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Won Kow Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Dim Sum, Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
2237 S Wentworth Ave(between 22nd Pl & Alexander St)
Chicago, IL 60616
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(312) 842-7500
- Nearest Transit:
-
Cermak-chinatown (Red Line)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
105 reviews for Won Kow Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...first place I had dim sum since visiting Hong Kong in 2003." In 5 reviews -
"Like Al Capone use to chow down here old." In 3 reviews -
"...seeds and all) and the fried rice and spicy shrimp are also..." In 6 reviews
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105 reviews in English
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Review from Beatriz T.
Chicago, IL
5/9/2012
Won Kow holds a special place in my heart as it was my grannys favorite restaurant and we came here almost every year for my birthday and she would let me get a Shirley Temple. This place has been around FOREVER.
I think the food is good, nothing earth shattering and I have never had anything bad. Portions are huge. Cocktails are cheap. Get the VOLCANO sized Mai-Tai!
I like the decor...super cheesy...makes you feel like you walked into a bad karate movie and a fight scene will break out at any minute.
Great place for groups. Prices are reasonable. Lots of stairs to climb to get to the restaurant. They also validate parking and I have never had any problems with that. -
Review from Sara L.
West Lafayette, IN
4/20/2012
I wish I could give this place zero stars. Or even negative stars. Despite my many trips to Chicago, I had never been to Chinatown. A family member recommended this restaurant (I guess he hates me). The food was disgusting. I ordered garlic chicken but it tasted as though it had been bathed in perfume first. The orange chicken was off, and the dish that the other members of our party had ordered tasted like pure salt.
This leads me to the poor service. The waitress was incredibly unhelpful when it came to our questions about the menu. In fact, she was downright impatient and clearly didn't want to be talking to us. My order, according to the menu, was supposed to include a soup. When we asked the waitress, she just shook her head and said no. No explanation. So we asked again the next time she came over and she said my order didn't come with a soup, which made no sense since what I ordered clearly stated that it came with soup. At this point, I realized she had given me the wrong order, and I didn't want the soup anyway, given how nasty the main dishes were. I just wanted to leave. And leave we did. We did not tip. Maybe that was harsh, but given the food and the attitude of the waitress (and the disgusting, unclean bathroom), I didn't feel it was deserved. We got halfway down the stairs when another waitress came running after us, telling us we have to leave 10% gratuity! I couldn't believe the nerve of this woman. We told her we didn't have to do any such thing, and we left. Avoid this place like the plague. There are other places in Chinatown that are probably a million times better than this one. -
Review from Jennifer E.
Chicago, IL
2/24/2012
Yummy and affordable!
Our food came in fast and the service was great. We came here after the auto show and after walking for 4 hours, we were starving! We decided to go to Chinatown for dim sum and this place hit the spot. -
Review from Luis M.
Hammond, IN
5/20/2012
Go for the Dim Sum. We have never really ever ordered from the actual menu. Nice staff.. service is ok.
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Review from Cindy K.
Chicago, IL
2/16/2012
That's right, people. One measly star. A rare and cataclysmic combination of events have to coincide and mingle in a hot mess of crappiness for me to give a Chinese restaurant 1 star. I mean, it's Chinese food. You can't expect too much. You know it will be greasy, slight salty, and service will be passable at best. But this place? I gave a higher rating to a restaurant where I found a bug in a dish.
We ordered a small soup, General Tso's chicken, and beef chow fun (or foon, as they call it). Those basic dishes usually signal to me whether a place is decent. "Kind of salty," I commented to my companion after taking a first taste of each dish. But as I continued, the saltiness intensified, and soon I found myself eating more rice to dilute the salt or eat just the noodles in the chow fun. After forcing down a third of each dish, we gave up because it was simply too salty. Minus three stars.
