Chan’s

first timer for a music show last night. intimate room to see a live music show. I did not go for the food so no comment there, plenty of people seemed happy with the buffet. waitress service for drinks was superb and the room acoustics are fine. owner John Chan is accommodating and welcoming. I would not hesitate to go again. only reason not a fifth star is the seating is pretty tight but I understand Mr. Chan needs to get as many patrons in the club as possible, his ticket prices are very, very reasonable

I would have to concur with most of the other reviews here that Chan’s just is NOT the place to go to for ‘good’ Chinese food…
So, my husband and I went here tonight after a show at the Stadium Theatre hoping to catch some great Jazz music … $ 15.00 each to get into the jazz show at 10:30 at night. hmmm. okay, never mind, we go to grab some quick food… ugh!
I get a shrimp cocktail, which is sold for $ 2.50 EACH… I’m thinking I’m going to get those jumbo shrimps that you usually get when you pay $ 2.50 each for them… no… they are small, rubbery shrimp… well, there was $ 10.00 down the drain. Then I order a tofu and veggie dish, in which I got exactly THREE pieces of tofu and all the rest was bok choy and that gross crap that most Chinese dishes come with. I asked them to add broccoli and I got about 3 pieces of broccoli with it, too… yuck!
My husband got some won ton soup, which was good,… one victory… but then he got some beef fried rice and like others who stated here, it tasted like it had been sitting around for a few days. not fresh-​tasting at all.
The two things that were good were the Scorpion bowl and the waitress… seems like everyone here agrees, do not come here for the food… everything else is fine, but yeah… don’t come for dinner…
Sorry, had to be honest.

The fried Boneless Chicken with Chow Mein is a must when you go to Chan’s! Also try Mongolian Steak and there Lobster sauce is excellent on boiled rice! And for an app. try the Beef Terriaki and Scallion pancakes! Also they make there own duck sauce which is delicious! Love there Beef Lo Mein and Schewan String beans with chicken! Don’t forget they have the dark Chow Mein not like other places which is totally unique!
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I have been going to Chan’s ever since I was little. I gotta say I love the chicken wings and the fried rice, but a few years ago I finally tried the chicken teriyaki, which is delicious. I also go for the beef lo mein, which is equally delicious. I also love going there for the entertainment, specifically Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. Good food and good music all in one night — that sounds like a pretty good deal. Plus I get to work off all that Chinese food while I’m dancing.

I wish I could give Chan’s a higher rating because there are some things that I really like about this establishment… unfortunately, there are some things that hold it back. So I have settled on 3 stars… 4 star entertainment mixed with 2 star dining.
The only reason I make the trek out to Woonsocket is for Chan’s musical offerings. A blues fan myself, Chan’s offers ample opportunity to catch some fantastic musicians here. I most recently caught Jeff Pitchell and his band the Texas Flood and the music was a very enjoyable experience. The host, John Chan (who I swear has not changed in appearance in the last 10+ years I have frequented this venue), is extremely welcoming and accommodating. He presented us with a choice of seats in the cozy club area, filled with large tables at which several parties may be seated.
We got there about 30 minutes before showtime so that we could order and start dinner before the show began. Our waitress was as attentive as she could be… there should really be more staff on when the room is packed. It having been a very long time since last eating here… we opted to try out the buffet for $ 13 a piece. I wish I had checked it out before deciding to partake. The spread was very disappointing. There were approximately 10 – 12 options to choose from. I ended up with some piles of Pork Fried Rice, Spicy Noodles, Mongolian Chicken, Boneless Spare Ribs, and Golden Fingers.
On my initial run through around 7:30pm, I really had to scrape together what was left in some of the containers to even have anything to put on my plate. On my return visit to the line closer to 8pm, the only thing that had been replenished was the Fried Rice. No fingers, a couple scraps of spare ribs and chicken, etc. To top it off… it was cold. The flavor was alright, but made less so by not only the temperature but the presentation. Who wants to put food on their plate when it already seems like it has been sitting there for an eternity. Dried out, picked over…
Drinks were tasty and probably the best bet if you are looking to order something here. Delivered quickly, cold, and refreshing. I ordered a Mudslide as dessert and it was delicious. My date ordered a Scotch and Ginger at one point and it was delivered in a large pint glass. An interesting choice but who says no to such a large pour.
There is a parking lot on each side of the restaurant with a good deal of street space available as well. Easy to get to. Tickets for the show were $ 20 and easily paid for through PayPal online off the restaurants website.
I would return here in a heartbeat for a show but would be hesitant to plan for dinner again.

