How Many Chinese Restaurants Are There in the US?
Over 36,000 Chinese restaurants exist in the United States according to Restaurantji. More than a third of restaurants (37,3%) are located in just four states – California (13,8%), New York (10,7%), Texas (6,8%), and Florida (6%). The states with the least amount of Chinese restaurants are South Dakota, Wyoming, and North Dakota – they only have 150 restaurants combined.
A vast majority of Chinese restaurants in the US are reasonably priced - over 34,000 of them (95,3%) are in the $ to $$ price range. The largest Chinese food chain in the US is Panda Express, with over 2300 locations across the county. This is nearly 6% of all Chinese restaurants and 75% of all Chinese restaurant chains. P.F. Chang's, Pei Wei, and Hibachi Grill are among other known Chinese restaurant chains.
How Chinese Food Became Popular in the US?
It all started in 1849 in San Francisco, California, where the first known US Chinese restaurant - Canton Restaurant - opened. Chinese food places across California were called "chow chow houses" and became popular because of their taste and low prices. During the 1920s, chop suey restaurants were seen as a cool way for Californians to spend an evening out — despite the fact chop suey wasn't real Chinese food. It was invented in America by Chinese immigrants, and means, funny enough, something like "leftovers."
A survey by the National Restaurant Association showed that in 1989, Chinese food was eaten more often than 19 other types of food, according to Yong Chen’s essay "The Rise of Chinese Food in the United States".
Why Do Americans Love Chinese Food?
Chinese food is very popular in the US for many reasons. One of them is the different cooking methods like stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, boiling, roasting, and braising. Another is seasonings and spices that make Chinese food full of its unique taste. Popular ingredients include soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce, star anise, five-spice powder, and Sichuan peppercorns. The various cooking styles and lots of spices are why people love Chinese cuisine so much. One of the most well-liked dishes is Kung Pao Chicken - over 90% of all Chinese restaurants in the US have it on their menus.
8 Culinary Traditions Of Chinese Cuisines
Cantonese (Guangdong) - With access to the coast, this cuisine makes great use of imported foods and fresh seafood along with almost all edible meats except lamb and goat. It's known for dim sum, barbecued meats like char siu pork, and clear broths. Wok cooking techniques are prominent.
Fujian - Influenced by its coastal, mountainous terrain, this cuisine frequently uses seafood, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and other woodland ingredients. It emphasizes umami flavors in light yet flavorful dishes like the lavish Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup made with many expensive delicacies.
Jiangsu - With several distinct styles like Huaiyang and Yangzhou, this cuisine is prized for exquisite cooking techniques that keep meats tender yet firm. It's also celebrated for artistic plate presentations of dishes like sweet and sour squirrel-shaped fish.
Anhui - Though similar to Jiangsu cuisine, Anhui style puts less emphasis on seafood and more on locally grown herbs, vegetables, and distinct dishes like stinky tofu (fermented and deep-fried tofu) and smelly mandarin fish cooked in a spicy bean sauce.
Shandong - An influential northern cuisine with two main styles - the light seafood-based Jiaodong style and the soup-based Jinan style that gives broths a central role. Classic Shandong dishes include braised chicken, sea cucumber and the original moo shu pork.
Sichuan - Renowned for its bold, uncompromising flavors and use of Sichuan peppercorns that create a unique mouth-numbing sensation. This fiery cuisine also makes liberal use of preserved ingredients like pickles and salted items in popular spicy classics like mapo tofu and kung pao chicken.
Hunan - Like Sichuan food, Hunan cuisine is famous for being intensely hot and spicy, generously using chili peppers, garlic and shallots. However, the heat is purely spicy rather than mouth-numbing. With many agricultural specialties, it creates distinctly fragrant, fiery yet humble home-style dishes.
Zhejiang - Generally lighter and fresher, this coastal cuisine features four main styles utilizing abundant seafood and ingredients like bamboo shoots and Jinhua ham. It's known for steamed, braised and drunken seafood dishes, beggar's chicken and soupy xiao long bao dumplings.
