mao's kitchen Reviews

I ate here almost every night and some of the days when i stayed last year, boy oh boy they do not scrimp on quantity and certainly not quality, i cannot recommend the chicken fried rice enough, it's devine and i eat chinese all the time, but this is the best of the best, it;s right across from wonderful hostel venice beach and if the hostel didn't have free dinner i would have eaten at Maos even more, they have other great dishes but my favourite was one i dined on most, enormous bowels of soup, when i finished drinking it i bathed my feet, i got a few funny looks though.. i just told them i was a tourist

This place is always busy, and every time I go I am reminded why I keep coming back. The food is delicious, very tasty and good size portions, and a really good value in Venice, where it can be difficult to find good food that isn't overly priced. Don't expect much in the way of aesthetics or nice utensils, it's all the about the food, as it should be.

Soggy wontons, gluggy coating (batter apparently) for sweet and sour pork, stiff noodles, very salty (we are all very thirsty -suspect MSG). We ordered crispy wontons, hong kong noodles, sweet and sour pork and wonton soup. We have been travelling through the states for a month, eating out at least twice a day and we had just been saying at lunch that we were yet to have a bad meal. Spoke too soon. I have never given a negative review and feel a bit bad but it was not just one dish, it was all four. Very expensive for what it was, even more so given a significant proportion did not get eaten.

Loved this place, very cool, no pretence, rough round the edges place. Great fresh food. Good music. And BYO too so a real winner for us :0)

Cute place, nice service. My husband and I got dishes that are simple vegetable dishes with a protein added and we enjoyed those. My two boys each got dishes with sauces and said that they were a little too salty - quite a statement considering they usually like salty foods.

Love to eat on the sidewalk and people watch here. The food is good and reasonably priced considering where it’s located; in the heart of the touristy area of Venice Beach. The mushroom dumplings are my favorite item on the menu.

Went to this place for the first time the other day, and was pleasantly surprised. It's not bad for quick, flavorful Chinese food without the post-MSG effect.

Fantastic, the food is excellent and for a very reasonable price which is not common in this part of the world. You can bring you own wine which again makes it affordable and there is a very good wine cellar nearby.

The food is super good, and cheep as well. The portions are american sized (huge) definitely worth a try

Noticed we were the only asians there. That was the clue we chose to ignore, regretfully. If you are looking for authentic chinese or even american chinese suitable for asian taste dont go. Orange ginger chicken which people seemed to recommend most tasted like ketchup stir-fry and maopo tofu was too bland and not spicy enough.

What a cool place, love the high ceilings. This is definitely an old building given the architecture. Once we arrived we were immediately greeted by a nice busser who then seated us. Quickly brought us water and fried wonton pieces with a yummy sweet an sour type dipping sauce. Our waitress, whose name completely escaped my memory but is a fellow special ed. teacher, was outstanding! We actually shared with her that we had a poor meal down the street at the taco place. She asked which one and we told her. She said she had a similarly disappointing experience. But we move on and have dumplings and hot & sour soup. The steamed dumplings were chicken. The filling had good flavor. Sometimes the meat inside can be bland but not these. My only issue is the thickness of the dumpling skin. Too much for me but others will like. The dipping sauce did not disappoint. The hot & sour was delicious! Had lots of tofu, bamboo, an mushrooms. So yummy. We enjoyed a Chrysanthemum and ginger tea which was earthy and just the right amount of spicy. I took pictures of the tea leaves when we were done so I can read them later. We will be back to try the homemade noodles in the main dishes. Another large group was having them and they looked delicious!

Some of the best Chinese food we've ever had. The Orange/Ginger Chicken was outstanding. A bit pricey (for Chinese), and very busy (not surprising considering its location). Good to order carryout and enjoy elsewhere.

I live right across from Mao's Kitchen and it is such a treat. Even if I moved I would still order from Mao's. The food is always fresh and they have delicious vegan options as well. I love the chow mein, the eggplant, and the fried rice! The young lady in the front is so friendly and gives great suggestions and it's also a cool spot to dine in. If you are near Venice Beach check out Mao's

Fairly decent quality chinese, with above average ingredients. Plenty of good vegetarian options. Reliable delivery on the westside; never been more than an hour. Best part of this little hip place is it's BYOB.

Never had such a bad food. Never mind the place itself that doesn't bring much appetite, but when you are hungry and you want to eat quickly, then you compromise. This was really a bad choice. Tasteless food and the whole place was like a kitchen in the back of some storage or something that doesn't even feel like it's a restaurant.

Loved this place! What a thrill to go to an Asian restaurant that doesn't have the same tired choices. The menu had some great new options and almost every dish allowed you to choose your protein. We started with shrimp rolls for an appetizer - nice and light and not heavily battered. We then had the rice noodles with vegetables and the Mao hometown special - which had thin barbecued tofu with mushrooms and vegetables we added shrimp. I think it was $11!!!! We could have split it!!! A must go or take out!

Thank you Tripadvisor for helping me find this fun place to get Chinese food in Venice Beach. I arrived late on a Sunday evening and the place was very busy. I ate alone and was seated at a table in front of the windows on the sidewalk outside. The people watching was fun and the area was very lively. The waitress was helpful in assisting me to order. I had the Shrimp and spinach roll which for $2.00 was a great deal and it was delicious. The order of fried rice with chicken was a huge portion and loaded with tender chicken. The Weiwuer lamb with sea salt, cumin & chili powder, sliced lamb, cashew, jicama, onion & cilantro - fast cooked in a wok, also a large portion for only $12 was well spiced and the jicama and cashews added a great crunch. I left with two big boxes of the rest of the fried rice and lamb. The service was fast considering how busy it was and the food terrific, definitely worth a visit if you are in Venice Beach.

The service is very friendly, attentive and accommodating. There were free chips that reminded me of Swiss carnival chuechli. The spring rolls were big tasted great (not oily) and my curry was also very good. The portions are very generous (I had enough left for an extra lunch) and for L.A. what the food cheap.

