Mandarin Restaurant

I recently went to this restaurant with my boyfriend and his family and I immediately fell in love. Not only is the restaurant's decor and setting beautiful but the food is incredible! We shared several dishes and there wasn't one that I tried and didn't like. I highly recommend their crunchy-honey shrimp and the General Tsao chicken. Everything is good there - you can't go wrong! Best for big groups but great for any number. Pros: Beautiful setting, Extremely delicious, Friendly customer service Cons: ONLY Somewhat expensive more

The ONLY good place in Utah to get good Chinese food. It's only a 15 minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City. Take out is not as good.... Pros: Quiet Setting Cons: Long waits more

The service is great, the Cashew Chicken is delish and you can count on a good time. Call ahead so you can walk in. Great for a date or family affair. The family style dishes are easy to share and enjoy. Pros: Yummy food, great local place. The best place to go in the area Cons: Call ahead or be prepared to wait! Not open for lunch. more

This place is the bomb! They have wonderful dishes to choose from. Try the lamb, wonderful! My husband and I go there all the time and we are never disappointed. I don't understand how some places can even be in business with this place around. They don't even compare. If you are worried about a long wait try going for a early dinner. Pros: Awesome food, service more

I don't know what happened to those that thought it was greasy or had way to much batter. The 5 taste shrimp, which is the best ever, has almost no batter at all, and I haven't had any two things that tast alike. Maybe the fact that you have to wait a long time is a clue that it is an exceptional restaurant. Restaurants have a hard time staying in business, this place has been in business for a long time and it remains very busy. I went to the Mandrin a week or so ago, and then to P F Changs this last weekend. They don't even compare. P F Chang was very run of the mill, except their lettus wraps are good, and the prices were much higher than the Mandrin. No we didn't have to wait very long, but I really felt it was a waste of money. Our children picked up the bill and I was so embarassed that they had to pay that kind of money for the quality that we got. If you call ahead at the Mandrin, you don't have to wait quite as long, but no matter what it is worth it. I have NEVER received cold food, the servers are very friendly and helpful. The owner may be Greek, but his cooks are authentic. Take a look at the over all recomendations and you'll see that, unless your taste buds are faulty, you will love this place. Pros: Best food ever Cons: the wait more

Ok... I understand that there are not a lot of dining options in Bountiful Utah and I appreciate the enthusiasm of the locals for one of the few in that community that is not a fast food chain. I'm sure that if you grew up in Bountiful you had many fond family memories of a place that served food that you were told was not only Chinese, but the best in the State. \r \r The unfortunate reality is that this is not authentic Chinese food and it is not really very good food period. On top of the long wait, the service was slow, and some of our food was almost cold by the time it got to our table. The style of food they serve, overly battered and deep-fried with excessively sugary sauces to top, if particularly bad if not served hot. Lemon Chicken is not a difficult item make poorly by mine was surgery, bland, soggy mess of a meal. My wife's meal was about the same. The Mandarin cannot even get rice, a staple of southern Chinese dining, right. Ours was Minute-Rice quality that was almost impossible to eat with Chopsticks. The soup was bland; the tea was very low quality. The only compliment I can give the food at this place is that they avoid the excessive use of celery and carrots as fillers for their meal - a common fallacy of low-end American Chinese restaurants.\r \r If you enjoy this place, enjoy it for what is - - a small community place with Hong Kong decor serving bland American Chinese dishes that grandma and your 3-year old won't complain about. However, let?s put an end myth that this place serves good Chinese food. The food is neither Chinese nor good.\r more

I have lived all over the U.S.A. and I have NEVER EVER had Chinese as good as this. It is to die for. Get there early on the weekend (by 5:00) or you could end up waiting a very long time. If you have a group of 8 or more you can make a reservation. Try the General Tsaos chicken and the halibut. Actually there isn't an item on the menu I can't recommend. Go often and try them all. Pros: food, service Cons: the wait can be long more

I work at the mandarin as a server, and I thought i'd give my recommendations for avoiding a line:\r \r -Come on a tuesday. You won't find a line. If you do, I'll buy you a beer. deal?\r -Come later on weekends. You'd be suprised how the line goes away around 9:00. usually. On weekdays there is almost never a wait after 8:30 or so. \r - come with a group. the Mandarin takes reservations for 8 or more.\r -Try calling half hour (or so) ahead to get your name on the list. Generally you can get it on for small parties. \r \r \r of course, the mandarin doesnt really make people wait just for kicks and giggles, as a couple reviews here seem to suggest. and the Mandarin doesnt intentionally not seat patrons even when tables are available. Table availability doesnt always mean server availability, as anyone who has worked in a restaurant probably knows. \r \r \r about Mandarin food: I ate there all my life and always got the same thing. This was the reason i didnt realize how good the food is. Ask the server for recommendations and try something new. Dont order sweet and sour pork. Dont order all sweet dishes. potentially-spicey dishes come medium by default, but the servers are being better trained to ask if the guest wants them Hot. medium is not hot enough if you like spicey food. \r \r my favorite dishes: pork and eggplant with garlic, kung pao shrimp (medium spicey- i dont like hot food too much) satay noodle - add mushrooms-(yellowsquash, zuchini, chicken in a light barbaque sauce over pan fried noodles), tangy spicey lamb, and the good old mongolian beef. \r \r \r the mandarin is popular because people like it. When someone is appearantly overhyping the mandarin, it would be a good idea to ask what dishes they are eating. \r Pros: the savory dishes, the shrimp, the wine, low prices Cons: the sweet dishes- and people who order straight sweet dishes will be confused about the popularity. more

