China Cottage — Restaurant in Centerville

Let me start with saying their food is wonderful! My husband, friends, and family have been coming here for years inside dining and taking orders to go. If you're looking for good chinese food this is a great place to go. However, if you're looking to dine in and you'd like great service - Don't come here! The past few times my husband and I have dined here we've been rushed out the door and made to feel guilty.

Here's what made me want to leave a review: My husband and I used to work in the food industry so we always try our best to be respectful of closing. I would hate for someone to stay late after their shift. Tonight, a friday night, we came to China cottage right at 9. Their door says they close at 11 and their website says 10:30. We thought we had an hour to an hour and a half to eat. When we walked in the floors had been mopped, servers were getting ready to head out, and all the tables had been set up for the next day. We definitely caught them off guard coming in for dinner. Since it IS later than normal, we offered to place a take out order instead and mentioned it looked like they were closing up shop. Instead of acknowledging our offer the gentleman sat us (I believe to be respectful), but the server and those around us were obviously frustrated and making comments. When the server came to ask for our order, we asked, "what time do you guys close" and he answered 10. Now knowing this and seeing our situation, we asked again to be considerate if placing a to-go order would be better. To which the server replied, "it depends on what you want". While placing our dine-in order they proceeded to tell is that items were unavailable. We tailored our order since their reasoning for items being unavailable was due to the kitchen closing up. Here's where I start to get frustrated... You pay $40 + Tip to sit down somewhere. We were sat in the front right by the foot traffic for everyone. While sitting there they continued to clean around us with some pretty strong chemicals and other servers shouting goodnight to the kitchen and walking out front (typical goodnights from working in a restruant). Our food came out and the krab rangoons were cold. No worries.... at least our entre is hot. I'm hearing take out orders and the food they're repeating back are items that we were told "unavailable". Example: fried rice. Then about 10 minutes after having our food, ensues the question, "would you like some to-go boxes" Feeling guilty and now upset, we accepted and left. We were there for a total of 25 minutes. If you're going to rush someone out anyways, just apologize for the sign being wrong and close up shop instead of agreeing to customers and kicking...

"We didn't prepare your order because I felt it will not taste good"

I had a stomach procedure and friends gifted me GCs to China Cottage because they know I love steamed vegetables and shrimp (I have no problems ordering steamed dishes in other Chinese restaurants). I called the restaurant and spoke to a lovely woman who clearly understood my order: steamed - green beans, mushroom with shrimp. She told me 10 - 15 minutes and that was perfect because I needed to get home at a certain time.

I arrive at the restaurant, and a woman (with no customer service skills) told me that the order was not prepared because she felt it would not taste good. I was taken aback, but understood, and explained that my stomach could not handle the sauce. She then replied, why don’t you try the Chinese vegetables with shrimp since she felt that that dish would taste better to me. I explained about my stomach situation again, and I also told her that I had tried steamed string beans and mushrooms before and that I liked it better than Chinese vegetables.

I proceeded to wait... the order came out... not steamed and with sauce. She saw the order was wrong, I'm already late, and to that I said... It's o.k. I don't need Chinese today... I almost walked out, but my friends gave me the GC and she seemed as if she was put out by that... she proceeded to go back to the kitchen, but stopped, came back to me, opened the dish, and said, "why don't you try it?" What? I again explained to her that my stomach could not handle the sauce... She lacked care for my health... She went back to the kitchen and comes out with a dish... I get home, and to my surprise... I don't know what they did, but it was not a steamed dish...

I called the China Cottage restaurant on Wilmington (the one I usually go to) and asked about their steamed dishes thinking it was my fault, and yes, they absolutely do prepare steamed string beans and mushroom with shrimp! Never again China Cottage in Centerville/Far Hills... your employee/manager...

I just can't...I just can't! Been to this place 3 times in the last 40 years. Been to Kettering location more because I used to live closer to there. While they try to have an upscale look inside, the dining area is far too cramped. Tables are too small even for 2 top and the ones they seat 6 at are even worse. We were on top of each other trying to put our drinks down! The plastic -to go- containers of sauce for the crab rangoon is definitely not elegant looking. The food is ok but I've had better tasting dishes at other Chinese places. The General Tso's had a slight after taste to it and was not as good as most places.

NOW the reason I just can't go here again- NO FOUNTAIN DRINK FREE REFILLS!!! Sorry but this is not 1974 and I just can't deal with a sit down restaurant (even fast food for that matter) that doesn't have fountain soft drinks and give free refills. At this point it SHOULD be a money maker for an establishment. Most places are up to 3.29-3.79 for a drink and the profit margin should be higher than buying the 20oz bottles and reselling them. I don't care what it costs - I want free refills at a set price or I just won't eat there. It's a deal breaker for me. This establishment has been doing the bottle thing and brining you a glass of ice for decades and it's always been a terrible idea and not up to ALL other...