Chen’s Chinese Restarant

This is the best carry out Chinese restaurant in the Lexington/​Columbia area. They’ve never gotten my order wrong, knock on wood! And so far the quality of their food has been surprisingly very good! The restaurant is very small so I would not recommend planning to eat in.

I am new to the area and I love Chinese food. I was excited to try this place but my excitement soon faded after my first few bites. If there was ever a reason that one would be in a pinch for Chinese food, this would be the place to go in the lexington area just because it is close. However, I will drive a few extra miles as this place did not impress me at all.
The women at the counter was not overly friendly which already turns me off. The fried rice had no taste whatsoever, the shrimp in my chow mein, though they smelled and tasted fine, were a little slimy, the eggs rolls were a joke. I have never seen an egg roll so little and after taking my first bite I was not completely comfortable with the color of the inside of it.
I am still on the look for a good Chinese food place, this just didn’t hit the mark for me unfortunately. It was gross at best.

One of the best Chinese in Lexington

They were fast and have huge portions! Prices are normal for Chinese takeout. I wouldn’t eat at the restaurant it’s small and crowded. Tables basically serve as a waiting area for take out.

Best Chinese in Lexington. Good food, Good Prices, Quick and courteous service.

For Chinese take-​out (heck for Chinese food in general) in the Lexington area, this place is solid. It’s consistently proven to have superior flavor over the other take-​outs in the area and along 378. Not too salty, not too greasy, never overcooked, and just basically satisfies your «let me enjoy a quick meal» feeling!
So, I know the majority reach instantly for General Tso’s or Sesame/​Orange Chicken, but I highly highly recommend trying their pan fried dumplings and cao mi fen:
1) Pan Fried Dumplings — My dumplings are never super greasy. Comes with standard dipping sauce.
2) House Cao Mi Fen — Their house cao mi fen tastes great! (I think it’s mei fun on the menu). The noodles are really soft and light on the palate. Since these are rice noodles, it’s also gluten-​free.
3) Chicken Fried Rice — Their fried rice is decent, but not spectacular. One thing of note is that theirs do not come out dry and obviously old and/​or overcooked like I’ve had at other places.
4) Free 2 liter soda with $ 28 purchase — They’ve had this promotion for forever! I just ask for free water.
5) Portions are huge!
You can’t really compare this place to gourmet Chinese. If I were comparing Chen’s to restaurants harked for their authentic flavor, then I would probably give this 2 stars, but that’s comparing unicorns to llamas. The most authentic I’ve had in the area is Sun Ming over in Irmo.
My other favorite take-​out place is right off 378 in West Cola (Eggroll Station — BEST TAKE-​OUT FRIED RICE EVER!). If I remember correctly, the owners of Eggroll Station and this one are siblings or cousins! Random fact.

Great lunch buffet. Not a lot of options, but everything on the Buffet is great. This is the best Chinese Take-​out place around!

A great place to get take out! I’m from San Francisco and picky about my Asian cuisine. This is definitely a great greasy spoon, nothing special, but want something delicious place. Meat was great quality (always important for me). Lots of flavor, not TOO much sodium for what it is… kinda out of the way of our house but on the way home from work, good if i’m going to plan in advance for pick up. Fast prep as well. Not the best customer service, but not horrible either. Will make this a regular place for sure.

I have to agree with the other Unilocaler on her review. Not much has changed in three years. Quite a few take out orders last night and waited about 10 minutes for my dinner. Was expecting them to call me when my dinner was ready, but staff did bring me my dinner, which was a plus. Lots of choices for meals. Buffet is only for lunch.

Mostly a to-​go type Chinese restaurant. There are a total of 6 tables in the restaurant. Food is ready in about 10 minutes from time of order. There is a lunch buffet for $ 5.25 (I’ve never tried it) and the restaurant offers a free 2-​liter Pepsi product for orders over $ 28.00. The food is good & service is friendly but there isn’t anything about this restaurant that makes it more than your average Chinese fare.