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Golden Bowl Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Mention this AD when you place your carryout order, Receive "one free Egg Roll" with any order over $10. not good with other offer
32 reviews for Golden Bowl Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...are the Mongolian Beef , Kung Pao Chicken and Beef with..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Their fried rice is perfect."
(in 4 reviews)
"The egg rolls are made fresh, (not from scraps) and are..."
(in 3 reviews)
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Andrea L.
Mokena, IL
8/22/2011
I have a favorite Chinese Restaurant near my house that I've been going to for years, so it is hard for me to find something that I like nearly as much, but I did find it at Golden Bowl. They have awesome crab rangoon, delicious egg rolls, yummy fried rice, really good pork & pea pods, and scrumptios sesame chicken. The only thing that was a tad bit disappointing was the Kung Pao chicken. That is my favorite entree at my favorite place, Rising Sun Restaurant in Frankfort, and while it was good at Golden Bowl, it wasn't what I'm used to.
I would definitely go back if I had the opportunity...probably wouldn't get the Kung Pao again though. -
Review from Sara m.
1/1/2012
Just ordered out from here for dinner- not entirely sure what all the other posters are raving about. Our food was bland and pretty stale tasting. There really isn't anything else to report. The food was just very underwhelming. We don't order Chinese too often so I pump myself up for an awesome meal when Dad says he's paying for take out. I was disappointed with the meal. It was nothing horrible or repulsing, but underwhelming enough to take our business elsewhere. There are so many other better tasting options in the area to keep taking our business to Golden Bowl.
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Review from Priscilla C.
Normal, IL
12/31/2011 5 photos
We went to have dinner after Christmas. We have not gone there for years. I am sure that they had a lot of changes. We had Lobster, Beef with Vegetable, Salt and Pepper Ribs, Sweet and Sour/Peking Ribs/Pork, Crispy Chicken, Walnut Shrimps, and Soft Shell Crabs. I said it was alright. At least I wanted to give it a chance.
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Review from George J.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 11/26/2011
I just came here again.....and yet again, the food was fantastic. Depressing, I just moved to the suburbs after living in the city for over a decade and can again lean on the thought that Golden Bowl food is similar to Chicago's South Side Chinatown/Uptown Chinatown food. Again, some of the negative reviews I've read are on Kung Pao Chicken or Mu Shoo dishes? I'm glad these people won't go to Golden Bowl anymore, so please send them to the nearest MSG Chinese Carry Out so that they don't clog my time getting things from their Golden Bowl's kitchen. If the "Gwai Lo"'s can order Authentic Chinese food (not the Americanized slop) and compare it to a similar Chinatown restaurant and tell me if its not comparable or/better at Golden Bowl, then I'll take credence in their reviews.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/12/2009
As good as you can get to Authentic Chinese food. Of course they have the separate menu on the side… Read more »
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Review from Tully M.
Downers Grove, IL
10/26/2011
Another awesome strip mall surprise. Truly the best Chinese food we have ever found outside of Chinatown (and better than a lot of places in Chinatown)! Great menu. Outstanding food. Friendly and helpful staff (family owned and operated). Fantastic.
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Review from Jeninna D.
Darien, IL
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Salt and pepper porkchop..yummm
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Review from Chuck A.
Downers Grove, IL
7/7/2011
I'm an egg foo yung fan from way back, and Golden Bowl has about the best around. The portions are huge, their EFY comes with 3 large patties and I usually can only eat 1-1/2 at a time, today I ate 2.
The egg rolls are made fresh, (not from scraps) and are always hot and tasty.
The egg drop soup is a little thicker than most, and I really like it that way, it's best with a little pepper.
The fried rice is also a game winner, regardless of variety.
They even have fresh fortune cookies - with surprisingly good fortunes!
The decor is a little dated, but they have those tables with the big lazy susans on them for sharing, and I like that too. The menus haven't changed in years, but hello - it's Chinese food!
Check this place out. -
Review from Kyle B.
1/28/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Pretty good chinese food overall.
I've only had a couple dishes and both were great, I'd really like to work my way around the menu though to find a 5 star dish. I'm sure they've got it in them! -
Review from Willy W.
Downers Grove, IL
5/3/2011
Awesome food! I really think it's the best Chinese food around here.
Their orders are always accurate! & their food is consistent!
I agree their decor needs some updating, but come on...aren't you there for the food? if it's good food, who cares bout the decor?
If you haven't tried this place, you are totally missing out! -
Review from Brad C.
12/14/2010
Standard Asian food, nothing stood out for me. We did the family dinner for 4, they DID substitute despite what the menu says. Hot / Sour soup lacked spice... Winner of best on table... whatever shrimp dish came with dinner for 4.