We went to Mao's twice, even though we were only in Venice for a short time. The atmosphere is great, and the food was fantastic and very affordable. The $1 spring rolls are excellent to start - we were going to order 6 between the 2 of us but luckily the helpful waiter advised us that they were a large size so we got 4 which was more than enough, they were surprisingly large. I had the spinach salad with chicken which was only $9 and was the largest serving I have ever seen! Fresh ingredients, great taste and free fortune cookies at the end of the meal were a nice touch. Great to find a healthy & affordable option.

Had a nice lunch here while visiting Venice. It’s a little off the main road, but worth the walk. Quaint, with a limited menu, but very eclectic choices. Ended up sharing portions of our meals, as they were a good size. Reasonable prices.

It is a good chinese, but not great. Service was good, ambient is not that good. Felt that it was a little on the dirty side. Food was good, but nothing special. If you're in the area and hungry, well, give it a shot.

Don't come here for dinner for 2. And not for shrimp in lobster sauce. This is an individual's place. They serve items I had never seen before and they were all good. This was our second time there. It won't be our last. The atmosphere is looking for an atmosphere. Don't come for the ambiance. The service was top notch. Parking is always a probelm around Melrose. They also have lunch specials. This is

Amazing Asian food, super fresh and tasty and really well priced particularly for the Venice area. The interior is really cute and more upmarket that the photos look. Staff were super friendly and it’s BYO.

Had lunch with a friend who recommended this place, everything on the Venice walk was overcrowded. Upon entering, I thought it would be another overpriced, touristy beach place. Very glad to say, I was wrong. The food was excellent, up there with San Francisco Chinatown, portions are huge, and you get to choose what kind of meat to add to the dish. I recommend the shrimp spinach spring rolls, and pork dumplings. The soup we had was large enough to split between two people, broth was rich and flavorful, vegetables tender, not overcooked. Service was great. Definate must.

pretty good and open past midnight!

Was a great quick healthy meal. Cheap too. Large servings. Definitely recommend , easy to find location on a major intersection

Mao's Kitchen Venice We spontaneously visited Maoˋs Kitchen, a few minutes' walk from our hotel on Venice Beach. The urban-style restaurant won us over with the ambiance, the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the food. Everything is freshly made, so nothing canned. We all ordered a portion of Orange Ginger Chicken (19 on menu) $17.00, Sweet and Sour Pork (21) $15.00 and Fried Rice (17) $12.00 and Homemade Ginger Ale $6.00 each for sharing. Everything tasted great. However, the portions were so large that there was still a whole meal in the dogy bag and, at our request, it was made available for homeless people and so foode wait could be avoided.

It is hard to believe, you are in Venice Beach, and there is no GREAT place to sit down and eat....until we saw the sign saying MAO's Kitchen....lol...so we head in and sat there and ordered couple dishes....Now that I read the reviews, they talked about slow service....oh ya, very slow...I mean, we were the only ones in there and we got our food, at least 20 mins after the order was taken (watch for your parking meter expiring)....the food is OK, nothing exceptional...I ordered the Weiwuer Lamb, it was a tad under cooked (at 1pm should have been overlooked), my wife ordered the Coconut pork.....it was so hot (temperature wise) she couldn't eat it (even after half hr., it was steaming) so she eat some of mine and the Eggplant beef (very good) instead and we packed hers to go....would we go back? Probably NOT.

only been to the one of melrose

Stumbled by this place accidentally and went in because it was busy. The food was amazing! Really cheap, big portions and great service.

Mao's Kitchen is informal and welcoming, and you can bring your own beverages, if preferred! We ordered soup and lettuce cups, and a few other appetizers.. and were too full for main courses! Generous servings, fresh and flavourful.

Took my fussy kids to Mao's and they really enjoyed the huge servings, service was a bit slowe but not really too long as the evening was a long weekend and they were really busy. The servings are really generous and taste as great as real Chinese food in Beijing.Really enjoyed the evening

Mao's is a local favorite for classic American style Chinese food. I pretty much always order the orange chicken and the amount of meat they serve is crazy. There's almost always leftovers! I have recommended Mao's to friends and they've all enjoyed it, too.

I have been at Mao's sooooo many times and it has always been consistent. Best Chinese food at very affordable prices. Large portions. The only "bad" thing to me is that when it is full.....it gets very noisy and it's hard to speak and hear others.....other than that......it's one of my FAV restaurants!!!!!

When you go somewhere for 2 dinners of 6, you know it’s good. My sister recommended this spot, and she was right! We had the lettuce wraps, sweet and sour pork and lamb dish with coriander the first night. Just too much food. The lettuce wraps for me and the pork dish for him would have been enough! The lamb dish, while tasty, does not taste like Chinese food (if that’s what you’re looking for). Once I got it out of my mind that this is not Chinese, I appreciated the dish. It is more of a Middle-Eastern dish. The second time, we got the Sesame Yam Beef to accompany a 4th of July BBQ dinner and it was SO tasty! Also love the traditional Chinese restaurant to go containers! I wish I could package them and bring them back with us ☺

Very relaxed Chinese / Asian restaurant with some interesting dishes. Excellent flavours - everything freshly cooked. Great sized portions at a reasonable price - and you can bring your own beer & wine with no corkage fee. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Had good lamb, my son delicious noodles, place full of people eating stuff that looked and smelled great! And took leftovers home, huge portions! They deliver too :)

I haven't tried everything on the menu because the first thing I tried, the orange peel chicken was so delicious. If you like ginger ask for extra and you will kick the orange peel chicken up a notch. Also if you prefer things a little spicier I recommend the spicy mustard and red chile sauce. The dumplings are great as well as the hot and sour soup. I lived in Marina Del Rey for 4 years and somehow never tried Mao's. After relocating to the heart of Venice Beach and discovering the restaurant is within walking distance of home and open late (til 3am), I am addicted. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Chinese food especially those that love non greasy Chinese food. Also it can cut down on alcohol costs when dining out because it's BYOB.

