50 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Diego

“This is a gem of a place. First of they have the absolute most adorable little server name Summer. She probably doesn’t know her multiplication table yet but can make you the best dumplings recommendations. Go out of your way to pay this place a visit.“

“Came here on a Thursday around 5pm which was perfect before the rush. For my first time, this place definitely hit the spot! It is not AYCE but rather you pay by lb. You pick out all of your toppings/meat, weigh it, and pick your broth. There is a pound minimum and the price goes by $13.99/lb.

This spot is perfect especially if you don't want to stuff yourself and just choose exactly how much you can eat (hence cheaper than AYCE). On top of that, if you can't finish it, you can take it home!!

The best part is their skewers!!! SOOOO FLAVORFUL! I ordered their gizzard, pork belly, and beef all mild.

All in all, for my first time trying Taiwanese Hot Pot, this would be absolutely perfect on a super cold day/when I'm feeling a little sick. Each bite and sip of the soup felt like a warm hug. 10/10“

“Travelling in the San Diego area, and my wife finds this place. After my previous nights dinner arrangement fail, a pig trough would have been an upgrade. This place was great. Greeted with a smile, food came out fast and was excellent. Mongolian beef and steamed pork dumplings. I could have eaten a 100 of those dumplings. Great value, service and experience.“

“I recently visited Xinjiang BBQ, and it was a fantastic experience! The restaurant has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for a casual night out with friends or family. The staff was friendly and attentive, offering great recommendations and ensuring we had everything we needed.

Food: The menu offers a wide selection of skewers, from classic lamb and chicken to more unique options like grilled prawns and vegetables. The skewers were all grilled to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with flavor. The highlight for me was the lamb skewers, which were seasoned just right and had that authentic smoky taste that’s hard to beat.

The restaurant also serves some great side dishes, like refreshing cucumber salad and crispy flatbread, which complemented the BBQ perfectly. Their homemade dipping sauces were excellent and added an extra layer of flavor to the skewers. If you’re a fan of spicy food, definitely“

“The Chinese food was good!“

“The food is delicious and hospitality is too good.Staff is polite .Main attraction is dancing noodle show.They have robot service for food. must visit this restaurant for at least once🥰😋“

“Wonderful array of dishes. All tasty. Had the scallops with snap peas, ma po tofu, honey walnut shrimp, hot n sour soup, string beans (very flavorful). Wasn’t a bad dish on the table. Gets packed and is a bit noisy. Very accommodating for veggie forward people.“

“The Best Ever Chinese Restaurant I Have Ever Been To. My Tita's Loved It So Mucho!!!! 5 star Rating“

“The place I like to go for authentic Shanghai style soupy dumplings. They also have really amazing red oil won tons in the evening, and the fish and chive boiled dumplings are amazingly tasty. They're always fast to get our order and fast to the table, and the lady we had was very knowledgeable and asked us what we needed continuously. It was really good. They also have an amazing beef noodle soup that has thick, chewy noodles, tender, fall apart beef, and spicy soup.“

“This Chinese restaurant is authentic and delicious with a high spicy level. We ordered some their top pick dishes, like smashed eggplant and century egg, spicy beef entrails, pork bun, and Hunan spicy beef. The eggplant and century egg was their first pick and tasted amazing, especially with rice. The other entrees were great, but I liked the top pick the most. The majority of entrees were highly spicy, but did not serve with rice. Rice was also not unlimited after ordering. Seats could be limited. We came here early, so no need to wait. But there was a long line when we left.

Vegetarian options: Chinese vegetarian dishes like Eggplant and tofu“

“Very nice restaurant with a big menu. The tea had chrysanthemum and goji berries and was delicious. Shanghai rice cakes are always a good option and the dessert sesame balls were tasty. Highly recommend. There's also plenty of parking in this small shopping district.“

“The server was the only one working but she got our order out fast and was so nice. The food was absolutely delicious.“

“Authentic Cantonese BBQ That’s Worth the Wait

The Noble Chef is a traditional Cantonese BBQ restaurant, and it might just be the most popular spot for authentic Cantonese-style roasted meats in the area. With limited seating, it’s clear why this place is in high demand—when we arrived on a Saturday evening at 5:30 PM, we waited for 40 minutes to get a table, which speaks to its popularity.

At the entrance, a glass display showcases the day’s freshly roasted offerings, including BBQ duck, BBQ pork (char siu), and pork knuckles. Once seated, we were promptly served Pu’er tea, and they don’t charge extra for the tea, which is a nice touch!

