The Best Chinese Restaurant in Every State

Mr. Chen has all the Chinese-American classics like General Tso’s chicken and egg foo young down pat, but its real specialty is authentic Chinese dishes like beef stew in hot pot, whole fish in black bean sauce, and mapo tofu; the adventurous can even order crispy intestines and basil pig feet. (There are also a few traditional Korean dishes on offer.)

Charlie’s isn’t just a great Chinese restaurant; it’s also one of Anchorage’s best bakeries. This frequent “Best of Alaska” winner in the Anchorage Daily News is beloved for its wide variety of dim sum, including jewel-like har gao and several varieties of housemade shu mai, but their cakes, breads, and traditional Chinese pastries like egg tarts are worthy of renown all their own.

Guests at this unassuming Chandler restaurant are in for a show, as five varieties of Lanzhou-style noodles are hand-pulled in full view. They’re put to good use in dishes like noodles with roast pork sauce and braised noodles with sesame paste. Appetizers like Hong Kong-style deep fried buns and Fuzhou-style fish ball soup are a great way to start the meal.

The warm and welcoming Szechuan House in Springdale covers all the bases, from a generous weekday lunch special to specialties like smoked duck, noodles with spicy minced pork sauce, and even sautéed pig kidneys. Those looking for a true taste of regional Chinese cooking can opt for a variety of hot pots and pickled pepper dishes.

Tucked away in Rosemead, an L.A. County city with a growing Asian population, Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant is a sprawling gem that commands long waits on the weekends for its stellar array of dim sum; the regulars rave about their truffle shu mai, salted egg yolk buns, turnip cakes, and BBQ pork buns, with salted caramel sponge cake for dessert. There is also, not surprisingly, an array of fresh seafood dishes.

Denver’s Fortune Wok to Table is a bi-level space with something for every mood. Feeling casual? Sit downstairs, where housemade dumplings, Shanghainese street noodles, fried rice, and rotating specials are made fresh with seasonal ingredients. Want something a little more upscale? Then sit upstairs, where a nine-course dinner with wine pairings is served at a chef’s table. Accolades include being named one of the best restaurants in Denver by Eater and home to the city’s best dumplings by Zagat.

West Hartford’s sleek and stylish Song is the brainchild of Chengdu-born chef Xingyu Huang, who’s cooking up a wide variety of “Chinese tapas” from all regions of the country. The majority of the items on offer are shareable small plates, and experimentation is encouraged: branch out and sample items like mala bamboo shoots, braised beef shanks in soy sauce, pork sticky rice dumplings, and Chengdu pork dumplings in a spicy garlic sauce, and you won’t regret it.

Dining at this Delaware standby is indeed like dining in mom’s kitchen, if your mom happens to be an incredibly talented Chinese chef. Dishes like pan-fried dumplings, sesame chicken, and scallion pancakes are all essentially perfect, as are the wide variety of mala soups and spicy pots and specialties including sizzling beef short ribs, braised pork with special Chinese sauce, and spicy lamb ribs.

Located in a strip mall outside Fort Lauderdale, Silver Pond is roasting up authentic Hong Kong-style duck and chicken, as well as masterful takes on Szechuan fare that let you control the heat, all the way up to “extremely hot.” Traditional dim sum are also worth seeking out, along with house specialties including chicken and conch with ginger and scallions, hot & spicy squid with black bean sauce, and even a deep-fried T-bone steak that the regulars swear by.

Buford Highway just outside Atlanta has no shortage of incredible Chinese dining options, but La Mei Zi sits atop the pack. La Mei Zi specializes in traditional Tawianese fare, including beef stew noodle soup, gua bao, fried chicken over rice, three cup chicken, and Taiwanese stir-fried rice noodle. Fish, lamb, beef, tofu, and vegetables are also prepared Szechuan style, and other popular specialties include spicy seafood noodle soup, sliced beef tendon, and stewed tofu with crab.

A Honolulu staple since 1990, Legend Seafood Restaurant is a low-key dim sum joint by day and a seafood restaurant by night. Lines can be long on weekend afternoons (diners are advised to arrive by 10:30 am), when crowds flock there for deep fried taro puffs, turnip cakes, seafood dumplings, sticky rice, boiled choi sum, and plenty more dim sum classics. Live Lobster with supreme sauce, stir-fried live crab, steamed fresh fish, and Peking duck are standouts on the dinner menu.

