Wo Hop

How this place has ever gotten less than a 5 star is beyond me. People must not love BEST and cheap chinese food from an authentic place where all of NYPD goes because they know — its literally the best Chinese food in the world, let alone nyc. go there. get the spicy fish. kiss its face. enjoy.

So the only reason Jamie W. and I knew about Wo Hop was a random Facebook posting an acquaintance of his inserted as a comment under one of our New York travel photos. It was kinda close to our SoHo hotel, so why not? We found out later that he had never been here before, that it was a recommendation he got from a cab driver fifteen years ago. So was the moral of our visit «Check your sources!» or «Take a chance, what’s a little food poisoning when you’re in the Big Apple?» It turned out that the cab driver was not completely wrong, but maybe just not a very picky eater and he probably liked the fact that it’s open 24 hours.
Us too. We walked down Mott Street pretty late one night last month since we just saw «Bright Star» on Broadway and then took the R-​Line subway down. It’s one of those subterranean Chinese restaurants where you walk down a steep stairwell to find yourself in a brightly lit, claustrophobic space populated with old-​school New Yawkers and hipsters alike and lined with walls full of completely faded photos of mostly forgotten celebrities except a twenty-​something Bobby DeNiro. The laminated menu was overwhelming though most of the dishes sounded like standard Szechuan fare. We started with the $ 6.25 Steamed Dumplings, six of them encased in thick wrappers and drizzled with soy sauce (photo:
). Not bad but hardly memorable. Jamie went for his old standby, the $ 11.25 General Tso’s Chicken.
They piled fried chicken pieces and big broccoli spears onto a dish and lacquered it all with an unknown brown sauce (photo:
). It was certainly a hearty portion but a bit on the gooey side. I ordered the $ 7.50 Roast Duck Chow Mai Fun, which was pretty greasy even though the thick flat noodles were acting like a sponge (photo:
). I have to admit that this was my favorite dish of the night. We ended our late-​night feast with the $ 7.50 Shrimp Fried Rice, which was a pretty generic treatment but nonetheless hitting the sot as a carb hogger (photo:
). I have to admit the waitstaff with their light blue jackets was among the friendliest to be found in Chinatown (photo:
) and came to our table with great frequency and even greater smiles. So it hit the spot, and now I want to thank that cabbie. Oh wait, maybe that’s him.
FOOD — 3 stars… Szechuan specialties, strictly middling despite the hefty portions
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… tight quarters
SERVICE — 4 stars… service with a smile and light on their feet
TOTAL — 3 stars… maybe that cabbie knew somethin’

I love Wo Hop. It’s sort of gritty in a basement and I love it. The food is so good, with huge portions and it comes out fast. There is generally a line no matter what time of day you arrive — and that line has many tourists. but I don’t care. It’s affordable, delicious and the best hot mustard sauce you’ve ever tried. You can feel the burn up through your nose. Burn, baby burn!

First off the $$ should be $. They offer meals for 2 starting at $ 6!
This is family style, even the soup can feed 2 – 3 people; and one meal could feed 2 – 4.
It was fantastic! This restaurant, established in 1938 is open 24 hours and is definitely worth the visit. Excellent service, excellent prices, and excellent food. Zagat rated the last 4 years with a food rating of either 21 or 22.
Although I am a 5^th visit tourist only, I always check out new places in Chinatown on each visit. This place was highly recommended to me by 3 people who lived in New York so I had to try it. They were right! Can’t figure out a good cheap place to eat in Chinatown? Make this your stop!
Oh and it’s cash only!

This is my favorite authentic Chinese food in NYC. The spicy orange chicken is amazing! The portions are huge and the food is cheap. Free tea, open super late, and the staff is friendly and helpful. I wish they would deliver. Must try!

The thing I hate about Wo Hop is the same thing I love about the place: it’s always open. This means that it attracts all sorts of people at 2 or 3 am, all who which inevitably make tons of noise, with the occasional throwing up.
Of course, if you can tolerate the environment, Wo Hop isn’t really all that bad. Again, the hours are really good, so you can come here basically any time you want. The noodle dishes are all right, and you can generally get them to share with someone. For example, the beef chow fun and the singaporean rice noodles are decent. Some of the meat dishes however are not really worth the money. For example, a lot of the dishes are like around $ 13.99 or somewhere around that. It’s honestly not worth it.
Overall, Wo Hop is worth it if it’s super late and you’re in the area. The dishes aren’t great, but it makes sense if there aren’t any other choices.

SERVICE
DECORE AND ESTHETIC
FOOD
BYOB!
Honestly, got 4 dishes (can’t remember the names of them) 2 of them were V memorable, but it was cheap and plentiful!

This place is great. Food is always good! I recommend the salt and pepper pork and the honey crispy chicken. Service is fast and the staff is friendly.

