Happy House
4234 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR, 97217
Happy House Menu
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Address :
4234 N Interstate Ave
Portland, OR, 97217 - Phone (503) 287-9740
- Website https://www.happyhouse.wondermenus.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Dave H.
So I just got back from my traditional Christmas dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, and tried Happy House for the first time. The overall feeling is that I'll definitely go back, the people are super nice, and the prices are unbelievable. I knew getting into things that getting Christmas dinner at the only Chinese place I could find within a reasonable walk from my new place would probably mean some waiting. I did not realize that they had a full bar, as the other reviews didn't mention that or the $1 pints of Rolling Rock. The food was good. I got the Mo Po Tofu and the spring rolls, and both were filling (the Mo Po will be my lunch tomorrow). I did have to wait a while, but it was Christmas so I kind of expected it, and they comped my spring rolls which was an added bonus! The staff and customers were quite friendly, and that may have just been Christmas in the air but almost all of them seemed to know the bartender and each other, so it might just really be that friendly of a place. The prices, as I've alluded to, are great. $1 pints of any beer are okay by me. I assumed it was a typo until the check showed up, but I was told that all day every day they have that deal. All-in-all, I'm glad to have this place a short walk away. I'm sure I'll be back. After re-reading my review I upped them from four to five, because for a Chinese family-style restaurant the bar was a really pleasant surprise in addition to the food being really good.
(5)Mike C.
Ordered kung pao chicken for lunch. gross chicken thigh meat with tons of fat. won't eat that again. Is it worth a second chance? Prices were reasonable until I discovered the chicken thigh fat kung pao. The sauce was good though. Gave this place a second chance and had green bean chicken.. much much better.. fresh vegetables, and chicken breast meat that was perfectly cooked. Next time I'll ask for chicken breast for my kung pao. Nice little neightborhood chinese dive.
(5)Jason F.
This is the best Chinese food place in the area. The service is wonderful and staff always so nice. I usually get a dinner combo to go. I have tried half of them and have all been good. Best part is I always have leftover for later.
(4)Dave M.
Chicken was gamey. Not great Chinese food. Misled by reviews here. You get what you pay for. If you're used to Chinese food from the east coast I would not recommend this place.
(3)S. H.
I am very happy this place exists. The food is by no means life-changing in its execution or flavor, but the service is pleasant, the portions are ample, the prices are great (especially with the combo. meals), and as of late, there have been complimentary goodies such as tea and soup, which I really appreciate. I wish there were more veggie options (Ma Po Tofu, *ahem*), and I prefer firm tofu to the softer varieties, but in the meantime, I will continue to get my "Chinese" fix here. Also, there appears to be no affiliation with the mysterious bar next door.
(4)Michelle C.
Pleasantly surprised. After driving past this place for years, we finally gave it a try. Great value for lunch. The General Tso's chicken actually had huge pieces of chicken meat, not just an overload of breading and everything came out nice and hot. Lunch for 2 for $11? We'll definitely be back.
(4)Noy R.
Came here hoping for a better Chinese food experience.............sadly, not the case. Broccoli beef was rather bland, Mongolian beef was oddly mushy, spring rolls were washed out flavor. Egg Foo Young was not too bad, and also the sweet & sour chicken. Overall, it was meh.........am still searching for better.
(2)Joe M.
I really enjoyed it. Didn't look like the best place in the outside and the conjoined bar threw me off a bit, but food came out very quick and looked awesome. It tasted great and there was plenty and that was just a lunch combo. I will definitely go back.
(4)Kristina K.
I read your reviews, and I visited Happy House with excitement. Could Happy House have the "sketchiest food I've ever eaten, in my entire life" or "the best Chinese food in Portland?" I'm Chinese American and grew up in Chinese American restaurants and on that type of food. This review comes after eating-in about 4-times and ordering take-out about 2 times. For starters (not appetizers), Happy House has $1.00 house beers. If you're feeling a little rich or riche you can toss another $0.50 for Rolling Rock. The beers come in tall pint glasses. Secondly, the lunch specials are stellar. Happy House has the meal deals everyone talks about but aren't delivering. Happy House lunch special list is long, so you'll find something you'll like and like more as a snack or meal for later. The dinner specials are good, but not as good as the lunch specials list. The beef and broccoli is great. The broccoli is cooked perfectly. The beef is tender, tasty, and a good portion. If you're a real Chinese American food connoisseur, you'll opt for the Sweet and Sour Pork over the Sweet and Sour Chicken. More often than not, Sweet and Sour Pork is cut from pork shoulder, and pork shoulder is tastier than chicken breast. The Moo Shu Chicken is a winner for kids who like burritos. I hate it when there's too much liquid, and Happy House's Moo Shu isn't overly saucy. The Salt and Pepper Squid could use some honing. It seems like they used the same batter as Sweet and Sour, because the squid is hidden in a layer of thick dough. I prefer Salt and Pepper Squid with a light, dry dusting and tentacle visibility: 100%. Service has been 100% both eating-in and take-out, even when I sent the Caucasian to do the food pick-up. Every server we've encountered has been nothing but kind, friendly, and attentive. Bads: Salt and Pepper Squid Good: Service, beer prices, Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Pork
(5)Jill M.
Don't let the fact that this place is connected to a bar turn you off. The food is really good and the portions are generous. Came here with my husband tonight, and we had the number 4 combo, Szechuan lo mein, honey walnut shrimp, pork fried rice, and some egg foo yung. Holy shiznit, did we have a lot of food! It came out fast, hot, and everything was tasty. Will definitely be coming back and I highly recommend for casual Chinese food.
(4)Jared C.
Great value, no-nonsense American-Chinese cuisine. Make sure you're hungry. The number one filled me up good. The one quirk about this place is that their chow mein is all bean sprouts; the only noodles here are the "crunchy noodles" buried underneath. Not knocking it, just saying its funny considering the Chinese "chao mian" literally means "fried noodles".
(4)Andrea L.
How could this be my first time here? It was. So in search of a Jewish Christmas near home, I chose Happy House. Parking is pretty easy with the lot off Interstate ave. The place was fairly crowded on xmas, so we decided to sit in the bar. I loved it! What could be better than a dark and divy bar serving fresh Chinese food, with poker machines making ungodly noises in the background on Christmas? Nothing! That's what. Unless Hulk Hogan walks in the bar! Ok, it wasn't really him - but a total doppleganger. Two dudes with crowns gave us english popping toys with prizes and crowns of our own. The food was fairly cheap, fresh, large portions and quite good. I would like more vegetables in the dishes, but the veggies we did get (green bean w/chicken) were very crunchy and tasty. I will return!
(4)Charity K.
Happy House is a solidly decent Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood - that makes it pretty awesome. I've both ordered take-out and enjoyed their lunch special while watching an episode of Grimm being filmed across the parking lot at the restaurant next door. Bonus. Both vegetarians and omnivores alike will be satisfied with the options available at Happy House. Service is solid and efficient. Portions are good sized and hot mustard and sweet/sour sauce is complimentary at lunch along with a tasty, hot oolong tea. Recommend.
(4)Ruth N.
Not very good Chinese American food. The mu shu pork was fresh and alright, but the salt and pepper squid were salty and greasy and not fresh at all.
(2)Sierra P.
As a bar (the restaurant and bar are a 'little separate') I loved it. The bartender has enough autonomy to decide if she should stay open or close and as they've always said you need to know when to hold them, know when to close them...
(4)Ryan E.
The name might be deceiving, the decor might be depressing, but the lo mein is friggin' legit! I mean, that schezuan lo mein has me craving it like a crack addict. Go here for take-out and stop in the Lounge for a beer while you wait. Oh, the beer. $1 Happy House Lagers!!! That's 16oz of beer, for one dollar, and they don't care if you pay in pennies! 'Happy House Lager' you wonder? Well, it's pretty much Rolling Rock, with maybe a hint of Budweiser. But it's a buck. The Lounge itself makes for good people watching - lots of gamblers and story tellers. And the occasional "are they homeless or are they just commuting home and avoiding the rain" types. Who cares! The beer is a dollar and the lo mein is delicious! Good Chinese food is hard to come by in inner NE, but Happy House is an easy on the wallet spot that'll make your liver and tummy hap, hap, happy.
(4)Kirsten H.
Haven't had the food since cheap Chinese food usually hurts my stomach but this is a great place to watch Blazer games when the season starts up again. And they have cheap beer!
(3)John S.
My wife and I rarely go out for Asian food since we usually get our fill eating lunch at the food carts downtown, but we like Chinese food and we were in the neighborhood, so we decided to give Happy House a shot. In addition to a $1.50 Heineken, I got a combo plate with BBQ pork, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, and fried rice. It was ready in less than 10 minutes. The BBQ pork was a little overcooked, but still flavorful and not bad. The beef and broccoli was great. The beef was extremely tender. The sweet and sour chicken was also great, maybe even better than the beef and broccoli. The portions were extremely generous, and I reheated my leftovers for lunch the following day (pro tip: put leftover sweet and sour chicken in a 350 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes). After this experience, Happy House is now my go to Chinese restaurant.
(4)Shannen M.
Great food, extremely reasonably priced, and the dollar beer ain't half bad. I love the tofu, and egg flour soup!
(4)Curtis C.
$5.95 lunch specials! Is this authentic Chinese food? No. It is American style Chinese food, and it's delicious! I've only been once, but the kung pao chicken lunch was great! Plenty of kung pao, pork fried rice, and a spring roll. You get soup if you eat in, but I opted for take-out. Will definitely be back. The dark, somewhat lurid looking lounge has me intrigued!
(4)Bobbi J.
Old school Chinese food restaurant. Lunch menu is perfect and priced well at about $6 a plate with soup. Yummy food. ..what I expect, Chinese food. .lots of it and not Foo foo.
(4)Courtney S.
This is the sketchiest food I've ever eaten, in my entire life. DONT. DO. IT. all the people (45 of them) raving about this crap hole are obviously drunk in the bar next door. Seriously, are they giving out drinks for top reviews?! I don't usually like to completely hate on an establishment, but these are dire times. I've had better crab puffs, pot stickers, and rolls from the goddamned freezer aisle. This shit was worse, I kid you fucking not. My general chicken had awesome pockets of greasy fat hidden between the jerky parts, smothered in sauce. Even the MSG couldn't help me force it down. The chow mein. THE. GODDAMN. CHOW. MEIN. It's grey! And ligitamatley slimy. I poked around trying to figure out what the "chicken" actually was. And when I left my questions were answered by the rats running along the fence by my car. TRUST! That the fried rice IS INDEED a mound of stale microwaved rice with some soy sauce dumped on top, along with EXACTLY two pieces of dark, dry, fear inducing (pork?). STAY AWAY TRAVELLER! FOOD DOES NOT LIVE HERE!