Check please! And to go boxes. Maybe I can salvage this at home. Our waitress brought the boxes and then the check. My fiancé stares at the check, a puzzled look on his face. First of all, there's an unexplained $0.40 charge. I figured maybe they up charged for the beef in the chow fun. But the weird part was the addition. Yelp challenge of the day: $1.95 + $7.50 + $8.50 + $0.40 = ?
Asians are NOT all good at math, at least not the dude manning the register at Won Kow. Somehow he came up with $20.30. In his mind, 5+0=0. And he added another $2 to the bill, just for fun. Or maybe to fund his Kumon lessons. We inquired about the extra charge and sent the check back. Apparently, they charge $0.20 PER BOX if you want to take your food home. Lame. Super lame.
So the waitress returns with the revised check. Guess what? STILL wrong! Now it came to $18.30. 5+0 still equals 0. But we gave up and paid and left. Another star off for being stupid.
The highlight of the meal was the hot tea and them playing Whitney Houston over the speakers. I miss her too, Won Kow. -
Review from Matt W.
Chicago, IL
2/19/2012
Continuing on our dim sum grand tour we came upon Won Kow! Not two, not three.
Won Kow uses the "fill out a form, receive food" method of dim sum. While I prefer the rotating-carts-around-the-room method, you do get exactly what you want a lot faster this way. Armed with a trusty pen and menu, we ordered some of our usual items. BBQ pork bao, lotus leaf rice, shrimp and cilantro dumplings, custard bao, pot stickers and a bevy of other good dishes.
The service was... awkward. The girl helping us spoke SO quickly and SO softly, in seemingly random staccato phrases. In the end we got most everything we wanted, when we wanted, but it was a journey.
All in all I think the draw to Won Kow is more about being in Chinatown and experiencing everything that goes with it. I'm going to keep trying other places down there (OTH anyone?) until I've found my perfect dim sum locale. Until then, pass the plates and chow down! -
Review from Melissa P.
Chicago, IL
3/31/2012
I really like Won Kow. I think they have really good Chinese food. Their service was fast and the waitresses are nice. Sometimes when it is busy on the weekends, then the service is not the greatest though but I can understand that with being a busy time to come eat. I'm a fan but I've had better Chinese food around where I'm from. Have had crab rangoon, fried wontons, vegetarian egg rolls, shrimp toast, Won Kow chicken rolls, cashew chicken, moo shoo chicken, orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, butterfly shrimp, sweet and sour shrimp, shrimp and scallops with vegetables, chicken lo mein, shrimp lo mein, and egg foo young. Definitely try them out but try other places too and don't be like me and keep going back to the same places because I'm sure there are a ton of good Chinese restaurants in Chinatown.
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Review from janet s.
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Almost forgot to review, stopped by late after dinner and an aborted run in the snow to the velvet lounge which was closed, our faces were numb and we needed a nightcap. Steps from the chinatown hotel we had a late snack of salt and pepper squid and bloody mary and mai tai (with parapluie) before bed, damn good cocktails, ($3.50 each) and OK squib, not trendy at all - no one there but us and they locked the door - YES
Service was A-ok considering they probably wanted to go home. -
Review from Crisann S.
New York, NY
2/5/2012
This is such a tourist trap. After all, I found it in the Chicago guidebook. Everything we ordered (steak and fried rice) was salty and we were the only Asian guests in the whole restaurant. The bok choy was good but skip the ghetto chicken noodle soup. I think if you're not Asian, you would probably think the food tastes good.
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Review from b a.
Bolingbrook, IL
3/27/2012
BUYER BEWARE, IF YOU WANT TO GET SCAMMED, EAT HERE! Owner knowingly gives out expired parking validation tickets...
Really wanted to rate ZERO stars, but this system won't allow it.
Coming from the burbs, we called the restaurant to verify their parking situation. The owner answered informing us that they offer a validated rate of $2 per 3 hours for patrons. So we thought, cool let's park in the lot and eat there. I was feeling foolishly nostalgic as my very own wedding shower was held here 15 yrs ago...
