-
March 2024 by John C. Hinkle
The first time I have ever been in there, My friend & had the buffet, most of the items on there were very good, so the reason I decided to give a 3 star rating is because of the chicken wings, they were extremely dry, obviously whoever cooked them didn't know what they were doing, the wings are usually my favorite part of a buffet, they have made a great doorstop
-
March 2024 by Moneys W.
This review is from the heart. This review I thought about all night to make sure I truly frame how terrible and overpriced the food was. It was possibly the worst chinese food I've had to date. Lucky Garden has been a go to place in Hallowell for a long time. Big place for take out and their buffet, which is very popular for all the fried food coated in glop that so many like. We looked to try two dishes last night. Beef and Broccoli and then the 3 Delights soup. We did ask for the sauce on the side for the beef and broccoli, which trluy exposed what the place really does with their food. I'll begin by saying that both entrees were small for the price they charge, with lots of frozen vegetables compared to meat (or what they call meat.) The soup was thoughtless. Canned soup broth with maybe 3 small frozen shrimp, a few pieces of what they call chicken and beef (maybe 2 pieces each), a handful of the frozen carrot slices shaoed like lightening bolts (you know the pre-shaped stuff I mean) and two slices of cabbage. Those were the delights. I'll come back to explain the meat later. The beef and broccoli really exposes what they are doing with your food. The chicken and other meat in the soup go through a process that chinese restaurants use, called velvetizing. This is where they add some baking soda and corn starch to the raw meat before cooking to change the texture and tenderize the meat. You've probably noticed in the past that chinese food meat has a slightly different texture in this regard. It's actually not a bad thing when done reasonably. I do it when cooking stir fry at home. However, whatever they do to their meat is sooo overdone that the chicken doesn't even look or taste like meat. It is sooo overprocessed that the meat has the texture of like, jellyfish or something. Actually gross and this is usually hidden when they dump their sauces over everything. Very evident and off-putting in the soup, and when you get an entree with sauce on the side. And BTW, the sauce is terribly sweet for being a brown oyster sauce (supposedly). The other thing that made the beef and broccoli very bad is you realize they are not stir frying it. It is all frozen food that is either steamed, boiled or maybe microwaved? Then usually covered in slop gravy. But in this preparation you truly notice that neither the beef nor the broccoli ever came near a wok. No evidence of stir frying at all, just steamed or boiled food. Probably very similar to buying PF Chang's frozen chinese food in the supermarket, microwaving it and dumping the sauce on top. The egg rolls were the best part of the meal. They are certainly not making their own egg rolls, but are are pretty handy with a deep fryer. So there you go, my review on the Lucky Garden. The restaurant that looks like it's about to fall in to the Kennebec River for the past 20 years. I think people still file in there to get their cheap, small buffet. They can have at it, but I'm done with that place. Disgusting. But this is often the price you pay for trying to get good food in central maine and not driving to Portland.
-
March 2024 by Terry M.
I really like the buffet but it depends on when you go lunch and dinner on the weekends are best . They have a variety of dishes that they add on different days to keep it fresh .. one of the best in the area service is always good as well!
-
March 2024 by Justina Prima
We have been going here and getting takeout for 7 years, since we moved to Maine. It is absolutely the best Oriental food restaurant we have been to here! The people are so nice. The atmosphere is peaceful, right on the river, pathos growing and climbing all around the dining room. It just couldn't be better!Vegetarian options: We eat vegetarian almost half the year for religious observation of Easter and Christmas.
-
January 2024 by Tammy Holman
Great service! Food was good and came out
-
January 2024 by Aly Wing
The food is great, I prefer to order off the lunch menu so it’s fresh but the buffet is replenished often. The owners are very nice friendly and accommodating! My favorite!Vegetarian options: Soup, baby bok choy. Anything can be made without the meat! I love the ginger chicken with green beans
-
January 2024 by Stephen Castner
One of our all-time favorite places ❤
-
January 2024 by Tim Poulin
Sesame chicken isn't the same anymore. ?
-
January 2024 by S InAugusta
5 of us stopped in for the dinner buffet on a Monday.Most everything was quite good. We had to ask for hot n sour soup as it isn't on the buffet anymore, but Lisa graciously brought us some.Some of the items were not hot at all.I would suggest offering more combination options on your menu as we wanted to bring a meal home to someone as well.Lisa provides warm friendly attentive service with a smile.
-
January 2024 by Wendy Gogan
I've only eaten here 1 time before today and it was excellent. 2 yrs later the food not as good, something changed the quality of food not as good. Meat was fatty, chicken was overcooked and dry. Service was good.
-
January 2024 by Michele James
Food was good on the
-
January 2024 by Nicholas Bozzi
Excellent food!
-
January 2024 by Saul Horowitz
Lucky Garden offers a delightful dining experience with a diverse buffet selection. The buffet features a range of well-prepared dishes. The Crab Rangoon, in particular, stands out for its crispy exterior and creamy, flavorful filling. The restaurant's ambiance complements the overall dining experience, making it a great choice for those seeking a satisfying Chinese feast.
-
December 2023 by Patricia Nielsen
Historic building and yummy food. We'll always drive all the way here because they have the best crab rangoons!
-
December 2023 by Dakota Fields Ryder
The food was fresh and delicious! Wish there was more of a variety. If you're looking for fresh & flavorful food this is your
