It was disgusting! Spend your money & time somewhere else! Lao Bejing is where it's at!

    (1)

  • Blog S.

    Best Chinese food I've ever had and that is from someone who moved here from New York were Chinese food is second to none (well, second to Chicago at this point) Dry Chili Chicken - 8 out of 10 - VERY spicy Pork Dumplings - 10 / 10 - Amazing, candy-like Crab Rangon - 10/10 - Real crab meat with a minimal amount of cream cheese (these are special Mongolian Beef - 10/10 Porn Tenderloin 8/10 I can't say enough good about this place.

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    We decided to check this place out. The concierge at our hotel recommended it to us. Food's good from what I could tell. The rabbit dish has a lot of bones (more bones than meat); be aware of that if you get any rabbit. Tony's three chilli chicken was pretty good. I liked the texture of the breading. It was a good balance of flavor. Service is subpar or almost non-existent. They do the bare minimum of seating you and getting your order. No one asked what we wanted to drink. No one checked up on us throughout the meal. It is a nice place to get lunch in Chinatown if you're visiting. There are gift shops nearby as well and parking is easy to find.

    (3)

  • Erika G.

    I have not had good Szechuan beef in a long time. Went here awhile ago with my neighbor girl-crew after a fantastic party. Got some Saki and Szechuan beef. Oh, my gawd . . . feel the burn. The sexy, delicious burn of tender, juicy beef swimming in vegetables and Szechuan oil. Mmmmmmm . . . I've missed you, darling. Let's not be Szechuan strangers anymore. Get in my mouth! Gawd, the food is good here. And CHEAP. Which is important for a penniless peasant like moi. Good place for a group, our cute server handled our table of chicks with aplomb.

    (5)

  • Ray D.

    Awesome Mongolian Beef, SPICEY Fish, Spring Rolls and Crab Ragoon. I will definitely be back for some more beef and fish dishes. Yum yum yum.

    (5)

  • Jaime W.

    SERVICE was TERRIBLE but their food was awesome. I give it a 3 stars because even though we couldn't get any more refills for our food unless we asked, it was still good. I went here with a group of friends and we got hotpot. It was basically unlimited so it was a good deal but it seems like every time we got our plate filled back up, there were hardly any meat. Their menu is pretty extensive. And if you like spicy food, this place would the best one in the area. Located right in Chinatown, it was authentic so you can't really complain about the food. If only the service was a little bit better, I'd changed my mind on the rating.

    (3)

  • Jon D.

    Spicy and delicious! From that first plate of spicy cabbage came out (addiction fodder for the capsaicin-inclined, beware), I knew something pretty darn tasty was coming up. The ice water is your friend as you arrive in the banquet-style room to enjoy your select courses of fiery Szechuan palate-burners. Delicious eggplant and tofu were the vegetarian stars of the meal (if you've never had eggplant or tofu Chinese-style before, this would definitely be the place to get it!). Slices of tender flavorful beef and then a plate of pork belly rounded out a delicious meal. Cons: They charge for rice. I mean, really are you going to eat all this spicy Chinese food without rice? As a result, they are a bit pricier than you might expect at first. But overall, very enjoyable experience, I'll probably be back.

    (4)

  • Emily N.

    Guaranteed smash hit for out of towners! As long as they can handle some spice, that is. My most recent trip was with the fella and his family, in town from Detroit. It was Labor Day, and the fella and I were waking up from a crazy busy working/ partying weekend. Super hungover and exhausted - my brain couldn't come up a single good idea of where to take the in laws. Luckily, he still had a few of his faculties in tact and came up with China Town. That's where I stepped in and recommended Lao Sze Chuan. How could I forget about one of my very favorite chinese joints ever? We all met there around 2:00 pm and were seated right away. Awesome. We started with a few apps to share; spicy green beans, pot stickers, and egg rolls. This is when we realized that we should've advised the out of towners that sze chuan cooking is spicy. It was perfect for my and the fellas hangovers - not so perfect for those not prepared for the heat. We did all agree that no matter how spicy, the apps were delicious. As for entrees, I have no clue what everybody else got because I was elbow deep in salt and pepper shrimp. Damn, that was delicious. Just thinking about it and I've got a hankering for some more. If only our server could've kept up with our water demand, this would've been 5 stars. I mean, where else can you take your family to dinner and do a little touristing - all for less than $75?

    (4)

  • Raph V.

