Golden City
5518 20th Ave NW, Seattle, WA, 98107
Golden City Menu
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Address :
5518 20th Ave NW
Seattle, WA, 98107 - Phone (206) 782-6809
- Website https://goldencity-seattle.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
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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Ryan G.
I feel like I should be leaving two reviews for Golden City. One that talks about how quick the delivery is, how slightly better than mediocre the food is, and how reasonably priced said delivery costs. And another totally different review about the bar. Let it be known. The bar and the restaurant are is as different as night and day, and are decent for their respective offerings. Let's talk about the bar for a second. The first thing you need to know, is that everytime I've been to the bar, a deaf-mute man has come in, sat next to me, put his head under the table, looked at my crotch and smiled. The first time it was unsettling, the second time it was amusing, and now it's expected. If I go to Golden City, I expect my crotch to be fully inspected. All in all, drinks are strong, food is tasty, and it's cheap. Not a bad deal.
(4)Keomarie H.
On the Pub Crawl list of bars this was by far teh best Dive bar we landed in. The Bar was small enough that when we walked in it felt like the party preceded us - so very good energy I must say. But the decor. A wall to wall painting of the Classic Musical "Showboat" theat made "Old Man River" so very famous - if you do not know this song, please do not admitt it. If you got drunk enough the picture of the river was was large enough to make you seasick! It was fantastic! My one regret in this place was Xav was whipping off her coat to teach us all a nifty dance step to the song that was on and the song ended - so we missed the step. Way big bummer! As dive goes - Great!
(4)Adam Y.
Not a huge fan, and I love "American" Chinese food. To their credit there was actual lemon in my wife's lemon chicken and orange peel, in my orange peel chicken, but both were over-fried. Mine was nearly petrified. The fried rice clearly came from a burnt batch. The rice itself looked fine but you could taste the carbon from whatever part of the batch went wrong. Service was friendly and quick, just not a great product.
(1)X X.
Dear Golden City, Why must you torture me with your delivery radius? You'll come all the way out to Magnolia just to bring me bad Chinese food. I'm pretty sure you only make about 3 different items and just name them different things on the menu. How many variations of deep fried chicken bits with miscellaneous sauce have you brought to me over the past year? How much sliced garlic can you put into each dish? And for the love of God, how is it with all the bad entrees you can actually make a tasty Hot and Sour soup?
(2)Katie S.
Pretty decent delivery. Fast, too. Honey walnut prawns: Pretty decent. Black bean chicken: Awesome. Tons of veggies, and you can seriously get four servings out of it. Mongolian chicken: Blech. Swimming in sauce, like soup. Deesgusting. The free 'noodles' that come with our big order when our friends are here: Wretched. Overall: 50% great, 50% gross. Considering the Chinese food 'choices' in Ballard....that's not too bad.
(3)John M.
No frills American Chinese food. Big portions and cheap prices. Orange peel chicken is solid if not good for you. If you got the jones for the American Chinese will fit the bill. Interior is straight out of the 70s so get ready for a blast from the past.
(4)Erica B.
For a long time, this was my go-to Chinese place. They deliver, they're cheap, and the food is pretty darn good. This is definitely not the case anymore. My husband and I had two bad experiences with them and finally had to cross them off our list. First, before we moved in to our current home, we used to live at a house with the address "7." That was always confusing for delivery people because they thought we either were idiots who didn't know the rest of the numbers in our address (example: 7123 Smith Street) or we lived in apartment number 7 and weren't giving them the building address. When I called for delivery, the person I spoke with could barely speak English and shouted at me "NUMBER?! NUMBER?! NO! NUMBER?!" after I recited my address. I tried to explain that that was the whole address and yet all she could do was shout in my ear. She ended up hanging up on me. Second, after moving and getting an address that would be no problem for them to understand, we decided to give them another try. The first few times, we had no problems and we thought that the bad experience in our old place was a fluke. The food was great. That was until one day when I ordered two meals at lunchtime for delivery and they got pretty much everything wrong. My husband is allergic to tomatoes and I specified over the phone beforehand that nothing could have tomatoes on it. There was no reason to do that because the egg flower soup usually only comes with carrots in it and nothing else we ordered would have them, but I said it all the same. We also ordered steamed rice instead of brown. When it came a little while later, one of the entrees was completely wrong, both meals came with brown rice, the contents were spilling into the bag, and the soup was laced with tomatoes. Not only that, but the tomatoes were spotted with black mold in places! I am not a confrontational person by nature and would usually let a mistake or two fly, but this was too much. When I called and explained the situation, I was greeted by a rude man who yelled at me half in English and half in Chinese and said they refused to come back with the proper meal. He said that we would just have to "deal with it." I asked to speak to the manager and got a lady who was considerably kinder and more well-spoken, but refused to correct their mistake just the same. I couldn't believe that I had shelled out money for a dinner that I didn't want and my husband considered largely inedible. I will not be going back to this place again or ordering in from them. It's just not worth the poor customer service I experienced. I would much rather go to Magic Dragon in Ballard for some cheap Chinese food because they're at least polite 100% of the time.
(2)Melissa H.
I laugh thinking of the City..Love it! Here's the thing- this place is not for beginners & it should not be reviewed based upon food. It's a dive but that doesn't make it any less great . My first encounter with the City was when I ordered some take out, was waiting in the restaurant to pick it up, and as I waited, a bartendress stuck her out from behind the Red Door & hollered "We're out of forks!" You could hear the drunken angry shouts from the bar. I was terrified. Finally, one drunken night after watching the Seahawks lose, I decided to wander in with my bf (it was the only time I would have the balls to do it). The only other time he'd been there, his friend got sucker punched for reasons still unclear (lmao). So glad I bucked up and went. The drinks are stiff & strong & the food hits the spot every time & the clientele...extremely fascinating! One of my favorite dives.
(5)Laura L.
My first experience at Golden City was just a couple weeks ago. I found the hot and sour soup to be excellent, and the orange chicken and Mongolian beef to be completely within cheap-cracky Chinese standards. My husband was less than impressed, however. For Christmas Eve, we decided to try it again, this time carry out. The hot and sour soup was good, if not a bit more spicy than before. The sweet and sour chicken, though, was completely disappointing. All it was was fried bits of chicken (which wasn't too bad, if a bit dry), but the sauce was only a vat of sweet and sour sauce heated. No vegetables, nothing. My husband assured me that sometimes, this is all you get, but never in my life have I had sweet and sour chicken without so much as carrots or pineapple. It was like chicken nuggets and dipping sauce. The pork lo mein was equally disappointing, though filled with vegetables. The meat was rubbery and dry, huge slabs of bbq pork. The noodles were school cafeteria quality speghetti. The sauce was lackluster, and finally, the vegetables were the only thing palatable. I will not be going here again, except for the hot and sour soup. It's a stones throw from my house, so has a convenience factor in bad weather, but overall, really, really not worth it.
(1)susanna g.
Wow, this place is ... something else.
(3)erik b.
i have ordered from golden city consistently for a few years now. the food is good, but standard fare. what keeps me coming back is the constant level of amazing customer service, hot, well-portioned food, price and location. golden city is a great place. if you happen to be pretentious or have a first-hand knowledge of authentic chinese cuisine, this might not be what you're looking for. for the vast majority remaining - as i said before: the food is standard fare. these guys are fast, friendly, and the food is good, hot, and doesn't leave you hungry(never mind the jokes). golden city will always treat you right - as long as you know what to expect. i say - thank you golden city for always being nice, fast, and delicious. you guys are awesome!
(4)warren c.
Holy God, I didn't think places like this still existed in America. Tijuana, maybe, but not Ballard, U.S.A. I'm pretty sure I saw a crack deal go down near the ping pong tables which then filtered onto the sidewalk. The super pregnant bartnder didn't seem to mind, nor did the other regulars who looked like something out of a Bukowski poem. The drinks all tasted like they were made with Monarch vodka, or piss, neither of which would surprise me considering how f'ing divey this place was. I didn't try the food, as I wasn't in the mood for a severe G.I. bleed.
(1)G R.
Yes! What a great dive bar. Strong drinks, random drunkards. Good times. Stop in just to check out their mural. I'll stumble in & out of this place a few more times.
(3)Liz G.
Still on the search for great Chinese delivery. Order came promptly, but the food left something to be desired. Most of the food was "OK" (fried rice, chicken chow mein, almond chicken). The Mongolian beef tasted of smoke, as if sitting in a pot with other burnt food. The egg rolls were OK. Reasonable price.
(3)Brenna F.
Once order delivery from here. Food ordered was Kung Pao Chicken, pot stickers, fried rice, sweet and sour pork. Didn't know that white rice doesn't automatically come with the entrees. Got the food quickly. But, the food was mediocre at best. I'm not sure if what I was eating was really chicken. The pot stickers were homemade (+) but they lacked proper seasoning (- - ). My friend was also not that impressed with his dish, either. I felt a little sick after the meal (food poisoning?). My fiance, who ate some of the leftovers, also reported that he felt a little off after eating the food. If you are looking for delivery, I recommend Genghis Khan Restaurant over Golden City. The food is simply better and they don't skimp on veggies like Golden City appears to.
(2)Karli F.
This place is yummy!! just a little whole in the wall place off the beaten path, but they have the best chinese food i have found in the city. Greast prices and the staff is so friendly!! it is also attached to a dive bar with get this....ping pong. Food served late in the bar half which is an added bonus. They deliver in a very timely manner with no delivery charge!!
(4)jennifer m.
this is the kind of windowless dive bar that can be a down-homey, unpretentious, good time if your not easily depressed or worried about cooties. i've never set foot in the restaurant. but the bar is dirty and packed with full-time, friendly alcoholics that have been drinking together in this very bar since the 80's. honestly, it's just what i'm lookin for when the more polished clientele of bourgeois ballard takes over the bars around the corner.
(4)Neil K.
- Best Chinese food in Ballard - Most unappreciated restaurant in Ballard - Do not go into the bar area Food: 8/10 - They have crab cheese wontons, which I love. - The portions are HUGE (2-3 meals worth of leftovers from the family style) - The sauce on t
(4)Laura P.
I cannot tell a lie, when I am in the mood for Chinese I can't help but go and get an order of the General Tso's. Get it stir fried, not deep friend and take it home to eat it in shameful happiness. Sometimes you just need a little Chinese-American fix.
(4)Brenton C.
I went in at lunch and ordered the sweet and sour pork lunch special. The service was quick, the atmosphere pleasantly worn. The hot and sour soup was quite good, and the sweet and sour pork was on par with others I've had. My main complaint is that the food in general was a bit too simple. The fried rice that came with the special was just rice with a bit of egg - no veggies whatsoever. And most good sweet and sour comes with a little pineapple and bell pepper in it, which was also lacking. For the price it was decent, though - filling, tasty, and fast.
(3)Doug C.
Considering the dearth of quality Chinese restaurants in Ballard, Golden City is sitting pretty. The prices are low, the quantity is impressive and quality is reasonable. The description by Chloe H. is still apt. I get take-out here every couple of weeks and no matter what the day or time there are always people hanging out near the front. They seem to be idling and staring vacantly across the street. Perhaps the parking lot is secretly mesmerizing...
(3)Laural B.
Well, I've had better, but as Chinese delivery options in Ballard go, you could have nothing. The number of specials are staggering, and the amount of food contained therein is amazing. I have to admit this is probably some of the best hot and sour soup I've had, too. Apparently they are recently under new management, which explains the improvement.
(3)patricia r.
This is one of the gems that I have never ever been to and I have lived in Seattle all my life (1000's of years). The place has character, it is one of the few places left that resembles the REAL Ballard that I knew and loved. I had I good time there, everyone was really friendly, the service was great. Know the food...I ordered this combo that actually had honey walnut prawns and almond chicken which are my two favs. Most places with the combos will not let substitution and they do so I love that. The hot and sour soup was a cup of yum, the pork lo mein was insane good, loaded with pork and veggies with a garlic type sauce and the pork was very tender. The almond chicken and honey walnut prawns knocked my socks off. The give enough food to serve a small army and for a hell of a price. Yes this place is my go to when I crave American Chinese and that is alot. I also like that they deliver in my area as well.
(5)Randi S.
BOO. This place sucks to me because every time I called for hangover delivery they kept telling me to call back an hour later and sounded like they just absolutely did not want to help me. Make up your minds and don't toy with my heart! I took my business to szechuan bean flower instead and was NOT disappointed.
(1)Eric H.
It's so close to my apartment, I had hoped for better. But I'm pretty sure the chow mein was made with spaghetti noodles. Enough said.
(1)Jules P.
The best Chinese restaurant in Ballard. Hands down!!! Who needs Bal Mar or The Matador when you got Golden City. The night life is always kracken with good music and lively people. But the best time of the day is in the morning, that's when all the fisherman head over to GC to get their drink on after early morning fishing. As for the food: I've only had it when I was extremely inebriated. But I do recall my friends and I had their family menu, which includes soup, appetizers and a variety of main dishes including fried rice, all for less than 10 bucks each. I would recommend the Honey Walnut prawns.
(5)Glen B.
