Shanghai Social Club

Dining experience: mediocre Chinese food made by white people sold to you at elevated prices. That’s all you need to know.
However, the owner is very kind and they have been wonderful to us in the past. I was recently at a party here and we were able to have the privacy of one of the back rooms. The waitress was patient and attentive, and after the dinner service we were invited to have drinks in the lounge. It was an absolutely lovely experience overall.
Food-​wise: avoid the Chinese main entrees. I suppose a few of them are all right, but for the price and quality I’m not sure it’s worth it. My sister had the Mongolian beef and it was dry and tough, but seasoned well. I had the Lionshead noodle bowl — their soups are undersalted (just a dash more would make it so much better) and the actual «Lionshead meatballs» are dry, tasteless, and unpalatable. The noodle bowls are probably worth it, however, for sheer quantity alone. Just remember to ask for a little bit of salt.
The buns are very good. They’re hard to mess up! The cocktails are tasty as well, and the fried «donut» dessert (fried mantou) with ginger ice cream is delightful. I would come here for dessert, small plates, and cocktails, but eat your dinner elsewhere.

Came here for lunch on Saturday. Service was great. Our entrees were huge, I was happy with the portion size. We got dumplings as an app, but there were only 4 to an order and it was $ 7.00 which is a lot I thought. I ordered the Shanghai spicy chicken which wasn’t actually spicy, so I added chili paste. The hubs got general Gaos chicken and that was delicious. I would come back.

Came with my friend on a Friday night and it was pretty empty (a good empty). The vibe was very chill– couple people at the bar watching the hockey game, a group was celebrating someone’s birthday in the back, couple getting a late bite to eat. Our server Jasmine was awesome! My cocktail was getting very lukewarm after awhile and tasted disgusting. I wanted to finish it, so I asked her for some ice (she thought it was for my water). When she saw me pouring the ice in my cocktail, she thought I didn’t like it and offered to make a new one for me. Awesome service.
You get free wonton strips and dipping sauce. But I would totally recommend the potstickers. As a Chinese girl that has eaten many many potstickers in her life, I could say that those were probably one of the best potstickers I had in a long time.

Came here reluctantly due to some friends wanting to try it out. Ordered a few finger foods — the hoison scallion duck and ginger braised pork belly steamed buns — and a scorpion bowl. The steamed buns lacked flavor and I had no part in the scorpion bowl so I can’t really comment. According to my friends, it’s not as good and way pricier than the one at Hong Kong. The place was dead on a Friday night so that should tell you how well they’re doing.

I am absolutely obsessed with this place. We go frequently and the manager remembers us and makes a point to check in with us and tell us about their newest items! He also was excited to see that we had a Groupon on our last visit and let us order an appetizer to go since we had not used the total value of it!
I love the crispy chicken skin buns and the noodle bowls. Their prices are reasonable and drinks are fresh and delicious. They also have added outdoor seating this summer, and there’s always promos and cool things happening on Friday nights. This is a much needed addition for the «not quite undergrad» crew of Allston!!!

My boyfriend and I have been coming here ever since its opening last year. It is such a neighborhood gem with fantastic cocktails and delicious dishes. The manager is there on a daily basis and takes pride in remembering his regular guests.
Anyways, not enough positive things can be said to do this place justice.
Try thePainkiller cocktail. Have the Shanghai donuts for dessert.
Oh also– order the general gao chicken rather than the spicy chicken. The chef adds his own personal flare to it and it’s actually the spiciest offering at the place. So good!
Going strong for the night? Make your nightcap the Mayahuel cocktail. You won’t regret it.

Atmosphere — A plus. Dark and sexy. Doesn’t feel like something in Allston.
Service — REALLY bad. We were the ONLY table and some of the orders were wrong and waitress went MIA several times.
Price — GREAT. REALLY affordable and large portions
Food — Pretty good. EXCELLENT chicken skewers Super flavorful. Lamb buns were kind of weird… and a little gamey. some people I was with loved them though!
Moo Shi Pork — really good.
Shrimp dish (I tried this off someone else’s plate — (it was sweet/​sour/​orangey) SOOOOOOOO GOOOD! Don’t remember what it was called.
I would go back if in the area.
Drinks were a little overpriced.

I was really excited for this place and I typically don’t give a lot of reviews that have less positives than negatives but this was such a disappointment!
Staff:
Super nice. From the moment we walked in the hostess was nice, the manager on staff was pleasant and our waitress was also a gem! No complaints there!
Food:
This is where I am not so positive… We ordered lots of smaller things because we felt like snacking. The Vegetable Fried Rice was waaaaaay too salty and the rice was really mushy and just had an overall flavor that I was not into. The Egg Rolls we didn’t realize were pork and assumed if would be veggie if no meat was listed — neither of us are fans of pork but completely fine because it was our fault we forgot to ask. We also ordered the Teriyaki Beef Skewers and Wonton Soup which were just ok but wouldn’t order again.
Atmosphere:
I liked the decoration and the overall look of the place which is what made me so excited to try it.
I like to give places a second chance but I am surely not dying to go back just yet.

