- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Guangzhou Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
1220 Cambridge StCambridge, MA 02139
Neighborhood: Inman Square
(617) 547-6368
- Nearest Transit:
-
Cambridge St @ Prospect St (69)
Cambridge St @ Norfork St (69)
Prospect St @ Hampshire St (83, 91)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11:30 pm
Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Brian B. said: "Delicious Stick to Your Ribs Brazilian Cooking! I had the biggest scare a couple of weeks ago when 2 of my friends that live fairly close to Cafe Brazil told me they thought it had closed! When I moved out of Brighton back in…" read more »
25 reviews for Guangzhou Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The chicken fingers are cooked perfectly, not too light..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...to not experience the wonderful take out food of Guangzhou."
(in 3 reviews)
"Quinn is really nice, we love to chat with her while..."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
25 reviews in English
-
Review from Maria D.
Medford, MA
7/16/2010
Technically, I would give Guangzhou 3.5 stars- .5 stars less due to their prices.
I normally order out from here, but I did eat in once. The restaurant was very small and it was near impossible to find a parking spot. We came in the dead of winter, and there was NO HEAT. Instead, they had those little space heaters sprawled out within the restaurant, but they might as well save their money on electricity since it was still freezing inside. Also, their prices are a bit high. Dinner for two was about 40-45 bucks. At other places, dinner for two ( my boyfriend and I usually order 2 apps, rice/lomein, and a dinner plate) is around $20-25.
Other than that...
This Chinese food is VERY good and high quality. Their beef teriyaki is phenomenal. Rather than a flattened out slab of beef on a stick, it comes as little meaty steak tips. So juicy and tender, and oh so good.
If you eat there, they bring you your own personal pot of tea. The lomein deserves an A+. We got the chicken, and it was packed with meat and veggies, and the noodles were plentiful.
So if you live in Cambridge, I would definitely order take out from here. Eating there? Not so much. -
Review from Ann G.
Somerville, MA
3/3/2011
I will preface this review with the fact that I don't eat Chinese all that often. And I remembered why when I had dinner at Guangzhou restaurant. (I also have to say that I didn't realize Chinese chicken fingers were different than regular chicken fingers - I'd never ordered them before.)
The restaurant is small but nice, the tea was served in a lovely pot, and the waitress was really nice (a bit aloof, but nice). I found the food a little over-sauced but good, the chicken was of good quality. The plating was nice. The spring rolls were a little weird - they had mushrooms in them. The egg rolls were good. Overall A-OK, but not amazing. -
Review from Daniel M.
4/7/2009
Maybe it's me but when my bill comes to nearly $20 for just me I expect the food to be spot-on.
This was nowhere near that.
I always try a few basics from a new (to me at least) place: rangoons and lo mein. Neither here were very good. The rangoons while plentiful (seriously there were a TON) were basically inedible after two. If you can't fry cream cheese up and make it tasty you have issues.
The lo mein was a tangled mass of noodles drenched in sauce with a reasonable amount of veggies in it. The mushrooms seemed canned which added a strange texture to the dish but it was the copious amount of soy sauce and presumably MSG that ruined this. I felt like I had made out with a salt lick and was in a sodium haze the rest of the night.
I would like to try this place again to see what else may actually work for me but the cost seems well out of line for that. It's a shame that it is so difficult to find yummy Asian food on this side of the river. -
Review from Jocelyn C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
2/2/2008
I heard that this restaurant came under new management recently, which is definitely a good thing. I remember ordering food here about 1 1/2 years ago, when I first moved to the neighborhood, and it was truly the worst Chinese food I had ever ever EVER had. Seriously, ever.
Things seem to have turned around for GuangZhou, because after reading all of these yelp reviews, I figured I'd give them another chance. Glad I did - the food is MUCH better and fresher than it was before. The wonton soup was amazing, with huge cuts of pork and tasty little dumplings. The beef and broccoli was a bit bland, but not too greasy or oily at all. My boyfriend seemed pretty happy with his food too.
