Gourmet Kingdom — Restaurant in Carrboro

It pains me to write that I would not go back here. The food was delicious and the server, whom I suspect has a higher stake in the business, was very kind. The problem is the conditions of the interior and the cleanliness. The dining area is in shambles and poorly lit, the serving ware chipped. It would not have bothered me as much if I hadn't visited the women's restroom. Only two stalls were operational, the third (handicapped stall) was closed with a board lying against the door, was being used for storage. One of the items was a menu board. The plumbing was very old and very dirty, there was a strong smell of old urine, and I noticed a big buildup of soap that dropped from the dispenser piled on the counter. The restaurant had just opened for the day, so this told me that it had not been cleaned in at least one day. I also noticed while in the stall a strange textured substance smeared on the door which is hard to see because of the maroon speckled paint, so I would not have been as offended if the rest of the premises were clean. But this restroom was beyond unclean, I felt extremely comfortable for the rest of the time I was there. Talking with my boyfriend after lunch he mentioned the men's restroom was also extremely unclean but he purposely didn't look around as much as I did as he simply wanted to get out as quickly as possible. If the customer facing areas are as run down and unsanitary as they are, I cringe at the thought of what the conditions are in the back of the house. Again, the food is really good, nothing like you can get in most restaurants, but I cannot recommend it to anyone. I would suggest that ownership close for serious repairs and deep cleaning before thinking of serving to the public again. I wish everyone there the best but I feel slightly nauseated after eating there thinking about the conditions. There is no reason why the sanitation could not be good considering the timing of the visit and the fact that there were not a ton of customers. Having been in the food service industry my whole life I understand better than many how the pandemic has affected staffing, but if it were my restaurant I would stay closed if I couldn't find staff to clean. Gourmet Kingdom needs a new...

Is everyone on drugs or drunk when they get this food? Seriously. I'm from New York so we have a pretty high standard for Szechuan and american style Chinese food, particularly the Won Ton soup and chicken and broccoli dish. It serves as my measuring stick for any Chinese food eatery. I've known about this place for years but never actually tried it, the reviews seemed pretty glowing so I thought it might be ok. BIG. BIG. MISTAKE.

The service was fine, the atmosphere was fine but this is above and beyond the most disgusting chinese food I've ever seen. EVER. IN EVER. The WonTon soup had the strangest broth I've ever experienced in a wonton soup before, the wontons themselves were slimy. The soup gets a 2/10. So I've had plenty of places with bad soup, that's actually forgivable if the main dish is serviceable. This wasn't even edible.The chicken and broccoli looked like it was cooked horribly, it smelled awful and honestly, it looked and smelled so bad I didn't even TRY it (even with the worst food I'll taste it). Maybe something else is better at this place but this was altogether one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had with an Asian restaurant, Chinese Japanese whatever in over a decade. Do yourself a favor and go to Jade Palace instead, which isn't my favorite traditional Chinese food, but it's LEAGUES above this garbage.

The only thing I honestly can't believe are all the great reviews on this site, did I happen to get the ultimate off-day screwed up order? Is this outside the norm? I'm never trying this place again so regardless I'm done, but I'm...

A surprising gem of a dining experience in Carrboro. Don't let the unassuming location fool you. This is Szechuan food of a quality befitting North America's best "Chinatowns". I eat Szechuan dishes whenever I have the chance in my travels and I've never had better than what Gourmet Kingdom (GK) serves, not in New York City, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, or Toronto.

GK features an enormous menu that ranges from American favorites (e.g., Wonton soup, Fried rice, duck, garlic chicken) to pages and pages of dishes I've never seen anywhere else. We've tried most of these dishes over the last 12 years and have never had anything but outstanding experiences.

Here are some of the dishes we return to time and again, dishes that are addictive: Wonton Soup Chicken Noodle, Bashu Tofu, Tofu with Ground Seafood, Tea Duck, Shredded Pork Tenderloin with Green Onions, Mao's Braised Pork, and Eight Treasure Seafood Soup. There are perhaps fifty other dishes we've eaten from this menu and all were superb. Wait staff and the attentive, conscientious owner are very good at making appropriate suggestions for all kinds of diners (e.g., kids, grandparents, etc.).

If you're seeking excellent food and a menu you won't find anywhere else, give GK a try. I would go so far as to say it's the place to go if you have only one opportunity to try a restaurant...