(1)roper r.
We had pretty high hopes for Happy House after reading the Yelp reviews, despite the fact that it is chinese food in Portland. The service was prompt and friendly. The tea was hot, unlike the luke warm tea at Good Taste, a misnomer if there ever was one. When our hot and sour soup came, we noticed it was unusually dark, probably from days of cooling and reheating. It wasn't good, and wasn't hot either. The powdered hot and sour soup from a tub at Fubon is way more tasty btw. We each ordered a combination meal. What were we thinking? Again, we still had hopes. The chow mein was gray and slimy and the only vegetable detectible was celery. There was lots of celery. The sweet and sour chicken was just fried chicken with corn syrup (?) drizzled over the top. It was not sour. At all. The "sweet n' sour" pork was exactly the same as the chicken. Literally no detectable difference and served in the same revolting sauce. The pork fried rice was a mound of white rice, stained with something brown containing exactly two pieces of dessicated pork. The spring rolls were kinda gross but probably edible if you're a little inebriated. Our piled-high plates were still piled high when the check came but we didn't want to be rude so we asked for one to go box. We thought about "forgetting" the doggy bag, but decided to take it and try to find a homeless person who may appreciate it more than we did. As luck would have it, we did. We struggled with the morality of this but since we didn't feel physically ill at that point, we gave it to him. Hopefully he's okay and we won't rot in hell. Sorry (un)Happy House, your food is disgusting. The bar looked like fun but it might be wise to get a prescription of heavy duty antibiotics before you start trolling.
(1)Jenni B.
I went here on Christmas Day to try it out because I had read such good reviews on here. This place totally met my expectations and I feel like it's difficult to find really good Chinese food in Portland. I am so happy that Happy House exists in Portland and is close to where I live. Cons: The only thing I didn't like was the Egg Flower soup. Next time I will order the Hot and Sour instead. Pros: Open on Christmas Day! Friendly and fast service. All the food we ordered came fresh and was delicious. Some of the best Chinese food to be found in Portland.
(4)Dylan B.
As far as the food here goes, I can't say I'm too impressed. So far I have ordered the spring rolls and the vegetarian lo mein. The spring rolls were pretty much what you'd expect at any cheap Americanized Chinese restaurant. Small, greasy, fairly flavorless before they are smothered in sweet & sour. The vegetarian lo mein was pretty boring as well. It consisted of 95% noodles and 5% overcooked vegetables. The noodles themselves were pretty dry and required a heavy dose of chili oil to liven things up. So why 3 stars when the food isn't even that good? The bar. If it weren't for the all-day $1.00 Rolling Rock pints, I'm not sure that I would have even ended up there in the first place. On top of that they've got friendly bartenders and a pretty decent jukebox. Great spot to hit up on your way to a Mississippi bar crawl. Game night can be pretty bad if you're not into sports, but great if you're into people watching. During a recent big football game I sat in the corner with some friends facing away from the TV. Watching these big burly dudes lose their shit over some flying sack of leather was far more entertaining than any sports game could ever be.
(3)Gregory C.
Tricked again by Portland's Yelp. Reviewers wrote "awesome," "delicious," "everything I wanted," and "fresh and tasty." As everyone agrees, the place looks sketchy, and the food is congruent with the building. The chicken meat was gamey. There should be some sort of screening process for yelp reviewers. Come on guys. What are you thinking? I mean, why write food reviews when you have such low standards for eating? Are you that bored? Grow up! Get a life!
(2)Ben M.
This is one of the better ordinary Chinese restaurants around. General Tso's Chicken is quite good and the hot and sour soup is better than a lot of places. Basically, it's a step up from the Ambassador and way cheaper.
(4)Sara J.
The food was good and fast. Had the sweet and sour chicken loves it. I came with my 2 toddlers and husband and the only complaint i have is the waitress brought my kids suckers while we were waiting for the food without asking. I know she was being nice but they need to eat before they get a treat. I hid them and they for got about them and then when we were leaving the restaurant, the waitress gave them another one each. :/ other then that we think the food was good and we all ate for $21 not bad.
(4)Evrim B.
Heck yeah! Good chinese food. Good prices. Good service. They have a parking lot. It was cozy in there, too. Egg Drop Soup and Mongolian Beef were both very tasty. I'll definitely be back!
(5)M M.
I live across the street in The Prescott so this place is very convenient. I especially like that they have sesame balls. I wish the General Tso's tofu came with veggies. A carton full of tofu is a bit much, no matter how yummy it is. The price is right and the portions are generous. I can make two meals out of a single entree. I've never eaten in because it has a stale smell. It seems clean enough, though.
(3)Jeff M.
Really liked this place. I ordered combo number #5 replaced the broccoli beef for orange chicken. Orange chicken was good it's hard to find orange chicken I like. Sweet and sour chicken was good not too too sweet my girl friend even liked it which she hates all sweet and sour chicken. Only con I have with the place is outdated Hope this helps u find the right Chinese food place.
(4)Nemo B.
The nostalgic and elusive chinese-american food seems to be so close, yet never quite satisfying in much of Portland.... but I think this is a great contender as others have said. Great portions and reasonable prices - most all the standard bearers of the genre for the last quarter century done in a predictable and tasty fashion. They're not reinventing the egg-roll here - just offering solid "chinese food" and I think they know what they are doing. Veggies seem fresh and meat seems like higher quality than the norm. Def recommend: Mu Shu, Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein, Crab Puffs Some of the pork seemed too hard and chewy... but then, super succulent pork is a rarity - - after eating: it doesn't feel laden with grease or festooned with MSG - tends to be easy digestion and satiation. I've only done take out, so I can't speak to much about the dining room.
(4)Sean O.
Hear about this place for a room mate who said it was cheap. Not only was it affordable but my date and I took home enough for 2 more. Great service and the free tea is a reminder of good old Chinese food places. Flavor in the free hot and sour soup was lacking but the general tso chicken was unbelievable. Will be back here for sure.
(5)Hannah C.
Surprisingly good for how sketchy it looks. This place was definitely a strip club in the past. Searching for some good old-fashioned, greasy Americanized Chinese food, we finally gave Happy House a shot after driving by it a million times. The portions were huge, heavy, and unhealthy--just what we wanted for a long night of work. I liked the sesame chicken with spicy sauce + salted pepper chicken. We got chicken fried rice, and they gave us another order of white rice and a handfull of spring rolls. They probably thought we were feeding a family, but it was just my fiance and I. Definitely did not need to order the crab rangoons with the ridiculous amount of food we received, although they were tasty. I'd definitely order take-out from here again on another late night. I don't know about dining-in though.
(4)Emily T.
We were looking for a place in Nopo to chill out and have some cheap cocktails and decent food, and we ended up having a really fun time kicking it at this place. We sat on the bar side (recommended) and our bartender was rad and the juke box was decent. Lots of people doing the video poker thing, but we had a big table and felt super comfy and generally had a blast. Had the tangy eggplant dish the server recommended and was super impressed. The spring rolls were delicious, too.
(4)Holy-foo' X.
Our group got a mountain of food for $40 (House lo mein, Gen. Tsao, spicy szechuan chicken, shrimp fried rice, et al), and they threw in several extra goodies for free---spring rolls and sweet and sour soup. Mmm! They've only been open for about a month and a half, replacing the long-standing Interstate Bar and Grill. Don't worry, the full bar w/video poker aplenty has remained intact. The service was speedy and friendly and these folks don't fool around, boy. They wanted me to know they are down w/Mandarin AND Cantonese style. They are gettin' the dang thing DONE! Serving a hot plate near you... Shay shay!
(4)Shannon D.
I've been searching for some great Chinese food since my regular Chinese restaurant closed. To me the sign of a great Chinese restaurant all stems from the crab puffs hence the reason I gave this place 5 stars. Their crab puffs are delicious! I also ordered the sweet and sour chicken lunch special. Everything was really good, the fried rice, spring roll and sweet & sour chicken. I will definitely be back!
(5)Greg B.
I live in the neighborhood and I'm pretty picky when it comes to Chinese Food having grown up Jewish, lived in New York City, San Francisco, ect. I know good Chinese Food. And while the menu is kind of a disaster like many Americanized Chinese Restaurants, the food is surprisingly good. I especially love the string beans with anything and the egg plant. Its kind of a secretly good with a horrible exterior (ambience, ect). And they are very nice if not a little slow.
(4)George M.
I am one of this place's cheerleaders. For the price, it's really hard to beat. I came over here in search of a place close to work that had parking and reasonably good, reasonably priced Chinese food. A friend and co-worker and I used to go to a couple of places downtown, but sadly they've closed over the years. We had been talking about finding a place for a good Chinese lunch and I stopped in here to give them a try. I was very pleased. The dining room isn't anything fancy, but it's very clean and cute. The server was very pleasant and friendly, and had my order in quickly. I picked the Kung Pao Chicken lunch special. It started with Egg Flower Soup, and came with Spring Roll, fried rice, and, of course, my chicken. The soup was nice and fresh, and whet my appetite for what was coming. The main plate arrived, and the Spring Roll was very good, very delicate flavor, served with a delicious sweet and sour and a hot mustard. I enjoyed it. The Kung Pao Chicken was very flavorful, and they weren't stingy with the hot pepper. Mine had chili pepper flakes in it rather than the whole hot dried chilis but that wasn't a problem for me. The sauce was flavorful, the vegetables crisp tender, and the chicken abundant and fresh tasting. The fried rice was good, with larger pieces of pork than most places and a good flavor. I am not going to name any prices in my review, but definitely check out the menu prices. Good deal for very little money. I will be back with my friend, and I'm sure I will be getting takeout in the future!
(5)Charlotte F.
Geez, why is it so hard to find a decent Chinese restaurant in Portland?! I love sweet and sour chicken and can't find it anywhere that is worth a crap. Happy house is very disappointing. Their chicken is questionable and leaves you wondering, is it really even chicken? Blah! I ordered spring rolls and chicken fried rice. The spring rolls were nothing special and the dipping sauce tasted like funky ketchup. The "chicken" pieces in the chicken fried rice were gummy and gross. Don't waste your time at this over priced poor excuse for a Chinese restaurant.
