Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Raleigh

There’s something endearing about a restaurant that doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. This Chinese-American mainstay has clearly been around the block, and maybe the entire neighborhood, but wears its years with charm rather than shame. The décor is classic in the best sense: traditional cloth napkins, heavy ceramic plates, and that signature menu full of familiar favorites. The floors may have seen better days, and the bathroom has a certain... musty and dingy personality (similar to a Hagrid’s hut ambiance), but none of it detracted from the overall experience. If anything, it adds a dash of authenticity, or at least history.

The food? Comforting, flavorful, and exactly what you'd hope for when the craving hits. The sizzling seafood platter arrived with a dramatic hiss that turned heads, and rightfully so. It sizzled, it delighted, and it delivered bold, well-balanced seasoning with every bite.

The Mongolian beef was a bit of a jaw workout, tough enough to register as resistance training, but packed with deep, satisfying flavor. Meanwhile, the house lo mein was slightly overcooked, with noodles a bit too soft for my liking, but redeemed by a gorgeous smoky wok hei that gave it the kind of character you can’t fake.

Service was pleasantly casual and genuinely friendly. My waitress didn’t quite commit to any strong recommendations, but made up for it with her eagerness to help and an easygoing rapport that made the meal feel relaxed and personal.

This is the kind of place where you’d be happiest ordering in on a Friday night, wrapped in a blanket, fortune cookie in hand. It may not be chasing culinary trends or reinventing the genre, but it knows what it’s doing, and it does it well enough.

Three stars,...

We went to the Red Dragon recently based on a couple recommendations I had read on social media, since we are always on the lookout for a good Chinese restaurant. We decided to give them a try despite the mixed reviews that appear on Google. Unfortunately, there is really not much positive I can say about our experience. If they are busy, finding a parking spot in the small lot behind the restaurant can be challenging. The interior of the restaurant itself is quite shabby and in need of an update. The take out area is located in the back of the restaurant, so if they are busy (like they were the night we were there), you literally had take out customers standing in the dining room right next to the tables of customers who were dining in. On the plus side, the service was very good, but the food was some of the worst we've ever had at a Chinese restaurant. My wife ordered chicken and broccoli, which normally comes in the typical brown sauce. Hers came with some sort of white cream sauce and when she questioned the waiter he said "Oh, you wanted a brown sauce?" However, he did quickly take the dish back to the kitchen and within a few minutes returned with the entrée she wanted. You also pay extra for fried rice here (which is one of my pet peeves), but it was a large portion that two people could easily share. We both had leftovers that we took home, but the food was so bad we ended up throwing it away, which...

If you are looking for a healthier, not fast food version of Chinese food, this is the place to go. Very good. The ingredients they cook with are more authentic, clean. They have Oolong, delicious. I decided to try their seafood sizzling platter, very good with equal amounts of each food. There wasn't too much or too less of anything. The white sauce is very light and good, it doesn't overwhelm the food and take away flavors but compliments it. The soy sauce they serve is not in a bottle. They make a ginger soy sauce that is delicious, I honestly poured it all over my seafood platter and it was perfect. Their Lo Mein, is a definite! I can't wait to go get more. My hubby can never eat the Chinese buffets/menu on the wall places without him getting sick due to the cheap oils they use. He ate here, and never got sick. Time and care is put into the food. Very small quaint restaurant, easy to miss. They have back parking and another adjacent lot. Definitely going back, looking forward to trying...