We ordered the Combination Platter with a choice of three items: BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork, and Royal Yellow Chicken. While the char siu had a bit too much fat for my taste, and the roast duck had a slightly thick layer of fat under the skin, the flavors were spot on! The Royal Yellow Chicken was delicious, especially when paired with the dipping sauce.

We also tried the French-style beef cubes, which were incredibly tender, though the soy sauce flavor was a bit strong. Another standout dish was the Two Mushrooms & Silken Tofu—the tofu was lightly fried, giving it a crispy exterior and a soft, custard-like interior. Paired with enoki and shiitake mushrooms, it was super flavorful and perfect with rice!

The service was attentive, with the staff coming by to replace our plates and clear away bones from the BBQ platter. While the roast meats are excellent, the vegetable dishes are on the pricier side. Given the long wait during peak hours, I’d recommend coming during off-peak times, or opting for takeout or pickup during busy hours to save time.“

“We decided to try a restaurant that we always to try. Lanzhou Noodlelicious is a fantastic place. The food was delicious and flavorful. It's great to see a chef make fresh hand pulled noodles for your dish. Our waiter, who was by himself, was great and answered all our questions about the dishes. He was friendly and work very hard to help all the guest. The Braised Beef Noodle Soup is one of the best I've had in San Diego. The best part is you get to choose the type of noodles you want in your dish. This was a great experience and the food was delicious. We definitely will return for another meal

1. Spicy Hot Oil Noodles
2. Braised Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
3.Chicken And Squid Skewers
4. Steamed buns (mantou)“

“Our server Cam was awesome and food was great! Got to try it. Great dumplings!!!“

“We love this place!! I’d come here every week if I could. Most authentic all you can eat hot pot in San Diego. Their spicy broth is so flavorful - I love that they use tallow instead of vegetable oil. I grew up eating a lot of hot pot in a Chinese household and this is one of my favorite spots in SD.“

“To go buffet review only: I’ve been here several times and swap between the 99 Ranch buffet. Ultimately, Woo quality, portion size is better than 99 even though it’s $2-3 more. Had the beef with broccoli, chicken with mixed veggies. Both very good and tender meat. Rice was good also. So, today not bad as it’s been less satisfying other visits.“

“Just keep in mind I came here on a Monday at 6 PM so we didn't have to wait for a table or battle for parking. This parking lot was not turned into a paid lot try. It's where Chorus and Hive are. It's still fairly new so the menu is slightly limited. We saw photos of dishes on the wall but were told they were not available until next year. The jjajangmyeon was slightly watery. I got the "meat" one so there were strips of grilled pork. My husband got the "spicy" one which was green chili on top. It was not crazy spicy according to him but it was not that painful spicy. We got the chili shrimp and I really liked that. It was crispy, fried jumbo shrimp over with sweet chili sauce on a bed of cabbage. It had enough heat making your lips feel some heat. I liked it even though it's not a fancy dish. If I don't have to come on a busy weekend night I'm down to come back.

Oh just be ready to order on really slow tablets but your order gets through as long you're patient with the tablets. The tables are far enough where you feel like you're not on top of each other like at other restaurants in Convoy.“

“Chinese street food in a sit down environment l, most people come to buy things like the smoked duck neck by the pound( which is amazing by the way)or some seasoned veggies.
For me the star is the skewers any and everything is amazing chose between 5 spice spicy extra spicy or sweet and sour for each it doesn't matter they're all awesome. The staff is friendly and helpful everything is made to order BTW and it comes out hot and fast.“

“We were a party of 11 for lunch and Yummy House worked out great with their large table and lazy Susan.

The food’s amazing and some of the best stir fry I’ve had in San Diego. They aren’t crazy busy for lunch unlike a lot of other restaurants.

The meals are priced reasonably and you get a lot of food.

Definitely recommend Yummy House and can’t wait to go back.“

“I wish I had the time to try each and every dish…what devoured was absolutely amazingly delicious“

“The best place in San Diego for tasty, authentic dim sum from push-carts!🥰😀“

“Second time visiting, this time for family's birthdays! 🎂

A little on the pricier end for a hot pot place, but overall still a wonderful experience. They really capture that authentic Chinese style, and I can speak personally being first generation.

The portions are decent and the quality of the items are very high! There are even some more exotic choices (pig brain, goose intestine, wagyu) you won't find at others. There is also a paid sauce bar ($3 per person, all must pay) and an area with free snacks next to it. As always I picked the tomato broth with bone broth as the secondary. The method of delivery here is similar to most others, but they have you fill out a large form for your requested items (you'll see it in other reviews) and they will be brought over. Some of my favorites would have to be the quail eggs, cuttlefish, and money pouch (left out the red meats since those are obvious choices). They also have something called the Kung Fu cucumber that's basically one that has gone though a mandolin and presented nicely.