(1)Ehow C.
I understand its appeal now. $5.50 for lunch at a restaurant is insane for this day and age. I mean, it's not the *best* Chinese I've ever had, but the egg flower soup is nice and clean with a dash of white pepper. The dishes are filling for a lunch portion. The less Americanized (e.g., anything fried) dishes come with a lot of vegetables instead of piles of meat. The sauces are nothing to write home about, but again, it's not bad at all, especially for the price. Plus free oolong tea? Just like how I was raised. (In a Chinese restaurant, yes.) Do yourself a favor and get white rice instead of fried rice with lunch. You'll be happier, I swear. Lunches I've had so far: chicken with black bean sauce, Sichuan(Szechwan) chicken, mapo tofu.
(4)Serena C.
Good prices, good food. I get take out normally and its always all ready to go when I get there. Sit down service is decent.
(4)Cheri M.
I took my niece here for her birthday back in November and had the best dinner. The food was great and the atmosphere was very laid back. We sat in the dinning room for our early dinner and had the place to ourselves. The bar was packed but we got to watch the football game in complete silence from the loud bar. Love the beer specials too.
(5)kelly s.
I should probably go the other way around on this, but I'm gong to start these guys out with a benefit of the doubt star. Yes, sadly, it's true,my experience was a 2 star one. This was the former site of a low life bar with a recent shoot out (yes with a real gun). That has sketched me out for a bit, but the pull of the possibility of a perfect crab puff brought me in. I had high hopes based on reviews, but this place is maybe still just a little too rough around the edges. I asked for Szechuan chicken and crab puffs. The chicken dish was seriously over cooked with soggy little vegetables, and like so many Chinese joints in town, was mostly filled with onions only. Crab puffs quite mediocre. But service was friendly and excited. Though it wasnt an expert attempt I felt like they cared and it smelled great which countend for something along with cleanliness. What was most disturbing was the experience in the bar. I walked back there to down a tsing Tao while I waited. There was a lady passed out on a heroin high quite unmistakeably at the table- and a bunch of gnarly video poker types. Nothing too out of the norm for PDX, but it felt a little sketchier than usual in here.
(3)Lloyd G.
Dinner was very good had Szechuan chicken and pork fried rice and a small order of General Tso's chicken was the best that I have had in a long time also staff was be very nice
(5)Margaret M.
This was everything I wanted in an American Chinese food restaurant - inexpensive (lunch specials around $5) and delicious. The fried chicken in the dishes (honey chicken, general Tso's etc.) stayed crispy in the sauce and made the calorie bomb worth it.
(5)Nick W.
One of Portland's best keep secrets in town! The atmosphere definitely won't win you over, but their Chinese food sure will. Stop in for a stiff cocktail or a one dollar (all day) Rolling Rock in the lounge and order some take out while you wait. I highly recommend any of their Lo Mein (read: this is REAL Lo Mein with nice thin pan-fried noodles, not that crispy noodle crap with a ton of slimey grey liquid and a pound of celery that you find at certain establishments on SE 82nd). If you're looking for something a little more "Americanized", the Combo # 5 is a sure bet with Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef & Broc, BBQ Pork, and pork fried rice. All dishes include your choice of egg-flour or hot & sour soup, but you forfeit that delicious privilege, should you order out. After all, you may very well find it worthwhile to grab another well drink with the ever-friendly regular patrons and thoroughly enjoy your heaping plate of tasty goodness at the bar.
(4)Michelle W.
None expensive and loads of food. The crab puffs are amazing. Great take out Chinese for a great price.
(4)adam p.
American Chinese food at its core. Growing up with the bright red sweet and sour chicken brought home at 7:30 when mom was running late this place takes me back to those times. Nothing organic, local for free range about this place but the food it what you would expect served hot and fast and cheap. I was impressed with the schezwan chicken and the about of veggies that came with it. At $5.50 for lunch what else could you ask for?? I also noticed that they have $1 Rolling Rocks all day everyday in the bar!
(4)Kim H.
Sadly, North Portland has been lacking in variety for Chinese food. Swan Garden used to be my family's go to place but their food has declined big time in recent years. Yay for Happy House opening up. We went there today today for the first time to get take out for 3 people. My fiance and I walked into what seemed a clean and decent restaurant. The decorations weren't over the top and there was plenty of tables without being over stuffed. The hostess was very friendly offering tea or soup while we waited for our order (we declined as we were ok to wait). We ordered the family style meal for 3 and paid 31.50. Here's what we got: Fried chicken strips, Sweet and sour sauce on the side, Pork Fried Rice, Mushroom chicken, Fried Shrimp, 6 small Spring rolls, BBQ Pork, Crab Puffs, and Egg Flower Soup. It was enough for lunch and plenty left for dinner and probably lunch tomorrow for 3 people (1 woman and 2 men). The food quality was fantastic! The shrimp and chicken were crispy, the bbq pork tender and yummy, spring rolls crispy and filled with veggies, and the mushroom chicken was a nice change with the crisp veggies and chicken pieces in a subtle sauce. My fiance thought the fried was a bit "oniony" tasting. BLAH BLAH I loved it! As we were leaving the other hostess (or owner..not sure) kept asking us about if we like more of one appetizer or less. She was great in trying to get to know our tastes. Seems to be wanting to establish the restaurant as a good place to go to repeatedly...which we will. The family meal is great because it comes with all the extras (spring rools, bbq pork, puff, and soup) plus a good quantity of the main items. In general, a great place for Chinese food has FINALLY come to North Portland/Overlook area.
(5)David S.
Our Second Visit.. Great Food, Great Service. Family owned and operated... Fresh ingredients. No MSG... Really Great. This will be our Chinese Food Place for the foreseeable future...
(5)Breylan D.
I don't know why people are so dang hard on this place. From the looks of the food, and the shape of the building, I think you know what you're getting before you even order. This is the greasy variety of americanized Chinese food that I think most of us grew up on. Expect bbq pork, fried pork, fried chicken, egg foo young, fried rice, fried noodles.... It's by no means traditional or authentic... But it's a damn good hangover cure and should hit the spot if you're looking for a decent sweet and sour pork loaded with MSG, as Anthony Bourdain says; "The shinier, the better." As for portion sizes, we ordered one combo meal and an extra side of fried rice and found ourselves eating on it for a week, so be weary. Food was a good four stars, we will be back every once in a while, I am sure.
(4)Jay P.
A quaint little Chinese restaurant right on interstate. Has its own private lot, looks a little run down but hey that's not what you're reading for. This restaurant is actually not too bad. It even has its own full bar in the same vicinity. In this bar there is some video poker and also a pool table that you can utilize. There being a full bar they have plenty of hard liquors you can choose from and all they way down to their $1.50 happy hour beer. Located on the other side is the actual restaurant. Walking in you probably don't even need the menu because they took pictures of their food and put it up on the wall so you know exactly what you'll be getting. This helps a lot when trying to order especially if you had a few too many drinks from the other side. Jokes aside, this was my first time here and I came in looked at the pictures and ordered the "Dinner A Special" which came with egg drop soup, fried rice, mushroom chicken, and also sweet and sour chicken, with sides of some fried wontons, spring rolls, and also some fried shrimp. All for 11.95! What a steal since I was bringing dinner for 4 I decided to get two orders of it togo. The waitress told me to have a seat and the food would come out when its ready; I unfortunately had to use the restroom and made a huge mistake of going to this one... It reeked so bad that the smell could've been used in chemical warfare. It was like the toilet wasn't flushed for a million years. I hurried on out as fast as I opened that door. Luckily for me the food was already made by the time I made it back out to the dining area. It was even neatly packed together in a small cardboard box for me to take to my car. Got home and the food was great, didn't really have any complaints luckily! Long story short the food was not too bad, wouldn't mind going back again for some food and to try out the bar but stay away from that restroom unless you have a hazmat suit on.
(3)Elise M.
Very bad customer service. Place also smells like a hamster cage when you walk in the door in that front hallway. I remember the smell last yr when I came in and thought it was just that day, but nope.. kind of amazes me they haven't done anything to get rid of it
(1)Teressa H.
Happy House is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Portland! Great food and service every time that I go in. I love their lunch specials; you can get a huge meal for between $6-$8. I also love the wonton noodle soup and the salt and pepper squid. They have a small, friendly bar next door as well!
(5)Jacob C.
The dining area is rather small. Looked like the bar/lounge area was bigger than the dining area, although I did not go into the lounge. Food was okay. Sweet and Sour Chicken was good. Decent sized pieces of chicken, as opposed to small pieces that consist of way too much batter that you find at some Chinese restaurants, and the sauce was decent. Vegetable Fried Rice was good. Broccoli Beef was not very appetizing. The broccoli was okay but the beef did not even look like beef. Looked like very over-cooked mush. We also ordered the Egg Flower Soup, which both the wife and I found very bland. Staff was friendly. Overall, a decent place but I probably won't be ordering any beef dishes again.
(3)Dean R.
This place is a proper dump. Mediocre food. Good enough though. Next time I want a big pile of greasy Chinese (in, like, 6 months). I may return.
(3)Duane P.
This is one of the closest Chinese restaurant to my home, yet I have never tried it. It looks a little sketchy from the outside but all is good inside. The decor is dated but most Chinese places could use help in that area. I was seated quickly and after reviewing the menu I decided on the Mongolian Beef. I started with the Hot and Sour soup and it was good. The right amount of heat to sour. The Mongolian Beef came out and first impression was good. Good amount of beef and plenty of scallions and the won tons were fried perfectly. The fried rice looked to be just white rice with some soy sauce for coloring. No kidding. Service thru out was spot on with me never asking to get anything before they took care of it for me. It was a spot on 4 star experience.
(4)Michelle U.
