Shanghai Garden is by far one of the best Chinese restaurants in Denver. We recently went there for a company staff lunch, and were so impressed with the food, service & quality that we are already planning on having a company happy hour there next month. These guys are great – I’m actually surprised they don’t charge a lot more for what you get. Also, for a recommendation, try the Happy Family – it’s delicious!
- Natalie Henley, Findability Internet Marketing Denver
Another suburban stripmall eatery whose exterior doesn’t do it justice!
Shanghai Garden is definitely nicer than your average Chinese restaurant – you are greeted and seated by a proper hostess, tables have linen tablecloths and napkins, servers wear a smart-looking uniform, and there is lots of dark wood and carved panelling etc. The menu doesn’t offer many – if any – surprises though. We started off with egg rolls ($2.99 for two) which were, without a doubt, the best I have ever eaten. With a little dab of sweet and sour sauce and Chinese mustard, I could have eaten those suckers all night. For entrees, I chose Sesame Chicken, and he decided on his usual General Tso’s Chicken. Admittedly, these aren’t exactly complicated dishes to make, but they were really excellent – light and crispy batter, and all-white meat. My only complaint was that while the menu indicated these were spicy dishes, in fact they were not at all. Servings were extremely generous.
Recommended!
By Caroline C.
Always a favorite. The food is fresh and tasty!!
Def the spot if U R in the mood for some GOOD quality food without all the fancy shmancy B.S. (and still expect things to be all clean-like too). Been coming for years. Usually for lunch to catch up with an old friend, but I’m sure it is also a good date destination too.
Oh yeah, the best part…. its a super good deal!!! Lunch is less than $10 and its a big ol’ plate that comes with soup, rice, tea, etc.
Yummm……..
By sammi c.
Best takeout Chinese food I have found so far in the Littleton area. Very friendly staff and fast service. I highly recommend this restaurant.
By Dave F.
I have been coming here since I was 5. It is a family owned business and is the best Chinese food. The food is amazing and I always leave there happy. I wish they would bring back the weekend buffet though. The hot and sour soup is divine and egg rolls (not the ones that come with the lunch special) are very tasty. I always order the same few things: Sesame Chicken – the chicken is so tender and the sauce is on the sweeter side, Mongolian Beef – again the meat is tender — not like the Mongolian beef at PF Changs, Chicken in Garlic Sauce – all the ingredients are shredded, so very easy to eat or Beef and Broccoli – again tender meat. Just make sure if you like things spicy that you ask for them to make it extra spicy.
By Amanda N.
I would drive past several Chinese restaurants to get my take out from here. The best Crab Rangoon I’ve had. The dumplings are also fantastic. The various entrees I’ve had are consistantly good. Just what I’m looking for in a take out Chineses place. I never did stop to eat in, but the dining area looked nice.
I reccomend this place to anyone in the area…
By Rob T.
Don’t let the construction scare you away from checking this place out. It’s worth navigating a few orange barrels.
I was craving Sweet and Sour Chicken and this was some of the best I’ve had in a while; other reviews mentioned the meat being nice and tender and I totally agree. The Man had Szechuan Pork, which was great–the sauce had just the right amount of salty flavor. I wasn’t in a drinking mood but there were lots of tasty looking drinks on the menu. Their eggrolls were excellent and quite large.
The service was very good. All the waitresses seemed very friendly, they were nice to us and had a chatty relationship with some regulars as well. The atmosphere was pleasant and relaxing. It seems like it would be a nice casual date actually. Check out the fish with the crazy head while you’re there.
By Elizabeth M.
Ever since I read the “Fortune Cookie Chronicles” I’ve had a new appreciation for strip mall Chinese restaurants like this. True, there’s a certain cookie-cutter style to these kinds of eateries, with static menus, but there’s still room for variation in quality, and Shanghai Garden is top notch. I can still remember, as a kid, when this restaurant was in Southglenn mall. The defining feature, at a young age, was the fish tank washed in a dull, industrial blue light, itself supported by an abundantly cheery, and strong, Buddha.
The new place, across the street from the hopeless mess of a mall in construction is much more out of the way, less visible, but still very firm in the tradition of the mall Chinese place. Vaguely Chinese tiles, gold and yellow, dusty blinds, paper tablecloths, and a menu that’s been replicated a million times over. Yup, just as I would have expected. But I craved “Chinese” and I knew this would have it.
I ordered one of the lunch plates, chicken with garlic sauce, served with a small bowl of hot and sour soup, an egg roll, a generous helping of white rice and of course the entree. The rice was good, slightly chewy but flavorful. The egg roll was nothing special, but not bad. The hot and sour soup was the best I’ve had a long, long while, and really hit the spot after an exhausting holiday season. And the chicken with garlic sauce was tender, just spicy enough, with a lot of flavor and a generous portion. My dining partner ordered the same, except for brown rice in place of the white rice, and the mu shu chicken, all of it also delicious. Add to this a wonderfully calming if bland complimentary pot of tea (sort of like jasmine tea) and the token fortune cookies and you have a fine, fine Chinese restaurant.
By Pendleton F.
Awesome Chinese food (this is where we eat when we want good takeout). Unfortunately they don’t have delivery (that I know of)
Consistently Great Chinese Food!
By Movie L.
If you want to dine in or pick up this resturant won’t disappoint! My family has been ordering from this resturant since it was in SouthGlen Mall. It moved once construction started @ the mall and the fresh quality of their food has never changed. It is just delicious! Last year we ordered Chinese for our Christmas dinner. Fabulous!!! Our kids thought it was wonderful enough to do it again this year!!!
You will love it!!!
by net69
Very Suprising!
I ate at thins fine establishement last Friday with a few friends, and I was so suprised to find out the great quality and cleanliness of the resteraunt. Over the years I have shyed away from Chinese resteraunts in the Denver area because of the grease, and msg, but this place had none of that. The food actually had a taste and was fresh. The entire service staff was friendly and promt, almost too promt. I seems like we were in and out of there in an hour!
by brockthecarpenter
Excellent quality Chinese restaurant
I love going to Shanghai garden. My girlfriend and I always get the crab cheese wontons. They’re amazing. Love the renovation… have been going for years. Never a disapointment. Great for dates, business, and family gatherings.
by realgren
Excellent Choice!
Great atmosphere and beautiful setting!
Whether you more laid-back or would like to conduct a meeting over lunch this is an excellent spot to go. It gets crowded after lunch, so parking and seating may become limited.
by sweet_1luv