I really love this place. The man who answers the phone has been the same guy for years (likely the owner) and is soooo nice. The food is always ready on time. The meats never have fillers. I have gone to other places where the chicken pieces that are breaded were stuffed with bread! Nothing like that here. Just all white meat pieces. The prices are super cheap too. 1 point down bc the egg roll is underwhelming but I can't seem to bring myself to just skip it. I have never eaten a chinese meal without an egg roll!
(4)
Jessie C.
Nothing really positive I could find to say about this place. The food doesn't have much flavor. Don't bother trying to even find vegetarian options. There are maybe 2 in the menu. By far the worst Chinese I have ever eaten in my life. I hate giving bad reviews, but I'm sorry to say that this is definitely a place I would never go again.
(1)
Carol C.
Came with a party of 7 people and left full and happy. The ladies here were so friendly and cheerful. We ordered dumplings, 2 meat dishes, jang jjangjjang, and jjangpong, all of which were better than expected. Also, I think they realized the number of dumplings would be really odd for our party of 7, so they made sure to give us 7 pieces so everyone could have a try of their crispy item. Very thoughtful for a place like this.
(4)
Jennitare S.
This place is great, very quiet and the scenery is amazing. It's decorated so nicely, great for families with kids or a couple. It's much cleaner than most restaurants around, and not your typical Chinese restaurant. Their food is great. Unlike most restaurants who have some of their food already premade, this Chinese restaurant allows you to customize it. For example, my daughter loves lo mien, but she doesn't eat most of the veggies that are in it. So we asked for pork lo mien with only onions in it, and that's exactly what we got. They also are able to cook the food without any salt or MSG, which my aunt is highly allergic too. She's surprised not most if not all restaurants do that. But as long as you do mention what you want or do not want in the food, they will make it work. The waiters and hosts were very friendly. They did all they can to attend your every need. And at the end of the dinner, we also received some sweet pineapples as dessert and my daughter got a lollipop. This restaurant is highly amazing, too much for words to describe. They deliver, they customize their food, and they're super friendly. Who wouldn't love them? Everybody has their own specific tastes on food, but I for one really recommend this to everyone looking for a quiet and good Asian eatery.
(5)
Alana L.
Food was fantastic. Best lo mein I've had in Philly. All food was very good, but we got full very quickly and didn't eat much. Service was very nice, but somewhat strange. We declined extra empty plates multiple times, but then they brought them and left them on our table anyway. Water refills very quickly, but that filled us up really fast. Also eerily quiet. Overall a good experience. Likely to be back.
(4)
Mark Chumley S.
Best Chinese Delivery in South Philly... and I've tried quite a few. Steamed Dumplings are amazeballs, with nice thin wrapper. I've only eaten there once, and frankly it was a bit disappointing... and delivery can be as fast as 15 minutes or as slow as an hour - but definitely worth giving them a shot. One hint, if you're ordering for delivery be patient, the guy is a slow talker, right out of a Seinfeld episode, and will repeat every thing you say - and DON'T give him your credit card info or he will repeat it loudly so anyone within ear shot can hear it!
(4)
Yinnely D.
Delivery was fast.... 30 mins But the shrimp egg roll had no shrimp in it!! And was burned. The chicken wings and veg fried rice was okay...... Rice tasted weird and burnt. I will not order here again
(1)
Molly M.
I don't understand these bad reviews! Happy Dragon is the best! I went to college in center city. I've eaten a lot of Chinese food in Philly and outside of Chinatown, most of it is pretty bad. When I started hanging around South Philly my friend took me to Happy Dragon and I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality. The General Tsos Chicken and Chicken Fried Rice are both very good, highly recommend. Even the egg rolls are better than most. If you go visit the restaurant, the dining room is very clean and pleasant to sit in. The staff is also incredibly nice.
(5)
David G.
I like these guys. Everyone who works there is super nice, polite, and efficient. I usually order to pick up since it's just a couple of blocks from me, but I've had it delivered as well. Possibly the best lo-mein in the city. Beef is tender, very flavorful. I also recommend the General Tso. I like mostly all of their food so far. My only negative is that the wonton soup although good has some very doughy wonton, but it's good and has lots of scallions etc in it so I'm not going to stop eating it- it's good! Also I've noticed that two of these negative reviews appear to be from people who live nowhere near here, so I'm wondering if they might have picked the wrong restaurant on yelp when they signed in to pen a review. It's not like it's an original name for a chinese restaurant and being that I lived in Hatboro and have parents who still live there, there is one with that name there. There are like three in the area out there and personally I think they all fall far short. South Philly Happy Dragon, I recommend. For the area it's very good, and the selection is ok, the place is super clean, people very nice. Almost makes me glad that Number 1 China made me sick 3 times.