The decor needs updating. The 80's called even they are done with the soft blue. -
Review from Angelique S.
Downers Grove, IL
1/12/2011
So... I have my beloved joy yee but its a good 20 min drive in no traffic to Naperville from DG just to pick up and that doesnt always work for me and the hungry kiddies in 5 inches of snow... so I started looking for good Chinese- Cantonese that was closer to home.
I decided to try it based on their reviews- especially Mel- and drove to Golden Bowl to get a menu and order on the spot. The place is nothing special for ambiance but since I have kids that like Chinese I would bring them here because they probably wouldnt disturb anyone- there were about 3 tables occupied at 5:15. Just fine by me! Next time we're eating in.
For pickup, I went with the Singapore noodles (its my "go to" order- if a place messes it up then they probably will mess up everything else), Beef/broccoli chow fun and fish fillets in ginger sauce w/ Chinese broccoli.
I have to say everything was pretty good. No odd smells, no weird tastes, pretty standard and good. the fish in ginger was really really good. They arent messing around with the ginger- its loaded up! I was pretty happy with it and its fairly cheap for the amount of food.
FYI - If this place was in Chinatown I'd give it 3 stars- A OK just about covers it but since its in Westmont they get a star for proximity. Maybe some day they'll figure it out and get a brunch dim sum going out here- I'd be in every weekend! -
Review from mei s.
7/2/2010 3 photos
I just found my new favorite Chinese restaurant in the burbs and also another reason why I love love love yelp!!!
Had it not been the photo of beef chow fun that drew me in, I never would have thought to go to a place called "golden bowl". I mean, come on, I'm chinese!!
We met my husband there and he had ordered ahead of us, knowing we would be very very hungry. He ordered 4 dishes with the help of the server, who was obviously a family member. My husband warned him that I am Cantonese, so "do us right". Well, he most certainly did. Every dish we ordered was spot on. The kids ate like there was no tomorrow. They ate the beef chow fun, the sauteed fish filet (fiah kow), the pork loin peking style and the fermented tofu vegetables. It was great.
My 8 year old son had a great time. He felt that the food was like "homemade".
I love this place. I will definitely go back. Again and again. Thanks yelp!! -
Review from Osmond S.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2010 2 photos
Here's why I like this place
- Really good Chinese food (validated by the numerous Asians that frequent this place).
- Decent prices, most entrees are below $10
- Quick. Food usually comes out in 10 minutes, whether you're eating in our taking out.
- Not fancy or pretentious
I've tried several dishes here including my favs - Kung Pao and Szechuan Chicken. I love how the veggies are fresh and really tasty. I usually forget about the veggies or push them off to the side, but not here. Mmmm good eatin! -
Review from Michael L.
Lisle, IL
10/20/2011
This place seems to do a good job feeding whatever type of customer comes through the door (Asian, non Asian-American, etc). Everything tastes fresh, and the waiters are very helpful in suggesting dishes for whatever you are looking for whether it is chicken, pork, or seafood. The decor isn't that great, but adequate. Once you start eating their good food the surroundings don't matter much.
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Review from Dan R.
5/10/2010 21 Check-ins Here
Price. Service. Quality.
Usually it's pick any 2. With Golden Bowl you get all 3.
Golden Bowl has very good food at decent prices and excellent service. They recognize my voice when I call in an order, greet me by name when I walk in and know exactly what I would be interested in ordering.
Dan and his family that own and operate Golden Bowl are about as nice of people as you will ever find.
Another proof point is the number of first generation Chinese families dining there. -
Review from Fred M.
La Grange, IL
8/17/2010
I tried the beef w/ Chinese broccoli and Singapore spicy noodles.
There are both great! I will be going back there soon. -
Review from Krystyna B.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2009
Please, ignore the strip mall location. Also, ignore the generic and somewhat uninspired decor. Now, please focus on the food. Because, the food, it's oh-so-good.
My parents' idea of a treat when my sistah and I were in High School, was to bring us here. The food is consistently fresh and delicious. The service is friendly, not intimidating, and capable. The prices are slightly lower than comparable establishments in the Southwest burbs, but the food is visually appealing and the aromas wafting out of the kitchen make your tummy grumble.
George is right, there are two menus. But the staff here is willing to provide you with recommendations and give you small samples. You can also order off-menu. The fish of the day, here, is almost always out of this world. Yes, you might have to deal with fish eyes staring at you off the plate. But! And that is a big but! If you can get over the eyes, the preparations are always topnotch and take advantage of the fish to underscore its flavor.
Mo Shoo Pork? You can get it here! It's chock full of crisp veggies and paper thin pancakes to sop up the goodness of the filling. The green beans? Also delicious, and spicy enough to make you think someone slipped some Tabasco in your water when you weren't looking.
