Ying’s Drive-In

My friend’s family owns this restaurant and I recently decided to make a visit since I heard they were closing for good in a couple weeks. The owners are quite friendly and you can tell they put consideration into the food that they prepare for their costumers.
When I dropped by, they already had a lot of take-​out orders from people. I added on to the orders by ordering a hamburger with a side of fries and a Coke. Wait… what?! Hamburger and fries at a Chinese restaurant!!! That’s right. They definitely are trying to cater to Americans here and they weren’t wrong in doing so considering how many came in to order take-​out. I completely forgot that I really wanted to get their Cheeseburger Double instead since that was the better burger. Double patty with double cheese. That’s where it’s at!!!
I later on ordered a Shrimp Fried Rice to-​go to eat at work the next day and to show support for my friend’s family. But if I’m going to be honest here, the fried rice could’ve have been better. Wasn’t too flavorful and seemed a bit dry. Might be because I waited for the next day to eat it, but that’s what I got. The ingredients looked good though. Diced carrots, peas, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, and chopped green onions. Pretty standard, but in my opinion, it could have used some eggs in it.
The menu is pretty big and has a lot of the standard American Chinese dishes. The prices are quite reasonable too. So, if you’re looking for some all time American favorite Chinese dishes, this might be your last chance to get it here before they close down. But I highly recommend their Cheeseburger Double and French Fries. Get it if you want a smile on your face. =)

I really like americanized chinese food but this is gross. We’ve tried a couple of times now thinking maybe they were just off nights or something. Each time we’ve been disappointed. Almond chicken was reccomended in a different review. It was awful. Just a soggy, too sweet, mess. Even general tso’s was swimming in syrup and mushy. The egg rolls are weird. They’re coated in an extra batter that is fluffy and then deep fried. These are the ONLY crab ragoons I have ever had that I don’t like. They’re really greasy and have almost no crab. The BBQ pork had some flavor but it was too dry to chew. The buns are the only accpetable things to order. If you must try for yourself, then go during lunch. $ 5.50 box specials will let you get a sample of a couple of things.

French fries are off the hook. Be prepared for very Americanized Chinese if you order any of the regular menu items but the stars here are the non-​menu specials that are written on pieces of paper and taped to the glass.
The chicken with green beans will blow your socks off. Trust me.
The owner is super cool too.

I love greasy Chinese-​American food. I have a special place in my heart for a greasy fried chicken cutlet and a monster pile of chow mein. This place is one block from my apartment. I wanted it to be a nightly go to.
Instead, it was the absolutely the worst pile of shit I have ever consumed.
If you happen to enjoy salty, flavorless mush, I would advise you to hit up the Safeway down the road, buy a couple jars of baby food and then dump an entire shaker of salt on them before shoveling them down your highly depraved gullet. The result will be far superior.
Ying’s will fill your belly with crap, and fill your soul with rue.

I find the retro vibe at Ying’s charmingly kitschy. The food is fine but never consistent. Sometimes it’s so bad you throw it out, sometimes it’s great. I recently asked to use the bathroom, however, and now I doubt I’ll ever come back. I was led around the back of the building, past the kitchen, down a hallway, down some stairs (who knew the building was that big inside?!), and finally to the restrooms. The building beyond the front counter is filthy! Disgustingly, alarmingly filthy. So dirty it’s not worth the inconsistent food.

I love Yings! The food is tasty and you get decent sized portions. Plus they are beyond friendly!

I take it back. Delivery from Ying’s, now that I live in the neighborhood, is the tits. Anything deep fried and totally sweet soured or gravied is a sure bet. This isn’t the nice light veggie laden kind of chinese food. It’s the americanized comfort food style kind. Best fried shrimp, almond fried chicken, and hot and sour soup in this hood. The potstickers are also pretty good but the sauce that comes with them isn’t great. I usually make my own soy and vinegar mix and that improves them. General Tso Chicken here is also good. Only complaint is that the soft noodle chow mein is way too expensive. BUT-​I can get it brought to me instead of having to drive and pick it up. I love it.

I’ve been going here off and on for about 15 years. I always get the #2. Most of the time it’s really really good and sometimes it’s so so or even bad.
I’d say you have an 80% chance of having a really good meal at a very reasonable price. This is where I arrived at 4 stars.
Go here twice before making up your mind.

Well. The worst reviews seem to be from those who have just moved here. Why did you move here, smarty pants? Expect everything to be gourmet? Some days, the almond chicken is not as good as others, true. However, in a lower-​volume, mostly take-​out establishment as this, there are bound to be days when not everything is as fresh as the last. Try the chicken on Tuesdays. Be nice. Enjoy, and stop bit***in so much and be thankful that you have the money to eat out.

I just moved into this neighborhood recently, and after a quick walk to look at the nearby shops, I found Ying’s Chinese Drive-​In. It’s almost to kitschy to NOT go into. I was so curious about it, I went in and ordered their lunch special. DON’T. This was seriously the worst American-​Chinese food I’ve ever had. Their egg roll was not even an egg roll; it was filling coated in layers upon layers of batter and deep fried until almost done. Not quite all the way, either. I got a good few bites of raw batter. Their almond chicken was just chicken battered and deep fried in the same stuff as the egg roll and smothered in a bland, flavorless sauce, with no almonds in sight. Don’t even get me started on the stale fried rice!
I love typical «bad» Chinese food, but this one just takes the cake for overly done, unappetizing take out.