I've not had the food. I've been to the bar. First off, the pseudo-racist painting is weird, and the bathrooms are gross, and the doors open. The clientele is a group of regulars that have been there for years and if you're not one of them, you don't feel welcome. The looks over all are dirty and depressing. But it is a good place to hide out, has a nice jukebox, and pours a very stiff drink, so I can't give it a one. Plus I'd have to have the food to do that...
(2)Joey K.
great food, great delivery time, but dont go to the bar if you wanna eat there again cause the ombience makes you sick.
(4)Amber W.
Go in here to eat. There are always plenty of empty tables and the main waitress is so sweet and cheerful. The food is tasty and fast. Try the Honey Walnut Prawns and Vegetable Chicken combo-- my favorite. The music is pretty annoying but I love this place. Even though I moved away from Ballard I still drive back over to go to Golden City. Sometimes my boyfriend and I go here and get the family meal (that comes with like 6 courses) and take home 3 big boxes of food and eat for a week-- it costs about $30.
(5)Enriquito A.
Ahhh, the "Golden Shitty". I truly have no idea how to rate this place. One star for the sketchy, grease laden swill that passes for "food" at this establishment. And yet, five stars for what may quite possibly be the most perfect jewel of a dive bar that this rapidly yuppifying burg has to offer. The drinks are cheap and stiff, and the lounge area doubles as an exhibit in living history - from the thoroughly pickled regular crowd of septuagenarian alkies, to the startling and creepy wall-painted panorama of plantation life in the antebellum South. (Yes, this bar was actually called "The Plantation" in a former life.) Hell, even the food here ain't that bad after a night of hard partying with the Golden C's resident high rollers. Experience it while you can, since with the daily encroachment of the "new Ballard", the GC's days are surely numbered.
(3)Amber C.
We LOVE having Chinese food delivered. The portions are absolutely amazing. And as a previous poster stated - DELICIOUS hot and sour soup (more hot than sour!). We love the broccoli, mushroom and snow pea stir fry. Delish! And the delivery - they are always here amazingly fast.
(4)Patrick M.
If you ever wonder what the culmination of a life of excessive drinking looks like, check out the lounge at the Golden City. It's where aging booze hounds go to die. The highlight of the place is a mildly racist, completely creepy mural of a riverboat scene ala Huck Finn. This odd decorative feature is an (albeit uneasy) distraction from the incoherent ramblings of the bar's pickled regulars. The last time I was there someone stumbled over to our table and sang to us every 5th word of an Al Green song. I'd have suggested the crooner not quit his day job but I'm certain he hadn't had one in decades.
(1)Ballard G.
Let's admit it. We're in Ballard and we don't have a great selection of Chinese food. If you want something fancy and cutting edge, don't go here. But, if you want good, consistent "comfort food" type Chinese then this is the place to go. The individual combos are great. In addition to a huge entree portion you also get a nice serving of soup, (best and hottest hot and sour soup I have ever had), a yummy egg roll, rice and BBQ pork. I've only ever had takeout, so can't comment on eating at the restaurant. So good!
(4)Chloe H.
In a word: "EWWWWWW!" Bad greasy Chinese food with a creepy lounge decor and shady bar...not to mention the scary/odd folks who hang around outside waiting for a bus that never seems to arrive...
(1)Allison S.
I love the bar. There, I said it. Yes, it smells like a frat house on a Sunday morning. Yes, you will at some point find yourself mesmerized, confused and possibly freaked out by the wall sized murals depicting oldy-timey riverboat life on the Mississippi. And yes, pretty much all the seating in the joint is being held together with duct tape. That being said, however, it is a great place to listen to some rockin' 70's classic rock and drink cheap beer. The first time I ever came here, we showed at 1:15 am and the bar was closing early due to no customers. The bartender took pity on us and reopened, just so 4 people could continue to drink that night for a little while longer. Awesome. Every time I've gone back there, the service has been friendly, down to earth, and a very refreshing change of pace from the ultra-hip Ballard watering holes down the street. This place is truly a dive, but in the best, lovable sense of the word.
(4)Alexander C.
A good option for exactly what you would expect level of chinese takeout. Delivery and pickup have always been spot on with timing.
(5)Alex H.
DO NOT EAT HERE. Ordered on grubhub, where they posted an incorrect menu. They called us dozens of minutes later when they realized they falsely advertised with said incorrect menu, and then couldn't understand us when we gave a new order. The eventual delivery was late and unappetizing, not to mention they had the audacity to charge us an extra 2 dollars. They should have paid us for the horrible experience we had with their "business". I'd give zero stars if I could. .
(1)Molly O.
I was very skeptical of this divey Chinese place near us. How could it be good? But my friend in Magnolia was a regular delivery customer & got me to try it -- now it's our go-to place for Chinese delivery. I ordered from them for many years on the phone, and now use Eat24, and both have been terrific, delivery is fast and always accurate. The food is mostly good and occasionally great. The salt & pepper squid is terrific! Chinese broccoli and Singapore rice noodles are other favorites. For some more Americanized dishes they're just basic -- I'm not crazy about their General Tso's, and the fried rice is OK but nothing special. But if you know what to order, it can be really good. I agree with the other poster who says it's the best Chinese in Ballard -- we don't have many options here, but Golden City is surprisingly respectable.
(4)Lindsey G.
Best chinese in Ballard. First time using Eat24 and that was one of the best take out expiriences I've ever had. Who wants to talk to a human ;)
(5)Lucy D.
Extremely greasy entress - mongolian beef and mushroonm chicken. Decent hot adn sour soup.
(2)Marisa K.
Terrible... run far from this place. We ordered via Eat 24 and the food arrived dry as hell and took almost twice as long as they estimated. The people who work here are incompetent. Sure makes me miss Moon Temple. To make matters even worse it made my husband puke. Never again!!!
(1)Karen L.
This place is so divey, which my coworkers love. To each their own, I guess, haha. The food is not the best, but they have super cheap drinks. Not the place to find fancy cocktails, but great if you're looking for cheap and strong drinks.
(3)Brad H.
My 2nd visit sure did not disappoint. Likely one of the best lunch values in the Ballard/ Market Street area, the lunch special is a fantastic value for $6.50. You receive a generous portion of your entree (mine was sweet and sour chicken), a nice amount of fried rice, large cup of soup, a wonton and a cookie. The food could not have been any more fresh and was bursting with flavor. The chicken had just the right amount of breading and was very large pieces. This is by far some of the best chinese food I have had. The service is also very friendly and it is clear the staff and owners care a lot about Golden City. Highly recommend.
(5)Katie H.
Yum! Ordered the general tso chicken, white rice & crab rangoon and I was not disappointed. Definitely enough for two people, great quality sauce and quick delivery. I'm a big fan of Chinese food and this is definitely my new go to!
(5)Rusty M.
I'm giving this 4 stars for what it is...the perfect American Chinese type of food. Generous portions, tasty, etc. I recommend their Hot 'n Sour Soup, Mongolian Beef, and Pot Stickers. I order delivery from these guys about every other month. The best food in this category in the Ballard/Green Lake area. The only with better American style Chinese food is "Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon". That is in Maple Leaf, and worth the drive. I would also recommend "Louie's" in Ballard, but that closed down late last year.
(4)Jacque C.
We're still in mourning over the closure of Louie's on 15th, which was solid and consistently fresh. In searching for a replacement, we decided to try Golden City--based on the average of 3.5 stars on Yelp. The prices were cheap, portions were huge and the service was polite, fast and professional. We ordered the family combo and ended up with three full entrees we had to box up to take home. The problem was, we didn't want to. The fried rice was mediocre. The almond chicken was swimming in a sauce that couldn't mask the taste of the frying oil used to cook the heavy breaded coating. The Mongolian beef was tender but overloaded in onion. The chicken lo mein was overwhelmed by a soy taste, which seemed to be repeated in most if the dishes. Our server was nice and I felt sorry for her that we were her only customers at 7 pm on a Monday night. The place needs a good cleaning as well. I feel bad giving such a low review, but future diners should be aware. Save your money. While not Chinese, we should have punted and gone to Thai Siam on 15th instead where we know we'll have a great meal.
(1)Jane S.
Really bad potstickers and lo mein. The egg flower soup was good though.
(2)Chelsea M.
Standard issue American Chinese food. Great price and generous portions. It's been totally empty on the restaurant side both times I went in. I've tried their Mongolian beef and garlic chicken combos. Both were good and loaded with fresh garlic and onion. I had the hot and sour soup both times. The first time was a bit funky. It seemed like someone didn't stir the corn starch in all the way so there were gooey clumps. The second time was wonderful. Great texture and strong flavor. The fried rice is a bit disappointing. No veg or real flavor. Just rice with some soy sauce and egg. Overall, it hits the spot.
(4)Sam L.
I love the food here. Every time we order it's great and it's consistently so. The only issue I have is the outrageous delivery time. I'm not sure why my experience is different from everyone else's here, but I've never gotten my food faster than 1 hour when I order delivery at 4pm on a Sunday. What's prompted me to write this review is the fact that I've been waiting for an hour and a half and am still waiting for my delivery to arrive. Please tell me your delivery ordering secrets Yelp!
(3)S M.
I love this place. Granted I have never dined-in and have always ordered delivery, but they are 100% consistent. The food is always hot, tasty and delivered super fast. I would probably give them 5 stars but since they took Pho off their menu it's a strong 4. But please, put Pho back on your menu! You were the only ones who delivered that amazing, mouth-watering bowl of deliciousness. Pretty please?!
(4)Laura M.
I've been going here for a long time and love it. It's not quite a 5 star because I'm not amazed every time I go there, but it's definitely what I frequently crave. On a sick day, I like the egg drop soup. On normal days, I like the egg drop soup. Whenever I go there I typically order the orange peel chicken or the almond fried chicken. The negative reviews on here are not accurately judged - rather a matter of taste.. Or a little sassy, hah! Their service has always been quick for me, food always tasty (fried rice is okay) and they're always kind and funny. If you're wanting panda express or something of the like.... Just stop and come here instead. Much better.
(4)Opal D.
We had delivery from Golden City. The food was only OK and took much longer to arrive than expected. Their employee who was delivering the food could not figure out how to use the building call box (pretty standard stuff).
(2)Kim M.
Just ordered some food for delivery from Eat24--I just moved from Capitol Hill to Greenlake, and needed a new delivery Chinese place, so I found this place. It is MUCH better than the place I used to order from. I got some crab cheese wontons, egg rolls, and orange peel chicken. All were lovely. I ordered the orange peel chicken at a mild spiciness level--and it was just the right amount of orange with a hint of spice. I'm a bit of a pansy. The delivery guy was courteous and personable, and came about 35 minutes after submitting my order. The only real downfall to this place is the fact that there's a $20 delivery minimum. (But free delivery after that.)
(4)Clara L.
Crab Wontons. Crab Rangoons. Cheese Wontons. Whatever you call them. I've been looking for crab wontons like these since I moved here a year ago. They are sizeable, crunchy, and the filling is perfect, unlike the wafer-thin, delicate wontons that most other restaurants serve. And you get 8 of them for $5! I used their online ordering service and picked up in person, and they were very courteous and friendly.
(5)Cecilia V.
Best Chinese delivery to the Wallingford area we have found on eat24 & I'm pretty sure we've tried like 4 or 5 other places. Family dinner option with mongolian chicken, black bean beef, & honey walnut prawns (we were thrilled to find these in a dinner combo too !) were huge portions for the price and all pretty good. Really liked the thin slices of garlic in the chicken. Everything was nice and hot because the delivery guy had it in a cooler, smart! No weird meat bits and all was tender. Sure some things were a little bit greasy. But not even anywhere near the point of nastiness like some other places we've tried. It's. Delivery. Chinese... What do you expect, honestly... We will definitely order again and give other things a try next time we feel lazy and crave Chinese.
(4)David N.
Great food for deals. I only come for the lunch menu. They only charge under $8 for a lunch box filled with food. You can't beat lunch for $8! Rice/ fried rice is mediocre.
(4)Sarah L.
I picked up my food and my rice had some sauce on it, I assume it was previously used for other meals. My orange chicken was obviously microwaved to heat it back up, and tough to chew by the time I went to eat it- almost as if someone put it in the microwave for too long. I am disappointed as I have eaten here previously and had an ok experience with their takeout
(1)Chris D.
I am a Chinese food addict, which is strange given I was raised in an Italian family where Chinese was something we did maybe twice a year. If I go much more than a few weeks without having it, I become very, very unhappy with my surroundings. So having said that, imagine the desire... nay, need... to find my "go to" Chinese restaurant after moving to Seattle. Golden City is not that place. The food was overly greasy (I actually prefer it to have *some* grease) and each dish was a slightly different shade of the same color. It seemed like all the ingredients were just a bit past their prime; something confirmed when I uncovered the dish after one night the in the fridge ( yelp.com/biz_photos/Q_Aw… ). Maybe it's just me, but I prefer my food not end up as a brown, muddled mass of mush 24 hours after cooking. Blech.
(2)Charlotte M.
Had the broccoli snow peas and mushrooms , requested that the Vegetables be a little spicy.season to perfection
(4)Courtenay A.
Tasty food, friendly staff, and the fastest delivery service I've ever had (seriously - 21 minutes from order to my door on a Saturday night). Some dishes could use a touch more flavor, but I like that the items are not overly greasy. We've done both dine in and delivery with Golden City, and all of our experiences have been positive. As long as we're living in the area, this is where we'll be getting our Chinese food.