This restaurant has reliable, hot, tasty Chinese food. Is this authentic Chinese food? Define authentic...no, but really, it's authentic take-away Chinese food. I love Chinese food, both non-authentic and authentic. I'm nowhere near the San Gabriel Valley, so I'm not expecting to get the real deal in Portland. I mean, there just isn't a market for it. Alas, at least we have Happy House, where I can get my broccoli and tofu, chicken and broccoli, egg rolls, or "crab puffs". Happy House does a good job with each of these dishes. The lunch special is reasonably priced, and their extra large meals are even more reasonably priced for that amount of food! I think the dinner prices can get pretty hefty, so I would stick to just ordering the cheaper items. I'm sure each item is equally salty, steaming hot, and drenched in sauce. Just the way take-out Chinese food should be. The main woman who works there is really nice too. I can tell she values her regulars, so I would definitely advise to stay on her good side. Saving the best for last: the Happy House Lounge. The lounge/bar is really sweet. It's a dive bar, for sure. It's your quintessential, non-hipster, universal dive bar. They have your keno machines (and the regulars who sit there for hours), several large TVs always playing sports, and cheap beer. And by cheap, I mean cheap! I don't want to spoil the surprise of the Happy House lounge, so if you're interested in the best part of the lounge, you just need to go. Hint: rolling rocks. I saw some of the Olympics here a few months ago, and it was a really great experience- a lot of fun. It's a good scene, unfortunately the restaurant and lounge both close at 10pm. QQ
(4)Mike M.
After years as the Interstate Bar & Grill, the change to the Happy house has been a great addition to the neighborhood. The place used to be super sketchy and now bags of to go orders line the counter and the dining room is starting to fill up as well. It is "traditional" Chinese/American food that most of us grew up with. The food is produced fast and served with a smile. I love any of the salty/peppery dishes (chicken, shrimp, squid). The shrimp with vegetables is super fresh and all of the friend rices are loaded with meat, if that is what you desire. Their house hot mustard is A+++. They get to know you and your order. The service is great. Great hangover food too!
(4)Nick E.
The food is not very good. I'll throw that out there first. There were like 8 or 9 of us, so we ordered like 4 of the family dinner combos (which are ridiculously great deals for the amount of food that you get). We were able to try a wide variety of offerings from their menu including spring rolls, crab rangoon, roast pork, fried shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken, general's chicken, mushroom chicken, mongolian beef, pork fried rice, hot and sour soup, and egg flower soup. Out of all of this food there was not a single moment where i took a bite of something and thought to myself, "wow, that's tasty." But all pompousness aside, there were legitimate issues with some of this stuff. The roast pork was overcooked, dry, and tasted like it had been sitting out for more than a few hours. The fried shrimp had way too much batter, which soaked up too much grease, and ultimately made it awful to eat. None of the chicken dishes were exciting. Fried nuggets covered in sweet dark syrup. I mean, they weren't bad; just very boring. My biggest problem with what we were served was that the pork fried rice was not fried rice at all. Like, they literally microwaved white rice and poured soy sauce on it, then put chopped roast pork on top. I wish i was kidding. I don't claim to be an expert on fried rice, but I am Chinese myself and grew up eating the stuff, and i worked in a restaurant that made really good fried rice (amongst a lot of other things) for 3.5 years, and i can definitively say, the fried rice at Happy House was shit. All that being said, there are redeeming qualities to this place. The back bar. Very friendly bartenders. Jello shots. $1 pints of the mysterious Happy House Lager. A juke box. Video poker. A pool table. Arcade games. Like 7 or 8 televisions. I love the back bar. It's a great time. If only Happy House was a bar first and a shitty restaurant second...then they would get more stars from me.
(3)Hendrik S.
In case you haven't noticed, this place does not serve Chinese food. I'd call it American. If you're looking for real Chinese dishes, venture away from sweet and sour this, kung pow that, egg flower goo, chow mien and one star General Cho/Tso whatever. These are made-in-America creations
(1)Karen F.
Yelp, you showed me positive reviews. Boyfriend and I decided to try it based off of said reviews. Went, ordered take out, and waited. had to use the restroom, saw how dirty it was, and started having doubts. Yes, the amount of food we got was huge for the price we paid. However, all the fried food had a distinctly bitter taste to it, and things just seemed off. Now, I'm having the stomach pains and general distress that one typically associates with really bad Mexican. Mope.
(1)lynda h.
The food here is very good and authentic. Atmosphere is basic. Bar attached is very busy and loud. Would come back for the food.
(4)Noah U.
Do you want the worst Chinese food ever? Look at Happy House. I had crab puffs and it was terrible. Then I had honey chicken and it was indefensible. The chicken had no quality to it and the sauce was not even convincing. This place is on Interstate Avenue in North Portland. I was extremely disgusted with how poorly the taste and way of frying it was. It was so sweet that it was superficial and I've had good honey chicken. A little bar is nestled inside so you can hear yelling. While I bear no need for authenticity, as I have loved many kinds of American-Chinese food, this was awful. North Portland can do better than this. I would be classier to eat this in Pioneer Place where they actually understand American tastes wholeheartedly even if not authentic. I have had both traditional and Americanized Chinese food, but this is a catastrophe of global implications. The owner's children were also acting rowdy and the place is an absolute dump. House of Bejing in Vancouver is a far better Chinese-American place, as their food actually tastes good. Happy House must be avoided at all costs.
(1)Mare B.
We've gotten take out from here maybe a dozen times and have moved on after Uncle Tsang's opened. They are very nice people, first and foremost. Orders are always ready on time. But the food isn't great and doesn't re-heat at all, even cold it just doesn't work.
(3)Whitney H.
I tried this place for lunch a few months ago and just got the wrong thing, I suppose. I got the sesame chicken, which were actually like white meat chicken tenders. The hot and sour soup wasn't bad, better than anywhere else I've had it in Portland. The spring roll is okay. So I try dinner recently and do much better - general tsao chicken and sesame beef. The chicken was dark meat but the pieces were rather large and intimidating. The sesame beef was on point, and that's what I would order again. The pot stickers are also very good. This is now my go-to take out spot.
(4)Brittany F.
I was really exited to try Happy House because it had received such good reviews on yelp. We ordered the broccolli beef, and sesame chicken with steamed rice. We got home and opened up the boxes and everything looked great. But it all tasted just a bit off....the beef was a little mysterious and we found ourselves not wanting to eat it at all. The sesame chicken was actually pretty good though. But the steamed rice was burnt and hard, I mean how does a Chinese place explain getting the steamed rice wrong! It was definitely the leftovers from the end of the pot... We won't be returning to happy house and our search for good Chinese food in NE continues
(2)KP K.
Best Chinese food in portland! They are always on time and very generous.
(5)Michelle M.
Since my first experience we've been back twice. Each time has been progressively worse. In short, it's inconsistent. You never know what your going to get. The last time we got take out there was some odd flavors going on, lots of grease and just an overall unpleasant experience. Everything was old and stale. I'm back on the hunt and have decided I must leave North Portland to get consistently good Chinese food. I'd heard this was the case, but didn't believe it until I experienced it for myself. Head East seekers of Chinese....head east.
(2)Michelle H.
Finally awesome Chinese in the hood! It has everything I love about Chinese food--crab puffs, hole in the wall looking location, crab puffs, an outdated interior, houseplants near the register, crab puffs, a nearly dead dining room, crab puffs, a super nice lady taking your order, crab puffs, and a completely reasonable menu full of obscenely large portions. I've been lazy, getting the #2 special every single time I go--chicken chow mein, pork fried rice, crab puffs, and BBQ pork substituted for the sweet and sour chicken. It's definitely enough food for two meals, and everything is always fresh out of the kitchen every time. Instead of the Styrofoam containers notorious for combo meals, they actually take the care to individually package everything. Someday I'll pull myself away for some spring rolls and egg flower soup, but until then I'll take my two tons of Chinese food to go.
(5)Jacqueline N.
YES!!!! A cheap, delicious chinese restaurant in Portland! Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah! I have found it! So yeah, the place doesn't look all that great on the outside, maybe you need to lock your doors before heading in, ignore the decor on the inside, and just zoom your eyes onto the lunch menu! Mapo tofu, Mongolian beef, Noodles, fried shrimp, anything and everything on that darn menu is so good! The lunch specials all come with soup and bomb ass cream cheese wontons! The service is always friendly and even when you order a soda, they pour it from a can, and refill it for free! Quality food, quality service (for a chinese restaurant) = loyal patrons forever!
(5)Stephanie S.
Still looking for great Chinese take out! This place was ok. Service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable, especially their family meals. I really like that you can order that and get a little of everything. Sadly, the meat and chicken were just not great quality, and a bit oddly flavored.
(3)Courtney H.
Worst Chinese food I have ever eaten in portland. I ordered takeout and after seeing how dirty the place was, I already didn't want to pay. I didn't trust a single thing on my plate .
(1)Tom J.
Happy House is the name of a really cool song by Siouxsie and The Banshees(Look it up, kids). It's also my new favorite Chinese place in town. One thing I love is that they do combination dinners, I'm one of those people who want a little of a few different things. The food is fresh and tasty, according to my friend they don't use MSG. I was very happy that the sweet and sour chicken came in a light, natural looking fruit sauce, not the neon colored, toxic glop that most places use. The crab puffs and the fried rice were also very tasty. The chow mein was very fresh and chow-meiny, I'm just not a big chow mein fan. There's also a bar in this place, we peeked in, it was kinda dark and scary, but we weren't there for that anyway. Happy House is a bit dive-y but I also liked that the front hallway had lots of photos on the walls and lots of Asian decor. It gave the place a sort of homey, neighborhood vibe. I wish I lived closer, but I'll be twisting the arm of my friend who lives in NoPo to come here as often as possible.
(5)S Luc S.
I've been on the search for some decent Americanized Chinese food in this town. I want the Chinese food that reminds me of the Midwest where the egg rolls are so hot and phat, the grease will seep through the bag. Where you can get almond cookies that make your teeth feel squeaky. Where the shrimp egg foo young are big brown discs drenched in a salty savory gravy that gels when you refrigerate it. Where the words, dragon, lucky, garden, kitchen, happy, or golden show up somewhere in the business name. Is that what I found at Happy House? Kinda. I had the General Tso's chicken and shrimp fried rice. The chunks of chicken were large and crisp, but the sauce was too syrupy sweet and reminded me of that chain "Chinese" place with the bear-esque mascot. The shrimp fried rice was tender, delicious and packed with the plump pink crustaceans. The two dishes were enough food for three meals at least. The decor of the location is something right out of the 70's where the dining room is large, long, and filled with plastic flowers. It's connected to a bar that I'm most certain has it's own rendition of Cheers characters. Each person came in, nodded greetings to the waitstaff and slunk off into darkness of the bar. The service is friendly, eager and chatty, which was a nice welcome. The location is kind of awkward and might take some finagling to get into the lot if you are driving in off of Maryland. I'll definitely return because it's fairly priced, the portions are abundant and there are more dishes to try! It might not be exactly what I used to get, but it'll do.