We have eaten at Mao's on each of our Cali trips (3x now) and it never disappoints!! Absolutely delicious Chinese food and a great atmosphere, plus it's great value! Definitely one of our favourite places to eat!

Conveniently located near Venice Beach. Mao's Kitchen offers a wide variety of dishes with very authentic flavors and seasonings. Very casual. Look for their daily lunch specials on the menu. We have been to Mao's Kitchen several times and have never been disappointed. Enjoy!

Nothing much to rave about. It speaks its name.. peasant food although the Mao noodles - has a Indonesian twist though which makes it different. Good for tourists ...

First night in Santa Monica was at a local Italian place, 'thirty-six bucks for 4 bones' was the big joke. So we were in a bit of a shock at the prices and less-than-stellar food in the area. Luckily a friend we were visiting asked to meet us at Mao's. It is a hole-in-the-wall kind of place." A" rating by the health department. Tables and chairs are old. Pot shop across the street. Some unsavory types walking by. We had a short wait on our FIRST night. Manager was very nice. The plates of food were overflowing, the food was tasty and tasted fresh. Waitresses were unique, friendly and knowledgeable. The place is rather noisy so if you are looking for quiet romance forget it. But it had a cool vibe and we really liked it, 3 grown-ups and 2 teenagers. Liked it enough to bring our large cousin contingent 2 nights later. It was even more crowded/longer wait the second time, probably due to the popularity and the busier time for dinner, which for us was kinda on the later side.So you have to amuse yourself with the passers-by. Once again, the manager was great, took care to accommodate our party of 7, which ain't easy in this little place. Age range in our party 15-53. Everybody was happy with the selection, quality and quantity of food for a super reasonable price! They have non-alcoholic choices, the coolest one was their home-made ginger ale! You CAN bring your own beer and wine if you want. This is one of the places that you want to rave about but almost don't want to tell anyone because you think you'll NEVER get a table then! But I caved and posted for my fellow tripadvisor community. If you like funky local places, go here for sure. Some of the other reviews shed plenty of light on the actual menu so read those too.

I know Mao's since many years, but we have been gone for a few years back to Europe. So a few days ago I walked with my kids back from the beach and decided to have lunch at Maos. I got really exited about it because I always liked their food. The chicken ginger is one of their best dishes, the sesame beef, but i like almost all of them. So I gave it a try with my kids. To begin with, wen you know the beach is around, you dont want to sit right next to a very, very noisy street and an even more noisy bus stop! During my waiting time I regretted to sit outside, but since I had a double stroller with me, I had no choice. But when the food came, I knew again why I like the place so much, it is addictive. It is just a fun, unusual, tasty way to prepare chinese food and the people that hang out there and work there are just COOL and fun to watch, I like the scene: surfers, creatives, ad agency people, locals. The lunch is a real bargain, it is a lot of food, you can choose two out of three: soup, salad, spring roll + the entree for ca. 8$ It is so much food, i always eat the left overs next day or evening. It is definitely NOT a place for business nor is it very romantic, but actually it can be a kind of cool and romantic on a date (my husband took me there, it's just a casual, easy feeling)

We went a couple of times to Maos Kitchen which is located perfectly right at the entrance to Venice Beach. The food they serve there is just perfect! Really tasty!! We orderd a noodle and once a rice dish. Both were really good. (Try the spring rolls, they are huge!!) The stuff there is also really friendly. We gave them always a big tip (; I hope I'll have the chance to go there again.

Nice relaxed eatery in Main Street. Generous portions and good value prices. Fried rice was enough for three and excellent coconut curry. Worth a try if you're in the neighbourhood.

I've become inured to the standard offering of hot and sour soup in Chinese restaurants, from smaller Mom and Pop spots to the "big box" offerings like PF Chang's. This soup is a staple of my order at any Chinese restaurant. So I am in H&S heaven over Mao's Kitchen's version! This soup has all the flavor, texture, and "umami" an H&S lover desires...don't miss it! Also, the "Dan Dan Noodles", ordered spicy with ground beef and house-made noodles was fantastic. Too big for one person to finish alone...so bring a date!

I wasn't very fond of chinese food until I found this place. Best dumplings I've ever had. Ginger chicken was perfectly seasoned: perfect balance between sweet and salty. Everything is homemade and fresh. The service was also very good. I will surely come back.

Mao's Kitchen has been around a while, and it seems to stay consistent by most measures, Not outstanding, really, but fills the bill when you're looking for a good lunch with non-hipster prices in the area. Nice atmosphere inside. Nothing too surprising or exciting for me here, but decent-good food and service every time.

Arrived at Venice Beach and ready to eat but couldn't immediately see an appealing eatery. Walked one block away from the beach and saw Mao's Kitchen. At the time of our visit, about 2.30pm, the place was empty but thought we'd try it. We were immediately made welcome. Jannelle made recommendations from the menu. Our two dishes plus brown rice were more than enough for the two of us and deliciously fresh and tasty and $26 for the lot including fresh ginger tea and complementary wonton snacks with dipping sauce. By the time we left, several tables were occupied and all the meals coming out looked great. We would definitely return.

Amazing food, sketchy ambience, outrageous 20% gratuity imposed. I am happy to tip but don't impose a charge that you don't show on your menu. Very sad because food is tasty and helpings generous.

Chinese restaurant not far from the seafront of Venice, in a fairly quiet area. Young, informal but well maintained, interesting dishes and good value for money. It does not serve alcohol but it is not necessarily a problem. Hearty and tasty courses. Promoted!

The food was great. The amount of food you receive was fantastic. I was able to eat leftovers after a night of drinking. The prices and selection are great.

Serves a range of good dishes. Handles vegetarian well and generally convivial atmosphere.

Mao's Kitchen was one of our favorite spots to hit for lunch, with delicious gingerale, handcrafted, huge plates of food, and low prices. It had the easiness of the Venice Beach experience without too much trendy put-off quality, and quirky decorations that made you feel it was a local place. The food was really good, fresh and plentiful. I recommend it highly!