There are many establishments to choose from in the area that serve the same food. The entree food here was just average, the dim sum is NOT very good at all. Sticky, grimy lazy susans and dirty water glasses, disgusting bathroom that I won't let my kids even wash their hands in...Tea isn't even free, there is a surcharge of $2 for tea.
Finally, to top it all off, back to the parking situation: so we bring our ticket to the owner up front to be validated per our waitress' prompting. The older gentleman (owner) in speaking in Cantonese-English presumably to the "Chinatown Chamber of Commerce" about some parking validation tickets...(hmmmmm, what an awfully strange coincidence! I will let you know that I'm of Asian descent, so I'm thinking now after the fact, that he probably thought I could understand him. He staged the whole thing). I ask him for validation for my parking and he hands me a validation ticket that expires 12/31/10. He tells me this is what he received from the Chamber of Commerce and that it should work. He goes on to tell me that I should just talk to the person at the parking lot and that they should accept it. He tells me that he gives this ticket to everyone and that they don't come back to him (...really? I wonder why not...), except for one customer...I tell him ( my mistake) that if this doesn't work I'm coming back for the difference because I had even called prior to deciding where we would eat and that we were assured that they validated parking...
Fast forward...ticket (of course) doesn't work. Guy at booth says he can't help because obviously ticket's expired (really? what a surprise!)...I head back to the restaurant, owner now conveniently gone...and they call him and reach him on the phone, and instead of instructing his waitresses to refund the now $8 difference in parking (total parking bill $10 instead of $2), he says for me to wait because he may be back in a few hours! They call his son (other owner) who says that it's not his issue---call owner. OK, ENOUGH, REALLY. You've now lost a patron who really only came for the economical food and parking...but if you can't even provide parking as you advertise and say (just don't advertise and say that you do)---the economical food which has decreased in quality over the years really isn't worth it. You can still get economical, hot food (yes, food not so hot when served...hmmmmm...) on the other side of Chinatown (the newer part) and much better dim sum at Cai.
That really sucked...so not worth it. Stick to Cai for Dim Sum and any other Chinese place in Chinatown for food. If you want economical, you can get pretty good lunch box sized portions at Gourmet Food Inc just across the street--fresh, hot & honest. -
Review from Mollie H.
Chicago, IL
7/31/2011
If you want good dim sum in Chinatown go here. It's not fantastic but it's my favorite spot to visit.
Also if you want a 'volcano' sized mai tai that arrives flaming and gets you nicely buzzed for $10.00, this is your place. Seriously. This place doesn't mess around with drinks. -
Review from josie w.
Chicago, IL
2/1/2012
Great Kung Bao! Best place to go for Chinese New Year!
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Review from Jessica M.
Chicago, IL
6/18/2011
Won Kow's food is nothing extravagant. I would only recommend this place if you were in Chinatown on a holiday and everywhere else is packed.
Service is very prompt and dim sum isn't expensive. I've been there twice for dim sum and I always end up leaving the restaurant with a greasy aroma clinging to my clothes, hair, and skin. Table cloths were also dappled with grease stains as was the floor tiles.
Some of the dim sum that I've ordered are:
- chicken feet marinated with vinegar *thumbs up*
- chicken feet with black bean sauce
- curry cuttlefish
- vegetarian rice crepe *decent*
- shrimp egg rolls
- shrimp dumplings
- pork dumplings aka siu mai
- buns with egg custard
- shrimp and pork dumplings -
Review from Sonia P.
7/24/2011
One of my favorite places that stays open late Chinatown! It could definitely use a makeover and better lighting, but don't let all that take away from the delicious food. The owner, David, is super friendly and greets every customer at the entrance when they make that trek up the steep stairway. I always like when restaurants take that little extra step to make their patrons feel welcome.
The food is fabulous. We usually get about 3 dishes and share, since the portions are so generous. We take leftovers home, even when we try to order less.
