Golden Phoenix

Don’t let the building fool you, inside is also very casual but we’ve been coming here for about 23 years. Of course when you order off the menu the food is fresher. If you ask what they recommend, they’ll suggest a few dishes. We had the combo pan fried noodles, Mongolian beef and Moo Shu Pork, they were all great! We also eat the buffet quite often and I have to say it’s also pretty good. More authentic Chinese buffet. Service depends on who you get but we’re pretty regular so we know most of the waitresses. Give it a try, when you see a lot of Chinese people eating at a Chinese restaurant, I think it’s safe to say the food is great!

Good cheap Chinese food! Inside is a little ghetto and dark, and don’t get me started about the layout of the parking lot… but ghetto facilities *usually* mean the food is gonna be good! We got gan chao he fen, it’s like a wide noodle stir fry with some veggies and beef slices. A little salty, but it came out pretty fast, good flavor, beef pieces were tender and juicy, and it was good!
Then it was like a 15 min gap or so until we got our other 2 dishes… but when they finally came they were hot and fresh! We also got a fried tofu stir fry with veggies like baby corn, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, etc. I love fried tofu and it was really good and still a little crispy! Last dish was Chinese broccoli, cooked with garlic. A little oily but good.
In general, timing was weird, facilities kinda shabby, but food and price were great!

Based on the four stars Unilocal review went to the restaurant Saturday evening after a local movie. Got there around 6:45 PM or so. We were a party of four (two couples). Pathetic buffet. Food was not warm. Trays of food were left empty. Never again!

I had lived in Tucson a long time, but did not know this place existed. It was a good sign when a Chinese restaurant was filled with Chinese customers.
Our server was really friendly and knowledgeable. She had warned my group that it might take a while to get our food since a lot of Gem Show customers were in town, but in the end, we stayed and it did not take long at all.
The one thing I have to take a star off for, though, is that the pork in my sweet and sour pork was not good. It was the bad cuts of meat and was mostly fat and the undesirable part of the pork. All the other dishes were good!

Been driving by this place my entire life as a Tucson native and finally decided to give it a try, but wished I would have read the reviews about the buffet before ordering. It was at 1:15 pm last Tuesday and the buffet was terrible and cold. When I asked the waitress for my check she did not comment on the plate full of food in front of me, and continued to take my $ 6.95 + tax up at the cash register without hesitation or concern. Probably won’t be back!

So in my former life, I used to travel all across the south as part of my job and I always found myself looking for something to eat in small towns and cities that I didn’t know much about. I love chinese, thai, indian and caribbean food but you can’t always trust restaurants in small towns because they tend not to be that authentic. Well, one of the tricks I learned from an old school foodie that I used to work for was to look for «natives» eating there. And not natives from that small town but natives from that culture. That’s what told me initially that I was in the right place when I walked into the Golden Phoenix. Tusconians native to Asia usually outnumber the regular locals in this spot and I never see them touch the buffet. Follow their lead, order off of the menu and thank me later. I usually order carryout and they don’t take kindly to a lot of custom ordering and «tweaking» of ingredients so don’t get all complicated when you place your order. But if you stick to the printed menu (good luck finding one on-​line), you won’t go wrong. This spot does not look the part but park in front, watch your tail when you are backing out and make sure you call ahead for the duck (damn good).

Don’t let the intimidating exterior scare you away. If you’re looking for some amazing, authentic Chinese dishes and a wide variety of food, this is a place to bookmark.
A good friend of mine recently moved back from Hong Kong and suggested we meet here for dinner. Finding the place was a little tricky, but when I finally made it, the anticipation was worth it. Some of the freshest ingredients – from vegetables to meats to sauces – that I’ve ever gotten from a restaurant. Think mom’s cooking, but if mom was a foodie. And chef. And from China.
Prepare your taste buds for some of the tastiest and freshest Chinese you’ll have in Tucson!

Don’t do the buffet, order off the menu! All food is great value and great quality. Eating in, service is always on point.

Always my first choice for Chinese food. It’s not fancy inside but it’s always delicious. Super fast and easy to order for takeout. The lunch buffet is simple, the basics you always want, but would recommend to order anything off the menu. Mongolian beef, house lo mein, and sesame chicken Chinese style are my usual order. Consistently delicious and is a neighborhood stable.

Great service and food, sweet and sour pork and house lo mein excellent

I have not eaten their buffet but I highly recommend the food from the menu. Food is a great price for the quantity and quality. My go to local Chinese take out or quick meal.

Our family have been coming to this restaurant for over 30 years. The food is fresh and authentic, the prices are reasonable and the service is excellent.

This place is AMAZING. Please do yourself a favor order off the menu and not the buffet. The chef knows his/​hers stuff. Portions are huge, the food is fresh and some the best I have had in a long time. House chow mien and chicken curry blew me away. The prices are right.

Great service. We had never been here before and the friendly staff made us feel very welcome. We had the Lunch Buffet at $ 6.95/person it was a steal. Very good food. Will definitely come back.

My family has been coming here for decades, and it has never disappointed us. Prices are very reasonable and the food has been consistently good. If you feel like more authentic Hong Kong style dishes, order from their pink Chinese menu. I have tried almost everything on that menu and it’s very good. Several dishes my family enjoy the most are duck w/​black mushroom, fish filet w/​vegetable, honey walnut shrimp, beef & tomato w/​egg, pork w/​preserved mustard, mandarin pork chops, chicken hot pot, stewed beef w/​turnip, and their big servings of house pan fried noodle. The soft drinks with unlimited refills are cheaply priced. This place has been around for a long time and you can see the building needs quite a bit of work, but it’s still around for good reason. Great Chinese food for a decent price.

They are kind of a pain in the ass… When you ask for things you normally get at other restaurants, they snap at you saying they are traditional Chinese food… Happened more than once.
I have only tried their wonton soup, I’ve been sick and it’s usually my magic cure, though it didn’t cure me, it was very good and I went back a week later…
My hubs had issues ordering things. The whole traditional part… He’s still on the fence for this place.

Although the buffet it mediocre at best, if you catch it at the right time when it’s fresh, you can’t beat the price and sometimes cheap and mediocre just hits the spot. Unlimited crab puffs make the buffet worth the price when they are fresh. That being said, the menu items are actually quite good, especially the authentic Chinese menu, which features dishes that are hard to come by outside of costal cities with large Asian populations. The winter melon soup is wonderful, mellow and savory with just the right amount of seafood flavor. I personally love the atmosphere, it’s a classic Chinese restaurant dining room, massive with tall ceilings, chandeliers and fish tanks. It feels like being transported back in time. All in all a decent Chinese option.

Great meal, authentic feel, and awesome service! We ordered off the «pink» menu as other reviewers mentioned. The bean curd with golden mushrooms was great, and the triple pepper chicken was very spicy (and delicious)! Definitely recommend this place, and we can’t wait to do takeout and sample more off the menu!

Very simple ~
I usually visit Tucson once a yr.
I can eat here everyday.
I be satisfy without thinning the wallet.
I am happy!
ENOUGH! LOL

Order from the menu, don’t get the buffet! The beef chow fun with veggies from the pink menu is fantastic!!!
I repeat. DO NO GET THE BUFFET!
Otherwise the food is very very good, reasonably priced, and probably somewhat authentic based on how many Chinese people I see eating here.