Sad
I used to like Chan’s. I still like the music venue that they have inside the restaurant. It is the only reason I gave this place another star. Cool concept to have a live show in a small intimate setting where you can get a scorpion bowl and watch a jazz or blues band.
Chan’s has the old fashioned tiki bar/​restaurant setup which I like. However, «what the hell happened to the food?» I’m not saying this used to be a 5 star restaurant but at the least the food was edible. Now it barely is.
Honestly, some of the worst Chinese food that I have had in a while. Everything seems old, brown colored, and all of the dishes taste the same. Bad!
How expensive is rice? Do you have to serve 3 day old reheated fried rice?
Chan’s is an example of a classic car with a blown engine.
Thanks

Ugh; fairly inexpensive and huge portions of greasy and tasteless food. However mega stars for being an awesome jazz/​blues club. I would go again for the music. but eat somewhere else first. We saw Anthony Gomes… who was awesome; intimate space.

Go with realistic expectations. This is «fine dining» in a Chinese restaurant in a small town. The food was good, thanks to the effective ordering techniques of two friends who ordered for the table. Nothing really stood out as needing to be ordered again but everything was good enough to eat. There is a bar, and they are inventive with their cocktails. Don’t order anything off menu unless you know how to make it. Their bartender could use an app if he/​she is unsure of the ingredients… Oh yeah, there’s a buffet, but order off the menu.
Be sure to check this place out before catching a show at Stadium Theater which is two blocks away. Also, FREE PARKING!

So me and my wife drove an hour to see Devon allman so since we were running late we decided to eat here as well big mistake. I am in 50’s so I have eaten a lot of Chinese food in my life and let me tell you this is by leaps and bounds the worst food I have ever had. certain items in menu state best in town totally laughable. place is awesome to see a show but please please take my advise do not eat there. I love to support chans but not by eating there.

In my opinion and everyones entitled to one chans is more for live music and drinks with is defenitley great but the food eaaaa not so much for me anyways

I’ve been going to Chan’s for 6 years now, but it’s NOT for the food! Lousy. Unless you plan on seeing a live show there (which are always world-​class acts), don’t go there just for Chinese. I once went up to the mostly-​empty buffet 5 times until I realized that they were not going to refill it at all. Not cool. On the upside, the drinks are strong and make you care less about the food. One of the best local venues to see live blues.

My family loves Chan’s!
Ever since I was young, I remember visiting Rhode Island and my mom talking about scorpion bowls. At the time, I was picturing her eating bugs. but now that I’m of age, I can finally partake! My cousins and I make a stop at Chan’s at least once every trip to drink the strong but delicious fruity bowls. I’ve never had a full meal, but typically we order a few appetizers for the table. My favorite is the crab rangoon! We also mix it up between the chicken wings, egg rolls, sweet & sour chicken, and the general chicken. Don’t come expecting gourmet Asian cuisine and you should be fine. I’ve never had anything there that I haven’t liked!
There are televisions at the bar to watch the game and a separate room for live entertainment. I can’t comment on that because I’ve never seen any of the bands they have playing. However, I do know that dozens of jazz and blues greats have graced the building. If you’d like a chance to perform on the same stage as the legendary Dizzie Gillespie, you can take a crack at open mic night once a month. This is a low-​key spot and we are always sure to have a blast at Chan’s!