I live right nearby Shanghai Social Club, so I was very excited to try it. Unfortunately, my first experience was ghastly (and I daresay it will be my last).
We got late night takeout from SSC, and just ordered three items: a small egg drop soup, crab rangoons, and boneless ribs. My boyfriend aptly observed that they tried to do something a little non-​traditional with each item, and it failed on every level.
The crab rangoons tasted like they contained ginger, and they were paired with an odd-​tasting ginger sauce. In short, it was a slightly bitter ginger overload.
The boneless ribs had an off-​putting soft texture rather than a meaty consistency.
However, the absolute worst part was the egg drop soup. First off, the soup came in a ½ pint container. In every Chinese restaurant I’ve ever ordered from, a small soup comes in a 1 pint container. This container looked like it should have contained duck sauce, not soup. Then, when I went to take a sip of soup… I realized that I was eating pure chicken fat. Upon closer inspection, half of the soup was actually fat, and the bottom, separated half was the actual soup. It was disgusting. We actually put it in the fridge, and I’m going to try and post a picture of what the soup looked like the morning after.
Now, perhaps I made the mistake of getting food instead of booze. I might consider giving it another shot for the drinks. But food? No. Hell no.

Amazing. As soon as you walk in you feel relaxed. Our waitress Justine was amazing. We started off with dumplings and crab ragoons. The crab ragoons were the best I’ve ever had. Amazing!!! We each had a Mai thai and then a scorpion bowl. The scorpion bowl was huge! We then shared the Kung pao chicken And the Peking duck dish. We couldn’t stop eating despite how full we were. We finished the night with desert, which the ice cream is amAzing. I can’t wait to go back. Request Justine, you won’t be sorry!

interesting place in Allston.
very big drink menu — each drink comes in a very funky tiki theme glass. all drinks cost $ 12 each.
Is it really asian authentic food? maybe not so much.
quite a few varieties of baos — it had your standard pork ones and other flavours such as Lobster. But probably safer to stick with the standard one. Each order comes with two baos.
Also had the crispy shrimp, which was really salty — not so good. But the Lobster fried rice was pretty good!
For what you are getting, it is more on the pricier side for chinese food. Really you are just here for friends.

I live right next door to Shanghai Social Club, and have been there several times now. Each time I go, I expect it to be a little better, wanting to give this place a true chance (they’re very new to the area). The four stars go mostly for the wonderful service, beautiful ambience (in the heart of Allston, this place is a lone gem in terms of décor), delicious apps, and great cocktails.
My first time here, two other patrons randomly started an altercation with my boyfriend and I, and the owner/​manager was exceptionally graceful with handling the awkward situation, assuring us that our next trip will be far more delightful. My next time here was on a rainy day when we decided to stay local. We got a few apps to split, along with a few scorp bowls. The ginger braised pork belly buns were delicious, albeit a tad spicy. The hoisin duck buns were even better. Our server was attentive and brought over a bowl of crispy wontons when she saw us tearing up from the spice. That did the trick.
I’ve also had the lions head meatball noodle soup. On a chilly day, this hits the spot, completely. The broth is not over-​seasoned, which really allows the meatballs to shine. Probably my favorite dish I’ve had here.
As for the scorp bowls, they’re better than most I’ve had in the Boston area. The food is definitely priced on the more affordable end. If this place existed in a different part of town, prices would be a bit higher. All in all, a good spot on a Friday night.
Side note: this place is much bigger than it looks. The front room is only the beginning. They have tons of more intimate seating in the back.

As a person originally from Shanghai, piqued by curiosity I went with a friend last night to check out this so called traditional Shanghai club. If it accepts and advertises itself as an American Chinese place, I would have no qualms about it. Alas the owner clearly had a very limited interpretation of the city of Shanghai, the culture and the food. He/​she is even bold enough to claim authenticity in Boston where native Chinese people are abound. I have to command his/​her brevity.
The menu is mysteriously translated perhaps by google translate. I would suggest the owner to erase the incomprehensible Chinese. Dishes such as Orange colored Chicken, Chicken Fingers (as in human hands) are quite entertaining.
The food is imitation Chinese with poor quality rice. Scallian pancake is dipped in sesame oil while fried. Moo shi pork has thick slices of everything and crumbly fajita wraps.
Service is the shining star of this place. Waitress is nice and attentive.
Décor is American views of Chinese style. Wallpaper is pasted by local Boston Chinese newspaper. Owner clearly does not know the differences of the two Chinese writing sets. I’m confused if I should be in the fictional past with Buddhas and red lanterns or the present with recent news reports of the US on the wall.
It was an entertaining night for a Chinese to see what a typical American view of the east. I have no doubt of the good American Chinese drinks. Just don’t expect the real stuff. Have a light heart, sit back and have fun. And don’t eat too much.

