Lucky Dragon

I passed by every day for work, tried it out for the first time without knowing what to expect. I was pleasently surprised by how amazing everything was. Staff is friendly and helpful too.

This is one of the only times I think a low star rating actually works out for a restaurant. Lucky Dragon is NOT where you go for General Tso’s chicken with a side of hot and sour soup. This place is more reminiscent of the family restaurants in Sichuan, China, where most food tastes completely different than what’s expected in the US. Lucky Dragon is probably the most authentic Sichuanese restaurant between LA and SF and the 3-star reviews left by confused Panda Express fans keeps this place one of the best hidden secrets in SB. You’ll be surrounded by Anthony Bourdain types and Chinese foreign exchange students who are craving the food of their homeland. If you know what WangLaoJi and MaPoTofu is then you’re good (they have both). If you don’t, they have photo menus (genius). I recommend the sautéed pea shoots, sichuan wontons, the dry hot pots, shredded potato (spicy version), cucumber salad, sautéed string beans. Everything is delicious. Prepare to get tingles all over! And if you’re looking for something a little more “tame,” that’s okay too, head to China Pavilion downtown.

Good food...but not the normal Chinese food so prepare yourself more of what you'd get in China...

Great spot for some Chinese food. If you ask for extra spicy be prepared to sweat. I would recommend the Dan Dan (mien) Noodles if you need to ease your way into new foods.