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Lofty Chinese joint in the Grand Central Market serving chow mein, chop suey & other classic dishes.
Hours
| Friday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM–5:30 PM |
| Monday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM–6:30 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 317 S Broadway # 18, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: (626) 223-8148
Website: https://grandcentralmarket.com/vendors/china-cafe-2/
Menu Photos
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China Cafe, in Downtown LA’s Grand Central Market, has been serving Chinese-American classics since 1959.
Reviews
Gene A.
I ate here for lunch, just before the rush. Located inside the iconic Grand Central Market, I finally gave China Cafe a chance. The open-air food court style seating is spacious during off-peak hours and patrons have an option to dine at their bar area.
I ordered a Chicken Chop Suey that comes with steamed rice, bok choy, mushrooms, diced chicken in savory sauce. My order was less than $15, which is farily reasonable. I was not expecting the portions to be larger, but thankfully I was hungry and craving Chinese food today. My order was ready in 5 minutes. The entree is freshly tossed from the wok, on top of a bed of steamed rice. It comes with a side of clear soup with sliced green onions.
The steamed rice was okay and not fluffy as they used long grain rice. On the other hand, the Chicken Chop Suey was savory, tasteful, authentic and not greasy. The chicken thigh meat was tender and the bok choy pieces were still crisp. I was not expecting to finish the entire bowl. So far, China Cafe is my favorite spot inside LA’s Grand Central Market
… moreI ordered a Chicken Chop Suey that comes with steamed rice, bok choy, mushrooms, diced chicken in savory sauce. My order was less than $15, which is farily reasonable. I was not expecting the portions to be larger, but thankfully I was hungry and craving Chinese food today. My order was ready in 5 minutes. The entree is freshly tossed from the wok, on top of a bed of steamed rice. It comes with a side of clear soup with sliced green onions.
The steamed rice was okay and not fluffy as they used long grain rice. On the other hand, the Chicken Chop Suey was savory, tasteful, authentic and not greasy. The chicken thigh meat was tender and the bok choy pieces were still crisp. I was not expecting to finish the entire bowl. So far, China Cafe is my favorite spot inside LA’s Grand Central Market
Cam Collins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ China Cafe – Grand Central Market, Los Angeles
Walking up to China Cafe feels like stepping into a living time capsule — one that’s been simmering since 1959 with the kind of quiet confidence only true institutions carry. You can feel the history in the air, from the clatter of woks to the comforting rhythm of chopsticks tapping bowls.
The food? Simple, soulful, and exactly what it should be. The wonton soup is a hug in a bowl — delicate, deeply flavorful, and unapologetically old-school. The chow mein hits that perfect balance of crisp edges and soft noodles, coated in a sauce that whispers of another era, before everything went “fusion” and “conceptual.”
But what really seals it is the people. There’s warmth behind the counter, the kind of easy friendliness that reminds you why communal markets like this matter. It’s not just a meal — it’s a snapshot of LA’s cultural heartbeat, where old and new collide in the best possible way.
In a city obsessed with the next big thing, China Cafe stands proud in its authenticity. It’s the kind of place Bourdain would have loved — no frills, no pretension, just honest food and real people.
Highly recommended. Come hungry, come curious, and leave with your soul just a little more full than when you arrived.
… moreWalking up to China Cafe feels like stepping into a living time capsule — one that’s been simmering since 1959 with the kind of quiet confidence only true institutions carry. You can feel the history in the air, from the clatter of woks to the comforting rhythm of chopsticks tapping bowls.
The food? Simple, soulful, and exactly what it should be. The wonton soup is a hug in a bowl — delicate, deeply flavorful, and unapologetically old-school. The chow mein hits that perfect balance of crisp edges and soft noodles, coated in a sauce that whispers of another era, before everything went “fusion” and “conceptual.”
But what really seals it is the people. There’s warmth behind the counter, the kind of easy friendliness that reminds you why communal markets like this matter. It’s not just a meal — it’s a snapshot of LA’s cultural heartbeat, where old and new collide in the best possible way.
In a city obsessed with the next big thing, China Cafe stands proud in its authenticity. It’s the kind of place Bourdain would have loved — no frills, no pretension, just honest food and real people.
Highly recommended. Come hungry, come curious, and leave with your soul just a little more full than when you arrived.
Jei Marie
Now I’m from St. Louis and in my opinion we have the best signature chop suey style Chinese food. I’ve been craving it and when I saw they had bean sprouts I knew it might taste just like the rice back home. I was so excited because their fried rice was so similar, I ordered the house special fried rice and it came with soup broth. All of it was delicious, I was impressed. I will say I had to add soy sauce to jazz it up a bit but overall I will be back. This my new spot when I’m craving St. Louis style fried rice. Oh and I don’t know why the comments are saying the ladies are rude and there’s a long wait because that wasn’t my experience. The waitresses were sweet to me and my food was ready in like 10 minutes.