    I had dinner here last night with my Fiance instead of our usual Chi Cafe. We were greeted and seated immediately by the gentlemen at the door...not bad for a friday night, but from then on it was probably the second worst dinning experience i've had. It started with our waiters. The first gentlemen was very polite and handed our menu and serve our water immediately. Great right?! but then it took them almost 20 minutes to come back and get our order the doorman had to ask them to take it. As we ordered the waitress did not care to even look at us directly as we were ordering she was busy staring at other tables. We had to request for a refill for water and to top it off when I asked for my check the charge me $2 for steamed rice when we didn't even order it. There is one thing I will not take away from this place which is the food. Probably the best tasting chinese food i've had.

    (2)

  • Monica M.

    Great experience on our first visit. Service was prompt and the food was great. We ordered the potstickers as an appetizer and panfried noodles with the 3 chili chicken for entrees. Descriptions on the menu would have helped a bit, but we we satisfied with our choices. Definitely a place worth checking out!

    (4)

  • Jennifer R.

    Voted one of the top 10 Szechuan Chinese Restaurants in the USA! I get it, it's good. It's clean, it has an awesome decor, and the waitstaff is friendly. I love the complimentary tea on the table, the menu has nearly all you can fathom, and it's always packed. It's that good. There is a bar, but they also allow you to BYOB. Not sure if I'd recommend it or not, but I remember the corkage fee being high (maybe $10?) . On separate occasions I had the Sesame Chicken and the Mongolian Beef. Both were delicious. i think rice is just $1. Value for the price is great. I do think they could stand to do well from a "lunch" menu... a smaller portion one with a lower price to match. It would be a great alternative for people in that area. I already love this restaurant, however, and have not been disappointed in the few times I've gone.

    (5)

  • Gonzalo D.

    Never a bad meal. Tony's 3 Chili Chicken is the best

    (5)

  • Victoria G.

    The food was really good and I enjoyed most of the non spicy options on the menu. However I did not like the service. The manager of the restaurant was rude to one of the clients in front of everyone, as well as yelled at one of the waitresses. This definitely was not a good example of the great customer service. Otherwise food is worth eating.

    (3)

  • robert b.

    A mediocre restaurant with slow service. I fail to see the mystique of this place. It is no better than the dozens of other places in Chinatown and nowhere as good as many, many places I have visited around the country. Many of the customers are Chinese and one would expect them to be good judges of Chinese food. Perhaps they are related to management and get substantial discounts on their bills. That would seem to be the only reason to eat there.

    (1)

  • Anders C.

    I was referred here by a friend during my trip to Chicago and had to wait quite a while to get seated (It was Easter and I guess all the asian families decided to eat out to celebrate). I ordered the Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup at medium spice. While the initial impression of the dish would give one the impression that it's going to be super spicy, I thought it wasn't very spicy in the end. (I should've probably ordered the extra spicy instead). This is definitely a good place for people to get their spicy chinese/sichuan fix, though I'd probably suggest venturing other items on the menu instead.

    (4)

  • Mark W.

    Food was amazing! Great spice level and the menu is huge!! Only draw back was the service. Our server couldn't be bothered with us barely checked back to see if we need anything and the food runner just throw the food on our table. I hope it was just a bad day-since other people looked like their service was okay. That's the only thing keeping me from 5 star rating

    (4)

  • Jeudi J.

    So the ma po tofu at Lao Sze Chan is supposed to be one of the 50 things to eat in Chicago before you die. Well, it was good, and I'm glad I tried it (thanks, Juli!) but not spectacular. The dry-rubbed ribs were interesting & different, with lots of what I believe was cumin, but were more like tiny dry rib tips, a little crispy like chicharones, and not worth the price. The complimentary spicy cabbage was nice, sort of like a milder kimchee, and the $2.50 spring rolls we got free with the Yelp check-in (after the server looked frightened, said she had to ask her manager about, and ran off to do so-twice, making us wait in between, but finally brought) were fine but just like Panda Express, nothing special. But they were cancelled out by the unexpected $2.00 charge for white rice, that we didn't order or expect to be charged for, but which normally comes with any large dish at a Chinese restaurant, and which had either some undercooked or overcooked grains of rice in it. This was my second time here, accidentally, and the last time was about equally ok, but with worse service that time. So next time I'll probably go to any of the other 100 Chinese places around there, maybe one with a delicious duck hanging in the window. They do have a large selection of what appeared to be authentic (and rather scary) Chinese dishes so it's probably a good place to go for that. But I've been to China and the food was pretty awful so no, thanks. You might like it though.

    (3)

  • Jerry J.

    First, thank you for your reply whoever you are. However, I don't buy your so called policy for a automatic 18% service charge. From my understanding, most restaurants apply 18% gratuities for groups of 6 or 8, and they would disclosed the policy to the customers in advance. In this case, your employee apparently failed to adequately disclosed such information. I don't feel any sincerity from your reply, so I will file a complaint to Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection for deceptive service.

