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Categories: Chinese, Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Oakland, Rockridge
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Having my stepfather as the resident Cantonese speaker in my family has its perks, the greatest of which being his ability to translate a Chinese menu for me at the drop of a hat. He's also schooled me on how to ask for some of my favorite traditional dishes and condiments--things like fermented shrimp paste and soy sauce lo mein and choi sum--which almost always have to be ordered in Chinese to be obtained in a restaurant.
Unfortunately the one thing my stepfather hasn't been able to teach me is how to state in a polite yet forceful way, "Ni hao! No pig's ass in my food, please."
Because it seems that no matter how many times I tell a Chinese restaurant staff, "Please, vegetarian only," I end up with bits and pieces of chicken sphincter and cow colon and well...you get my drift.
ME: I am a vegetarian. No meat please. Please. No meat. Without meat.
CHINESE WAITER: OkayokayokayIknow. Extra meat! *runs to kitchen*
I know, I know. You're saying, Tsada, you're not a REAL vegetarian--you eat fish. Fine. Try telling a Chinese waiter with questionable English skills that you're a "pescatarian". See what you get. I dare you. I promise you someone's ass will be involved.
Unless of course you come to a place like Great Wall.
It's not the finest Chinese food I've ever had, but it is pretty damn tasty. And without the ubiquitous ASStertaste I often experience when I dine in Chinatown.
I'll be honest; to a certain extent, I've adopted a Dont ASSk, Don't Tell policy in restaurants as a means of survival, both physically and emotionally. Because as far as sauces are concerned, chicken stock is to restaurants as genital herpes is to the Yelp community: insidious as a motherfucker.
Sure, I'm willing to turn a blind eye to a little fowl essence (pun intended) in a smidgen of sauce every now and again, but I'll be damned if I'm going to drink a whole bowl of Eau De Poultry. No fucking way. I draw the line at soup.
So when I'm feeling kind of under the weather (no doubt from some swine-related ailment COUGH *glares at Chinatown waiter*), I'll often summon my harpies to bring me a steaming container of Great Wall's veggie wonton or veggie hot and sour soup. Sometimes one of each.
Delicious, clean, and comforting. And nary a sphincter to be found. Take that, Swine Flu!
*slaps pig's ass*
Ay ya.
Our go-to neighborhood take out place. When we're feeling especially lazy we'll call them up and pick up our order--all under 15 minutes.
Favorite dishes include garlic eggplant, salt and pepper shrimp, and string beans and tofu. The lunch specials are a great deal, and I love that the vegetarian plates come with brown rice. I had the sesame chicken once and I'm sorry, but the fake chicken doesn't do it for me. My boyfriend, on the other hand, didn't even know that he was eating soy poultry. Go figure.
It's cheap, it's fast, it's deep-fried, it's vegan. Yep, it's the Sezchuan "Chicken" lunch special at Great Wall. Not the best food in the world, but when I'm craving greasy Chinese food and fake chicken, this is where I go. I'm surprised to see other reviewers dissing the mu shu -- it's one of my favorite things on the menu! Also worth trying: sesame chicken, kung pao chicken (tons of zucchini and peanuts along with little cubes of chicken), garlic eggplant.
This is also most definitely the place to go on holidays when everything else is closed, especially Christmas -- it's always packed, but a lot of fun.
The basis of this review is just the egg rolls, which we ate unconventionally with espresso during changeovers on the court up the road at Hiller Highlands, but nonetheless I have to say that they lacked any discernible flavor or sustenance.
Just had some takeout from here. I got the lemon "chicken" with a side of white rice. The fake meat had a pretty good texture and slightly salty taste which was pleasant. The lemon sauce was a little bland and the pieces weren't very crispy, so thats why its only gets a 3. Otherwise, the price is right and seems like a good place to get vegetarian chinese. I'd probably try it again (though I would not order the lemon chicken again, rather try something new)
The veggieBF has been going there since 1997, they know what he's (now 'we') are going to order before seating. HANDS DOWN FAVORITE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT here in Ebay. Service: SO FAST! Food: Prices: Totally reasonable/borderline cheap! There is a gentleman server who pours the water in such an entertaining fashion (never low on the water) ! Hahahha! if you've been, you know what I mean. Order the sesame 'chicken' with broccoli and the Mongolian 'beef.' We've been having it once a month for the last couple of years and always leaving haaa....ppyyyy!
