China Star Chinese Restaurant
| Address: | 1647 Babcock Rd, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA |
| Phone: | +1 210-342-2288 |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
S.
s. clark
From the parking lot the big China Star sign looms large over the parked cars like the salt water worn and faded name on the side of some old dockside merchant ship. .I.e., I think the restaurant has been here for a while. I had to check twice to make sure we were in the right place upon entering as the speak easy level of the interior light had us quickly doffing our sun glasses or risk bumping into the furnishings. New diners entering the place would send a short burst of searing sunshine through the dining room . And to read the menu, I was fortunate enough to have a flashlight app on my cell phone. We were quickly seated by a young Asian girl, our waitress, that I nicknamed Mercury. During the meal the service she provided was nothing less than fleet of foot and, showing my age, more like a 45 lp playing at 78 rpms. This description applies to both motion and speech which was not displeasing as proferred with a smile. The interior looked a little tired and worn, but it was in keeping with the era from which the prices were established on the lunch menu. Where do you get a glass of tea for $93 and most plates for under $5 or $6!!! The hot and sour and wonton soups were good and very usual. The egg rolls were also good although they were a slimline version; rather the size of the spring rolls usually served by Vietnamese restaurants. The fried rice was unusual in that it was very moist and did not seem fried at all. The beef lo-mein noodles were good, but the beef was a little tasteless. The Mongolian beef was seasoned well in its brown sauce, but the meat could have been a little more tender. And the serving size . . . lets just say that if you leave the place hungry either you are Adam Richman or its your own damn fault. I would venture to say that if the restaurant does not change its prices, continues to save on electricity, and maintains the same ambiance, it will probably be here for another 30 years or however long it has already been in this location.
T
T M
First thing I noticed about the place was the look of poverty outside.. but sometimes its whats the food is like that counts. Next I walked in and it was really really dark. Its the first time here ordered beef curry. It was good but had TONS of ginger. There was an overwhelming taste of ginger you only could taste a hint of curry. Which was disappointing as I was craving curry for longer than a month. As I went to take my second bite I saw a hair.. pulled it out and informed waiter. Waiter just stood there with no options to give. Once I requested they remake it I requested less ginger.. which they ended up doing. As soon as the hair was found my waiters service went straight down hill. As I was talking to him hed just walked away. I thanked him for the new dish and he ignored me and walked away (guess he figured one thing has already gone wrong why bother having good customer service). The service was terrible in the end. The food was good aside from the hair & too much ginger the first time. Also we had a hard time finding clean forks. Came across FOUR forks that had food still stuck to them before we found a clean one.. kinda makes one wonder how clean everything else was before your food sat and marinaded in it. This place was dirty, and had poor service. If you dont mind over seasoned, or hair in your food plus terrible service then this place is for you!
JO
Jorge Sepulveda
This is one of those hole in the wall places that you want to treasure and greedily keep just for yourself. Food is excellent for the money. I havent had a single dish I didnt like. General Tsos chicken is my favorite as well as the garlic chicken. The water is not from tap, so it actually tastes decent. Decor is really really really old and lame. First time I visited, I thought I should leave since it looked dirty. I dont think theyve ever changed the carpet or cleaned the walls (there was some old rice and I think it still might be there LOL). Service is lacking as they have one server on each side of the restaurant and they are always packed. Im convinced that the young asian guy seems to be a robot. Hes there every time I visit. He comes to your table and asks what you want, in a robotic tone and he doesnt seem to really like to work there. However, the dude is quick! Refills are timely. Also, the time it takes to get your food is pretty fast. Overall - I give China Star 2/3. Like I said, its a hole in the wall that doesnt look appealing, but the food is top notch and addictive.
MI
Mike-Samo Noldomire
It was super crowded but worth the wait. They serve ENORMOUS plates of food super cheap. All the food came out piping hot and all of it was good. All 3 of us ordered dinner specials and it came out to like $23 or so and theres enough food left over for a meal or two more tomorrow. The beef mushrooms were super delicious and had a very Salisbury like flavor that was difficult to place at first but went surprisingly well with the mushrooms. I dont think anyone there is actually Chinese though, maybe Vietnamese. Nothing authentic, but the quality and quantity put this at the high end of the Americanized Asian fast-food spectrum for sure!
MI
mike johnson
Awesome place..only 6 bucks for a dinner special!! Everything was good..Lately I have been having trouble finding a good Chinese spot to eat at..seems like all the places around here suck except for this place..I had lemon chicken and their were almost 3 chicken breasts and the coating/crust was so good..the rice was good..they give you egg roll and rangoons..those were great..and it comes with a soup..the hot and sour soup was the best Ive had in a while..it was perfect with a lil hint of tamarind flavor.. :) Im a happy fat man...Im eating the leftovers for breakfast right now
A
A Private User
Low-to-Mid Quality. Service is FAST! at lunchtime, eggdrop soup is splendid. Fried rice is very plain and probably not worth the calories but I scarf it down anyway. Lemon chicken is my second favorite in town. Sesame chicken is not uniform. Some days it will be really spicy, other days it is bland. Overall, for $4 a plate and 75 cents for iced tea, you cant beat it! Soda comes in a can. For food quality they deserve 2.5 stars, but speed, accuracy, and price bump it up to a solid 4 stars.
MI
Miguel Valadez
China star has the best Chinese food I have tried and trust me I have been to buffets, other chinese retaurants, and other asian places in San Antonio. No place beats price and flavor, it is great. To the person with the dirty utensils Ive been going and always had clean plates and utensils. But really recommend, everybody that I have recommended it to has kept going because they love the price, amount of food you get(a lot!), and awesome flavor!!
AL
Alex Botello
This restaurant was genuinely a great experience for us. Though my family may come when business is slow, my families meal is brought fresh and on time. Ive been to many Chinese restaurants however "China-Star" is my favorite. The authenticity and aura was a great place for my family to enjoy Dinner. Id highly recommend this restaurant for a family get-together.
