12 Best Chinese Food Restaurants in San Antonio

by

best chinese food san antonio

When you’re writing an article about the best Chinese food, how exactly does one decide the best?

ESPECIALLY with Chinese food, different restaurants offer completely different experiences.

One person might be looking for upscale Asian fusion while another might be looking for an authentic, casual atmosphere. And complicating matters even further is the seriously impressive collection of Chinese food around The Alamo City!

So, I drew upon all my favorite dining experiences over the years to put together this list of the best Chinese food restaurants in San Antonio.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find your perfect Chinese restaurant, no matter what you’re looking for!

Map of the Best Chinese Food Restaurants in San Antonio

Most Authentic Chinese Food (And My Personal Favorite): Ming’s

I had the honor of working with the chef and owner of Ming’s at a farmer’s market many years ago. I can attest from personal experience that Ming puts her heart and soul into everything she cooks. She’s the reason I’m still addicted to steamed buns (you’ve got to try her Sloopy Bun—trust me). While she’s known for her authentic Chinese food and buns, Ming also serves a mean bowl of noodles: try her Thai coconut curry rice noodle soup with fried pork belly for melt-in-your-mouth flavor.

If you really want to try something different, try the German Slaw Bun. Ming’s husband, Hinnerk, is also an accomplished chef who makes amazing slaw thanks to his German roots.

  • Address: 914 E Elmira St, San Antonio, TX 78212
  • Website: Ming’s Thing

Best Asian Fusion: Best Quality Daughter

It isn’t authentic Chinese food, but Best Quality Daughter serves some of the best Asian fusion food I’ve ever had in San Antonio. Located in The Pearl, the light and airy space sets the tone for a delicious meal. Go with their “Smallish” plates of Taiwanese popcorn chicken (or Impossible Potstickers if you’re vegan). Best Quality Daughter also serves family-style dishes like cashew chicken, salt-n-pepper shrimp, and stuffed tofu that you can share with your table.

Best Budget Chinese Food: Silver Star Cafe

Silver Star Cafe specializes in more traditional Chinese cooking than out-of-the-box eateries like Best Quality Daughter. Don’t let the unassuming exterior fool you, though: Silver Star Cafe has served San Antonio for over 55 years. The best thing about Silver Star Cafe is its reasonable pricing and huge portions! The dinner specials cost about $8 a person and they’re huge; I always go home with tons of leftovers. If you want lots of good food on a budget, stop by the Silver Star Cafe on South Flores.

  • Address: 4901 S Flores St, San Antonio, TX 78214
  • Website: Silver Star SA

Best Family Restaurant: South Garden Chinese Restaurant

Since 1997, this family-owned restaurant has served both traditional and modern recipes for hungry San Antonians. South Garden cooks every dish to order, too, so you always know that you’re eating fresh Chinese goodness at every meal. I’m a big fan of their hot and sour egg drop soup, but the moo shu pork (complete with Chinese pancakes) is a must, too. I like South Garden because it has a welcoming environment and a menu just for kids. If your kids aren’t adventurous eaters but you want to enjoy some down-home Chinese food, South Garden will accommodate everyone’s needs.

  • Address: 3909 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
  • Website: South Garden

Best Ambiance: Ding How Chinese Restaurant

Located off of Loop 410, you can’t miss the bright red exterior of the gigantic Ding How Chinese Restaurant. Known locally as “The Restaurant On Stilts,” Ding How is a family-owned restaurant that’s been an integral part of the San Antonio food scene since 1983. Indulge in the pu pu platter for two, which includes shrimp toast, ribs, beef skewers, egg rolls, rangoons, and dumplings. They’re one of the few restaurants that make perfectly succulent Cantonese-style barbecued duck, too, which is certainly worth the wait.

While the food is great, you can’t beat the ambiance of Ding How. The owners designed the restaurant according to the principles of Feng Shui, which creates a welcoming environment with plenty of elbow room.

