House of Lee — Restaurant in Emsworth

Let me preface this by saying: I love Chinese food. I eat it regularly. I’ve dined in hole-in-the-wall gems and sketchy strip mall joints that turned out incredible takeout. So believe me when I say—with a heavy heart and a queasy stomach—House of Lee delivered the worst Chinese food I’ve had in Pittsburgh.

Let’s break it down:

General Tso’s Chicken Ah yes, the crown jewel of American-Chinese takeout. Except here, it came… deconstructed? The sauce was on the side like it had a restraining order against the chicken. What did arrive was a sad pile of battered chicken wire (yes, wire, not strips), laid gently on a bed of steamed veggies that looked like they’d been held hostage in a rice cooker. It was both soggy and crispy in the same bite, which is impressive, if you're conducting a science experiment. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just unappetizing—it made me physically ill. And I’m not alone. A quick glance at the reviews confirmed someone else also got the post-meal punishment.

Plain Fried Rice Surprisingly, not a total disaster. It was rice… with some carrot confetti mixed in. No eggs, no scallions, no soy sauce—just rice and vibes. Think of it as white rice's more extroverted cousin who still doesn’t get invited to the party.

Chicken on a Stick (aka Teriyaki Chicken) I searched for the teriyaki, like a flavor archaeologist. There was none. What you get is chicken on a stick that’s drier than my enthusiasm by this point. If you're expecting that sweet, sticky glaze we all know and love—keep dreaming.

Crab Rangoons The high point of the meal, but that’s like saying the best part of falling off a bike is realizing you didn’t break your teeth. They were fine. Cream cheese-stuffed, slightly crispy, and completely forgettable.

Final thoughts? If this is your first meal out of prison, maybe you’ll find it decent. But if you're torn between House of Lee or gas station sushi… take a gamble on the sushi. At least then you have a story to tell.

Save your money, your stomach lining, and your faith in Chinese cuisine. Pittsburgh has so many better options. This just...

HORRIBLE! Poorest customer service I have ever had. The worst!!! Do not order online or you will be reprimanded for it. The person working, Jackie, told me I NEEDED to call and I should NOT have ordered online because I'm so far away and it goes to her personal email. We never had problems ordering before but she had attitude. Plus, we live less than 3 miles away. She only gave me a pint instead of a quart of soup and told me she didn't charge me for the quart, which in fact she did. She continually told me I was wrong and should have ordered over the phone. I asked for a refund or for the rest of my paid for soup to be delivered. She told me she would send the soup sometime today, which meant anytime between 12:15pm to close. I told her that was ridiculous and she told me I would just have to wait because she wasn't going to make a trip to my neighborhood just for soup. She continually made me feel bad, like I was the one that messed up when in fact it was her.

I decided to drive and get my soup myself. I tried to tell her to deactivate her online account but she said no. JUST CALL!!! I tried to reason with her but she continued to be the most rude service industry person I have ever encountered.

PS The food was awful. Soggy and cold, except for the soup I went and picked up myself. It was...

I'm surprised the reviews were not good. I dined in last night and the food was full of flavor! We were seated by the fish tank which was well kept and beautiful. Not many other diners, but it was a stormy Wednesday at nearly 9pm, although they have a bar, and there were people seated there. Service was great! I started with crab rangoon and egg drop soup. The crab rangoon were not frozen, you could tell they were house made. They were small, but very rich. At first I was disappointed I ordered 5 instead of 10, but after splitting them with someone else, I was okay with not getting 10. The egg drop soup was light, as it should be. It had big pieces of mushroom and water chestnut, which I love. I had subgum pork fried rice that was so flavorful and FULL of veggies. The pork was tender. The person I was with had house chop suey, which again, was full of flavor. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. Typically I stay away from dishes with light sauce because it lacks flavor, but House of Lee's was well seasoned. Would like to try their sushi next time, as well as a fried dish. Sounds like a lot of other reviewers had trouble with take out, which I will also try, eventually. For...