Most Popular Chinese Dishes in The US
Restaurantji analyzed hundreds of thousands of user reviews from Chinese restaurant pages to find out which American-Chinese dishes people talk about most positively. And here are the results we came up with:
Orange Chicken - no wonder this particular dish was among the leaders in mentions in positive reviews. Orange chicken originated as a simple stir-fry with a citrus-flavored sauce made from orange peels in Guangdong, China. When Chinese immigrants opened restaurants in America, the dish evolved to cater to American tastes. Chefs started deep frying the chicken and creating sweeter, thicker sauces. This led to the development of the crispy, sweet orange chicken dish that became immensely popular in Chinese-American restaurants.
Panda Express reported selling over 65 million pounds of its iconic orange chicken dish in 2013 alone, showing how popular this dish became with Americans.
Here are some of the best spots across the country to try Orange Chicken yourself:
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Asian • Egg Drop Soup - Egg drop soup has been around for a very long time, but its origins are quite sophisticated. In imperial Cantonese courts, it was a way for chefs to showcase their skills by swirling eggs into a clear broth made with rooster and Jinhua ham to create a flower-like gelatin texture.
The name "egg drop soup" comes from the way it's made - dropping beaten eggs into hot broth or stock. In Chinese, it's called "egg flower soup" because the swirling egg creates flowery patterns. It is made from eggs, chicken broth or stock, rooster meat, Jinhua ham, and seasonings like salt, white pepper and sesame oil.
Some of the best restaurants offering Egg Drop Soup:
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Chinese • Wonton Soup - Wontons have been around since the Qing Dynasty in China. Originally a dish for rich families, wonton soup became more common after World War II. It is now a very popular Chinese dish eaten all over the states, with many different versions.
Wonton soup is served by first placing a spoon in the bowl, then wontons, garnishes like green onions, and noodles stacked on top. Hot broth is then poured over everything. Some restaurants serve the wontons and noodles separately from the broth so you can eat them individually if you prefer.
Restaurantji suggests these restaurants to try Wonton Soup:
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Buffet • Chicken Fried Rice - Fried rice has been around since the Sui dynasty in China from 589-618 AD. It was created as a practical way to use up leftover cooked rice. People would stir-fry the leftover rice with whatever other ingredients they had on hand, like vegetables, meat, and soy sauce. The version called golden fried rice gets its yellow color from mixing the rice with egg yolks before stir-frying it. Fried rice was originally made to prevent wasting food by using up leftovers.
Visit these places to try the good old Chicken Fried Rice yourself:
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Caribbean • General Tso's Chicken – General Tso’s Chicken is a tasty mix of sweet, savory, spicy and tangy flavors with crispy fried chicken pieces. It's a super popular Chinese takeout dish that hits all the right spots!
The name comes from the Hunan province of China and a respected military leader called General Tso. But some people say it may have actually been brought to the US by Taiwanese chefs.
Either way, we know it became one of the most beloved Chinese foods in America, because of crispy chicken coated in a sticky, spicy, savory sauce
These places pop up the most when talking about a perfect General Tso's Chicken:
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Chinese • Fortune Cookies Come from Japanese Immigrants
Fortune cookies are associated with Chinese-American restaurants, but their roots trace back to Japanese immigrants. At the rise of chop suey restaurants popularity in the 1920s-1930s, many Japanese immigrants also owned the restaurants. In 1914 in California, a Japanese-American owned tea garden started to hand out cookies with “thank you” notes tucked inside.
Most "Chinese" or "Asian" Salads Were Invented in America.
Jennifer 8. Lee, the writer and producer of the documentary "The Search for General Tso", says that Chinese chicken salad and other so called "Asian" salads were born in the US, not in Asian cuisines. Chinese people usually cook their greens rather than eat them raw in salads. The word "Chinese" is often used in the US for dishes that don’t have Chinese origins. Chinese people refer to their cuisine as just "food" with no need to specify it as “Chinese”.