    (1)

  • Shellu U.

    Awesome dim sum! A must try! Service was ok. Some of the wait staff was less than friendly. The other dishes besides the dim sum are just ok. But worth a try!

    (4)

  • Mary W.

    My parents use to take me here EVERYTIME we are in chicago. But it is no longer a great restaurant anymore. I remember the old waiters and waitresses were nice and very cheerful. The food was fantastic and the manager actually came over to say hi. Well, ever since two years ago, the restaurant has gone down. The food was mediocre at best, and I know this because we always order the same dishes. The servers are all super young college aged and well, a lot of them are not so keen on being helpful when you ask for more water and etc... Seems like the manager also chooses to be nice to customers he recognizes and even though you have been there 100 times, if you are not a familiar face, be ready to have the food come out later and ignored by the manager. There are so many other restaurants in the same area/plaza so if you want better service with bigger portions for the price, go somewhere else. Oh lao sze chuan, you use to be so good. I am sorry your food and service have gone down.

    (2)

  • Melissa S.

    Hands down, the best casual Chinese restaurant I have ever been to and I'm comparing this to top rated Chinese places in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, etc. If you love Sichuan Chinese and are only in Chicago for a day, go here for a meal. We got the ma po tofu, dry chili chicken, garlic spinach, and some shrimp dish in a cream sauce. Everything was amazing. Large portions, cheap prices! It was so good that we all ate the leftovers the next day for lunch COLD since we didn't have access to a microwave and that lunch was also amazing. Great atmosphere, good service, great location where you can get a drink afterwards nearby. I really can't rave about this place enough. Don't think about it and go.

    (5)

  • Anthony A.

    The place was a little intimidating mostly spoke Chinese but the food was amazing took a family of seven and very

    (5)

  • Ketan C.

    I came here for the first time. The service is really bad. They took nearly 40 minutes to serve. I am a complete vegetarian, I had very less food options. I had ordered Hunan mixed vegetables, it was so spicy that I could not eat it. The fried rice was good that's all I had. I suggest this place is only for non vegetarians or people who can handle spicy food.

    (2)

  • Kevin C.

    Pretty good, just slightly overpriced in my opinion (at least compared to comparable food in they San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles). But I guess that is to be expected in Chicago, so no big deal. The "Fried Noodle" was surprisingly good. The Mapo tofu was pretty good too. The home style pork stomach was also decent. Pork/liver/kidney/intestine dish tasted good. The dishes everyone talks about, the "Chef's special dry chili chicken" and "Tony's chicken with three chili"... Get these if you like Panda Express. They definitely seem to be americanized dishes. I didn't like those at all, but I can see how the average Chicago dweller would love them. In LA, I would give 2 or 3 stars for this Chinese food. But its Chicago, so this might be as good as it gets here - 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Joel R.

    I truly appreciate you reaching out to me concerning my review. As i stated in my review your establishment was one on my favorite places. I would recommend it to friend in the city and those visiting. After reading you review I began to wonder if I should have done things differently. So when a friend visiting the city asked for a recommendation I shared your restaurant. I told about the roach story and assured them that you knew about the issue and by this time things would surely have been rectified. Unfortunately to my surprise this was not the case. In fact it was worse. My friend order carry out this past Sunday 2/15. When they sat down to eat dinner they were shock to find what appeared to be rat/mice droppings. I was embarrassed. They were disgusted especially since the droppings were not noticed until after starting to eat the meal. So i am at a lost with Lao Sze Chuan. Your thoughts about my current message in addition to my original message are much welcomed. thanks,

    (1)

  • Kenneth P.

    Best Sze Chuan Chinese food of all time. There's a reason why this guy (owner) has opened up so many restaurants (we're talking 3 locations for Lao Sze Chuan; not to mention Lao Beijing, Lao Shanghai and a couple others!) And it's because they make damn good food. Yes, the service sucks. But this is one of those places that I look the other way on service because the food is so delicious. Also, if you're there on a lucky day, the service works out okay! NOTE: Don't eat here if you can't eat spicy. I think it should be obvious, considering there's a sze chuan pepper on their logo, on their walls, on their CHAIRS even! Dishes you should try: 1. Chef's double cooked dry chili chicken -- We call this dish "crack chicken." They're wonderfully flavorful little crispy bites of chicken that leave you digging for more when they're all gone! 2. Double cooked three layered pork -- Basically thin slices of pork belly w/ green onions in this delicious chili oil. If you save enough to bring home, it makes an AMAZING sandwich w/ leftovers. 4. Mapo Tofu -- I like that this mapo tofu is truly tofu and doesn't have any meat mixed in for all the vegetarians out there. Very spicy dish! 5. Hot Pot (spicy) All great items! I ate here 1-2x a week in grad school and never got tired of it. I actually even miss it now. The portions are generous and the food is fulfilling. PS: If you pay with cash, you can get a 10% student discount. PPS: Don't park at Walgreens, you'll be towed faster than ever.

