Grumpy1248's Review

   grumpy1248 - 04/20/2003

This was my first trip to China Town and the Imperial Inn turned it into a real disappointment. I went there with my Wife. She had the WonTon soup and I had the Sweet and Sour soup. Both the soups were great. The Egg Roll was fair, but was overcooked. She had the Leechee Duck. The sauce looked liked the sweet and sour sauce you get at a chinesse buffet and didn't taste any better. I had the Fantail Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce, it was good, but not outstanding. The decor was not what we had expected and the music was pop. The service I must say was outstanding, our waiter was very friendly and attentive. I am going to make a return trip to China Town soon, but will try to find a restaurant that has more of a Chinesse following.

JOAN215B's Review

   joan215b - 03/02/2003

MY husband and I have been going to the imperial inn for 10 years; We wont eat any where else in china town every thing we try is always great. Our favorite is the phonix roll and black bean sauce.We take all friends and family there they all love it.If you love chinese food as much as we do you ll love it there.

Palomino01's Review

   palomino01 - 06/22/2002

I LOVE this Chinese Restaurant!! One of the best I have ever gone to. Food is always excellent. Try the duck - I have always enjoyed having duck here. Wonton Soup is great also. Friendly Staff. Good sized portions. Reasonable prices. Philly has a great China town, so the trip here is always worth it. The Imperial Inn is located across the street from a Philadelphia fire house, called the House of Dragons, which makes the restaurant easy to find. It is a very short walk from the Philadelphia Greyhound station, and a short walk from the Gallery Mall. I highly recommend this great Chinese Restaurant to everyone who visits Philly. The restaurant atmosphere is great for a first date - I know from experience!! I can't wait to visit the Imperial Inn again!!

Lmecronin's Review

   lmecronin - 04/20/2002

My family and I have been going to the Imperial Inn for years. We have held several special occasions in their upstairs banquet room and have always been pleased with the food and the service. The food is delicious, large portions, and reasonably priced. Try the b-b-q spareribs and the grandpa chicken--they are the best!

JHudson04's Review

   jhudson04 - 03/18/2002

My husband and I ended up here after finding Joseph Poon's inexplicably closed on a Sunday night and the parking attendant recommended the Imperial Inn as a substitute. We were somewhat surprised to find the place packed, but not a single asian face among the customers. (Generally a bad sign.) The menu was pretty standard and I lowered my expectations accordingly, despite the Zagat rating on the door. I was then pleasantly surprised to have a wonderful wonton soup with big, fresh dumplings. The fried dumplings that followed were crispy and perfectly balanced by a sweet/salty/spicy dipping sauce. My entree of salt & pepper shrimp was huge and loaded with ginger and fiery peppers, which I love. The waitress offered to have the chef remove the shells for me, but I opted to leave them on and was glad I did! My husband was not impressed by his duck entree and pronounced it too dry. The banana fritters made up for it though. They were steaming hot and crispy with a thin, sweet sauce that brightened them up nicely. The service was very good and the waitress friendly. The decor is tacky, but it adds to the charm in a quirky way. The prices were quite reasonable. While I wouldn't go out of my way for a second visit, the Imperial Inn turned out to be full of pleasant surprises.

nifear's Review

   nifear - 02/25/2002

I've been frequenting this restraunt ever since i was a child and i must say, i am disappointed to what it has become. The food is loaded w/ fat, sodium, grease. The waitstaff seems to be unfriendly and annoyed. The portions have gotten smaller as years have gone by. I would only come here again for yum-cha (dimsum).

BIG DONN1's Review

   bigdonn1 - 02/19/2002

For more than 50 years, the wife and I have visited china town, 1st at the Shanghai Garden, and after it closed our son BIGJDJOHN found the Imperial Inn and found it to be the perfect place-the management and the waitresses have served us with the best tasting food. here`s hoping the year of the horse brings everyone good luck

mike's Review

   mward - 12/31/1999

Having been a loyal Imperial Inn client for twenty years, I was shocked at the poor quality of the three meals I ate there recently. Clearly the management has decided to cut corners, and the results are terribly disappointing. I can no longer recommend this place to anybody!

tom's Review

   tom - 09/07/1999

The best Chinese food in Philly. If we are going to China Town we only go to the Imperial Inn. Want a real treat? Get a party of 8 or more people, order the Imperial Dinner and sit back and enjoy. There is nothing like it.

Michelle Wong's Review

   michellewong - 12/20/1998

The food is great. It is a great place to bring a large group of people because of their large portions. The dim-sum is great, and their banquet room is beautiful. I have never had a bad experience there.