IT FUCKING SUCKS, Total waste money, jesus christ. It makes me throw up. The food is just horrible, way too greasy. The noodle soup is the worst.

This place is an awesomely cheap Lake City staple. Fuck all the haters on this page, stick to your ribs greasy goodness that will not disappoint.

God. Awful. Seriously some of the nastiest food I’ve ever paid for. My husband and I recently moved into the neighborhood, and so far every restaurant we have tried has disappointed. But this one is beyond description. Mushy, nearly rancid smelling food.
The worst.

The way I came across this fine Chinese cuisine was by driving past it every day. I’m glad I stopped. It’s my new favorite Chinese restaurant.

Hands down the worst Chinese food I have ever eaten, and I’ve had Chinese food in Wyoming!
I really have no expectations when it comes to Chinese food. As long as it tastes like how it should, it is acceptable. The food at Yings neither looks nor tastes like it should.
Chow mein — literally had no noodles. Bean sprouts replaced the noodles and there was fried wonton wrapper topping on it. This must have been a joke.
Almond chicken — looked like breaded tofu. One of the least offensive dishes.
Sweet and sour pork ribs — another joke. This was breaded minced meat! Did not even taste like sweet and sour pork, at all! The sauce was purple.
The fried rice was the only «normal» dish. I had to ask my BF, who picked up the order, if the employees at the restaurant were Asian. Apparently, they were.
I would never order from here ever again.

Seriously bad recient experience. Not sure if the place was sold or under new management. I went in June 11^th of 2013 and got my usual vegetarian chow mein. 5 days later I had a horrible case of Campylobacter! I was off work and lost 5 days of income because I was too sick to leave the house. This is usually transmitted by chicken blood — and as a vegetarian there is NONE of this substance in my house. Additionally, this was the only place I had takeout or ate outside my house or different from my husband in a two-​week period so I know it was Ying’s that i got it at.
I also got a letter form the health dept later, and when I called in my data about my illness, they told me they had had several cases during that time frame from that restaurant!
I am sad because I loved the food so very much, but i’ll never go back in because that was a horrible horrible week sick.

Walked in for lunch this past Monday. I had to get the servers attention through the glass because he was siting on a stool with his head rested on the counter.
I ordered the mixed vegetables and added steamed tofu. My food came quickly and was so hot I had to wait 5 minutes to eat it. It was a weird, overly sauced combination of vegetables.
The food very bland and a little overpriced. Sadly I ended up throwing a portion of it away. I was really excited to try this place because it’s within walking distance from my house.
Needless to say, I won’t be going back.

I like Ying’s better than Safeway Chinese and Panda Express. That’s definitely the level of food to expect when you eat there. I like how one other review stated that if you keep your expectations low, you won’t be disappointed.
Their sweet and sour sauce is a purpleish color which I’ve never seen before and I am pretty sure there’s MSG in everything — but I still eat it on occasion. Like today — I’m working from home and REALLY busy. I really don’t have time to justify stopping and figuring out lunch. So I call Ying’s and 20 minutes later a sweet old Chinese man is delivering Almond Fried Chicken, an egg roll and deep fried wontons.
It’s all very mediocre. There’s something very comforting about that — but timing has to be perfect. Only when I’m in the mood for greasy 70’s style bad americanized Chinese food, do I eat at Ying’s. For me, those days do exist. I feel like I can’t go wrong on those days.
The egg rolls are SUPER DUPER doughy.
The Almond Fried Chicken is the same as nearly anywherer else. I’m completely fine with it. I’d actually call it «good».
I don’t eat rice or noodles so I can’t say much to how those are, but my kids and future hubby eat them and are ok with it.
The crab rangoons are pretty delicious. And, they’re not on the menu anywhere? Usually they come for free with dinner delivery but you can always order a serving of them as well.
Most of the reviews here are accurate, I’d say. Except the 1 stars. I don’t think this is a 1 star worthy restaurant.

No thank you.
We’ve gotten food from here a few times. I didn’t like it the first time but gave it a second chance because it satisfied the fiancé. It didn’t taste fresh or very good in any way. I found the quality really low and didn’t like any of the dishes we tried.

Ok you guys, Ying’s is not that bad!
I too was once afraid; I went here for lunch one day, and mistakenly ordered one of their lunch specials. You know, the kind where you pay $ 5 for 6 different items, mostly nondescript fried fare, covered in grewl. They do not reward those who live by the «bang for your buck» motto!
Then, I tried Ying’s again, 5 years later. I went with the Mongolian beef and my friend had the orange chicken. While it wasn’t the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, I will say that it was on par with, or better than most places I’ve been to!
The Mongolian beef was extremely tender, served on a bed of crispy rice noodles, accompanied by a scoop of rice. Most places charge you $ 1 – 2 for rice, so I was glad to see Ying’s included it. The sauce was spicy, had good flavor, was a little on the greasy side but hey, what do you expect?
My friends orange chicken was great! Whole chicken breast, no skin, sliced thin and lightly fried. The sauce was typical, but included orange peels for added flavor. Compared to the average Americanized Chinese restaurant, I’d have to say this dish was a step above your usual orange chicken. Most of the times, you get dark meat surrounded by fat and skin and then deep fried until golden brown and delicious. It was nice to see they used quality ingredients. Also included rice.
And for the sake of the total Ying’s experience, my friends also ordered the double cheeseburger (he eats a lot), and he was very impressed!
So really, avoid the lunch and dinner combo’s that sound too good to be true, they are, and stick to a one entrée meal. You will probably be okay.