One of my favorite places to eat! The people are nice and the food is good. You have to wait if you don't get there early, but it's well worth it. You get more than your money's worth of food and the experience is simply wonderful. My favorite item is actually in the appetizers--Chicken Soon Emperial. Yum! Enjoy!!! Pros: Food, Service, Value Cons: Wait more

I have been going to this place for 18 years. It never fails to please me. This is my all time favorite restaurant. I have never tasted better Wonton soup. I really doubt that anyone will be unhappy with their experience here. Pros: The entire menu, People Cons: wait more

For all the hype and awards I read before going to this resturant, I was expecting a gourmet chinese resturant. Instead, imagine your local chinese american resturant except one or two steps above in food in ambience. The beef with beans and the cashew chicken was delicious, as was the crab and cheese wonton, the sweet and sour pork however tasted as if it had been cooked previously. Like I said, everything was just a step above your average chinese resturant, the beans in the beef with beans were just crisp and cooked to perfection with a delicious sauce, the sweet and sour sauce has a fresher fruitier taste than the competition. Pros: really good food Cons: sweet and sour pork, lousy parking more

My wife and I moved to Bountiful about 4 years ago and have heard non-stop about how we ""have to eat at the Mandarin."" We finally tried it and have confirmed what we have thought for a long time- a full parking lot in Bountiful is a bad sign if you actually want to eat food that tastes like anything. Very few restaurants are worth a 60-90 minute wait for a table for two. This is not one of them. Bland, Americanized, greasy, soggy, and just not very tasty. Isn't Szechuan supposed to be spicy? Well, don't count on it here. Not sure why this place is so popular, but they have an amazing word of mouth marketing campaign for being so completely mediocre. Pros: not many Cons: Absurd wait times, bland food, very Americanized more

My parents live in Bountiful and have been going to the Mandarin for years. We have family dinners there often. The food is good if maybe too American and it is very nice inside once you get inside. The problem is that there is always too long of a wait even when there are tables empty they make you wait. This place is good for people with nothing else to do and without small kids. Pros: Good food, nice decoration Cons: Waiting, No reservations, waiting waiting more

Having lived near the Mandarin for years, it was hard not to eat take out every night once the cooking begins and fills the neighborhood with its aroma. Nothing plain or average here except the prices. Authetic Chineese cooks live in a near-by condo and rotate in and out of Chinatown in S.F. This is no chain, but rather one mans affection for the Mandarin style cusine. Traditional style decor gives an elegant feeling to the dining experience. A wide variety of selections are individually prepared to order, keeping food at its highest level of quality and freshness. No limp overcooked veggies here! Just amazingly great flavors to excite your palate. Pros: No traffic woes, free parking, leftovers to go Cons: Out of town, arrive early/or wait, Closed some days more

Arrive early. Wait patiently. Have the best Chinese dinner in Utah. Get the asparagus beef and anything else the waiter recommends as the special of the day, this includes desserts. Avoid the scallops. They are over-priced and stingy of meat. The salmon is tasty but, it too is over-priced. UPDATE: DO NOT miss the special (eight-course) dinner served only during the Chinese new Year (Mid-February to early March). This dinner is served to a minimum of four people. Approximate cost is $18 per person. Pros: asparagus beef, specials, dessert, Chinese New Year Menu Cons: seating after 5:00 PM, Long waits, crowded, scallops more

This place is such a local favorite - you have to line up at the door 20-30 minutes before they open at five. If you are not in the first ""wave"" - you wait until 6:30 to eat. Request the ""patio"" - newer and with a better view. Order ALL their specials, including dessert right away. The Thai Chicken is excellent, as are their appetizers and chicken fried rice. The 5-taste shrimp is a favorite. Plenty for a take-home box. Their all-chinese chef crew as well as their 14, count 'em 14 sauces are one of their secrets to their success. Pros: Chinese Food, service, specials Cons: , waiting outside, price more

It is laughable what this glorified Greek diner is successfully passing off (with loads of attitude) to Utahns as authentic Chinese cuisine. All dishes were bland, similarly flavored and extremely greasy, with little distinction. Five Taste (soggy and mushy) Shrimp, Won Ton Soup and Velvet Chicken hit the palate with a thud, missing complex, delicate nuances and the clean clear flavors found in Cantonese dishes. Szechuan Pork, Shrimp and Orange Beef were completely void of any 'la ma', Mandarin for numbing heat essential in these specialties. Crispy Duck and Almond Chicken were not crispy, just soaked in grease. I got soaked once the bill arrived. Pros: Liquor License Cons: , Service, Location more

While visiting Utah (I'm from Ohio) I was taken there by friends and the service/wait staff were prompt, courteous and professional, the food was excellent and the servings were large. My friend told me they were taking me to the best Chinese food in all of SLC and they were correct. I highly recommend going there, whether as a tourist or a native Utahan. You'll love the food and the wait staff and everything they have to offer. My suggestion, ask for either Justin or Nina as your server when going there. On a scale of 1 to 10, a definite 11!!! Pros: inexpensive, relaxed, very clean more

Great, unique chinese food. The only downside is that they treat all their guests like cattle. Not taking reservations results in 1-2 hour waits for a table. It would be nice if they weren't quite so greedy and took reservations. Pros: Food Cons: No Reservations more

Sorry, I love PF Changs, but not even close. Best Chinese i have ever had, and I have had a lot. Only negative on the whole place is waiting in line for up to 3 hours. Pay a visit, you won't be sorry!!! Pros: Beef, Pork, Chicken Cons: Crowded, Addiction more