I am going to be honest. I ate here a few years ago while living in Berkeley for a summer and didn't like it. I was spoiled back home and was used to getting chow mein with my lunch specials, at lower prices. Fast forward to today. I wanted chinese food. I am now eating vegan, where to go? So after reading some good reviews on yelp, I came back to Great Wall. I am happy to say, I now like it tons!
I ordered the sesame "chicken" with broccoli. Nom! The fake meat was a decent texture, the flavor was right, the broc was good, the brown rice was cooked well, and the service was fast. You cannot really ask for more. The serving was pretty decent as well, so I was glad that I had a mason jar with me to bring half of the foods home for tomorrows lunch. The soup was a little bland, but I did like that they had a vegan option with no egg.
If you are in the area and need a decent vegetarian/vegan chinese place, go here. So far the best I have found in the Oakland/Berkeley area. I will keep searching though.
Just plain bad food, really bad! I don't think I have ever just thrown away a whole meal. Our order:
- Moo Shu (veggie, since they didn't have chicken): Horrible, tasted like egg
- some deep fried chicken dish: soft fried? not fried? smushy fried? and it was bland
I honestly don't remember now what else we got and I really don't care to put anymore thought into it. It was pretty much the worst Chinese food I have ever had.
I've been meaning to review Great wall restaurant for a while now and since I went there the other night it feels like a now or never sort of thing...
My partner and I drove out to the border of Oakland and Berkeley and found some street parking and walked down to the restaurant. It was just after 9pm and we had a little less than a half hour before they closed. We sat down and ordered faux szechwan chicken and black mushroom beef with white rice and soup for the full dinner. Th hostess/waitress was nice and patient with us.
The soups were not so great, but the other food came quickly so we got to move on soon. The chicken was great, well textured with a nice sauce and fresh veggies mixed in. It was a delicious vegan treat. The other dish was ok, but the meat was seasoned somewhat oddly, but the mushrooms and other veggies really helped the dish quite a bit. the rice was good and freshly steamed so over all the food was good.
They dimmed the lights clanked dishes and began cleaning at about 9:50 which I am more than a bit annoyed by, but we were already done so it wasn't that bad. Just make sure that if you go, that you allow time to eat before closing. It was a good meal and a decent place, I will be back again in the future to see how a lunch special plays out because so far I've only been here for dinner.
CHAD
"Can I have the lemon chicken with veggie fried rice, no eggs."
I used to looooooove eating here when I worked across the street at the Red Cross.
Hella good food, good service & reasonably priced.
Coming from NYC originally I am pretty spoiled when it comes to food. Especially when it comes to vegetarian options. Now living in the Bay Area for the past 4+ years I have come to miss good vegetarian Chinese food options. I was quite excited to find Great Wall. This place has time and time again satisfied my desire for fake meat dishes that stir up memories of meals past from my pre-vegetarian days. However, this is not great food by any stretch of the imagination - it merely gets the job done for this sentimental veg.
Since our beloved Central Vegetarian in Alameda is closed for a couple of months, we have been trying to find a replacement to hold us over. We've gone to Great Wall a few times now mostly due to their ridiculously cheap lunch specials. It doesn't come close to living up to Central Vegetarian, but it's not bad for the time being and the lunch prices are worth what you get.
Their service is so quick, it's scary. They give you a menu, watch you from afar and come back to take your order as soon as you close the menu or look ready, and then about two seconds later they give you your soup, and then another two seconds later they come back with your food. They give you your check midway through your meal. I am barely exaggerating--this is practically fast food only without the disgusting. The first time I went here, I thought their speediness seemed kind of obnoxious and rude, but now that I've come to expect it I don't really care. It's kind of nice that they're so fast. Less money for the parking meter.
Their sweet and sour soup tastes like vomit, but I won't hold it against them since sweet and soup soup always tastes like vomit. I just wish they'd pick a different soup.
The food itself is pretty good, but nothing that will knock your socks off. The sesame chicken has been my favorite dish so far.
I first went to Great Wall back in the early 90's before I was a vegetarian. Even then it was good.
After about 15 years of eating here a few times a month, I'm pretty sure I've tried everything on the veggie side of the menu (they also serve seafood). Some of my favorites include Szechuan Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Kung-Pao Beef, and String Bean Beef.
The service is lightning quick, especially at lunch, when you can get a killer lunch special for about $6. That includes hot and sour soup, spring roll, entree, rice and tea.
If you're a vegetarian, you have to eat here; and even if you're not, you should give it a shot.
