Sweet Rice — Restaurant in Denver

I really wanted to like the food here. I've only tried it once, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, but I might drop this to three stars if I can't find the gems of the menu. It's a close, fast, convenient neighborhood spot. Staff was friendly when I picked up my order, which was reasonably priced, but the food was hit or miss. I tried the vegetable egg rolls, scallion pancakes, chicken lo mein, and sesame chicken.

The egg rolls and scallion pancakes were great! I would definitely order them again. The lo mein was pretty standard. I've had better, and probably wouldn't order it again. The sesame chicken was a bit odd to me, a departure from the traditionally, perhaps stereotypical sticky-sweet dish you'd find at most places. It was a lot tangier and tasted of vinegar. The actual flavor was not bad, but I found the texture and color unpleasant, which seems to be a common complaint within these reviews. If you order from here, maybe skip the breaded chicken dishes until they change it up. (The chicken in the lo mein was perfectly fine.)

When I compare this to my go-to spot, the food just doesn't compete, even though I really want it to. I'll return at some point to try some different dishes and...

I recently moved to the Stapleton area and received a flyer from the restaurant. I read many mixed reviews on Yelp, but figured that I should try it for myself. I think the key here is expectations when it comes to what is considered quality food; this is aside from customer service. I enjoy Frascas and Mizuna just as much as anyone else, but I also like "American-ized" Chinese fast food on occasion, just like it for what it is. Overall, I had a good experience and will definitely use them for delivery again. I called at 11am when they opened, and I was told it would be a 45 min. wait and it was exactly 45 min. The gentleman that took my order was courteous; I intentionally repeated myself, as I could safely assume that English was not his first language, and mainly, I was concerned that the delivery driver may get lost, given that I'm in a new-build area. I ordered the sesame chicken, I would say it's better than Panda Express. The food seems fresher and the fried rice is very good. The order also came with a crab rangoon, which I did not care for at all, an egg roll, which was decent and hot and sour soup, also good. The portions are generous, but...

Update: I used to love her, but Sweet Rice has gone down in quality since changing ownership. I recently ordered basil fried rice and instead of basil, they put lettuce. Lettuce! Please do better... I'd like to love Sweet Rice again. The three stats is generous because I've been coming for years and hope yall can get it together.

Original 2019, 5 star review under Original owners: Sweet Rice Cafe is a great take out or delivery option. The basil fried rice is delicious, especially with brown rice and extra jalapenos! The staff are hard working, personable, and dedicated to great service. I've never had an incorrect order and enjoyed everything I've ordered. Food is flavorful and not greasy. Sweet Rice saves my life...