Read some reviews on take out taking forever. And others saying worth the wait....no, I don't think so. Whoever expedites orders there should seek a career change. We figured we wanted to eat light before an early bedtime staying at a hotel 2 blocks away. Ordered steamed dumplings and a SALAD. Was told 35 minutes. Arrived 40 minutes later to be told they are backed up & need another 20 minutes. Let me stress now 1 appetizer and a SALAD. Also mentioned once on the phone and twice in person staying at the hotel. Left and came back 25 minutes later. Was told salad ready dumplings in 5 minutes. 12 minutes and order ready. So close to an hour 20 minutes... walked halfway back to hotel and decided to check for utensils. None. Not a napkin, fork, or chopstick. Glad I checked. So the food - dumplings full of ground chicken and nothing else. Seriously lacking seasoning, apparently the unremarkable dipping sauce was supposed to make up for that. The salad was better, bland chicken in abundance plus lots of veggies, and again lackluster dressing. I so wanted this Mao's to be as good as the now closed location we visited a few years ago. What a disappointment. Just a fair warning...if they tell you take out is more than 20 minutes, rethink your decision because they cannot be counted on to deliver under stress.

Gummy, overcooked noodles, boring spring rolls, kung pao chicken that has way too many bell peppers in it. Not a single chinese cook or wait person to be seen. This is not one of LAs best chinese restaurants.

We usually order to go, but you can also eat there. The place is super clean and the service great. If you want you can call in and pick up your order as well. There are also ways to have it delivered, but I have not done that. We just ate there again this week. It is just great Chinese food. Everything is fresh, they go get new veg. everyday. Their dumplings are some of the best I have had. So yummy. All their curry dishes are great and if you are vegan they have food for you--lots of it. Enjoy.

We ordered from this takeaway for delivery on 23 July 2016, when the food arrived it was cold and very greasy and we had to put most of it straight in the bin. I would not advise using this take away when staying in Venice Beach.

So good to eat some great Asian food here in Venice. A cool building. Great service. The place was very busy and the take out was flying out the door so to me that is a great sign. Big serves and very reasonably priced. We couldn't finish it all so took the left overs with us. They don't serve alcohol but let you bring your own. I will be back again for sure

Tiny, funky place in the heart of Venice Beach. Portions were huge and delicious. Basic Chinese food, without all of that pan-asian/fusion chaos. Great prices, too.

being married to a Chinese man and eating good Chinese food often, this is awful!!! Considering how many millions of people Mao killed, we should have known better.

I stumbled onto this place by accident. I was expecting to eat Chinese that night, but thought why not. Simple but modern menu. Friendly server. The prices can't be beat! They have a $1 salad and $1 egg rolls that are bigger than I've ever seen in a restaurant! Modern, communist/sort of utilitarian design and decor which was cool and made me feel hip for a 42 year old. ;) Also, be sure to try the homemade ginger ale, which is amazing. I liked the food so much I went back for lunch my last day in town. I had the orange chicken and the vegetable lo mein with wheat noodles. My only criticism would be that the desserts list is not too appealing and the brown rice isn't great. Other than that, I loved it. Would highly recommend.

I haven't been in the one in melrose ave but mao's is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Venice. It could be a bit over-priced at times, esp when i know of better places in san gabriel and chinatown for chinese food but i still appreciate the ambiance, the food, and the location.

We stopped here after exploring the Venice Beach area for dinner. The atmosphere is casual and the food is great and authentic. They had a lot of very nice veggie options.

Despite the name it is a friendly place to have a dinner: good food (looks really chinese), cheap, fast..just a thing: they do not serve alcoholic drinks, but you can bring your own

I live next door so needless to say I order from here alot. Great flavors and HUGE portions. They have mixed up my order a few times, but probably only because they are always busy. Try the Dan Dan noodles and thank me later!

Do yourself a favor and get a big dinner at Maos and then walk the Venice Canals (a few blocks south.) You will chose your own protains with every dish. I highly recommend trying the smoked tofu My favorite dishes: Eggplant (I get the smoked tofu as my protein) Orange chicken (yes, I get chicken here) Propaganda Pamphlets Dollar salad

Mao's Kitchen has been a go-to place for us for many years so it's even more disappointing to have such a poor experience. Despite the place being far from crowded, the service was, frankly, bad. The staff initially ignored our requests to order. When we did, the food delivered was not what we ordered. When we explained this we were told that it was our fault as we had not understood the menu. The food itself also seemed as if it had gone down in quality. There's a strong feeling that the place has stopped trying as it doesn't need to, given its proximity to the Boardwalk. There are lots of other good places nearby and we'll be going to those instead in the future.

We went ro mao's after being dissapointed by what abbot kinney had on offer. We arrived pretty late on a monday. Service wasn't anything special but food arrived quickly. The portions were large and we agreed that it would be the perfect place for a large group to share different plates. I took 2/3 of my meal home in a box. Good fast food, cool setting, nice and casual goid for friends.

casual setting with great Chinese food - not that glutinous, salty stuff people try to pass off as chinese. The Sesame Yams are delicious!

Went here on a Monday evening about 7.30 and managed to get the last table for me, my wife and 2 kids. The atmosphere is really buzzing with a good mixture of families, couples and groups. Service was snappy and the food really tasty. The portions are pretty big so good for sharing. This is a BYOB place but the jasmine tea was pretty good anyway. Highly recommended.

This place was my favourite restaurant while we visited California. It was 5 of us and we had so much leftover food we had to take some home to have the next day. Food was too good to let it go to waste! Highly recommend their vegetarian curry it was really amazing.

Really enjoyed the food, pork dumplings were excellent. However had to get it to go as its a small place with limited seating. Line for a table was super long. So can't comment on th e service but loved the food!

Not much to say. Delicious authentic Chinese food for a very good price. Service, for Americans, can be a bit bare bone, but i still think that is part of the experience.