(3)Nemo B.
The nostalgic and elusive chinese-american food seems to be so close, yet never quite satisfying in much of Portland.... but I think this is a great contender as others have said. Great portions and reasonable prices - most all the standard bearers of the genre for the last quarter century done in a predictable and tasty fashion. They're not reinventing the egg-roll here - just offering solid "chinese food" and I think they know what they are doing. Veggies seem fresh and meat seems like higher quality than the norm. Def recommend: Mu Shu, Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein, Crab Puffs Some of the pork seemed too hard and chewy... but then, super succulent pork is a rarity - - after eating: it doesn't feel laden with grease or festooned with MSG - tends to be easy digestion and satiation. I've only done take out, so I can't speak to much about the dining room.
(4)Sean O.
Hear about this place for a room mate who said it was cheap. Not only was it affordable but my date and I took home enough for 2 more. Great service and the free tea is a reminder of good old Chinese food places. Flavor in the free hot and sour soup was lacking but the general tso chicken was unbelievable. Will be back here for sure.
(5)kelly s.
I should probably go the other way around on this, but I'm gong to start these guys out with a benefit of the doubt star. Yes, sadly, it's true,my experience was a 2 star one. This was the former site of a low life bar with a recent shoot out (yes with a real gun). That has sketched me out for a bit, but the pull of the possibility of a perfect crab puff brought me in. I had high hopes based on reviews, but this place is maybe still just a little too rough around the edges. I asked for Szechuan chicken and crab puffs. The chicken dish was seriously over cooked with soggy little vegetables, and like so many Chinese joints in town, was mostly filled with onions only. Crab puffs quite mediocre. But service was friendly and excited. Though it wasnt an expert attempt I felt like they cared and it smelled great which countend for something along with cleanliness. What was most disturbing was the experience in the bar. I walked back there to down a tsing Tao while I waited. There was a lady passed out on a heroin high quite unmistakeably at the table- and a bunch of gnarly video poker types. Nothing too out of the norm for PDX, but it felt a little sketchier than usual in here.
(3)Lloyd G.
Dinner was very good had Szechuan chicken and pork fried rice and a small order of General Tso's chicken was the best that I have had in a long time also staff was be very nice
(5)Margaret M.
This was everything I wanted in an American Chinese food restaurant - inexpensive (lunch specials around $5) and delicious. The fried chicken in the dishes (honey chicken, general Tso's etc.) stayed crispy in the sauce and made the calorie bomb worth it.
(5)Holy-foo' X.
Our group got a mountain of food for $40 (House lo mein, Gen. Tsao, spicy szechuan chicken, shrimp fried rice, et al), and they threw in several extra goodies for free---spring rolls and sweet and sour soup. Mmm! They've only been open for about a month and a half, replacing the long-standing Interstate Bar and Grill. Don't worry, the full bar w/video poker aplenty has remained intact. The service was speedy and friendly and these folks don't fool around, boy. They wanted me to know they are down w/Mandarin AND Cantonese style. They are gettin' the dang thing DONE! Serving a hot plate near you... Shay shay!
(4)Breylan D.
I don't know why people are so dang hard on this place. From the looks of the food, and the shape of the building, I think you know what you're getting before you even order. This is the greasy variety of americanized Chinese food that I think most of us grew up on. Expect bbq pork, fried pork, fried chicken, egg foo young, fried rice, fried noodles.... It's by no means traditional or authentic... But it's a damn good hangover cure and should hit the spot if you're looking for a decent sweet and sour pork loaded with MSG, as Anthony Bourdain says; "The shinier, the better." As for portion sizes, we ordered one combo meal and an extra side of fried rice and found ourselves eating on it for a week, so be weary. Food was a good four stars, we will be back every once in a while, I am sure.
(4)Kirsten H.
Haven't had the food since cheap Chinese food usually hurts my stomach but this is a great place to watch Blazer games when the season starts up again. And they have cheap beer!
(3)Kristina K.
I read your reviews, and I visited Happy House with excitement. Could Happy House have the "sketchiest food I've ever eaten, in my entire life" or "the best Chinese food in Portland?" I'm Chinese American and grew up in Chinese American restaurants and on that type of food. This review comes after eating-in about 4-times and ordering take-out about 2 times. For starters (not appetizers), Happy House has $1.00 house beers. If you're feeling a little rich or riche you can toss another $0.50 for Rolling Rock. The beers come in tall pint glasses. Secondly, the lunch specials are stellar. Happy House has the meal deals everyone talks about but aren't delivering. Happy House lunch special list is long, so you'll find something you'll like and like more as a snack or meal for later. The dinner specials are good, but not as good as the lunch specials list. The beef and broccoli is great. The broccoli is cooked perfectly. The beef is tender, tasty, and a good portion. If you're a real Chinese American food connoisseur, you'll opt for the Sweet and Sour Pork over the Sweet and Sour Chicken. More often than not, Sweet and Sour Pork is cut from pork shoulder, and pork shoulder is tastier than chicken breast. The Moo Shu Chicken is a winner for kids who like burritos. I hate it when there's too much liquid, and Happy House's Moo Shu isn't overly saucy. The Salt and Pepper Squid could use some honing. It seems like they used the same batter as Sweet and Sour, because the squid is hidden in a layer of thick dough. I prefer Salt and Pepper Squid with a light, dry dusting and tentacle visibility: 100%. Service has been 100% both eating-in and take-out, even when I sent the Caucasian to do the food pick-up. Every server we've encountered has been nothing but kind, friendly, and attentive. Bads: Salt and Pepper Squid Good: Service, beer prices, Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Pork
(5)Jill M.
Don't let the fact that this place is connected to a bar turn you off. The food is really good and the portions are generous. Came here with my husband tonight, and we had the number 4 combo, Szechuan lo mein, honey walnut shrimp, pork fried rice, and some egg foo yung. Holy shiznit, did we have a lot of food! It came out fast, hot, and everything was tasty. Will definitely be coming back and I highly recommend for casual Chinese food.
(4)Courtney S.
This is the sketchiest food I've ever eaten, in my entire life. DONT. DO. IT. all the people (45 of them) raving about this crap hole are obviously drunk in the bar next door. Seriously, are they giving out drinks for top reviews?! I don't usually like to completely hate on an establishment, but these are dire times. I've had better crab puffs, pot stickers, and rolls from the goddamned freezer aisle. This shit was worse, I kid you fucking not. My general chicken had awesome pockets of greasy fat hidden between the jerky parts, smothered in sauce. Even the MSG couldn't help me force it down. The chow mein. THE. GODDAMN. CHOW. MEIN. It's grey! And ligitamatley slimy. I poked around trying to figure out what the "chicken" actually was. And when I left my questions were answered by the rats running along the fence by my car. TRUST! That the fried rice IS INDEED a mound of stale microwaved rice with some soy sauce dumped on top, along with EXACTLY two pieces of dark, dry, fear inducing (pork?). STAY AWAY TRAVELLER! FOOD DOES NOT LIVE HERE!
(1)John S.
My wife and I rarely go out for Asian food since we usually get our fill eating lunch at the food carts downtown, but we like Chinese food and we were in the neighborhood, so we decided to give Happy House a shot. In addition to a $1.50 Heineken, I got a combo plate with BBQ pork, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, and fried rice. It was ready in less than 10 minutes. The BBQ pork was a little overcooked, but still flavorful and not bad. The beef and broccoli was great. The beef was extremely tender. The sweet and sour chicken was also great, maybe even better than the beef and broccoli. The portions were extremely generous, and I reheated my leftovers for lunch the following day (pro tip: put leftover sweet and sour chicken in a 350 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes). After this experience, Happy House is now my go to Chinese restaurant.
(4)Shannen M.
Great food, extremely reasonably priced, and the dollar beer ain't half bad. I love the tofu, and egg flour soup!
(4)Curtis C.
$5.95 lunch specials! Is this authentic Chinese food? No. It is American style Chinese food, and it's delicious! I've only been once, but the kung pao chicken lunch was great! Plenty of kung pao, pork fried rice, and a spring roll. You get soup if you eat in, but I opted for take-out. Will definitely be back. The dark, somewhat lurid looking lounge has me intrigued!
(4)Dean R.
This place is a proper dump. Mediocre food. Good enough though. Next time I want a big pile of greasy Chinese (in, like, 6 months). I may return.
(3)S Luc S.
I've been on the search for some decent Americanized Chinese food in this town. I want the Chinese food that reminds me of the Midwest where the egg rolls are so hot and phat, the grease will seep through the bag. Where you can get almond cookies that make your teeth feel squeaky. Where the shrimp egg foo young are big brown discs drenched in a salty savory gravy that gels when you refrigerate it. Where the words, dragon, lucky, garden, kitchen, happy, or golden show up somewhere in the business name. Is that what I found at Happy House? Kinda. I had the General Tso's chicken and shrimp fried rice. The chunks of chicken were large and crisp, but the sauce was too syrupy sweet and reminded me of that chain "Chinese" place with the bear-esque mascot. The shrimp fried rice was tender, delicious and packed with the plump pink crustaceans. The two dishes were enough food for three meals at least. The decor of the location is something right out of the 70's where the dining room is large, long, and filled with plastic flowers. It's connected to a bar that I'm most certain has it's own rendition of Cheers characters. Each person came in, nodded greetings to the waitstaff and slunk off into darkness of the bar. The service is friendly, eager and chatty, which was a nice welcome. The location is kind of awkward and might take some finagling to get into the lot if you are driving in off of Maryland. I'll definitely return because it's fairly priced, the portions are abundant and there are more dishes to try! It might not be exactly what I used to get, but it'll do.
(3)Gregory C.
Tricked again by Portland's Yelp. Reviewers wrote "awesome," "delicious," "everything I wanted," and "fresh and tasty." As everyone agrees, the place looks sketchy, and the food is congruent with the building. The chicken meat was gamey. There should be some sort of screening process for yelp reviewers. Come on guys. What are you thinking? I mean, why write food reviews when you have such low standards for eating? Are you that bored? Grow up! Get a life!
(2)Jacqueline N.
