Mao's Kitchen

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1512 Pacific Ave
Venice, CA 90291

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(310) 581-8305
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Mao's Kitchen - Venice, CA
Mao's Kitchen - Venice, CA
Mao's Kitchen - Venice, CA
Mao's Kitchen - Venice, CA
Mao's Kitchen - Venice, CA
Reviews
( 19 )
( 34 )
( 4 )
( 10 )
( 16 )

Best

I always order food there for lunch, the food is execellent , always hot, fresh and affordable. And get this, the new driver is a girl and she is awesome. Kudos for Mao's, I lo...

Worst

ate here two days ago and two weeks ago. the food was rank and undercooked. service was worse! been going to Mao's for years but won't ever again. a joint in serious decline. ...

User review from Insider Pages 4/4/2005

Citysearch User Provided by Partner
It's rather hip rather than traditional fare. I love that it's opened late and they have options for Vegetarians. more
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Great neighborhood place 3/23/2005

rlevine Provided by Partner
This place is a Venice favorite--it's always packed and for good reason. Their food is delicious! It's healthier Chinese and they are great about accommodating requests, for example, no oil or making sauces vegan or vegetarian. I recommend the Long Life Beans (their black bean sauce is excellent!) and the Orange Chicken is also delicious. Garlic chicken is a little lighter and the Kung Pao chicken is also extremely good. It's loud and lively and you may be sitting very close to the people next to you so it's not the best place if you are looking for privacy or quiet. Pros: great food, fun, lively atmosphe Cons: long waits more
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Great neighborhood place 3/23/2005

This place is a Venice favorite--it's always packed and for good reason. Their food is delicious! It's healthier Chinese and they are great about accommodating requests, for example, no oil or making sauces vegan or vegetarian. I recommend the Long Life Beans (their black bean sauce is excellent!) and the Orange Chicken is also delicious. Garlic chicken is a little lighter and the Kung Pao chicken is also extremely good. It's loud and lively and you may be sitting very close to the people next to you so it's not the best place if you are looking for privacy or quiet. Pros: great food, fun, lively atmosphe Cons: long waits more
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Venice Classic! 2/3/2005

Mao's Kitchen makes healthy but tasty Chinese food that is surprisingly affordable. The atmosphere is hip, but not pretentious, and the place is always buzzing with energy. Sometimes, the restaurant can get really crowded and the service suffers considerably, but it's worth the wait. The servers are very accomodating for vegetarians, and just about anything on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan. I recommend their fried rice, and anything made with their black bean sauce. Pros: Affordable, Good Ambiance more
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Venice Classic! 2/3/2005

teamzissou Provided by Partner
Mao's Kitchen makes healthy but tasty Chinese food that is surprisingly affordable. The atmosphere is hip, but not pretentious, and the place is always buzzing with energy. Sometimes, the restaurant can get really crowded and the service suffers considerably, but it's worth the wait. The servers are very accomodating for vegetarians, and just about anything on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan. I recommend their fried rice, and anything made with their black bean sauce. Pros: Affordable, Good Ambiance more
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User review from Insider Pages 1/16/2005

Citysearch User Provided by Partner
I love Mao's! This has been the only somewhat inexpensive chinese food place that I have found in LA. I wish I could find some good take out... more
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User review from Insider Pages 1/5/2005

Citysearch User Provided by Partner
Love Maos! & they are open very late. more
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User review from Insider Pages 12/1/2004

Overall I would say your getting a pretty good deal here..Not authentic but it will divinely cure your appetite.. lunch specials are pretty ... more
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Good prices, fresh food, but salty 8/22/2004

The prices where surprising low for large portions. It may have been an off day for the kitchen, but the food was too salty.. even for chinese. Pros: Inexpensive, Good portions more
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Good prices, fresh food, but salty 8/21/2004

envy12 Provided by Partner
The prices where surprising low for large portions. It may have been an off day for the kitchen, but the food was too salty.. even for chinese. Pros: Inexpensive, Good portions more
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cool setting for dinner with a group 8/15/2003

the service was excellent the night we went. the server, when asked what we should order - it was our first visit - was very enthusiastic telling us what she likes on the menu. we sat at the community table, which worked great since we came with several people. the food was very good and very reasonably priced. more
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cool setting for dinner with a group 8/14/2003

ahiatus Provided by Partner
the service was excellent the night we went. the server, when asked what we should order - it was our first visit - was very enthusiastic telling us what she likes on the menu. we sat at the community table, which worked great since we came with several people. the food was very good and very reasonably priced. more
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Can't beat it! 4/28/2003