(4)Lauren D.
If you like a good dive bar, this is your place. Beer and a whiskey shot for $6. Juke box. Pool tables. Excellent divey ambiance. Love it!
(5)Krystin T.
I have no idea when or why the concept of "half dive bar half Chinese restaurant" became a thing, but I think I like it. At least, I love dive bars and hey, why not throw in some Chinese, right? My boyfriend and I came here recently with another couple after we all had dinner. The girl in the couple suggested it because she'd apparently been there before. Always down for a dive-y adventure, we were all over it. It's the kind of place that looks like it would be cash-only, but thank goodness it wasn't. There are weird pinball games from the 80s. There's a broken ATM, a few pool tables, and a juke box. Really - what more do you need?! Well, I needed some Shock Top and it was not meant to be. The tap ran out or something right when the bartender tried to serve us our drinks, and she suggested an IPA which is against everything I believe in, so I settled on a Bud Light tallboy while everyone else drank the IPA. And then we played pool, which I actually didn't lose for once. Maybe this place is magical.
(3)Carol H.
They have a new bartender, Dion. ordered a White Russian, she makes the drink then picks up the straw with her grubby little finger that makes change, holds the straw by the part that you put in your mouth. She then proceeds to STIR UP the White Russian and it now looks like a glass of milk. Where the heck did she ever learn to tend bar. You do not mix up White Russians and you do not manhandle the part of the straw the customer puts in their mouth. YETCH I went over and got a new straw.
(2)Zelda E.
Delivery took around 25 minutes from online order placement to my front door!! Singapore noodles, Kung pow chicken, egg roll, hot & sour soup, pot stickers. Everything was excellent. Coming from the Midwest I'm used to disappointing Chinese, so maybe I'm easy to please - but everything was hot (it was delivered to my door in a cooler!) and the egg roll had that crispy just-out-of-the-frier crispy shell. Also, I'm pretty sure the pot stickers were made in-house, the dough was pretty irregular and thick. This alone makes me love this place! So to sum up: cheap, quick, and delicious!
(5)Tom B.
Pretty much a classic no-effort dive in every way, right down to the eccentric barflys and the occasional odd groups of locals trying to dodge the crowds at the big over-popular watering holes nearby. What sets this place apart, and which earns it all two of the stars, is the game room. Two pool tables, ping-pong, Cruisin' USA, and two classic 80s pinball machines--Terminator 2 and Cyclone. This is an easy place to come drink cheap liquor and burn through quarters. No complaints. But don't bother if the games don't matter to you.
(2)Ian A.
This place is actually worth going to the food is good and big portions. Emphasis on big portions! Be careful how you act around the owners they are very much like that old episode of Almost Live with Billy "be like Billy, behave yourself." It is pretty fun and if I still lived in the area I would eat breakfast there. Sometimes a big plate of Chinese noodles and vegetarian is real great first thing in the morning.
(4)Chandra H.
I ordered delivery. I was impressed by the delivery time that was pretty much it on the impressed scale. The Crab Cheese Wontons don't appear to actually contain crab or krab. It's really a tiny bit of cream cheese and the remaining fried wonton. They were A-OK better than some others in Seattle. The Chicken Drumsticks were simply fried chicken drummettes in miniature form. They were okay as well although there were a couple of "legs" made of white meat which made me a little nervous being that legs are traditionally dark meat. Weird. I ordered two LARGE pho tais. We only received one Styrofoam container with broth that was heavy with sweet spices such as ginger, cardamon and cinnamon and a second container with pre-cooked beed (Tai is supposed to infer that it's rare, alas it was not) and enough noodles for one bowl. It was pretty disappointing to have paid for two bowls and received one. The fried rice was possibly the worst fried rice I've had to date. (This being said by someone who's eaten at a Chinese Buffet in the Bryan, TX). It was the BBQ Pork Fried Rice and it was questionable. There were multiple colors going on in the rice, some of it was dark soy brown while other pieces were still jasmine white. Even with that the rice still lacked any flavor and strangely needed soy sauce. The pork could be divided into two categories, squishy yellow pieces of fat and bone dry pieces of pork all of which were only about 3mm in length and height. There was limited if any oil on the rice which is weird because the whole thing with fried rice is that it's day old jasmine cooked in oil with egg, carrots, peas and meat. Even with all of the weird textures it was considerably bland and mostly just awful. Great job on delivery though! The driver was even friendly. Not sure that I'd order from here again though unless they worked on their menu. Also, fairly prices all things considered. For the order with the missing soup it was over $40 which I found disappointing.
(2)Jessica M.
NEVER AGAIN!! My coworkers had warned me against eating here but I did it anyways. The egg drop soup was good but my garlic chicken wasn't. First of all it didn't taste like garlic at all and the chicken was really fatty and tough to chew. Gross! And to top it all off there was hair in my rice. I'm so grossed out I do not recommend this place to anyone. You'd be much better off going to Safeway to get Chinese food from their deli. Gross!
(1)Debbie L.
We've been ordering from here for several years. It's a quick delivery and the food is always hot. Favorites are Chicken & Broccoli, Honey Walnut Prawns and the Fire Plate! Portions are large and give us a few lunches too! It's the best Chinese food for delivery we've found.
(4)Erin M.
This was one of the most disappointing Chinese deliveries we've ever had. The sweet and sour chicken was just small dry bits of over fried chicken with no veggies or rice. The dumplings were just as dry and overcooked and the fried rice was flavorless except for the shrimp that tasted fishy and bad. And to top it all off there was a long dark hair in the rice. We will never order from them again.
(1)Page T.
I got food delivered from them, took a solid hour (not terrible but longer than they estimated). By the time it arrived everything was luke-warm at best and the kung-pao chicken sauce was wayy too sweet. BBQ pork was straight up cold. I was really hoping to like this place but it was just disappointing. Maybe eating in the actual restaurant would be better but I probably won't attempt it.
(1)Nadia A.
Golden City has got a nickname amongst my buddies. What rhymes with city.. Found hair in my food 3 times. That can't be good. I'll pass
(2)Mallory M.
I had Golden City for the first time today, and I must say I was so surprised at how delicious it was. I was greated by a friendly woman who filled me up on cold ice water and warm tea. I saw the early lunch menu and decided to go for the General Tso Chicken (deep fried) While I waited my waitress refilled my water several times which was nice becuase I usually gulp the water down quickly. I was served a heaping amount of crisp chicken with the perfect amount of sauce and my favorite garlic slivers scattered throughout. I love to SEE and taste my food :) I will be back for sure, the place is very clean and tidy and the service is great! The prices are also wonderful considering the amount of food you get, I had to take most of it home!
(4)Robby S.
Great lunch special. The General Tao chicken was not skimpy and the service was quick and courteous. I especially love the Koi and the NPR classical music
(5)Brian C.
Not sure why my last review was deleted. Seems like yelp doesn't like negative reviews. Anwhoooo... two motherfuckers were fighting in the street when we got to this place. There was also a guy sleeping/planking in the snow. The place was a dump but the bartender was nice. Some guy was screaming at his girlfriend "YOU'RE NOT MY GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE" over and over and over. They have a Terminator 2 pinball machine that's in really great shape except the left flipper sticks a little bit. They also have Cyclone. I recommend this place for the pinball but only if you can concentrate while the local lowlifes/homeless people fight and yell at other patrons.
(2)E M.
I probably eat here at least once a week. The combination fried rice is out of this world, I absolutely love it. It's a ton of rice so plenty to share, and pair it up with an order of egg rolls and it's on! The service is fast and friendly, the place is clean but I usually do take out for the sake of time. Never ventured over into the bar side but it seems cool... overall one of my favorites besides Chef Liao just because the prices are bomb and the rice is some of the best I've ever had.
(5)Benjamin G.
Okay, here we go. Three stars for the deal. As is the case with most chinese food, they give you a good portion for the price. I nabbed the mongolion beef combo here and found it in plentiful quantities. What you get is straight middle of the road. Starting with the sides, the egg roll was fine, though wish it had been a tad fresher. The flavour was solid though. The bbq pork was pretty much cold, tough, and lacked texture. Dipping it in the hot sour soup definitely upped it a bit though. In fact, in the future, I'll prolly just dump them all in to add more texture to the soup. The hot sour soup was good and filled every one of those words, being hot, sour, and soup. Diving into the actual meal, it was decent. It could have been better though. The pork fried rice was good if not a bit dry and not especially hot. The mongolion beef would have been better if it hadn't been saturated in quite so much sauce. The saltiness became a bit overwhelming. Also, despite the claims of the nice hostess, this was not spicy at all. Then again, I am a fiend for spicy foods. All in all, everything tasted decent and you got a lot of it. I'd say two to two and a half stars on the food (firm middle of the road) and three stars for the quantity. I'll probably swing by again if I'm in Ballard in need of a fast chinese food fix.
(3)Monali P.
When I'm sick and it's cold outside, I tend to crave Chinese food. However, I was wary of trying it because I haven't had a good run with chinese food in the city yet. Still, the craving wouldn't let up so I hauled my ass over to Golden City, just a 15 min walk away. I wasn't too disappointed- I ordered the mongolian beef, veggie chow mein, and bok choy (which i asked them to split half with broccoli and add in extra garlic and ginger). The verdict- the mongolian beef was good- tender and thinly sliced, the onions and sauce were tasty, however more on the sweet side than advertised spicy side. The chow mein was disappointing- scant pieces of overcooked broccoli and dry, bland flavor. The veggies however, were awesome, bright green, not overcooked, and tasty with the garlic sauce. All in all, I got a lot of food and it wasn't terrible. Add some sriracha sauce and you're good to go.
(3)Benjamin L.
Only been here once and only ordered one thing (sizzling rice seafood soup--I was coming down with a cold and thought it might help), but it was great! The large is HUGE and only $6.50. I may get another couple meals out of this. I'll definitely come back sometime and try one of the other dishes, but meanwhile I'm very pleased.
(4)Kels M.
an hour and a half to deliver two miles? after telling me it will be 30 minutes? ridiculous. i'm now late for my whole day. when it finally arrive it was COLD and i had to microwave my own food. abysmal service.
(1)Stephanie M.
On this snowy-cold day in Seattle, all I was craving was egg flower soup and chinese food. My friend and I went inside this place, conveniently located a few blocks down from my apartment, and not to my surprise, there was no one there! I ordered the Mongolian Beef with pork fried rice, an eggroll and egg flower soup for only $7.95. The soup wasn't the best, eggroll was crispy, fried rice was, well, fried rice, and the beef was very meaty and spicy. I was very satisfied and I ended up ordering the Shrimp Chow mein to go...I'll update my review after that's eaten!
(4)Rebecca K.
Last time we ordered in, I swore I would finally review this place... Well, here I am getting ready to order again and fullfilling my duties as a loyal customer. What can I say...each time I have veered away from Golden City I have undoubtedly regretted it. Their orange chicken is always crispy and delicious and they give you enough for at least four people! The shrimp chow mein is good and their crab wontons are SUPERB! Egg rolls are nice and crispy and pretty much everything else we've tried from their is on par also. Give them a try and eat in at least once.. the fire appetizer plate is actually quite humourous because it is so obnoxiously presented, but still everything was very good!
(4)Stephanie K.
Still The best bar ever, but they've since removed the beloved jukebox and replaced it with one of those heinous digital ones. It won't be the same now that I have to pay more money to listen to R. Kelly's "Bump 'n' Grind" over and over.
(5)Erin H.
Since moving to Seattle I've been searching for a go-to Chinese place for delivery. After trying a couple places that brought ice cold food or took hours to deliver, I found Golden City on GrubHub and ordered through them. This may have been the fastest food delivery I've gotten in Seattle. My order was finalized on GrubHub at 6:05 pm and at exactly 6:20 the food had arrived. I don't even know how the hell they did that (we live in Magnolia, kinda close to Ballard, but still really impressive). I can't even get to the Ballard Bridge from my place in 15 minutes. The food quality was great--the Moo Shoo Chicken with pancakes was awesome. The portions were nice and big.
(5)Laura A.
Don't be put off by the exterior or the bar area. This place makes some darn good Chinese food. I like the Mongolian Beef, General Tso (stir-fried not deep-fried) and I'm addicted to the Sizzling Rice Soup. Some nights I just HAVE TO HAVE it. It's delicious and unique, with the sizzling crispy rice in the chicken soup. Om nom nom. The pho is really good too. It always seems to take a little longer to get your pho that you think it should, but since they've had it on the menu for only a couple months, I wonder if they're boiling the noodles and chopping the meat/tofu/veggies as the orders are coming in. Either way, it is always delicious and perfect. I order delivery often and it usually takes 30-50 minutes for him to get up to my place in Crown Hill. He has the food in big lunchbox-type coolers so it is always good and hot when it arrives. The bar side is a bit sketchy, I don't go over there. Go ahead, stick your head in there, don't say I didn't warn you! The drinks are really strong and you can order them in the restaurant-side and have them brought to your table, if you wish.
(4)Brian V.
strong ass pours, but food stops at 9pm *update... Turns out the food blows, but the stong ass pours of cheap booze remain a constant.
(3)Clarissa O.
