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September 2021 by Marissa A
Wouldn't waste my time again everything empty
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January 2015 by Lisa R.
Too bad we can't assign ZERO stars. This place is disgusting. It's filthy and the husband and wife team wear soiled clothing. When they are finished cooking one dish, they merely run water over the pan and start cooking something else. The place is dirty and I've seen cockroaches. They argue with each other and with customers. They don't appreciate that people are bringing their business there. Go somewhere else. This place is a loser.
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December 2014 by A B.
This is a dirty unsanitary place. employees all look like they need a bath or shower. Place looks greasy and when I was in the restaurant they were cleaning the hood over the woks with a broom while cooking food in the woks The seafood smelled of ammonia indicating that it was old I do not recommend anyone eating at this establishment
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December 2014 by Michael H.
This is my favorite American chinese food place in chicago. I worked right around the corner and would always get lunch here. You can't beat the price, for a lunch special its under $5 you get a huge amount of food. I could never finish it in one meal. Get the dumpling! The woman who owns the place makes them by hand and they are amazing!
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October 2014 by Joanne D.
Love,love, love the lunch special! My ultimate favorite on a Friday is Broccoli and Shrimp. Lunch special $5.95 with a drink. It is enough food to share with a friend. Very tasty! Workers are wonderful. They speak good English too! The employees are friendly and kind.
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August 2014 by Dave L.
Fairly bland tasting fried rice and lo-mein
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June 2014 by Meri T.
My husband and I went there for lunch and are we sorry. We were on a trolley tour and the driver recommended this place. Should have taken the reviews more seriously. It was dirty, and the food was yuck. We were so disappointed.
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May 2014 by Nicole H.
I was open to trying something new and stumbled upon this place. The inside is not the cleanest and when I glimpsed into the kitchen while they were making my food, I was not pleased. There were dishes all around, and the place where they fry the food looked like it needed to be cleaned. The cook was not wearing gloves and had a slight cough. They didn't cough on my food, but close enough to make me think twice. The prices are reasonable, and they have a lot to choose from on their menu. I don't know if I will come back..
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February 2014 by Chrysa L.
The Mom and Pop who run this place sometimes argue while you are there. Sometimes they can be hard to understand. The food is nothing to lose your mind over. But, it is cheap (I got three meals out of my last order), filling, and almost everything you would expect from your little divey Chinese takeout place around the corner. For your typical Americanized-Chinese food restaurant, places like Empire fill the bill.
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February 2014 by Miranda L.
How do I even begin ... So as a Asian person, it's always highly embarrassing to admit to my friends that I do get, with a somewhat alarming frequency, cravings for what I call "crappy, Americanized Chinese food." By no means is the "crappy" intended to denote that the food is inedible - rather, it's to emphasize that there's probably a little more grease & oil in the dish, and maybe even a little more mystery in the meat, than you'd typically hope for in a nice, sit-down place. Well, whenever I get those cravings, Empire always saves the day. Since it's only a block away (and because it's cheap!), I've ordered from Empire a handful of times. Like most other fast, Chinese take-out places, there will be both hits and misses. In my experience, though, there have been many more hits (Chicken & Broccoli; BBQ Roast Pork (cha shao); most vegetable dishes I've ordered) than there are misses (Sesame Chicken, blegh). The Chicken & Broccoli, especially, is my go-to dish, mostly because it is a little lighter on the grease & seems pretty fresh every time. The one funny thing I experience whenever I go, though, is the language interaction. Ever the student, I dutifully try to practice my Chinese, doing everything from greeting them to placing my order in the language. To my chagrin, the man nonetheless responds to me in English - even when I persist in Chinese. The result is this strange bilingual back and forth in which both of us can understand each other, but we both still maintain what we believe to be the other's preferred language. I usually cave by the end, though, and typically leave after saying a bright (and English) "Thank you!" for the satisfaction that I know is about to come :) Bottom Line: Cheap and very reliable/consistent place to get quick Chinese take-out; and yes, they speak English here xD
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February 2014 by Che B.
Craving for some Chinese food, I found Empire along my area and decided to give it a try and I ordered for a General Tso's Chicken. Well, I can say that I'm not disappointed and the food taste great. The chicken was cooked nicely (not that it came out of a frozen box). It's not chewy and crunchy on the breading too. I'm not saying that its the best but for the price and location, i think its worth it. The place is small, so ideally, you'd have to carry out. It looks neat and decent enough if you prefer to eat-in. They have fast service too. I called and my order was ready in 5-6mins. I'd probably order at Empire again.
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January 2014 by Kai P.
The quality of the food here is unbelievable. Factor in the price, and there's no wonder I order food here at least five times a week. Okay, I wouldn't dine in for the ambience, but the owners are friendly, and since I live around the corner, the couple's kitchen serve as an extension of my own. It's really great to see a family dedicated to their business - their kids often stop by to help out on the weekends. And they're very friendly if you have patience with the slight language barrier. The chow fun, Szechuan chicken, pot stickers, Kung pow, and sub $5 lunch specials are among my favorite.
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February 2013 by Jennifer F.
This place is so tiny and nondescript that it's easy to walk right past it. But if you happen to see it, I recommend giving it a try. As other reviewers have said, it's cheap and delicious. Whether you're simply craving Chinese food or if you happen to be stumbling about, a little intoxicated with a serious case of the munchies, this is a good place. There are certainly better places for Chinese food, but in this area, and in a pinch, I'd go there again.
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January 2013 by Mattie Q.
$5.02 for the best lunch special money can buy (Lo mein and fried rice.) Amazing, greasy Chinese food. Get it to go because it is true it is pretty gross on the inside.
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December 2012 by Michael C.
I really wanted this place to be good considering its the only Chinese food within 3 blocks of where I live. The chicken in the chicken fried rice was rubbery and to this day, I still question it's validity. The only redeeming feature other than the location is the cheap price.