Happy Chinese Restaurant will definitely put a smile on your face. It’s an easygoing, family-friendly restaurant that’s been run by Jay and Lili Li since 1988, where all sauces are made from scratch. Standouts on the sprawling menu include generous appetizer platters, shrimp with crispy walnuts, clay pot dishes, and mu shu, with plenty of specialty vegetarian and low-carb lettuce wrap options as well. It’s been named Idaho Falls Magazine’s “Favorite Local Chinese Restaurant” for the past six years.

Lao Sze Chuan opened in Chicago’s Chinatown in 1998, and today there are six Chicagoland locations. It’s an absolute must-visit for those obsessed with Szechuan cuisine’s signature spicy, tingly, mouth-numbing flavors. Founder Tony Hu is a master chef (he’s been dubbed “The Mayor of Chinatown”), and his must-try specialties include cumin lamb, mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, dry-chili chicken, and orange beef tenderloin. The menu is absolutely sprawling, however, with everything from classic dim sum to Peking duck to three cups chicken for the heat-averse. Lao Sze Chuan has racked up countless accolades, including being named the best Chinese restaurant in America by The Daily Meal and Travel & Leisure.

The comfortable and unassuming Wu’s is home to Indiana’s best Chinese food. Gather around a large round table and load up the lazy Susan with a wide assortment of Chinese-American classics, dim sum, and authentic Chinese fare like tea smoked duck, Hunan fish filet, and sliced beef with hot chili oil. Come for lunch and you can choose from a variety of generous lunchtime specials.

The menu is absolutely massive at this Iowa City standby, and it’s full of dishes that you wouldn’t expect to find at your everyday Iowa Chinese restaurant. Nearly a dozen Chinese stews are on offer (including one with potatoes, noodles, and pork ribs) to warm you up on a cold Midwestern night, along with hot pots, barbecued meats, and even traditional Chinese breakfast dishes including preserved egg congee and cream custard buns. But of course, if you’re looking for classics like orange chicken, crab Rangoon, and egg foo young, their versions hit the nail on the head.

ABC Cafe is a low-key, casual restaurant specializing in authentic Chinese dishes including salt & pepper tofu, shrimp dumplings, ginger & onion salty chicken, spicy salt & pepper soft shell crab, noodle soups, and a variety of dim sum including BBQ pork puffs and seven flavor mushroom. Be sure to complement your meal with a glass of Hong Kong-style iced tea.

The inviting, pagoda-shaped Oriental House is a Louisville mainstay for Hunan and Szechuan specialties, as well as expertly made dim sum. Only fresh, high-quality ingredients go into their sprawling menu; be sure to check out the “Authentic Chinese” section, where you’ll find hot pots, congee, rice crêpes, crispy skin chicken, and seared whole Pacific pompano.

Traditional Chinese fare gets the New Orleans treatment at neighborhood institution Red’s Chinese, which has been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” Gulf shrimp and andouille find their way into fried rice, crawfish tails replace the crab in Rangoon, and the cocktails are sweet and potent. And with dishes like kung pao pastrami, cheeseburger fried rice, and Chinese donuts for dessert rounding out the menu, a good time at Red’s is all but guaranteed.

Cozy and unassuming, Evergreen Chinese Restaurant is a hidden gem for in-the-know South Portlanders. The expansive menu boasts a large selection of lunch and dinner specials, generous family-style dinners, appetizer party platters of over 100 pieces, and plenty of vegetarian and healthy options along with all the familiar classics. Pad Thai is also a house specialty.

Hubei-born Peter Chang is one of America’s foremost Chinese chefs. After stints cooking for the Chinese president and at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, he opened his first restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2011, and a James Beard Award nomination soon followed. Q by Peter Chang, which opened in Bethesda in 2017, is his chic and modern 8,000-square-foot flagship. Chang classics like scallion bubble pancakes and cumin lamb chops are on offer, along with lunchtime dim sum platters, Peking duck, braised lobster with jade noodle, crispy pork belly, and wagyu beef lo mein. The menu impores diners to “embark on a grand culinary adventure,” and Q is just the place to do it.

Tucked away in Boston’s Chinatown, the unassuming Gourmet Dumpling House attracts crowds for its stellar array of dim sum as well as harder-to-find specialties like ginseng chicken soup, Shanghai-style smoked fish, oyster pancake with gravy and eggs, and sautéed eel with yellow chives. Adventurous diners can sample jellyfish, hot & spicy ox tongue and tripe, and sautéed pig’s blood with leeks.