OK. I've spent Christmas here for the last two years [among other non-holiday visits]. This is the place to go if you want to eat cheap chinese food, get drunk, and hang out with the regulars. The last time I was there [Christmas Day 2010] - my friend and I went up to the bar to order our first drink and a very drunk ADULT man started talking to us and before he could finish his sentence he began yelling to his friend sitting at the bar, "Shit! Fuck! We gotta go! Grandma's here. Grandma just got here. Shit. Let's go!" and then he snuck out the door. I thought he was just wasted and actin' a fool but then I looked and saw a cute little granny waltzing in. She outstayed us, too! People also get pretty drunk and dance to the jukebox songs, which I think is heartwarming. I've only had a small amount of food there and was too drunk to have any complaints. Hey, one time they let us go get Taco Bell and bring it back. That was pretty awesome. Their drinks are strong and you'll probably wake up the next day without any pants on wondering where your wallet is. Thanks Golden C!
(5)ColorBlind B.
Sometimes a bit inconsistent, but for the most part a solid chinese restaurant. The Deep fried General Tso is something I have not seen elsewhere, the Pho is as good as Than Bros or Big Bowl and the service is awesome with a smile. They have a great lunch special and if you and your friends/family are feeling really hungry they have a great deal on family platters. for around $30 you get a massive amount of food. My recommendations are the deep fried General Tso's and the Beef with black beans. As for the bar, well that's a drunk adventure waiting to happen.
(4)J S.
Golden City is the best Chinese food I have had in Seattle, but there are places in the Midwest & South that I've liked better. Their hot & sour soup keeps me coming back, and they use a great choice of sauces for their entrees. They will also deliver if you live nearby, definitely worth a try!
(4)Hunter O.
ok so let me explain i am a fan of there soup not there food. I have tried it a few times and you know it is ok but realy not all that good. FYI no curry in almond fryed chicken gravy please. If they fix this i might become a fan. Ok so moving onto the soup there egg flower is good stuff and even better with the little fryed crispy things and a touch of soy. So Golden city please take the curry out the gravy. The staff here is always super sweet well the 4 times i have been here they were. But that could be cause i am huge compared to the 85 pound waitress that work here. So i recomend you eat the soup!!!
(4)Ray L.
I love what I consider "American Chinese Food." However, the food I tried at Golden City just wasn't my cup of tea. I ordered Mongolian Beef and Hot & Sour Soup. Neither were particularly noteworthy, and were slightly different than the versions I'm used to (a local example would be Chen's Village). The soup was runny rather than 'thick', and the beef just tasted odd. It wasn't very expensive, so it's tough to be very hard on this place, but like I said, I didn't really like it. ...but I feel like tastes in chinese food are really varied. In conclusion, it wasn't for me, but you might like it. By the way - the interior? Leaves much to be desired.
(2)Chris B.
After not really wanting to go anywhere on Friday night my girlfriend and I decided we were going to order take-out. She has ordered from Golden City many times before but this was my first experience. We were out and about so we order in person. At 8:45 pm on a Friday there was not a person in the place. We ordered General Tao's Chicken with sauce on the side, pork fried rice and vegetable Lo Mein. For $24 we got a lot of food for the two of us. It was great hot but it was even better the next day for lunch. Make sure you get sauce on the side anytime you get an item deep fried, it always taste better the next day or two! Good place and we will be trying it as a sit down next time.
(4)Josie C.
It's cool this place offers Thanksgiving Dinners!
(5)Nolan H.
I ain't gonna lie. I eat here for one reason, IT'S CHEAP! Golden City gives you the most bang for your buck with it's huge portions and unlimited hot tea. The lunch specials are only $5.75 and you can get a huge dinner for less than 10 bucks! If you're on a budget and you want your stomach filled with MSG laden goodness, come to Golden City!
(3)Craig R.
Solid bar. Cheap drinks, legit strong pours on mixed drinks. Get a well whiskey and soda, you will get a splash of soda, its great. Ping pong. Great break from Ballard Chotchtensity
(4)Laurel N.
I used to live on Capitol Hill and I used to be just two blocks away from the Jade Pagoda (man I miss that place). Now that I live in Ballard (okay Fre-lard really) I've found my Jade replacement. When you walk in the bar door a super funk will greet your nose. "Oh dear god this place is a true dive bar" you'll think. Then you notice the awesome murals on the walls that have probably been there since the place opened (cool multi-colored glass thing). You might be a little scared as you look at the old salts that are sitting at the bar, already bleary eyed drunk and mumbling to themselves -but you sit down anyway. Now you order your drink..."What?...Say again?...Just $3.50?!" (And no people it's not happy hour, it's all the time!.) If you can handle the strength of what the bartender pours you and you can handle drinking more than two or three of them, you will be hugging that drunk old salt and singing songs while swaying to and fro with raised glasses. Now here's a REAL shocker. The food's not bad. In fact I had the best salt and pepper prawns EVER at this place. I was soo taken by them I had to go back the next day to order more. The next day was when I tried other food there. Being that I was horribly hungover from the night before I ordered a ton of food. This time I went to the restaurant side and was greeted by the friendliest waitress! I heard the night before that the chicken wings were amazing so I ordered those. I think you have to know the cook to get what I was told about as these were pretty boring, fried, chicken wings. Sizzling Rice soup, Almond friend chicken, vegetable chow mien, mixed vegetables and more of those salt and pepper prawns! All the other foods I had were unremarkable American Chinese fare but just what my hangover doctor ordered. The prawns weren't as good as the last time but still good (I think you have to get the right cook here). All in all this is my new Jade and thanks god for that. Every fun loving drunk should have that special place that knocks you down with booze then nurtures you with food and kindness. I heart you Golden City!
(4)Carey R.
Seems like you can technically order food from the bar side, but there's another entrance one door north that I believe is the restaurant. I've never eaten here, only been for the amazingly divey dive bar. Its chill, there's a lot of older regulars, great people watching, not great-but strong and cheap drinks. Bartender ladies are always friendly, Free pool on Mondays, free ping-pong always. Never been hassled by patrons or the bartenders, and always have a good time. Seen some serious characters in here- and once, the floors were so sticky with beer, my shoe STUCK to the ground and I pulled my foot out of it, while I was walking. Gross/Awesome!
(5)Angelo R.
It was okay to eat. I was able to finish a portion and didn't lose my appetite in the process. However, the BBQ pork was tough, the shrimp fishy tasting, and the sauces were a bit too salty. The pork fried rice was good, despite being a bit pedestrian. I didn't come back for a second spoonful of the wonton soup.
(2)Stina T.
To clarify: this is a solid five stars for what we call "The Mystery Bar"-- the unnamed bar attached to Golden City. The food next door? Never had it, and don't care to try it. Now, for the Mystery... Cue music: "I see a red door and I want to paint it black..." I'm writing this review in the morning, which is appropriate because our friends Dan M. and Melissa F. originally discovered this hidden Ballard gem on an early Sunday morning walk, back in 2003. Did I say "gem"? Perhaps "cubic zirconium" would be closer to the truth. The Mystery Bar is a red door with no sign except for some blinking "Tsingtao" fluorescent above the door. You can't miss it. It's right next to Crack Alley. Dan and Melissa couldn't miss it that first morning. As the legend goes, at 8am that sunny Sunday morning, a woman comes running out of the bar, onto the sidewalk, screaming, "I f*#$ing love this bar!!!" and promptly ran back in. Apparently, they used to have happy hour starting at 6am for the graveyard shift crowd. Come on! Who wouldn't check this out after that glowing review? You walk in and are greeted by a disturbing mix of your standard Chinese-felt-stained-glass wall panels and two murals depicting what looks to be a riverside community in 1800's Louisiana. All I'm going to say is that my Grandpa told me that in the 1940's, this bar was called "The Plantation". Nevermind that. Continue on to the well-stocked jukebox, grab a sticky stool at the bar, or run straight to the bathrooms in the back. I've never been able to figure out why the bathrooms are named the way they are. Figure it out for yourself! Mystery Bar drink of choice? Why, Rainier in a can, of course! There used to be a bartender who'd make a mean kamakazi. And I do mean "mean". I recommend making friends with the locals (if any of them still frequent here), because our best Mystery nights have featured Robert the fisherman, Gwen the stripper, Selena the cross-dresser, and various other new friends. One of my favorite nicknames was born here. Some of my favorite nights with my favorite friends began/ended here. So why am I spoiling the mystery and writing about it now? Because it's already been discovered a bit. There are new owners behind the bar, new hipsters at the jukebox, new patrons in Crack Alley. Still, if you go on the right night, with the right vibe, and bring an attitude of laissez-faire, you just might fall under the spell as well.
(5)Todd B.
Five stars? Seriously? Yeah. There's nothing not to like about Golden City. Divey, friendly bartenders, comfy, stiff drinks. I mean, I really just want to walk into a place after work and mutter to myself over a big glass of whiskey. Is that so much for a man to ask for? Or a woman? (I mean, for a woman to ask for, not that I want to mutter to myself over a woman) I also really want to have people around me that look like they've been there since it opened - in the 60's. Golden City fits the bill, people. Grab some stool, wash your hands and join me at the bar for a stiffy.
(5)Rea F.
Here's the deal. So many people write about the bar and I've not been in the bar. I have been there for the food. Many times. It's awesome. The salt and pepper shrimp and the fried chicken wings are BOMB! I've not had a bad experience there in over 20 times. I recommend this place for anyone if you like food. It's not authentic Mandarin or Szechuan, but it's straight damn good food. The people that work there are cool, want your business and know how to treat folks as a guest. I work in a restaurant and know what time it is. I dig a great independent joint and this place simply produces great experiences, time after time.
(4)Kirsten H.
Aw, yeah. This'll work. Cozy "dive" bar, not too loud, not too crowded. Marcella, the b-tender was friendly. Drinks are not too expensive. No 25yr old cruisers. We'll be back. Thank you, Golden City!
(4)Gemini D.
I read that it was the best hot and sour soup some one has ever had...but that's probably because it's loaded with MSG. In fact I'm surprised I even have to ask people to leave that out of food now a days. But the soup was the only dish that we ordered where it couldn't be removed. With out flavor enhancers I think the meal lacked over all taste. Egg flower soup very bland, lemon chicken extremely tasteless :( The mongolian beef was ok-ish, but not something to write home about. The BBQ pork and egg rolls that came with our meals were good! But small portions. I would ahve rather ordered two plates of those. The wait staff was nice, but didn't interact much. The dinning area could have used a good cleaning and definitly updating. It's not dated in a cute way, it's dated in a 'do I really want to eat here?" way. Over all I think we can keep searching for a good Chinese food place in ballard. I can't be spending money on food like this.
(1)Shon R.
Solid Chinese in Ballard. Places like Golden City are when a Half star would be nice on Yelp. This place is probably about 3.5 as its pretty much the only place to get decent Chinese in Ballard, but probably won't win any awards. The food was good overall and I must echo that the hot & sour soup was awesome. Definitely good enough if you are in the Ballard area and craving Chinese.
(3)Drue C.
I cannot comment on the restaurant or the food but you do not need to worry about such things if you keep your eye on the prize. Once you discover the magical red door which takes you to the bar with no windows you will not be thinking about food. The bartender, upon our entry and ordering of a round of drinks that were nearly void of mixer, insisted we do shots. She came back with rocks glasses filled to the rim and the statement that she made them extra big to get us extra fucked up. Only then did we realize we would need the drinks to handle seeing the fat dude across the bar lifting his shirt and doing a belly dance for his girlfriend 20 years his senior as he felt her up. If tales of the drinks and clientele weren't enough to lure you to this awesome establishment perhaps the decor will push you over the edge. This is the only place I have ever seen wood panelling inlaid with red velvet. I don't want to spoil it for you so I will leave the rest of the awe inspiring interior touches for you to discover on your own.... at 7AM, when they open (I know it doesn't open at 6AM but the awesomeness of this place is deserving of a spot on my early morning drinking list). I am pretty sure this is where alcoholics with questionable taste go to die. It is definitely their happy place, you can see it in their one good eye. After experiencing its glory it might be mine, too.
(5)Kook T.
I have never eaten at the restaurant, but as my husband and I were walking one summer night to the hip downtown Ballard spots he happened to notice the non-labeled Red door. We guessed it could be a alcohol est. To our dismay it was! With all the lovely weathered has beens and sweet smelling bartender I knew I found a sure fire hidden treasure! Especially when they asked my husband if he was an Elvis impersonator!! Haha!! I love IT!!!! This is what I call a true punk rock hideaway!!!
(4)Martha L.
Came straight from Golden Gardens via the yellow brick road to the Emerald City's Golden treasure of dive bars. Danced with a couple of the regulars after a few "Whiskey and 7's." They seemed thrilled to have some strangers to stumble and swing with. Have been back multiple times for the strong and cheap drinks.
(4)Courtney P.
Love this place. Good Chinese food....delivery....BONUS! Good crab rangoons. And good chow mein! They have a free eggroll deal thingy if you spend X amount of dollars and we always find we are like 3 or 4 bucks short so we always order extra and have Chinese food for days. Who doesn't love that?
(4)Riss J.
Skip the restaraunt and just dare to walk through the red door. Scary wicked rum and coke. In the "I am a career alcoholic with a Master's in Maintenance and a BA in Hair of the Dog" way. Fan-suck-tastical decor. The murals. The velvet/glass/things. On the Riss-dive-bar meter, this is almost as awesome as The Dome.
