Brittany Holloway
The food was amazing. Everything that we got was really good. They did have quite a few spicy items on the menu, so you have to really look at things and be careful of what you order. We also brought our 15-month-old and they had a disposable sippy cup which was amazing to see and very convenient – I don’t know why more places don’t do it. The service was good the server was very nice, just very quiet and we did have to flag him down for the check at the end, and so did the table next to us. Otherwise he met every request and nothing was forgotten. The atmosphere is great: it was quiet and intimate but at the same time every table was talking and there was a low hum that you could hear as far as conversation across the room. We are already planning our next trip there.
… moreClaire Tseng
I have been to the one in Rockville I am actually thinking they are doing great job at this location near John hopkins the price was good for the portion. We were surprised with the portion of appetizers. All the food was great quality and quantity. Some of the tastes were a little bit too sweet in my opinion, but good value. The salt and pepper pork rib and sticky rice desserts were my recommendations.
… moreGrace Fu
Clean and nice environment. I like the duck bone soup, but the tofu pot doesn’t taste good. Green beans were nice!
… moreViggy Vanchi
This is a new spot that opened up where the old Busboys and Poets used to be. The fod was all quite delicious especially the popcorn chicken and fried rice. The portions were also perfect for sharing amongst three people. Service was generally fast, but they did forget one item for our table despite charging us for it. We notified them and they corrected the receipt.
… moreYage Sun
We had a reservation for a party of four last night and unfortunately, our experience was quite disappointing.
First off, the Peking duck was awful. It wasn’t crispy, lacked freshness, and was even served a little cold. Given how overpriced it was, we were expecting much better quality.
Secondly, the table we were seated at was far too small for our party, which made things uncomfortable. Additionally, when we were still working on our dish of stir-fry cabbage, the server took it away without asking because he needs to put down a new dish, and it was never brought back.
To make matters worse, no one came around to refill our water throughout the entire meal, and we had to flag down someone for assistance.
Lastly, it was unsanitary to see the server touch the food directly with their hands as they served it to us. It left a really unpleasant impression.
Overall, we were really dissatisfied with both the food and the service. We won’t be returning.
… moreCheryl Jordan
Lao Sze Chuan in Baltimore offers an overall pleasant dining experience. Our group of 10 sampled a variety of dishes, with the cucumber salad, Szechuan pickles, chili oil chicken, crispy fish filet, crispy eggplant, spicy beef cubes, Dan Dan noodles, Chongqing spicy chicken, and string beans being standout favorites. Each dish had a unique blend of flavors, especially the crispy fish filet and Chongqing spicy chicken, which delighted the taste buds.
However, there were a few hiccups. The braised pork belly was overly sweet for our liking, and the crispy chicken turned out too salty. The European sea bass, while cooked well, didn’t leave a memorable impression.
The service experience was a bit challenging. The staff seemed inexperienced, requiring explanations to manage our order in staggered stages, considering the large group’s constraints. This necessity for repeated instructions was frustrating.
This location of Lao Sze Chuan is more casual compared to their Bethesda counterpart. While the food generally met our expectations, these service hiccups affected the overall experience. I’m eager to try their duck on my next visit, but some improvements in service would elevate the dining experience. Overall, I’d rate the visit 3 stars.
… moreRachel C
I got 3 different things from the dim sum portion of the menu and it was delicious. The place itself is absolutely gorgeous and my waiter was sweet, didn’t constantly check up on me (which I really appreciated). They do not have their liquor license and i asked if byob is accepted, got the nod of approval. License should be active in October.
I highly recommend coming here to support our local businesses, new places will always have mess ups but they learn from them no matter what. Will definitely be coming back.
… moreVictor F
I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The service was essentially nonexistent from start to finish. The server never checked on our table, never offered help, and the only interaction we had was when they poured water — which they managed to spill all over me.
What made it worse was the complete lack of professionalism afterward. There was no apology, no acknowledgment, nothing. Just silence, as if spilling water on a customer is normal and not worth addressing.
Given the zero service and the incident, I chose not to leave a tip. In response, the server gave me a clear eye roll, which felt rude and uncalled for. Tipping is meant to reflect service, and in this case, there was none.
Food aside, service matters. Based on this experience, I would not recommend this place unless management seriously addresses staff attitude and basic customer service.
… moreJ D
First time here. Based on the reviews, I think you need to sample a lot of dishes and some might not be as good as others. The place was crowded, clean, great drink specials. Service was good. Most dishes were very good. Enjoy them.
… moreGloria Wu
The spicy beef and tripe slices was awful. Not using the standard-quality beef for this dish. I don’t mind paying a little bit more for food but I really can’t stand almost a plate of pure tendon. Dan Dan noodles was bad either, too salty, only the first few bites were fine.
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