Michiganders in search of the best Chinese food in the state will need to drive halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor, to Best China in Canton. This unassuming restaurant boasts a sprawling menu with a huge array of both traditional and Chinese-American classics. Do as the regulars do and ask for the traditional Chinese menu and you’ll be rewarded with a slew of noodle soups, braised meats, stir-fried meats and vegetables, and specialties including shredded pork pan fried noodle, mapo tofu, and an array of Chinese pastries.

St. Paul’s Little Szechuan can claim to be the only restaurant offering a traditional Szechuan-style hot pot experience in the Twin Cities. Using only the freshest ingredients from local markets, they’re turning out customizable hot pots in countless combinations; guests can choose from eight soup bases ranging from tomato-based to “MaLa & Fresh,” four spice levels, 13 meats from sirloin to crispy pork, 11 types of seafood and 17 types of veggies, and 10 types of tofu and noodles. Special add-ons range from quail eggs to snow crab to pork brain. Get some meat and vegetable skewers on the side and a can of White Gourd (a traditional beverage made with winter melon) to drink, and have yourself a classic Szechuan feast you won’t soon forget.

Mr. Chen’s is Jackson’s one-stop shop for all things Chinese, as one half of the space is a traditional Chinese food market and the other half is a spectacular restaurant. Traditional hot pots brimming with fresh meats & seafood, roast duck, whole steamed fish with black bean sauce, and artfully plated steamed head-on garlic shrimp are specialties of the house, and must-try appetizers include crystal shrimp dumplings, fried oysters with spicy mayo, and Taiwanese wonton soup.

Chef Ying Jing Ma plied his trade as a hotel chef before opening his first restaurant, Chef Ma’s, inside a former Taco Bell in 2015. While just about every item on his menu was spot-on, regulars knew to look for a whiteboard full of specials, none more famous than his Hainan-style chicken, velvety bone-in poached chicken with a super-flavorful garlicky dip and rice on the side. The restaurant moved locations earlier this year and Chef Ma passed away in August 2021, but his legacy remains as strong as ever.

With hanging Chinese lanterns, plenty of greenery, a full beer & wine list, and cozy tables separated by wood-paneled dividers, China Garden just looks like the kind of place where you’re going to want to stay a while. And for nearly 30 years, Missoula locals have done just that. Hong Kong-style chow mein, comforting noodle bowls, egg foo young, and sweet & sour pork are standouts. If you visit on your birthday your meal is half-off.

Located inside a strip mall in Omaha’s Elmwood Park neighborhood, Blue & Fly offers two menu options: the All Day Menu and the Traditional Menu. The All Day Menu is chock-full of well-executed renditions of classics like kung pao, lo mein, and even an intriguing dish called peanut butter chicken, but the Traditional Menu is where Blue & Fly really shines. Go bold with dishes like Chongqing chicken with roasted chili, braised spare ribs in soy sauce, a variety of noodle soups, and sautéed fish fillets.

If you’re looking for the best Chinese food in Vegas, you’ll need to drive about 10 minutes from the Strip to Joyful House. This large and comfortable restaurant, perfect for large groups and parties, specializes in traditional Cantonese fare, especially seafood — including Dungeness and New Zealand Crystal crab, pan-fried clams with ginger and scallion, and crispy fried flounder with spicy tofu and minced pork. A huge variety of claypots, noodle dishes, and vegetarian dishes round out the menu.

Harry and Sophia Ku’s Lilac Blossom has two locations in Nashua, just over the Massachusetts border. Tuxedoed waiters keep a watchful eye over the elegant dining rooms festooned with fresh Burgundy lilies. Each of the House Specials indicates which region of China it originated from, with standouts including lilac steamed whole fish (Hunan), mala lamb (Szechuan), and Peking duck.

Just outside of Trenton, Szechuan House is serving traditional regional Chinese fare that has been lauded as the Garden State’s best by New Jersey Monthly. One look at the menu and you’ll see that this isn’t your everyday takeout joint: appetizers include diced rabbit with Szechuan peppercorn vinaigrette and jellyfish with scallion oil, and a section of the menu dedicated to Chengdu specialties includes dan dan noodles, shredded tea smoked duck with onion and red pepper, and fried yam cakes with sesame paste for dessert. Along the way you’ll find House Specials that include beef tendon with rice jelly in spicy sauce, sliced conch with minced pork in Szechuan wine sauce, and a stellar Peking duck.

