The Most Popular Chinese Restaurant in Every State (Including the First Michelin Star!)

You don’t necessarily have to head to one of the country’s famed Chinatowns — such as in New York City or San Francisco — to score great Chinese food in the U.S.

There are beloved restaurants all over the country — both hole-in-the-wall types and high-end dining experiences — that offer incredible Chinese cuisine, often at a price that helps you stretch your restaurant budget .

Here are the most popular Chinese food restaurants in all 50 states.

Alabama: Great Wall Chinese Restaurant (Birmingham)

Great Wall Chinese Restaurant has a huge menu, and online reviewers rave about how authentic and delicious the food is.

Another plus: Great Wall offers plenty of affordable options — including a cheap lunch menu with specials that change every day.

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Alaska: Rice Garden (Anchorage)

Rice Garden is both a Chinese restaurant and a steak house. So, guests can enjoy all the classic dishes they would expect from a standard Chinese menu, plus excellent cuts of meat.

The restaurant’s Tripadvisor page is filled with patrons who love the concept and the food.

Arizona: Wong’s Restaurant (Phoenix)

Wong’s Restaurant has a jam-packed menu with a bit of something for everyone.

Although it is full of delicious dishes, the orange chicken and Mongolian beef are particular hits with customers.

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Arkansas: Three Fold (Little Rock)

Three Fold regularly makes “best of” lists in the area, as it’s pretty well-known for its delectable traditional dumplings, noodles, and steamed buns.

All these dishes are made from scratch daily.

California: House of Nanking (San Francisco)

San Francisco is home to the oldest Chinatown in the U.S., so it’s not surprising that the city is full of incredible Chinese restaurants.

A top choice among them is House of Nanking, which serves traditional Shanghainese cooking with a modern twist.

Colorado: Flower Pepper (Boulder)

Flower Pepper in Boulder has become iconic over the years as the go-to spot for authentic Chinese home cooking.

The menu blends the styles of Szechuan, Taiwan, and Beijing, offering an exceptional array of comfort foods.

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Connecticut: Great Taste Chinese Restaurant (New Britain)

The Yelp page for Great Taste Chinese Restaurant is filled with rave reviews about its excellent menu and delightful ambiance.

The menu is packed with all the staples you would expect, plus they have an eclectic (and cheap) lunch menu.

Delaware: Confucius Chinese Cuisine (Rehoboth Beach)

Tripadvisor is full of glowing reviews for Confucius Chinese Cuisine in lively Rehoboth Beach. Some customers even call it their favorite restaurant in the area.

Visitors can expect excellent ambiance as well as delectable Hunan-style cooking.

Florida: Tropical Chinese (Miami)

If you’re looking for authentic Chinese cuisine in Miami, Tropical Chinese is the place to go.

For nearly 40 years, the restaurant has offered delicious Hong Kong-style dim sum made fresh with top-notch ingredients.

Georgia: Masterpiece (Duluth)

With hundreds of rave reviews on Yelp, it’s clear that Masterpiece in Duluth is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

The restaurant is known for authentic Sichuan and Hunan dishes. Guests can dine in or order takeout.

Hawaii: Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine (Honolulu)

It’s incredible that a tiny restaurant with just a few tables inside has been able to generate as much buzz as Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine in Honolulu.

The joint is quickly becoming the go-to spot for Szechuan noodles in Hawaii’s capital.

Idaho: Golden Star Restaurant (Boise)

Golden Star has been a favorite among locals and Boise area visitors for decades.

The restaurant has a menu stacked with delicious fare and has regularly made “best of” lists in the area.

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Illinois: Shanghai Terrace (Chicago)

There’s no shortage of excellent Chinese food in Chicago, but Shanghai Terrace stands out.

The restaurant offers a menu full of modern interpretations of traditional Shanghainese, Cantonese, and Sichuanese dishes that are sure to satisfy all cravings.

Indiana: Imperial Palace (Indianapolis)

Visitors to Imperial Palace will find a menu full of delicious dishes in a delightfully friendly atmosphere.

You can find hundreds of rave reviews online about this small yet much-loved gem in Indianapolis.

Iowa: Mandarin Spice Asian Grill (Marion)

While Mandarin Spice Asian Grill is more of a mashup of food from different Asian countries, it’s still much lauded for its excellent selection of traditional Chinese dishes.

The restaurant also offers Korean and Japanese fare, including a sushi bar.

Kansas: ABC Cafe (Overland Park)

ABC Cafe offers an excellent array of authentic Chinese dishes — and it serves dim sum all day!

Signatures include the restaurant’s delicious shrimp dumplings.

Kentucky: Oriental House (Louisville)

A staple in the Louisville community, Oriental House is known for its excellent service and excellent menu.

The “Authentic Chinese” section of the menu is great for those looking for a more traditional dining experience.

