China Star Dim Sum Lounge — Restaurant in Lowell

There is no way I'd eat here again, nor did we continue eating. And read on for the Frogs and Duck tongues mention!

I've been to Chinese restaurants at least 200 times. This is the absolute worst. I've never actually had bad horrible Chinese food until this point.

The quality across the board was so low me nor my wife could get past the second bite of anything. (Rice, wings, chicken fingers, beef teriyaki). We didn't even bother trying the rest of it.

The execution on the food was great. It's just the food quality is at the bottom. You can drive a few miles in any direction and get better.

Here are my other mental notes. Waitstaff barely spoke and was awful Guy in suit was very helpful, but also very quiet Tea container appeared lazily cleaned (for years). The portions were big The ambiance is horrific. Bright wedding chandeliers making the place overly bright. Large corner areas with equipment and such that shouldn't be visible to customers Tablecloth (fancy right?l) was worn down and had wear holes in it Almost forgot: the duck sauce was oddly opaque.

Also, this isn't a criticism but an observation and a question. The observation is there are offerings such as frog (yes those), duck tongue, and more. That's fine! But are Frogs and Duck Tongues cooked in the same pans and oil?

Listen, nothing here is a petty call out. There's absolutely no discount for subpar anything meaning it's not like you're paying less than anywhere else. And everything I mentioned can be easily fixed. Buy higher quality foods to prepare $300 in new, tablecloths, or rent them Train staff to talk and be responsive Put up room dividers in those corners Dim the chandeliers a bit Wash the teapots better or change to the metal ones that don't...

Props for a restaurant serving daily dim sum in Lowell! And with parking! And the old-school authetic experience of the food in the rolling carts! If you got a craving for dim sum, this is the place.

3.5 rounded to 4. The har gao (shrimp dumplings. Large, $6.95 ) skin was a bit thick and the shrimp did not taste as fresh as they can be. The Siu Mai ( pork with shrimp dumplings. medium size, $5.75) was a bit dense (over stirred) but had 3 whole shrimps. The steamed ribs in black bean sauce was good but not great. These dim sum dishes were rolled around in carts.

The highlight of the meal was the special ordered fried dough with rice foon (large $6.95, fried dough wrapped in cheung fun noodle); the fried dough was crispy and the rice rolls were freshly prepared with cilantro and scallions. I think I would travel/come here just for this dish! Disappointing was the special ordered fried taro (medium $5.75); the mince pork stuffing was tasteless and the deep-fried tarp dumpling was dipped in a batter (?) instead of allowing the fried mashed taro to create the wispy crispy outside (either that or the oil was not hot enough or the mashed taro was not sticky enough).

Overall it was a good experience albeit slightly pricey. I would return.

Update reduced to 3 stars. went back a second time, it was not as good this time. Got fried squid (large dim sum portion, tasty) & rice noodle in XO sauce (we had to return bc it had no taste & ask for extra spicy, and then it had barely any spicy xo sauce). I think if I have a craving for dim sum, I would trek into Boston Chinatown. If you really have to have dim sum and wanted something quick, I guess you...

A Truly Abhorrent Experience – Stay Far Away

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. My recent visit to China Star was, without exaggeration, the worst dining experience I have ever had.

We came in with a group of 20 people, expecting a decent meal and a hospitable atmosphere. Instead, we were met with disgusting food, outright hostility from the staff, and an appalling level of unprofessionalism—especially from the so-called manager, Lilly.

To start, we were charged for food that we never even received. The dishes that did arrive were completely different from what we ordered—and when we pointed it out, instead of correcting the mistake, the waitresses yelled at us and berated us. Let me be clear: we were treated with complete disrespect for simply expecting the food we paid for.

We spent over $600 for this atrocity of a meal. And when we tried to address the issues with the owner? All we got was a hollow apology—no attempt to fix anything, no effort to make it right. An apology doesn’t undo the blatant disrespect and incompetence we endured.

I cannot stress enough how despicable this establishment is. From the revolting food to the profoundly unprofessional staff, this was a disaster from start to finish. I will never step foot in this place again, and I will make sure others know to stay far away.

If you value your money, your time, and basic human decency, do...