It is always so hard for me to choose because their menu is so extensive! Some typical dishes I swear by are the Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, Kung Pow Chicken, and Six Happiness. YUM.
If you aren't sure what to get, I suggest asking one of the servers, or even David himself. Everyone has always been so helpful when I have gone. Oh, I almost forgot one more thing to get-the Chicken Corn Soup. I get it every time I go there, Summer or Winter. It's the appetizer for any season. Deeelish. -
Review from Carmen H.
Chicago, IL
9/9/2011
This is a great place for groups. We got the "dinner for six" special. Indavidually we paid around 11 dollars...which is considerably less that each of us ordering of the menu. There was more than enough food to go around...and quite a varitey. I'm pretty picky when it comes to oriental cuisine, but I had no complaints here. Everything was delicious :)
The only thing I could have done without? The 80's music playing in the background ;) To each his own. -
Review from John T.
Lake Zurich, IL
1/13/2012
Went for dim sum on a Sunday... First clue should have been the empty dining room ... They no longer have carts running between the tables the place needs a good scrub down and attitude improvement for the staff, considering the few other guests we could not find our waitress food was ok but not great .. We used to make this a must dine place while in China town but not anymore.
The staff was indifferent and the food bland... not too sure why there are sooo many comments about great drinks... they were average... -
Review from Carol K.
Updated - 2/21/2011
Ah- the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Pub Crawl! A fun event even if there are not any "pubs" so to speak in Chinatown. But the bar in Won Kow is always one of the favorite stops on the tour as it is here we get the flaming "volcano" drinks and a bar that is usually all our own.
Walk up the stairs and turn to the left. There is the legendary Won Kow bar, and probably manning it will be David- manager, bartender, photographer . . . . .he does it all! He will even sell you one of the coveted volcano drink "bowls" that he gets in from New York . . . $25 without a drink.
We had food this time and it was quite good. The Chinese calamari packs a wallop with the jalapeno peppers mixed in (seeds and all) and the fried rice and spicy shrimp are also quite tasty.
Prices are reasonable, service is friendly and I love that David actually remembers us from year to year calling us by name! As I said- Won Kow is the highlight of our Pub Crawl! See you next year!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/11/2008
Won Kow is the oldest restaurant in Chinatown having been there since 1927. To find it look for the… Read more »
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Review from Katie M.
Chicago, IL
2/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Okay, let's just start off by saying this is CHINATOWN. If you're looking for prompt service with a smile, you're in the wrong place. The name of the game is efficiency - and if you want a lot of pretty good food for cheap, you're going to have to sacrifice people trying to up-sell you and recommending wine-pairings.
With that in mind, Won Kow is good. The Schzuan eggplant was really yummy (and for some reason had thin-cut pork in it, which, as a non-vegetarian, I was cool with, but it doesn't say that anywhere in the menu, so watch out, veg friends). It was spicy, but didn't leave me pouring sweat at the table. The portions are huge, for family-style dining or course, but, as usual, we ordered one entree per person and now have lunch for a few days, which I'm looking forward to eating in the next hour or so.
It's your typical Chinatown place, I wouldn't go out of my way to go, but if you're in the old part of Chinatown, it's one of the cleaner, deliciouser (yes, deliciouser) places to go. -
Review from Janet J.
Lake Village, IN
12/30/2011 1 photo
Having now been here several times in the last few months it has become our go to place for Chinese in Chinatown-Chicago and believe it or not, really good Margarita's!! When you enter the restaurant after the climbing up the stairs you enter into a place that could best be described as 1950's Chinese...the service is pretty decent most the time...but the food is great so the service issue is really not an issue...have not had a bad meal ever and look forward to many many more...and those Margarita's...try it you will like it...oh and the Sake yummy!
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Review from Jesse W.
Chicago, IL
12/7/2010
Dim sum in a restaurant setting at bakery prices and mediocre food otherwise.