    (5)

  • Justin S.

    Perusing both Field Museum and Shedd Aquariam in one day can be pretty taxing- a perfect day to sit down, relax, and eat some good Chinese food. Food was great, service was quick and friendly, and the ambiance was nice.

    (4)

  • Ranga R.

    Awful service, inattentive, rude staff who don't care. Food is ok. Go there with little expectations and you might come away with an unpleasant experience.

    (2)

  • Robert G.

    When a local(-ish) restaurant is assigned the title of "one of the best Chinese restaurants in the nation", I figure it's worth paying a visit. Lao Sze Chuan is very much worth the trip in to the city. We kicked off a large meal (for two) with potstickers. These were perfect! Skillet-browned, the interior was filled with a lot of meat but still light and not at all rubbery or chewy. We followed that up with three main dishes, so we could take some home for later. Being the explorer in the family, I ordered Chengdu-style seafood special with tofu. Also, I firmly believe that the stranger something sounds at an ethnic restaurant, the better it will taste. I still can't tell you exactly what Chengdu-style means, but I got many different types of seafood (scallops, whitefish, shrimp and more) poached in a light fish broth with tendercrisp red and green peppers. The tofu melts in the bowl of broth, becoming silky and breaking up into soft chunks. This works incredibly well. The fish broth had gentle seafood flavors. The texture of the tofu contrasted with the vegetables. Visually, it looked like a treat. My wife settled for empress chicken, the authenticity of which I most certainly can't vouch for. Nonetheless I'm happy to report the chicken came out tender and with a crisp batter skin. They eased up on the sweetness of empress chicken and provided the largest "baby" corn I've ever seen. It was spicy, and sweet, and definitely delivered. The (excessively long) menu has a page of authentic Chinese recipes. Which is another way of saying, if you want intestines, stomachs and/or chicken feet and tripe, this is the place for you. I couldn't resist hot and sour soup with blood cakes. The soup was again excellent. The broth is whitish, opaque and dotted with scallions, but not as hot or sour as the orange variety most people who have had hot and sour soup are used to. It eases up because the blood cakes are dark and, for lack of a better term, gelatinous, having the texture of extra firm tofu and the taste of gamy liver. Not what I was expecting, but glad I gave it a try. So my take on Lao Sze Chuan is that it deserves its place as one of the best Chinese food places in the country. You might be better off trying less common Chinese dishes (though I don't blame you if you skip the blood cake). Don't go here for orange chicken. It's better to appreciate the contrasts of the colors, tastes and textures on the other items of the menu. Here, that quality of Chinese cooking shines through very well.

    (5)

  • Malik B.

    The food is average. We ordered take out. They missed one item. When I called them, they hung up on me. Then they said that they would "make it up next time". When I told them that I would like my food today, I was told that it would take another hour . The food at the Michigan Avenue location is much better. I will never order from this place again.

    (2)

  • Damian H.

    Came here because I felt like dunking plant and animal products into boiling hot liquid and eating it. I was not disappointed. Love the hot pot, cheapest and fastest service around. I came on a Saturday for dinner with 3 friends and was seated/served almost immediately. Love eating authentic food in an authentic atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Jennifer C.

    This restaurant has a zagat rating but honestly coming from a picky hong-konger taste, doesn't quite cut it. Appetizers: The jellyfish appetizer was rather fishy and should have tasted more like sesame oil. The cold tofu strip dish was decently salty in a soy sauce marinated way, but that's hard to screw up. Main courses: I ordered the mabo tofu; my friend got a fish stew and both were too greasy. I know greasiness is typical of mainland Chinese food (unlike Hong Kong or Taiwanese food) but I can't help but point out that it didn't add much to the dish other than making you full sooner (ha) The garlic bean sprout dish was made with baby sprouts instead of the full grown dark leafy ones. It was a more expensive seasonal winter dish too and I felt duped. I can handle spice quite a bit but what I noticed was that the dishes were predominantly spicy without being flavorful (not too much umami going on). So in sum, if you want sze chuan, go somewhere else. This place is clean but underwhelming. The service was alright and probably a lot "nicer" than a lot of Chinese places (bc chinese service is known for being fast, cheap, good but carelessly rude ha) but I'd recommend going to a hole in the wall where they throw your dan dan noodles at you.

