Spend enough time in Columbus, and you might find yourself debating the merits of various soy sauce brands or planning entire weekends around dumpling crawls. We can’t help with your condiment obsessions, but we can guide you through the city’s vibrant Chinese food scene.
Beyond the familiar takeout spots and mall food courts, Columbus offers everything from fiery Szechuan specialists and delicate dim sum parlors to modern fusion spots where reservations disappear faster than a plate of xiao long bao.
Xi Xia Chinese Cuisine
$ | (614) 670-7736 | WEBSITE
This Columbus spot serves excellent Chinese classics, like must-try Dan Dan Noodles and the requisite Spicy Beef Noodle Soup with Wide Noodles. There’s also a unique ordering system where customers can scan a QR code to add items, avoiding paper menus and cross-contamination. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a hot meal, like the standout hand-pulled noodles, or our personal favorite, the Beef Soup noodles.
The friendly staff and welcoming service make it a favorite for both regulars and newcomers alike.
Genghis Grill
$ | (614) 824-1082 | WEBSITE
More Chinese food for you to try in Columbus. This time at Genghis Grill, a super casual, spacious-and-clean, plenty-of-seating-options spot that’s been serving fresh bowls since it opened. Their food is super customizable, grilled right in front of you, and comes in generous portions with a variety of ingredients like shrimp, beef, and chicken on the side. Needless to say it’s best enjoyed when you’re really hungry (or with friends) for maximum sharing.
The service is also good, and they prepare everything made to order if you’re looking to build your meal exactly how you want it.
Chuan Jiang Hao Zi
$$ | (614) 372-5520 | WEBSITE
After a meal at Chuan Jiang Hao Zi, you’ll feel like you’ve joined a club of Sichuan cuisine enthusiasts who also know a lot about authentic Chinese cooking. This vibrant Chinese spot is in the heart of Columbus and it’s a great place to introduce someone to real regional flavors or potentially just someone who appreciates bold spices. The restaurant sources many ingredients directly from China.
So if you taste something exceptional in your dish, there’s a good chance it traveled across the ocean to get here. We especially like the Mao Xue Wang, chicken pork belly soup, and eggplant with garlic sauce, but the pork buns—decidedly not swimming in chili oil—are some of our favorite bites in the city.
Mr. Wok Restaurant
$ | (614) 478-9367 | WEBSITE
Mr. Wok Restaurant is where the Columbus-as-a-Chinese-food-destination thing all began. It’s reliable, you usually get your food quickly, and don’t you dare expect anything less than generous portions. But we still keep coming back for all of this because they are undisputed masters with vegetables, and know how to make an excellent lo mein, too. And though Mr. Wok has maintained its consistency like a trusted recipe since its early days, the atmosphere is still peak neighborhood comfort spot.
If you’re in a hurry, just get the vegetable egg roll or Hunan Chicken to-go, or to be eaten quickly at one of their simple tables overlooking the familiar street.
Great Wall Chinese Restaurant
$ | (614) 236-2500 | WEBSITE
Unless you’re new to eating in Columbus, you probably don’t need us to tell you about Great Wall Chinese Restaurant. This Chinese carry-out spot has graced every takeout order, recommendation, and food chat in town. And it’s worth the hype. Most days, you’ll have to wait in line to place your order at the counter. But that just gives you more time to plot and scope out your next meal from their extensive menu. Decide between the Moo Shu pork or boneless beef tips (honestly, order both).
If you’re with a group, make sure to get a healthy mix of Beef or Chicken Lo mein, spicy wings, and egg rolls for the table.
Golden Phoenix Restaurant
$$ | (614) 471-3105 | WEBSITE
People come to Golden Phoenix in hopes of finding comfort. It’s an objectively welcoming space (clean, spacious, and wheelchair accessible) and everyone inside happens to be content. We don’t quite understand how this works, but it does. Is their ham fried rice and pepper steak the most inventive Chinese food in Columbus? Of course not. But you’re not at Golden Phoenix to debate culinary innovation.
You’re here to enjoy generous portions at a family-friendly table, appreciate the attentive waiters’ impeccable care, and feel what a reliable neighborhood staple might have felt like four decades ago.
Kung Fu Noodle Columbus
$ | (614) 564-9865 | WEBSITE
Kung Fu Noodle Columbus is an excellent Chinese restaurant that provides an authentic dining experience with a variety of flavorful dishes. You come here to eat hand-stretched noodles in warm, tasty broth with plenty of bok choy and scallions, dan dan noodles with minced meat and creamy sauce, and savory Chinese hamburgers made with pulled pork and green peppers.
There’s also a large indoor seating area where you can watch the homemade noodles being prepared, which works for almost any occasion, whether it be a quick lunch or a relaxed dinner with family. Be sure to arrive early—Kung Fu Noodle gets incredibly busy during winter when the noodle soup is especially popular.
Joy Food One
$ | (614) 775-9069 | WEBSITE
We once ordered the Szechuan chicken and orange chicken for a last-minute office lunch, only to realize we’d forgotten to ask for extra plates. Never have we seen such a communal feast unfold. The big blue booths became makeshift serving stations, with chopsticks passing between coworkers like batons in a relay race. Hunks of chicken were snatched directly from the containers, and pools of that addictive homemade hot oil were sopped up with leftover egg rolls until every drop was gone.
