Shang Hai Chinese Restaurants — Restaurant in Lakeland

I have been going there since they opened many years ago. There are many Chinese restaurants in Lakeland and I have tried another one close to where I live in the north end.......even one that was rated higher in Yelp. I keep coming back because to me, it is the best tasting New York Style version that I have found. The Chinese are typically not as hospitable as they can be. Culturally non expressive as others have pointed out in other reviews and that area can be improved on because Americans are comfortable with happy, smiling greeters, a cheery personality, friendly conversations, sucking up and all that .....but I overlook all those immediate concerns as I go there for the great food. If I wanted to converse with strangers, I would get a job as a Greeter at Wal-Mart. Lol. Granted, not everyone has the same tastes as I or even you but as I have pointed out, for the last nine or ten years, this small hole in the wall has managed to stay in business all that time. That says a lot in this business environment and financially depressed times. If you are in the area, try them out. The portions are large and I am satisfied with what I receive in return for my hard earned...

I’ve been ordering food from Shang Hai since 2007 and will not continue after tonight’s experience. I found hair in my fried chicken and egg fried rice combo. When I called a female employee asked “Your hair or my hair?” then said “cause you know American hair different from ours.” I have a bold head! After returning and requesting a full refund, the lady said she will only refund 1 out of 3 combo’s. I wasn’t going to leave a review until the said employee/owner pretended to call the police when my girlfriend came in to explain why she didn’t trust eating any of the food. We’ve decided to call the police and they stated it was a civil matter. Lesson learned and Eat Here at your own risk! This establishment needs to work on their customer service for starters. I’m a firm believer of supporting small businesses and anyone with enough dignity to pull themselves by the boot straps per say. After observing other establishments remolding and trying to maintain clean sanitary locations all over America during a Pandemic, this restaurant...

Absolutely Horrible Experience – Do Not Order from Here!

We ordered over $150 worth of food trays for a party, expecting a smooth pickup and decent quality—what we got was a disaster. The food wasn’t even ready on time, and when they finally rushed it out, the shrimp was raw. RAW.

We let them know immediately, and instead of handling it professionally, the man just threw everything back in a pan, overcooked it all, and served it as if it was fine. The rice ended up burned and crispy, and the shrimp was rubbery. It was a mess.

When we refused to accept the food because it was completely ruined, they told us they have a “no refund” policy. What happened next was even worse—the woman owner and the man started screaming at us, the paying customers! Completely unprofessional and aggressive behavior.

We spent over $150 for inedible food and disrespect. I’m warning you—don’t come here. The owners are rude, the food is awful, and they clearly don’t care about their customers. Avoid...