This place is very affordable and tasty but can get very busy (last time we waited for 45 minutes for our order!). They let you bring your own wine!

There is NOTHING fancy about Mao's Kitchen in Venice, Ca. But, the service is great and the food is wonderful. The prices are very reasonalbe ($1 for a veggie spring roll.) We had orange chicken and shrimp lo mein. Both were delicious. The white rice was perfect and the jasmine tea perfectly brewed and plentiful. Great reasonably priced meal.

Visiting from east coast. Mao’s came highly recommended from friends in LA. Orange-Ginger shrimp was the best that I ever had.

There are two Mao in LA, I tried both and they're really a good deal, big plate and reasonable price.

The food was okay, nothing special. But the waitress was super unfriendly and said every time when she came to our table how busy she is. One of our friend received his food when the rest of our group had almost finished. She was annoyed when she brought the Food because I was not sure if it was mine or not. She put the plate on the table and while she walked away she said „oh my gosh“. She enforced us to give 20% tip, Which would have been way too much for the poor service.

This was an amazing meal, my family and I eat a lot of Asian food, and this was probably one of the best I’ve had. Nothing was too greasy and the flavours were spot on. Between the four of us we ordered two mains and two starters and that was plenty. The wontons were delicious!! It was also a nice touch bringing out the chips with dip at the start. Would highly recommend this place!

I visited Mao's as it was across the road from my hostel. Great plate of chow fun & very good service. Free wonton chips, water & fortune cookie. Go there if you like asian food nicely & simply done.

Mass Revolution themed Chinese restaurant with uncommon ( for the US) common dishes. Friendly occidental staff. Tasty food. Reasonable prices. Local (Venice Beach) laid-back favorite. Mao-era food and ambiance.

After a morning at the beach I walked over a block to try and find some food. The name caught my attention and I decided to give it a go. The food is good and plentiful, very affordable. What made an already good experience better was the service, our server was fantastic. Friendly, kind, and attentive. It was nice to get away from the chaos of the tourist traps and find this gem. I ate too much and didn't have an ounce of guilt.

This is Asian ..... .....that really hits the spot. The menu is very original. The food, lean and spicy. I was so impressed with the originality of the dishes. We could not get a table so settled for takeaway.

Won ton soup was great, served in a huge bowl with lots of fresh veggies. Lettuce wrap appetizer was enough for 6. All entries were fresh and hot. BYOB Server was very helpful and cute.

Terrible place. Go there if you enjoy loud unpersonal places with terrible food which is missing the ingredients that where supposed to be in your dinner ... hated it

This Chinese restaurant is quite different from most of the others in the Los Angeles area, which are usually Cantonese style. This one featured lettuce wraps and Singapore-style street noodles which they call curry rice stick. Every dish was very flavorful and the portions were abundant. I highly recommend you eat here if you're visiting the beach communities of Venice, Palms, Santa Monica, or Pacific Palisades. The decor is nothing to write home about, but it is serviceable. It's a small, hole-in-the-wall type of place next to a vintage clothing shop (really a thrift store) and just a couple of blocks from the Venice Board Walk along the beach. Be aware that public lot parking is extremely expensive - $25-35 per day. Look for a free spot on the street and walk to the restaurant.

Randomly popped into this little gem looking for a quick bite to eat. Even though they was about to close, they let us take a seat. When we ordered the waitress looked a little shocked to what me and my friend ordered. She said that the portions are really generous but we stuck with what we ordered. When the food came out we was then shocked our selves to see how much food portions we was given. But as a trooper me and my friend demolished the food in true style. So my only recommendation is that if you're going here is to check what you're ordering because the food sizes are generous with the great pricing. All in all I'm glad I stumbled across here on my travels. And the lady with the dark hair the served us was amazing too and so friendly.

We went for an early dinner, the menu was comprehensive and the prices extremely reasonable, we opted for Beijing spring roll and peasants onion pancake followed by black bean tofu with vegetables and black bean shrimp with vegetables and brown rice. The food was very tasty, service was amazing and friendly, and takeout boxes were provided for leftovers to take home. Cost was $36 for 2, we drank water but you can also BYO. Highly recommended and they are open from lunch to very late.

We ordered the pot stickers, lamb dish and Peace not War soup. Everything was very fresh tasting but I would have liked more vegetables in the lamb and soup. Really neat locals place very close ot our hotel Erwin.Would go again for sure.

We stopped here after visiting Venice Beach. I thought the food was terrible. We ordered the pancake, which we could not eat, and the pot stickers were dry and tasteless—not what I know pot stickers as. So very disappointing.

It was mediocre at best. Two things I tried to order were not available. The food portions were huge but I would rather have smaller portions and better quality (or lower prices).

Every item on the menu is full of robust flavor......try EVERYTHING! I guarantee you'll love it. I had the lamb dish and it was so succulent. The portions are huge and the price really great for Venice beach, which is usually overpriced.

Walking to our place we rented from the beach and stopped in Mao's to get carry out. Have never been there so when we got our order, we opened the bag up outside on their table to see what we actually got. We decided to take a taste of it out of the box but after a taste the rude hostess with the long dark hair came out and told us we couldn't EAT OUT OF THE BOX!! She just simply said, you cannot eat out of the box at their table! Nothing else, like, I'm sorry, but could you please save the seats for customers that want to eat here..etc. I was shocked that she said that to me and my daughter and I looked at her, like what did you say? She then said that we would have to give a tip if we sat there and ate. I paid the guy at the front when I ordered and I actually added a tip in on my credit card which I don't think she knew this or not but I did pay a tip! I told the guy when I paid that we wanted it carry out but wanted a few bites to taste it and he never said we couldn't do that! We put our stuff in the bag and got up from the table and walked the rest of our way. Actually the food wasn't as good as it was made out to be either. I guess rude workers made the food untasty. Pretty disappointed my day.

Good atmosphere lots of young people. Service was fast and efficient but not pushy. Good menu choice Great value - infact really cheap considering the amount of food! Portions huge!!!

