Little Szechuan

We love this place. The food is fantastic, among the best we’ve had in Atlanta, particularly the sesame chicken.
I wish I could say the service was good, but the waitstaff seem to want to be anywhere but waiting on you. A shame, as good service, coupled with excellent food, would be very hard to beat. Instead, you’ll suffer apathetic service while you eat some really great Chinese:

The delivery was very fast and the food was delicious. They made the best crab rangoons that I have ever tasted. We had a buffet style dinner at home, so I got to sample everything: General Tso’ chicken, beef and broccoli and sweet and sour chicken. Writing this review is making me hungry!
I will be a regular customer!

This place is the bee’s knees, ESPECIALLY if you’re a vegetarian who likes to have options. Try their vegetarian Mongolian beef! Just as good as Harmony! Also they serve beer & wine and have a super friendly wait staff. Will definitely be back.

Delicious food and great price! I say this is the best American style Chinese food in the area! Love the egg drop soup and the sesame chicken! Yum

I am on a work trip to ATL, GA and was stuck with some work so could’t go out to eat. I decided to stay in and have something delivered, looked up some close Chinese places and Little Szechuan came up.
I ordered Salt Pepper Calamari & Chicken Red Curry. The curry wasn’t very good (water, chicken, cayenne pepper and veggies) and was very bland. however, the Salt Pepper Calamari was great! Wish I would’ve just ordered two of these.
If you don’t care if this is just your everyday chinese joint, then feel free to grab something here. Its what you’d expect.

Food is okay at best. Service is not that great. They dont have green tea. Two dishes had the same sauce only difference was one had red pepper to make it Kung pao and one had cashews to make it cashew chicken.

Little Szechuan has changed ownership. This should now be called «Little Vegetarian» as there is little Szechuan influence here.
You can ignore looking at any food photo from before Fall 2014 (or whenever the place was sold). If you look at the photos and want classics like braised fish in chili oil or a spicy ma po tofu with szechuan peppercorns, then you shouldn’t go here. Because they don’t have them anymore.
It is a completely different place and, if you’re looking for Szechuan, it’s not for the better. They are going a different direction with vegetarian takes on Chicken and Beef. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of either of those so I didn’t try their options and can’t comment on them.
My evaluation is based upon the expectation of Szechuan food, not upon «vegetarian chicken.»
— Tea: It’s never a good sign when you ask for tea and there is a Lipton tea bag hanging out of the pot. I may be behind the times but I don’t think Lipton sells Oolong or Jasmine tea.
— Hot and Sour Soup: It came with a very, very light color. Usually it has a darker more powerful taste. This was much lighter with a more delicate spiciness.
— Ma Po Tofu: Cubed tofu with carrots and peats. Note, this is a meat-​free version without the usual minced pork. There were some Chinese black beans that provided some additional flavor.
— Potstickers: With chicken and a bit of leek, these were perfectly serviceable. However, there is a possiblity these were pre-​made and came from an Asian grocery.
Sadly, there wasn’t much to write home about.

Nice Americanized Chinese on Buford Highway that delivers! The spicy Hunan shrimp was really good, and delivery was quick. Will definitely go in to the restaurant for the lunch special.

Good food, friendly portions at a fair price. I had the lunch shrimp and lobster sauce, that included rice, a roll, and hot & sour soup. Pretty filling and tasty. Especially the soup. A lot of places have pretty bland hot & sour soup. My coworker had the dinner honey sesame chicken. He eats a lot of it, in a lot of places and said it was one of the better ones. Plus he took half of it home in a room go box (and this kid packs the good away). We’ll be back when in the area

I’ve ordered from here on grub hub several times and I always arrive quick and hot. Nice ha a problem. One tip is to ALWAYS get the homemade lemonade. They do it right! I have to admit I order from here now just to get the lemonade. Also, if you are not in the mood for typical Chinese fair them try the salads.

Actually I didn’t go there, I order to be delivered. I had their brochure hang on my door this week, usually I throw them away but I kept for some reason. Today I didn’t want to cook and neither wanted to go out, so we decided to give this shot. I read the reviews on Unilocal and that’s what I thought. The place is probably not the place that I Ike to go but my review is about the delivery.
The person that answer the phone should speak a better english and be polite. If they can’t do that, they should take online order. So after hang up I was scared about what I ordered.
The delivery was fast, it took 25 minutes, which we loved because we were starving .
We order orange chicken, shrimp lo men and Mongolian shrimp and they were well delicious. Very flavorful, tasty, good portion. I’m surprised and happy. We all loved the food and will definitely order again.

