Lee's Chinese Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in East Providence

This was a wild ride. Some friends took us here last night, saying they heard the restaurant had new owners and they wanted to check it out. We walked in and waited for a about 5 mins. In the meantime, wait staff kept walking by several times and seemed very busy. The phone also kept ringing non stop so I'd assume they do a lot of take out business. Anyways, we finally got seated. after another 5-10 mins the bartender comes over with a round of waters, and explains to us that she's in fact the bartender and she was just trying to help out the servers. All good, she took our drink orders and brought our drinks over shortly after. Another 10 mins later she came to take food order.

This is where the real waiting game begun. The bartender came over 2 more times to check on us and refill our drinks. She apologized several times for the wait, which we all understood, since she wasn't the one cooking, and you could tell she was getting kinda frustrated with the kitchen.

At this point we waited 45 mins and we hear a big commotion coming from the kitchen. Angry yelling and screaming and literally everyone in the dining room heard it.

10 more minutes go by and a different server comes over with a serving tray. The tray has one meal and one appetizer for our table of four. She drops the food off and asks if we need anything else? We tell her that we're still waiting for the other meals, and she looks very confused. She tells us, she doesn't even know what's going on in this place today and that tons of different problems are happening at the moment.

At this poit we realized that the meal they brought our to us, was incorrect. The menu states that the "General Tenders" have no batter and are just lightly coated in flour, but the chicken tenders were definitely battered in the typical chicken finger batter (the claggy , bready kinda type).

More waiting and 20mins later, silly no trace of the missing food. In the meantime at least one other tables got up and left. We finally managed to wave the waitress who had dropped off the food earlier, over. We tell her that we understand that it is not her fault, but that we waited over an hour by now, the food that came out was wrong, and the majority of the food is still missing, and that we would just like to leave. She apologized and told us she will send over the manager right away.

You've guessed it... more waiting. The manager never came up to us so we ended telling the host, that we've been playing the waiting game for more that 1 1/2 hours now and that we would just like to go. We offered to pay for our sodas, but he apologized and waved us off. The single meal and appetizer that were brought to our table was never touched, because we all wanted to eat together.

So definitely not the best expiration we had here. Usually I don't have a problem letting some time pass and checking out a restaurant again, but I think I'll pass in this case.

I hope they were able to figure out what was going one and will give future guests a more...

Just got back from our first visit to Lee's since they re-opened. It's... terrible. Firstly, the water tasted bad. I think the old management must've used filters because this was noticeable. We ordered the scallion pancakes, which was just okay, except for the part where you couldn't tell it was supposed to be scallion flavored. We asked for duck sauce, which I was hoping was going to be the good dark stuff, except it was the usual sad-pale-orange kind. But by far the most upsetting part of the meal was the spicy wontons. Under the old ownership, the wontons were plentiful (~15 pieces), soft, and delicious in a tasty spicy sauce. The new version? It was six excessively dough-y pieces with no flavor in a soup of water WITH SRIRACHA SQUIRTED ON TOP. They didn't even bother mixing it together to at least give the impression that they knew what they were doing. Literally globs of sauce on way-too-big pieces of dough in water.

Then there's the atmosphere. Everything's too dark. I normally like that shade of blue, but it felt so sterile and cold. I loved the coziness of the space before, and I miss the family that used to work there. I peeked into the bar area before leaving and it looked sad in there.

It's one thing if a new restaurant had opened up in the building with an entirely different menu, but it was unexpectedly upsetting to return to a weird rip-off version of a beloved neighborhood establishment whose people and food you've come to cherish. I honestly didn't expect to feel that way, but here we are.

I gave 5 stars to the server because our order was pretty uncomplicated and she was nice. I'd be worried if we had ordered a bigger meal, so go by whatever else other...

A Culinary Masterpiece in a Humble Bowl – Chicken Fried Rice at Lee’s Family Restaurant

Tucked away in the heart of Riverside, Rhode Island, Lee’s Family Restaurant may look like your typical local gem—but the moment you take your first bite of their chicken fried rice, you realize you’ve stumbled upon something truly extraordinary.

This isn’t just chicken fried rice. This is a transcendent experience. Each grain of rice is perfectly cooked—fluffy yet firm, infused with wok-seared depth that only comes from years of perfected technique. The chicken is tender, juicy, and marinated with a subtle richness that lingers just long enough to make you crave the next bite. Tossed together with vibrant, crisp vegetables and delicately scrambled egg, every forkful is a symphony of flavor and texture.

What truly sets Lee’s apart, though, is the love and care you can taste in every bite. This dish feels like it was made by someone who really knows comfort food—not just how to cook it, but how to make it unforgettable. There’s an old-school soul in their kitchen that elevates a simple classic into an unforgettable staple.

Whether you’re a local or just passing through, do yourself a favor: order the chicken fried rice. It’s the kind of dish that turns a quiet dinner into a cherished memory. One bowl, and you’ll understand why Lee’s Family Restaurant has earned its place as a treasured cornerstone of Riverside.

Five stars isn’t enough—this dish deserves a...