China Family Restaurant at Highland — Restaurant in Austin

This restaurant is next door to my barber shop, I have eaten here before 2 or 3 times. I call this type place Chi-Tex, the reason it Asian/Chinese type food in TeXas. This last visit was 9-8-23 5:PM .. I always try to get the special for that day. Today I order Chefs Special “Dry Fried Spicy Shrimp”.. $24.95 +$5.00 Tip…. $5.00 Pepsi+tax The FOOD was UNEDITABLE … I was so shocked how horrible it was that my girlfriend and next door neighbor, who both know me really well, became fascinated at my reaction …, It is customary for my girlfriend to graze off my plate, and when we geaux out to eat, we always share, and share alike. Both these 2 folks know me as germ-0h-fobbe, however, I know these 2 so well, they both know what they can and cannot get away with eating around each other so often. They also are well aware that I grew up in Louisiana and love hot and spicy foods of all types and can tolerate lard based recipes along with boiled pigs blood sausage,hoghead cheese sandwiches, and a host of other creatures that crawl,slither,swim backwards, ect,ect ect. Fried or BBQed. So I’m not real picky. And Austin Texas is a hard place for small family businesses to survive. They say 80% of all small businesses fail n Travis County. It is so expensive to do business in Austin, I am extremely carefull about criticizing any service on the internet, so I will follow up on my decision on how to handle such poor quality food in this situation. I hope the restaurant accommodates my complaint and take it seriously … I will Follow up ASAP. I will include photo’s and video if appropriate. We will give these folks time to remedy @ reply ..and follow up…

** UPDATE ...! Returned 9-10-23 Spoke with owner, Well, uh ..... Hummm... Not Good. Owner hostile, I'm geauxing to put this in a nut shell to save time, and save embarrassment for the owner. The owner refused to refund my requested $24.99. The bill was $34.95 Total/ $24.95 For the Dry Fried Shrimp/ Tip $5.00/Pepsi & Tax approximately $5.00/ I asked for a flat $24.99, I informed her they could keep TIP $/Pepsi $/ & TAX. She refused. She then said if I write a good and bring it to her attention when I return in 6 weeks she would then return the extortion money. I will update in approximately 5-6 weeks. This is where it things stands 9-11-23. I will follow up after my visit and explain what happens, in...

Recommended by my Chinese friends, China Family Restaurant in Highland exceeded expectations. Specializing in Szechuan cuisine, this restaurant offers a range of bold and traditional flavors that set it apart. While the interior could use some updates, this often signals a focus on delivering better food, and that was certainly the case here.

Tips:

Ask the server for recommendations; they know the menu well.

Order family style, with no more than one dish per person to share among the table.

The Experience:The staff was excellent and attentive throughout our visit. Despite encountering a hair in one of our dishes, the issue was handled promptly and professionally, which left a positive impression.

The Food:

Double Cooked Pork Belly (四川回锅肉): A standout dish with spice and heat that were perfectly balanced. The flavor was amazing, and I highly recommend it to anyone dining here.

Vegetable Delight (素菜什锦): A good mix of vegetables, though my wife thought it leaned too heavily on broccoli. Still, it was well-prepared and a solid option for those looking for a lighter dish.

Final Thoughts: China Family Restaurant offers authentic, flavorful Szechuan dishes that are far better than most people might expect at first glance. While many may be tempted to stick with typical American-Chinese options, I highly recommend exploring the more traditional Chinese dishes on their menu. Even their Mapo Tofu, which we didn’t have on this visit, is well-regarded and worth trying. While the interior could use a refresh, the excellent food and attentive service make this a spot worth visiting. If you’re in the area and craving Chinese cuisine, this is a...

China Family's menu is split in half, with food for "Newbees" consisting of tried and true Chinese Food restaurant fare (beef with broccoli, etc.), and for "Foodies" consisting of Szechuan dishes and less common offerings, many of which feature the distinctive, mouth numbing, Szechuan peppercorn, and many of which feature tripe and other organ meats. I confess I have had little interest in the Newbies menu, and have come here twice seeking Szechuan food. China Family does not disappoint. The flavors are fresh and bold, with generous hunks of garlic, fresh jalapeño and scallion throughout. The spicy dishes are truly spicy, and the portions are gargantuan. Seriously, two hungry grownups could split one dish and still have leftovers. It's not fancy - think paper napkins and cans of soda, and the entrées take a good 20 minutes to arrive, even when the place is not too full. And, most dishes don't have any automatic sides. Like if you order a chicken dish, you get a wonderful, huge plate of chicken, and some rice. It's a bit tricky to get a balanced meal for a small group without ordering an absurd amount of food. However, it fits the bill if you're looking for good Szechuan. Staff and owners are extremely sweet and friendly, as well as attentive. A chopstick was dropped and before it could be picked up the owner (the owner!) overheard them drop and brought a fresh pair. I will be...