(5)
Brian Y.
Go here every now and then and eat in. Great food and service. Everyone that works there is polite and always make sure that you have everything you need.
(4)
Leah F.
Decided to dine in for once at Happy dragon. As a follow up to my last review...yep, still amazing!
(5)
Andrea V.
I will admit to being picky about Chinese food. However, most mediocre Chinese food is at least pretty edible. This was honestly the worst I've had, ever. Maybe because it was a Sunday night or not their usual chef...I don't know. This was a Yelp fail. I ordered wonton soup and chicken with broccoli. Fairly simple, straightforward dishes that any Chinese restaurant should be able to make well. Both were bland and tasteless, and the sauce for the chicken with broccoli was thick, slimy, and unnatural. I took a few bites and threw it away. I almost never do that because I hate wasting money. I just couldn't stomach it. Also, I didn't have a paper menu when I ordered, which the girl on the phone knew. Rather than ask me what size items I wanted, she chose the large sizes, thus me being set back $18 for food that ended up in the trash. I probably should have thought to ask so that's mostly on me, but that just added to the overall frustration. There is much, much better Chinese food in the world. Just goes to show, if you want the real deal you have to go to the source. I'll be hoofing it to Chinatown from now on.
(1)
Janet O.
Great food, friendly staff, nice clean & homey environment. Love their lemon chicken!
(5)
Manuel B.
LOTS of GREAT food CHEAP. Large portions, delicious food, great price. Blah blah blah blah blah apparently your review has to be somewhat long but I've already said everything I have to so blah blah blah blah blah....
(5)
Erin S.
I really like Happy Dragon! I've used them for take out and for dining in and both experiences have been positive. Dining in here is a so nice! The inside is pretty small but very welcoming. They are never too busy in the dining area so you get a lot of attention. You get the usual with your meal- tea, noodles and wonton soup. All the food portions are pretty big and reasonably priced. Service has always been top notch. No complaints at all from me. My experiences with take out have also been very good. Food is also prepared quickly and ready by the time I am there. Quality is just as good as eating in. Usually with take out Chinese they just include a fortune cookie but at Happy Dragon they include oolong tea as well. I thought that was pretty cool. Overall my favorite Chinese place in the area.
(4)
Marissa B.
Haven't been here since they were on Oregon, but, I do remember it always being an enjoyable experience from tea time to fortune cookies. Great food. I always thought the zodiac placemats were kind of neat as well.
(5)
YelpHatesMe Y.
Not the best, but not the worst. Had the general Tso's chicken. While its MUCH better than Number 1 China, it still lacks what I consider to be good general Tso's. We had it delivered. Only took 30 minutes. Had the shrimp roll also. Not the best and their duck sauce was horrible. Think I'll be trying a new place next time. It would still work in a pinch though.
To begin, the staff is EXTREMELY friendly and they have good food. You can place your dinner order at noon for a pick up time later in the day without any hassles. I've never sat inside to dine, mainly because I live right around the corner, so I can not rate the dining experience; my review is based off take-out.
(4)
Rob S.
Excellent for take-out Chinese. The person manning the phone was pleasant and intelligible. We made a small order of hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken and Kung Pao shrimp. They were nice enough to make a batch of the soup without pork for my girlfriend. (Or at least they said they did!) We live a little over a mile away and the order took around 45 minutes or so to arrive. I was a bit surprised at the expense as we didn't have a menu prior to ordering. The total was $25 for these three items and many of the platters are upwards of $8-$9. However, they give you a LOT of food for your money. Unlike some "combination platters" at other Chinese places which combine food and rice, they fill the (thankfully reusable or recyclable) plastic containers entirely with food and then give you the rice on the side. So each platter is easily two meals. The soup was very good and the food was tasty. I enjoyed the wide variety of veggies they put in the Kung Pao as well; zucchini, for example. I'd order from here again.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Cait D.
I really love this place. The man who answers the phone has been the same guy for years (likely the owner) and is soooo nice. The food is always ready on time. The meats never have fillers. I have gone to other places where the chicken pieces that are breaded were stuffed with bread! Nothing like that here. Just all white meat pieces. The prices are super cheap too. 1 point down bc the egg roll is underwhelming but I can't seem to bring myself to just skip it. I have never eaten a chinese meal without an egg roll!
(4)Jessie C.
Nothing really positive I could find to say about this place. The food doesn't have much flavor. Don't bother trying to even find vegetarian options. There are maybe 2 in the menu. By far the worst Chinese I have ever eaten in my life. I hate giving bad reviews, but I'm sorry to say that this is definitely a place I would never go again.