I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to eat at Wo Hop, but this is the place to be after a late night of drinking.
Cheap, greasy, & hits the spot. Wo Hop always comes through especially at 4am. I don’t know what more you can ask for.
Small place. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait/​share a table. Portions are shareable. Cash only.
As my friend (Miriam C.) mentioned anything is good at 4am.

Okay. What can I say? The first time I came here was on a very late night in 1979, and I have been coming back ever since. For me, it’s the best Chinese food in the world, and I have traveled the world. This place is tiny, not pretty, and the staff, while not unfriendly, don’t care either way, they just want you to sit and eat; this is all part of the charm of Wo Hop. The portions are huge, and they only take cash. The also only have beer, as well as soda, water and hot tea.
Don’t come here for the ambiance, come here for the food and the history. The Fried Rice and the Hot & Sour Soup are the best I have ever had anywhere, but that’s MY opinion.
While this place is open very late, there is usually a line, and make sure you go to the DOWNSTAIRS Wo Hop, NOT the upstairs…

This place was everything i thought it would be. I’m so happy i finally made it but also upset it took me so long!
The food was great and it got to the table in no time! I will most def be going here again.
Only 4 stars because i was under the impression there was something other than beer. But other then that AMAZING!

You really have to love greasy, low end Chinese food to enjoy this place. Unfortunately, I do not. Truth be told, I don’t really like Chinese food. The hubby and the girls do which is why this place got 2 stars.
We arrived at 4:30 pm and got in line. I called the restaurant to ask how long the wait was (the line was down a very narrow staircase, if that isn’t a fire hazard, I don’t know what is!) and the person who answered the phone said «I don’t know.» OOOKKKAAYYY!
After about a 15 minute wait, we were seated at our table. The walls are literally papered with pictures, stickers and personalized $ 1 bills. The dining room is extremely small. You are sitting on top of your fellow diners. In addition to the close quarters, the whole restaurant smelled like mildew. I couldn’t tell if it was the restaurant itself or if it was the rag they cleaned the tables with. It was absolutely stomach turning.
We had:
Chinese Fried Noodles — Very good, not greasy
Won Ton Soup — Extremely good (expectations were getting high)
Pork Fried Rice — Plain, no egg
Honey Crispy Beef — Way too sweet and not at all crispy
Beef & Broccoli — The hubby and one of my daughters liked it
The service is fast and friendly. I liked the unlimited hot tea. The bathroom is something out of a horror movie. I don’t think we will be coming back.

If you’re a legit New Yorker, a college student, or you’ve been hung over or stoned sometime between 1938 and today then you know Wo.
Let’s do the time warp yeah! Thirty-​two years ago this was my go-​to joint in college. I could get a big box of chow fun for 5.25. Today it’s $ 7.50. Wow!
There are more souvenir dollars and unknown actors on the walls but there are a few guys working there who were around back in the day.
Downstairs is the real deal. It’s American Chinese but it’s a part of New York that anyone wanting a legit bite of the Big Apple must have!

This place is extremely overhyped! For the past 4 years I’ve been so excited to try the place. The Chinese food in flushing is a lot better and much cheaper. I would come here if I was already in the city and wanted late night Chinese food but other than that I wouldn’t. The sesame chicken was pretty good but everything else was okay.
The wait here is really fantastic though, we were seated AND served within like 15 minutes. Also, take note that this place is cash only!

This review is for the basement restaurant. Small and cramped, but delicious. The language barrier wasn’t a big deal at all, except that we ended up receiving a couple extra orders of things, which ended up being appreciated anyway. Long story short: getting a table for eight wasn’t that big of a deal. We ordered a few different apps, including egg rolls, fried noodles and soups… shared a ton of entrees including duck prepared a few different ways, salt & pepper squid, short ribs in black bean and a few chicken dishes. I wish we could have ordered more, but c’mon. Everything was great… everyone ate off of everyone’s plate, as they are supposed to and I want to go back today.

This review is for Wo Hop on 15 Mott Street, not 17 Mott. For some odd reason, Unilocal doesn’t want to differentiate the two locations. Oh well, their loss.
Here is another awesome restaurant with deep historical significance. It’s been around for decades for good reason. There is something about the ambience that is not easily duplicated. Maybe it’s because it is one of the few places that stay open late. Maybe it’s how the big portions don’t justify the small price. Or maybe it is because the service has always been so fast. I gave been here a million times. And each time has been good. The service is fast, the food is great and the prices are low. What else can you ask for?
As for the food, I recommend the peking duck. And they serve it with soft buns. Simply awesome. Also, any of the fried rice dishes are good. If I had to recommend one, it would be the young chow fried rice. Try out the beef lo mein. Or fried chicken wings! Better yet, the huge steamed dumplings are awesome. Anything is good!
Long live this spot!