The two dishes my family loves more than any other at Golden Bowl are the Mongolian beef and the Satay Beef. We never know what cuts of meat were used or how they were treated, but the beef literally melts in your mouth. -
Review from Suz C.
Lombard, IL
10/16/2009
Wow. I have been in search of a really good Chinese restaurant in the western suburbs, and I have finally found it. (Cue the heavenly music here). Bingo. When you can't get downtown to Chinatown, you must go to Golden Bowl. It's the western suburbs' best kept secret. Their food tastes as good as, if not better, than the Chinatown restaurants. Yes, THAT good.
I'll talk about the food first, because that's what makes this place so excellent. First of all, I cannot tell you how awesome it is to find a Chinese restaurant that does not try to kill you with soy sauce. Excess soy sauce is so bad for people! The sodium level in a teaspoon of soy sauce is astronomical. Most Chinese restaurants dump cupfuls of soy sauce into their dishes and especially their fried rice.
But not Golden Bowl.
Their fried rice is perfect. It's not too oily, not too soy saucey, not bland at all, but not too spicy either. It is perfection. It restores my faith that you can actually eat a fried rice entree that doesn't serve you with a lethal amount of heart-disease-inducing soy sauce.
The sweet fried fish with Chinese broccoli? Divine. Beef and broccoli over egg noodles. Sublime. Won Ton Soup? One of the best - really. Dungeness Crab. I've gone to heaven. Lobster. Oh god.
Location - OK it's in a strip mall. No biggie, most Chinese restaurants in the burbs are. It's clean inside, though not very modern or luxurious in decor. Dress is very casual.
Very good, top-notch service. Efficient and good at making recommendations. Deserves every penny of a generous tip. The owners and their families work in the restaurant, and they are so darn nice and friendly. Really good, hard-working people.
Now, if I could only find that kick-ass Korean restaurant in the western suburbs, only then can I breathe a sigh of relief that moving out of downtown to the western suburbs was not as bad an idea as I originally feared. -
Review from Julia B.
Darien, IL
4/6/2011
Great place, affordable, good food friendly wait staff.
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Review from Lisle B.
Lisle, IL
3/27/2011
I am Chinese from Hong Kong and my family has been eating here for more than 10 years. Dan the owner is always so friendly and accommodating. He will tell you about the vegetables or seafoods that just arrived from market. If you have special diet restriction or want a dish prepared differently he will usually accommodates you, within reason of course. If you have young children he will seat you in the corner where there is room to roam. The food is always consistent. They have many regular customers, Asians and Americans. Some even go 3 or 4 times a week! Dan literally watched our children grow up. There are families that returns year after year even after they moved away. All the wait staff are his family.
I recommend dungeness crab with ginger and scallion (when in season), fish with peapod green, and Chinese style deep fried chicken. Chinese food is meant to be shared. So order a few things and try something new. Better yet, ask Dan for his recommendations. Forget your Egg-foo-young. That's NOT Chinese food! My only complaint is that the menu never changes so it gets a little boring. -
Review from Sandra E.
St Charles, IL
8/20/2011
I tried this place about 6 months ago on a recomendation and thought it was great. Last week I went there for the same dish. The taste was just not there this time. Not only that, but shortly afterwards I had a very upset stomach. I'm wondering if they have a new chef or change of owners? At any rate, I'll be moving about 30 miles away soon, and already hear of a great place near my new home. I'd stay away from this restaurant!
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Review from Rick F.
Hinckley, IL
2/1/2011
Good not great food, reasonable prices, funky little joint. Try it!
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Review from Pinky G.
Elk Grove Village, IL
1/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
My best friend and I have been on a crazy mad hunt for good Chinese food in the area. Seeing that this place has gotten so many good reviews we decided to give it a shot but we were sadly disappointed. The food was bland and not that good to be honest.
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Review from Stephen M.
Bolingbrook, IL
12/11/2010
It's a nice setting. The building isn't the greatest to look at, but one you walk in the door it is completely different. The food is really good and resonable.
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Review from Ron T.
Woodridge, IL
3/30/2010
This has to be some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten.....I know a lot of people who go to Chi Tung over in Evergreen Park and I've been there a couple of times but I'm sorry, for this little out dated whole in the wall type of place.....blows everyone else away! It's run by a husband and wife, who are awesome and really polite. I've only dined in there a few times but every time I did, exceeded all expectations on service. Besides being unbelievable food, it never gets cold.....I live 15 minutes away from there and by the time I open it at home, it's still too hot to eat! My two favorite dishes there are Moo Shu Pork and Orange Beef, I've never seen orange beef on any menu until I went there and it's ridiculous....down to the orange zest that they put into it.....I'm starting to get hungry as I talk about it!! As far as all the other dishes I've had there.....never one complaint.