YES!!!! A cheap, delicious chinese restaurant in Portland! Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah! I have found it! So yeah, the place doesn't look all that great on the outside, maybe you need to lock your doors before heading in, ignore the decor on the inside, and just zoom your eyes onto the lunch menu! Mapo tofu, Mongolian beef, Noodles, fried shrimp, anything and everything on that darn menu is so good! The lunch specials all come with soup and bomb ass cream cheese wontons! The service is always friendly and even when you order a soda, they pour it from a can, and refill it for free! Quality food, quality service (for a chinese restaurant) = loyal patrons forever!
(5)Stephanie S.
Still looking for great Chinese take out! This place was ok. Service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable, especially their family meals. I really like that you can order that and get a little of everything. Sadly, the meat and chicken were just not great quality, and a bit oddly flavored.
(3)Tom J.
Happy House is the name of a really cool song by Siouxsie and The Banshees(Look it up, kids). It's also my new favorite Chinese place in town. One thing I love is that they do combination dinners, I'm one of those people who want a little of a few different things. The food is fresh and tasty, according to my friend they don't use MSG. I was very happy that the sweet and sour chicken came in a light, natural looking fruit sauce, not the neon colored, toxic glop that most places use. The crab puffs and the fried rice were also very tasty. The chow mein was very fresh and chow-meiny, I'm just not a big chow mein fan. There's also a bar in this place, we peeked in, it was kinda dark and scary, but we weren't there for that anyway. Happy House is a bit dive-y but I also liked that the front hallway had lots of photos on the walls and lots of Asian decor. It gave the place a sort of homey, neighborhood vibe. I wish I lived closer, but I'll be twisting the arm of my friend who lives in NoPo to come here as often as possible.
(5)Courtney H.
Worst Chinese food I have ever eaten in portland. I ordered takeout and after seeing how dirty the place was, I already didn't want to pay. I didn't trust a single thing on my plate .
(1)Mike M.
After years as the Interstate Bar & Grill, the change to the Happy house has been a great addition to the neighborhood. The place used to be super sketchy and now bags of to go orders line the counter and the dining room is starting to fill up as well. It is "traditional" Chinese/American food that most of us grew up with. The food is produced fast and served with a smile. I love any of the salty/peppery dishes (chicken, shrimp, squid). The shrimp with vegetables is super fresh and all of the friend rices are loaded with meat, if that is what you desire. Their house hot mustard is A+++. They get to know you and your order. The service is great. Great hangover food too!
(4)Karen F.
Yelp, you showed me positive reviews. Boyfriend and I decided to try it based off of said reviews. Went, ordered take out, and waited. had to use the restroom, saw how dirty it was, and started having doubts. Yes, the amount of food we got was huge for the price we paid. However, all the fried food had a distinctly bitter taste to it, and things just seemed off. Now, I'm having the stomach pains and general distress that one typically associates with really bad Mexican. Mope.
(1)lynda h.
The food here is very good and authentic. Atmosphere is basic. Bar attached is very busy and loud. Would come back for the food.
(4)Ben M.
This is one of the better ordinary Chinese restaurants around. General Tso's Chicken is quite good and the hot and sour soup is better than a lot of places. Basically, it's a step up from the Ambassador and way cheaper.
(4)Sara J.
The food was good and fast. Had the sweet and sour chicken loves it. I came with my 2 toddlers and husband and the only complaint i have is the waitress brought my kids suckers while we were waiting for the food without asking. I know she was being nice but they need to eat before they get a treat. I hid them and they for got about them and then when we were leaving the restaurant, the waitress gave them another one each. :/ other then that we think the food was good and we all ate for $21 not bad.
(4)Evrim B.
Heck yeah! Good chinese food. Good prices. Good service. They have a parking lot. It was cozy in there, too. Egg Drop Soup and Mongolian Beef were both very tasty. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Noy R.
Came here hoping for a better Chinese food experience.............sadly, not the case. Broccoli beef was rather bland, Mongolian beef was oddly mushy, spring rolls were washed out flavor. Egg Foo Young was not too bad, and also the sweet & sour chicken. Overall, it was meh.........am still searching for better.
(2)Jeff M.
Really liked this place. I ordered combo number #5 replaced the broccoli beef for orange chicken. Orange chicken was good it's hard to find orange chicken I like. Sweet and sour chicken was good not too too sweet my girl friend even liked it which she hates all sweet and sour chicken. Only con I have with the place is outdated Hope this helps u find the right Chinese food place.
(4)Nick W.
One of Portland's best keep secrets in town! The atmosphere definitely won't win you over, but their Chinese food sure will. Stop in for a stiff cocktail or a one dollar (all day) Rolling Rock in the lounge and order some take out while you wait. I highly recommend any of their Lo Mein (read: this is REAL Lo Mein with nice thin pan-fried noodles, not that crispy noodle crap with a ton of slimey grey liquid and a pound of celery that you find at certain establishments on SE 82nd). If you're looking for something a little more "Americanized", the Combo # 5 is a sure bet with Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef & Broc, BBQ Pork, and pork fried rice. All dishes include your choice of egg-flour or hot & sour soup, but you forfeit that delicious privilege, should you order out. After all, you may very well find it worthwhile to grab another well drink with the ever-friendly regular patrons and thoroughly enjoy your heaping plate of tasty goodness at the bar.
(4)Michelle W.
None expensive and loads of food. The crab puffs are amazing. Great take out Chinese for a great price.
(4)adam p.
American Chinese food at its core. Growing up with the bright red sweet and sour chicken brought home at 7:30 when mom was running late this place takes me back to those times. Nothing organic, local for free range about this place but the food it what you would expect served hot and fast and cheap. I was impressed with the schezwan chicken and the about of veggies that came with it. At $5.50 for lunch what else could you ask for?? I also noticed that they have $1 Rolling Rocks all day everyday in the bar!
(4)Hannah C.
Surprisingly good for how sketchy it looks. This place was definitely a strip club in the past. Searching for some good old-fashioned, greasy Americanized Chinese food, we finally gave Happy House a shot after driving by it a million times. The portions were huge, heavy, and unhealthy--just what we wanted for a long night of work. I liked the sesame chicken with spicy sauce + salted pepper chicken. We got chicken fried rice, and they gave us another order of white rice and a handfull of spring rolls. They probably thought we were feeding a family, but it was just my fiance and I. Definitely did not need to order the crab rangoons with the ridiculous amount of food we received, although they were tasty. I'd definitely order take-out from here again on another late night. I don't know about dining-in though.
(4)Emily T.
We were looking for a place in Nopo to chill out and have some cheap cocktails and decent food, and we ended up having a really fun time kicking it at this place. We sat on the bar side (recommended) and our bartender was rad and the juke box was decent. Lots of people doing the video poker thing, but we had a big table and felt super comfy and generally had a blast. Had the tangy eggplant dish the server recommended and was super impressed. The spring rolls were delicious, too.
(4)Shannon D.
I've been searching for some great Chinese food since my regular Chinese restaurant closed. To me the sign of a great Chinese restaurant all stems from the crab puffs hence the reason I gave this place 5 stars. Their crab puffs are delicious! I also ordered the sweet and sour chicken lunch special. Everything was really good, the fried rice, spring roll and sweet & sour chicken. I will definitely be back!
(5)Greg B.
I live in the neighborhood and I'm pretty picky when it comes to Chinese Food having grown up Jewish, lived in New York City, San Francisco, ect. I know good Chinese Food. And while the menu is kind of a disaster like many Americanized Chinese Restaurants, the food is surprisingly good. I especially love the string beans with anything and the egg plant. Its kind of a secretly good with a horrible exterior (ambience, ect). And they are very nice if not a little slow.
(4)Dave H.
So I just got back from my traditional Christmas dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, and tried Happy House for the first time. The overall feeling is that I'll definitely go back, the people are super nice, and the prices are unbelievable. I knew getting into things that getting Christmas dinner at the only Chinese place I could find within a reasonable walk from my new place would probably mean some waiting. I did not realize that they had a full bar, as the other reviews didn't mention that or the $1 pints of Rolling Rock. The food was good. I got the Mo Po Tofu and the spring rolls, and both were filling (the Mo Po will be my lunch tomorrow). I did have to wait a while, but it was Christmas so I kind of expected it, and they comped my spring rolls which was an added bonus! The staff and customers were quite friendly, and that may have just been Christmas in the air but almost all of them seemed to know the bartender and each other, so it might just really be that friendly of a place. The prices, as I've alluded to, are great. $1 pints of any beer are okay by me. I assumed it was a typo until the check showed up, but I was told that all day every day they have that deal. All-in-all, I'm glad to have this place a short walk away. I'm sure I'll be back. After re-reading my review I upped them from four to five, because for a Chinese family-style restaurant the bar was a really pleasant surprise in addition to the food being really good.
(5)Mike C.
Ordered kung pao chicken for lunch. gross chicken thigh meat with tons of fat. won't eat that again. Is it worth a second chance? Prices were reasonable until I discovered the chicken thigh fat kung pao. The sauce was good though. Gave this place a second chance and had green bean chicken.. much much better.. fresh vegetables, and chicken breast meat that was perfectly cooked. Next time I'll ask for chicken breast for my kung pao. Nice little neightborhood chinese dive.
(5)Jason F.
This is the best Chinese food place in the area. The service is wonderful and staff always so nice. I usually get a dinner combo to go. I have tried half of them and have all been good. Best part is I always have leftover for later.
(4)Dave M.
Chicken was gamey. Not great Chinese food. Misled by reviews here. You get what you pay for. If you're used to Chinese food from the east coast I would not recommend this place.
(3)Jared C.
Great value, no-nonsense American-Chinese cuisine. Make sure you're hungry. The number one filled me up good. The one quirk about this place is that their chow mein is all bean sprouts; the only noodles here are the "crunchy noodles" buried underneath. Not knocking it, just saying its funny considering the Chinese "chao mian" literally means "fried noodles".
(4)S. H.
I am very happy this place exists. The food is by no means life-changing in its execution or flavor, but the service is pleasant, the portions are ample, the prices are great (especially with the combo. meals), and as of late, there have been complimentary goodies such as tea and soup, which I really appreciate. I wish there were more veggie options (Ma Po Tofu, *ahem*), and I prefer firm tofu to the softer varieties, but in the meantime, I will continue to get my "Chinese" fix here. Also, there appears to be no affiliation with the mysterious bar next door.
