Waterloo Cafe

Ordered from there yesterday and loved it. Their sweet and sour shrimp is amazing. Their general tsaos was strange but it was still pretty good.

I came here with my family a week ago for the first time. We all agreed that the food and service was good however it was all on the saltier side. The portion sizes were right on, the rice was good. All dishes were tasty.

Taste/​Food
I have had American Chinese food all over the country, but this is some of the best I have come across. If you want hole in the wall (not sure if they offer authentic chinese food or not) this is as good as it gets — food wise.
You get a lot of food, family style
Service
It is run by a really nice family, I talk to them whenever I can, they are happy to get whatever I need and often remember how I like things. Seriously they are beautifully wonderful to be around.
Décor
With this price who cares.
Overall
I recommend this place to everyone I can, these people deserve more business.

Food — 5 stars, décor a 2 at best. First time visit in a while. I stopped for dinner last night with my daughter and decided to eat in (home is 30 minutes away). The place is very basic inside, so I was shocked to find the food so beautifully prepared and served. I knew it was good food — I did takeout in the past when I worked close by, but the food itself was a work of art and tasted heavenly as well. The service was great, food came very fast and they constantly refilled my water. I’ve eaten at all the Chinese places in Warrenton and this has the best food, hands down.

This place has some really great Chinese Food. The serving sizes are HUGE and they’re the only place in town that delivers too. My one complaint against Waterloo is that every time I eat there, some employee just watches me eat the entire time, and literally every time I take a sip of water and put my cup back on the table someone runs over and says «water? Do you want more water?» And they refill my drink. It’s super awkward to dine in there. That’s why the only time I get food from them is when they are delivering to my house. Otherwise I go to Yen Cheng’s instead.

Excellent delivery — food was steaming hot —- and excellent. We ordered numerous spicy and non-​spicy dishes — each was GREAT. The portions are generous and the price is right. Highly recommend this place — it is our ‘go to’ for Chinese chow!!!

We have finally found our Chinese spot in warrenton. I wish the dine-​in experience was a little better, it’s not the service, it’s the appearance and lack of others dining in. But the food is great especially conpared to other Chinese restaurants we have tried in warrenton and culpeper. The employees are very kind and attentive and the food is always delicious.

The food here is waaay better than you’d believe for a small, casual type of place with inexpensive décor. The quality of food has taken a huge jump under the new ownership. Simple stuff like fried wontons and hot’n’sour soup are flavorful and done correctly, never greasy or bland, always piping hot. The general tso’s is some of the best I’ve had because they cook thoroughly without using huge pieces or excess breading, so it’s always very crispy, never mushy. Similar dishes like orange beef or sesame chicken are also excellent. There’s a roast pork dish with onions and scallions that’s delicious if you don’t want something too heavy, and they have amazing spicy wontons that are swimming in a sweet general tso’s type of sauce.
I love that the place is very quiet, no cheesy music and it’s never crowded. There’s a single outside seat which is great in the spring and across the parking lot you can get ice cream from carousel.
Service has always been perfect for me, the husband cooks and the wife and her 2 kids all come around to make sure you’re ok, that you have plenty of water, and to clear dishes. And it always amazes me how fast the dishes come out.

This is seriously «the best Asian food» that Warrenton has to offer? That’s sad. I wasn’t impressed at all. I ordered carry out only too get home and discover they forgot to include part of our order and even left out the fortune cookies. The tempura shrimp and egg rolls were both jerky-​fied. The egg drop soup was solidified. I called and they said i could drive back to retrieve the one missing item but, to be honest, the food was nothing memorable and not very flavorful, so I didn’t even bother driving back. I would not order from here again. The restaurant itself looked dirty.

