10 Classic Texas Chinese Spots With Loyal Regulars
Texas tells its Chinese food story in plazas, boulevards, and neon-lit corners that don’t ask for attention but earn it nightly.
I’ve driven across Houston’s sprawl, slipped into Dallas strip malls, and found late tables in Austin where steam still curls off baskets of dumplings. Some counters display roast duck like a promise, others linger on regional specialties that unfold slowly.
What struck me most was the constancy, regulars who greet staff by name, families who never left. These ten restaurants stand out for more than menus; they anchor communities with food, memory, and quiet reliability.
1. China Garden, Houston
Down Leeland Street in Houston, China Garden remains one of the city’s oldest Chinese restaurants, founded in 1969.
Inside, the décor is unflashy: wooden booths, red lanterns, display cases of roast meats. They emphasize comfort classics: roast duck, sweet and sour pork, dim sum.
In my visits, tables filled with family groups, and servers moved between carts of dumplings and steamers. That sense of continuity, the same menu, same faces, holds strong in places like this.
2. Royal China, Dallas
Strings of jade-green trim catch light in Royal China’s dining room, which leans elegant without being overdone.
Royal China in Dallas offers refined Chinese fare, handmade noodles, and chef’s specialties with a balance of tradition and polish.
When sauces arrive, they’re measured, not theatrical. At one meal I watched a plate of scallops with sauce glisten under the lights, simple and assured, nothing extra.
3. First Chinese BBQ, Richardson & Houston
You’ll see roast ducks hanging in the window at First Chinese BBQ, a visual signature of Cantonese barbecue tradition.
Located in Texas, First Chinese BBQ supplies Cantonese classics and BBQ meats, operating walk-in ovens and continual roasting through the day.
Visit at prime dinner hour and expect wait time. Their spicy salt pork and roast duck often sell out. I recommend calling ahead if you have your heart set on a specific dish.
4. Golden Wok, San Antonio
Golden Wok greets with the sound of sizzling woks and the scent of garlic and ginger that fills the air.
The menu mixes Chinese-American standards with dim sum service, which has made it a San Antonio institution for decades.
Regulars show up on weekends for carts loaded with dumplings and buns. Seeing the same groups return week after week makes clear how central this place feels to the city.
5. Din Ho Chinese BBQ, Austin
At Din Ho, the focus is on barbecue meats displayed in the front case, glistening under heat lamps.
Since the 1990s, Din Ho has built a reputation in Austin for roast pork, duck, and congee alongside classic Cantonese dishes.
Weekends are packed. Arrive before noon for the best cuts, or risk watching the last slabs of pork belly go to another table.
6. Ocean Palace, Houston
Inside Houston’s Asiatown, Ocean Palace stands out with its sprawling banquet hall and dim sum carts.
The restaurant specializes in Cantonese banquet dishes but is best known for its weekend dim sum service.
Families often arrive in large groups, filling tables quickly. The bustle, the dumpling trays, the constant chatter, that energy becomes part of the flavor.
7. May Dragon, Addison
Bright lanterns and white tablecloths set a polished tone at May Dragon, but the menu leans toward comfort as much as ceremony.
Since the 1980s, it has balanced neighborhood Chinese-American favorites with larger dishes, whole fish, claypots, and seafood platters that feel celebratory.
I like how the claypot rice arrives still sizzling, the bottom layer crisped, the top soft and fragrant. That sound and smell together remind you food can feel alive when it reaches the table.
8. Jeng Chi, Richardson
Tucked into Richardson’s Chinatown, Jeng Chi is less about design and more about the familiar smell of roast duck and soy wafting from the kitchen.
Opened in 1990, it has grown from a small dumpling shop into a full restaurant without losing its practical, everyday feel. Dumplings and noodle soups remain cornerstones.
I’ve noticed the regulars rarely need menus. They sit down, order dumplings or barbecue pork noodles, and settle in like it’s routine. That comfort is the real draw here.
9. Szechuan Chinese Restaurant, Houston
A wall of red chili dishes greets you at Szechuan Chinese Restaurant, where peppercorn numbs and heats at the same time.
This long-running spot in southwest Houston focuses on Sichuan specialties: mapo tofu, cumin beef, spicy fish. The flavors are assertive but balanced, never just fire for spectacle.
Sharing plates here feels right. A table covered in red sauces, with chopsticks reaching across, makes the meal feel communal, and that, more than the heat, is what lingers.
10. San Dong Noodle House, Houston
San Dong Noodle House feels unpretentious, with plain tables and a menu that favors function over flourish. The air smells of broth and dough.
The focus is on northern Chinese staples, handmade noodles, dumplings, and simple soups, served quickly and without fanfare.
I find the quiet here refreshing. A bowl of beef noodle soup, steam rising slowly, feels steadying in a city that rarely pauses. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t demand attention but quietly earns it.