Shanghai Cafe

Love this place. Great value spot that has been open forever! Huge portions. Wonderful service. Always consistent.

This place is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants ever! Ran by a wonderful family the food is excellent! We had the family dinner combo feeding 4 and was not disappointed the taste is out of this world and they do not skimp on the servings! They bring out each dish as it is made, not a thing is brought to you cold or like it’s been sitting under a light. It’s definitely how it should be, they were wonderful to us and made sure we had enough. We also ended up getting a sample of the fresh kimchi and OMG it was amaze-​za-​za-​ZING!!! It was so delicious and although we were soooo full it was so good that we ate the whole sample plate they gave us (which was a generous amount given for a sample). We had to get some to go for later… Since we live all the way in Tacoma we definitely were happy to still have enough for lunch tomorrow and the next day. We still had so much food!!! I can’t wait until we visit them again! I hope this place NEVER changes ownership and although the outside is outdated, who cares! It definitely gives it the hole in the wall diamond in the rough feel once you get that taste of the food! Fresh, yummy, Szechuan style! YAAAAASSSS

I was traveling through town and I was looking for some Chinese food and happened upon Shanghai
I was pleased to find the service excellent prices phenomenally reasonable and the food was top notch

Good American style Chinese. Clean and comfortable. Friendly staff, comfortable environment. Good prices for large portions.

We went there for lunch on a Tuesday. The prices were reasonable and there was plenty of seating. The place itself is a bit run down, but the taste of the food and the service made up for it.

Great food and great service will have me coming back here. Every dish we tried was fantastic. I will definitely be back. They have a small group area off to the side. We had about 15 people in there and had a great time. Nice that they have a little spot like that for groups.

This place is a complete dive from the outside and I was a bit apprehensive to enter. Décor is very old and desperately needs to be updated. That being said the food is fantastic! We got a family style deal with a beef dish and orange chicken. The soup comes to you in a big bowl so you can ladle your own portions. We got hot and sour and it was very delicious! Hubby got a side of egg rolls, he loved them and I got pot stickers. At first I was taken aback because the dough was thicker and chewier than I’m used to but after a couple I got over that and I loved them! They make their BBQ pork in house because it was softer and moister than your typical BBQ pork, was obviously a nice juicy loin they used. I’m not a huge broccoli or celery fan so the beef dish wasn’t to my liking, ate some beef out of it. The orange chicken was very good though and I don’t like orange anything! For some reason I thought I got garlic chicken because I never would have ordered orange chicken but I have to say I loved it. My only disappointment was the fried rice. No eggs and has canned veggies in it. Not my favorite. So we had two meals and two appetizers for $ 33 and enough take home for a couple lunches. Service is friendly and the waitress shook her head at me when I said mild spicy. «No Flavor! Must have medium spice, you be ok!» I got medium spice and it was perfect! Very friendly. My new favorite Chinese place!

This is legit for Chinese food especially out in the middle of nowhere. Korean owned, they even have fresh and ripened kimchi. The portions are very generous and I especially liked the combo plates so you get a good variety without having to go with a huge party! If you’re at great wolf lodge and craving Asian, it’s worth the 15 min drive!

From the outside you might not think to stop but it’s beautiful inside and the service is wonderful and the food is delicious. I have never had such amazing wonton soup! I actually stayed full from my shrimp lo mein instead of getting hungry again later. I have ate from here twice the first time I ate there and the second I got some take out. Both times I got the egg rolls and my Oh my they are like no other I’ve ever had. I highly recommend stopping in for a bite to eat if you’re in the area.

Mapo tofu is delicious here! Spice level medium. They add veggies like broccoli and bean sprouts. Very different from what I’m used to. More like a tofu veggie dish but regardless of the name still delicious! Entrée comes with some cabbage egg drop soup. High five to that.
Outside the restaurant looks like a hole in the wall but you can’t beat the taste!