This place has been around for a long time. For better or worse, not much has changed. For the price, their dim sum is a decent value. However, menu prices for lunch and dinner are similar if not higher than so many other restaurants in the area, while the quality of food ranges from poor to good.
On a recent family outing, we ordered soft shell crab, "peking style" pork chops, beef chow fun, and eggplant with salty fish.
The soft shell crab was pretty good. How hard is it to deep fry soft shell crab in tempura batter though?
Everything else was meh to borderline terrible.
We had tons of leftovers. Since I have a "food for enjoyment/function" switch, I took them home. I really didn't enjoy my leftovers, but I ate them anyway...until I discovered a rusty piece of metal in my food! It was about the size and shape of a small fish hook. I really could have gotten injured!
I probably wouldn't have complained about the food quality on-site at the restaurant because they'd probably spit in my replacement dishes - some of my friends have worked in Chinese restaurants. But I would definitely have complained about the rusty metal in my food on-site. People in Chinatown already spit in public so much that I'd favor the idea of a goober in my food over a hook in the side of my mouth.
Also, the service was extremely slow.
The stereotype of ethnic restaurant evaluation remains true: if you don't see any Chinese customers in a Chinese restaurant, RUN! -
Review from Lard Belly E.
Anchorage, AK
2/4/2011 3 photos
Really good, authentic Chinese food. Just a few minutes walk from the China town entrance it sits among cheap knockoff stores, and other typical Chinese establishments.
Came here for a couple of beers and apps after a night of walking down the street, perusing different stores, and getting some souvies for family back home. Got an order of pot stickers and egg rolls, and some Tsintao beer. The service was fast, friendly, and the food fresh and delicious.
I will try to come here again when I make my yearly visit to WI and IL. -
Review from Erin L.
2/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has been around forever....
and it shows. Definitely needs some TLC and a facelift.
Orange peel chicken was just ok - kind of salty and not a very strong orange flavor. The other food was just ok - what I could probably get at my local Chinese carry-out place.
The service was good and the prices were really cheap. I just wasn't that impressed and with 157390 other Chinese places to choose from in the area, I won't be back. -
Review from Dan G.
Glenview, IL
5/10/2011
Years ago when there wasn't that many restaurants in Chinatown, I used to come here all the time for dim sum and dinner; food was great. In the last few years, the business are kind of slow and the food quality suffers, especially dim sum. They have push cart for dim sum and the food can sit on the cart for a long time if not busy. They would be better off not doing the push cart. We ordered the Beef Chow Fun and it was freshly prepared; it was very good.
The place is clean, servers are friendly but the decor is dated. -
Review from KELLIE K.
3/10/2009 1 Check-in Here
Hey pally, fix me a drink, will ya?
My homegirl, Erika G, and I set out on a Rat Pack-esque whirlwind tour of Chinatown. The neon electrical blitz of this place immediately caught our attention. We waltzed in and cozied right up to the bar in the back. I could see myself taking off my fedora, setting it on the bar, lighting a cigarette, and listening while the bartender spun a tale about Al Capone and the place being the oldest restaurant in Chinatown.
While I was sans hat on this visit, the very last part is 100% true. We started off with big glasses of alcohol, cleverly disguised with fruity colors and an umbrella to make them appear far less sinister. Oh, that bartender was good and knew how to pack a punch in a glass! Since few places serve a proper Old Fashioned, or other classic drink, I added one to my evening agenda and let the bartender show off his old-school skill. As I sipped the crafted cocktail, I expected to look over my shoulder and see Frank Sinatra next to me hovering over a glass of JD. No, that wasn't just the booze talking. Ambiance, baby, ambiance.
Go for the drinks, look for the skirts, stay for the drinks, and then eat if you want to. I'll be at the bar. Now, where did I put that fedora? -
Review from Erika G.
When you're rolling with homegirl Kellie K. and I, there are three components to our coveted Rat Pack ambiance.
