Reviews - Uncle Chen
Reviews summary
At this Santa Barbara restaurant, service shines brightly, marked by friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere. However, the culinary offerings leave much to be desired. Diners often find the food mediocre, with many dishes criticized for blandness, poor presentation, and overcooking. Notably, rice dishes are reported as clumpy, and proteins like chicken and beef have drawn attention for toughness. While some patrons celebrate specific items as delicious, the overall consensus leans towards seeking better Chinese cuisine elsewhere. Despite the reasonable prices, the need for improving flavor and authenticity remains clear for this establishment to truly impress its diners.
Was Jeff Prata at Uncle Chen a mag?
Another hidden gem in our favorite beach destination! The Shrimp Chop Suey was awesome, as was the Chicken Chow Mien and the Beef and Broccoli. We got the full size order of each to go they offer the smaller lunch sizes that include a few more sides if you are looking for a smaller portion. Very fresh, great flavors, not overly spicy, reasonably priced.Look forward to trying the rest of the menu. View all feedback.
What Melody A dislikes about Uncle Chen:
The service at this restaurant is excellent, but the food is mediocre at best. The chow mein lacked flavor and the spare ribs with pepper salt were overly breaded. The orange chicken was bland as well. I have been searching for a good Chinese food restaurant in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria for years, but have yet to find one that meets my standards. The prices are also quite high for Chinese food. Overall, I would r... View all feedback.
Reviews from various users
Last update : 23.02.2025
Another hidden gem in our favorite beach destination! The Shrimp Chop Suey was awesome, as was the Chicken Chow Mien and the Beef and Broccoli. We got the full size order of each to go they offer the smaller lunch sizes that include a few more sides if you are looking for a smaller portion. Very fresh, great flavors, not overly spicy, reasonably priced.Look forward to trying the rest of the menu.
I really loved this place. We ordered a big takeout meal with lots of different dishes to try their ma po tofu with pork, Mongolian lamb, beef with snow peas, hot and sour soup, and bbq pork noodles, all of them were very tasty. The servings were large and lasted 3 days for two people. The service here was also amazing, they were kind and patient while I was having trouble deciding what to order, and even brought the food out to our car which she totally didn't have to do! I only wish I knew the pan fried noodles meant the meat and veggies were pan fried but the noodles were actually crispy like deep fried (my bad for not asking first). I will be coming back!
Delicious Chinese food. I stopped here on my way to Big Sur and had the war wonton soup which I highly recommend. Everyone that worked there was very friendly to me. I'll remember this place and go back because they were so nice
Easy take out. Great dry sauteed beans! Good price!
I would give this restaurant 0 starts if I could. First of all the food is WAY WAY overpriced. Food smells and tastes awful. Plus when I didn’t want my food they never gave me my money back and made me pay for the food I didn’t even eat. Please don’t eat here unless you want dreadful overpriced food that I could make at home for cheaper and better. If you’re looking to eat here take your money somewhere else.
Last update : 23.02.2025
Excellent food and service!
This is our absolute favorite restaurant! We’ve been going for years and there’s always something new we’ve never tried and it’s always delicious! Friendly and fabulous service.
Omg, the sweetest people and great food! we will be back again soon!
Last update : 10.10.2024
Service was good. Restaurant was nice. Food was poorly done. Rice seemed to be reheated or was old from the bottom of the pot. It was clumpy. Steamed wontons were served with dipping sauce in a to go container. It really hurt the presentation of the food. Nothing stood out as exceptional in flavor with order. We ordered pork chow mein which was bland overcooked noodles with little meat. Wonton with poor presentation with sauce in to go cup. They could have poured it into a small bowl. General tsao chicken which was dried out chicken fingers made of chicken breast with sauce. I asked for extra spicey and got fresh sliced jalepeno uncooked. It could have been better cooked, it could have been better with chili oil or crushed chili. They made the attempt at least. Crispy fried noodles with chicken proved difficult to eat. Was dry and unflavored. It could have used more sauce and presented in a bowl so we could mix it. Otherwise it was stir-fry atop a pile of dry fried noodles balanced on a plate. Portion size was good but seemed to be put together and presented without knowledge. Quality of ingredients were both good and bad. I would not eat here again.
I have been dining at this restaurant since I was young and it has always been one of my favorite spots! The staff are all very friendly and welcoming, and the food is consistently delicious. I highly recommend it.
Food was good. Place looks dated and there is some wear and tear (literally torn seats) but the food was very good and the employees were really nice. I'd go again.
Best Chinese food i have ever eaten the food is so good and authentic that i felt like i was eating my food on a table on the great wall of china !!
The fish in hot garlic sauce and the eggplant with tofu were absolutely delicious. I have made two visits and was very pleased both times. Very clean, very friendly, very good food. The service was warm and friendly on both occasions; my food was was delicious and a good value for price.
Last update : 05.10.2024
Great service, delicious food! I would recommend the Walnut Shrimp, chow mein, Orange Chicken and the potstickers. Worth the stop!
Friendly service. Excellent food. Many more menu choices than similar restaurants. Welcoming ambiance. Love the variety in the gift shop with Uncle Chens gear. Convenient and plentiful parking. Locally owned by wonderful people.
Roy Lee and his family are awesome!!! they always remember us, and no matter how busy, always friendly! Congratulations to Roy on his win, looking forward to seeing all the great things he'll accomplish
Well run with very authentic offerings. Try the premium dinner options for larger groups. Kung Pao also a highlight.. ask for spiced Thai peppers!
Had dinner there today. amazing food. we ordered chicken wings, orange chicken, string beans, hazelnut shrimp...i'd say all of them are 5/5. the mongolian beef i'd say is a 3.5 , yangzhou rice is good but very small portion. There were only 2 waiters serving ao they were very busy bit man they're like machines...especially my amigo. he was really a hard worker and very nice guy too.
Last update : 29.04.2023
I ordered Rinocon fried rice. So delicious. Im not able to finish my self.also great coustomer service.
Just like grandma. Not gourmet but deliciously comforting and yummy. Large portions and friendly staff. We love this place and already are repeat customers!
Uncle Chen is my go-to spot for Chinese cuisine in County SB. The owners are incredibly welcoming and friendly. The food is absolutely delicious. During my last visit, I thoroughly enjoyed the Kung Pao chicken for dinner.
There Thai iced tea is great for a homeweh southern craving genuine sweet tea. It's sweet! The Chow Fun is pretty good, a little better than many others in the area. Not great, but pretty good. You use the thin cut meat pieces you often see on a Mongolian grill. Many vegetables and sprouts, they are just a few quality ingredients of 5 stars. Good mood, decent prices, friendly people.
Delicious authentic flavors! Highly recommend trying the seafood chow mein and roasted rice, especially if you're still hungry from a previous meal. This restaurant is a must-visit for anyone craving Chinese cuisine in the area, as it's the only one located on the beach in the city/state. We visited twice during our two-night stay and the staff was extremely friendly.