I have tried all the chinese takeout restaurants in Warrenton many times, and I pretty much have to concur with Unilocal on the order from best to worst (I won’t list the other restaurants, but if you search, it lists all six in the same order that I have come to conclusion as well). Waterloo is our favorite. Of course it is not authentic (you need to drive out an hour to Seven Corners if you want authentic), but if you have a craving for some general tso’s or beef broccoli, you definitely can’t go wrong here.
Oh and bonus, my daughters love the goldfish in the aquarium when we pick up our food.

1^st time eating here. Was surprised for a Saturday night to be the only people dinning in. Our gain though, great service, and pretty good food.
For an appetizers, I had an order of egg rolls that were very well made and a cup of the egg drop soup which was just as good. For the main course, I went for something new to me, the crispy shredded chicken. An extra large portion of shredded fried chicken with a very sweet, sticky sauce.
If you’re looking for ambience, this isn’t the place for you. This is a bare bones restaurant with only the necessities.
If you live in the Warrenton area definitely worth a try.

Our last visit here in 2009 under the old management had been disappointing, & we had no plans to return. But after hearing that it had undergone a management change around a year ago & having heard decent reports, we decided to give it another whirl.
I can’t comment on the décor or service, as this was a takeout order picked up by my husband on his way home from work, but as far as the food goes, we were pleasantly surprised, especially when compared to our last experience.
Unfortunately they don’t have an online presence, so in lieu of being able to call the order in, I gave hubby a few possible choices for myself, & he ordered in person when he arrived, being sure to bring a takeout menu home with him for future orders. Order consisted of «Egg Drop Soup» ($ 1.75) & «Crispy Shrimp with Walnuts» ($ 12.95) for hubby, & «Hot and Sour Soup» ($ 1.75) & «Singapore Rice Noodles» ($ 9.25) for me. The Singapore Noodles were described as «Thin rice noodles stir-​fried with shrimp, roast pork, chicken and vegetable in curry sauce» & hubby asked for them «extra spicy».
Hubby said the «Egg Drop Soup» was your basic Egg Drop Soup — nothing different from what one might get pretty much anywhere else. My «Hot and Sour Soup», however, was above & beyond what I’ve received from any other Chinese restaurant in the area. First off, it was both hot (as in spicy) and sour (as in vinegary). I can’t count how many times I’ve had to add copious amounts of pepper to takeout Hot and Sour Soup, not to mention vinegar. It’s normally as bland as dishwater. Second, this version was chock full of «stuff», as it should be: cubes of tofu, shreds of pork, sliced mushrooms, julienned bamboo shoots, & even shreds of Chinese Wood Ear fungus (which is a must in good Hot and Sour Soup). In addition, the usual bags of crispy noodles to accompany the soups were addictively delicious — not the usual cheap hard ones, but thin, crisp, & light as air. We were almost squabbling over them — lol!
My «Singapore Rice Noodles» were a more than decent representation of this dish, although it was made — like every single other Chinese restaurant I’ve ordered this from makes it — with regular pasta, NOT rice noodles. (I’ll never understand why Chinese restaurants nearly always list this as «rice» noodles, when it’s always made with linguni, angel hair/​vermicelli, or as in this case, thin spaghetti.) But regardless, it was zesty with spicy curry flavor, & full of tender small shrimp, chicken, pork, egg, onion, & scallion. Portion was enough for dinner & lunch the next day. Hubby’s «Crispy Shrimp with Walnuts» wasn’t as successful. While the shrimp were of nice size & tender, there was nothing «crispy» about them, & their fried batter/​breading had a slightly off flavor that suspiciously announced fryer oil that was well past its prime. In addition, the thick brown sauce was extremely cloying with its sweetness. This was definitely something that neither one of us would order again.
Bottom Line: While we might think twice before ordering anything deep fried, we definitely plan on returning to try other items on their extensive menu (they even offer a handful of Thai options).