Seriously, if you happen to find yourself in the western burbs and you are in the mood for Chinese.....stop there! Also, don't be fooled by the outside appearance or the interior decor.....all you have to do is eat their food one time and all the rest doesn't matter! -
Review from Natalie G.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2010 2 photos
after all these years... they still got it.
i used to come here for years when we used to live in the area, and it has yet to disappoint me. decor and ambiance may be lacking. the crowd is locals, peppered with the regular senior citizen group, but this place still is consistently delish.
the showcase of the resturant: beef with chinese broccoli served with rice noodle [aka ho fun noodles] is the best ever. they are able to make the noodles a bit crispy, the gravy is seasoned to perfection, and the chinese broccoli is cooked well and still maintains a great crisp.
lunch specials are pretty decent. entree, served with fried rice, soup, and an egg roll is about six bucks.
this spot has been here at least 14 years or so. the older lady hostess is still moving strong, and the male owner has the greatest hustle. i was glad to see this place still striving and hope that it continues on. it really is a hidden gem in westmont. -
Review from Dianne M.
Westmont, IL
4/30/2011
This restaurant is consistant in its service & quality of food. You will NEVER receive a "re-heat" of a prior mistake.... it's ALWAYS fresh. The quality of food can stack up to any good restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown. If you didn't enjoy your meal at this restaurant, you probably are used to eating Chinese in the mall!
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Review from Jeffery S.
La Grange Park, IL
12/31/2007
For years, this place has been the standard against which I measure all chinese restaurants. The food is delicious and well prepared. The service is top notch and the food comes promptly.
My last trip here was on a Saturday afternoon about 2 pm. The restaurant was relatively empty, only two tables were occupied. Since the lunch special ran until 3:00 pm, our group decided to go with that. For $4.95 you get soup, an egg roll, rice and an entree'. I went for the Hunan Chicken for the entree', Hot and Sour Soup, and Steamed Rice. The hot and sour soup was excellent, just the right amount of heat and all of the ingredients cut into a small size. Their egg rolls are not their long suit but is still good. Crusty shell with a filling of napa cabbage, shrimp and pork. Shell is a bit to chewy for my taste but the mustard was great, the heat went straight to my sinuses. The Hunan Beef was likewise excellent, large portion combined with steamed rice. Just the right amount of heat and a nice balance of chicken and vegetables. My friends had sweet and sour chicken and beef chop suey which they pronounced as excellent. The whole feast for $4.95 each, which included the standard tea and cookies as well.
The service is quick, the food is fresh, hot and fast, and the owners and waiters are very attentive. Dining area is clean and comfortable. They have a bar from which you can order drinks. I highly recommend this restaurant, I eat here whenever I am in the area. My personal favorites are the Mongolian Beef , Kung Pao Chicken and Beef with Broccoli. -
Review from K. P.
Downers Grove, IL
8/15/2008
Good Chinese food, usually a pretty quiet dining room, but large enough, booths and chairs.
Like many places, they've got the $5 lunch going on.
Overall, the food is not as heavy as some other Chinese places.
I especially like their Kung Pao. Lots of peanuts and peppers. -
Review from J B.
Downers Grove, IL
2/2/2011
Gross. We will never eat there again. The service was horrible and the food was disgusting. We were a nice table with polite and clear requests. The server took our order and we never saw him again... until he brought out barely warm food. Most plates were left half full because no one wanted to finish the food. We left hungry and annoyed. We never even got refills on water. We received one small plate of rice for 8 people (and 4 main dishes). We were disappointed, to say the least. At the end of our meal we had to wait by the kitchen to request a couple fortune cookies to give to the kids. Waste of money.
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Review from Eddie L.
Plainfield, IL
2/20/2010
I'm really surprised that others have rated Golden Bowl 4-5 stars. I've always thought they were average. Some dishes are good but a lot of times prepared inconsistently (diff. cooks maybe?). And some are just worth making a note of so you wouldn't order the same thing again.
I like their lunch specials. Plenty of food. It comes with soup, fried/steamed rice, dish and egg roll.
If you're new to Golden Bowl, do not let the old lady (owner?) scare you away by her sounding rude. It's just how she is :-)
She would usually ask: What do you want?! (in a rude manner)
I think she's funny.
If you want near authentic chinese food, you should try "Chinese Kitchen" 6551 S Cass Ave - Westmont. This place it worthy of 4-5 stars. -
Review from Meredith K.
Downers Grove, IL
2/27/2008
A bone in my mu shu pork. Need I say more?
