Best Chinese food I’ve ever had!!!So fresh and tastefulVery clean, smelled pleasant, friendly staff and large portions!!Would highly recommend this place ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Noodles
Marcello Forconi
It is a small, family restaurant in a shopping mall. Old-style restaurant room, plastic forks (but chopsticks are there too), and a few selected options on the menu. But the food? Delicious (and with generous portions too)!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
John Berry
One of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. The food was delicious. The spicy beef soup was great and so was the pork dish. Huge portions. Definitely going back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Beef Soup
Natasha
We ordered the fried noodles with beef, string beans, and half of a Peking duck. The flavors are outstanding and the portion sizes are large. Small side dishes (like Korean banchan) are brought out prior to the entrees. Expect to eat family style. We are definitely coming back. What a gem!
The Mapo Tofu looked good as did the Spicy Shrimp, but were so salty we couldn't taste the food at all! My tongue went numb from too much salt, I can't even fathom what the cook was thinking. As a result, we will not be eating there again. Might just as well eat spoonfuls of table salt. No exaggeration, it was truly awful.
Nathanael P.
This is an authentic restaurant located in West Ashley area. They serve a variety of Chinese cuisine and dishes that are difficult to track down at most Chinese restaurants in this area. I ordered the Yuxiang eggplant, Haven Shrimp, and Sweet and sour chicken. The sweet and sour chicken was crispy and had a flavorful sauce. The haven shrimp was fried shrimp tossed in onion and seasonings, a very unique dish and would be perfect for people who enjoy fried shrimp. The yuxiang eggplant was my favorite, braised eggplant in a sweet and sour sauce and goes perfect with rice. I ordered takeout, but the waitress was kind and helpful, service was great. There are plenty of tables to sit at, and i would not hesitate to bring friends here to enjoy some authentic Chinese food.
Sue G.
Excellent authentic Chinese food. The food is served piping hot and is delicious. This is not your typical Chinese food restaurant n the States. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, this is the place. Atmosphere is nothing to speak of but the food is terrificVegetarian options: green beans, cauliflower, eggplant, tofuParking: in a strip mall with plenty of parking
I am leaving a review because of the quality and authenticity of the food at Old Li’s. I have eaten here a few times and would recommend to anyone who is looking for traditional Sichuan cuisine and who can handle a little heat. Excellent. I will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gordon Holmes
The lychee meat and dumplings were absolutely outstanding and the service was quick and courteous. Only disappointment is that my wife and I didn't find this place before we were about to move.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Polander
King pao chicken was weird. They used cucumber instead of celery and the sauce had a sweetness to it. The chicken tasted like it was cooked in a crock pot. The hot sour soup was plenty hot but had no vinegar in it. I didn’t eat much of the food. Just paid the bill and left.
The best thing about the place is the portions. The price is not cheap, but it is a great deal when you see the portions. Easy to share and have plenty. That Mafo Tofu or whatever it was called was excellent. Very soft tofu with great spice to it. The green beans would have been perfect other than too salty. We got the dumpling soup as well. Next time i will probably just get the dumplings but it was good and you got at least 6 and I think it was even more than that. We ordered too much for the 3 of us. They also served Tapas beforehand that were free. Spiced Cucumber, Kimchee, and something else that was very good. Our family really loved all 3 items and would come back for that and the Tofu. The service was lovely. Enjoyed our experience and I will be back.
STORM ON 3
Wow, The hot & Sour soup is ridiculously GOOD. It's got a kick, but if your feeling a little under the weather this will do the trick, or even if you're not sick the soup is amazing!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mr. Smallberries
I am not intending hyperbole when I write this - Old Li's is among the best Asian food I have ever eaten.First, just the white rice was perfect. It was sticky enough for eating with chopsticks as intended and held its form with sauces. It came with the sweet and sour ribs we ordered. Those were amazing! Fried to tender perfection and lightly glazed. Very good!We also ordered the beef noodles. The noodles were just the right texture with excellent flavor. The cuts of beef were tender and not at all stringy or grisly as one sometimes finds in Asian cuisine. Again, absolutely wonderful!The best thing about Old Li's is a kind of hidden thing - this is obviously a family owned and operated restaurant. So, the chef who made my dinner likely prepares food most, if not all, of the time. So, one can expect the same, consistent level of culinary performance whenever they may visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan D.
Food was freshly prepared but otherwise forgettable. Good chicken egg rolls. Very mid dumplings. Texture and flavor off. Sauce way too heavy on vinegar. Kung pao bland and not enough chicken. Noodles bland. Even for takeout/delivery disappointing.
John B.
Frankly, my expectations weren't that high even after I discovered this place did make some vegetarian dishes. And it's one of those strip mall joints that has nothing like the atmosphere you'd get in the hip part of Charleston. However, what I received was an excellent quality tea, some complimentary vegetable side dishes, and a bangin' ma po tofu. Of the cold sides, the cabbage was extremely spicy (but good), the radish (I think) offered a nice crunchy contrast in textures, and the cucumber was not for me. My ma po tofu had visible fermented broad beans, dried chilis, and sichuan peppercorns, the proper ingredients which yielded a complex, ineffable flavor. Unfortunately had some broccoli in there too, which is neither Chinese nor good, but I picked it out and still had a good lunch and got out of there for under $20 with tip. I wasn't thrilled that they had little plastic forks, and I wish they offered more than one tofu dish (though there were interesting vegetables), but relative to any reasonable standard, this is as good quality food as I could possibly expect to find in this sort of place.
