New On Lock Sam

My favorite Chinese restaurant in Stockton. Try the combination wonton soup, Cantonese style OnLock Sam chow mein, black bean sauce prawns, they’re garlic chicken is also delicious (might I add it has no bones). When in season; deep fried asparagus (when not in season deep fried green beans are also good). Ask for Louie!

I am about to puke!!! Ordered wonton soup. Took it home and was almost done eating when I pulled a wonton out that had a roach on it. Disgusting. Unsure what else to say besides this is so unsanitary I am never ever coming back!!!

Been going here since 99. We need more time to try everything on menu. Food is excellent. So is the service. Jasmine special for two is excellent. Garlic chicken, beef chow main, pot stickers all excellent.

The Scene:
I’ll admit, it’s not in a very good part of town. Some may even feel apprehensive pulling into the driveway (especially after dark). But, no need to fear. Once inside you feel a sense of nostalgia, friendliness and safety. It’s a very established, historical place and I think most of the neighborhood respects that.
The Décor:
It’s what I would expect from an older Chinese restaurant. Nothing looks new except for the tile floors. The bar area looks really quiet and nice. I think the curtains have been hanging there since I was 8 years old. My only gripe is the tables always feel ‘sticky’ and I always end up wiping them down with my own cloth when I get there. This may be because they are old.
The Food:
Let me start out by saying the food here is not bad at all. I was kind of surprised by others describing it as «tasteless.» But I’m never disappointed when I eat here. I think it’s one of the best Chinese restaurants around. Granted, it’s not as good as it used to be back in the 80’s/90’s. but I’m never disappointed with the food itself. Order the «stuffed chicken wings» or garlic chicken, they can be greasy but very good the last few times I’ve been there.
The Service:
The service is mediocre, but not really that bad. They are always friendly and service is typical. Don’t expect high quality here. this is not what I would call a fancy restaurant. But, sometimes they seem to rush us through at the end. For example, today I wasn’t even done eating and she was already packing up the food. AND, to top it off, she brought my ice cream dessert before I was finished eating?! The dining room was basically empty so I didn’t get it. But, the young man that waited on us (I forgot his name) is always very pleasant and polite and earns my respect.
Bottom Line:
Ok, this may not be the best in Cantonese cuisine but it’s still very good food for the price. The fried rice is great, the soup is always good and the chicken never tastes funny. I would definitely recommend.

I ordered the Mu Shu Pork. I received 4 very very skimpy rolls with no additional Mu Shu left over, and I was charged $ 10.05 for it. I’ve never been served Mu Shu without some of the Mu Shu meat/​veggies served on the side. I am very disappointed in my experience. To add to it, the sauce container on the table had a dead fly in it!

Great place, yes it was better in the 1990’s before the lawsuit, but at least it is still here and it is still one of the best Chinese anywhere, and I’m all over the country.
I’ve been eating there since the 1980’s. Love it and we have our own corner booth that our family is automatically seated in because we eat there so often!

WOW, haven’t been here since before the ADA bullshit… Heard it was good… It is hella good. Very impressed. Took a bud here from San Francisco and he said how great it was, as good as any in TheCity.

I love this place it is the best. Large portions for your money. Garlic chicken is boneless and not overly breaded. Whole roasted baby duck, wonderfully made soups. Always come here and bring those who havent been.

Just finished dinner. All tasted good. Had pot stickers, chicken chow fun, pressed pork and Mongolian chicken. Came out fast good service. 3 stars because maybe not so clean. Plates were cool to the touch. Remember in the olden days plates came out kinda hot. Over all though worth a return visit.

Love this place our regular waitress knows exactly what we always order and delivers beautifully. I love their Cantonese chow mein with shrimp and shrimp fried rice. Hubby loves their spare ribs and won ton soup, fried chicken and many more!

Having lived in and around Stockton for most of my life, I had never been to Old or new On Lock Sam. So this was a first. My wife and I went there for Lunch. I ordered the combination plate of Fried Shrimp, Pork Fried Rice, and Sweet & Sour Pork. My wife ordered Broccoli beef and Pork Fried Rice. We ordered a Crab Puff Appetizer (We ALWAYS check out the Crab Rangoon/​Puff everywhere we go due to we haven’t found good ones since Great Wall Closed).
The ambience is nice, but not very clean, there is a koi pond with a pair of turtles that was nice to watch, the view was marred by extremely dirty sills and windows. The tables feel sticky but are clean, they might need replacing.
Back to the food. Despite ordering the crab puffs as we sat down, we didn’t get them until after we were halfway done with lunch. But they were good, not great wall good, but good)
Both dishes were good as far as taste goes, but I was HIGHLY Disappointed with the sweet and sour pork. it was tough, In my honest opinion, I think it was actually yesterday’s leftovers just heated up. 2 were mostly gristle and 4 pieces were completely inedible.
The service was terrible, as noted, the appetizer showed up after the lunch did. When we wanted soda refills, my wife had to physically find the waiter with her glass (We were one of 2 sets of customers in the restaurant at the time so it wasn’t a busy issue). When it came time to check out, we waited a full 5 minutes before once again we had to track someone down to take our money. Less honest people could have walked out end of story.
So the search for an awesome and inexpensive chinese restaurant in Stockton Continues as the New On Lock Sam has failed us.

