King Yin Cafe

I’m not sure what happened to my review but here we go again. I LOVED IT!!! IT’S THE BEST THERE IS!!! The price is GREAT! The food is WONDERFUL! The service is top notch. Only draw back is that it is in the ghetto. BUT SO WORTH IT!!! Like everyone else we used to go here when we were children and it is as good now as it was then. I really missed having it open. I am so very happy the food is the same and really pleased about it opening again. I even like that it is in the same building even though it’s now a terrible area. I can’t wait to go again. Thank You King Yin, Julie Jordan

Good food but a terrible location don’t leave anything in your car because the tweakers will steal it from you

We went to this restaurant last weekend while visiting the town. We like visit historical restaurants. The restaurant is cool, very spacious and quite. The lady manager was nice to accommodate our request on special diet. She made lighter dishes for us. We ordered Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and a vegetable dish. We were amazed they were able to make the dishes just right. We also asked to try out a new dish not yet on the menu. The owner recommended Cajun Shrimp. This is delicious. Will have to come back for another one.
We had a wonderful time there. Service was great, no rush to leave. We totally forgot the restaurant was on a not as nice block of the street.
Will visit again.

This place is up a steep narrow flight of stairs so be aware if you have mobility issues. We were taken by surprise even though we had visited their website.
The prices are reasonable and fair, the portions are large. We had 6 diners, ordered the Family Dinner A for 4 plus the prawns and lemon chicken. We had more than enough food. The chicken and vegetables dish has a very nice sauce. The lemon chicken was in a heavy lemon sauce that was too strong for everyone. We ended up putting it over the rice and chow mein just to be able to eat it. The walnut prawns were a table favorite, especially the creamy white sauce. Mongolian beef was flavorful and spicy without being too hot.
We were the only diners at 7 on a Saturday night until finally a couple walked in. The location is a bit sketchy, they would benefit from a move because the food is good but you have to already know they are there.

The food was great, the customer service was okay, had a hard understanding, but that was fine because the waitress was really nice. The price wasn’t even half bad, no more than 20 $ for two people, and that included the tip. Nice atmosphere, really urban. Will be checking in again soon.

Really good food. We’ve had egg fu young, fried rice, chow mein, cashew chicken, orange chicken, egg rolls, and a few other dishes here. The pieces of chicken in the dishes are good tasting. The prices are reasonable for a chinese restaurant. Each dish is in a large sized styrofoam container. A partial menu I found is on their website but they have to-​go menus at the restaurant. Note that you need to go up stairs, so know this beforehand if you have trouble going up stairs. Really good food here. Very friendly service.

Awesome.
We decided to try this place after the disappointment of other Lodi Chinese food restaurants and what a surprise! The Kung Pao Chicken was just the right level of spicy and the vegetables are crisp and fresh. The restaurant is clean and the service is great. The owners and very friendly and take great pride in making their dishes look and taste good. The prices are very reasonable and there is even free WiFi if you want to surf the web while you eat! We’ve been five times now and the experience has been consistently great. It doesn’t look like much from the outside and the décor inside is modest too but it’s a fantastic place for great Chinese food. I recommend it to all my friends.

WOW what a great surprise it reopened and they have pan fried noodles.
I took my wife here on one of our first dates in 1969 and it closed some time ago and have missed the place.
The food was fantastic and service outstanding.
We will be eating here very soon again.
Oldest Chinese restaurant in Lodi I believe.
I had Mongolian beef with steamed rice and my wife pork chow mein with pan fried noodles.
Took us back 40 years.

Went back here after I heard the place had reopened. Remembered really enjoying the food when I was in high school so went back. The neigborhood is still not the best, which is what took a star away.
The food was good though and the prices were decent. It definitely is a work in progress but I see it doing better as the new management gets more pieces of the puzzle in place.

I love this place. I’ve had many delicious Chinese food but this one is special, it makes me think of my mom’s cooking. Home made style. Love it!!!

–Delicious and very reasonably priced food
–Nice, clean restaurant
–Great service
The restaurant has been here for ages, but was closed for many years. It’s back open under new ownership, and I’m really glad we came by. We’ll definitely be back!

The rating is for the food, cleanliness, and service! Went here for first time today! While everything was dated, it was CLEAN! And the good was HOT, FRESH, and DELICIOUS! Even my two toddlers finished their plate! The servings are Giant, prices were cheap!!! And quality and service was fantastic! Will be visiting again! Kung pow chicken, chowmein, egg rolls, BBQ pork friend rice orange chicken, EGG FLOWER SOUP! Mmmmmmmm!