All of which is to say, stopping by for their lunch specials, crab rangoons, or a steaming bowl of hot and sour soup at Joy Food One is always a smart move. Especially since a satisfying meal with soup or an egg roll won’t set you back more than $15, if that.
J Zhen Asian Bistro & Bar
$ | (614) 447-8862 | WEBSITE
At first glance, J Zhen Asian Bistro & Bar has many features typical of Columbus Asian bistros: There’s strong drinks, quick service, and a crowd populated by regulars. What sets this vibrant Chinese restaurant apart, though, is the staff. Come here for a lively night out with friends in the open-seating dining area, or a casual dinner at the bar, and you’ll find yourself enjoying dishes like veggie fried rice, tasty wings, and other fresh options.
Getting to this part of Columbus might be a trek for just about everyone, but if the destination is J Zhen, the effort will be rewarded by phenomenal service from waitress Angel who knows exactly what you like.
Helen’s Asian Kitchen
$ | (614) 987-5121 | WEBSITE
Chinese restaurants don’t come this authentic all that often in Columbus. So the entire neighborhood has been flocking here since Helen’s Asian Kitchen opened its doors. Fast forward to now and Helen’s is still consistently busy and still very delicious. It’s essentially a temple of fresh ingredients and massive portions, complete with a clean, beautiful interior that feels warm and welcoming. This is honey walnut shrimp and pork dumplings worth crossing the city for.
VIP chicken and fish
$ | (614) 262-5555 | WEBSITE
VIP Chicken and Fish feels like a halfway point between a fast-casual spot and a family-run diner. The menu has plenty of halal options, which is why you’ll see regulars in comfortable hoodies digging into Philly steaks and perfectly made fish at amazing prices. Overall, the food is consistently tasty (except for the halal wings, those are a stand-out dish), so use VIP Chicken and Fish if you’re in the mood for a clean atmosphere and great service with a side of reasonable prices.
Ko Sheng
$ | (614) 262-1885 | WEBSITE
When the craving for hot Chinese food and reliable classics hits, Columbus has plenty of options that promise just that. But if we had to choose between Ko Sheng and other neighborhood spots, we’d go with the former every time (the flavor is better). The menu at Ko Sheng has barely changed over the years of steady business. The signature dish is the surprisingly solid pork fried rice, but the General Tso or the build-your-own beef or chicken broccoli situation are the main highlights.
Food aside, Ko Sheng is a dependable good meal. There’s a no-frills counter in the middle of the dining area and if you stick around long enough, someone from the friendly staff will probably have your order ready in 10-20 minutes.
Hunan King
$ | (614) 444-4240 | WEBSITE
We imagine that when the first Chinese takeout spots opened in America, the food looked and tasted a lot like what you’ll find coming out of Hunan King’s kitchen: it’s a quick, affordable (a generous sweet and sour chicken is $12.95), and deliciously reliable homage to classic American-Chinese cuisine. Prepared fresh with quality ingredients, served in generous portions, and ready in about fifteen minutes, the food is humble but high-quality.
The staff comes from the friendly and accommodating team inside, and while there are no tablecloths in the dining area, there is a simple, clean space, perfect for grabbing after a long day at work.
Xin Wei Kitchen
$ | (614) 824-3347 | WEBSITE
If you have any questions about what dining at Xin Wei Kitchen is like, please refer to its two menus: a traditional American-Chinese menu and a more authentic Chinese menu that’s flavorful and spicy. The authenticity in question comes from dishes like spicy chilli oil wonton and double pepper spicy pork kidney—keep an eye out for the Fried pork intestines with dry chilies and Sichuan peppers and the flavorful squid.
But the centerpiece is now a small, quiet spot cranking out quick, delicious meals such as stir fry ramen or hot and sour soup that are perfect for a lunch date. Xin Wei Kitchen is open daily, making it the ideal add-on to any craving for great Chinese cuisine.
NE Chinese Restaurant
$ | (614) 725-0880 | WEBSITE
NE Chinese Restaurant has the look of a generic Chinese takeout spot near a venue, the kind of linoleum-floored place that charges you $12 for a generously-portioned plate of salt and pepper shrimp. But that’s fine because NE Chinese makes very good twice-cooked fish. If you’re looking for flavorful cumin lamb on the Northside (and maybe a spicy potato salad appetizer soaked in Sichuan pepper chile seasoning and brightened up with zippy cucumber), come here.
And make sure to take advantage of NE Chinese’s excellent customer service, like the friendly staff who called directly to accommodate food allergies with a healthy dose of attention.
Jiu Thai Asian Cafe
$ | (614) 732-5939 | WEBSITE
A family-run Chinese spot in Columbus quietly serves some of the best noodles and fried rice in Ohio while maintaining a clean, welcoming space with plenty of parking nearby. Story as familiar as it gets, right? Jiu Thai Asian Cafe is the kind of neighborhood restaurant we’d happily recommend for both dine-in and takeout. We love their entire menu, but the lunch specials currently have our attention.
They’re reasonably priced and generous in a way that makes you feel taken care of, and even though the atmosphere is calm and not crowded, the food always arrives hot and full of flavor. Make sure some form of braised lamb noodles, sesame chicken, and Jiu Thai special fried rice are on your table and you’ll be planning your next visit before you’ve finished eating.