1. Well mixed cocktails
2. Damn fine food (this comes later)
3. A coupla take no crap broads dishin' up the wit!
Roger Sterling and Don Draper walk into a bar. "When god closes a door, he opens a dress (or fly, edit. mine)" Total 60's environs with the addition of a GIANT TV blaring "American Idol". Well, it's not all that historically accurate, but it'll do. Very well.
"Hey, honey, bring me a cocktail, willya?" Thanks. *smacks secretary's ass* She glances back with a flirtatiously lifted eyebrow.
This place has been here so long that it's been alternately hip and not hip about five times over - 80 years, according to the bartender. And they have the coolest sign, which results in the largest electric bill in Chinatown, according to the bartender. Worth every penny, we agree - style (and the ability to accessorize) being the thing that separates us from the animals!
And Al Capone used to come here! Well, that is good enough for our heroines! Back to the story:
This review is for the bar area only. As it was K's maiden voyage to Chinatown, we didn't want to be hasty about selecting a dining establishment. Won Kow was here yesterday. It'll be here tomorrow. Take that to the bank! We hit Won Kow for cocktails and will be back again for dinner. One of the few places in Chinatown that has a nice bar to sit at - other restaurants have vestigal counters with no room for an introspective dame to sashay up.
A Scorpion and a Fog Cutter later, we bid "cheers" to our new best friend bartender and went off in search of . . . weird stuff to eat.
But first, let's call the boys working back at the office and see how those layouts are coming! -
Review from Ryan C.
1/31/2009 1 photo
By no means is Won Kow trying to impress their patrons with hip and swank decor. I really don't think this place has been updated since the early 80's. OK, maybe they changed the swank lit up waterfall picture you see in nearly every other Chinese Restaurant.
They have a decent size menu. However, I only had a few appetizers and a couple of Volcano's. I had the Pot Stickers, which you have the option of steamed or fried. I went with steamed and nothing to complain about. They were good. The shrimp toast wasn't bad. It was fried and a tad greasy.
There is a decent size drink list, which come in single and Volcano size. The Volcano ($10/each) size is enough for 2-3 people to drink out of. It's a bowl with a flame in the middle and you basically drink out if with a straw. Yes, it's more of a novelty, but entertaining none the less. You should be OK after drinking a few of them.
Total bill for the 2 apps and 2 Volcano's came to $34. -
Review from Paul B.
Chicago, IL
4/22/2010
The place has not changed since I went there as a boy scout in the 1960s (Yeah I am young for my age).
Back then it was called Chi-Am as in Chinese American so that Chinatown tourists who were intimidated by this exotic food from a foreign land - could get a burger.
Now Chinese food is common place - the name has changed - but everything else is the same.
Just above average in every respect (except the pork lo mein was worth returning again and again).
So we brought in a huge group - 37 people. They never batted an eye as they ran the food out to us in quick efficient style.
The odd thing is they were short on rice and charged extra - okay that's fine - then they didn't want to give the people fortune cookies.
When you go to a Chinese restaurant fortune cookies are part of the deal.
They begrudgingly did do - but if I am spending that much money - and introducing that many people to your joint - put the dang cookies out.
The ones we finally got were from the days when the place as called Chi-Am. -
Review from Disillusioned X.
Chicago, IL
3/11/2008
I hesitated for quite a while to review this because I'm no Chinese food expert, and particularly not that of the Chinatown variety- this was my first trip to the area! (I know, I know). There were 8 of us dining, and we had quite the feast for about $35 a person, including a few rounds of drinks. At 7 on a Friday night, there was no crowd at all (it picked up as the evening went on). I really cannot believe how much food we got for our money, and how tasty almost everything was (there was only one duck dish that I didn't like, and another dish that was just ok, but everything else was really good- and we ordered about 9 entrees to share!). The menu is giant by the way
On the extreme bonus side- drinks were strong and super cheap ($3 martinis??? $6 (I think) for big fruity tropical drinks? why do I drink anywhere OTHER than Chinatown?)