Let me start by saying my family loves PF Chang's. So that's kind of our benchmark if Chinese food is good or not. The portions here were large enough to share family style. We could have only ordered 3 entrees for the 5 of us. The food was very good but had one or two unusual flavors in our dishes. We order standards like Kung Pao Chicken and Lo Mein noodles.

Looking for a quick feed for a starving but food savy 15 year old that would also cover his coeliac father and chanced upon Mao's. Owner was very friendly and on top of gluten free options on her menu, 3 only but a reasonable choice. Service was reasonable given the number's in the building. Food was very good for the price. Mains 10-12 dollars. Servings huge for LA and flavoursome. Empty plate's from the both us summarised our appreciation.

Good Chinese food but cheap eats. Great for lunch. Colorful and fun communist concept. Healthy options as well.

It is place for friends date in darkness :-) hahaha, not Mao's dishes. I spent one hour find the place and left most of stuff in plate. 太难吃啦！哈哈哈。

Worst customer service ever. Shouted at down the phone, refused to answer questions or to read the order back. Called back to let them know and still received terrible response. Cancelled the order. As customers we should not have to sit here and be treated badly.

I have never been in this restaurant before, but usually i am in venice at least couple of times every month! Last time i was in venice for business and the person who i was with , asked me if i wanted to try something new, so we head to Mao's kitchen, portion are right, food is super tasty ( and chinese is not one of my fav) and we tried different thing , sharing everything, was so ggod that we forgot about business for at least one hour!

We (two parents and a 16-year old) visited Mao's for a weekday lunch. The outside (just off Venice Boardwalk) is unprepossessing, but the inside is clean and decorated in keeping with the communist China theme. The server was attentive and we were served in a reasonable amount of time. The food was a good value and we'd definitely come again. The Dan Dan Mian was very tasty, and the lowly fried wontons were surprisingly good. The onion pancake didn't stand out, but the sesame and yam chicken was a great mix of the root veg and the chicken, with fresh crispy string beans.

We came in here by chance and the food was really delicious! The portions seem a bit large so I would come back here, but maybe share a main with someone else. However the food is well cooked and tasty, thank you :)

Mao's Kitchen in Venice is a delight for those who enjoy tasty no-frills Chinese food. In the style of many good Chinese restaurants the staff are assertive and helpful, happily providing feedback on the quantity and quality of the menu items. We were advised to cut down on appetisers to avoid filling up too soon, and thank heavens as the starter of delicious potstickers was main-course sized! Sweet & sour chicken and Singapore fried noodles were excellent and finished us off! You'll have to bring your own wine or beer, which we did, if that's how you like to accompany your food. Either way, its a great spot to eat!

We ate here with a friend and found it to be really good value compared to most restaurants we had eaten at while on our trip to the US. The food was good and service ok. Worth a try if you're after a good value meal while staying in Venice beach.

Mao's is a totally no-frills place located in the heart of hippydom, Venice Beach. Parking is nearly impossible on many nights but, if you can get there, it is a treat. The spring rolls are a dollar each, totally vegan, and twice the size of your fist. They come with a great dipping sauce and a person could do much worse than to simply order three or four of these for dinner. The other plates are good and come with a "choice of protein." You might want sweet and sour and simply specify whether you want chicken, pork, or tofu as you addition. The service has been unexceptional on our three visits. One must generally wait for a table during busy hours.

The portion is big. But the quality is very poor. The service is very bad and hygiene is worrying. The tips are included in the bill as 20% of the bill after the tax. Claimed Chinese food. But not sure what type food they are actually serving. Food comes very slowly.

Traditional Chinese food, served quickly. A funky rustic setting not unlike a traditional Chinese restaurant. A great place for a quick meal and reasonably priced dishes as well. Food is fresh and tasty and not your typical sugar loaded "Chinese" takeaway. Highly recommend a visit here if you are in the Venice Beach area.

Best Chinese food in Venice. Delicious and the theme is really fun. They accept credit cards. It's really close to the beach.

This restaurant makes the most wonderful ginger and chrysanthemum tea which was only the beginning of a truly great dinner. So wonderful that we came twice during our 4 night stay in Venice Beach. The dumplings were really good and they offered buckwheat noodles as on option with the entrees. The portions were so large I had a yummy lunch for the next day. The servers were exceptional and fast. This restaurant is a must do if you are in Venice Beach.

But take your own alcohol along - they don´t have permission, if you don´t you might get jelous when looking at the nice whine bottle at your neighbour´s table...:-) The food is really exquisite. You might have to wait a while, but it´s really worth waiting.

Used to be my favorite chinese food. Unfortunately, it got too big too fast over the years.. prices raised more than the acceptable standard, food, service, and delivery have also severely deteriorated. On my list of restaurants to PROTEST. But if you do go, lunch special is good deal, make sure you get a spring roll.

This was an amazing meal and experience. Asian food is my absolute favorite and this was without a doubt the best meal I've ever had. Enjoyed a few spring rolls, the general taos chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and dumplings. Do yourself a favor and give it a go.

I was unimpressed with the food at Mao's. The dumplings were dry and tasteless, the other dishes had lots of good ingredients but tasted bland. I wouldn't go back.

Not bad for the price. When I arrived at about 6:15pm there was only 2 other tables, one of which had their food. Had to wait about 30 minutes for fried rice. The serving was huge, enough for two people. Flavour was ok. A good alternative to the pub fair and fish tacos.

This has been a Venice institution for years. I like to order ahead when visiting Venice Beach and take my food home. Try the spring rolls, the peasants pancakes and the coconut curry.

Interesting dishes often good, yet entrees on occasion lack the correct flavors. It's convenient when parking is available.

Fast paced dinner at Mao's Kitchen. Food was really good, and I spent the next day wishing I was eating my dinner over again. Lots of vegetarian & vegan options. Portions are big, so try to share if you can.

This place is a really simple but cozy place. The food was so good and you got a lot for a low price. The waiters were very service minded and gave us pleasant service! This place gets my warmest recommendations.