    (1)

  • Manpreet K S.

    Love love love this place! My soul spicy food! Highly recommended: spicy tilapia, dry chilli chicken and fried pork n calamari noodles... Yum yum Looking forward to the next visit!!!

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    CALL 911 FOR MY MOUTH I was very fortunate to get to work in China and I fell in love with two things. The kindness of everyone I met and the fantastic food. It was an incredible experience. Unfortunately, when I came back to America I couldn't eat Americanized Asian Food. It's not authentic at all. So my goal is to always search out the most authentic food I can find. This location does not let me down and I feel this is the closest food I've found to real authentic Asian food. The owner, Tony is a genius when it comes to his restaurants. He is probably the most successful when it comes to his caliber of authentic restaurants. Okay on to the food. I've reviewed this location in the past but somehow my 5001 character review is missing on Yelp. That made me sad but I'm starting a new one. It is hard for me to pick my favorites but I will try. Spicy Cabbage Salad - this is served complimentary at lunch time, if they like you. I've been snubbed a few times, maybe the waiter didn't like me. But when I do get it...I love it. Fried Pork Pot Stickers - 100% house made and delicious. I made the mistake of introducing my little one to these. I'm lucky now to get a single bite out of the six that are served in an order Dan Dan Noodles - it's a small order here but I fell in love with this dish in Singapore. I couldn't get enough when I was there. I'm Sicilian so I love pasta but add on spicy meat and a light oily sauce and I'm in heaven. This is a must. Spicy Black Peppered Beef - my wives favorite but lucky for me se can't finish it so I'm called into action to help. The beef is so tender you will wonder what they did to tenderize it. I don't even care. Also the veggies are fresh and cooked perfectly. Egg Drop Soup - a recent discovery. We got it for our little one and I had a spoon. I was hoping she didn't like it but that didn't happen. She loved it and sharing soup with Daddy was done. It was very tasty. Dry Chili Chicken - I saved the best for last. I must admit I avoided this dish because everyone loves it. Could it really be that good? Could it really be Crack Chicken? There was only one way to find out. I ordered it. Two words! Holy Hotness! It was beyond my expectations. It was loaded full of red chilies. Each one trying to hurt me but it was a good pain. The chicken was crispy and spicy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. I was eating a plate of perfection. My wife reached over to try my dish and I used a karate chop on her. I didn't really do that but I wanted to defend my dish from the invaders from the north. She looked at me after one bite like she had just had crack chicken. We have a new winner here. I wanted to take home the dry chilies and my waitress packed them up. She told me it was a good idea when I suggested it. At home you can cook up some pasta and toss them in it again. Yeah a second delicious meal. Score! The waitress also told me that the chilies are a special order and that they go through 75 cases of them ever 3 weeks. That is a lot of chilies. Thanks Tony for burning my mouth! I loved every minute of it. This is my go to restaurant in Chinatown. It has taken me years to find a place like this in Chicago and I'm afraid to go anywhere else. It is so good I don't want to try new places. I just want to keep eating here. In the summer, we travel here by boat. The water taxi takes you down the river to Ping Tom Park and its a short stroll from there to the restaurant. It feels like we are actually in China and not Chicago. It is a unique experience and such a fun family adventure. So if you like spicy, then this is the place! I can hardly wait to go back and get burned again with this delicious food.

    (5)

  • Sarah V.

    The restaurant isn't very large but is easy to find. Street parking is plentiful and free on Sunday's. The tables in the middle of the room are for large parties of 8, or can be used for communal style dining. We arrived around 4:00 for lunch on a Sunday and the restaurant was 3/4 full! For appetizer we ordered crab Rangoon, spicy green beans, wanton soup and hot and sour soup. Main entrees we ordered Hunan Chicken and Dry Chili Chicken. Both we ordered mild and still came very spicy. I can not imagine what regular spicy would be!! Service was slow. They maybe had 2 servers and 4 water/bus boys. Tommy, the Mr. T looking manager, was there shaking hands and showing off his bling. Overall very good, deducted one star for service. Would definitely return!

    (4)

  • Rowena P.