(4)Michelle C.
Pleasantly surprised. After driving past this place for years, we finally gave it a try. Great value for lunch. The General Tso's chicken actually had huge pieces of chicken meat, not just an overload of breading and everything came out nice and hot. Lunch for 2 for $11? We'll definitely be back.
(4)Kim H.
Sadly, North Portland has been lacking in variety for Chinese food. Swan Garden used to be my family's go to place but their food has declined big time in recent years. Yay for Happy House opening up. We went there today today for the first time to get take out for 3 people. My fiance and I walked into what seemed a clean and decent restaurant. The decorations weren't over the top and there was plenty of tables without being over stuffed. The hostess was very friendly offering tea or soup while we waited for our order (we declined as we were ok to wait). We ordered the family style meal for 3 and paid 31.50. Here's what we got: Fried chicken strips, Sweet and sour sauce on the side, Pork Fried Rice, Mushroom chicken, Fried Shrimp, 6 small Spring rolls, BBQ Pork, Crab Puffs, and Egg Flower Soup. It was enough for lunch and plenty left for dinner and probably lunch tomorrow for 3 people (1 woman and 2 men). The food quality was fantastic! The shrimp and chicken were crispy, the bbq pork tender and yummy, spring rolls crispy and filled with veggies, and the mushroom chicken was a nice change with the crisp veggies and chicken pieces in a subtle sauce. My fiance thought the fried was a bit "oniony" tasting. BLAH BLAH I loved it! As we were leaving the other hostess (or owner..not sure) kept asking us about if we like more of one appetizer or less. She was great in trying to get to know our tastes. Seems to be wanting to establish the restaurant as a good place to go to repeatedly...which we will. The family meal is great because it comes with all the extras (spring rools, bbq pork, puff, and soup) plus a good quantity of the main items. In general, a great place for Chinese food has FINALLY come to North Portland/Overlook area.
(5)David S.
Our Second Visit.. Great Food, Great Service. Family owned and operated... Fresh ingredients. No MSG... Really Great. This will be our Chinese Food Place for the foreseeable future...
(5)Joe M.
I really enjoyed it. Didn't look like the best place in the outside and the conjoined bar threw me off a bit, but food came out very quick and looked awesome. It tasted great and there was plenty and that was just a lunch combo. I will definitely go back.
(4)Andrea L.
How could this be my first time here? It was. So in search of a Jewish Christmas near home, I chose Happy House. Parking is pretty easy with the lot off Interstate ave. The place was fairly crowded on xmas, so we decided to sit in the bar. I loved it! What could be better than a dark and divy bar serving fresh Chinese food, with poker machines making ungodly noises in the background on Christmas? Nothing! That's what. Unless Hulk Hogan walks in the bar! Ok, it wasn't really him - but a total doppleganger. Two dudes with crowns gave us english popping toys with prizes and crowns of our own. The food was fairly cheap, fresh, large portions and quite good. I would like more vegetables in the dishes, but the veggies we did get (green bean w/chicken) were very crunchy and tasty. I will return!
(4)Charity K.
Happy House is a solidly decent Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood - that makes it pretty awesome. I've both ordered take-out and enjoyed their lunch special while watching an episode of Grimm being filmed across the parking lot at the restaurant next door. Bonus. Both vegetarians and omnivores alike will be satisfied with the options available at Happy House. Service is solid and efficient. Portions are good sized and hot mustard and sweet/sour sauce is complimentary at lunch along with a tasty, hot oolong tea. Recommend.
(4)Ruth N.
Not very good Chinese American food. The mu shu pork was fresh and alright, but the salt and pepper squid were salty and greasy and not fresh at all.
(2)Sierra P.
As a bar (the restaurant and bar are a 'little separate') I loved it. The bartender has enough autonomy to decide if she should stay open or close and as they've always said you need to know when to hold them, know when to close them...
(4)Ryan E.
The name might be deceiving, the decor might be depressing, but the lo mein is friggin' legit! I mean, that schezuan lo mein has me craving it like a crack addict. Go here for take-out and stop in the Lounge for a beer while you wait. Oh, the beer. $1 Happy House Lagers!!! That's 16oz of beer, for one dollar, and they don't care if you pay in pennies! 'Happy House Lager' you wonder? Well, it's pretty much Rolling Rock, with maybe a hint of Budweiser. But it's a buck. The Lounge itself makes for good people watching - lots of gamblers and story tellers. And the occasional "are they homeless or are they just commuting home and avoiding the rain" types. Who cares! The beer is a dollar and the lo mein is delicious! Good Chinese food is hard to come by in inner NE, but Happy House is an easy on the wallet spot that'll make your liver and tummy hap, hap, happy.
(4)Bobbi J.
Old school Chinese food restaurant. Lunch menu is perfect and priced well at about $6 a plate with soup. Yummy food. ..what I expect, Chinese food. .lots of it and not Foo foo.
(4)Duane P.
This is one of the closest Chinese restaurant to my home, yet I have never tried it. It looks a little sketchy from the outside but all is good inside. The decor is dated but most Chinese places could use help in that area. I was seated quickly and after reviewing the menu I decided on the Mongolian Beef. I started with the Hot and Sour soup and it was good. The right amount of heat to sour. The Mongolian Beef came out and first impression was good. Good amount of beef and plenty of scallions and the won tons were fried perfectly. The fried rice looked to be just white rice with some soy sauce for coloring. No kidding. Service thru out was spot on with me never asking to get anything before they took care of it for me. It was a spot on 4 star experience.
(4)Michelle U.
This restaurant has reliable, hot, tasty Chinese food. Is this authentic Chinese food? Define authentic...no, but really, it's authentic take-away Chinese food. I love Chinese food, both non-authentic and authentic. I'm nowhere near the San Gabriel Valley, so I'm not expecting to get the real deal in Portland. I mean, there just isn't a market for it. Alas, at least we have Happy House, where I can get my broccoli and tofu, chicken and broccoli, egg rolls, or "crab puffs". Happy House does a good job with each of these dishes. The lunch special is reasonably priced, and their extra large meals are even more reasonably priced for that amount of food! I think the dinner prices can get pretty hefty, so I would stick to just ordering the cheaper items. I'm sure each item is equally salty, steaming hot, and drenched in sauce. Just the way take-out Chinese food should be. The main woman who works there is really nice too. I can tell she values her regulars, so I would definitely advise to stay on her good side. Saving the best for last: the Happy House Lounge. The lounge/bar is really sweet. It's a dive bar, for sure. It's your quintessential, non-hipster, universal dive bar. They have your keno machines (and the regulars who sit there for hours), several large TVs always playing sports, and cheap beer. And by cheap, I mean cheap! I don't want to spoil the surprise of the Happy House lounge, so if you're interested in the best part of the lounge, you just need to go. Hint: rolling rocks. I saw some of the Olympics here a few months ago, and it was a really great experience- a lot of fun. It's a good scene, unfortunately the restaurant and lounge both close at 10pm. QQ
(4)Nick E.
The food is not very good. I'll throw that out there first. There were like 8 or 9 of us, so we ordered like 4 of the family dinner combos (which are ridiculously great deals for the amount of food that you get). We were able to try a wide variety of offerings from their menu including spring rolls, crab rangoon, roast pork, fried shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken, general's chicken, mushroom chicken, mongolian beef, pork fried rice, hot and sour soup, and egg flower soup. Out of all of this food there was not a single moment where i took a bite of something and thought to myself, "wow, that's tasty." But all pompousness aside, there were legitimate issues with some of this stuff. The roast pork was overcooked, dry, and tasted like it had been sitting out for more than a few hours. The fried shrimp had way too much batter, which soaked up too much grease, and ultimately made it awful to eat. None of the chicken dishes were exciting. Fried nuggets covered in sweet dark syrup. I mean, they weren't bad; just very boring. My biggest problem with what we were served was that the pork fried rice was not fried rice at all. Like, they literally microwaved white rice and poured soy sauce on it, then put chopped roast pork on top. I wish i was kidding. I don't claim to be an expert on fried rice, but I am Chinese myself and grew up eating the stuff, and i worked in a restaurant that made really good fried rice (amongst a lot of other things) for 3.5 years, and i can definitively say, the fried rice at Happy House was shit. All that being said, there are redeeming qualities to this place. The back bar. Very friendly bartenders. Jello shots. $1 pints of the mysterious Happy House Lager. A juke box. Video poker. A pool table. Arcade games. Like 7 or 8 televisions. I love the back bar. It's a great time. If only Happy House was a bar first and a shitty restaurant second...then they would get more stars from me.
(3)Hendrik S.
In case you haven't noticed, this place does not serve Chinese food. I'd call it American. If you're looking for real Chinese dishes, venture away from sweet and sour this, kung pow that, egg flower goo, chow mien and one star General Cho/Tso whatever. These are made-in-America creations
(1)Jay P.
A quaint little Chinese restaurant right on interstate. Has its own private lot, looks a little run down but hey that's not what you're reading for. This restaurant is actually not too bad. It even has its own full bar in the same vicinity. In this bar there is some video poker and also a pool table that you can utilize. There being a full bar they have plenty of hard liquors you can choose from and all they way down to their $1.50 happy hour beer. Located on the other side is the actual restaurant. Walking in you probably don't even need the menu because they took pictures of their food and put it up on the wall so you know exactly what you'll be getting. This helps a lot when trying to order especially if you had a few too many drinks from the other side. Jokes aside, this was my first time here and I came in looked at the pictures and ordered the "Dinner A Special" which came with egg drop soup, fried rice, mushroom chicken, and also sweet and sour chicken, with sides of some fried wontons, spring rolls, and also some fried shrimp. All for 11.95! What a steal since I was bringing dinner for 4 I decided to get two orders of it togo. The waitress told me to have a seat and the food would come out when its ready; I unfortunately had to use the restroom and made a huge mistake of going to this one... It reeked so bad that the smell could've been used in chemical warfare. It was like the toilet wasn't flushed for a million years. I hurried on out as fast as I opened that door. Luckily for me the food was already made by the time I made it back out to the dining area. It was even neatly packed together in a small cardboard box for me to take to my car. Got home and the food was great, didn't really have any complaints luckily! Long story short the food was not too bad, wouldn't mind going back again for some food and to try out the bar but stay away from that restroom unless you have a hazmat suit on.
(3)Elise M.