Arriving from Santa Barbara in Venice on Saturday, we strolled first around the beachwalk. All the restaurants there were very busy and crowded. We went back at Pacific and discovered the Mao‘s. The food there is great, asian-chinese, fresh and from high quality. The service is friendly. The ambiance with some Mao Posters and other chinese kind is funny. The restaurant is not big and has a high ceiling, therefore it is noisy and loud. However it is a very good alternate to the overrated places along the beachwalk. Marcello M. Switzerland

Mao's Kitchen at Venice Beach, California, was the setting of an informal gathering of poets on September 27, 2014. We arrived a few at a time, but we were never made to rush to order. I had a wonderful jasmine iced tea while waiting for my meal, which was the eggplant. The portion was so huge I had to share it with two friends! And how tasty it was, too! The service was excellent. If you are in or are planning to visit Venice Beach, you have got to try Mao's Kitchen!

We weren't planning on visiting Mao's Kitchen, we were just looking for somewhere to eat in Venice when we stumbled upon it. It ended up being one of the most copious and delicious Chinese meals we've ever had! Tea was almost on tap, the homemade noodles were scrumptious and the waiter was prompt and dutiful. Overall a really good eatery!

Chairman Mao would feel right at home in this no frills Chinese restaurant. The food is very good and inexpensive but the surroundings are Spartin to say the least. Any selfrespecting Comunist Party member would feel right at home with the worn wodden tables and chairs and semi open kitchen. The heavily tattooed waitress is pleasant and efficient. If you are ever in Venice Beach California Mao's Kitchen is a good place for an inexpensive and good meal.

So so so incredibly tasty! The sweet and sour cashew nuts were to die for, along with the Green Curry. Seriously fresh food that tasted home cooked. You can enjoy this take out without feeling sick and gross afterwards due to its freshness and lightness. The portion sizes are massive FYI! Highly recommend this take out place!

Was highly recommended by relative resident. Tucked away and a gem in the heart of Venice Beach (2-3 minutes walk from beach). Loved the food. Wide variety of Chinese food. Friendly, easy service, no fuss, high quality. Just go and find out for yourself ... you won't be disappointed.

The food we ordered they didn‘t have. Only successively they told us. We said that this is not a big problem for us, because they pretended that the substitute will be great as well. Unfortunately it wasn‘t. No problem at all. But when we stopped by the next day and were asking to use the bathroom to get out hands washed they declined because „for customers only“. Very sad.

We ate here after reading good reviews on Trip Advisor and I'm glad we did. The menu is great and has something for everyone and you can choose your own type of protein to go in each dish. The portions are huge so we got some boxed up and had it for dinner the next day too. The only thing we weren't aware of was the 'take your own booze' policy, but this wasn't an issue as there is a liquor store 3 doors away.

This used to be my go-to place in Venice Beach -- for quality Chinese food at a decent price, but I'm not sure I will be back. Definitely not when it's full. That was the case yesterday and we waited for our food... one hour from ordering. One waitress for about 30 people, one hostess trying to help incompetently. The only time she approached us was to ask us to move to a smaller table. The excuse for the prolonged starvation: A new chef. Service-wise: A steep decline from last summer.

The food here was so good. I had weiwuer (?) Lamb and it was fantastic. The food took a whilr but the servers were very courteous and let everyone know before they ordered. Pretty good table service too and snacks were provided whilr you were waiting. Definately going back.

possibly the best chinese in LA... not hard to do, but no one else does it

I went along to Mao's with three friends, and we all had amazing meals. Great service, the food was very tasty and well prepared, and a nice ambiance to eat it. Overall a great experience.

This is the second time going to Mao's Kitchen during LA visits. The staff is friendly in an authentic way, no plastered fake smiles. Two of us are for $30 including tip and we had left overs! The portions are huge and the food is delicious. Will definitely go back next time we are in the area.

This is a great place. I laugh to think of Mao knowing there is a restaurant bearing his name in America. The location is pure Venice, meaning, whacky. The food is pretty authentic for something in the US. Get a big bowl of noodles and enjoy!

Wonderful Chinese food. Best sweet and sour sauce I have had! Portions are WAY too big but the sweet and sour fish was delicious as well as the Dan Dan Noodles. A must go to for Chinese food lovers but split the meal- too much food to go to waste!

Hole in the Wall Hidden Gem is what they are. They are the Super Hero of the Chinese Food movement. I will be back again and again. Don't sleep on this. For avid racers this is a sleeper car.

A block up from Venice Beach, this little gem has delicious food. Basic interior, but the food more than makes up for it. Treat yourself.

Stopped by here for a quick dinner before a red eye flight, and ordered the Model citizen soup and Orange ginger chicken. Both dishes were very large and are good for two to three people. Note that the entrees don’t come with rice, so you have to order that separately. The model citizen soup came recommended by our waitress since the noodles are handmade. There’s plenty of veggies and a starchy broth. The orange chicken had a great crunchy texture and only a hint of ginger. It has some broccoli on the side. We had leftovers and I’d recommend storing the noodles separately from the broth so they don’t get soggy. Plenty of indoor seating and they do offer takeout.

My wife and I have been coming here for several years. Every time we're in LA we make it a point to eat here. Don't get me wrong, the food is very good, but they screwed up our order so badly and the waitress was so rude that it was a very bad experience. After we were seated we mentioned to the waitress ( a woman in her 40s I would guess, who speaks with some unrecognizable accent) that we remembered when she was training and "learning the ropes." She promptly informed us that restaurant work is "not her usual business." That should have tipped us off that she was a lot happier in her previous incarnation, whatever that was. We ordered an appetizer and two entrees. After sitting there for about 30 minutes, one of the entrees www dropped on our table. I mentioned the appetizer and she said she'd ask about it. About 20 minutes later the second entree arrived, and I asked again about the appetizer. This woman said, in so many words, that she had no control over the kitchen, that she was still waiting for it. Another 15-20 minutes went by, and she said that the kitchen didn't make the appetizer, and should she take it off the bill? Yes, I replied, please take it off the bill. I asked her if I could speak with the manager and she said, "There is no manager," and scurried away. When she presented us with the check she informed us that she didn't charge us for the appetizer, to which I replied, "yeah, well we never got it!" We've enjoyed the food at Mao's Kitchen for a long time, but after tonight I'm unsure if we'll go back. We are usually the two easiest people to wait on, and if a server makes a mistake, or is having an off night, we are normally very understanding. I did years of restaurant work when I was in school and I know how taxing it can be. But there is no excuse for rudeness. This woman's complete lack of concern over how the kitchen ruined our meal suggests to me that perhaps she should consider another line of work.