Great authentic food. Service could be better, but that's the beauty of it........who needs it......as long as you get the food you ordered.........for a place in Venice you can't be too high maintence asking for the kind of service you would expect at Spago. The ambience is low-key and you feel at home .........you'd probably find this kind of place in New York where no one gives about how white the table cloths are, just the food. more
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Can't beat it! 4/27/2003

dani_fairy Provided by Partner
Great authentic food. Service could be better, but that's the beauty of it........who needs it......as long as you get the food you ordered.........for a place in Venice you can't be too high maintence asking for the kind of service you would expect at Spago. The ambience is low-key and you feel at home .........you'd probably find this kind of place in New York where no one gives about how white the table cloths are, just the food. more
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Fun, cozy chinese 4/24/2003

The music is good and the crowd is usually interesting at the very least. Most dishes are very tasty, don't be afraid to try strange combinations like substituting cashews for chicken. Pancakes and egg rolls are heavy and greasy... but steamed dumplings and the lettuce cups are definite must haves. Pros: Delicious Food, Friendly Crowd, Huge portions Cons: Crowded, Long wait times, No parking more
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Fun, cozy chinese 4/23/2003

foxhenchman Provided by Partner
The music is good and the crowd is usually interesting at the very least. Most dishes are very tasty, don't be afraid to try strange combinations like substituting cashews for chicken. Pancakes and egg rolls are heavy and greasy... but steamed dumplings and the lettuce cups are definite must haves. Pros: Delicious Food, Friendly Crowd, Huge portions Cons: Crowded, Long wait times, No parking more
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DELICIOUS AND COZY 1/23/2003

THE RESTAURANT IS GREAT. THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS. THE AMBIENECE IS VERY UNIQUE. THE RESTAURANT HAS THAT MOVIE, LITTLE RESTAURANT WHERE THEY GO ON THE FIRST DATE KIND OF FEEL. more
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DELICIOUS AND COZY 1/22/2003

OSSIE21 Provided by Partner
THE RESTAURANT IS GREAT. THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS. THE AMBIENECE IS VERY UNIQUE. THE RESTAURANT HAS THAT MOVIE, LITTLE RESTAURANT WHERE THEY GO ON THE FIRST DATE KIND OF FEEL. more
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Great food, TRULY AWFUL SERVICE. 12/20/2002

I live in Venice and Mao's has some of the best veggie Chinese food ever with huge portions! Service, however, is AWFUL. When they get busy (which is nearly every night), the servers run around with crazed looks in their eyes, making it clear that there's no system in place for how to deal with the frequent rushes. Service during quiet times isn't better, with sullen, ""Why are you bothering me?"" waiters having to be asked three times for drinks. And delivery? A recent order was supposedly going to take 30 minutes, and arrived OVER TWO HOURS later. (I live less than a mile away!) When I tried to cancel the order, they wouldn't let me! I hate the service, but I keep eating there because I love the food. Pros: Great veggie options, Large portions, Healthy menu Cons: Service is terrible, Wait can be long more
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Great food, TRULY AWFUL SERVICE. 12/19/2002

arielmeadow Provided by Partner
I live in Venice and Mao's has some of the best veggie Chinese food ever with huge portions! Service, however, is AWFUL. When they get busy (which is nearly every night), the servers run around with crazed looks in their eyes, making it clear that there's no system in place for how to deal with the frequent rushes. Service during quiet times isn't better, with sullen, "Why are you bothering me?" waiters having to be asked three times for drinks. And delivery? A recent order was supposedly going to take 30 minutes, and arrived OVER TWO HOURS later. (I live less than a mile away!) When I tried to cancel the order, they wouldn't let me! I hate the service, but I keep eating there because I love the food. Pros: Great veggie options, Large portions, Healthy menu Cons: Service is terrible, Wait can be long more
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Menu for Mao's Kitchen


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Hardwood picnic tables and colorful propaganda posters from China's Communist Revolution mirror the character of the clientele: informal, quirky and hip. Solo diners can grab a...

  • 12/15/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM Tuesday 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM Wednesday 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM Thursday 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM Friday 10:30 AM - 3:00 AM Saturday 10:30 AM - 3:00 AM Sunday 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, Discover, American Express
  • Neighborhoods: West LA, Venice
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