Mandarin Garden House - Normal

The food and decor at this restaurant are excellent, and the waitstaff is extremely friendly. My wife and I haven't been here in a long time, but we definitely... read more The food and decor at this restaurant are excellent, and the waitstaff is extremely friendly. My wife and I haven't been here in a long time, but we definitely intend to come back more often.

I placed a carryout order since that’s all they offer. It had been a while since I last had Mandarin Garden, and I was really looking forward to it. When I went... read more I placed a carryout order since that’s all they offer. It had been a while since I last had Mandarin Garden, and I was really looking forward to it. When I went to pick up my order, they read it back to me incorrectly. I asked if I could have potstickers instead of wontons. I’m not sure if the mistake was mine when ordering or theirs, but either way, what I believe was the owner came out and spoke to me harshly along with the young person at the register. It was really uncomfortable. Regardless of who made the error, I didn’t mind waiting a few extra minutes for the potstickers, but it seemed to really upset her that I requested a change. I wasn’t asking for my entire order to be redone, just the potstickers instead of wontons. I had driven all the way from across town to pick up this order. I don’t think I was rude or unpleasant—in fact, I was quite apologetic. I spent $60 on food, but when I got home, we only had one container of rice for three meals and the meal portions were half full. I will say what we did have tasted good, but overall, it was a terrible experience!

The best Mongolian Beef and delicious egg rolls, but unfortunately, they are currently takeout only. If you don’t live nearby, that’s really inconvenient! They... read more The best Mongolian Beef and delicious egg rolls, but unfortunately, they are currently takeout only. If you don’t live nearby, that’s really inconvenient! They need to hire more servers because that’s the reason indoor dining hasn’t resumed yet.

The quality of the food was average. The service was prompt when taking our order, but their prices have been adjusted recently, and the only way to find out th... read more The quality of the food was average. The service was prompt when taking our order, but their prices have been adjusted recently, and the only way to find out the current rates is to ask them directly, as they don’t offer a printed menu and the one online is outdated. Consequently, our bill turned out to be around 20% higher than we expected.

I really wanted to rate this restaurant 4 or 5 stars because there were some truly wonderful aspects to my experience. However, some parts of my takeout dinner... read more I really wanted to rate this restaurant 4 or 5 stars because there were some truly wonderful aspects to my experience. However, some parts of my takeout dinner last night were quite disappointing. We started with the sizzling rice soup, which had a delightful flavor—perfect for a chilly winter evening. The Mongolian beef and sweet and sour shrimp were fantastic and cooked to perfection. Unfortunately, the egg rolls fell short of any praise. They were significantly smaller than those we’ve had at other places, and the filling had a texture reminiscent of cat food, with nothing recognizable inside. The wontons were merely tiny bits wrapped in fried wonton skins, which also did not impress me at all. Overall, these items really lowered my rating.