After walking by this enticing restaurant front a number of times since they opened I finally took advantage of a Groupon deal to stop in and give the Shanghai Social Club a try.
From the outside this place has a gigantic Buddha head atop a Chinese gate with glowing lanterns on both sides. The décor is continued inside with di, red lighting, lots of Buddhas, Chinese newspaper wallpaper, and candles all about. I can’t speak to the authenticity of the decorations, but, for me, they created an enjoyable ambiance.
To start we tried the Lion’s Head Meatball steamed buns and the Egg Drop and Wonton soups. The soups were alright, but not fantastic. They seemed to be missing a little something, I’d probably forego them in the future. As for the steamed buns, I was expected more of an enclosed steamed pork bun situation like I would get at dim sum. These were more folded buns with meat filling. The flavor was interesting, and I enjoyed them. You get 3 on the plate. I’m definitely curious to try some of the other flavors.
For entrees we got the Honey Shrimp and the Cashew Chicken, both were delicious! The honey shrimp seemed lightly fried and coated in a citrusy sweet honey sauce that was amazing. The cashew chicken was cooked perfectly. It had a smoky grilled taste with a light sauce, a good about of veggies mixed in, and cashews that were cooked to a softened perfection (no overly crunchy pieces here!). Both dishes came with a bowl of rice and each was probably enough to feed two people (at least after soup and steamed buns).
We were filled to the brim and had enough left over for dinner the next night. The menu prices are more than you’ll find at other takeout Chinese places in the area, but the portions are generous and the entrees are a step above anything else I’ve tried locally. Splurge a little bit and treat yourself to a meal here, you’re in for a treat.
Oh and I almost forgot, they bring fried wontons to the table with their house made duck sauce. I think they have the best duck sauce I’ve ever tasted. It has fresh chunks of pineapple in it, delicious!
I should also say the drink menu seemed excellent. They have some fun looking cocktails on the menu plus the well-​loved scorpion bowl. I haven’t tried their drinks here, YET, but I’m sure I will.
As for service, the restaurant was not too crowded when I went, it’s still on the newer side and it seems word is still spreading. Our server seemed new, but he was very attentive. He checked in often to see how we were doing but wasn’t overly pestering, and he was helpful when we had questions about the menu. And when we asked to have our leftovers boxed he gave us fresh rice instead of boxing the remains of what we had left in the bowls. The owner/​manager was also there and stopped by our table to see how everything was. He was incredibly friendly and nice to chat with.
I’ll definitely be back, that’s for sure!

Ok this review is for both dining in (at the bar) and for take-​out.
Dining in: Nice ambiance, terrible male bartender. Didn’t pay attention to anyone other than the 2 girls at the end of the bar. Had to be flagged down for the check. Didn’t tell us thank you when he brought the check (even though we clearly said it to him). Didn’t bring utensils for our food, etc. The good news is that he made a decent martini. Anyway, the spicy beef and lion’s head steamed buns were both pretty good. We also got the crab rangoon and fried rice, which were average.
Take-​out: Got steamed buns and large wonton soup. The buns were fine, but the wonton soup was the size of a normal Chinese restaurant’s small. I asked to be sure it was the large, and he said it’s the «bowl,» which is their large, but then the menu shouldn’t say «large» and it shouldn’t be $ 8. Anyway, the taste was better than I expected — they use a hot and sour soup broth, which was interesting. It was fine, but not $ 8 fine!
All in all, b/​c the atmosphere is so nice and different from the rest of Allston, I will likely be back.

The food here is very americanized panda express style dishes. The atmosphere is great and the drink is really good. The decorations here is quite offensive, there are random bits of chinese newspaper, pictures of maodeong and communist postings, its like they are trying to put as many ‘asian’ related things around as possible.
In short, come for the atmosphere and drinks, not the food.