(1)Carol C.
Came with a party of 7 people and left full and happy. The ladies here were so friendly and cheerful. We ordered dumplings, 2 meat dishes, jang jjangjjang, and jjangpong, all of which were better than expected. Also, I think they realized the number of dumplings would be really odd for our party of 7, so they made sure to give us 7 pieces so everyone could have a try of their crispy item. Very thoughtful for a place like this.
(4)Jennitare S.
This place is great, very quiet and the scenery is amazing. It's decorated so nicely, great for families with kids or a couple. It's much cleaner than most restaurants around, and not your typical Chinese restaurant. Their food is great. Unlike most restaurants who have some of their food already premade, this Chinese restaurant allows you to customize it. For example, my daughter loves lo mien, but she doesn't eat most of the veggies that are in it. So we asked for pork lo mien with only onions in it, and that's exactly what we got. They also are able to cook the food without any salt or MSG, which my aunt is highly allergic too. She's surprised not most if not all restaurants do that. But as long as you do mention what you want or do not want in the food, they will make it work. The waiters and hosts were very friendly. They did all they can to attend your every need. And at the end of the dinner, we also received some sweet pineapples as dessert and my daughter got a lollipop. This restaurant is highly amazing, too much for words to describe. They deliver, they customize their food, and they're super friendly. Who wouldn't love them? Everybody has their own specific tastes on food, but I for one really recommend this to everyone looking for a quiet and good Asian eatery.
(5)Alana L.
Food was fantastic. Best lo mein I've had in Philly. All food was very good, but we got full very quickly and didn't eat much. Service was very nice, but somewhat strange. We declined extra empty plates multiple times, but then they brought them and left them on our table anyway. Water refills very quickly, but that filled us up really fast. Also eerily quiet. Overall a good experience. Likely to be back.
(4)Mark Chumley S.
Best Chinese Delivery in South Philly... and I've tried quite a few. Steamed Dumplings are amazeballs, with nice thin wrapper. I've only eaten there once, and frankly it was a bit disappointing... and delivery can be as fast as 15 minutes or as slow as an hour - but definitely worth giving them a shot. One hint, if you're ordering for delivery be patient, the guy is a slow talker, right out of a Seinfeld episode, and will repeat every thing you say - and DON'T give him your credit card info or he will repeat it loudly so anyone within ear shot can hear it!
(4)Yinnely D.
Delivery was fast.... 30 mins But the shrimp egg roll had no shrimp in it!! And was burned. The chicken wings and veg fried rice was okay...... Rice tasted weird and burnt. I will not order here again
(1)Molly M.
I don't understand these bad reviews! Happy Dragon is the best! I went to college in center city. I've eaten a lot of Chinese food in Philly and outside of Chinatown, most of it is pretty bad. When I started hanging around South Philly my friend took me to Happy Dragon and I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality. The General Tsos Chicken and Chicken Fried Rice are both very good, highly recommend. Even the egg rolls are better than most. If you go visit the restaurant, the dining room is very clean and pleasant to sit in. The staff is also incredibly nice.
(5)David G.
I like these guys. Everyone who works there is super nice, polite, and efficient. I usually order to pick up since it's just a couple of blocks from me, but I've had it delivered as well. Possibly the best lo-mein in the city. Beef is tender, very flavorful. I also recommend the General Tso. I like mostly all of their food so far. My only negative is that the wonton soup although good has some very doughy wonton, but it's good and has lots of scallions etc in it so I'm not going to stop eating it- it's good! Also I've noticed that two of these negative reviews appear to be from people who live nowhere near here, so I'm wondering if they might have picked the wrong restaurant on yelp when they signed in to pen a review. It's not like it's an original name for a chinese restaurant and being that I lived in Hatboro and have parents who still live there, there is one with that name there. There are like three in the area out there and personally I think they all fall far short. South Philly Happy Dragon, I recommend. For the area it's very good, and the selection is ok, the place is super clean, people very nice. Almost makes me glad that Number 1 China made me sick 3 times.
(5)Brian Y.
Go here every now and then and eat in. Great food and service. Everyone that works there is polite and always make sure that you have everything you need.
(4)Leah F.
Decided to dine in for once at Happy dragon. As a follow up to my last review...yep, still amazing!
(5)Andrea V.
