Great Wall Szechuan House
| Address: | 1527 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-797-8888 |
| Site: | greatwallszechuan.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10:30PM 12–10PM 12–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
A
A Private User
We ordered the "Ma La Kung Po Chicken" expecting simply a hotter version of the classic dish. Instead, we were shocked when we bit into the dish and it had a very putrid, bitter taste, and a numbing effect. We hadnt done our homework on what the "Ma La" meant, but did some research and found out it refers to a Szechuan paste that is made from soybeans, spices, and something called doubanjiang, which we presume is the main culprit. I am being completely honest here, I have never tasted anything so appalling and grotesque in my entire life. The flavor of this Ma La dish is akin to Citrus Pine Sol. Ive been eating Chinese food for 20 years and have never come across this Ma La cuisine, so this is a forewarning that you might be severely disappointed if you just wanted an extra spicy dish and elect for the Ma La menu, because its not really spicy, its just nasty.
MA
Matthew Key
Ended up there randomly one night and ordered the orange chicken. Id been trying to find this flavor around the city since moving to DC a few years ago. The waitress was very aware and was there quickly if we needed something. Our orders came out fast and the chicken was crispy, with nice white chunks of meat and little extra fat. The sauce was excellent! My friend ordered the General Tsos which I liked better but it was basically the same dish without the orange flavor. A little surprised the bathroom was down a dungeon-like staircase into the basement but it gave that hole in the wall feel making the place more gem-like I went back the next day just to make sure I my opinion wasnt ... biased from the previous night... and the food was even better! This is my favorite place for General Tsos in DC so far and Im going back again right now!
A
A Private User
Great Wall Szechuan is the best bang for your buck in the neighborhood, or perhaps even the entire district. The ma la dishes are fairly authentic, especially the mala gongbaojiding (i.e., "Kung Pao Chicken"), though the chicken/vegetable to peanut ratio could definitely be improved. I also recommend trying the hot pot, which is quite decent considering this is Washington, DC, not Chengdu. But you need to call 24 hours in advance to set it up. The manager will guide you through what to order if you need help. Incidentally, it is clear from their reviews that Valerie and Laura are not familiar with Sichuan cuisine. Laura was "shocked" by the "numbing effect" of the ma la. But thats what Sichuan peppercorn is supposed to do ("ma" = "numbing"; "la" = "spicy"). Some people are just better off eating Kung Pao Chicken at Panda Express...
SI
Sichen Yang
丢中国人的脸，服务差别化，我们三个大学生一直都很有礼貌，服务员阿姨从头到尾没怎么理我们，一开始就说能给点水吗，直到饭吃完，水都没来，隔壁桌年纪大一点的中国人和外国人有茶有水，客客气气地伺候着。同样都是中国人，我们年轻人就不应该得到该有的尊重吗？和金星的sorry， i dont understand 如出一辙:) 而且回锅肉烧得很咸，吃到了没有化开的盐和味精，茄子切得太大块，不入味。。。。。
NG
Ngozi Nezianya
I ordered the General Tsos, which is usually hard to mess up, but it wasnt very good. The breading on the chicken tasted slighty powdery, as if it had been coated in way too much flour before being fried. The rice was very dry (almost like it had been sitting out for a while or was microwave-cooked), making it difficult to absorb the sauce from the chicken. Overall, I was disappointed, since I was painfully hungry when I entered, wasnt initially expecting much, and ultimately chose to try it out based on the good reviews. Maybe I tried the wrong dish, but basing my judgment on it alone, not only is the food nothing to rave about, it also doesnt even satisfy that (Americanized) Chinese food craving.
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A Private User
This is my favorite Chinese food in all of DC and perhaps anywhere (aside from a place that makes good soup dumplings, which I have yet to find in DC). This place is unmatched for its spicy Szechuan-style food. If you like spicy food, you will really enjoy this place, but you must order the "ma la" dishes. The food is not complicated, but it is excellent. Hence, you will probably not like this place if you consider presentation and complexity as primary characteristics of good food. The owners are very friendly; prices are low-medium, not the cheapest but very affordable; and they also deliver within a certain radius of the DuPont/U Street/Columbia Heights area.
A
A Private User
I have been to this restaurant many times. Last time, there were two tables of people having the Mongolian Hot Pot, similar to the Japanese Shabu-Shabu. My standard is the Szechwan Egg Foo Young which is basically a frittata served with a brown sauce. It has it all - beef, chicken,shrimp and roast pork. The manager recommended the bok choy with garlic sauce as the accompaniment. My guest liked it so much that the neighboring table asked us what we were having. The consistency of the dishes has kept me coming back.If you want mild, Americanized, chinese dining and decor go elsewhere, THIS is the place for home-style, family run, authentic chinese food.
BO
Bossi
I absolutely love their admittedly Americanised-Chinese food, with a guilty pleasure in their General Tsos. But theyre also *extremely* well regarded for their actual Chinese-Chinese food, and highly recommended for that, as well. Only criticism are their "ma la" meals. I got this the first time I ever went there and was absolutely revolted. Itd been recommended & Id thought perhaps it wasnt prepared correctly... but friends just dug right in; loved it. SOMETHING in that ma la sauce is absolutely rejected by my taste buds (Im honestly curious to know what it is... I cant think of any other food Id so thoroughly disliked the taste+smell of).
HU
Huayu Zhang
Our family was in D.C. after 10 hours driving, all we need was a quick fix and get back to hotel as soon as possible, so we walked into a chinese resturant nearby. Its a small, pick-up and delivery kind of place, has about ten tables, specilize in Szechuan cuisine,run by family. No fancy decos, no fancy dinnerware (disposable cups only), no professional server (one of the delivery driver took care of us), but geeze, who cares, the food was really authentic, no differnt from what I had in China, and if we take cost-effectiveness into account, its one of the best I had, 4 adults for $39, really full.
A
A Private User
before placing my order I asked where they delivered. I was told "within 1.5 miles" - i live within 1.3 miles - HOWEVER - once I gave my address, I was told they would not deliver to my area. When I asked why I was told it was too far - when I said it was within the 1.5 limit - the woman then told me it was unsafe. I live in Bloomingdale, at the corner of 1st and RI NW - it is 6pm on a Sunday evening. When this woman said dangerous, I believe she meant BLACK. And it case it matters, the only minority I fall into is being over 40
JO
Joanna Lampe
My go-to Chinese place. Most folks get takeout or use the fast delivery service if they live close enough. I like eating in as well, though. The waitresses are friendly, service is generally quick, and its nice to have a Tsing Tao along with Szechuan food. Order the mala specials, which are the most delicious and authentic offerings. The other dishes vary - some are good, some are Americanized and not very interesting. I especially recommend the boiled fish, mapo tofu, mala cold noodles, kung pao chicken, and baby bok choy.
AR
Arual Oklaw
All the way from San Diego and we loved it! We like szchewaun style food and the flavor is delicious. Uber driver said he eats here, too! Orange chicken, fried dumpling, fried rice, brown sauce yummy, veges fresh, yum! Second time, delivery to the hotel, was scrumptious! Triple delight, chicken noodles, and house fried rice. $40, but worth every penny for delivery. I met the driver at the hotel entrance to keep it real! I had plates and forks because I read the previous review that they were not provided.