Wo Hop came highly recommended to our group of friends and I definitely didn’t leave feeling disappointed. But I also wasn’t super impressed either. It’s tasty, but it’s pretty standard Chinese food. A standout: the veggie spring rolls were delicious.
One very positive thing: the staff is super friendly. And we brought bottles of wine thinking it was BYOB (even though only the upstairs portion is), but come to find out, it’s not. They still gave us glasses and let us have our own wine! Also, everything is quite cheap! Will never complain about that.
Tip: go to the basement level of the restaurant.

Here’s What Wo Hop Make the best:
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Egg Drop Won Ton Soup… No skimping here. Floating Pork and all. Almost a pure milky White glop of extreme gastronomic pleasure … Under 5 bucks for a huge bowl that could feed an elephant-​sized a pit bull.
They make the old fashioned style Chinese Spareribs
Dry … not layered in some cheap brown sugary sauces …
Cooked Just right. I can taste them now.
NOW …What most people don’t know … Their Lobster!
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They have 4 ways you can order Lobster: Cantonese Traditional … Something with Black Bean Sauce… They’re all mouth watering entrees … And unlike many Chinese restaurants, when you order Lobster Cantonese you get the WHOLE lobster (not parts you will look over at the table across from you and say …“He’s eating some of my dinner).
Last year… A whole lobster drizzled in … what do you think? …Lobster sauce… was about $ 20. A phenomenal deal. Their price remained consistant until last year when Gas prices dropped, seafood prices went up.
THE SCENE
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You can see patrons from the last century’s autograph and photos on the wall. The florescent lights are the old flickering style and are way too bright (so the food definitely has to taste good, because unless your levels of alcohol aren’t at a toxic level, under those lights, it doesn’t look good).
The late night staff, started out there as boys. After midnight the regulars come in and combine with Correction Officers, old timers, visitors who used to be old timers. It’s tiny. So at times the line goes up the narrow staircase from the basement into the street.
(don’t be fooled by the restaurant above at street level that has the same name … the food sucks there)

Are you downtown late at night and need some tasty, cheap, drunk food? This is THE place to go!
Some of the best wonton soup and fried dumplings I’ve ever had.

I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia or the food but Wo Hop holds a special place in my heart. When I find myself near Chinatown or craving Chinese, I can’t cheat on Wo Hop. Get a wonton soup and 4D Chow Fun to split and tell me you ain’t happy!

This place was a recommendation given to me as I had had an undesirable experience at Hop Kee (the next door down). I actually think the food at Hop was better but the staff was MUCH nicer here. I was a bit disappointed though by the chicken chow fun I split with my boyfriend. I thought that the noodles were excellent and were cooked very well in the sauce itself, however, I found that the chicken was very tough and was hard to chew. Also, the menu itself was limited so there were very few side dishes to order.
Pricewise, it was great… however, I feel like I’ve gone to Chinatown a lot in hopes of getting the miraculous Chinese food that I love and have somehow been disappointed a lot. I’m not sure if it’s that more and more places are going out of business and less exist or if the current ones are just not up to par with what they used to be.

This spot was also based on a recommendation, and although I was alone, I liked the look of some of the dishes I saw the tables around me sharing (including fish and ribs).
I tried the chicken broccoli and it was as expected — rich sauce… generic chicken etc. The broccoli was crunchy and not excessively cooked which sometimes leaves that heavier feeling after consumption (much like the wilted broccoli itself).
Overall nice service with the traditional Chinese NY attitude, but well intentioned even though it appears confrontational — it is not meant to be.
Will come back

I had to come here for food to go because my parking meter was going to run out in 15 mins. I knew that places like this would prepare the food very quickly, perhaps in less than 10 mins. They prepared it in 7 mins!
I ordered Beef Chow Fun and Bitter Melon with rice. The beef in both dishes were hard to chew. What a turn down!
Will definitely not come back to this place unless I have another emergency when I am in a rush or I have limited amount of time…

A horrible spot in a basement that now exists for tourists as apparent throwback to old New York. Sorry, this is not a throwback to old New York; my friend and I visited this evening and we both lived in New York City for all of our lives. Tonight was our first time there and on the recommendation of many non-​New York yuppies who believes this is some old throwback Chinese food spot.
The food was terrible. Chicken was not chicken but something else that I do not want to think about anymore. The rice was greasy, and littered with salt. General Tzo was drenched with sauce to eliminate the stench of an old stock meat.
Let this place continue to fool the tourist and the non-​New York Yuppies from both suburbs and middle America. It will not fool however, a born and bred New Yorker who has never left this city.