Had a chance to visit one of my favorite Chinese restaurants Saturday night, only to find out that Little Szechuan is now under new ownership. I’ve been eating at the original location for over 20 years — the new owner has a new chef and menu. Chef Kong has finally retired, and so has the complex flavors embedded in the food at this new restaurant. Chef Kong and Little Szechuan helped to define what Chinese cooking in Atlanta could be — something unique, blending classic Szechuan flavors with Americanized Chinese sauces and producing something new and better than your typical Chop-​suey shops from before.
We decided to try the food from the new menu — we ordered the sweet-​and-​sour soup, some fried pot stickers and a Hunan black bean chicken dish.
The Sweet-​and-​sour soup carried very little of the sharp contrast found in Kong’s recipe. It really tasted quite a bit like mall-​Chinese food, with a heavy corn starch hand and little of the white pepper goodness you find in good versions of this classic. Sparse came to mind.
The pot-​stickers were palatable — these were chicken and not bad — the sauce was once again a bit weak.
The chicken dish was very heavy handed — the veggies were very fresh but once again the sauce was thick with cornstarch and had little of the zing found in Kong’s cooking. Oh and did I mention that there were jalapenos in there?
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the Chinese food and menu designed by the new chef (I believe the ingredients are very fresh) — but it’s a far cry from what Kong built over so many years. Lost is much of the complexity of the sauces. Lost are the distinct contrasts in flavor and also, lost is much of the heat and layering of pepper and chiles that made Little Szechuan so memorable.
The service was very good however the place was empty (one other table and one take-​out while we sat). I hope the new owner can find a unique path to great Chinese and wish her the best.

Being that I’m half Chinese, I’m typically very picky with Chinese cuisine as most Chinese restaurants serve an Americanized version of authentic Chinese food. I’m happy to report that Little Schezuan serves a very nice variety of traditional and authentic dishes.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the restaurant as I haven’t heard much about it and I’ve had my doubts regarding the Sun Tan Center (the shady-​ish strip mall/​plaza in which it’s located).
The restaurant itself has a casual environment, there are booths lining each side of the space, a few tables in between — including two large round tables each featuring the lazy susan. When we arrived, our table was already set (make reservations!) with a pot of tea, and a few small dishes featuring bean sprouts and pickled radishes — similar to the bachan served at Korean restaurants.
Our table decided to dine family style — there were several dishes ordered, please forgive my poor recall; off the top of my head:
–Egg Drop Soup: Tasty indeed but a different interpretation than I’ve ever had before, there were veggies steamed with the soup.
–Crispy Duck: The duck was very well flavored, but it was more dry than crispy.
–BBQ Pork: Always a safe bet; It was well cooked and very flavorful — easily one of my favorite dishes!
–Sauteed Green Beans: Their preparation reminds me of my mom’s green beans — and that’s a compliment!
–Basil Eggplant: Palatable but a bit too salty.
–Salt & Pepper Squid: Another favorite! Not too salty and perfectly fried in a tempura esque style.
Overall, we had a good experience. The service was excellent, our waitress was on point. Chef Kong even came out and chatted with us a bit — what a nice guy!

I had the pleasure of dining at Little Szechuan Unilocal family dinner style when a bunch of us came for the monthly Buford Highway adventure. I absolutely love Asian food (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.) so I was really excited when this place was next up on the list.
You can choose to eat family style or order individually — both have pros and cons. We chose family style and got to make use of the huge lazy susan on the table. Typical ordering for groups large in size should be an equal amount of dishes to people minus one. Believe me — there was plenty of food!
We chose an array of dishes like salt and pepper squid, basil eggplant, chicken fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, spicy cumin beef, green beans, BBQ pork, hot and sour soup, and egg drop soup. Being able to taste a little bit of everything was great since the dishes were hit or miss for me.
My favorite was the salt and pepper squid. There were large chunks lightly fried up in an almost tempura like batter with fresh seasonings on top. My least favorite was probably the eggplant. It was heavy on the fennel which I particularly dislike so it was a bit overwhelming to my palate.
Chef Kong made an appearance to welcome us and thank us for eating at his establishment. He was an adorable old man that you could tell loved what he did. Overall, a solid place to grab some Chinese food when you’re looking for a fix with plenty of spicy and savory options to please even the pickiest of eaters.