Louisiana: Five Happiness (New Orleans)

For more than 30 years, Five Happiness has been a go-to spot for Chinese food in New Orleans.

The staff recommends trying top dishes such as baked duck or shrimp with honey-roasted pecan.

Maine: Empire Chinese Kitchen (Portland)

Located at the very same site of Portland’s first deluxe Chinese restaurant, the new and improved Empire has made a name for itself.

The restaurant is known for its dim sum and delicious locally sourced fare.

Maryland: Bob’s Shanghai 66 (Rockville)

For the past decade, Bob’s Shanghai 66 in Rockville has developed quite the reputation as the go-to spot for incredible soup dumplings and delicious crab pork dumplings.

The nationally recognized restaurant is also known for its spicy Szechuan-style sliced beef.

Massachusetts: Dumpling House (Cambridge)

With chefs from Beijing and other parts of China, Dumpling House in Cambridge is dedicated to serving delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine.

While the menu is full of great options, the restaurant specializes in gourmet dumplings.

Michigan: The Peterboro (Detroit)

The Peterboro — located within Detroit’s Chinatown — is an Asian fusion gem.

The restaurant serves traditional Chinese dishes with an American influence. It also has quite a signature cocktail menu.

Minnesota: Tea House Restaurant (Minneapolis)

Located on University Avenue in Minneapolis, the Tea House offers a quaint and delightful atmosphere in which to grab brunch, a late-night dinner, and more.

The menu offers a mix of traditional dishes from different regions around China.

Mississippi: Five Happiness (Jackson)

In Jackson, you will find Five Happiness, which offers a blend of traditional dishes served in different styles — such as Cantonese, Szechuan, Hunan, and Mandarin.

Tripadvisor is full of rave reviews for the incredible menu and the welcoming atmosphere.

Missouri: Wonton King (St. Louis)

Wonton King was the first restaurant to begin serving Hong Kong-style Chinese fare in the St. Louis area. It has become a much-loved gem in the region over the past 20 years.

The restaurant has a stacked menu filled with both modern favorites and authentic options.

Montana: China Garden (Missoula)

China Garden has been a staple in the Missoula area for three decades.

The menu has all the offerings you would expect from a traditional Chinese restaurant, plus fan favorites such as noodle bowls and soups. It also offers an extensive list of affordable specialty wines and beers.

Nebraska: Blue & Fly Asian Kitchen (Omaha)

One of the great things about Blue & Fly Asian Kitchen in Omaha is that the menu is split into American-style Chinese food and traditional style.

That means you are almost sure to find something you like here, including all those incredible authentic dishes.

Nevada: Wing Lei at Wynn in Las Vegas

Visitors to Wing Lei can enjoy an eclectic mix of Cantonese, Shanghai, and Szechuan-inspired dishes from the famed restaurant’s lavish dining room.

The iconic Vegas gem also happens to be the first Chinese restaurant in the U.S. to earn a Michelin star.

New Hampshire: Golden Tao (Manchester)

You can find hundreds of rave reviews on Tripadvisor and Yelp touting this Manchester gem’s blend of Mandarin- and Szechuan-style cooking.

Plus, Golden Tao has a huge array of bargain (and delicious) combo specials if you happen to be eating on a budget.

New Jersey: Hunan Taste (Denville)

Hunan Taste actually has two locations in New Jersey — the original location in Denville and a second restaurant in foodie-haven Montclair.

The restaurant has made quite a name for itself, offering an eclectic mix of Sichuan, Cantonese, and Mandarin-style dishes.

New Mexico: Budai Gourmet Chinese (Albuquerque)

Budai Gourmet is the go-to spot for those looking for authentic Chinese cooking in the Albuquerque area.

The restaurant’s menu offers dishes influenced by Taiwan, Shanghai, and southern China cooking styles. The welcoming staff will even create custom meals for patrons.

New York: Joe's Shanghai (New York City)

There’s no shortage of incredible Chinese food in New York City, given it has one of the most famed Chinatowns in the country.

However, Joe’s Shanghai has been the go-to spot for soup dumplings (“xiaolongbao”) for nearly 30 years.

The dumplings are such a hit that the restaurant recently had to move from its longtime Chinatown location to a larger spot.

North Carolina: Imperial Garden (Raleigh)

Imperial Garden is the go-to spot for authentic Chinese food in the Raleigh area.

The restaurant first opened back in 1987. For over 35 years, it's been a staple for great lunch deals, family-style dinners, customized meals, and more.

North Dakota: Great Wall (Fargo)

A staple in the Fargo area, Great Wall Chinese Restaurant prides itself on its inviting atmosphere, friendly services, and wide-ranging menu.

Visitors can enjoy typical Chinese restaurant fare, bargain combo deals, vegetarian options, party trays, delectable specials, and more.