    My coworker and I went to Lao Sze Chuan for our lunch break today, excited to experience good, quick, service like that of the one in Uptown. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case: First of all, most of the websites we checked out about Lao Sze Chuan ahead of time said that they opened at 10:30am. We arrived at the restaurant at 10:40am, and the doors were locked, and through the windows it looked like they were still setting up. No problem, we thought, we'll just go ahead and call in our order and wait outside. Got our order taken: Crispy shrimp in mayo, shrimp fried rice, and pork steamed dumplings. We waited outside and noticed that there were people going in, so about 15 minutes later we decided to go in and check if our food was ready. Inside, it was very cold and the floors were newly mopped, so you could already tell that the restaurant on a whole was having a slow start to their day. The wait staff didn't welcome us or anything, so I told the one gentleman who looked like he was in charge of the front room that we were picking up. He said that our food was almost ready. 15 minutes later, still not ready. I chose to pay at this point so that we could leave right when we got the food and still get back to work on time. By the time 35 minutes total had passed, I asked the same guy if our food was ready, and he told us that the dumplings are taking a while. 35 minutes sounds like a lot of time to make dumplings, but yet again, we waited in frustration. Meanwhile, the table we were standing by while we were waiting began to get occupied by about 4 workers as they were sitting down for a meal with their aprons on. Though I know that this is a trend in most Chinatown restaurants, I thought it was a little rude to see staff eating food that was clearly prepared in the kitchen and us having to wait for ours. After about 45 minutes, our food was finally prepared, and at this point we were already late for work. Disgruntled, I walk past many lost looking staff members, and then apparently walked past the manager of the restaurant, Tommy. He was shocked to see that we had just picked up our food as he knew we were there right when the restaurant opened, and he sincerely apologized. He would have had us come back in to settle the matter, but we were already late for work at this point. He then offered to give us a really good discount the next time we're in - don't worry, Tommy, if you're reading this, we won't forget!

    (2)

  • Shelly S.

    My family has been eating here for years. They are very picky about their Chinese food. We moved to Florida but come back every year. It's so good that when we fly in to O'Hare, it's the first place we go. The food is always superb. The last time around, we tried the sizzling rice! So good. Can't wait to try out their new restaurant in Vegas. Always a satisfying experience.

    (5)

  • Christine S.

    Came to Chinatown late one night admittedly to visit another restaurant because I figured I was too late for Lao Sze Chuan (t'was about 10 mins. before closing time). However, I saw a few folks still milling about inside the restaurant, and because I have always wanted to try the dry chili chicken, I gave it a shot. The ladies there never looked at me sideways when I entered and took my to-go order without attitude. Thanks for the service, Lao Sze Chuan. And the dry chili chicken was ALL THAT! Can't wait to order it again, along with your Peking duck.

    (5)

  • Jared P.

    You know, I came here with a friend from Singapore. I can't remember what it is that I got, but that kind of sums it up...unmemorable.

    (3)

  • Ginger F.

    First off, this is apparently where white folks go to eat Chinese food in Chinatown. That said, the menu is extensive and if you're into less common meat parts, you'll likely find what you're looking for on the menu here. The dry chili chicken was good but the chili to chicken ration was way off (60% inedible chilis to 40% chicken - someone is trying to save some money). I actually started laughing when I had to dig through a pile of chilis to get to the damn chicken. My biggest complaint is that the service was *horrendous*. We sat around and sat around waiting to order. The first two dishes came out in a relatively timely manner but our duck plate never came. Finally, I had to ask what was up and our server acted like they'd been back there slaving away over it (they clearly totally forgot about it). It was good, but we also had pretty much finished our meal by the time the duck made its way out (it was about 30 minutes after everything else). I haven't had bad service in Chicago before (like I'm really impressed with the restaurant service in this city), but the service here was really pathetic. I don't think I'll go back and will instead check out the plethora of Chinatown eating establishments.

    (1)

  • Tenzin P.

    If you love spicy Chinese food - you will love this place! I went here for a group dinner and not only did we have extremely spicy delicious food, we met the restaurant manager who decided to give us a live show. He showcased his Samarai sword and swung it around fiercely. It was quite a spectacle and free entertainment for the night! His energy and enthusiasm made my night! Also it's BYOB!

    (4)

  • Erin L.

    We've been dining here for several years & absolutely love it! The Orange Mayo Shrimp is probably my most favorite shrimp dish ever! Tony's 3 Chili Chicken is also wonderful, as well as the shrimp fried rice (huge shrimp!) The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the service kind of sucks. BUT, they deliver now, so that takes care of that issue.