Take-Out Containers Are Also an American Invention.
American-Chinese take-out food is often associated with the red-and-white paper cartons with a picture of a pagoda on them. Well, these containers are about as American as it gets. Originally called "paper pails", they were invented by Frederick Weeks Wilcox in 1894 in Chicago. In the 1970s, a designer from Fold-Pak, a company that made these paper pails, added iconic red pagoda artwork and "thank you" lettering that is now strongly associated with these containers.
Must-Try Restaurants
“Very good food and service. The shrimp fry rice and Singapore rice was excellent. Our friends also had the drunken pork ribs which were tender and tasty.”
“Had the best first time at PFChangs , our server was Cal. He was very attentive and helpful when it came to entree decisions. He definitely knew the menu...”
“Very legit place! Super yummy and great fresh food. My favorite were the bulgogi fries!”
“Delicious food, I'm glad it is self service for building your bowl. Bone broth medium spicy is pretty good but beware, pretty spicy as well. My frie...”
“Very disappointing. Haven't being here in a long time. The food was tasteless and they dilute so much their soy sauce that it has no taste. Bad rice...”
“Had a medium A4 - Beef Tripe, Spleen, radish, rice noodles. Added fried dumplings. Perfect on a cold winter day. Great experience in NYC Chinatown. Price...”
“Good amount of food and their fish tasted really good! Service was good and attentive as well.”
“Have been to many PF Changs. One of my go to: Spicy Chicken was not as flavorful as usual so a little disappointing but was still good. Service from Me...”
“Food was delicious. Service was quick and our server Gage was amazing very attentive.”
“The food is amazing! Shared the chicken udon, scallion pancakes, beef lo mein and udon and everything was perfection! We had a super nice waitress, Amy, ...”
“Reyansh was attentive and served food with a smile. Ambience and the food were great!
Vegetarian options: Good options.”
“Note: Juqi is located inside the Tangram mall. Wow, this place is incredible. Came for lunch on a Sunday and our party of 4 only waited for about 20 mins...”
“We just had an early dinner and the food was exceptional.
Amy was our server and she is stellar.Kind,attentive and professional,very easy to com...”
“The Plano location had fast service and the food was super good!! The portions are large and the service is amazing! We got the soup for two and it was m...”
“This was my first time here and my expectations were met! The people are extremely friendly and being open till 12 was a great surprise. Will definitely ...”
Recently Opened Restaurants
“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 so...”
“Authentic sichuan cuisine. Pricy, but excellent. Service is great, food is excellent. Pricy though.”
“Amazing food and amazing service! Soup dumplings made to order! Super friendly staff!”
“Best orange chicken from Panda in Central NJ. Crispy, fresh, not as sweet and more chicken than breading. Also best Kung Pao chicken: spicy and more chic...”
“My first time today so nice to have a place close to home finally! Loved everything literally 10/10 for sure my go to from now on!”
“Food was fantastic! Service was horrible - we finally got seated then got totally ignored - a party that sat down got their food before we even got spoke...”
“The open kitchen design is really cool and you can see and hear the chefs making fresh noodles by hand. The dumplings, buns and shredded potato salad we...”
“I’ve heard mixed things about this place. I was a little hesitant to give it a go but I went to dinner here because some friends I was meeting with sugge...”
“Overall, the food was delicious! But it is clear that the restaurant can improve on a few dishes plus its service.
Of the dishes that ...”
“My husband and I made a reservation for 5 PM on a Sunday night. Showed up early with only three tables taken at the time. You would think I could choose ...”
“We had a superb Peking Duck, and the slicing and presentation were a particularly wonderful experience. The sides - especially the scallion pancakes - an...”
“Amazing as always! Great sichuan, everything I've had has been fantastic. Don't sleep on the soup dumplings.”