My only complaints would be that they don't let you split the flavor broths into more than two per table. Also there are only two non-spicy flavors and I believe there were three different spicy levels for the hot one, some more flavors would have been nice.

The parking is also painful as the shopping areas nearby have started hiring guards to watch customers to make sure they only enter those stores and not to cross the street etc.

Sadly I forgot to take some photos myself, but I trust the photo gallery on Google will be more than satisfactory. Definitely try this place at least once! One of the best food sites on Convoy for sure.

Vegetarian options: It's a hot pot place! Sadly vegetarians aren't really their target audience, but the broth choice can have no meat and you can pick the items that work for you.

Parking: It's Convoy, it's gonna be bad unless you get lucky

Wheelchair accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible“

“Well organized, very clean. You order on a little screen and have many options to choose from. Tasty food and seasoned well! Very satisfied I recommend“

“Finding parking was a bit of a hassle. The lot was full and we had to park almost into the next lot. Our reservations were for 430 on a weekend, so adjust accordingly.

We reserved a handicap accessible table but they didn't seem to know this. We had to stress 2x that we needed a table, not a booth.

We got our drinks promptly and they were very good.

We got the lettuce wraps as an appetizer and it was great to share and tasted fresh.

We got 2 main entrees and 2 sides of rice. The entrees were great. The rice was awful. Overcooked and tasted old.

We got the large peice of chocolate cake for dessert. It tasted great but was huge and we were unable to finish it. For $15 a slice, you definitely get your money's worth for it.

Our table was slightly sticky and covered in fingerprints and marks, and our soy sauce was empty. It took some time to get a waitresses attention to get a refill.

Parking: Parking lot is very full

Wheelchair accessibility: Restaurant is wheelchair accessible“

“delicious food! all of it“

“This is our comfort restaurant in San Diego. Whenever I’m feeling down, I come to K Cuisine. It just has such a cozy vibe - it’s never that busy so we always sit in the same table, the server is super nice and always has a smile on her face, and the food is like a warm home-cooked meal. Our favorites are the bossam, soondae, and soups. Their hot pot is also great but keep in mind it’s a big portion and meant for maybe 3 people. Also if you’ve never tried Terra before, get it! It’s my favorite light beer ever since I first tried it here.“

“Bomb food 🥘 clean dining area good service“

“Deliciously flavorful. I ordered hand torned noodles with beef in mild spicy. Has the kick of spice without the stress. I was curious about the pork burger with the white bang - that was good too!

Noodles are soft, fresh, and chewy. Must come again.“

“Phenomenal soup! Loved the amount of spice and the flavor was top notch. Good amount of beef. Very tender. I got the Braised Beef bowl and was only sad that my giant spoon couldn’t get the last drop of broth at the bottom ;)
Might want to keep your napkin tucked into your shirt, splashing might show on ur shirt.“

“I was really craving a warm soup and decided to order pho on DoorDash from Saigon (Loving Hut). The pho was good and had a decent amount of tofu and vegan meats. It was also a large portion, which I was able to turn into two meals. I also ordered a passion fruit tea, and it was refreshing, especially with the saltier soup. The only letdown was the coconut cake; it had an odd texture (almost like wet play dough?), though flavor-wise, it was fine.“

“The food was really good! Bursting with flavor. I marked it down to 4-stars because I felt that their prices are too high. Maybe if the portions were bigger they could justify the high prices, but their dinner meal portions are standard 16oz takeout cartons with a small white rice.“

“I like this food hub. The multiple ordering kiosks are easy to use but can be hard to see when the sun is behind you.

Food comes out in a good timely order, and the hub offers a good variety of food vendors. There is very little outside seating, so the majority of the time, food is to go or deliver.“

“Tried the new Hot Honey Chicken- BOMB 🧑🏾‍🍳 👌🏽💋 EVERYTHING WAS BUUUTHIIINN! 🔥 🤓“

“I brought my friends here today and tried their signature dishes, Lion's Head and Boiled Dried Shredded Vegetables. I've never eaten such authentic Chinese food. I highly recommend this restaurant. Their Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables is very authentic. After the meal, I said hello to their chef and gave me some glutinous rice balls.“

“It was my first time trying Hot Pot, the food was excellent. The experience was also great. Lots of options and everything was fresh.“