It's nice to see that GuangZhou seems to have finally gotten their shit together. Maybe now I won't have to order my Chinese food from Somerville all the time! -
Review from Orly M.
Somerville, MA
2/2/2008
When I moved to Inman Sq 2 years ago, I spent all day moving my stuff and unpacking. When I was finally done I was exhausted and STARVING. Of course, I didn't have any food in my new place and was ravenously hungry, so I pounded the streets of Cambridge in search of cheap takeout. This hole in the wall seemed like it would do the trick, so I ordered some food. I don't remember what it was, but knowing me it was a spicy chicken dish and some hot and sour. I took it home and ate it, and then got in my car to head to my then bf's house. I wasn't feeling well but figured hey, i'm just tired from packing, my stomach ache will go away. But it kept getting worse, and fast forward to me pulling off of a busy street to vom chinese food which didn't taste good the first time, but tasted acrid the second.
Maybe things have changed since then, I don't know. But my rule is if your food makes me spew, i'm not giving you another chance.Listed in: Craptastic Destinations
-
Review from nikola g.
Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2008
I've picked up food to-go from this place a few times and can now confidently echo the other reviewers' opinions about this place so far:
Guangzhou IS in fact a pleasant place that makes food that tastes good and at the same time leaves you with the feeling that you have done something good for your body---Guangzhou's food DOES in fact seem to have much much less greasiness and heaviness than your standard cheap and heavy Chinatown food (which is delicious in its own right-- don't get me wrong). I really have no idea whether this makes it more or less authentic/traditional? And yes the staff IS totally nice and tries to remember your name and such.
Also important: With most dishes, you have the option of getting a half-order...NICE! -
Review from Allison R.
Somerville, MA
10/4/2007
I was suckered into this place because the smell of Chinese food was overwhelming and awesome.
The decor is charming; Chinese three-paneled screens and landscapes give this place a family-owned business feel. We thought the food would be pricey(Pu Pu Platter for two is $22), but the portions are huge, and well worth it. Also, beer- including TsingTsao and Harbin- is only $3.50.
Adding to the neighborhood feel, a few crazy kids from Neutrino, an Improv Boston group, film here on weekend nights. -
Review from Kris M.
6/17/2009
I had my reservations about this place when I walked by it the first time - it seemed kind of empty and foreboding, but my chinese roommate said it was decent food. So, continuing on my quest to try every restaurant in Inman Square, I ventured in one night in search of cheapish Chinese.
The menu is split up by ingredient, as most are, though they have special sections for combo-meals, Szechuan dishes, and lunch specials. The special combos are, IMO, the way to go. I ordered the #5, which was short ribs, bbq, teriyaki, crab rangoon, and chow mein for about $13, a pretty good deal for a good amount of food. The key is to call in and order ahead of time, and just come in a pick it up, but as it was a spur-of-the-moment decision I placed the order and sat down to wait at the "bar." Fortunately, the hostess was a pleasure to chat with, and in-between taking orders and serving patrons we talked about the restaurant and the neighborhood.
Enough food came out of this order to make two decent meals. I found the rangoon and all of the meats to be quite well made and tasty, but the noodles were lacking a bit - possibly the sauce on them was not very good, maybe too much soy sauce? Not sure, but once I put some of the honey-sauce I got for the bbq chicken on the noodles they got better. They were also delicious the next day when I stir-fried them up to reheat.
I'll go with a 4-star rating, because the food and price were good and the hostess was extremely nice, but it's certainly not the best Chinese I've had in Boston, let alone ever.Listed in: Inman Square
-
Review from Sarah S.
Somerville, MA
4/11/2010
The owner seemed like a really nice man. For that, this place gets two stars, but only for that. The food gets one star.
We ordered barbequed spare ribs on the bone, pei pa bean curd (shrimp stuffed tofu), beef with chinese broccoli, and double cooked pork.