We ordered the following: Overall, i would go to any other Chinese restaurant on college. I won't order from here again.
potstickers= terrible. I took one bite and was done.
chow fun noodles= terribly bland
garlic broccoli= good. fine.
eggrolls= fine. greasy.
I am not Vegetarian... I am picky about my Chinese food... I am a student... Great Value, Consisntely delicious food
Great Wall delivers amazing "fake" meat solutions without compromising taste at a reasonable price... and every time I eat there the food arrives more quickly then I expect
I stick with the Spicy dishes but the MONK STYLE VEGETABLES are off le chain...
Secret: you can park in the Safeway parking lot and walk across the street
All hail tofu with broccoli. Ah, god and the sesame chicken!!! So, so, so my favorite veggie Chinese restaurant thus far. The service is fast, I mean lightening- I would be barely exaggerating if I were to say they had the dish ready before I had finished ordering it. It's like they're reading my mind...
Servers are just as friendly as you could want them to be.
Parking is a little tricky in that area, but seriously, they're so fast you can be in and out of there in 30 seconds if you're picking up to go food.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
Whenever I visit my sister in Berkeley, I always come here.
You must try the Double skin dish, walnut prawns and string beans. The owner is very nice but can't say the same for staff...
I have been coming to this place for years-- and it is still one of my favorite places on the planet!
Spicy garlic tofu, spicy garlic broccoli, kung pao chicken, sweet & sour chicken, sesame chicken, spring rolls... oh man-- I'm totally hungry just thinking about it.
And: I can totally eat it all! (Vegetarian restaurants: I love you!!) Okay, I can't vouch for the seafood here, as I've never had it-- but I've had a greater majority of the rest of the menu-- and wholeheartedly recommend everything else!
The price is decent-- and damn they serve it up fast! (But I definitely prefer to get it to go and eat in front of the TV!) Too bad half the staff thinks my girlfriend and I are totally crazy every time we eat in (we can't help ourselves but to order wayyyy too much food for two people!)
Came here for a friend's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
I love fake chinese food chicken.
Their sesame chicken is something I'd never tried anywhere else and it was baller.
Service was fine but not spectacular hence the one star reduction.
Definitely the best veggie Chinese restaurant I've ever been to, and one of my favorite restaurants in the Easy Bay period! I gave it four stars because it falls a bit short in the atmosphere department, but the food isn't lacking for anything!
My favorite dish is the Szechuan chicken (meatless of course) which is fried and in an incredibly delicious sauce. Usually it comes with bell peppers and onions, which I think are kind of bull shit vegetables, so I ask them to replace them with either spicy green beans or broccoli, which they will do for just $1 extra. I crave this dish more than I crave anything from any restaurant! Sooooo good.
Recently I went with my roommate who ordered the Kung Pao beef, which was also phenomenal! I've taken plenty of meat eaters to this restaurant, all of whom have raved about it.
They have cheap bottles of wine, too, so it's pretty much Heaven on College Avenue. :)
Hot and Sour soup (if that's even your real name) you deserved every single one of the dirty, violent things I had to do to you before you became palatable. It's true - I put pepper in you; I put salt in you; I put garlic in you; I put honey in you; good God, I even put garlic powder in you and still, it required the forcible removal of, at least, two pounds of pudgey tofu, before you even resembled that tempting mistress I've come to know as "hot and sour".
Vegetarian? That is no excuse for this kind of bland fare . . and truly, no one needs that much tofu. My tummy hurts.
The spring rolls, though light, were also bland.
And normally, I wouldn't even mention a condiment but are you serious? This is your sweet and sour sauce? Two words: VISK Ohsity. That sweet and sour . . Oliver Twist would throw it out with the bath water - no stick, no coat -- nothing to grab on to my spring roll.
Ok, other yelpers dug you so I might go back and revise but for now, you are a bummer , I want ice cream.
I've been eating at Great Wall monthly and much of that time weekly since 1992 and not once have I been let down, every veggie dish on the menu, and specials too. Top notch.
I had my first vegetarian restaurant experience here and have been in love ever since. The first time I had lunch with my sister here, I scoffed at the idea of vegetarian meats, but nevertheless, I went with Sesame Chicken.
I was alarmed at how fast we got our food and was skeptical. What was in in this stuff!? While I wasn't a fan of the soup, I really enjoyed the actual entree and especially liked the brown rice option. They got me fooled into thinking I was eating chicken, but then again, it seems that when in doubt, it always tastes like chicken.