«I got the name from my favorite historical figure and my second-​favorite Szechuan restaurant in Brooklyn.» — Pacific Rim (2013)
I never would have known about this place had it not been for our UYE — there were probably 20 of us who descended upon Chef Kong and his staff, but they did a decent job handling us. We spread out over 3 tables and our table (for the most part) ordered family style. The benefit here was getting to try many dishes. Yay for us.
We got a little bit of everything and lucky for me — my table only opted for 1 dish I could not eat (salt and pepper squid FYI). We ordered the following:
Crispy Duck — pretty good, but a little on the dry side
Cumin Beef — this could have been spicier, but over all delicious
Basil Eggplant — too mushy for my taste
Sweet and Sour Chicken — typical americanized, nothing to write home about
Chicken Fried Rice — pretty good — needed more soy flavor
Kung Pao Green Beans — my favorite oddly — I’d eat this all myself and nothing else
Chicken and Green Beans — kind of bland, in comparison to the other green bean dish, but still good
BBQ Pork — I liked this a lot in comparison to the other dishes
Hot and Sour Soup — I did not try this as I am not a tofu fan
Egg Drop Soup — I liked this a lot surprisingly — oddly it had large chunks of fresh tomato in it that others found off-​putting. I got used to it as I ate.
Pretty sure I am missing a dish or two.
The service seemed to slow greatly once we received our food and it took forever to get our checks. We did have to have them split the check with 8 credit cards, but they handled that without a problem, which was great.
Overall, the meal was good, but not one I would insist on going back for again.

Note that I am not a fan of Chinese food but decided to give this one a try, knowing I’d be able to sample many dishes. A bunch of us went so I was able to try different dishes. I was surprised by how pricey the bill was (this knocked off a star).
My favorite dish was: Sole Fish Fillet Sauteed in Hot Spicy Sauce. The fish was so tender like tofu, and the sauce was flavorful and spicy but not extremely spicy that it numbs one’s taste buds.
I’m not a fan of eggplant but we ordered so much food that I had some to bring home. Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce was better as left overs, surprisingly.
There is plenty of parking. The chef/​owner is so nice, it is hard to give the restaurant only 2 stars but I’m just not a fan of Chinese food.

Little Szechuan is an old Buford Hwy Chinese restaurant. They were one of the few places to get Sichuan food 15+ years ago. Now, they have a lot stiffer competition.
Despite the name, «Little Szechuan» I didn’t see much Sichuan foods. They all seemed like regular, American-​Chinese food to me. They even had some Cantonese stuff like Beef Chow Fun and Salt and Pepper Squid.
Let me break down the dishes we had:
Salt and Pepper Squid — This was actually good. It needed to be crisper, but the salt and pepper and the squid was on point. I liked the flavor.
Beef and Broccoli — The beef’s texture seemed mushy. I’m not sure why. It didn’t have the stir fried quality to it. Then again, some people might not mind mushy beef.
Beef Chow Fun — Again, it seemed mushy. It was also very greasy as well.
Mapo Tofu — One of the worst Mapo Tofus I had. I love Mapo Tofu, and I was flabbergasted at this one. It wasn’t spicy. It was also more sour than spicy or sweet. It was so weird that I couldn’t even finish it.
Fish in Chili Oil — This was same as the Mapo Tofu. The Chili Oil had a very sour taste. I wasn’t a fan.
Shredded Pork in Garlic Sauce — This wasn’t bad. I liked the flavor of the sauce. The pork was okay too. But I wished they had more pork. Maybe it was shredded too much.
Dumplings in Hot sauce — I liked this. The dumplings were standard fare, but it was satisfying. The chili oil didn’t seem sour here. And it added a good flavor to the dumplings.
Little Szechuan is okay. Changing location didn’t change anything. Their style or quality of food remained the same. The new location just turned smaller. I give it about 2.75 stars.