The long-running Ming Dynasty claims to be “Albuquerque’s only Authentic Chinese Dim Sum, Szechwan & Cantonese Cuisine Restaurant,” and it’s also the best Chinese restaurant in the entire state. Don’t miss dim sum staples like crystal shrimp har gao, steamed BBQ pork buns, and egg custard tarts, but be sure to save room for hot & spicy fried chicken wings, generous bowls of noodle soups, ma po tofu, and seafood specialties including salt & pepper crab or lobster.

New Yorkers in search of real-deal Szechuan cuisine flock to Grand Sichuan, a no-frills restaurant hiding in plain sight in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. All the Szechuan classics are here, from sliced fish with boiling oil soup to double cooked pork, ma po tofu, and spicy cumin beef and lamb. There are also plenty of options for those looking to step outside of their comfort zone, including crispy pig’s intestines and spicy & aromatic pig’s blood. Don’t forget to explore the dessert menu, which includes three varieties of sweet rice balls.

Looking for dumplings in Durham? Look no further than Sister Liu’s, which is turning out more than a dozen different handmade dumplings, with fillings including pork belly with pickled cabbage, beef with cilantro, shrimp with egg and vegetables, and tofu with mushroom and cabbage. Plenty of Chinese-style “burgers” are on offer too, filled with everything from spicy cumin lamb to honey chicken, and other specialties include a braised pork belly rice bowl, spicy beef shank, and buns filled with spicy pork and mushrooms. Frozen dumplings are available to take home as well.

Tucked away inside a Fargo strip mall, Shang Hai is keeping the locals happy with a massive variety of dishes both Chinese-American and traditional Chinese. All the classics are represented on the Main Menu, from pu pu platters to Kung Pao chicken to generous combo and lunch platters, but don’t order before asking to look at the Authentic Chinese menu. It’s here you’ll find regional favorites from all over China, including ma po tofu, Szechuan braised fish, beef brisket casserole, and tomato & eggs. Shang Hai is the real deal.

The inviting Sichuan Bistro is located in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, and just like its name suggests, there’s an astonishing array of traditional Szechuan dishes on the menu. From Chongqing mala beef and chicken to cumin lamb to red dry chili fish filets mapo tofu to dan dan noodles to stir-fried pork kidneys and livers, there’s no shortage of options for those looking to eschew the sesame chicken and sample the cuisine of China’s Szechuan province. On the other hand, the sesame chicken here is great, too.

Tulsa’s unassuming China Garden is a must-visit for locals on the hunt for an authentic taste of China. A variety of dry pot dishes, homestyle soups, and house specials including double cooked pork, mala sirloin, and salad & pepper squid keep the regulars happy. Braised pork, dan dan noodles, and homemade dumplings are also favorites.

Duck into Portland’s hip and buzzy Duck House for some seriously authentic Szechuan cuisine. Start off with a wide variety of housemade dim sum and dumplings, including xiao long bao (soup dumplings), pan fried buns, and scallion pancakes. Then follow up with a spicy hot pot, Chongqing style prawns or chicken, smoked pork belly with leeks, dan dan noodles, and mapo tofu. Don’t forget the sticky rice balls for dessert.

A Chinatown destination since 1980, Philly’s Sang Kee Peking Duck House has been roasting traditional Peking ducks daily since day one; in fact, they claim to be the city’s first restaurant to serve the specialty. Traditional Hong Kong-style BBQ roast pork, ribs, and duck are also specialties of the house, along with steamed soy sauce or ginger scallion chicken, congee, Peking pork chops, and a wide variety of noodle soups. If you’re feeling spendy, order the whole lobster in a variety of preparations. And, because this is Philly after all, they even offer cheesesteak fried rice.

If you find yourself in Pawtucket with a hankering for real-deal Szechuan food, head to Cheng Du Taste, located just off I-95. Regulars rave about the light and fluffy juicy pork buns, Chongqing diced chicken, dan dan noodles, sliced pork belly with garlic, sautéed shredded ginger duck, country style tofu, and — to balance out the heat — cold sesame noodles.

The best Chinese food in South Carolina can be found about a 15 minute drive from downtown Charleston. The family-owned Old Li’s offers a wide variety of Chinese favorites, and the seafood section of their menu is a real standout: don’t miss salt & pepper shrimp skewers, garlic crayfish, and spicy crab. Other standouts include three cup chicken, sweet & sour pork ribs, and Yuxiang eggplant.