Whenever I make a Safeway run with friends, we always make sure to stop by here first for lunch. It's quick and relatively healthy compared to other Chinese food fare.
FIRST AND FOREMOST:
Their hot and sour soup is more than food. It's a sacrament. An icon. When you're sick, it makes everything better. When you feel fine, it makes the world a friendlier place.
OH SURE
Sometimes one batch is better than another. Once in a while some weird chewy stem gets left in. But I'd eat through dozens of chewy things to devour a helping of their hot and sour soup. I'd fight off warring factions of badly dubbed kung fu soldiers for a taste. I'd listen to Abba singing Dancing Queen 15 times non-stop for a ladle full of soup. I'd gladly sit down with Dick Cheney and listen to him spout off hateful rhetoric, just knowing that a big ol' bowl of hot and sour soup is on its way.
AND THAT'S NOT ALL:
Their onion pie is pretty good too. Not sit-down-with-a-facist good. But way better than average.
NOT TO MENTION:
Their "chicken" with black mushrooms. Killer. A little greasy, but oh so yummy.
The BF and I have started calling this "C- Chinese"...
To be honest, it used to be really good. Their lunch menu is/was excellent and I'd always eat well (big portions, soup, the works!).
But, something terrible has happened recently; they've remodeled and bought new furniture and, for some reason, their food quality has suffered. How that happens, I'm not really sure...
So, I'd be giving it C- Stars, but my Mom still loves the place, so I'm giving it an extra few stars because it makes Mom happy.
Solid vegetarian food for decent prices though I know I've ordered the same thing for the past five years.
Two people can get out for $15.00 (including tip). Hit up the kung pao chicken with brown rice lunch special. Can't vouch for the seafood, but who the fuck goes here for the seafood anyway.
We ate here last night. The five of us had
a very satisfying dinner of appetizers, soup, five entrees,
brown and white rice for about $65
(including tax, excluding tip)
We loved the sesame chicken, hot and spicy tofu,
lemon chicken, spicy walnuts and mixed vegetable dishes. Yummy...even our picky teen loved the meal.
We've been here at lest 7 or 8 times
and have been very happy wit their food.
Wait staff is friendly. Bus person is a tad unsmiling
but efficient; we always had plenty of tea and water.
NOTE: Food and ambiance not fancy.
We felt very comfortable hanging out for awhile
chatting and relaxing with our friends.
Veggie chicken with snap pea, brown rice. Snap peas are always fresh and crunchy, the veggie chicken pieces are large and tasty. If you get there for lunch you get hot and sour soup and egg roll included. Food comes out within 2 minutes of ordering and price is great. The steamed dumplings are also excellent.
Husband loves the sesame prawn.
Not bad when you go out to eat with a vegetarian friend who insists on "clean food". The hot and sour soup was pretty good.
Personally, I prefer my chinese food laiden with meat, to be a little greasy, and have a slight touch of MSG... mmmMMM!
A funny side note: As we were ordering, some old guy let loose this loud, wet, rippling fart, and all of us (including the waitress) just kinda paused, turned, and looked at him, then turned back and laughed. I said, "I'll have what he's having!".
I LOVE the food!
I HATE the service...
I go here, probably almost once a week...take out, always.
I can't help it, the "Vegetable Crunchy Noodle" dish, is my favorite, and I order it EVERY time!
Veggie Fried Rice = SO good
Fried Wontons, yummy
The "Veggie Chicken" dishes, are great too...any of them..
skimp on the sweet & sour sauce...or any other sauces...
We keep getting the same stuff, over and over, because its SO good, its hard to try other dishes..
We ate here 1 time, and 1 time ONLY because, their service was horrible...
Just rude, unfriendly, when you ask for something - they seem put out....
I"ll keep coming back, because the FOOD is wonderful....just get it TO-GO!~
Inexpensive, Bare bones service. Large lunch menu with many vegetarian and seafood choices. Too many things buried in an unctuous brown sauce called "spicy garlic sauce." They will leave out various things like tofu, bell peppers, egg at request. Lunch plates are very large.
I'm still waiting for the busguy to crack a smile.
I would move to Berkeley just to be close to this restaurant. I would be satisfied with working near by. The lunch specials are worth gathering a bunch of friends for. The price is reasonable and the food is fresh and quick. The menu has lots of decisions, which sometimes makes it hard to choose, but the service makes up for indecisive times.
I prefer any of their vegetarian options. The veggie chow mein is the hit!