Best Chinese food I’ve ever had!!!So fresh and tastefulVery clean, smelled pleasant, friendly staff and large portions!!Would highly recommend this place ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Noodles
It is a small, family restaurant in a shopping mall. Old-style restaurant room, plastic forks (but chopsticks are there too), and a few selected options on the menu. But the food? Delicious (and with generous portions too)!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
One of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. The food was delicious. The spicy beef soup was great and so was the pork dish. Huge portions. Definitely going back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Beef Soup
We ordered the fried noodles with beef, string beans, and half of a Peking duck. The flavors are outstanding and the portion sizes are large. Small side dishes (like Korean banchan) are brought out prior to the entrees. Expect to eat family style. We are definitely coming back. What a gem!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Peking Duck Half, Fried Noodles, String Beans
The Mapo Tofu looked good as did the Spicy Shrimp, but were so salty we couldn't taste the food at all! My tongue went numb from too much salt, I can't even fathom what the cook was thinking. As a result, we will not be eating there again. Might just as well eat spoonfuls of table salt. No exaggeration, it was truly awful.
This is an authentic restaurant located in West Ashley area. They serve a variety of Chinese cuisine and dishes that are difficult to track down at most Chinese restaurants in this area. I ordered the Yuxiang eggplant, Haven Shrimp, and Sweet and sour chicken. The sweet and sour chicken was crispy and had a flavorful sauce. The haven shrimp was fried shrimp tossed in onion and seasonings, a very unique dish and would be perfect for people who enjoy fried shrimp. The yuxiang eggplant was my favorite, braised eggplant in a sweet and sour sauce and goes perfect with rice. I ordered takeout, but the waitress was kind and helpful, service was great. There are plenty of tables to sit at, and i would not hesitate to bring friends here to enjoy some authentic Chinese food.
Excellent authentic Chinese food. The food is served piping hot and is delicious. This is not your typical Chinese food restaurant n the States. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, this is the place. Atmosphere is nothing to speak of but the food is terrificVegetarian options: green beans, cauliflower, eggplant, tofuParking: in a strip mall with plenty of parking
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: String Beans, Shrimp Fried Rice
I am leaving a review because of the quality and authenticity of the food at Old Li’s. I have eaten here a few times and would recommend to anyone who is looking for traditional Sichuan cuisine and who can handle a little heat. Excellent. I will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The lychee meat and dumplings were absolutely outstanding and the service was quick and courteous. Only disappointment is that my wife and I didn't find this place before we were about to move.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
King pao chicken was weird. They used cucumber instead of celery and the sauce had a sweetness to it. The chicken tasted like it was cooked in a crock pot. The hot sour soup was plenty hot but had no vinegar in it. I didn’t eat much of the food. Just paid the bill and left.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
The best thing about the place is the portions. The price is not cheap, but it is a great deal when you see the portions. Easy to share and have plenty. That Mafo Tofu or whatever it was called was excellent. Very soft tofu with great spice to it. The green beans would have been perfect other than too salty. We got the dumpling soup as well. Next time i will probably just get the dumplings but it was good and you got at least 6 and I think it was even more than that. We ordered too much for the 3 of us. They also served Tapas beforehand that were free. Spiced Cucumber, Kimchee, and something else that was very good. Our family really loved all 3 items and would come back for that and the Tofu. The service was lovely. Enjoyed our experience and I will be back.
Wow, The hot & Sour soup is ridiculously GOOD. It's got a kick, but if your feeling a little under the weather this will do the trick, or even if you're not sick the soup is amazing!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
I am not intending hyperbole when I write this - Old Li's is among the best Asian food I have ever eaten.First, just the white rice was perfect. It was sticky enough for eating with chopsticks as intended and held its form with sauces. It came with the sweet and sour ribs we ordered. Those were amazing! Fried to tender perfection and lightly glazed. Very good!We also ordered the beef noodles. The noodles were just the right texture with excellent flavor. The cuts of beef were tender and not at all stringy or grisly as one sometimes finds in Asian cuisine. Again, absolutely wonderful!The best thing about Old Li's is a kind of hidden thing - this is obviously a family owned and operated restaurant. So, the chef who made my dinner likely prepares food most, if not all, of the time. So, one can expect the same, consistent level of culinary performance whenever they may visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was freshly prepared but otherwise forgettable. Good chicken egg rolls. Very mid dumplings. Texture and flavor off. Sauce way too heavy on vinegar. Kung pao bland and not enough chicken. Noodles bland. Even for takeout/delivery disappointing.
Frankly, my expectations weren't that high even after I discovered this place did make some vegetarian dishes. And it's one of those strip mall joints that has nothing like the atmosphere you'd get in the hip part of Charleston. However, what I received was an excellent quality tea, some complimentary vegetable side dishes, and a bangin' ma po tofu. Of the cold sides, the cabbage was extremely spicy (but good), the radish (I think) offered a nice crunchy contrast in textures, and the cucumber was not for me. My ma po tofu had visible fermented broad beans, dried chilis, and sichuan peppercorns, the proper ingredients which yielded a complex, ineffable flavor. Unfortunately had some broccoli in there too, which is neither Chinese nor good, but I picked it out and still had a good lunch and got out of there for under $20 with tip. I wasn't thrilled that they had little plastic forks, and I wish they offered more than one tofu dish (though there were interesting vegetables), but relative to any reasonable standard, this is as good quality food as I could possibly expect to find in this sort of place.