(4)Benjamin G.
Okay, here we go. Three stars for the deal. As is the case with most chinese food, they give you a good portion for the price. I nabbed the mongolion beef combo here and found it in plentiful quantities. What you get is straight middle of the road. Starting with the sides, the egg roll was fine, though wish it had been a tad fresher. The flavour was solid though. The bbq pork was pretty much cold, tough, and lacked texture. Dipping it in the hot sour soup definitely upped it a bit though. In fact, in the future, I'll prolly just dump them all in to add more texture to the soup. The hot sour soup was good and filled every one of those words, being hot, sour, and soup. Diving into the actual meal, it was decent. It could have been better though. The pork fried rice was good if not a bit dry and not especially hot. The mongolion beef would have been better if it hadn't been saturated in quite so much sauce. The saltiness became a bit overwhelming. Also, despite the claims of the nice hostess, this was not spicy at all. Then again, I am a fiend for spicy foods. All in all, everything tasted decent and you got a lot of it. I'd say two to two and a half stars on the food (firm middle of the road) and three stars for the quantity. I'll probably swing by again if I'm in Ballard in need of a fast chinese food fix.
(3)Monali P.
When I'm sick and it's cold outside, I tend to crave Chinese food. However, I was wary of trying it because I haven't had a good run with chinese food in the city yet. Still, the craving wouldn't let up so I hauled my ass over to Golden City, just a 15 min walk away. I wasn't too disappointed- I ordered the mongolian beef, veggie chow mein, and bok choy (which i asked them to split half with broccoli and add in extra garlic and ginger). The verdict- the mongolian beef was good- tender and thinly sliced, the onions and sauce were tasty, however more on the sweet side than advertised spicy side. The chow mein was disappointing- scant pieces of overcooked broccoli and dry, bland flavor. The veggies however, were awesome, bright green, not overcooked, and tasty with the garlic sauce. All in all, I got a lot of food and it wasn't terrible. Add some sriracha sauce and you're good to go.
(3)Benjamin L.
Only been here once and only ordered one thing (sizzling rice seafood soup--I was coming down with a cold and thought it might help), but it was great! The large is HUGE and only $6.50. I may get another couple meals out of this. I'll definitely come back sometime and try one of the other dishes, but meanwhile I'm very pleased.
(4)Kels M.
an hour and a half to deliver two miles? after telling me it will be 30 minutes? ridiculous. i'm now late for my whole day. when it finally arrive it was COLD and i had to microwave my own food. abysmal service.
(1)Stephanie M.
On this snowy-cold day in Seattle, all I was craving was egg flower soup and chinese food. My friend and I went inside this place, conveniently located a few blocks down from my apartment, and not to my surprise, there was no one there! I ordered the Mongolian Beef with pork fried rice, an eggroll and egg flower soup for only $7.95. The soup wasn't the best, eggroll was crispy, fried rice was, well, fried rice, and the beef was very meaty and spicy. I was very satisfied and I ended up ordering the Shrimp Chow mein to go...I'll update my review after that's eaten!
(4)E M.
I probably eat here at least once a week. The combination fried rice is out of this world, I absolutely love it. It's a ton of rice so plenty to share, and pair it up with an order of egg rolls and it's on! The service is fast and friendly, the place is clean but I usually do take out for the sake of time. Never ventured over into the bar side but it seems cool... overall one of my favorites besides Chef Liao just because the prices are bomb and the rice is some of the best I've ever had.
(5)Rebecca K.
Last time we ordered in, I swore I would finally review this place... Well, here I am getting ready to order again and fullfilling my duties as a loyal customer. What can I say...each time I have veered away from Golden City I have undoubtedly regretted it. Their orange chicken is always crispy and delicious and they give you enough for at least four people! The shrimp chow mein is good and their crab wontons are SUPERB! Egg rolls are nice and crispy and pretty much everything else we've tried from their is on par also. Give them a try and eat in at least once.. the fire appetizer plate is actually quite humourous because it is so obnoxiously presented, but still everything was very good!
(4)Stephanie K.
Still The best bar ever, but they've since removed the beloved jukebox and replaced it with one of those heinous digital ones. It won't be the same now that I have to pay more money to listen to R. Kelly's "Bump 'n' Grind" over and over.
(5)Erin H.
Since moving to Seattle I've been searching for a go-to Chinese place for delivery. After trying a couple places that brought ice cold food or took hours to deliver, I found Golden City on GrubHub and ordered through them. This may have been the fastest food delivery I've gotten in Seattle. My order was finalized on GrubHub at 6:05 pm and at exactly 6:20 the food had arrived. I don't even know how the hell they did that (we live in Magnolia, kinda close to Ballard, but still really impressive). I can't even get to the Ballard Bridge from my place in 15 minutes. The food quality was great--the Moo Shoo Chicken with pancakes was awesome. The portions were nice and big.
(5)Laura A.
Don't be put off by the exterior or the bar area. This place makes some darn good Chinese food. I like the Mongolian Beef, General Tso (stir-fried not deep-fried) and I'm addicted to the Sizzling Rice Soup. Some nights I just HAVE TO HAVE it. It's delicious and unique, with the sizzling crispy rice in the chicken soup. Om nom nom. The pho is really good too. It always seems to take a little longer to get your pho that you think it should, but since they've had it on the menu for only a couple months, I wonder if they're boiling the noodles and chopping the meat/tofu/veggies as the orders are coming in. Either way, it is always delicious and perfect. I order delivery often and it usually takes 30-50 minutes for him to get up to my place in Crown Hill. He has the food in big lunchbox-type coolers so it is always good and hot when it arrives. The bar side is a bit sketchy, I don't go over there. Go ahead, stick your head in there, don't say I didn't warn you! The drinks are really strong and you can order them in the restaurant-side and have them brought to your table, if you wish.
(4)Brian V.
strong ass pours, but food stops at 9pm *update... Turns out the food blows, but the stong ass pours of cheap booze remain a constant.
(3)Clarissa O.
OK. I've spent Christmas here for the last two years [among other non-holiday visits]. This is the place to go if you want to eat cheap chinese food, get drunk, and hang out with the regulars. The last time I was there [Christmas Day 2010] - my friend and I went up to the bar to order our first drink and a very drunk ADULT man started talking to us and before he could finish his sentence he began yelling to his friend sitting at the bar, "Shit! Fuck! We gotta go! Grandma's here. Grandma just got here. Shit. Let's go!" and then he snuck out the door. I thought he was just wasted and actin' a fool but then I looked and saw a cute little granny waltzing in. She outstayed us, too! People also get pretty drunk and dance to the jukebox songs, which I think is heartwarming. I've only had a small amount of food there and was too drunk to have any complaints. Hey, one time they let us go get Taco Bell and bring it back. That was pretty awesome. Their drinks are strong and you'll probably wake up the next day without any pants on wondering where your wallet is. Thanks Golden C!
(5)ColorBlind B.
Sometimes a bit inconsistent, but for the most part a solid chinese restaurant. The Deep fried General Tso is something I have not seen elsewhere, the Pho is as good as Than Bros or Big Bowl and the service is awesome with a smile. They have a great lunch special and if you and your friends/family are feeling really hungry they have a great deal on family platters. for around $30 you get a massive amount of food. My recommendations are the deep fried General Tso's and the Beef with black beans. As for the bar, well that's a drunk adventure waiting to happen.
(4)J S.
Golden City is the best Chinese food I have had in Seattle, but there are places in the Midwest & South that I've liked better. Their hot & sour soup keeps me coming back, and they use a great choice of sauces for their entrees. They will also deliver if you live nearby, definitely worth a try!
(4)Hunter O.
ok so let me explain i am a fan of there soup not there food. I have tried it a few times and you know it is ok but realy not all that good. FYI no curry in almond fryed chicken gravy please. If they fix this i might become a fan. Ok so moving onto the soup there egg flower is good stuff and even better with the little fryed crispy things and a touch of soy. So Golden city please take the curry out the gravy. The staff here is always super sweet well the 4 times i have been here they were. But that could be cause i am huge compared to the 85 pound waitress that work here. So i recomend you eat the soup!!!
(4)Ray L.
I love what I consider "American Chinese Food." However, the food I tried at Golden City just wasn't my cup of tea. I ordered Mongolian Beef and Hot & Sour Soup. Neither were particularly noteworthy, and were slightly different than the versions I'm used to (a local example would be Chen's Village). The soup was runny rather than 'thick', and the beef just tasted odd. It wasn't very expensive, so it's tough to be very hard on this place, but like I said, I didn't really like it. ...but I feel like tastes in chinese food are really varied. In conclusion, it wasn't for me, but you might like it. By the way - the interior? Leaves much to be desired.
(2)Chris B.
After not really wanting to go anywhere on Friday night my girlfriend and I decided we were going to order take-out. She has ordered from Golden City many times before but this was my first experience. We were out and about so we order in person. At 8:45 pm on a Friday there was not a person in the place. We ordered General Tao's Chicken with sauce on the side, pork fried rice and vegetable Lo Mein. For $24 we got a lot of food for the two of us. It was great hot but it was even better the next day for lunch. Make sure you get sauce on the side anytime you get an item deep fried, it always taste better the next day or two! Good place and we will be trying it as a sit down next time.
(4)Josie C.
It's cool this place offers Thanksgiving Dinners!
(5)Nolan H.
I ain't gonna lie. I eat here for one reason, IT'S CHEAP! Golden City gives you the most bang for your buck with it's huge portions and unlimited hot tea. The lunch specials are only $5.75 and you can get a huge dinner for less than 10 bucks! If you're on a budget and you want your stomach filled with MSG laden goodness, come to Golden City!
(3)Craig R.
Solid bar. Cheap drinks, legit strong pours on mixed drinks. Get a well whiskey and soda, you will get a splash of soda, its great. Ping pong. Great break from Ballard Chotchtensity
(4)Laurel N.
I used to live on Capitol Hill and I used to be just two blocks away from the Jade Pagoda (man I miss that place). Now that I live in Ballard (okay Fre-lard really) I've found my Jade replacement. When you walk in the bar door a super funk will greet your nose. "Oh dear god this place is a true dive bar" you'll think. Then you notice the awesome murals on the walls that have probably been there since the place opened (cool multi-colored glass thing). You might be a little scared as you look at the old salts that are sitting at the bar, already bleary eyed drunk and mumbling to themselves -but you sit down anyway. Now you order your drink..."What?...Say again?...Just $3.50?!" (And no people it's not happy hour, it's all the time!.) If you can handle the strength of what the bartender pours you and you can handle drinking more than two or three of them, you will be hugging that drunk old salt and singing songs while swaying to and fro with raised glasses. Now here's a REAL shocker. The food's not bad. In fact I had the best salt and pepper prawns EVER at this place. I was soo taken by them I had to go back the next day to order more. The next day was when I tried other food there. Being that I was horribly hungover from the night before I ordered a ton of food. This time I went to the restaurant side and was greeted by the friendliest waitress! I heard the night before that the chicken wings were amazing so I ordered those. I think you have to know the cook to get what I was told about as these were pretty boring, fried, chicken wings. Sizzling Rice soup, Almond friend chicken, vegetable chow mien, mixed vegetables and more of those salt and pepper prawns! All the other foods I had were unremarkable American Chinese fare but just what my hangover doctor ordered. The prawns weren't as good as the last time but still good (I think you have to get the right cook here). All in all this is my new Jade and thanks god for that. Every fun loving drunk should have that special place that knocks you down with booze then nurtures you with food and kindness. I heart you Golden City!
(4)Carey R.
Seems like you can technically order food from the bar side, but there's another entrance one door north that I believe is the restaurant. I've never eaten here, only been for the amazingly divey dive bar. Its chill, there's a lot of older regulars, great people watching, not great-but strong and cheap drinks. Bartender ladies are always friendly, Free pool on Mondays, free ping-pong always. Never been hassled by patrons or the bartenders, and always have a good time. Seen some serious characters in here- and once, the floors were so sticky with beer, my shoe STUCK to the ground and I pulled my foot out of it, while I was walking. Gross/Awesome!
(5)Angelo R.
It was okay to eat. I was able to finish a portion and didn't lose my appetite in the process. However, the BBQ pork was tough, the shrimp fishy tasting, and the sauces were a bit too salty. The pork fried rice was good, despite being a bit pedestrian. I didn't come back for a second spoonful of the wonton soup.
(2)Stina T.