Okay so where do I start with this terrible terrible establishment, how about how every single MALE server has the poorest customer service skills known to man. I’ve never felt more ignored and less appreciated as a customer ever in my life.
Went there with some friend’s to grab a bite to eat and the server was beyond RUDE!!! We ordered a simple chicken fried rice and spare ribs. The rice came out first so we started to eat what tasted like burnt rice then 20 minutes later (yes can you believe it) and the ribs tasted bland with no sauce AT ALL!!! … The establishment is very much close quarters. Absolutely the worse place for Chinese food — disgusting pricks!

Be prepared to wait in a long line, but expect great food. If you don’t want to wait in a long line, get there earlier. The service is great, and the waiters are very china town. Our group ordered a lot, but my favorite dish was the beef and broccoli. The prices were very reasonable, nothing on the menu was above $ 12. Many of the meals could be shared by 2 people. It’s good food that comes out pretty quickly.
ENJOY! (Sean Luca — age 11)

Great America-​Chinese restaurant, I loved it here and do plan on eating here again before returning home. But! One problem. It’s full of Caucasians. That’s bad if you’re looking for some authentic Asian Cuisine.
If you’re looking for any authentic cuisine of any ethic culture you have to see who’s dinning there. If it’s full with the ethic of the people eating there then it must be good and must also taste like home to them. If it’s mixed with all kinds then the foods been dumb-​down and catered to the locals. Not good.
Here I enjoyed it all but I want more. Oh, it a $CASH$ only place too.
Food ⁹⁄₁₀. Price ⁷⁄₁₀. Service ⁷⁄₁₀.

Made my first trip to the legendary Wo Hop on Friday night after catching Star Wars in Battery Park. I usually eat at Hop Lee directly across the street but my friend likes Wo Hop so pretty girls tend to get their way.
We were seated quickly and tea was brought out. We ordered Snails in black bean sauce, shrimp fried rice and soup (Won Ton for me, Vegetable for my pescatarian friend). The won ton was quite good with big meat filled dumplings and nice roast pork strips. This was the first time I tried snails so my friend gave me a crash course in how to eat and soon we were happily sucking away! The sauce sas good but a strp below Hop Lee and while good the effort to eat isnt really worth the payoff so I will probably stick with clams. The fried rice was excellent as Chinatown fried rice usually is, I wish local spots would ditch thst cheap yellow rice and learn this, plenty of shrimps throughout.
The service was great, the old school waiters in their old school jackets, he even clinked our bottles of Tsing Tao together. The meal ends with fortune cookies and orange slices and set us back all of about 30 bucks. Its Chinatown Jake!

The secret is to eat downstairs and not eat at the upstairs location. They are complete opposites when it comes to food. The upstairs location is Americanized and not as authentic as the one downstairs. The food is great especially for late night munching in the city if you are craving some greasy Chinese food.

Best Chinese food you will ever have in your entire life. I promise. Anyone giving this place a rating less than 4 stars is insane and can’t be trusted. My dads been eating here for 30 years. Go. You won’t regret it.

The greasy basement appeal is all it’s cracked up to be, just make sure that long line your waiting on is for the basement WoHop as there is a spot just above it that pales in comparison. Search for my photo on the wall and let me know if they kept it up all these years!

Food was «okay» I give this place three stars because I’ve had better Chinese food in Chinatown… I went with a group of friends and got the chicken fried rice, beef lo mei, and the general sauce chicken (spicy)
The place from the outside it not the greatest, the bathroom is very small and it is on the basement. Flies and mosquitos were flying around our table which was a nightmare… I was really excited to try this place out as I have had several recommendations from friends so I knew i had to try it… I was a bit disappointed with the food because I was expecting better. I would probably not be back.

I’ve been coming here for years and I’ve never been disappointed. I would come by with my family when I was younger and now i stop by with friends from time to time. WoHop is a great late night spot to eat.
My friends and I came around 1am and it was packed as always, but we got a table right away. We ordered wonton soup, roast pork fried rice, chicken lo mein, and sesame chicken. The food came out quick and was great as usual.
The servers are always funny and nice. I love coming here and already can’t wait to go back.

If you’re reading this, you’ll probably wind up here because friends bring you on a nostalgic tour of sketchy places from their childhood. (Bostonians: Think Buzzy’s Roast Beef.)
If you want to see how Americans «interpreted» Chinese food in the ‘50s, this will provide you with all the information you need. The down-​and-​out basement location, the formica tables, the lengthy English-​only menu, the fried noodles with sweet sauce… Your friends will be blissing out in a greasy pool of memories, while you will be wondering how to escape with your life.
Thing is, the food is delicious, in the way that an entire box of Entenmann’s powdered doughnuts is delicious: oily, one-​dimensional, and sweet. And there’s a lot of it.
Relax, enjoy, buy a T-​shirt on the way out, and let your friends take the leftovers.