“My father turned 82 today and picked Pick Up Stix for his birthday meal. When my mother went to pay, Jack (the cashier) noticed that my mother had a retired military dependent identification. (My father served 23 years in the US Navy) He told her that they qualified for a military discount, Jack didn't have to do that, but he did and I am really appreciative. My folks are on a fixed income and every break on their budget helps. Thanks Jack! Truly awesome!“

“I moved away from San Diego in 2017 and their salt and pepper tofu is the one meal I miss the most 😂 Sooo good“

“Just an all around good Chinese Restaurant. Food portions were large and quite tasty. On the dishes that are spicy you can ask them to turn down the spiciness or shut it out completely, they were happy to do so. Friendly staff make the place a hidden gem

Vegetarian options: You can ask for no meat in your dish, no eggs in your fried rice and let's face it the meal is mostly vegetables anyways

Parking: It's in a strip mall so you get what you find. Its never been an issue and there is handicap parking as well.“

“Another hiding Chinese restaurant I haven’t tried was just around the corner. The first thing that caught my eye was the Roast Duck ?, although dry, I was looking for the sauce for it but there was none. My main go to was crispy friend noodles , I got the combination one , the combo was great but didn’t see much vegetables in it. My favorite that evening was the beef chow fun. I’m not a fan of fat noodles but this one ☝️ was good. Overall the food was great! I would like to try the other recipes. Go there and and bring your friends to try ?“

“super nice place, the food is delicious!!! the attention's nice !!! 👍👍“

“Loved all the fresh vegetables in my hot pot! Some were new to me. Delicious food and great variety. Friendly place and clean.“

“This is our second time eating here and it tastes as delicious as the first! If I could give this place ten stars I would! The food is made fresh by order! It does take 15 to 20 minutes to prepare but the freshness makes it so worth it! The portions are good as well. There is a waiting area for you to sit while you wait for your food but everything is take out. The service is good! Everyone is nice. Everything is so savory it’s almost hard to stop eating!“

“This place has been open for decades & is one of the best! Great lunch specials & always fresh food. Their wonton soup is a hit or miss, sometimes there’s not that many wontons, more broth than anything but it’s so delicious! Definitely recommend it!“

“Says Chinese food but also has Thai food but a bunch of Vietnamese writing. Red curry is spicy. They included tail on for shrimp in the curry. Kung pao chicken was crispy and had a nice amount of heat. Pork and Chinese broccoli was good. Thai noodles with beef needs improvement and more beef. They didn’t include rice with my curry and wanted to charge $2.75 for some which is absurd. Parking lot in back“

“Fried garlic pork with steamed rice 😍“

“I noticed Spicy House serves Da Pan Ji (Big Plate Chicken) for just over $20, so I decided to try it along with Dongpo Pork, salted egg yolk tofu, and scallion pancakes—dishes my dad loves. Everything was delicious and great value!

The tofu was super flavorful and perfect with rice, the pork was tender and not greasy, and the Da Pan Ji was a huge portion with wide noodles, making it an incredible deal. Only the scallion pancake was average. My dad loved the meal, and with four of us eating, we still had leftovers!“

“A friend and I decided to try this place for lunch.
The server was Excellent. I think her name was Jenny. My friend had Orange Chicken.
It was a large portion and the lunch came with either Egg Flower soup or Hot & Sour.
Both were very good.
It also came with delicious Egg Rolls, crispy Won Tons as well as steamed or fried rice.
I had Pork Egg Foo Young and it was Excellent.
Hard to find Egg Foo Young on menus.
Extremely clean and pleasant atmosphere.
I can hardly wait to go back and try other items on their large lunch menu.“

“Came here recently with a large group and was very impressed. All the food was delicious and came out very quickly. Excellent dim sum options and dinner dishes. Will come again when I visit again!“

“What a bargain for lunch! I was in the mood for lo mein and came upon this restaurant in my search in the area.
I didn't know how much their lunch special were until I sat down and looked at their menu. Wow! You cannot beat $11 for lunch these days and the food was served on a huge platter! I almost laughed when the waitress brought it out to the table.

This is a small restaurant with a few small patio tables in front. It was a weekday and it wasn't busy. The cashier/waitress was really friendly and nice. She had a ready smile for everyone who came in.

I wanted shrimp lo mein for lunch but only chicken or pork lo mein were on the lunch menu. I paid $2 more for shrimp and there were a lot in my dish. It was really good.
The side salad was plain and just mainly iceberg lettuce but the egg roll was good.“