    (4)

  • Ann H.

    we came here a day after the fbi raid... sketchy. but i still had high hopes for the food! i am not a fan of spicy food so maybe my review shouldn't even count, but i really didn't think anything was good. TONS of msg + salt in everything. and everything although mild, was a really weird, chemically-tasting version of spicy. even though we were with my husband's relatives and ordered actual authentic dishes, they reminded me more of panda express than legitimate, authentic chinese food. :[ service was true to authentic chinese restaurants -- aka terrible. ice water was poured onto my food with no apology when my water was being refilled, and our water glasses and tea cups were empty for the majority of our meal. sigh, maybe i've just been spoiled by houston chinatown because the chicago one was dinky and disappointing.

    (2)

  • Vishal P.

    New cook because food is being prepared differently. Use to be good. The new dishes do not taste the same. Dishes use to be cooked with actual dry red chilis to spice it up but now being prepared with sour chili oil. I normally get shrimp and cashew....it use to come unbreaded with dry red chili peppers now comes breaded with chili oil!?! Don't get me wrong they do have good food just not consistent....

    (2)

  • Amy B.

    We were in Chicago for work a couple weeks ago and we had read in an article that this was ranked the best Chinese food in the USA so we had to stop here. This was LEGIT Chinese food. The service and food were fantastic. We ordered all kinds of different dishes and shared them, and we weren't disappointed with any of them. Tommy who i think was the owner was awesome, and we all found him very funny. We were all very glad we came here and I think we'd all come back again.

    (5)

  • Mike D.

    Holy Shit. Wow. Had that hot pot of whatever the hell it is....with all the meat and seafood that you cook yourself. I currently have about 9 stains on my shirt which is currently marinating in laundry detergent. Try this place.

    (5)

  • Jessie L.

    Underwhelming and cannot believe that this place is a michelin star restaurant, but the food can be good if you know how to order. The La Zi Ji is good, but the Shui Zhu Yu was too oily for me.

    (3)

  • Brian S.

    Been here five times over the past two years. It has steadily declined a bit and for some reason I would go back basically to have the same dishes. The menus are old and falling apart, not to mention the typos. Last night I came in (considering I live three hours south) on the way heading home to grab a quick bite. Later in the evening so sometimes service will be lackluster, however it was non existent, for some reason a man wearing a name tag seemed to breeze in and take over the place (there were five tables sat), talking with the staff which caused service to completely stop. The food was decent, and I get the dried spiced chicken. Here is the main complaint. While eating a somewhat large bug decided to join me in dining and walked up to my plate of pot stickers. Since the staff was busy with iPhones and this guy I couldnt get their attention, bug left and then came back. I looked for the bug under the table and saw a used bandage, and a used chopstick on the floor. There are times you know that between the language barrier and the lack of caring, that you just need to leave so I paid and left. Done with the place. For a place that is listed in the Eater 38 as a place not to miss, they need to revamp the list. If I was the owner I would take a long look at what is supposedly a jewel in his empire and shut it down and relaunch after some deep cleaning and retraining.

    (1)

  • Samantha E.

    I am simply OBSESSED with the spicy cabbage you get as soon as you sit down at the table. Seriously, my most recent visit was to simply get a to-go order of it for $5. Aside from my cabbage-only visit, I have been here twice: once for hot pot and once for regular food. When I came for regular food I had to try the dry chili chicken. Spiciness is my jam so I was ready for the challenge. While it was pretty spicy, the chicken did not pack the punch I was expecting. It was a huge portion though and I was able to bring it home for lunch the next day. The hot pot visit was a whole other fiasco. My friends and I decided that I would be good to take a cab from Lollapalooza to enjoy a giant hot pot. Doesn't boiling hot and spicy soup sound great after a day of drinking and total dehydration? We thought so for some reason. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but not the best thing to put into a stomach full of alcohol. Next time we will remember to get some rice or other carbs so the hot pot settles a bit better with the booze.

    (4)

  • Jane W.

    I love Szechuan food. I first fell in love with it during a visit to China a few years back. The dishes I've tried here: - Spicy wontons (comes with 6): they skimp a bit on the filling, which would probably be a turn off for many people, but my favorite part of wontons is actually the skin, and theirs was delightfully chewy and flavorful. Would definitely order again. - Don don noodles: Not amazing, not bad, but can't really go wrong for $3.95. Probably wouldn't order again. - Sliced pork in Szechuan spices: Flavor was solid. Some slices were really fatty, which I personally do not like, but it was still good. Would probably order again. - Boiled fish: disappointed because my favorite part of this dish are the mala peppers that leave your mouth tingling at the end of the meal, and they did not add any. In addition, the sauce was not spicy at ALL. In fact, it was rather bland. Would go elsewhere for this dish. 3.5 stars, down to 3 because service is so-so and there's always a wait.

    (3)

  • AndrewSumi G.