When the residents of Spearfish, a small city located just up the road from Deadwood, are in the mood for well-made Chinese-American classics, they order from Golden Dragon. Regulars rave about the kung pao beef, shrimp and pea pods, fried wontons, and cashew chicken.

Nashville’s elegant and spacious Lucky Bamboo is dishing up authentic dim sum and Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine in the heart of Nashville. Regulars start their meal with appetizers including thin-sliced pork belly with spicy garlic sauce, wontons in chili oil, and xiao long bao (“soup dumplings”), then flip over to the “Chef Recommended” section and dig into crispy Chongqing spicy chicken, honey walnut shrimp, and Hong Kong-style BBQ roast pork and duck. Arrive at lunchtime on the weekends and you can indulge in an array of dim sum, including steamed BBQ pork buns, shrimp rice crêpes, sticky rice in lotus leaf, and chicken feet with black bean sauce.

Shanghainese and Cantonese specialties are the stars of the show at Shanghai, located in Houston’s Chinatown. Salted toasted spare ribs, stir-fried chicken with ginger and scallion, salt & pepper duck tongue, pan-fried noodles, brisket stew, congee, and clay pot specials are all worth seeking out. Be sure to get some hot chrysanthemum tea to drink.

With its traditional red and gold color scheme, high ceilings, and exposed wood beams, Red Maple is a perfect spot for a traditional Chinese meal or banquet. Dim sum standards like steamed BBQ pork buns, siu mai, and turnip cakes are available at any time day or night, and special four-course dinners for two are available for less than 40 bucks (pre-set family dinners for up to 10 people are also available). Take a dive into the “Authentic Chinese Food” section of the menu and you’ll be rewarded with dishes like beef stew in Macau-style curry, deep-fried seafood in spicy XO sauce, deep-fried crispy chicken, and sizzling pork chops in black pepper sauce.

A Single Pebble isn’t just Burlington’s best Chinese restaurant; it’s one of its best restaurants, period. Taipei-born chef/owner Chiuho Sampson’s menu is full of dishes that have become local legends, including her mock eel (made with crispy shiitake mushrooms and hailed by Alton Brown on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”), BBQ hanging pork, crispy beef wontons, and Ants Climbing a Tree (cellophane noodles tossed with a minced pork and mushroom sauce). Can’t decide? Opt for the nine-course family-style tasting menu.

Serving Northern Virginia since 1978, Peking Gourmet Inn is a welcoming, white-tablecloth restaurant that prides itself on its made-to-order family-style entrees made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Groups can choose from set dinners or up to 10 courses or with their way through the expansive menu. Peking duck carved tableside, Chinese winter sauce and sea scallop soup for two, crispy Szechuan beef, Peking-style lamb chops, and walnut chicken are the specialties of the house.

The bright and welcoming Szechuan Brothers is a Vancouver restaurant that specializes in the traditional hot and spicy food of China’s Szechuan province. Locals crowd in for meat-filled hot pots, pig ear with chili oil, salt & pepper chicken wings, twice-cooked pork belly, cumin lamb, fried tofu, and sticky rice balls in sweet rice wine with osmanthus flower for dessert.

Located on Charleston’s bustling Washington Street, Main Kwong is exactly the kind of place every town needs. It serves consistently good, well-made Chinese-American classics, with egg rolls, wonton soup, General Tso’s chicken, Mongolian beef, crispy chicken, and roast pork lo mein as standouts. The combination platters, which are served with an egg roll and pork fried rice, are generously portioned and inexpensive.

Wisconsin’s best Chinese food can be found in an unassuming strip mall in West Allis, about a 15 minute drive from downtown Milwaukee. As the name implies, traditional Szechuan fare is their specialty, and regulars rave about the dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, spare ribs in garlic chili sauce, dry chili chicken, sizzling beef, and cumin pork knuckle. Those looking to get a little more adventurous can opt for pork kidneys with Szechuan peppercorns, sautéed pork intestines, and ox tendon in spicy chili sauce. Be sure to try traditional Chinese beverages like Master Kong’s red tea and Yeshu coconut milk.

Cheyenne locals are grateful for Good Friends, a low-key and dependable Chinese restaurant that’s great for both take-out and dine-in. All the Chinese-American classics you’d expect to find are on the menu, and are served in large portions. Popular standbys include kung pao chicken, sweet & sour chicken, pork-filled fried wontons, pork fried rice, and lo mein.