Last Friday, my buddy Greg was standing in a food court somewhere outside Atlanta, starving after a delayed flight, staring at the glowing menu of a Chinese chain he’d never heard of. He texted me a photo. “Is this place any good?” I told him to walk away. He didn’t listen. Twenty minutes later, he sent another text — just the words “you were right” and a sad-face emoji. That experience got me thinking about the massive gap in quality between Chinese chain restaurants in the U.S. Some are genuinely solid. Others are traps. Here’s what you need to know before you order.
Asian Chao is the one you absolutely skip
That restaurant Greg walked into? Asian Chao. It’s the chain that consistently sits at the very bottom of just about every ranking out there. Founded in Orlando back in 1991, Asian Chao mostly pops up in airport terminals and mall food courts — the kind of places where you’re a captive audience with limited options. They have locations in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio, and honestly, if you never set foot in one, you’re not missing a thing.
The reviews tell a rough story. Customers at the Atlanta airport location consistently complain about overpriced food that tastes mediocre at best. One person called it the “absolute worst Asian food I’ve ever had.” Others have described the dishes as simultaneously bland and too salty, which sounds contradictory but apparently isn’t. The food tends to swing between being overwhelmingly sweet and aggressively spicy, with very little middle ground. Even by airport food standards — a bar that’s already underground — Asian Chao somehow disappoints.
So what should you do if Asian Chao is the only Chinese option in your terminal? Honestly, get a sandwich. Get pizza. Get literally anything else. Your stomach will thank you later.
Manchu Wok isn’t much better
Right next to Asian Chao in the “please avoid” category is Manchu Wok, a Canadian-born chain that’s been around since 1980. Like Asian Chao, you’ll mostly find Manchu Wok tucked inside food courts. They’ve expanded to a handful of U.S. locations, but their reputation hasn’t exactly expanded with them.
Yelp reviewers at the O’Hare airport location have described dry, hard chicken with a horrible aftertaste. Multiple people have written that they wished they’d just gone to McDonald’s instead — which is a devastating thing to say about any restaurant. Over on Reddit, Ottawa locals recommended dozens of alternatives over Manchu Wok. The one thing Manchu Wok has going for it over Asian Chao is slightly more reasonable pricing, with most items sitting around $12 or less. But cheaper bad food is still bad food. The general consensus is clear: there are better places to spend your money.
The murky middle — chains that depend entirely on location
Here’s where things get tricky. A bunch of Chinese chain restaurants exist in this weird gray zone where your experience could be perfectly fine or genuinely terrible, depending entirely on which location you walk into. Chinese Gourmet Express is a good example. They’ve got spots on both coasts and across the South, and their orange chicken apparently has a small cult following — one Reddit user actually went searching for a new location after theirs shut down. But reviews from a Salt Lake City spot mention chicken that tastes like it’s gone bad. Same brand, wildly different meals.
Chowking falls into this same bucket. The Filipino-founded chain serves some unexpected stuff like dim sum and a shaved ice dessert called Halo-Halo, and when it’s good, people genuinely like it. But the inconsistency is brutal. One visit you’re adding it to your regular rotation; the next you’re angry you wasted the money. City Wok — yes, there’s a real chain with that name, unrelated to South Park — is another story of blandness. Everything tastes flat. Nothing is offensive, exactly, but nothing is memorable either.
The lesson with all of these is simple: check location-specific reviews before you go. The brand name alone tells you almost nothing.
Some regional chains actually punch above their weight
On the flip side, there are chains that don’t get national attention but serve surprisingly decent food if you’re in the right part of the country. Leeann Chin, for instance, is a Midwest staple with over 40 locations, mostly in Minnesota and surrounding states. The chain was founded in 1980 by Leeann Chin herself, who grew up in China and brought her recipes to Minneapolis. Appetizers sit under $5, entrees around $10. That’s hard to beat.
There’s a catch, though. Old-school fans say the chain has declined over the years. A Reddit thread from St. Paul has people reminiscing about the Leeann Chin of decades ago — better food, nicer ambiance, a more elevated feel. Today it’s more standard fast-food Chinese, and while it’s still decent by chain standards, the magic has faded. Their chicken entrees and Firecracker Tofu still get good marks, so there’s enough to work with if you know what to order.