To clarify: this is a solid five stars for what we call "The Mystery Bar"-- the unnamed bar attached to Golden City. The food next door? Never had it, and don't care to try it. Now, for the Mystery... Cue music: "I see a red door and I want to paint it black..." I'm writing this review in the morning, which is appropriate because our friends Dan M. and Melissa F. originally discovered this hidden Ballard gem on an early Sunday morning walk, back in 2003. Did I say "gem"? Perhaps "cubic zirconium" would be closer to the truth. The Mystery Bar is a red door with no sign except for some blinking "Tsingtao" fluorescent above the door. You can't miss it. It's right next to Crack Alley. Dan and Melissa couldn't miss it that first morning. As the legend goes, at 8am that sunny Sunday morning, a woman comes running out of the bar, onto the sidewalk, screaming, "I f*#$ing love this bar!!!" and promptly ran back in. Apparently, they used to have happy hour starting at 6am for the graveyard shift crowd. Come on! Who wouldn't check this out after that glowing review? You walk in and are greeted by a disturbing mix of your standard Chinese-felt-stained-glass wall panels and two murals depicting what looks to be a riverside community in 1800's Louisiana. All I'm going to say is that my Grandpa told me that in the 1940's, this bar was called "The Plantation". Nevermind that. Continue on to the well-stocked jukebox, grab a sticky stool at the bar, or run straight to the bathrooms in the back. I've never been able to figure out why the bathrooms are named the way they are. Figure it out for yourself! Mystery Bar drink of choice? Why, Rainier in a can, of course! There used to be a bartender who'd make a mean kamakazi. And I do mean "mean". I recommend making friends with the locals (if any of them still frequent here), because our best Mystery nights have featured Robert the fisherman, Gwen the stripper, Selena the cross-dresser, and various other new friends. One of my favorite nicknames was born here. Some of my favorite nights with my favorite friends began/ended here. So why am I spoiling the mystery and writing about it now? Because it's already been discovered a bit. There are new owners behind the bar, new hipsters at the jukebox, new patrons in Crack Alley. Still, if you go on the right night, with the right vibe, and bring an attitude of laissez-faire, you just might fall under the spell as well.
(5)Gemini D.
I read that it was the best hot and sour soup some one has ever had...but that's probably because it's loaded with MSG. In fact I'm surprised I even have to ask people to leave that out of food now a days. But the soup was the only dish that we ordered where it couldn't be removed. With out flavor enhancers I think the meal lacked over all taste. Egg flower soup very bland, lemon chicken extremely tasteless :( The mongolian beef was ok-ish, but not something to write home about. The BBQ pork and egg rolls that came with our meals were good! But small portions. I would ahve rather ordered two plates of those. The wait staff was nice, but didn't interact much. The dinning area could have used a good cleaning and definitly updating. It's not dated in a cute way, it's dated in a 'do I really want to eat here?" way. Over all I think we can keep searching for a good Chinese food place in ballard. I can't be spending money on food like this.
(1)Todd B.
Five stars? Seriously? Yeah. There's nothing not to like about Golden City. Divey, friendly bartenders, comfy, stiff drinks. I mean, I really just want to walk into a place after work and mutter to myself over a big glass of whiskey. Is that so much for a man to ask for? Or a woman? (I mean, for a woman to ask for, not that I want to mutter to myself over a woman) I also really want to have people around me that look like they've been there since it opened - in the 60's. Golden City fits the bill, people. Grab some stool, wash your hands and join me at the bar for a stiffy.
(5)Rea F.
Here's the deal. So many people write about the bar and I've not been in the bar. I have been there for the food. Many times. It's awesome. The salt and pepper shrimp and the fried chicken wings are BOMB! I've not had a bad experience there in over 20 times. I recommend this place for anyone if you like food. It's not authentic Mandarin or Szechuan, but it's straight damn good food. The people that work there are cool, want your business and know how to treat folks as a guest. I work in a restaurant and know what time it is. I dig a great independent joint and this place simply produces great experiences, time after time.
(4)Kirsten H.
Aw, yeah. This'll work. Cozy "dive" bar, not too loud, not too crowded. Marcella, the b-tender was friendly. Drinks are not too expensive. No 25yr old cruisers. We'll be back. Thank you, Golden City!
(4)Drue C.
I cannot comment on the restaurant or the food but you do not need to worry about such things if you keep your eye on the prize. Once you discover the magical red door which takes you to the bar with no windows you will not be thinking about food. The bartender, upon our entry and ordering of a round of drinks that were nearly void of mixer, insisted we do shots. She came back with rocks glasses filled to the rim and the statement that she made them extra big to get us extra fucked up. Only then did we realize we would need the drinks to handle seeing the fat dude across the bar lifting his shirt and doing a belly dance for his girlfriend 20 years his senior as he felt her up. If tales of the drinks and clientele weren't enough to lure you to this awesome establishment perhaps the decor will push you over the edge. This is the only place I have ever seen wood panelling inlaid with red velvet. I don't want to spoil it for you so I will leave the rest of the awe inspiring interior touches for you to discover on your own.... at 7AM, when they open (I know it doesn't open at 6AM but the awesomeness of this place is deserving of a spot on my early morning drinking list). I am pretty sure this is where alcoholics with questionable taste go to die. It is definitely their happy place, you can see it in their one good eye. After experiencing its glory it might be mine, too.
(5)Kook T.
I have never eaten at the restaurant, but as my husband and I were walking one summer night to the hip downtown Ballard spots he happened to notice the non-labeled Red door. We guessed it could be a alcohol est. To our dismay it was! With all the lovely weathered has beens and sweet smelling bartender I knew I found a sure fire hidden treasure! Especially when they asked my husband if he was an Elvis impersonator!! Haha!! I love IT!!!! This is what I call a true punk rock hideaway!!!
(4)Martha L.
Came straight from Golden Gardens via the yellow brick road to the Emerald City's Golden treasure of dive bars. Danced with a couple of the regulars after a few "Whiskey and 7's." They seemed thrilled to have some strangers to stumble and swing with. Have been back multiple times for the strong and cheap drinks.
(4)Courtney P.
Love this place. Good Chinese food....delivery....BONUS! Good crab rangoons. And good chow mein! They have a free eggroll deal thingy if you spend X amount of dollars and we always find we are like 3 or 4 bucks short so we always order extra and have Chinese food for days. Who doesn't love that?
(4)Riss J.
Skip the restaraunt and just dare to walk through the red door. Scary wicked rum and coke. In the "I am a career alcoholic with a Master's in Maintenance and a BA in Hair of the Dog" way. Fan-suck-tastical decor. The murals. The velvet/glass/things. On the Riss-dive-bar meter, this is almost as awesome as The Dome.
(4)Ryan G.
I feel like I should be leaving two reviews for Golden City. One that talks about how quick the delivery is, how slightly better than mediocre the food is, and how reasonably priced said delivery costs. And another totally different review about the bar. Let it be known. The bar and the restaurant are is as different as night and day, and are decent for their respective offerings. Let's talk about the bar for a second. The first thing you need to know, is that everytime I've been to the bar, a deaf-mute man has come in, sat next to me, put his head under the table, looked at my crotch and smiled. The first time it was unsettling, the second time it was amusing, and now it's expected. If I go to Golden City, I expect my crotch to be fully inspected. All in all, drinks are strong, food is tasty, and it's cheap. Not a bad deal.
(4)Keomarie H.
On the Pub Crawl list of bars this was by far teh best Dive bar we landed in. The Bar was small enough that when we walked in it felt like the party preceded us - so very good energy I must say. But the decor. A wall to wall painting of the Classic Musical "Showboat" theat made "Old Man River" so very famous - if you do not know this song, please do not admitt it. If you got drunk enough the picture of the river was was large enough to make you seasick! It was fantastic! My one regret in this place was Xav was whipping off her coat to teach us all a nifty dance step to the song that was on and the song ended - so we missed the step. Way big bummer! As dive goes - Great!
(4)Adam Y.
Not a huge fan, and I love "American" Chinese food. To their credit there was actual lemon in my wife's lemon chicken and orange peel, in my orange peel chicken, but both were over-fried. Mine was nearly petrified. The fried rice clearly came from a burnt batch. The rice itself looked fine but you could taste the carbon from whatever part of the batch went wrong. Service was friendly and quick, just not a great product.
(1)Melissa H.
I laugh thinking of the City..Love it! Here's the thing- this place is not for beginners & it should not be reviewed based upon food. It's a dive but that doesn't make it any less great . My first encounter with the City was when I ordered some take out, was waiting in the restaurant to pick it up, and as I waited, a bartendress stuck her out from behind the Red Door & hollered "We're out of forks!" You could hear the drunken angry shouts from the bar. I was terrified. Finally, one drunken night after watching the Seahawks lose, I decided to wander in with my bf (it was the only time I would have the balls to do it). The only other time he'd been there, his friend got sucker punched for reasons still unclear (lmao). So glad I bucked up and went. The drinks are stiff & strong & the food hits the spot every time & the clientele...extremely fascinating! One of my favorite dives.
(5)Erica B.
For a long time, this was my go-to Chinese place. They deliver, they're cheap, and the food is pretty darn good. This is definitely not the case anymore. My husband and I had two bad experiences with them and finally had to cross them off our list. First, before we moved in to our current home, we used to live at a house with the address "7." That was always confusing for delivery people because they thought we either were idiots who didn't know the rest of the numbers in our address (example: 7123 Smith Street) or we lived in apartment number 7 and weren't giving them the building address. When I called for delivery, the person I spoke with could barely speak English and shouted at me "NUMBER?! NUMBER?! NO! NUMBER?!" after I recited my address. I tried to explain that that was the whole address and yet all she could do was shout in my ear. She ended up hanging up on me. Second, after moving and getting an address that would be no problem for them to understand, we decided to give them another try. The first few times, we had no problems and we thought that the bad experience in our old place was a fluke. The food was great. That was until one day when I ordered two meals at lunchtime for delivery and they got pretty much everything wrong. My husband is allergic to tomatoes and I specified over the phone beforehand that nothing could have tomatoes on it. There was no reason to do that because the egg flower soup usually only comes with carrots in it and nothing else we ordered would have them, but I said it all the same. We also ordered steamed rice instead of brown. When it came a little while later, one of the entrees was completely wrong, both meals came with brown rice, the contents were spilling into the bag, and the soup was laced with tomatoes. Not only that, but the tomatoes were spotted with black mold in places! I am not a confrontational person by nature and would usually let a mistake or two fly, but this was too much. When I called and explained the situation, I was greeted by a rude man who yelled at me half in English and half in Chinese and said they refused to come back with the proper meal. He said that we would just have to "deal with it." I asked to speak to the manager and got a lady who was considerably kinder and more well-spoken, but refused to correct their mistake just the same. I couldn't believe that I had shelled out money for a dinner that I didn't want and my husband considered largely inedible. I will not be going back to this place again or ordering in from them. It's just not worth the poor customer service I experienced. I would much rather go to Magic Dragon in Ballard for some cheap Chinese food because they're at least polite 100% of the time.
(2)X X.
Dear Golden City, Why must you torture me with your delivery radius? You'll come all the way out to Magnolia just to bring me bad Chinese food. I'm pretty sure you only make about 3 different items and just name them different things on the menu. How many variations of deep fried chicken bits with miscellaneous sauce have you brought to me over the past year? How much sliced garlic can you put into each dish? And for the love of God, how is it with all the bad entrees you can actually make a tasty Hot and Sour soup?
(2)Katie S.
Pretty decent delivery. Fast, too. Honey walnut prawns: Pretty decent. Black bean chicken: Awesome. Tons of veggies, and you can seriously get four servings out of it. Mongolian chicken: Blech. Swimming in sauce, like soup. Deesgusting. The free 'noodles' that come with our big order when our friends are here: Wretched. Overall: 50% great, 50% gross. Considering the Chinese food 'choices' in Ballard....that's not too bad.
(3)John M.
No frills American Chinese food. Big portions and cheap prices. Orange peel chicken is solid if not good for you. If you got the jones for the American Chinese will fit the bill. Interior is straight out of the 70s so get ready for a blast from the past.
(4)Laura L.
My first experience at Golden City was just a couple weeks ago. I found the hot and sour soup to be excellent, and the orange chicken and Mongolian beef to be completely within cheap-cracky Chinese standards. My husband was less than impressed, however. For Christmas Eve, we decided to try it again, this time carry out. The hot and sour soup was good, if not a bit more spicy than before. The sweet and sour chicken, though, was completely disappointing. All it was was fried bits of chicken (which wasn't too bad, if a bit dry), but the sauce was only a vat of sweet and sour sauce heated. No vegetables, nothing. My husband assured me that sometimes, this is all you get, but never in my life have I had sweet and sour chicken without so much as carrots or pineapple. It was like chicken nuggets and dipping sauce. The pork lo mein was equally disappointing, though filled with vegetables. The meat was rubbery and dry, huge slabs of bbq pork. The noodles were school cafeteria quality speghetti. The sauce was lackluster, and finally, the vegetables were the only thing palatable. I will not be going here again, except for the hot and sour soup. It's a stones throw from my house, so has a convenience factor in bad weather, but overall, really, really not worth it.
(1)susanna g.
Wow, this place is ... something else.
(3)warren c.
Holy God, I didn't think places like this still existed in America. Tijuana, maybe, but not Ballard, U.S.A. I'm pretty sure I saw a crack deal go down near the ping pong tables which then filtered onto the sidewalk. The super pregnant bartnder didn't seem to mind, nor did the other regulars who looked like something out of a Bukowski poem. The drinks all tasted like they were made with Monarch vodka, or piss, neither of which would surprise me considering how f'ing divey this place was. I didn't try the food, as I wasn't in the mood for a severe G.I. bleed.