There is a waiter there that pours water like a magician. He tips the pitchers 3 feet above the cups and makes the pour longer until the glass is full. It is a messy routine, but entertaining.
Every time my family and I go the East bay around lunch time, we call all of our friends to meet us here for lunch. Every time.
I have eaten here at least three times now and have tried a variety of different dishes. I think mostly we keep going back because its convenient and the prices are not so bad. But the food is just O.K. I've found it to be mostly bland and blah. Nothing spectacular but it is satisfactory when is comes to quenching a craving for Chinese food.
I personally really enjoy this restaurant for all their mock meats, noteably the"beef" and broccoli. The meal is about 10 dollars and gives you a good sized portions. You also have the option of brown or white rice. And at all costs avoid the sweet and sour soup, replace it with the wonton.
They stay open relatively late (until 10 pm.) The best deal is to get there early to enjoy the lunch special, although the dinner special with vegan moshu and plum sauce is the most delicious and will leave you with plenty of leftovers. (Make sure you ask for no egg!)
I'm a regular here because they offer 1/2 a menu full of vegetarian options (the other half is seafood), and also the prices are extremely reasonable. Everything is fresh and flavorful. Good veggie wonton, asparagus with faux chicken and black bean sauce, veggie dumplings, yum!
Great wall is one of those places that I don't even think to review because I go there so often. It would be like reviewing my kitchen. That said, it isn't fair to not review a place just because its so awesome that it is a regular spot.
Great wall is awesome. Vegan/vegetarian heaven, where the "meats" are very tasty and compliment the dishes well. I highly recommend this place even if you are not vegetarian. Its very clean and the service is very fast.
Be sure to notice the big guy that refills the waters, he insists on filling them fast and from great distances, which I find pretty funny. Usually he misses and there's a little extra water on the table/floor/my face. Its really funny, and adds character.
Ok so I went to the Great Wall for dinner a week ago and I am STILL thinking about the sesame chicken. It wasn't even real chicken - it was better than real chicken. Great Wall has nearly turned me into a vegetarian.
You can tell a lot about a Chinese restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup - and the Great Wall's was some of the best I've ever had. I like my Hot and Sour soup to be a little spicy - and this was seasoned to perfection.
The other delicious dishes I had were the Sweet and Sour Pork and Beef and Broccoli. It was all perfect. Just to add to this perfection - it was inexpensive and they had brown rice. Does it get any better? The Great Wall and I will be spending many evenings together in the future.
I've eaten here for 15 years. The owner used to be the head chef at Long Life Vegi House in Berkeley. The food is excellent, fresh and they're conservative with the cooking oil. The service is great and the owner is humble and very friendly; always greeting with a smile.
This restaurant got me through my university days, with ample portions at lunch at a very good price.
My favorite items:
1) Hot and sour soup.
2) Green onion pie (not even an onion fan).
3) Hunan beef (remember, this is all vegi meat).
4) Won ton soup.
5) Spicy garlic eggplant (not even an eggplant fan either).
6) Fried won tons.
I have several non-vegi friends who always look forward to eating here. Enjoy!
great vegetarian food, awesomely fast take-out.
Good service--except for that guy who serves you water. I don't think he likes me.
Definitely try the sesame chicken!
I've been coming to Great Wall since i became a vegetarian, at age 14, at least 5 times a month. My high school boo and i spent every anniversary and birthday there. Everybody who knows me, knows this where L Bizzle wants to go. The staff are friendly and helpful and know me by face rather than name. Yes, the "Water boy" and his pitcher-acrobatics are legendary (i think his name is Jim or Tom or something) but it wouldn't be the same without him. The trade-off is we've never been shushed for getting animated/raucous/ethnic during family dinners.
Contrary to many yelpers' complaints, I adore the food 98% of the time which is pretty good for 13 years of veggie bliss. Even my family of carnivores have signature dishes they order (vegetables and seafood only, no fake). The flavors are sumptuous and you can choose from deep-fried guilty pleasures or steamed veggies and tofu in tasty sauces. Their lunch menu is the best deal in Berkeley/Oakland and a gift to vegetarians, young and old. Off the top of my head, my favs are:
Tofu and Broccoli
Sesame chicken (duh)
Sesame fish (real)
Barbecue-sauced Tofu
Green Onion Pancake
Spring Rolls (i love the thin sweet & sour sauce)
Add brown rice and you're golden
Pass on the hot and sour soup and pot stickers, they're unremarkable
I love Great Wall and they love me! Yay!
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Elmwood
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Chinese
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