I agree with another reviewer that this place is right out of the 50’s…thank goodness. This was the tastes of Chinese food I grew up with in California’s Los Angeles and San Francisco China Towns. The sauces were extremely flavorful… if you knew how they should taste like. Okay, since I have never been to China, but I have known many Chinese people, some who own restaurants. In case you’re wondering, I was in construction. I worked on many Chinese restaurants, became friends with many, many people in that profession.
Anyway, as others have said, the place was clean and the people extremely nice. The food was steaming hot. The veggies didn’t taste like Veg-​all, but could have been frozen, could have been fresh, I’m not sure. But if you can’t tell…
Each dish was not over sweet, not over sauced. All in all, some of the more authentic Chinese (to my taste) I have ever had in Washington (I’ve been here around 30 years). If some people think was bad, I want to know where they say is good. Especially at Shanghai Café’s prices.
As for the pricing, very fair. Considering the amount of food they give you, the prices are dirt cheap. The food is brought family style. If you’re sharing your food with others, this makes it very easy. It is a Shanghai restaurant versus a Mandarin, meaning they serve the crunch noodles (yum!) with chow mein.
I found nothing to complain about, but so many things to compliment. We all know everyone has different tastes, different standards, different opinions. As for me, I can not recommend this restaurant more. It is minutes from the Great Wolf Lodge and/​or the outlets.

First time eating here, and I ordered the (H) Almond Chicken & Sweet and Sour Chicken plate. The soup served before the order was great. When the plate came however, there was a black hair that looked like a pubic hair on my chicken IN PLAIN SIGHT. I told them I would pay for the soup and the soda, but I will not pay for the meal. She said 50% off the $ 10 bill… total on my card was $ 6 even. Then on the way out, she came running and said I can get a refund when she finally noticed that I didn’t eat any of the food on the second plate she brought. Food was chewy and seemed like it had been microwaved. Disgusting. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Located a bit out-​of-​the-​way, the Shangai is worth a visit if you’re in the mood for oriental cuisine in Centralia. The outside could use an update, but inside is clean, quiet and has plenty of space. The waitress we had was very good, and never left us feeling ignored, but never hovered.
The food was very good, and the menu offered very nice variety. I enjoyed my General’s Chicken very much; I always love veggies in my General’s, and few places include them. The potstickers were, sadly, fried rather than steamed like I’m used to. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Centralia.

Great menu, with reasonable prices on lunch options served before 3 Monday thru Friday, friendly service, large portions, egg flour soup one of the best in town!

This is a very friendly, very ordinary small-​town Chinese restaurant. The food was unexceptional, but adequate. No spice at all in the General Tsao’s chicken. Overcooked vegetables in all the dishes. Flavors were OK.
Service was fast and friendly. Portions were moderate, but so were the prices.
Not a washout, but nothing to look forward to, either.

Amazing fried rice, FANTASTIC huge egg rolls that come with a lovely plum sauce… the sweet & sour chicken is yummy!

We finally made it in to this restaurant after being in WA for a year-​Wow! They are so nice, free tea while we waited, fresh SEASONAL food, pure simple flavors-​just absolutely awesome! All of the other Chinese places in this area are just awful… I am so happy we found this place and wish I would have tried it a year ago…
I am also taken in by the fact that they use what veggies are in season-​that is always a good indicator of what the food will be like… This is the best I have found here so far… Thanks, Shanghai! Still looking for the perfect Egg Drop Soup and Won Ton Soup!

I hate to write this review as the ladies working here were so sweet. The food however was a big disappointment. The place was clean, service was fast and selection was good but I’d describe the actual food as ‘1950’s faux Chinese’. Overly sweet, the rice was sprinkled with canned veg all. The egg rolls weren’t even edible. Greasy, mushy, not good. Mind you, there was a couple who’d driven over from Tumwater because this was their favorite Asian restaurant soooooo… just not to our taste. We won’t be back.

First time here, but my friend who is a regular has been trying to get me to come here for a while. Have to say it is awesome, best Chinese food compared to the local place in Centralia which is like three. Sweet & Sour Chicken was crispy & the sauce tastes like it was freshly made. Not thick or like it came out of a prepared can. Place isn’t that appealing but very clean & service is very good. They did take longer to bring out the main plate but it was worth the wait. I suggest to give this place a try at least once.

Ate at the Shanghai Café on the way to, and on the way back from, a trip down to Oregon. We both had the Mapa Tofu both times — it was that good. Not the fanciest place on the planet, but the food was very good, service was good, and the prices were very fair.
I had the five star spice level the second visit and it was just about right. Be warned however not to eat the dried chilies that are part of the five star upgrade. I accidentally picked up one in a bite and it was a slow acting fire bomb. Just eat around these guys and everything will be good.
Worth the little extra drive off I-​5 if you are stopping in Centralia for a bite to eat if you want something that is real from a family run type of restaurant. No cookie cutter generic mass produced chow here!