  • Address: 4531 Northwest Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78229
  • Website: Ding How SA

Best Combo Plates: Orient Express

Orient Express is a small, local restaurant—they don’t even have a website! But behind the counter of this humble Chinese eatery is some of the tastiest Chinese food I’ve ever had. You can’t beat Orient Express’s combo plates, which are a total steal. For less than $10, you can get two smaller servings of an entree. So if you can’t decide between sweet & sour chicken or beef & broccoli, you can get both for less than $10. Orient Express also has awesome lunch specials for about $7 and dinner specials for $9. They usually run specials for to-go orders, so if you don’t want to dine in, you can score even better deals on tasty grub like Hunan beef or moo goo gai pan.

  • Address: 3403 Roland Rd, San Antonio, TX 78210
  • Website: Orient Express

Best Chinese Food Delivery & Drive-Thru: Wen Wah Chinese Restaurant

Whether you want to dine-in, take your order to go, or grab grub in the drive-thru, you’ll enjoy fresh Chinese delicacies at Wen Wah. They sell chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes by the quart with rice, so Wen Wah is the perfect stop for family-sized Chinese food. Drive-thrus aren’t very common for Chinese restaurants in our area, so this feature is perfect for folks like me who want to grab food on the go. But don’t worry: they still offer lightning-fast Chinese food delivery in case you don’t even want to put on pants. Bottom line: if you want to quickly pick up dinner and need home-cooked food, Wen Wah is the place to go.

P.S. They have a very specific closing time of 8:20 pm, so make sure you swing by well before 8 pm.

  • Address: 531 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78202
  • Website: Wen Wah Chinese

Best Hunan-Style Chinese Food: Mencius’ Gourmet Hunan Restaurant

Do you like spicy, bold flavors and colorful food? If so, get yourself over to Mencius’ Gourmet in the Medical Center. I always order the Lamb Hunan Style, which is lamb sauteed in wine and garlic on spinach. Mencius’ also has a huge collection of seafood dishes, including Scallops in Garlic Sauce and Jalapeno Shrimp. If you’re on the hunt for OG duck dishes, you’ve got to try their Crispy Duck, which comes perfectly crisped and hot from the kitchen.

Best Chinese Dumplings: Gins Chinese Restaurant

Gins is another small Chinese restaurant in San Antonio, but they’re one of the best-kept secrets in town. Gins has, by far, some of the best Chinese dumplings in town. You’re free to try their Beef Noodle Soup or Spicy Orange Scallops, but don’t leave Gins without trying the pork dumplings. Seriously. They come either steamed or fried, but if I’m honest, the fried dumplings taste better because of the extra crunch.

  • Address: 5337 Glen Ridge Dr #103, San Antonio, TX 78229
  • Website: Gins

Most Vegan-Friendly Chinese Food: Sichuan House

Sichuan House bills itself as a restaurant where “Texas meets China,” and I believe it. They have a modern take on favorites like fried rice, lo mein, and even milk tea. One of the most unique things about Sichuan House is its plant-based meals. From the Sweet But Spicy Peanuts appetizer to the “No Place Like Tofu” entree, both veggie-lovers and meat-eaters can find something they love at Sichuan House.

  • Address: 3505 Wurzbach Rd #103, San Antonio, TX 78238
  • Website: Sichuan Eats

Best Chinese Noodles: Kungfu Noodle

Are you Jonesing for a bowl of authentic Chinese noodles? You’ve got to check out my local neighborhood noodle shop, Kungfu Noodle. Their steaming hot bowls of noodles nursed me back to health during flu season, but their food is good no matter the occasion. If it’s your first time at Kungfu Noodle, go with the classic noodle soup with pork, lamb, or beef. I also love their beef dumplings, which are perfectly folded and plump.

Best Chinese Buffet: Chopsticks

Since 1999, this restaurant has served a variety of Asian-inspired delicacies. Today, it’s an Asian buffet that serves amazing Chinese dumplings and soups, as well as delicious treats from around the world. You can enjoy favorites like sushi and grilled steak at Chopsticks, too—it’s definitely got something for everybody.

If you want to get your drink on, Chopsticks also has a generous drink menu with Signature Drinks. Everyone raves about Chopsticks’ sweet boozy creation, the Dirty Banana, which comes with Bacardi, Kahlua, chocolate syrup, and banana.