    A solid middle of the road Chinese restaurant. If you like spicy food, you will love this place. They do not water it down for the Americans. There is a good variety of meat and veggie dishes, rice and noodles, family sized portions versus those for the singleton. However, I would say that nothing here particular stands out. The one great thing about this place is its open pretty much every day.

    (3)

  • May Y.

    Having been to Lao Sze Chuan for several times over a couple of years, I recognized that I never walked into the restaurant voluntarily. The scenarios included: 1) Events organized by various Asian societies 2) Friends' birthday and graduation celebrations 3) Parents' visits in Chicago This raised two questions. First, why do my peers and my parents often choose to eat at Lao Sze Chuan? Second, why do I never go there on my own? In response to the first question, the answer is simple - the restaurant is cheap and fast. With ten dollars, you can get a spicy eggplant dish that can be split into two to three meals. The restaurant provides you all the dishes within thirty minutes. Compared to other restaurants, Lao Sze Chuan provides relatively authentic Chinese food. When you ask the food to be spicy, be ready to ask for a cup of ice water in advance. Although the food is cheap, it is heavy in MSG. I often feel thirsty and literally sticks out my tongue like Boo every time after I eat there. Some of the dishes are so salty that I often yearn for bubble tea and other desserts afterwards. I recommend Yelpers to come to Lao Sze Chuan, as long as you are not allergic to MSG. Otherwise, I would suggest you going to Ming Hin that is on the same street.

    (3)

  • Kim A.

    Considering the accolades on the window and in the menu of how much praise this restaurant received, I was highly disappointed. The menu was overwhelming and I honestly didn't care for the food. In my opinion, this dinner choice was a dud.

    (1)

  • Tanya S.

    I googled to find a good Chinese restaurant in Chicago and Lao Sze Chuan came highly recommended by a Chicago food critic. It's one among 4-5 restaurants in Chinatown owned by world famous chef Tony Hu who has more than 10 restaurants in Chicago & beyond. Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend and Chinatown was humming. The wait, though we were told was 25-30 minutes, ended up being an hour. We were hoping the food would be worth the wait. Finally we were seated in the downstairs area ( there is seating on the 1st floor too) Just to let folks know, the restaurant serves Sichuan cuisine which is hot and spicy! Since it was just the two of us & my husband is a vegetarian we didn't order too much food. The menu is extensive to say the least! 3 pages of seafood alone! We chose hot & sour soup, Ma Po Tofu and Kung Pao chicken & steamed rice. Just to point out, for a restaurant owned by a famous chef, we were pretty disappointed to get chipped dinner plates! I wish the staff would pay attention to things like this but it seems they don't care because they have plenty of business. Anyhow, the soup arrived promptly and was delicious. The other dishes came soon after and I loved the spicy Kung Pao chicken but had mixed feelings about the Ma Po Tofu. If you don't care for oil floating in your food & tongue numbing Sichuan pepper, don't order this dish. The portions were huge specially the tofu. All went to waste since we hardly ate much & couldn't take leftovers with us to our hotel. I'd suggest to the owner to offer half portions too. Overall, it's a very authentic Sichuan restaurant - just like the one we have in my hometown - and if you like good, very spicy food, do give it a try. I'd give it 4 stars if it wasn't for the tofu & chipped plates.

    (3)

  • Sheena M.

    First time here-we loved it! You have to try the hot pot. We also fell in love with the spicy crispy eggplant with dry pork. We came with two friends from China and they raved of the authenticity of our meal!

    (5)

  • Sukesh P.

    Ironically, landed up with guests from out of town again. Very slow, inattentive and inconsiderate service. The food itself, lots of spice, oil and salt = Some hits and a lot of misses. Awful orange chicken came completely dried up. Boiled beef floating in oil. And so on and so forth.

    (1)

  • PinkJmmmm M.

    I went there for a late lunch. I got the spicy chicken in a pot and Sichuan spicy beef. The food were authentic OK, not so great. They were really spicy! I love spicy food , so overall I give 3.5 stars for food. Service was good, fast and descent. I think I will come back in the future.

    (4)

  • Jay J.

    Terrible food, bad service, should stick to a more basic menu. I realize I'm not going to fine dining but nothing about my 2 -3 experiences here have been good. I've really tried to give this place a chance, but sorry its just plain bad on every front.

    (1)

  • Walter H.

    Very good in terms of taste; extremely authentic if you ordered the right dish. However, it's subjected to common chinese restaurant problem: mediocre service and bad environment. Overall I recommend it, since it's reasonably priced.

    (4)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :10:30 am - 12

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Lao Sze Chuan

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.