The decor was nothing to marvel at, but it was comfortable enough (aside from the steep trek up the front staircase- don't bring anyone arthritic here!) Like I said, I have nothing to compare this to in terms or quality or authenticity, but if someone was asking me if I had any recommendations for where to eat in Chinatown, I would have no problem recommending this! -
Review from Marc B.
Chicago, IL
3/3/2010
I've been going to Chinatown for dim sum for about 25 years and Won Kow has held out as my favorite -- until this past visit. On this Saturday morning the restaurant was all but empty. Maybe other restaurants in Chinatown were experiencing a slow day too. But it made some things apparent. Like why don't they take down the dust encrusted burnt out Christmas lights -- caked with so many skin cells from patron's past? Why don't they fix their bathrooms?
I've had it with places that seem to exist on their reputation and do nothing to invest in their future.
That being said I love the food, the dim sum is always fresh and well presented and prepared, I love the traditional cart service, I love the building, the staff is always friendly and the prices are perfect. -
Review from julie r.
Chicago, IL
3/7/2009
This place was great about 7 years ago, but now is the worst dim sum place in China Town. We were there at 10 am on a Saturday and were literally the only ones there; I took it as a sign to leave but made excuses for them such as rain, recession, etc. I should have listened to my instincts.
The dim sum was probably a few days old and tasted microwaved.
disgusting... -
Review from Darryl S.
Burr Ridge, IL
7/15/2009
I just want to note before I go on a rant, that I've only been here for dim sum.
THE GOOD: The prices are pretty cheap. Too bad it's for average food. Actually they had 1 dish that was good. That lone dish was the shrimp toast.
THE BAD: The service here sucks. Yeah I said it, sucks. Not once, not twice, but 3 times I have had terrible service from this restaurant. It's never busy when I go and at most, I'm in a group of 5 because 1 of those times was with the family. This restaurant is the reason why I love how some restaurants still do the carts and hate how some don't. They will just give 1 dish at a time and have huge gaps in between each dish. They even take forever refilling water. They even forgot a dish the last time I went since all the dishes were spread out. The waitress just assumed they gave it all. I didn't even bother complaining since it already took almost an hour to get all the dishes out, and I pretty much knew I wasn't going to come back here.
THE UGLY: I'm actually sick of bitching about the service that I don't even want to add an ugly part to this.
I had so much promise going into this place. The big ass sign on Wentworth, the huge flight of steps going into the restaurant like it's an obstacle to get to the promise land. But no, the food was found to be average, and the service was straight up terrible. -
Review from Denise P.
Chicago, IL
1/31/2008
Won Kow is Chinese for "MSG Salt Explosion In Your Mouth".
I went here last Monday with a friend who said this is one of his favorites in Chinatown. He goes here a lot too, so I took his word for it. I ordered my standard: orange chicken with extra broccoli. Had one taste and was done. Unbelievably salty, the broccoli has a really odd taste (maybe like fake orange flavor?) and I'm not all that sure that the thin little strips on my plate were chicken. Didn't look like any chicken I ever ate.
Its one good point was cleanliness. Spotless inside. I didn't go to the bathroom though, but from what I could see the place was clean. (I've been to some nasty places - see my review for the worst restaurant in Chicago, BBQ King in Chinatown Square)
This is what I think about Chinatown: If you are adventurous enough to try the foods that western palates are not accustomed to then this is your place. For americanized foods, this is not. I've never had a good experience in Chinatown and I've been to three different places.
If you want outstanding orange chicken, with real orange flavor followed by a spicy finish, with tender broccoli and brown rice (may favorite!), go to Tamarind on Harrison and Wabash. It is expensive, but it's very good.Listed in: I don't really feel like going…
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Review from Tyrone S.
