Great Wall Restaurant — Restaurant in Sanford

As a former New Yorker, this place was TERRIBLE! I went here several years ago, and it was mediocre to poor at best, but recently, the woman at the counter alerted me to the fact that the restaurant is under new management, which would account for the quality sinking further down to "irreparable." First, General Tso and Sesame Chicken are the SAME, with one just getting a few dried chiles thrown into the sauce and the other sprinkled with untoasted sesame seeds. The meat itself is like all breading, like corndogs the size of superballs that have been left out for a few hours and refrigerated for a few days. The low mein has NEVER been remarkable, as it was one of the worst things I recall ordering from Great Wall -- just a funky taste that doesn't belong in a lo mein dish. Shrimp eggrolls rolls are just spring rolls with 3 baby shrimp stuffed in them -- save your money. It's ALL WHITE inside, as if there is only 2 ingredients inside, like some kind of funky tasteless cabbage. The shrimp egg foo young keeps getting its sauce changed, always for the worst, and it has always arrived without being properly drained of the juice/water it has been cooked in, and RUINS the bottom two patties by sogging up all the onions and the flavor goes out of it while making the eggs soggy. I tried chicken and cashews (tastes like it's been in the fridge for a week), beef/broccoli (questionable meat), garlic chicken (where's the GARLIC?), mushu pork (PLEASE DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT THIS, AS IT'S LOADED WITH HARD FUNKY CABBAGGE), kungpo chicken (terrible taste), fried shrimp in a bag (very greasy, doesn't taste fresh), ribs (dry, fatty, like dog rawhide), bonesless ribs (hard, chewy pieces of whats comes across as beef jerky bits in dried up sauce), shrimp and lobster sauce (how can you mess up THIS classic? They did. It only "looks" okay, but tastes like some things are missing and others are taking its place), and something with the word "phoenix" in it that, being a specialty, I expected too much - bland as heck. People who think this is good New York Chinese Food have defintely not eaten in good Chinese joints there as I have all my life. I think some people are easily impressed by chinese food in general, that's all. Additionally, the other people are correct -- the staff is very rude. I had to correct my order, and the lady at the front was ticked off at me, and (out of spite) left out all the bags of noodles from my order, and I even paid for extra, after telling her how important they were for the half gallon of soup I ordered and how the soup was useless without it for us. I knew by her face she did something but couldn't figure out what it would be, and was surprised by the nerve of the act. I assume this was to make me drive back, but it was too far and we gave the soup away to a neighbor, vowing never to return (and haven't). Honestly, LOTS of people here have no CHOICE but to go to Great Wall because no other Chinese restaurant in their right mind would come to that area and there are hardly ANY others around (google map it and you'll see). Fortunately, I pass near the Walmart all the time and will save Chinese night for those times when I pass there and plan to try a place that is near the Burger King in the strip mall across the street right in the back of it (near CVS), as I read the food was good but the owner has on occasion been in a bad mood to complainers. The Itchigo Itchie (sp?) in the Walmart Plaza has tanked in reviews, so the one near CVS/Burger King on 17-92/LakeMary Blvd will be next on the list. Oh well, perhaps the Chinese restaurant owners haven't caught on yet that in the U.S.A., service and attitude is just as important as the food and can make or break the business. If that one doesn't pan out, I'll have to save chinese night for when I travel out even FURTHER from my general area, or just head to China Garden (the best I guess) somewhere near 436 and University/Colonial, in that general vicinity. Honestly? I would rather eat at Panda Express than Great Wall, so that in itself...

I've been trying to give this restaurant a chance every year or so for the last decade. The only thing consistent about this place was that every year food got worse as prices went up every single order. They even look at you sideways when you ask for a detailed receipt. It went from poor food to food that I questioned the origin of, things that you know should taste like what they're supposed to be but they have strange tastes also coming through. Other food tasted like it was from the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Things that were crispy were soggy, things that should be soft were hard. To be honest, I had a much more delicious lunch back in January when I went to panda express, which says a lot, and I grew up in New York with New York Chinese food. Trust me, this isn't New York Chinese food. It's not only not New York, but I'm even questioning the Chinese aspect of it. I used to live a relatively short drive away from China Garden on 436 and 50, and I miss that so much, what is the best in Orlando eye don't know how many years in a row. It's too far now, unfortunately. I'm going to stick with panda because if anything, it's fresh. I just wish some decent Chinese restauranteur would open a real good Chinese restaurant anywhere within a 20 mile radius of this place that was so good I wouldn't mind taking the drive once in a while. I've eaten New York Chinese food so many years in New York that I know what it supposed to taste like, and I guess it's now a curse that I do. As if things couldn't get worse, there hasn't been any staff in over the last dozen years I've been trying this place that I could even call pleasant. This is some of the rudest staff I have ever encountered anywhere in any type...

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! They clearly have forgotten that the CUSTOMERS ARE THE REASON THEY ARE STILL OPEN!!! They talk to you like they don’t even want to be bothered!!

If I could give negative 5 stars I would!!! The older woman who answers the phone to take orders is EXTREMELY RUDE!! While placing my order she constantly tried to rush me. Even when asking a simple question about the sizes they offer for shrimp and broccoli. I asked to place a second order and she says “ what you mean second order…. Do it quickly!!” I replied “excuse me” she says “ I mean what you want?” At that point I was shocked. She literally YELLED AT ME AGAIN saying “HURRY UP! ORDER ORDER”!!! I told her to “just forget it”. This is the last time I will ever order from here! And my parents have been ordering from here since I was a kid!! So that tells you how much money has been spent at this establishment over the years!!

If you look at the picture I posted…we were literally on the phone for 1 minute and she was THAT IMPATIENT...