(1)erik b.
i have ordered from golden city consistently for a few years now. the food is good, but standard fare. what keeps me coming back is the constant level of amazing customer service, hot, well-portioned food, price and location. golden city is a great place. if you happen to be pretentious or have a first-hand knowledge of authentic chinese cuisine, this might not be what you're looking for. for the vast majority remaining - as i said before: the food is standard fare. these guys are fast, friendly, and the food is good, hot, and doesn't leave you hungry(never mind the jokes). golden city will always treat you right - as long as you know what to expect. i say - thank you golden city for always being nice, fast, and delicious. you guys are awesome!
(4)G R.
Yes! What a great dive bar. Strong drinks, random drunkards. Good times. Stop in just to check out their mural. I'll stumble in & out of this place a few more times.
(3)Liz G.
Still on the search for great Chinese delivery. Order came promptly, but the food left something to be desired. Most of the food was "OK" (fried rice, chicken chow mein, almond chicken). The Mongolian beef tasted of smoke, as if sitting in a pot with other burnt food. The egg rolls were OK. Reasonable price.
(3)Shon R.
Solid Chinese in Ballard. Places like Golden City are when a Half star would be nice on Yelp. This place is probably about 3.5 as its pretty much the only place to get decent Chinese in Ballard, but probably won't win any awards. The food was good overall and I must echo that the hot & sour soup was awesome. Definitely good enough if you are in the Ballard area and craving Chinese.
(3)Brenna F.
Once order delivery from here. Food ordered was Kung Pao Chicken, pot stickers, fried rice, sweet and sour pork. Didn't know that white rice doesn't automatically come with the entrees. Got the food quickly. But, the food was mediocre at best. I'm not sure if what I was eating was really chicken. The pot stickers were homemade (+) but they lacked proper seasoning (- - ). My friend was also not that impressed with his dish, either. I felt a little sick after the meal (food poisoning?). My fiance, who ate some of the leftovers, also reported that he felt a little off after eating the food. If you are looking for delivery, I recommend Genghis Khan Restaurant over Golden City. The food is simply better and they don't skimp on veggies like Golden City appears to.
(2)Karli F.
This place is yummy!! just a little whole in the wall place off the beaten path, but they have the best chinese food i have found in the city. Greast prices and the staff is so friendly!! it is also attached to a dive bar with get this....ping pong. Food served late in the bar half which is an added bonus. They deliver in a very timely manner with no delivery charge!!
(4)jennifer m.
this is the kind of windowless dive bar that can be a down-homey, unpretentious, good time if your not easily depressed or worried about cooties. i've never set foot in the restaurant. but the bar is dirty and packed with full-time, friendly alcoholics that have been drinking together in this very bar since the 80's. honestly, it's just what i'm lookin for when the more polished clientele of bourgeois ballard takes over the bars around the corner.
(4)Neil K.
- Best Chinese food in Ballard - Most unappreciated restaurant in Ballard - Do not go into the bar area Food: 8/10 - They have crab cheese wontons, which I love. - The portions are HUGE (2-3 meals worth of leftovers from the family style) - The sauce on t
(4)Laura P.
I cannot tell a lie, when I am in the mood for Chinese I can't help but go and get an order of the General Tso's. Get it stir fried, not deep friend and take it home to eat it in shameful happiness. Sometimes you just need a little Chinese-American fix.
(4)Doug C.
Considering the dearth of quality Chinese restaurants in Ballard, Golden City is sitting pretty. The prices are low, the quantity is impressive and quality is reasonable. The description by Chloe H. is still apt. I get take-out here every couple of weeks and no matter what the day or time there are always people hanging out near the front. They seem to be idling and staring vacantly across the street. Perhaps the parking lot is secretly mesmerizing...
(3)Brenton C.
I went in at lunch and ordered the sweet and sour pork lunch special. The service was quick, the atmosphere pleasantly worn. The hot and sour soup was quite good, and the sweet and sour pork was on par with others I've had. My main complaint is that the food in general was a bit too simple. The fried rice that came with the special was just rice with a bit of egg - no veggies whatsoever. And most good sweet and sour comes with a little pineapple and bell pepper in it, which was also lacking. For the price it was decent, though - filling, tasty, and fast.
(3)Laural B.
Well, I've had better, but as Chinese delivery options in Ballard go, you could have nothing. The number of specials are staggering, and the amount of food contained therein is amazing. I have to admit this is probably some of the best hot and sour soup I've had, too. Apparently they are recently under new management, which explains the improvement.
(3)patricia r.
This is one of the gems that I have never ever been to and I have lived in Seattle all my life (1000's of years). The place has character, it is one of the few places left that resembles the REAL Ballard that I knew and loved. I had I good time there, everyone was really friendly, the service was great. Know the food...I ordered this combo that actually had honey walnut prawns and almond chicken which are my two favs. Most places with the combos will not let substitution and they do so I love that. The hot and sour soup was a cup of yum, the pork lo mein was insane good, loaded with pork and veggies with a garlic type sauce and the pork was very tender. The almond chicken and honey walnut prawns knocked my socks off. The give enough food to serve a small army and for a hell of a price. Yes this place is my go to when I crave American Chinese and that is alot. I also like that they deliver in my area as well.
(5)Randi S.
BOO. This place sucks to me because every time I called for hangover delivery they kept telling me to call back an hour later and sounded like they just absolutely did not want to help me. Make up your minds and don't toy with my heart! I took my business to szechuan bean flower instead and was NOT disappointed.
(1)Eric H.
It's so close to my apartment, I had hoped for better. But I'm pretty sure the chow mein was made with spaghetti noodles. Enough said.
(1)Jules P.
The best Chinese restaurant in Ballard. Hands down!!! Who needs Bal Mar or The Matador when you got Golden City. The night life is always kracken with good music and lively people. But the best time of the day is in the morning, that's when all the fisherman head over to GC to get their drink on after early morning fishing. As for the food: I've only had it when I was extremely inebriated. But I do recall my friends and I had their family menu, which includes soup, appetizers and a variety of main dishes including fried rice, all for less than 10 bucks each. I would recommend the Honey Walnut prawns.
(5)Glen B.
I've not had the food. I've been to the bar. First off, the pseudo-racist painting is weird, and the bathrooms are gross, and the doors open. The clientele is a group of regulars that have been there for years and if you're not one of them, you don't feel welcome. The looks over all are dirty and depressing. But it is a good place to hide out, has a nice jukebox, and pours a very stiff drink, so I can't give it a one. Plus I'd have to have the food to do that...
(2)Joey K.
great food, great delivery time, but dont go to the bar if you wanna eat there again cause the ombience makes you sick.
(4)Amber W.
Go in here to eat. There are always plenty of empty tables and the main waitress is so sweet and cheerful. The food is tasty and fast. Try the Honey Walnut Prawns and Vegetable Chicken combo-- my favorite. The music is pretty annoying but I love this place. Even though I moved away from Ballard I still drive back over to go to Golden City. Sometimes my boyfriend and I go here and get the family meal (that comes with like 6 courses) and take home 3 big boxes of food and eat for a week-- it costs about $30.
(5)Enriquito A.
Ahhh, the "Golden Shitty". I truly have no idea how to rate this place. One star for the sketchy, grease laden swill that passes for "food" at this establishment. And yet, five stars for what may quite possibly be the most perfect jewel of a dive bar that this rapidly yuppifying burg has to offer. The drinks are cheap and stiff, and the lounge area doubles as an exhibit in living history - from the thoroughly pickled regular crowd of septuagenarian alkies, to the startling and creepy wall-painted panorama of plantation life in the antebellum South. (Yes, this bar was actually called "The Plantation" in a former life.) Hell, even the food here ain't that bad after a night of hard partying with the Golden C's resident high rollers. Experience it while you can, since with the daily encroachment of the "new Ballard", the GC's days are surely numbered.
(3)Amber C.
We LOVE having Chinese food delivered. The portions are absolutely amazing. And as a previous poster stated - DELICIOUS hot and sour soup (more hot than sour!). We love the broccoli, mushroom and snow pea stir fry. Delish! And the delivery - they are always here amazingly fast.
(4)Patrick M.
If you ever wonder what the culmination of a life of excessive drinking looks like, check out the lounge at the Golden City. It's where aging booze hounds go to die. The highlight of the place is a mildly racist, completely creepy mural of a riverboat scene ala Huck Finn. This odd decorative feature is an (albeit uneasy) distraction from the incoherent ramblings of the bar's pickled regulars. The last time I was there someone stumbled over to our table and sang to us every 5th word of an Al Green song. I'd have suggested the crooner not quit his day job but I'm certain he hadn't had one in decades.
(1)Ballard G.
Let's admit it. We're in Ballard and we don't have a great selection of Chinese food. If you want something fancy and cutting edge, don't go here. But, if you want good, consistent "comfort food" type Chinese then this is the place to go. The individual combos are great. In addition to a huge entree portion you also get a nice serving of soup, (best and hottest hot and sour soup I have ever had), a yummy egg roll, rice and BBQ pork. I've only ever had takeout, so can't comment on eating at the restaurant. So good!
(4)Chloe H.
In a word: "EWWWWWW!" Bad greasy Chinese food with a creepy lounge decor and shady bar...not to mention the scary/odd folks who hang around outside waiting for a bus that never seems to arrive...
(1)Allison S.
I love the bar. There, I said it. Yes, it smells like a frat house on a Sunday morning. Yes, you will at some point find yourself mesmerized, confused and possibly freaked out by the wall sized murals depicting oldy-timey riverboat life on the Mississippi. And yes, pretty much all the seating in the joint is being held together with duct tape. That being said, however, it is a great place to listen to some rockin' 70's classic rock and drink cheap beer. The first time I ever came here, we showed at 1:15 am and the bar was closing early due to no customers. The bartender took pity on us and reopened, just so 4 people could continue to drink that night for a little while longer. Awesome. Every time I've gone back there, the service has been friendly, down to earth, and a very refreshing change of pace from the ultra-hip Ballard watering holes down the street. This place is truly a dive, but in the best, lovable sense of the word.
(4)Alexander C.
A good option for exactly what you would expect level of chinese takeout. Delivery and pickup have always been spot on with timing.
(5)Alex H.
DO NOT EAT HERE. Ordered on grubhub, where they posted an incorrect menu. They called us dozens of minutes later when they realized they falsely advertised with said incorrect menu, and then couldn't understand us when we gave a new order. The eventual delivery was late and unappetizing, not to mention they had the audacity to charge us an extra 2 dollars. They should have paid us for the horrible experience we had with their "business". I'd give zero stars if I could. .
(1)Page T.
I got food delivered from them, took a solid hour (not terrible but longer than they estimated). By the time it arrived everything was luke-warm at best and the kung-pao chicken sauce was wayy too sweet. BBQ pork was straight up cold. I was really hoping to like this place but it was just disappointing. Maybe eating in the actual restaurant would be better but I probably won't attempt it.
(1)Nadia A.
Golden City has got a nickname amongst my buddies. What rhymes with city.. Found hair in my food 3 times. That can't be good. I'll pass
(2)Mallory M.
I had Golden City for the first time today, and I must say I was so surprised at how delicious it was. I was greated by a friendly woman who filled me up on cold ice water and warm tea. I saw the early lunch menu and decided to go for the General Tso Chicken (deep fried) While I waited my waitress refilled my water several times which was nice becuase I usually gulp the water down quickly. I was served a heaping amount of crisp chicken with the perfect amount of sauce and my favorite garlic slivers scattered throughout. I love to SEE and taste my food :) I will be back for sure, the place is very clean and tidy and the service is great! The prices are also wonderful considering the amount of food you get, I had to take most of it home!
(4)Robby S.
Great lunch special. The General Tao chicken was not skimpy and the service was quick and courteous. I especially love the Koi and the NPR classical music
(5)Brian C.
Not sure why my last review was deleted. Seems like yelp doesn't like negative reviews. Anwhoooo... two motherfuckers were fighting in the street when we got to this place. There was also a guy sleeping/planking in the snow. The place was a dump but the bartender was nice. Some guy was screaming at his girlfriend "YOU'RE NOT MY GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE" over and over and over. They have a Terminator 2 pinball machine that's in really great shape except the left flipper sticks a little bit. They also have Cyclone. I recommend this place for the pinball but only if you can concentrate while the local lowlifes/homeless people fight and yell at other patrons.
(2)Molly O.
I was very skeptical of this divey Chinese place near us. How could it be good? But my friend in Magnolia was a regular delivery customer & got me to try it -- now it's our go-to place for Chinese delivery. I ordered from them for many years on the phone, and now use Eat24, and both have been terrific, delivery is fast and always accurate. The food is mostly good and occasionally great. The salt & pepper squid is terrific! Chinese broccoli and Singapore rice noodles are other favorites. For some more Americanized dishes they're just basic -- I'm not crazy about their General Tso's, and the fried rice is OK but nothing special. But if you know what to order, it can be really good. I agree with the other poster who says it's the best Chinese in Ballard -- we don't have many options here, but Golden City is surprisingly respectable.
(4)Lindsey G.
Best chinese in Ballard. First time using Eat24 and that was one of the best take out expiriences I've ever had. Who wants to talk to a human ;)
(5)Lucy D.
Extremely greasy entress - mongolian beef and mushroonm chicken. Decent hot adn sour soup.
(2)Marisa K.
Terrible... run far from this place. We ordered via Eat 24 and the food arrived dry as hell and took almost twice as long as they estimated. The people who work here are incompetent. Sure makes me miss Moon Temple. To make matters even worse it made my husband puke. Never again!!!