I came here to see one of my all time favorite Blues guitarist and vocalist, Popa Chubby on May 8. I’m from San Diego CA and it just so happened the stars collided and I was close to Woonsocket and checked his show schedule and lo and behold, he was playing here, 2 shows on a Friday night, 8 PM and 10 PM. I bought two tickets for me and hubby for both shows ($ 25 for both vs. $ 22 for just one, so $ 50 for 2 people) because I was so excited. The only reason this place gets 4 stars is because of the music venue. If it was just food, it would get 0 stars.
First, I read all the reviews about the place, noting the discrepancies between people who came for music and those who came sadly, now in my opinion, for food. I tried to be as objective as possible. The food sucks: there is no other way to say it. But hub and I went for it because we thought it was fun for character purposes. Hub had the buffet, and it was pretty much MSG globbed food. I had a mixture of fried rice with even with my highest level reading glasses I could not discern some of the «meat» in the dish. The teriyaki beef appetizers? An hour longer and they would be beef jerky — seriously! The chow mein was, no kidding, those old almost cracker noodles with the omnipresent MSG goo with just celery pieces. I have had a lot of chow mein and the noodles, while fried, are not from a can.
The drinks: hub drinks beer and they had no IPAs which he didn’t appreciate but he survived and the prices were «reasonable» (but not as good as another Woonsocket neighborhood bar, Michael’s, which totally rocked and was really fun if you’re into that kind of thing). I had one beer then asked for just a Mai Tai (as I’d read and taken to heart the other Unilocalers who said their «Polynesian» drinks (to use that term very loosely)) were all juice and no alcohol. The server, who was very friendly and super attentive, said they had two: one that was less sweet with light rum and no grenadine, and another with dark rum and grenadine. I picked the latter and it was served in a pint glass. It was pretty much like a rum and pineapple juice with a stirrer with a cherry and a piece of canned pineapple on the end. Seriously, canned pineapple? You can get something just a bit fresher but guess that’s just me. But, it tasted okay and did have some alcohol in it which was just the amount that I needed. I ended up having two total and drank water too.
The music venue: in a word, awesome if you are into a small very intimate venue but with no dancing. I did my normal seat dancing, with a lot of upper body. There is a pretty long stage and the acoustics are surprisingly good. Popa Chubby was a trio, with him on lead (and oh did he lead) and a bass guitar and drums. My hub always wears ear plugs and enjoyed the sound level but I did not for this and it was great. We sat about 5 feet away from Popa Chubby and could see every move on the fret board, every pick and switch. Amazing.
The last thing that I would note is that there did not end up being two shows: only one. So John Chan the owner ended up milking an extra $ 3 per ticket so I would just be cognizant of that. That said, I would have paid double that to see Popa Chubby so up close and personal performing his latest album. I will probably not ever have that experience again (until we go see him in Tacoma WA which looks to be the closest venue to CA), and he did play from about 8:45 PM (traffic on the 95 and yes, Popa drives his own van himself!) until about 10:55 PM, and every song just rocked.
So overall, people that have been going to Chan’s for a long time or are just plain hungry would probably like the food for those reasons, but I am super generous in my food reviews and this was quite possibly the worst not only Chinese or Asian food I’ve ever had. But, the music venue was great, so you have to balance it out. I was concerned about getting a good seat (as John Chan does greet you and seat you) by being early and thought eating there would help but I would probably try to avoid eating there at all costs unless you think your music show is going to be heavily attended.

I have always enjoyed the Sesame Chicken dinner combo while listening to Poppa Chubby and other great acts. The food reminds me of Boston style Chinese food we often had when I was a kid.

I recently attended House of Chan Rest. in Woonsocket, RI before an 8:00 PM concert next door to the restaurant. I made 6:30 PM reservations, feeling we had plenty of time to have dinner and walk next door. I will never recommend this restaurant! We arrived on time, were seated right away. They were very busy so we were patient. However after 40 minutes I flagged down wait staff to get service. When our food finally arrived at 7:30, it was not how but almost cold.
I do not blame the wait staff, they were working very hard, I blame management. It is up to management to assign tables to wait staff.
I will never waste my money on House of Chan again.

«There are few times in life when a meal is so expertly crafted and planned that it’s nothing short of genius.» Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them. My girlfriend and I stopped in one night after a show at the Stadium Theatre. I had always heard about Chan’s but had never found the time to go. Since we were there already, we stopped in. James Montgomery was playing but the 2^nd (and last) set had already started. The owner (I think) was nice enough to charge us half price ($ 10) to get in. We walked through the double doors to one of the most unusual venues for music I’ve ever been to. We sat down on a bench along a long table and watched the odd mixture of people, furnishings, Chinese «art work» and incredible Blues. If you are an eclectic person, as I am, you would enjoy the atmosphere.
So why do I rate this only 3 stars? The food sucks. It’s probably the worst Chinese food I’ve ever had. Actually, it’s probably the worst food I’ve ever had period. Luckily, I’ve forgotten what I had. For a while it haunted my dreams. So if you go, skip the food, have a drink and enjoy the show.

The ony reason I’m giving this place 2 stars is the drinks. Great classic Chinese drinks with a good kick and a terrible headache the next day.
As for the food, it’s simply terrible! Rice is overcooked and seems like it’s been sitting all day long. Everything else was either dry (reheated) or tasted spoiled.
Will never eat there again.

The most disgusting Chinese food I’ve ever had!
I don’t know how anyone can make a vegan meal comprised of rice, veggies and tofu gross, but they managed to. I was completely sick the next morning from the after-​effect.
And there was this little old Asian lady wandering around. She sat down at my table and put her trash on it. Then someone who worked at the restaurant came and got her. I think she’s related to the people that own Chan’s. I feel bad for her situation but she shouldn’t be brought to a restaurant to be left unattended. It’s so unprofessional.

This is without a doubt the worst restaurant I have ever been to. My advice to all is to stay away and save your hard earned money !!!
The egg rolls were as hard as rocks, the beef teriyaki and boneless spare ribs were as tough as shoe leather and the vegetables looked and tasted at least a week old and as if that was not enough to make you sick, the owners mother was sitting in the dining room and spit up a lunger and spit it right on the dining room floor !!! Just thinking about our experience makes me sick !!! I would NOT of given it even one star if I didn’t have to !!!

The good: great place for jazz and drinks
Less good: they no longer seem to serve my favorite foods. The current offerings are ok but very ordinary.