The appetizer spare ribs ($8) were very tough - we could only eat half before giving up on the rest. it was okay flavor too hard to chew.
The pei pa bean curd ($10) was the best thing that we got, except that it didn't come stuffed with the shrimp. When we asked, the waiter said most people don't like the shrimp so it doesn't come with the shrimp, even though the dish is described as shrimp-stuffed tofu. It was still good, pillowy soft tofu fried crispy with a light sauce. Shrimp would have been nice (maybe?) though.
The beef with chinese broccoli ($12) was not good. The beef was way too thick and overcooked so it was too tough, and was swimming in sauce. The greens were well cooked, so we ended up picking those out and leaving the beef.
The double cooked pork ($12?) never came, and after we tasted the initial food, we just didn't bother to ask for it, since odds are it would not have been great and we would have had to pay for it.
Overall, we're not going to come back here for Chinese - rather make the longer trek to Chinatown or Qing Dao Garden for the northern menu. -
Review from Mike I.
Brookline, MA
3/9/2010
I just came back from eating lunch at Guangzhou and the "A-OK" description of three stars is perfectly accurate. The restaurant is not very impressive looking, a little bar when you come in, 2 or 3 tables near the bar, and 4 tables near the window in the front. There were only 2 other tables in use when I came in for lunch, both clearly enjoying their meals.
The menu was a little confusing, in that it was different than most Chinese restaurants. There were fewer choices than I'd expect on a menu, but plenty of combination plates, of which I am a huge fan. I had the Pork Mushroom Chow Yoke with an Egg roll and fried rice. The food came out very quickly and piping hot. The egg roll was fantastic, perfectly fried on the outside, with a great filling and tasty duck sauce. The fried rice was decent enough, although the pork in it was a little too fatty/chewy for my taste. The main dish was fairly unremarkable. The pork was alright, a little dry and with some pieces of fat, the mushrooms were canned, and the sauce was nothing special.
Overall, this place has a nice feeling to it, the waitress was extremely nice and helpful, and it wasn't expensive for a good amount of food. Would I go out of my way to come back here? Definitely not. Would I come back if I was hungry and passing by and felt like Chinese food? Probably. -
Review from Rob L.
Somerville, MA
1/20/2008
I ate here for the second time a couple nights ago and have to say I really like Guangzhou! The menu is all pretty standard chinese for americans, but everything I've had has been superb- probably the best I've had in Cambridge.
Both times we've been the only people eating there, but with a somewhat steady stream of people picking up takeout orders. Also, many of the people picking up food seemed to know the owner/host/ess personally, probably from repeated visits to get food. A good sign, in my opinion.
I was curious about the previous (Allison's) review. The first line made me think the review was going to be negative, but then it wasn't. In fact it was quite positive, but then only 3 stars? I think it deserves four, though you are right that it's slightly more expensive than other similar places in Cambridge. -
Review from Jesse G.
Cambridge, MA
1/27/2011
Ive met the owner and they were friendly thats why I would give 2 stars everything else is 1 star.
I paid 14+ for fried rice and crab rangoons (maybe I was overcharged but dont really care at this point or can tell anymore since everything runs 9 or more) and I would of been fine with that if they were not mediocre, but sadly they are ,but at twice the mediocre food price point. I would do yourself a favor and order delivery from a better place and take the delivery fee because after a delivery fee you will end up paying about the same as picking up the food here or eat take out from Midwest Grill its cheaper.
The other time I ordered a combo plate and it was meh as well and was about 2 dollars more than other places (30% more). -
Review from Brian G.
Cambridge, MA
1/22/2011
Great chinesse food, good for the apps your chicken fingers, beef teriyaki, crab rangoons etc, also good general tsao and other meals. Super friendly wait staff/owners, also good for takeout. simply delicious....
-
Review from Al A.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/22/2011
Extremely oily.
-
Review from J R.
Allston, MA
11/1/2010
Been going there for years always good food
-
Review from Sophie I.
