China8 — Restaurant in Aiken County

2024 update: After a recent visit I can say a lot has changed. The fried shrimp was the surprise standout dish we ordered. I'll probably try fried wings on my next trip. Orange chicken and Sesame chicken had good flavor but the chicken used was tough. Pork fried rice that came with each had no veggies besides onions and pork was tough, so average at best. Egg rolls were bland. They now accept credit but charge a fee for orders over $20. Original 2017 review: The food is quite good, worth a try. Cash or check only - no credit cards accepted. The inside of the restaurant isn't in the best shape and the service is very similar to what I got when I was actually in China (which is to say not fantastic), but that makes this place all the more authentic to me. I suggest going once and getting it to go to compare to what you get elsewhere. China is another good Chinese option...

The service was great, friendly staff...the restaurant was clean and the atmosphere was laid back..but the food - HORRIBLE. I got the sesame chicken with shrimp fried rice and my husband got the almond chicken with shrimp fried rice and we got an order of wings. The wings and sweet tea were the only good things out of the entire meal, and the wings were just ok. The sesame chicken tasted like it was reheated from the day before (if you know what tyson nuggets taste like when they're microwaved, that's the flavor I compare it to). The rice had a sour-ish taste to it, soy sauce won't even cover the taste..and you get only about 5-6 shrimp which had no flavor. It was roughly $29 and some change for 2 meals at lunch time. I wish I had spent that money at Monterrey instead. I won't be going back to...

This looks like your typical hole in the wall, strip-mall Chinese food joint. In certain ways it is: the seating is kind of rickety and cramped, the 'buffet' is miniscule at best, the portions for carryout are hefty, and the prices are cheap. The two things that keep me coming back here over any other little dive are the people and the flavor! The man who almost always serves is on his worst day politely pleasant but usually has a big smile and helpful attitude for everyone that walks in the door. I have never liked egg rolls before coming here (obviously that's changed) and the lobster sauce makes me salivate. If I eat out twice in a week one of those trips...