… moreThe Mog Champ
The Mog Champ sends his regards.
I have a fairly high standard for Chinese food due to my background and decided to try China Cafe for lunch. Went for their house chop suey – the portions can definitely feed two average eaters.
The service was friendly, food took about 10 mins to be ready and it came with soup however it was a bit too salty. The portions were a bit too large for my liking, so I decided to finish most of the meat only. It’s my first time having Chinese food in America and the taste is definitely interesting. Thanks for the lunch China Cafe.
Mogliest Regards,
Your Mog Champ
… moreI have a fairly high standard for Chinese food due to my background and decided to try China Cafe for lunch. Went for their house chop suey – the portions can definitely feed two average eaters.
The service was friendly, food took about 10 mins to be ready and it came with soup however it was a bit too salty. The portions were a bit too large for my liking, so I decided to finish most of the meat only. It’s my first time having Chinese food in America and the taste is definitely interesting. Thanks for the lunch China Cafe.
Mogliest Regards,
Your Mog Champ
Aria
If you asked me to describe the fried rice I got here probably the best word I could use would be bland. And yet, in my week and a half in LA I came back here to get it two more times.
In a hectic city full of so much excess and loud flavors it kind of became my comfort food. Whenever I wanted to destress the simple dish loaded with the freshness of bean sprouts and as much chili crisp as I could handle was exactly my ticket to unwind.
And I also found the woman working the register very charming, even when the place got hectic in the early evening rush.
… moreIn a hectic city full of so much excess and loud flavors it kind of became my comfort food. Whenever I wanted to destress the simple dish loaded with the freshness of bean sprouts and as much chili crisp as I could handle was exactly my ticket to unwind.
And I also found the woman working the register very charming, even when the place got hectic in the early evening rush.
Irma S
Mom’s fav House wonton at China Cafe has become our go to place for the crave. I had never thought of putting lime on wonton or avocado till mom took me to eat here and it works!
You get 8 big wontons along with bbq pork, chicken, bok choy, that you have 2 meals if you eat small (pic of mom making her 2) or 1 if really hungry. You also get that chili oil and lime so give it a try.
Lunch time and weekends gets busy so the wait will be a while, so take a walk around Grand Central Market while your food is ready.
… moreYou get 8 big wontons along with bbq pork, chicken, bok choy, that you have 2 meals if you eat small (pic of mom making her 2) or 1 if really hungry. You also get that chili oil and lime so give it a try.
Lunch time and weekends gets busy so the wait will be a while, so take a walk around Grand Central Market while your food is ready.
Rebecca Rodriguez
Where else are you gonna get Chinese food served with a scowl and in plastic ware? No where. So drop what you’re doing and head over to China Cafe. I’ve recently started coming here to decompress after work. I usually order an appetizer and stay for the ambiance of the market. It’s relatively well-priced. Haven’t tried any other dishes, but if you’re looking to get out of the house or you’re getting off of work and want to hang out somewhere and enjoy the atmosphere, this place is it.
… moreMina Copado
The food was not good at all. We waited a long time for crappie food. We ordered the sweet and sour chicken with fried rice and a side of chow mein. The chicken had so much fat we couldn’t eat it. The fried rice was just not good and had no veggies in it. The chow mein was some kind of noodle with not veggies either. Do not come here, you will be disappointed.
… moreIan MacDonald
This food won’t change your life. It was a well-sized portion at an acceptable price. The food itself was a touch bland, but nothing intolerable.
I see a lot of reviews found the service terrible, but maybe I just caught them on a good day as I found them if not bright and friendly, at least welcoming and polite.
While there are certainly better options in Grand Central, when the itch for this food hits, nothing else will hit the right way, regardless of quality.
… moreI see a lot of reviews found the service terrible, but maybe I just caught them on a good day as I found them if not bright and friendly, at least welcoming and polite.
While there are certainly better options in Grand Central, when the itch for this food hits, nothing else will hit the right way, regardless of quality.
blanca delacruz
Really good food but really bad service which was a first for me.
Literally everyone else got their food and I had to struggle to get the employees attention
I then just asked for my money cause my appetite was gone.
I’m sad cause I really enjoy their food
… moreLiterally everyone else got their food and I had to struggle to get the employees attention
I then just asked for my money cause my appetite was gone.
I’m sad cause I really enjoy their food