Second time to the restaurant and definitely not the last!
Amazing service, delicious food.

I so wanted to find a decent Cantonese restaurant in Stockton. All of the old Cantonese cooks from the 1960’s to 1990’s and prior have retired.
A bit of my background with On Lock Sam. I was very familiar with the old On Lok Sam and the family that owned it until that family decided not to defend themselves against the ADA law suit and sold out (another reviewer wrote about that). I had been to the New On Lok Sam but was not impressed with it. But I was told recently that the place had again changed owners and the food quality had gone up. So I had been meaning to try it for myself for a few months now.
I went in for lunch but got their dinner menu. The items from the by gone Cantonese Restaurants were mostly all there. A wide variety of Cantonese dishes. I had not planned on eating or reviewing this place but had somehow managed to land here.
I thought that I would order two dishes that you rarely find on menus today. I ordered the Pressed Peanut Duck and the Stuffed Chicken Wings. It took some length of time but eventually the Stuffed Chicken Wings came out. The waitress telling me that the Pressed Peanut Duck will be out in a few minutes. So I took my first bite and indeed the stuffing was as advertised — Chinese sausage (lop chong) and scallions. But there was not even a hint of garlic on the chicken or the batter. The seasoning for this dish was for Mid-​America like Iowa or Indiana. This was not Cantonese seasoning. It was edible but really flat tasting and a bit disappointing.
But that was the better dish. The Pressed Peanut Duck came out and the Pressed Duck was about a ¹⁄₁₆ th of an inch thick (or thin really) — maybe even thinner than that. It was not even penetrable by a fork. No duck flavor at all.
Oh well. I asked the waitress if this was their usual presentation of Pressed Duck. But she was new so had to ask the cooks. Since she came back and said this is the way it always is I will never set foot in this place again.
Why did I give it two stars instead of one or none? You may ask. Since I will never go back there I figured that I would give them the benefit of doubt. Those people who were ordering the Combination #1 and/​or Combination whatever number seemed to be happy. But they were not Chinese or even Asian so I guess it is an okay place if you like the bland stuff that passes as Cantonese cooking and are not looking for Chinese cuisine.

Love this place! When we get together with family once a month we come here. They deliver also. It’s sad to see not many people go. Recommend the salt and pepper calamari, house fried rice, and spicy shrimp!!! Don’t miss out on On Lok some great Stockton history.

What happened???
On Lock Sam’s used to be the best!!!
Now, it isn’t even a fraction of what it used to be! I remember my grandparents and my father taking me there on a regular basis when I was young. They used to prefer it to Dave Wong’s restaurant.
They would be disappointed to see how it has declined over the years.
It looks as though it is not taken care of on the inside anymore and the turtles are gone. I remember that being such an exciting sight to see when I was younger.
The food is average at best. I’ve been there 3 times in the last year. Once with my mother and daughter, once with a colleague, and another time with a friend from elementary school. Every one of us (who are Stockton natives) remember what the restaurant used to be and how it has fallen from its glory.
Perhaps if I had never eaten there, growing up I wouldn’t sound so dramatic and saddened. I’m not going to recommend this restaurant to anyone. On Lock Sam’s used to be Dave Wongs’ direct competition and now… well, On Lock Sam’s is just not what it used to be. :-(

Excellent Service and food. The staff is always right there any time you need anything. The food is great! Try the Pressed Szechwan Pork, omg you will die! The On Lok Chow Mein, Pot stickers, regular bbq, you can’t go wrong with any of their soups delicous! Mmm, I just finished our leftovers and am already craving this place :)

Since 1898, huh? That’s really saying something. The dining area probably not being remodeled sinch 1968? That’s saying something, too…
This place has been on my radar for a few years now, and I’m glad that I finally got a chance to check this place out. I ordered off of the lunch menu, and was happy with my meal. A great deal at about $ 7. What struck me, though, was that the food probably tasted the same as it did in ’68, which is why there were probably so many elderly folks having lunch here…
The service is much friendlier than your average Chinese place, which can add a lot to the experience. This is Americanized Chinese food at some of its best. And maybe that’s why they’ve been able to survive for so long…

Good food and good service. Yes, the location is not the best but it’s a part of Stockton’s history. I read a plaque in the restaurant that said it first opened in 1898! I think that’s pretty amazing!
Anyhow, I’ve never been to a Chinese restaurant that has such a wide selection of fried rice and Chow Mein. For instance, Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage! If you like noodles (Ramen), you have to try their Chow Mein — On Loc style. It’s more like pan fried crispy Ramen with seafood and veggies. Yum!

I’m surprised there aren’t more reviews for this place! It’s aged, tried and true. It’s a shame that the freeway construction maimed Stockton’s Chinatown, but as long as On Lock Sam’s still survives, there is hope for reconstruction! Alot of people have been coming to this restaurant since they were kids, from all over the Valley.
The food that my group got was average quality, but I give this place kudos for longevity. And perseverance. Good luck, Stockton’s Chinatown.

OH On Lock Sam… you were an institution for my family… This was the place we dressed up to go to with grandma and grandpa…
The chicken in foil and ribs were to die for. I seriously crave those darn ribs.
Such a sad, sad day.
The food will never be the same. I can’t believe than can even call this place by the same name.