I will admit to being picky about Chinese food. However, most mediocre Chinese food is at least pretty edible. This was honestly the worst I've had, ever. Maybe because it was a Sunday night or not their usual chef...I don't know. This was a Yelp fail. I ordered wonton soup and chicken with broccoli. Fairly simple, straightforward dishes that any Chinese restaurant should be able to make well. Both were bland and tasteless, and the sauce for the chicken with broccoli was thick, slimy, and unnatural. I took a few bites and threw it away. I almost never do that because I hate wasting money. I just couldn't stomach it. Also, I didn't have a paper menu when I ordered, which the girl on the phone knew. Rather than ask me what size items I wanted, she chose the large sizes, thus me being set back $18 for food that ended up in the trash. I probably should have thought to ask so that's mostly on me, but that just added to the overall frustration. There is much, much better Chinese food in the world. Just goes to show, if you want the real deal you have to go to the source. I'll be hoofing it to Chinatown from now on.
(1)Janet O.
Great food, friendly staff, nice clean & homey environment. Love their lemon chicken!
(5)Manuel B.
LOTS of GREAT food CHEAP. Large portions, delicious food, great price. Blah blah blah blah blah apparently your review has to be somewhat long but I've already said everything I have to so blah blah blah blah blah....
(5)Erin S.
I really like Happy Dragon! I've used them for take out and for dining in and both experiences have been positive. Dining in here is a so nice! The inside is pretty small but very welcoming. They are never too busy in the dining area so you get a lot of attention. You get the usual with your meal- tea, noodles and wonton soup. All the food portions are pretty big and reasonably priced. Service has always been top notch. No complaints at all from me. My experiences with take out have also been very good. Food is also prepared quickly and ready by the time I am there. Quality is just as good as eating in. Usually with take out Chinese they just include a fortune cookie but at Happy Dragon they include oolong tea as well. I thought that was pretty cool. Overall my favorite Chinese place in the area.
(4)Marissa B.
Haven't been here since they were on Oregon, but, I do remember it always being an enjoyable experience from tea time to fortune cookies. Great food. I always thought the zodiac placemats were kind of neat as well.
(5)YelpHatesMe Y.
Not the best, but not the worst. Had the general Tso's chicken. While its MUCH better than Number 1 China, it still lacks what I consider to be good general Tso's. We had it delivered. Only took 30 minutes. Had the shrimp roll also. Not the best and their duck sauce was horrible. Think I'll be trying a new place next time. It would still work in a pinch though.
(3)Christopher B.
Our rather sizable order took about 45 minutes to arrive (3 soups, 2 entrées, fried rice and an appetizer) (for reference, I live about a mile away and delivery came by car). All dishes were steaming hot. Though the scallion pancake (2.95) was perhaps a little thick, the dipping sauce was pleasantly unique, not your basic soy with a splash of ginger. The hot and sour soup (4.10) was judged to be "pretty good; not the best I've had but far from the worst. I'd put it in the top half of Chinese soups I've had" My wonton soup (3.50) was laden with doughy wontons. The broth was clear (not fatty), but far from flavorless. I would order again, but tell them to go light on the wontons. Pork Fried Rice (6.50) was surprisingly good. General Tso Tofu (7.50) was quite good. Nice thick chunks properly sauteed and a hot but sweet sauce. Hunan Pork (listed on Web site, not on menu) - was really more like a curried pork but nonetheless quite tasty. My order was placed based on reviews here, and though I only had this menu to go by ( happydragon.us/Menu.html ) the folks there were courteous and helpful in helping me to navigate the menu blind. When I got their menu, I noted a lunch special (11am-3pm for 5.75) that offered several entrées with soup, pork fried rice and egg roll. Definitely worth a try.
(4)Raymond H.
To begin, the staff is EXTREMELY friendly and they have good food. You can place your dinner order at noon for a pick up time later in the day without any hassles. I've never sat inside to dine, mainly because I live right around the corner, so I can not rate the dining experience; my review is based off take-out.
(4)Rob S.
Excellent for take-out Chinese. The person manning the phone was pleasant and intelligible. We made a small order of hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken and Kung Pao shrimp. They were nice enough to make a batch of the soup without pork for my girlfriend. (Or at least they said they did!) We live a little over a mile away and the order took around 45 minutes or so to arrive. I was a bit surprised at the expense as we didn't have a menu prior to ordering. The total was $25 for these three items and many of the platters are upwards of $8-$9. However, they give you a LOT of food for your money. Unlike some "combination platters" at other Chinese places which combine food and rice, they fill the (thankfully reusable or recyclable) plastic containers entirely with food and then give you the rice on the side. So each platter is easily two meals. The soup was very good and the food was tasty. I enjoyed the wide variety of veggies they put in the Kung Pao as well; zucchini, for example. I'd order from here again.
(4)