(1)Karen L.
This place is so divey, which my coworkers love. To each their own, I guess, haha. The food is not the best, but they have super cheap drinks. Not the place to find fancy cocktails, but great if you're looking for cheap and strong drinks.
(3)Brad H.
My 2nd visit sure did not disappoint. Likely one of the best lunch values in the Ballard/ Market Street area, the lunch special is a fantastic value for $6.50. You receive a generous portion of your entree (mine was sweet and sour chicken), a nice amount of fried rice, large cup of soup, a wonton and a cookie. The food could not have been any more fresh and was bursting with flavor. The chicken had just the right amount of breading and was very large pieces. This is by far some of the best chinese food I have had. The service is also very friendly and it is clear the staff and owners care a lot about Golden City. Highly recommend.
(5)Katie H.
Yum! Ordered the general tso chicken, white rice & crab rangoon and I was not disappointed. Definitely enough for two people, great quality sauce and quick delivery. I'm a big fan of Chinese food and this is definitely my new go to!
(5)Rusty M.
I'm giving this 4 stars for what it is...the perfect American Chinese type of food. Generous portions, tasty, etc. I recommend their Hot 'n Sour Soup, Mongolian Beef, and Pot Stickers. I order delivery from these guys about every other month. The best food in this category in the Ballard/Green Lake area. The only with better American style Chinese food is "Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon". That is in Maple Leaf, and worth the drive. I would also recommend "Louie's" in Ballard, but that closed down late last year.
(4)Jacque C.
We're still in mourning over the closure of Louie's on 15th, which was solid and consistently fresh. In searching for a replacement, we decided to try Golden City--based on the average of 3.5 stars on Yelp. The prices were cheap, portions were huge and the service was polite, fast and professional. We ordered the family combo and ended up with three full entrees we had to box up to take home. The problem was, we didn't want to. The fried rice was mediocre. The almond chicken was swimming in a sauce that couldn't mask the taste of the frying oil used to cook the heavy breaded coating. The Mongolian beef was tender but overloaded in onion. The chicken lo mein was overwhelmed by a soy taste, which seemed to be repeated in most if the dishes. Our server was nice and I felt sorry for her that we were her only customers at 7 pm on a Monday night. The place needs a good cleaning as well. I feel bad giving such a low review, but future diners should be aware. Save your money. While not Chinese, we should have punted and gone to Thai Siam on 15th instead where we know we'll have a great meal.
(1)Chelsea M.
Standard issue American Chinese food. Great price and generous portions. It's been totally empty on the restaurant side both times I went in. I've tried their Mongolian beef and garlic chicken combos. Both were good and loaded with fresh garlic and onion. I had the hot and sour soup both times. The first time was a bit funky. It seemed like someone didn't stir the corn starch in all the way so there were gooey clumps. The second time was wonderful. Great texture and strong flavor. The fried rice is a bit disappointing. No veg or real flavor. Just rice with some soy sauce and egg. Overall, it hits the spot.
(4)Jane S.
Really bad potstickers and lo mein. The egg flower soup was good though.
(2)Sam L.
I love the food here. Every time we order it's great and it's consistently so. The only issue I have is the outrageous delivery time. I'm not sure why my experience is different from everyone else's here, but I've never gotten my food faster than 1 hour when I order delivery at 4pm on a Sunday. What's prompted me to write this review is the fact that I've been waiting for an hour and a half and am still waiting for my delivery to arrive. Please tell me your delivery ordering secrets Yelp!
(3)S M.
I love this place. Granted I have never dined-in and have always ordered delivery, but they are 100% consistent. The food is always hot, tasty and delivered super fast. I would probably give them 5 stars but since they took Pho off their menu it's a strong 4. But please, put Pho back on your menu! You were the only ones who delivered that amazing, mouth-watering bowl of deliciousness. Pretty please?!
(4)Opal D.
We had delivery from Golden City. The food was only OK and took much longer to arrive than expected. Their employee who was delivering the food could not figure out how to use the building call box (pretty standard stuff).
(2)Laura M.
I've been going here for a long time and love it. It's not quite a 5 star because I'm not amazed every time I go there, but it's definitely what I frequently crave. On a sick day, I like the egg drop soup. On normal days, I like the egg drop soup. Whenever I go there I typically order the orange peel chicken or the almond fried chicken. The negative reviews on here are not accurately judged - rather a matter of taste.. Or a little sassy, hah! Their service has always been quick for me, food always tasty (fried rice is okay) and they're always kind and funny. If you're wanting panda express or something of the like.... Just stop and come here instead. Much better.
(4)Kim M.
Just ordered some food for delivery from Eat24--I just moved from Capitol Hill to Greenlake, and needed a new delivery Chinese place, so I found this place. It is MUCH better than the place I used to order from. I got some crab cheese wontons, egg rolls, and orange peel chicken. All were lovely. I ordered the orange peel chicken at a mild spiciness level--and it was just the right amount of orange with a hint of spice. I'm a bit of a pansy. The delivery guy was courteous and personable, and came about 35 minutes after submitting my order. The only real downfall to this place is the fact that there's a $20 delivery minimum. (But free delivery after that.)
(4)Clara L.
Crab Wontons. Crab Rangoons. Cheese Wontons. Whatever you call them. I've been looking for crab wontons like these since I moved here a year ago. They are sizeable, crunchy, and the filling is perfect, unlike the wafer-thin, delicate wontons that most other restaurants serve. And you get 8 of them for $5! I used their online ordering service and picked up in person, and they were very courteous and friendly.
(5)Cecilia V.
Best Chinese delivery to the Wallingford area we have found on eat24 & I'm pretty sure we've tried like 4 or 5 other places. Family dinner option with mongolian chicken, black bean beef, & honey walnut prawns (we were thrilled to find these in a dinner combo too !) were huge portions for the price and all pretty good. Really liked the thin slices of garlic in the chicken. Everything was nice and hot because the delivery guy had it in a cooler, smart! No weird meat bits and all was tender. Sure some things were a little bit greasy. But not even anywhere near the point of nastiness like some other places we've tried. It's. Delivery. Chinese... What do you expect, honestly... We will definitely order again and give other things a try next time we feel lazy and crave Chinese.
(4)David N.
Great food for deals. I only come for the lunch menu. They only charge under $8 for a lunch box filled with food. You can't beat lunch for $8! Rice/ fried rice is mediocre.
(4)Sarah L.
I picked up my food and my rice had some sauce on it, I assume it was previously used for other meals. My orange chicken was obviously microwaved to heat it back up, and tough to chew by the time I went to eat it- almost as if someone put it in the microwave for too long. I am disappointed as I have eaten here previously and had an ok experience with their takeout
(1)Chris D.
I am a Chinese food addict, which is strange given I was raised in an Italian family where Chinese was something we did maybe twice a year. If I go much more than a few weeks without having it, I become very, very unhappy with my surroundings. So having said that, imagine the desire... nay, need... to find my "go to" Chinese restaurant after moving to Seattle. Golden City is not that place. The food was overly greasy (I actually prefer it to have *some* grease) and each dish was a slightly different shade of the same color. It seemed like all the ingredients were just a bit past their prime; something confirmed when I uncovered the dish after one night the in the fridge ( yelp.com/biz_photos/Q_Aw… ). Maybe it's just me, but I prefer my food not end up as a brown, muddled mass of mush 24 hours after cooking. Blech.
(2)Charlotte M.
Had the broccoli snow peas and mushrooms , requested that the Vegetables be a little spicy.season to perfection
(4)Courtenay A.
Tasty food, friendly staff, and the fastest delivery service I've ever had (seriously - 21 minutes from order to my door on a Saturday night). Some dishes could use a touch more flavor, but I like that the items are not overly greasy. We've done both dine in and delivery with Golden City, and all of our experiences have been positive. As long as we're living in the area, this is where we'll be getting our Chinese food.
(4)Lauren D.
If you like a good dive bar, this is your place. Beer and a whiskey shot for $6. Juke box. Pool tables. Excellent divey ambiance. Love it!
(5)Krystin T.
I have no idea when or why the concept of "half dive bar half Chinese restaurant" became a thing, but I think I like it. At least, I love dive bars and hey, why not throw in some Chinese, right? My boyfriend and I came here recently with another couple after we all had dinner. The girl in the couple suggested it because she'd apparently been there before. Always down for a dive-y adventure, we were all over it. It's the kind of place that looks like it would be cash-only, but thank goodness it wasn't. There are weird pinball games from the 80s. There's a broken ATM, a few pool tables, and a juke box. Really - what more do you need?! Well, I needed some Shock Top and it was not meant to be. The tap ran out or something right when the bartender tried to serve us our drinks, and she suggested an IPA which is against everything I believe in, so I settled on a Bud Light tallboy while everyone else drank the IPA. And then we played pool, which I actually didn't lose for once. Maybe this place is magical.
(3)Carol H.
They have a new bartender, Dion. ordered a White Russian, she makes the drink then picks up the straw with her grubby little finger that makes change, holds the straw by the part that you put in your mouth. She then proceeds to STIR UP the White Russian and it now looks like a glass of milk. Where the heck did she ever learn to tend bar. You do not mix up White Russians and you do not manhandle the part of the straw the customer puts in their mouth. YETCH I went over and got a new straw.
(2)Zelda E.
Delivery took around 25 minutes from online order placement to my front door!! Singapore noodles, Kung pow chicken, egg roll, hot & sour soup, pot stickers. Everything was excellent. Coming from the Midwest I'm used to disappointing Chinese, so maybe I'm easy to please - but everything was hot (it was delivered to my door in a cooler!) and the egg roll had that crispy just-out-of-the-frier crispy shell. Also, I'm pretty sure the pot stickers were made in-house, the dough was pretty irregular and thick. This alone makes me love this place! So to sum up: cheap, quick, and delicious!
(5)Tom B.
Pretty much a classic no-effort dive in every way, right down to the eccentric barflys and the occasional odd groups of locals trying to dodge the crowds at the big over-popular watering holes nearby. What sets this place apart, and which earns it all two of the stars, is the game room. Two pool tables, ping-pong, Cruisin' USA, and two classic 80s pinball machines--Terminator 2 and Cyclone. This is an easy place to come drink cheap liquor and burn through quarters. No complaints. But don't bother if the games don't matter to you.
(2)Ian A.
This place is actually worth going to the food is good and big portions. Emphasis on big portions! Be careful how you act around the owners they are very much like that old episode of Almost Live with Billy "be like Billy, behave yourself." It is pretty fun and if I still lived in the area I would eat breakfast there. Sometimes a big plate of Chinese noodles and vegetarian is real great first thing in the morning.
(4)Chandra H.
I ordered delivery. I was impressed by the delivery time that was pretty much it on the impressed scale. The Crab Cheese Wontons don't appear to actually contain crab or krab. It's really a tiny bit of cream cheese and the remaining fried wonton. They were A-OK better than some others in Seattle. The Chicken Drumsticks were simply fried chicken drummettes in miniature form. They were okay as well although there were a couple of "legs" made of white meat which made me a little nervous being that legs are traditionally dark meat. Weird. I ordered two LARGE pho tais. We only received one Styrofoam container with broth that was heavy with sweet spices such as ginger, cardamon and cinnamon and a second container with pre-cooked beed (Tai is supposed to infer that it's rare, alas it was not) and enough noodles for one bowl. It was pretty disappointing to have paid for two bowls and received one. The fried rice was possibly the worst fried rice I've had to date. (This being said by someone who's eaten at a Chinese Buffet in the Bryan, TX). It was the BBQ Pork Fried Rice and it was questionable. There were multiple colors going on in the rice, some of it was dark soy brown while other pieces were still jasmine white. Even with that the rice still lacked any flavor and strangely needed soy sauce. The pork could be divided into two categories, squishy yellow pieces of fat and bone dry pieces of pork all of which were only about 3mm in length and height. There was limited if any oil on the rice which is weird because the whole thing with fried rice is that it's day old jasmine cooked in oil with egg, carrots, peas and meat. Even with all of the weird textures it was considerably bland and mostly just awful. Great job on delivery though! The driver was even friendly. Not sure that I'd order from here again though unless they worked on their menu. Also, fairly prices all things considered. For the order with the missing soup it was over $40 which I found disappointing.
(2)Jessica M.
NEVER AGAIN!! My coworkers had warned me against eating here but I did it anyways. The egg drop soup was good but my garlic chicken wasn't. First of all it didn't taste like garlic at all and the chicken was really fatty and tough to chew. Gross! And to top it all off there was hair in my rice. I'm so grossed out I do not recommend this place to anyone. You'd be much better off going to Safeway to get Chinese food from their deli. Gross!
(1)Debbie L.
We've been ordering from here for several years. It's a quick delivery and the food is always hot. Favorites are Chicken & Broccoli, Honey Walnut Prawns and the Fire Plate! Portions are large and give us a few lunches too! It's the best Chinese food for delivery we've found.
(4)Erin M.
This was one of the most disappointing Chinese deliveries we've ever had. The sweet and sour chicken was just small dry bits of over fried chicken with no veggies or rice. The dumplings were just as dry and overcooked and the fried rice was flavorless except for the shrimp that tasted fishy and bad. And to top it all off there was a long dark hair in the rice. We will never order from them again.
(1)