Chicago, IL
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amazing chinese food & volcano size drinks that come lit on fire
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Review from Christina P.
Chicago, IL
9/28/2009
For my first time visiting Chinatown (so pathetic that it took me FOUR years to hop ye ole Red Line to Cermak/Chinatown...) Won Kow was exactly what I was hoping for for a dining experience.
A shifty atmosphere. A menu with nearly 300+ options. Amazing assortment of 80's music. Huge portions. Wonderful authentic beverage selection. And really, really good Chinese food.
Don't go expecting to be wowed by some upscale environment. Go to absorb the overall atmosphere and down some amazing food!Listed in: Out of Towners
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Review from Ashley S.
Chicago, IL
3/12/2011
Won Kow's food is not anything great. Really--it's nothing special. However, the service was prompt and the alcohol is CHEAP. I've never had alcohol for this cheap since living in Chicago. I will definitely be going back here for drinks and maybe get something to eat if I get hungry.
I would recommend going to Won Kow if you're visiting Chinatown and want to stop somewhere for drinks. If you want DELICIOUS food, skip this place. -
Review from Josette J.
Detroit, MI
9/1/2009
I've had some pretty great meals and memories here, so I'm maintaining a 3 star review, but a recent experience was just meh.
Recent experience: I brought my neighbor, a sprightly elderly lady who is young at heart, here, and she fell twice--once off the platform on her way to the toilet (there was a sign saying "watch your step" on one side, but not the other) and once on the stairs when leaving the restaurant.
Overall, this place could definitely benefit from an elevator and an update in decor. I'll be back for the shrimp toast and special fried rice, but I doubt I'll bring anyone over 40 years of age here. -
Review from Audrey T.
Chicago, IL
8/5/2007
Oh, so good.
So cheap.
Such fast service.
Go here for dim sum and make plans to return again with more friends so you can make use of one of the larger tables and the huge lazy susans in the middle.
and take the train. you'll have to give up your first born to find parking. -
Review from Tania m.
Azusa, CA
11/26/2008
I've learned that if you want good Chinese food you don't go to china town. EXAMPLE: Won Kow
The food was O K nothing special. The chicken was kind of dry, the won ton soup didn't have much flavor and the dim sum didn't taste like dim sum. Sorry Chicago, los angeles and new york, you might offer great bargains on nicknack's and knock offs but when it comes to food take some lessons from the restaurants down in the SGV (los angeles area)
I LOVE YOU SAM WOO NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU! -
Review from Jeanne L.
3/30/2010
The quality of all dim sum places in Chicago is pretty much the same, EXCEPT this one. I've been disappointed on two occasions by the food, and I've decided it's not really worth it to go here.
Things that suck in particular (and these are things that I normally LOVE): the chicken feet, the jellyfish (too hard and bland) -
Review from Rachelle G.
Chicago, IL
1/2/2007
A staple on Wentworth, you can't miss this restaurant bc of it's sign and it's tell tale characteristic that it's on the 2nd floor.
I have been dining here for at least 10+ years with my family. It used to be my mom's favorite and we would go to celebrate all her special occasions.
However, the last time we went we were disappointed and prob. will not be returning any time soon. We had the intention of coming for dim sum and to also order off the regular menu. While I know they do not do the dim sum carts during the week, we came at 12:30 on a Sunday, prime hours for dim sum and surprise: NO CARTS! It took at least an hour to get ten plates (remember: dim sum, this should be quick). Who doesn't have quick and efficient dim sum on a Sunday?
Our entrees we ordered no longer tasted as we remembered them.
We also had trouble flagging our server down to order our main entrees.
The interior is fairly clean for Chinatown standards. It's a fairly big restaurant and I don't think I've ever been here when it completely full.
Overall, the quality and service have taken a tremendous decline, with the abundance of restaurants in Chinatown, spend your money where the food will leave you craving for your next visit.Listed in: Chinese