Ohio: LJ Shanghai (Cleveland)

LJ Shanghai’s doesn't have all of the classic options you would expect from a Chinese American restaurant.

However, hundreds of rave reviews on Yelp say the unusual menu offers something even better — something for everyone.

Oklahoma: Grand House Asian Bistro (Oklahoma City)

While Grand House Asian Bistro has plenty of incredible Chinese dishes, it also offers fare from other countries around Asia.

While you can still get delicious sesame chicken or chow mein, Grand House also has a full sushi menu and classic dishes from Vietnam, Korea, and more.

Oregon: Duck House Chinese Restaurant (Portland)

Duck House is a favorite in the Portland area, with a delicious menu of authentic Szechuan cuisine.

Duck House has a loaded dim sum menu — and invites newcomers to check out the special, Peking-style roast duck.

Pennsylvania: Han Dynasty (Philadelphia)

There are several Han Dynasty locations, but the restaurant on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia is particularly popular — the proof is in the hundreds of rave reviews on Yelp.

For excellent Sichuan food, Han Dynasty might be unmatched in the Philly area.

Rhode Island: Chengdu Taste (Providence)

Chengdu Taste is a staple in the Providence area and has made a name for itself thanks to a stacked menu of delicious Szechuan/Sichuan dishes.

Hundreds of happy customers on Yelp attest to this restaurant’s great food.

South Carolina: Dragon Palace Chinese Bistro (Charleston)

Dragon Palace Chinese Bistro, located on Daniel Island, is a stunning site — and that is even before you lay your eyes on the menu.

Guests will find authentic Chinese cuisine, delicious handmade dim sum, incredible happy hours, and more in the beautifully decorated restaurant.

South Dakota: Phnom Penh Restaurant (Sioux Falls)

Looking for excellent Chinese food in South Dakota? Phnom Penh Restaurant in Sioux Falls is a great choice.

While the restaurant serves several different types of Asian food and has a great selection of Chinese-American dishes, the real star here is the Cambodian cooking.

Tennessee: Steam Boys (Nashville)

Steam Boys has several locations throughout Nashville and the rest of Tennessee.

The bulk of the menu is made up of bao buns, steamed or pan-seared dumplings, and noodles. The restaurant also has a great selection of boba slush teas.

Texas: Hu’s Cooking (Houston)

Hu’s Cooking is a much-loved Chinese fusion gem in the Houston area. It offers standard Chinese-American dishes and unusual offerings, such as dry pots.

The restaurant also offers a wide-ranging drink menu with a selection of wine, beer, soju, and milk teas.

Utah: Mom's Kitchen (Salt Lake City)

Yelp is full of reviews raving about the excellent Chinese comfort food at Mom’s Kitchen in Salt Lake City.

The restaurant is known for many delectable options but really shines when it comes to its selection of dumplings and noodles.

Vermont: A Single Pebble (Burlington)

For more than 25 years, A Single Pebble has been serving the Burlington area both traditional and modern takes on classic Chinese dishes.

Consider checking out the “chef tasting menu,” which includes nine dishes that your whole party can share.

Virginia: Peking Gourmet Duck (Falls Church)

Peking Gourmet Duck was one of the first Chinese restaurants specializing in Peking duck to open in the northern part of Virginia more than 40 years ago.

While the restaurant may be known for its duck, it’s also famed for its great selection of dumplings and noodles — and a stacked cocktail menu.

Washington: Tai Tung Chinese Restaurant (Seattle)

Tai TungChinese Restaurant opened in 1935 and is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seattle.

It’s been loved by many customers over the past 80-plus years, including actor and martial arts master Bruce Lee. You can even check out Lee’s favorite table when you visit the restaurant.

West Virginia: Rice Bowl (Cross Lanes)

Known for a massive menu full of delicious fare — as well as friendly, welcoming service — Rice Bowl has all the typical dishes you would expect from a Chinese-American joint.

Plus, you get a few extras, such as bargain combination platters, a sushi bar, and a huge selection of bubble teas.

Wisconsin: Nani Restaurant (Madison)

Nani Restaurant opened in 2015 and has quickly established a reputation for offering incredible authentic Chinese fare — particularly dim sum.

The restaurant is known for its large selection of small dim sum plates and Sichuan-style stir-fry.

Wyoming: Chinatown Restaurant (Jackson)

If you are looking for traditional Chinese food with a modern, creative spin, Chinatown Restaurant in Jackson delivers.

You will find a cozy atmosphere, excellent service, and an eclectic menu. Some favorites include their orange chicken and Peking noodle soup.

Bottom line

While some of the entries on this list are a bit better-known — and quite a bit pricier — than others, for Chinese food lovers, each is worth visiting if you happen to be in the area.

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