Came for a late-​night dinner with some friends the Monday night before Christmas. Arrived at 10:30pm and almost though they were closed! There was literally no one else in there — the few staff who were working were back in the kitchen — it was eerie. But nope, they were totally open, serving food every day until 1:30am (woohoo!)
We had our pick of tables, of course, and both the bartender (alex) and server were super friendly and accommodating.
We got a selection of steamed buns, scallion pancakes and lettuce wraps, vegetable lo mein and black pepper shrimp.
The steamed buns are good — 3 to an order, and quite tasty, but nothing earth shattering. My favorite was the hoisin duck (because i’m a sucker for hoisin sauce); others favored the firecracker short rib (holy spicy batman).
The scallion pancakes were decent, the lettuce wraps phenomenally salty, but a good portion.
The vegetable lo mein was pretty much the only vegetable dish we could find on the menu so we ordered it, and it was surprisingly good! Not smothered in sauce, not too salty. Wish they had more veggie selections though. Definitely don’t go here if you’re a vegetarian. The black pepper shrimp was also good.
I don’t know where they get their fortune cookies from, but they’re THE BEST FORTUNE COOKIE i’ve ever had. «But a fortune cookie is a fortune cookie,» you say? Absolutely not. Try these. They’re amazing.
Overall I’d say this place is decent. It’s a little off the beaten path with a nice atmosphere (though perhaps a bit overloaded on the generic asian stuff) and friendly staff. I imagine, though, it might get a little loud/​roudy when busy as they were pumping club style music the whole time we were there. If you want chinese food but don’t want hole in the wall grease and don’t want to pay for the quality of Golden Temple, it’s a perfectly good choice.

My roommate and I live down the street from Shanghai Social Club and rejoiced when we found out a restaurant was actually opening on our block. Our first thought when we saw the door and the enormous buddha on top of it – «COOL.» And then we walked inside — «Haha wow. There are like fifteen more buddhas in here.» And then we got seated — «So do all the walls have Mao posters or is it just the one we’re sitting near?» I walk past their sidewalk chalkboard every day, which sometimes has a man wearing a wok hat and «OPEN UNTIL 2AM» in chinese take-​out-​esque font. Jury’s still out if they’re purposely trying to be racist.
We decided to try a bunch of their steamed buns. Most of them are $ 8 (Lobster one is $ 10), and each comes with 3. Most of the other stuff on the menu seemed like glorified/​over-​priced take out ($ 8 crab rangoons?). In general, all of the buns were mediocre. They were also all cold. The duck bun was dry, the pork belly bun was overcooked, the lobster bun had way too much lemongrass. The only respectable bun was the short rib one, which was quite tasty and spicy… but also really cold. I might give this place a benefit of the doubt since it had just opened when we went, but I probably won’t be coming back any time soon.
The ambiance is nice though, if you’re interested in bringing your date to have drinks that are $ 10 but are reminiscent of rubbing alcohol.

It’s all about expectations. I had heard mixed reviews on this place. If you expect a classy gourmet experience in Allston, you’ll be disappointed. If you want to hang out in a venue that’s not a sports bar, not a dive bar and more interesting than Brighton Ave this is it. I had no expectations and I liked this place a lot.
The food is family style which wasn’t obvious when we made our selections so I ordered fried rice and spare ribs and my friend got a shrimp dish and rice. We both left full and took home lunch for tomorrow. We could have ordered half as much. It’s not healthy eating, the theme IS Shanghai street food. Food is good but not amazing which is why not 5 stars. But the drinks are GREAT — yummy and well presented. Fresh squeezed juice, fun «angry tiki god”-looking goblets. I’ll definitely go back.

I hate to be the first dissenter here so far. Shanghai Social Club serves American Chinese fare (crab rangoon, general tsos chicken, etc) and has various tropical tiki themed drinks. I don’t think «traditional chinese dinner» is an appropriate descriptor for the place (as is mentioned on their website)… and hey there is nothing wrong with American Chinese food, I enjoy it, but don’t call it something it is not.
The décor is nice and they put a lot of work into it. The place has a dark color scheme with wood detail and red ambient lighting. It is strange though that they give you cloth napkins and theres candles lit on the tables but you eat with those disposable wooden take out chop sticks. It feels like the place is confused.
We ordered the spicy chicken, lions head meatballs, and a painkiller drink. During our wait we were given fried wonton strips and sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce tasted like it was homemade or altered which I appreciated as it was not the stuff found in take-​out packets. When we got to our spicy chicken it was overwhelmingly salty and the bottom of the bowl had a huge pool of soy sauce, like ¹⁄₃ a cup. No one is supposed to use that much soy sauce on a single dish. Since I was hungry and tired I basically just shook off the sauce from each piece of chicken. There was also no trace of any peppers or spiciness even though it was supposed to be spicy chicken. The lions head meatball buns were not bad and come with 3 per order. The bun was nice and fluffy and they came with some cabbage in each bun (random factoid: the cabbage is the lions mane and the meat is the lions head). They were a little salty also but not as bad as the chicken. Our painkiller drink was quite tasty with a healthy amount of liquor. I enjoyed the dash of cinnamon and nutmeg that mixed with the pineapply goodness.
Our service was very attentive however they overcharged us for the drink. They fixed it though after it was brought to their attention. I was unsure about asking about the ginormous amount of soy sauce in our dish as I felt like a place that sells crab rangoon as traditional chinese fare may think that that was normal. All in all, I kind of think of this place as the Allston version of Hong Kong Garden but prettier, not good food, but good drinks. I may return for a scorpion bowl but not a meal.