China House — Restaurant in Chestertown

Been going here for well over 20 years. Food is ok, too bad the menu hasn't changed, EVER. Not authentic, which was initially disappointing but it's certainly edible and some items rather tasty on a hungry don't wanna cook evening. It's local, fast service, and I always thought of it as friendly ..... just don't make the mistake of kindly asking if they realize their Fortune Cookies are stale and have been for more than a month's time of consistant purchases. I thought it would simply be received with a kind, maybe 'sorry for the inconvenience we'll be sure to change them.' BUT NO WAY. I was screamed at by a female and told "they are free don't eat them, it's not our fault they come that way from the company we order them from." Lol, so they know they are stale and they continue to set them out to get rid of them bc customers don't deserve fresh food even if it is free. FREE! It's not FREE. Even if they don't put a sales price on them, believe me, the cost to provide them is figured into every purchase. You pay for them even to keep the lights on. That's business, but not courtesy, nor respect of person, nor is it good business. So I've decided to no longer do business with them and to continue to share this experience. Because being unkind to customers is BAD BUSINESS. Ever have someone with an accent scream at you, even though you can barely understand all that they say .... rage is the same in every language and no one should have to endure that for any reason. Over the years going there, I've heard and witnessed them having loud disagreements, even saw a female worker come from behind the counter and vigorously spank her young boy. O'well their family, but to subject customers to that behavior is totally...

I thought they had closed down a while back. Turns out this whole time they had just been remodeling and changing things up.

The food still slaps. It all still tastes fresh and delicious as it always did, maybe even more so now than ever.

The service is fast during the lunch rush too which is a huge win.

I see a lot of complaints about prices but for the amount of food you get, it’s actually on par for well made Chinese food. My go to is the General Tso’s chicken (it’s just the superior dish, fight me) lunch combo which comes with a big soup cup of rice and a spring roll. The main dish of chicken you get is huge. Like, probably three or four chicken breasts worth of chicken if not more (just size comparison, it’s a mix of white and dark meat used) with plenty of sauce but not so much to cause a mess when you open it up. Like the box has some heft to it.

That’s like $15 which for comparison is a 5 piece tender meal and a soda from Rofo which you know will be dry as heck.

Then you need to consider how this is a locally owned and operated business. You walk in and you just see smiling faces and hard working people running a local business.

9.5/10

-0.5 only because they still do not deliver but honestly that’s fair in...

2023 Edit: Prices have raised a fair amount but with a noticeable improvement in service and quality. The most commonly ordered dish, General Tso's Chicken, boasts a higher quality choice in poultry and preparation. No longer are there dry or hard pieces that are commonly found in many similar restaurants, you will be getting large pieces that are fresh and juicy.

The white rice isn't as sticky as I prefer but that's more personal preference than anything, the fried rice is still as good as it's ever been too.

The service as always is fantastic with friendly faces and kind gestures. There's hardly a time that I visit that I'm not treated to something extra in the bag when I get home. And if you'll notice, my account doesn't have my name or face tied to it at all so there's no way they know who's given them positive reviews or anything. They're just very kind.

They still don't do delivery, which is a shame, but I understand how that can add complications to a business that prides itself on it's service and quality in the take out industry.

It's bangin' and it's the only place to get Chinese food in the area. They've cornered a market and seem to be intent on keeping...