Lilly's

Lily's sells Chinese food. no menu posted outside.
walked inside. noticed only big tables. no room for single diner. glance at
take out steam table, typical Americanized Chinese food.

eats: chicken green bean combo (7.5)1/2 entree, 1/2 fried rice
-looked 2/3 rice. some msg taste. beans, chicken plain, less msg.
passed on chow mein, plain looking
passed kung pao chicken, chicken deep fried.
2.5 stars

take outs:
-glad i didn't sit down, food no doubt mostly msg flavored...

We have been visiting Lilly's for years and love it. Service is always kind and efficient. Food is always good and portions huge. An authentic Chinese restaurant and inexpensive. Current owner has had the place for seven years and the previous order for 16. It is well supported by locals and many driving distance to enjoy the bargain banquets. While I have my favorite items, I think everything is excellent. Never a bad experience in 20 years.

Nothing fancy. Think the little restaurant off Grant Avenue in Chinatown. A hidden gem in a terrific North Berkeley neighborhood.

They are fast , the food is good and the price is right! Their wonton soup is delish! Also ordered the Chicken & Black Mushroom... pretty tasty! The man inside whom I believe also cooks was really very nice and kind as well!

Update on 11/3/19

Just swag by for lunch today and found out that their ownership is changing. The place was closed. It'd be a shame if the new owner didn't keep the quality of the food.


I always knew this place was there but was afraid to try it because of the way it looks on the outside. I was with a friend one day in the area and it got very late so ordered food to go for my husband and me. I was pleasantly surprised how tasty it was. My husband often gets sick from oily Asian food but he got away with it. Today we both went there for lunch and again were happy with the food! The waiter is always friendly which helps. We'll definitely go back there. (We almost never go back to the same Chinese restaurant because either the food or the service is terrible oThe reason I give them 4 stars is because there was strong cigarette smoke inside. According to the waiter, it's coming from outside but I'm very sensitive to the smell and it was disturbing.

My family has been eating here for almost 40 years. The kids grew up here, ate here when they snuck out of middle school next door and, always ask for Lilly's when they visit. We've eaten here through 4 owners, but we won't be going back. In the last few months the quality of food has declined markedly. Green Onion beef has turned into Onion Beef, with very little beef. The chicken in yesterday's General Tso's chicken was hard, dry and stringy. We could not cut it with a sharp knife. As my husband and I discussed our meal, we realized that we haven't been happy with our meals in quite some time. So, sadly, it's goodbye to Lilly's. We are sad to go.

The food is delicious and authentic. The people who run this place really care. And the prices for Hopkins street is very reasonable. Plus it's open late.

My girlfriend and I are writing this review because it's curiously empty on a Saturday night and more people should know about it.

Kindness and deliciousness abound. Keep it up!

So sad to see Lilly's close. This has been our Go To restaurant for the past ten years. Nothing fancy but good, authentic Chinese food. The owners put their hearts into the place. We will miss them.

This place is located in a nice little neighborhood. There is Monterey market nearby, a pizza joint and some fun little local markers. I used to come here with my friends for their lunch special. It's better to eat in than do take out. The generals chicken is amazing and you can get it with fried rice. If you eat in, they also give you a soup. Overall the take out experience is fast, if you come at lunch time, there's plenty of students from nearby schools that come here. If you eat in, everything is made fairly fast as well and they serve you very fast. Definitely try the generals chicken if you come by here.

A bit lackluster on all fronts. Food tastes pretty good but the portion is noticeably small comparing to most Chinese restaurants. The $8 lunch special won't last two hours in my belly. Owner and staff are polite but then you see them picking veggies at the back table.

Devil in the detail. I'm sure it will get much better if the owner putting a bit more heart into it.

Good stuff, impressive! I got the lemon chicken and some rice. The chicken came out a beautiful glaze orange color. Like a work of art. It was delicious. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was so good. Tangy with a hint of sweet. The rice was so good too when it soaked up the special sauce. Amazing. Highly reccomen.d it when you come here. Superb! Most people do takeout here but I prefer to eat in. So peacefully and not crowded. Nice ambience.