Pick Up Stix is another regional player worth knowing about, especially if you’re in Southern California. They’ve got over 70 locations and a menu that stretches beyond typical Chinese-American fare into tofu dishes and lower-calorie options. Most items are just above $10. The House Special Chicken has earned itself a loyal following — some fans have hunted for copycat recipes online after moving away from a Pick Up Stix. That kind of devotion says something.
Panda Express is fine, and that’s actually okay
We need to talk about Panda Express, because everyone has an opinion. It’s the Chinese chain you’ve almost certainly eaten at. It’s everywhere. And it’s… fine. That’s not an insult. For a nationwide fast-food chain, consistency is actually a massive achievement. You can walk into a Panda Express in Oregon or Florida and get roughly the same orange chicken, the same chow mein, the same string bean chicken breast. That predictability has real value when you’re on a road trip and just need something you recognize.
That said, not everything on the menu is created equal. Some items — the honey walnut shrimp, for example — have textural issues that land them at the bottom of the pack. And like any chain operating at that scale, individual locations can have off days. But Panda Express sells a staggering amount of orange chicken for a reason: it’s reliably tasty, it’s affordable, and the open kitchen lets you watch your food go from wok to plate. Nobody’s going to mistake it for authentic Chinese cuisine, but that was never really the point.
Pei Wei and P.F. Chang’s share DNA but not a price tag
Here’s a fun piece of trivia that a lot of people don’t know: Pei Wei used to be owned by P.F. Chang’s. They split in 2017, but the connection still shows. Pei Wei is basically the more affordable sibling — same general vibe, lower prices, with most entrees coming in under $15. Their menu is surprisingly broad, too. Mongolian green beans, chicken pad thai, mango habanero wings. Not what you’d expect from a Chinese chain.
P.F. Chang’s, meanwhile, positions itself as the more upscale option. It’s one of those places that people either love or feel slightly let down by, depending on their expectations. The food is generally good — better than most chains on this list — but the prices have crept up over the years. If you go in expecting a nice dinner out and order smart, you’ll probably enjoy yourself. If you go in expecting the best Chinese food of your life because of the fancy lighting and cloth napkins, well, you might leave a little disappointed.
Both are solid choices in their own lane. Pei Wei for quick weeknight takeout. P.F. Chang’s for when you want to sit down and linger over lettuce wraps. Just calibrate your expectations to the price point and you’ll be fine.
The chains that actually deserve your excitement
At the top of the chain hierarchy, things start to look genuinely impressive. Din Tai Fung, which started in Taiwan back in 1958, now has about a dozen U.S. locations, mostly on the West Coast. The presentation alone sets it apart — everything arrives looking almost too beautiful to eat. Their Jidori Chicken Dumplings and Kurobuta Pork Buns are the kind of dishes that make you go quiet for a second while you chew. It’s a different experience from your typical Chinese chain, closer to something you’d seek out on a special occasion.
Then there’s the wild card: Mr. Chow. This is not a casual spot. Locations in Beverly Hills, New York, Miami, and Las Vegas cater to a high-end crowd, with entrees that regularly top $50. The chicken satay gets praise. The ambiance is undeniably swanky. But the value proposition is genuinely questionable — Yelp reviewers consistently say the food doesn’t justify the price, and some have called the menu pricing misleading. It’s the kind of place where you’re paying for the scene as much as the food, and that’s a trade-off you should make knowingly.
If you want the best chain Chinese food in America and price is no obstacle, Din Tai Fung is your answer. If you want the best value, Pei Wei or Leeann Chin are strong picks. And if you’re standing in a food court staring at an Asian Chao? Just keep walking.
What sticks with me after looking at all of this is how many Chinese restaurants exist in the U.S. — over 45,000, which is more than Subway, McDonald’s, and Burger King combined — yet so few of them are chains. The real gems might not be chains at all. That little family-run spot in the strip mall with the sun-faded menu in the window? There’s a decent chance it’s better than every restaurant on this list. Sometimes the best food advice is the simplest: eat local.