Great food and large portions, what more can you ask for. Our portions were so big, we picked up some starters the following night to go with the re-heated leftovers. Also, Beijing Spring roll for $1 each are an absolute bargain.

Pros: great location; open very late; food is ok; hostess was very friendly. Cons: appears unclean; waitress told us she was sick; it's BYOB. Food was just ok. Dan Dan noodles were best option with pork. Not sure I would visit during the day.

Asked our hotel owners where to get Chinese food and they recommended Mao's which was just a short walk. We got pork fried rice topped with an omelette. Although we had to wait over 30 minutes it was very reasonable and also tasted great and was such a large portion we had it again for breakfast in the morning. It is very small inside although people were eating in there and we noticed that you can bring your own beer and drink it. They also deliver. They were super busy phone was ringing off the wall, but they were very efficient. I'd call ahead next time, but it was great.

The first sign that we were in the 'wrong' place was that there were no asians in the restaurant on a Sat night in Santa Monica, Ca. I should have been wary about a restaurant named 'Mao's' to begin with but a quick glance on Trip Advisor said 4 stars (I didn't read any reviews) so in we went. The scallion pancake was inedible. In stead of a rolled out dough with layers of finely diced scallions, pan-fried to golden brown yumminess, what we received was dried bread that was green in the middle. It was no soft or flaky. We took one bite out of one piece and did not touch any more of it. In fact, the restaurant saw that we weren't touching it and kindly took it off our bill. However, the rest of the meal was not much better. The fried dumplings looked like fried siu mai (if you're not familiar with these dishes, they are nothing alike). We ate 3of 6 of these but had no desire to finish the rest. The lettuce wrap with chicken was too sweet and was full of carrots...they gave us 2 pieces of lettuce for one each, but we made one wrap and left the rest. The chicken chow fun was ok - in fact the only dish we ate more than a few bites of, but it wasn't great. We now know why there were no asians in there. Perhaps not a big deal with those not familiar with Mao but it was my very large mistake to go in to a place named after him. The waitress was very nice and efficient, so the service was good, the food was not.

We were recommend to try Maos kitchen by a member of staff at hotel Erwin and we were pleasantly surprised! The food was amazing, great menu and huge portions at a fantastic price!

This restaurant made me have a new appreciation for Chinese food. It was super fresh and just plain old yummy. My boyfriend and I went there after we grew tired of the boardwalk food on Venice Beach. We had the sesame chicken, which was just right, crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside, we also had the Beijing spring rolls, they were light and filled with veggie goodness. Lastly we substituted brown rice for white and got the one dollar salad. The only advice I would give is if you are getting take out call ahead and pick up. Being tourists we didn't know the drill so we ordered and waited, it was a fairly long wait.

While vacationing, we met a local friend here at his suggestion. The food was very good, with very large portions. If eating in, it's best eaten family style so that you can try more of the options. Service was lacking, although we were partly to blame. We picked up Subway for our kid who doesn't like Chinese, and the waitress asked our 8 and 10 year old to eat outside. After that, she continued to neglect our table.

This is the People's Republic of Venice! So peasant brother be prepared for the Long March to the commune in order to honor the countryside, the Gang of 4, & long suffering Mao. After looking @ the decor...Venice boardwalk, a bit grungy. Seeing the crowd inside...Venice boardwalk, rough around the edges. We decided to order takeout. The Mapo Tofu w/brown rice...spicy & flavorful. The Shrimp & Spinach Dumplings...while a bit bland did taste fresh & healthy. Since the price was right & the portions generous...for the masses...we would order takeout again.

We had a lovely meal at Mao's Kitchen in Venice Beach. The menu has a great choice for all tastes. The portions are huge, so be careful ordering. Prices are good and not expensive. They do not serve beer or wine, but you can take your own. Thoroughly recommended for families, solos, couples, groups.

Had a nice family dinner here. Did take out. Food was fresh and well flavored. Staff was accommodating to minor special requests. Can eat in also.

outstanding Chinese food that is cheap, fast, and atmosphere funky. Great people watching at a window seat.

I would say sit by window at night so you can see the locals/tourists/hobos at play. Was there last week and about an hour till closing. And outside a local bum walks by with his cart and starts fixing the outside tables. And once done he would salute it and move to next one. Upon telling this story to a friend who lived in area she said all the restaurants give handouts. So mist have been getting place in line. It was kinda weird and cool. Didn't take away from the food which was ok. It wasn't bad, but not up to snuff.

food is fresh and organic and the service was awesome! Really enjoyed the selection of teas from China.

The decor here was very basic, however the food was plentiful and had plenty of flavour. Menu wasn't as varied as I would have liked, but plumped for the lamb with various funny green stuff! I kinda remember there being something about a Mountain Lion on the menu, however probably missed the joke!

This is a popular takeout spot. We ate in, the portions were huge. Out server was attentive. Washrooms ok. Located right where all the action is on Venice Beach.

I don't believe it's authentic Chinese food but it's very delicious. Huge portions for what you pay for and the waiters were nice enough. Decor wise the place is below average with the light being very dim. All in all will definitely come back for the food.

It is a great place to have a quick bite, nothing for a nice dinner. The portions are huge so you can always take something home for next day's lunch!