Cambridge, MA
1/10/2008
This is a surprisingly pleasant place to eat. From the outside you'd think it was just another hole-in-the-wall mediocre Chinese food place, but step in and you find lovely decor and friendly waitstaff (especially the owner!). The food is fresh and much less greasy than standard fare Chinese. Also great for takeout.
-
Review from Kate P.
Brooklyn, NY
4/3/2007
Tasty, quick, fresh delivery in Inman Square. Friendly people on the phone and when delivering. Ordered Americanized standbys (General Gao's Chicken, Moo Shu Beef) that were yummy and not oily. Will definitely order again.
-
Review from Joel R.
Cambridge, MA
2/5/2010
I'm not really sure what to make of this place. The food was kind of mediocre. I ordered chicken with broccoli - nothing exotic at all and the taste and presentation was not quite right. They also don't offer brown rice, which is annoying. I don't think I would order from here again.
-
Review from Lynette S.
Roslindale, MA
5/27/2008
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMM. As other posters have said, looks plain on the outside but inside it is nice and most important of all...the food is great.
-
Review from Jess L.
4/5/2009
Definitely not the most amazing Chinese I've ever had, but there was a fresher quality to this food than other "American Chinese food" restaurants. Our waitress was seemingly new - or at least very un-used to having customers, for it took a while to get served, get tea, and get water. But she was very nice and quick to bring out the food after we finally ordered. The General Tau's tofu is good - not too greasy. The orange beef and chicken were also good, though I'd choose the chicken over the beef. Decent serving size and prices.
-
Review from Dennis L.
Boston, MA
8/25/2009
Good basic American-Chinese food.
Only thing is, avoid the lo mein, it's not that great.
The rice is good. The dishes are good. Tastes fresh. A little greasy but all American-Chinese food is... this place is definitely less greasy than average.
Friendly workers inside. I've only done takeout tho.
4 stars, it's def better than I expect out of most Chinese places. -
Review from Ed R.
Cambridge, MA
11/1/2010
great food
-
Review from Leiana K.
Cambridge, MA
6/19/2008
So this may sound strange, but for my friend Heat, this place is home away from home. Heat is a couch surfer that has spent many a night passed out on my futon, and mostly wasting her days away drawing and playing with my chubby kitty. When she graces us with her presence it is impossible to not experience the wonderful take out food of Guangzhou. She eats their pretty much everyday, and orders the same thing---chicken chow mein. Seriously, I personally think this dish is pretty much the most boring thing on the menu, but somehow it floats her boat every time. Anyways, awhile ago I actually made the 3 block walk with her and wow, what an experience. The waitstaff talked to her like she was family, greeted her by name, had her order all ready, offered us free sake and beer while we waited and literally chatted with us like it was our local bar! So that being said, I always pick up instead of have it delivered, and obviously allow time for a drink or two at the bar. The atmosphere is interesting if not casual, the boneless spare ribs are to die for, the combo plates are huge and cheap, and the little sake bottles come with their own cups as caps! I tend to order the Lo-Mein noodles, and occasionally it has WAY too much garlic in it for my tastes, but mostly I am pleased with every visit. It is not the best Chinese food in the world, but it is certainly a place where it feels like my well being matters, if not just my business.
-
Review from g s.
Cambridge, MA
9/29/2010
The food was okay but it's definitely not worth the prices that you pay. Two egg rolls, a lo mein and a sesame chicken ran almost $25. egg rolls are gigantic, but not all that tasty.
-
Review from Johanna D.
Cambridge, MA
2/25/2009
Overall, really good chinese food. My boyfriend could live off General Gao's for the rest of his life and die happy. It is really good though I must admit and we haven't found anywhere that comes even close! Their spare ribs are really tasty and not fatty. The chicken fingers are cooked perfectly, not too light like lots of other places. Quinn is really nice, we love to chat with her while waiting and Jimmy is nice too. Their rice could be a little better though...