Little Szechuan is an old Buford Highway Chinese restaurant that has been around for over 25 years. It used to be located in a shopping center near the intersection of Buford Highway and Shallowford Road. After failed lease renewal negotiations with his former landlord, owner/​chef Kong decided to move the restaurant. It’s now located further ITP (inside the perimeter) at the «Sun Tan Center» just south of North Druid Hills Road. This move happened about six months ago (December 2013).
New location, same food. The strip mall is dumpy and the restaurant looks old and worn down, but good food can be had here. What you order at Little Szechuan can make a huge difference in the enjoyment of your meal. Some dishes are great, some fall way flat. If you order the right things, you’ll walk away a satisfied (and full) customer. The restaurant has won numerous awards over the years, though several of those accolades happened a decade or more ago.
This is a traditional and authentic Chinese restaurant with a big menu. There’s soups, noodles, rice, and a multitude of entrees consisting of chicken, beef, pork, tofu, vegetables, and seafood. There’s classic Cantonese food and the more scintillating Szechuan cuisine. They’ve also got those hot plates that sizzle upon serving. Expect to spend roughly $ 15 – 20 per entrée (over $ 20 if you order seafood) at dinnertime and about half those prices at lunchtime.
One dish I really like here is the Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce. They serve eggplant in a few different ways. You can get it with basil sauce or plum sauce too. Some pieces of eggplant are significantly spicier than others. The dish is just delicious with fresh eggplant and appetizing consistency and flavor.
A good Szechuan dish to get is the Sole Fish Fillet Sauteed in Hot Spicy Sauce. This dish is legitimately spicy. It’s a popular entrée at other Szechuan restaurants around town. It consists of boneless sole fish fillets in a deep red chili oil «broth» with peppers, cabbage, and cilantro. It’s one of the more intense items on the menu. If you don’t like spicy food, you can order the sole fish prepared in different ways such as with sweet pea leaves or in ginger sauce.
If you want to try something a bit different and unique, order the Fresh Bamboo Shoots. This dish isn’t on the menu and isn’t always available. The bamboo shoots can be prepared any number of ways and by default, come with the meat of your choice. The bamboo shoots at Little Szechuan are bigger and more ridged and textured than the typical bamboo shoots you see in Chinese cuisine. They’re also nice and soft. And unlike other dishes where you may have seen bamboo shoots included as a complementary or secondary ingredient, they are the main star here and there is a generous portion of them.
Another respectable dish is the House Special Tofu with Black Bean Sauce and Pork. This is the first item listed under the Vegetable and Tofu section of the menu. Large blocks of smooth tofu and thin strips of tender pork are bathed in a rich black bean sauce. The black beans are where it’s at. There are scallions in this dish too.
For a vegetable dish, the Stir-​Fried String Beans are OK. They’re sufficiently garlicky and flavorful, though it’d be nice if they were just a wee bit crispier. Still, not bad at all and a dish I would order again.
Also A-​OK entrees are the Mapo Tofu Sauteed with Ground Beef in Szechuan Sauce and the Spicy Basil Chicken. Mapo Tofu is a popular and commonly ordered Szechuan dish. It consists of a bunch of tofu cubes sitting in a bowl filled with a semi-​thick chili-​and-​bean-​based sauce. Here, it’s a little spicy and tasty.
The Spicy Basil Chicken is one of the «safer bet» dishes and is good for the less adventurous eaters (or for those who just like chicken). The chicken, which is marinated in a basil sauce, comes with veggies like carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, and of course, basil.
Speaking of chicken, the Americanized Chinese chicken dishes seem to be well received (e.g. sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, sesame chicken, General Tso’s chicken) even by Chinese folks. I’ve never tried them myself because I tend to stay away from those types of dishes when there are more interesting options available, but I thought I’d mention it since that notion comes from people whose opinions I trust.
Stay away from the Beef with Broccoli. The slices of beef are rubbery.
Every meal comes with complimentary Chinese tea and a small plate of spicy pickled bean sprouts and pickled daikon radish and carrots.
Good service. Credit cards are accepted. The restaurant is great for groups. Ample parking.

Came in for lunch on the weekend and the staff was really friendly. The portions are astronomical here so you can definitely split one between two people.
I really liked the Mongolian beef and the hot and sour soup was some of the best I have ever had.
The shrimp chow fun dry was average, maybe ill try it with sauce next time.
Ill definitely be back, place was solid and I never went to the old location so cant compare it to that.

At first I was hesitant to try Little Szechuan because of its location, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.
Little Szechuan has received numerous awards for being among the top 100 Chinese restaurants in America. If you do the math, that’s 2 Chinese restaurants per state on average.
The full dinner prices were a bit of a put off at first, but once the food came out I realized why — their portions are fairly large!
SEAFOOD CHOW FUN
HUGE plate that could easily feed 4 people. Really nice flavors without being smothered in oil. My only complaint is that it has a lot of ginger in it (which pairs well with seafood) but I ingested a bit too much for my liking.
TOFU IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Since I had just gotten a tooth extracted, this was PERFECT! The tofu itself was flavorful and silky without falling apart as I tried to pick it up. On top of that, I love black bean flavors, so this is a great dish for those who have weaker teeth.
BEEF NOODLE SOUP
The beef in this dish is one of the best we’ve had, though the noodles are a bit lackluster.
SHRIMP AND BROCCOLI
The shrimp was perfect and there were tons of it, which explains the high price of this dish. But if you’re on a budget, I’d recommend skipping this and just eating the chow fun since that includes shrimp too.
ATMOSPHERE
The décor is really really plain and is your typical I’m-not-going-to-try-hard-looking-pretty Chinese restaurant.
SERVICE
Also your typical Chinese servers who act like they aren’t very happy to be there but will take your order anyway. Whatevs, as long as the food is good!
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