I placed an order to go at 12. Nobody picked up the phone. Gave it another try 5 minutes later and placed my order. They said 10 – 15 minutes. I leave in 10 minutes, dropped something off and went over to the place. It was not in a nice neighborhood, there were questionable looking people milling about not two doors down. I was afraid to leave my car parked on the street, but I did. There was NO patrons there and they didn’t even have my food ready. I waited nervously for 5 more minutes for my food as I paced by the window keeping an eye on my car. I go downstairs to check on my car and got yelled at for setting the alert because I held the door open (the only way I can see my car) so I went upstairs and asked them if it was ready yet. Another minute or so passes before they give me my order and it was WRONG! Nope, not going back.

Come here with my friends, OMG, the best, food is the best, we tried the eggplant and the fire rice, the fire rice is the best fire rice I’ve ever had, the food in there is Sooooooo good, We will absolutely go back, next time we want to try the chicken wings and the HK style noodle.

Our second time here and its fresh, clean and very tasty. Generous portions and friendly service. We had the dry fried noodles with beef and it was enough for two and some to take away.

Accidentally found this place. The Lemon Chicken is the best I’ve ever had. It’s worth a try. My sister and I would like to give them 5.
10+ year ago, my Mom used to come here every weekend. They are open now again, back here with Mom, different owner, but great food, very nice place.
It is not a high end restaurant. But the place is very clean and neat. The food is good, my children like the view upstairs. I would come back again.

Just went to Lodi on spring break, and had lunch in King Yin Café. I have to say this is the BEST Chinese food I ever had in USA. Try it, and you will love it,

We used to go here years ago when I was child and was excited to see it had re-​opened even if under new owners of course. Lunch starts off with a small salad and soup, both were tasty. My husband ordered the mongolian beef (which I also tasted and loved the flavor). He really liked it and it is a little spicy just in case you don’t like spice. I ordered the kung pao chicken (without celery) with pork fried rice and it had LOTS of roasted peanuts which I love, and great flavor. The rice is really good too. My son ordered lemon chicken with chow mein and he loved both, especially the chow mein. I of course tasted his too and the lemon chicken has a nice crispy tempura batter with lemony sauce on top. The chow mein also had a wonderful flavor (with no celery). Can you tell I am not a big fan of celery? If you just ask, they will remove it from whatever your ordering if it’s included. The lady that waited on us is very friendly and the prices are very good too. You really should give this little place a chance and stop in!

The restaurant is again open! I went to King Yin Café, for the very first time this past weekend. I knew it had been around for decades, and is a part of Lodi’s history. The restaurant is upstairs and is run by a family that recently purchased it. The family was very friendly, the service was great, the restaurant was very clean and the food was fresh and tasty. The restaurant is located in an area that is less than desirable, but it’s a hidden gem well worth venturing out for.

I’ve heard this is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Lodi, dating from the 1920s. King Yin is located on Main Street just East of the railroad tracks in a second story walk-​up (not for the vertigo challenged!); right across the street from a fruit packing warehouse. When I was a teenager growing up in Lodi, King Yin was probably only one of three Chinese restaurants in Lodi; now there are over fourteen!
The neighborhood where King Yin is situated does not convey an atmosphere of safety; this part of Main Street has turned into a neighborhood of transients with a cheap Hotel just a few doors down from King Yin. You can, on weekends and evenings, see some of the residents sitting on the hotel steps.
This establishment is NOT handicap friendly.
King Yin is owned /​operated by recent Chinese immigrants, from the Fresno area. The husband is the chef; the wife is the hostess /​waitress /​cashier. The couple has two very young kids, the older one can be seen sometimes doing homework at one of the dining tables.
I have the feeling the majority of clientele come from the transient hotel.
The current menu of King Yin is typically Cantonese.
I’ve been to King Yin about a half dozen times in the last two years. I can’t recommend anything on their menu because of the lack of consistency in the ingredients of their dishes. I get the feeling that the ingredients in any of their dishes are governed by what’s in season and what the owners can afford that day. It’s not that the cooking is bad. It’s just inconsistent from day to day in what the dish is made from. You also get the feeling that whatever you’re going to have is what the family is going to have for their own meal.
After the first time eating here, I saw myself eating at King Yin more out of a motivation of trying to help the family economically rather than for the food.
I really admire this couple and what they’re trying to accomplish in the United States. I can imagine my own parents trying just as hard when they first came to this country.
I’m probably a little generous in the rating with this establishment because I got to know the owners. Otherwise, one star should reflect a more accurate assessment of King Yin.