Very bad customer service. Place also smells like a hamster cage when you walk in the door in that front hallway. I remember the smell last yr when I came in and thought it was just that day, but nope.. kind of amazes me they haven't done anything to get rid of it
(1)Teressa H.
Happy House is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Portland! Great food and service every time that I go in. I love their lunch specials; you can get a huge meal for between $6-$8. I also love the wonton noodle soup and the salt and pepper squid. They have a small, friendly bar next door as well!
(5)Jacob C.
The dining area is rather small. Looked like the bar/lounge area was bigger than the dining area, although I did not go into the lounge. Food was okay. Sweet and Sour Chicken was good. Decent sized pieces of chicken, as opposed to small pieces that consist of way too much batter that you find at some Chinese restaurants, and the sauce was decent. Vegetable Fried Rice was good. Broccoli Beef was not very appetizing. The broccoli was okay but the beef did not even look like beef. Looked like very over-cooked mush. We also ordered the Egg Flower Soup, which both the wife and I found very bland. Staff was friendly. Overall, a decent place but I probably won't be ordering any beef dishes again.
(3)Noah U.
Do you want the worst Chinese food ever? Look at Happy House. I had crab puffs and it was terrible. Then I had honey chicken and it was indefensible. The chicken had no quality to it and the sauce was not even convincing. This place is on Interstate Avenue in North Portland. I was extremely disgusted with how poorly the taste and way of frying it was. It was so sweet that it was superficial and I've had good honey chicken. A little bar is nestled inside so you can hear yelling. While I bear no need for authenticity, as I have loved many kinds of American-Chinese food, this was awful. North Portland can do better than this. I would be classier to eat this in Pioneer Place where they actually understand American tastes wholeheartedly even if not authentic. I have had both traditional and Americanized Chinese food, but this is a catastrophe of global implications. The owner's children were also acting rowdy and the place is an absolute dump. House of Bejing in Vancouver is a far better Chinese-American place, as their food actually tastes good. Happy House must be avoided at all costs.
(1)Mare B.
We've gotten take out from here maybe a dozen times and have moved on after Uncle Tsang's opened. They are very nice people, first and foremost. Orders are always ready on time. But the food isn't great and doesn't re-heat at all, even cold it just doesn't work.
(3)Ehow C.
I understand its appeal now. $5.50 for lunch at a restaurant is insane for this day and age. I mean, it's not the *best* Chinese I've ever had, but the egg flower soup is nice and clean with a dash of white pepper. The dishes are filling for a lunch portion. The less Americanized (e.g., anything fried) dishes come with a lot of vegetables instead of piles of meat. The sauces are nothing to write home about, but again, it's not bad at all, especially for the price. Plus free oolong tea? Just like how I was raised. (In a Chinese restaurant, yes.) Do yourself a favor and get white rice instead of fried rice with lunch. You'll be happier, I swear. Lunches I've had so far: chicken with black bean sauce, Sichuan(Szechwan) chicken, mapo tofu.
(4)Serena C.
Good prices, good food. I get take out normally and its always all ready to go when I get there. Sit down service is decent.
(4)Cheri M.
I took my niece here for her birthday back in November and had the best dinner. The food was great and the atmosphere was very laid back. We sat in the dinning room for our early dinner and had the place to ourselves. The bar was packed but we got to watch the football game in complete silence from the loud bar. Love the beer specials too.
(5)Whitney H.
I tried this place for lunch a few months ago and just got the wrong thing, I suppose. I got the sesame chicken, which were actually like white meat chicken tenders. The hot and sour soup wasn't bad, better than anywhere else I've had it in Portland. The spring roll is okay. So I try dinner recently and do much better - general tsao chicken and sesame beef. The chicken was dark meat but the pieces were rather large and intimidating. The sesame beef was on point, and that's what I would order again. The pot stickers are also very good. This is now my go-to take out spot.
(4)Brittany F.
I was really exited to try Happy House because it had received such good reviews on yelp. We ordered the broccolli beef, and sesame chicken with steamed rice. We got home and opened up the boxes and everything looked great. But it all tasted just a bit off....the beef was a little mysterious and we found ourselves not wanting to eat it at all. The sesame chicken was actually pretty good though. But the steamed rice was burnt and hard, I mean how does a Chinese place explain getting the steamed rice wrong! It was definitely the leftovers from the end of the pot... We won't be returning to happy house and our search for good Chinese food in NE continues
(2)Michelle M.
Since my first experience we've been back twice. Each time has been progressively worse. In short, it's inconsistent. You never know what your going to get. The last time we got take out there was some odd flavors going on, lots of grease and just an overall unpleasant experience. Everything was old and stale. I'm back on the hunt and have decided I must leave North Portland to get consistently good Chinese food. I'd heard this was the case, but didn't believe it until I experienced it for myself. Head East seekers of Chinese....head east.
(2)KP K.
Best Chinese food in portland! They are always on time and very generous.
(5)Dylan B.
As far as the food here goes, I can't say I'm too impressed. So far I have ordered the spring rolls and the vegetarian lo mein. The spring rolls were pretty much what you'd expect at any cheap Americanized Chinese restaurant. Small, greasy, fairly flavorless before they are smothered in sweet & sour. The vegetarian lo mein was pretty boring as well. It consisted of 95% noodles and 5% overcooked vegetables. The noodles themselves were pretty dry and required a heavy dose of chili oil to liven things up. So why 3 stars when the food isn't even that good? The bar. If it weren't for the all-day $1.00 Rolling Rock pints, I'm not sure that I would have even ended up there in the first place. On top of that they've got friendly bartenders and a pretty decent jukebox. Great spot to hit up on your way to a Mississippi bar crawl. Game night can be pretty bad if you're not into sports, but great if you're into people watching. During a recent big football game I sat in the corner with some friends facing away from the TV. Watching these big burly dudes lose their shit over some flying sack of leather was far more entertaining than any sports game could ever be.
(3)roper r.
We had pretty high hopes for Happy House after reading the Yelp reviews, despite the fact that it is chinese food in Portland. The service was prompt and friendly. The tea was hot, unlike the luke warm tea at Good Taste, a misnomer if there ever was one. When our hot and sour soup came, we noticed it was unusually dark, probably from days of cooling and reheating. It wasn't good, and wasn't hot either. The powdered hot and sour soup from a tub at Fubon is way more tasty btw. We each ordered a combination meal. What were we thinking? Again, we still had hopes. The chow mein was gray and slimy and the only vegetable detectible was celery. There was lots of celery. The sweet and sour chicken was just fried chicken with corn syrup (?) drizzled over the top. It was not sour. At all. The "sweet n' sour" pork was exactly the same as the chicken. Literally no detectable difference and served in the same revolting sauce. The pork fried rice was a mound of white rice, stained with something brown containing exactly two pieces of dessicated pork. The spring rolls were kinda gross but probably edible if you're a little inebriated. Our piled-high plates were still piled high when the check came but we didn't want to be rude so we asked for one to go box. We thought about "forgetting" the doggy bag, but decided to take it and try to find a homeless person who may appreciate it more than we did. As luck would have it, we did. We struggled with the morality of this but since we didn't feel physically ill at that point, we gave it to him. Hopefully he's okay and we won't rot in hell. Sorry (un)Happy House, your food is disgusting. The bar looked like fun but it might be wise to get a prescription of heavy duty antibiotics before you start trolling.
(1)Jenni B.
I went here on Christmas Day to try it out because I had read such good reviews on here. This place totally met my expectations and I feel like it's difficult to find really good Chinese food in Portland. I am so happy that Happy House exists in Portland and is close to where I live. Cons: The only thing I didn't like was the Egg Flower soup. Next time I will order the Hot and Sour instead. Pros: Open on Christmas Day! Friendly and fast service. All the food we ordered came fresh and was delicious. Some of the best Chinese food to be found in Portland.
(4)George M.
I am one of this place's cheerleaders. For the price, it's really hard to beat. I came over here in search of a place close to work that had parking and reasonably good, reasonably priced Chinese food. A friend and co-worker and I used to go to a couple of places downtown, but sadly they've closed over the years. We had been talking about finding a place for a good Chinese lunch and I stopped in here to give them a try. I was very pleased. The dining room isn't anything fancy, but it's very clean and cute. The server was very pleasant and friendly, and had my order in quickly. I picked the Kung Pao Chicken lunch special. It started with Egg Flower Soup, and came with Spring Roll, fried rice, and, of course, my chicken. The soup was nice and fresh, and whet my appetite for what was coming. The main plate arrived, and the Spring Roll was very good, very delicate flavor, served with a delicious sweet and sour and a hot mustard. I enjoyed it. The Kung Pao Chicken was very flavorful, and they weren't stingy with the hot pepper. Mine had chili pepper flakes in it rather than the whole hot dried chilis but that wasn't a problem for me. The sauce was flavorful, the vegetables crisp tender, and the chicken abundant and fresh tasting. The fried rice was good, with larger pieces of pork than most places and a good flavor. I am not going to name any prices in my review, but definitely check out the menu prices. Good deal for very little money. I will be back with my friend, and I'm sure I will be getting takeout in the future!
(5)Charlotte F.
Geez, why is it so hard to find a decent Chinese restaurant in Portland?! I love sweet and sour chicken and can't find it anywhere that is worth a crap. Happy house is very disappointing. Their chicken is questionable and leaves you wondering, is it really even chicken? Blah! I ordered spring rolls and chicken fried rice. The spring rolls were nothing special and the dipping sauce tasted like funky ketchup. The "chicken" pieces in the chicken fried rice were gummy and gross. Don't waste your time at this over priced poor excuse for a Chinese restaurant.
(1)Michelle H.
Finally awesome Chinese in the hood! It has everything I love about Chinese food--crab puffs, hole in the wall looking location, crab puffs, an outdated interior, houseplants near the register, crab puffs, a nearly dead dining room, crab puffs, a super nice lady taking your order, crab puffs, and a completely reasonable menu full of obscenely large portions. I've been lazy, getting the #2 special every single time I go--chicken chow mein, pork fried rice, crab puffs, and BBQ pork substituted for the sweet and sour chicken. It's definitely enough food for two meals, and everything is always fresh out of the kitchen every time. Instead of the Styrofoam containers notorious for combo meals, they actually take the care to individually package everything. Someday I'll pull myself away for some spring rolls and egg flower soup, but until then I'll take my two tons of Chinese food to go.
(5)