China House — Restaurant in City of Rome

I started coming here in 2000 when I was single, new in town, and had little money or time to spend on Anything; Sandy and Sam kept me fed and alive for a decade with delicious, inexpensive food. I would visit them one to four times a week, every week, for a long time. Since then, now with a successful career and family, I miss their food and company. Nostalgia Alert: I have been to American Chinese restaurants all over NY, Canada, and Europe (yes, they have them there), and I still miss this place, the owners, and the consistently good food no matter how much I spend in disparate far-flung places. They remain my standard to which all others are judged, and I travel to come back there. It may be because they make my beef broccoli with hot pepper oil just the way I like, or will serve a hot & sour soup with less starch and more lemon when you specifically request it, or that Sandy actually cares whether or not you are happy, but they wish to accommodate your palate. China House in Rome, NY took the standard, egregiously ubiquitous "Chinese food" thing and made it better. If you are local, take the time to get to know the owners. They are lovely people doing their best in their particular vocation and hold a standard above the many other "Chinese take out" shops in Central New York (Clinton, New Hartford, Utica) that work simply by formula. I recommend this place for cosmopolitan "foody" clients, first dates, family dinner outings with picky kids in tow, and exhausted fellas just returned from the airport who simply want comfort and something...

It has been 40 years since I sat in a real Chinese restaurant because for some reason they have either gone out of business or were replaced by buffets.

What a treat! China House has a full bar, and a wait staff that are so accommodating. This restaurant had zodiac placemats that brought me back forty years ago when real Chinese restaurants were common. The fried noodles were large, wide and sooo FRESH!! 😋

I ordered the lunch special of bourbon chicken from the lunch special menu which comes with pork fried rice, a choice of soup and an egg roll for under $10.00. I asked to replace the pork fried rice with the pork lo mein which was an extra $2.00 - there was plenty of meat with no skimping here! The meal was so large that I needed a doggy bag! Yay! I will have an easy no mess, no fuss dinner tonight! 😀

Unlike Chinese buffets, the food was especially hot and very fresh! For example, my noodles in the wonton soup were lusciously al dente. It was not soft and squishy which is so often the case in Chinese buffets. Overall the entire meal itself was flavorful and had me craving for more with each bite.

I highly recommend China House for a good lunch or dinner with...

Displeased with portion size of both entrees. I ordered “Quart” size entrees and they put them in the flat plastic container used for combo meals and it wasn’t even full! I emptied out the quart size rice container and filled with entree and it didn't even come to the top of container. I felt ripped off after spending $80.00 for dinner. Why don't they put the entree in the quart sized cardboard container like most places? Because they are skimping on potion sizes. Charging more for meal and decreasing amount. Like others have said there’s little to no meat in the meals as well. (Wish I would’ve ordered pizza instead.) I called the restaurant and I was told -Ok I’ll let the kitchen know.” But how was I going to be comped for my shortage in my entree? I was told by the manager “We don’t fill the containers to the top!” Well, Obviously. There food is good, but I will not be ordering or eating there ever again. I will order Japanese or cook at home. If ordering there only order soup or rice, only then will you get the proper amount...