“Food was ok. Small portions. Be aware of can't redeem dough zone gift card in this location.”
“don't eat here. waited 20 minutes on the waiting list even though half the restaurant was empty. got our ordere of Xiao long baos but had to ask for...”
“Very flavorful, amazing portion sizes for the price. The lo-mein wasn’t oily, it was well done. The fried rice could’ve used a little more flavor, but th...”
Recent Reviews
“this is a great place to eat its little on the inside food is good”
“Best Chinese food by far in Coral Springs. Always fast delivery at very fair prices.”
“I love the food! The owners are super nice too”
“Egg rolls very good and Lo main very good”
“My husband and I love this place. The variety of food makes it so worth it!”
“love their food...”
“ordered spicy shrimp lo mein and received something w chicken and peanuts in it. what if i had a peanut allergy? I ordered wonton soup and the broth was ...”
“Food is very good. Area is clean. Could use a little outdoor improvement at the front of the building facing Noland RD to make it more appealing. May...”
“Not sure how Donna got that they are closed permanently, they are not. At times they take longer vacations to visit family, but they are open and serve g...”
“Portions are big. I couldn't taste anything, literally tasteless. I ordered Double Delight with cashews which is chicken and shrimp but all I ate wa...”
“I love potstickers, but more often than not they dont have them here because the staff is too lazy to make them. Today they were alos out of soy sauce. ...”
“When we order takeout from Red House, they always go over it to make sure it's complete and specific requests are followed. Food is always deliciou...”
“Had dinner there recently. Wait me was reasonable for a table. Wait time to get our food was not reasonable at all. Took at least 45 minutes or more. ...”
“Love the food. Favorite Chinese restaurant by far.”
“We had Valentines dinner here tonight and this was our first visit and everything was great”
Recently Updated Menus
“Feels like the safest happy wok in Rockford, food quality is great, same classic taste that I had when I was a kid. My go to happywok”
“Stumbled upon this place looking for Chinese food. Food was prepared upon ordering. Each dish was absolutely flavorful. Best Lomein and Hot and Sour Soup...”
“Never once had a good experience with this restaurant. Buffet food is always old. Food ordered to go is bland. I've given this place so many chances...”
“I ordered beef fried rice and there was no beef meat in my rice, but it was pretty cheap though.”
“Staff was nice but the food was awful. It lacks any sort of flavors you would expect from American Chinese food. The food was worse than a microwavable v...”
“Have ordered take-out twice from this restaurant in the Big Lots/Aldi Plaza in Hamburg - and it's not your typical bad Chinese strip mall take-out. ...”
“The past 3 times we got food from here it was terrible! The egg rolls were soooo over cooked. You couldn't even bite them. They were so dark "...”
“Every time I get take out. My containers are always busting at the seams with delicious food. Favorite Chinese place hands down”
“This pupu will not get repeat business from me. Everything is either tough or mushy, and the portion is ridiculously small. Don't waste your money. ...”
“My spot food is awesome
Vegetarian options: Awesome veggie anything they do great fried rice lo mein chop suey
Park...”
“Food is decent, more a take out then dine in place for sure
Vegetarian options: None
Kid-friendliness: Not a place ...”
“Their food is always carefully prepared and delicious!! I think they're the best Chinese food in the Upper Perkiomen Valley.
Park...”
“This place has THE BEST beef and broccoli ? ever from east to the west it’s here in the Midwest ! The beef is tender and the broccoli cooked to perfectio...”
“This is the place people. The best Chinese food in southern Washington located in Battle Ground Wa.. excellent food and service wonderful people...
“Just delicious! Shrimp egg foo young and put up platter, and white rice cooked just right.”
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I didn’t know she was the owner but my god I asked her why I always got front row she told me I was special she is amazing I had no idea she could sing and I loved this place before I knew the food is amazing the service is amazing give your business to this place