Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery — Restaurant in Austin

As a first responder, I recently decided to try out Tso Chinese in Austin after hearing mixed reviews from friends and family. Little did I know that my experience would turn out to be incredibly frustrating and disappointing.

Firstly, the ONLY way to place an order at this establishment is through their app. I found this to be a huge inconvenience as I prefer ordering in person. However, I decided to give it a shot, hoping that the website would be user-friendly and efficient. To my dismay, the website was far from user-friendly. It had an unintuitive interface and navigating through the menu options was a tedious task. The worst part was that I had to create an account to place an order. This added an unnecessary extra step that I found to be a hassle, especially for someone who just wanted to try their food for the first time. I believe an option to check out as a guest should have been provided to make the process simpler.

As a first responder with limited time to order during my breaks, the requirement to create an account on their website was impractical and time-consuming. Moreover, the lack of a cash payment option further complicates the ordering process. Not offering this option alienates a portion of potential customers and makes the experience feel inflexible.

What bothered me the most, though, was their complete lack of accommodation and support for first responders like myself. I have several friends who are first responders and they too have had negative experiences with Tso Chinese due to this inflexible policy. I believe that a restaurant should not only be sensitive to the needs of their customers but also be appreciative and supportive of the hard-working first responders in our community.

Furthermore, I can only imagine how difficult and frustrating the experience must be for elderly people who may not be as tech-savvy. They could easily be discouraged from ordering at Tso Chinese simply because they are unable to navigate the app or website.

In conclusion, my experience with Tso Chinese in Austin was a major letdown. The app-only ordering system, the poor user interface, their indifference towards first responders, and the lack of consideration for the elderly and those who prefer paying in cash left me feeling frustrated and disheartened. There are plenty of other Chinese restaurants in Austin that offer better service, a more accommodating ordering process, and are supportive of our first responders. Save yourself the frustration and give those establishments a...

This is a good example of what not to do to have a good Chinese takeout place. It's saving graces were the eggrolls and the cleanliness of the front of house. At first I tried to use the online ordering on my phone which kept asking the same questions over and over so I decided instead to just go in and order in person. Once I got there I was greeted with a smile but was not really helped to order. A very hands off approach. That was ok but not as welcoming. In the process I ordered the wrong thing. That was on me but from there on out it was on them. The prices are a little high for what I was expecting and got. I checked the bag for chopsticks before I left and had to ask for them. By this time the attitude of the employees had gone from a smiling hello to a surly why are you still breathing my air. My mistake came clear when I got back and opened the food. I apparently ordered shrimp instead of chicken. I like both so whatever. Unfortunately the shrimp and broccoli were both overcooked and the sauce which was watery had gone everywhere in the bag. The broccoli was to the point of mush. The shrimp were chewy. The char siu pork fried rice was bland except for the pork. It feels like they took generic fried rice and tossed the pork into it as an afterthought. The eggrolls were pretty good. They were $2 a piece but I'll give them that. Everything in the place seemed sterile and aloof and I think they moved into the place, updated the front, and just put in a kitchen on top of what was already there. In the back of the kitchen there is a hashtag wall painting you can't see from the front. I don't think it's for the workers.... Restroom? Didn't notice one. Parking? Large shared parking lot so should be fine. Cleanliness? The front is so small it would be hard not to keep it clean. No tables or dine in options. Just a few chairs to wait in. Cost? Pricy for what you get even if they did make it right.

So can't recommend going here (and then having to leave because it's take out). There are so many other...

I am not sure which location our delivery comes from so I will leave a review for both. It was that bad the business deserves it.

I have ordered from Tso’s I would say 25 times if not more it’s never great, but it’s somewhere between edible and okay. It’s just very convenient with delivery that makes it worth it sometimes. Unfortunately, not anymore.

Whoever cooked the food today around this time should be fired 100%. All four items were just awful, not even edible. We got the world famous crab ragoons (world famous lol), tasted sour and microwaved, hope we don’t get sick. Duck wings, about one bite of meat per wing and they are twice the size of average chicken wings, also seemed like the batter was boiled in water. General tsos shrimp, I am 90% sure they did not even fry them after they were dipped in the batter, I am really not kidding it tasted like eating pancake batter. Lastly, vegetable melody (just vegetables sautéed in sauce, $14 btw), how do you mess this up? Well, let me tell you, put 80% sauce and 20% vegetables and make it into the highest sodium stew/soup you will ever have in your life and don’t forget to overcook the vegetables.

The food has gotten worse the more I have ordered it over the past year and a half, but as mentioned at the top it’s been edible. We threw todays order away after we realized everything was bad. I’m not sure if Ill risk blowing $65 on two take out meals ever again from Tso’s. There are way too many options in Austin, 1618, 888, Tatsu-ya, etc. etc. etc.

This was also not from the delivery so the cook can not blame it on that we had the food here in 30 minutes which is average. So whoever cooked the food don’t use that excuse. Delivery is always great.

You can see the pictures attached, 9 small shrimp for $16 and some very gross looking...