This place is better than many of the one and two star reviews.
I understand that we all have bad experiences from time to time.
This place opens at 1030a so me and a couple of co-​workers decided to call ahead and order something for take out.
We each had the Triple Delight w/​fried rice. We were happy to learn that the lunch portion was sizable. No up charge for the fried rice, the order includes an egg roll PLUS a 12 ounce beverage of your choice, all of this for a mere $ 9 bucks.
The broccli was nice a fresh, the shrimp, beef and pork were all fresh and tasty as was the fried rice. The egg roll was a little tough and on the less than tasty side.
Lindsey also orderd the crab rangoon and said it was OK for six pieces at $ 4.75.
We were pleased to learn they were wlling to deliver about 10 minutes away for only $ 1.50.
The owner/​manager Ms Annie was very nice and accommodating.
I really like the large Old Glory hanging in the entry way.

My first time there today, based on a high recommendation from a friend. I’m a big fan on Mandarin in town, but wanted to give Waterloo a try, as it’s the only Chinese restaurant I haven’t been to, and I do eat Chinese often.
The place is a hole in the wall with nothing to look it/​minimal furnishings. I’m fine with that/​love holes in the wall… just make the food to die for!
It was so incredibly hot in there that I felt ill and had to step outside. There’s no way I could’ve eaten in there.
I reviewed the menu and selected a lunch special: Kung Pao Chicken, with hot and sour soup, and a soda, for $ 5.95.
It was made quickly, packed nicely, and with good service.
The hot and sour soup was average; it had an odd red tint, but a decent flavor. Better than China Restaurant, Top’s China, etc., but not nearly as good as Mandarin’s. The Kung Pao wasn’t very mild, with little flavor. At first I was disappointed because the sauce tasted more like a gravy, pre-​made, out of a jar, but it grew on me. The portion was LARGE and I only ate half. I would suggest ordering an extra rice and you’ll have another meal out of it. A great deal for under $ 6, for sure!
On the flip side, by the time I got home, I had to rush to the bathroom and spent several hours in there. Between that and the lack of flavor in the dish, I’m happy I tried a new place, but when craving Chinese in Warrenton, I’ll stick with Mandarin, which has improved itself immensely and I’m ready to give 5 stars to.

This place was sold a while ago and it is terrific now! The food is really very authentic and it is always delivered hot and fresh. The décor hasn’t really changed, but I’m from the West Coast and I can tell you this is way better than the other places in town.

I was told that Waterloo Café was under new management and decided to check it out. It’s the BEST in town! There was a time, when you dined in, that the food was served in styrofoam ‘to go’ containers… plastic forks and all! That’s all gone. The food is now served on regular dishes followed by a nice fresh cold orange slice. The food is flavorful and fresh. I hope more people check the ‘new’ Waterloo Café out because it is WELL worth it!

I have been here several times and it’s always great! Recently the ownership changed as the prior owner Alan has retired. The new menu, owners and staff are awesome! The food is FRESH, hot and awesome! The owner and his wife (?) we’re very attentive. Still does quite a carry-​out business too! I agree the décor is not much to look at, but the food is well worth it and there is not standard picture menu board on the wall like other Chinese places! Definitely will continue to patronize with the new owners!

I had written a review previously, but deleted it because updating it would have just not been good enough.
For starters, this is not a place where you want to dine in. If you want to go here, just do takeout. Now, the owners are extremely nice, and while I was waiting for my food, I felt like I was waiting in somebody’s home kitchen — which was a nice little feeling.
We ordered two vegetable egg rolls, one order of Kung Pao chicken, and vegetable fried rice…$ 20. (Lunch prices were much better)
We took our food home to eat and I was immediately disappointed. The vegetable fried rice is bland and is a combination of a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and rice. The egg roll actually wasn’t that bad — it was crisp and not greasy at all… which is different from most Chinese.
The Kung Pao chicken… I don’t know where to start. I had to search for the chicken… which was bad quality. The water chestnuts and mushrooms (never had mushrooms in Kung Pao) totally overshadowed the chicken and there were some peanuts thrown in there. No red pepper… anywhere.
Our food smelled like wet dog food — seriously — and I was extremely disappointed. Not sure how anybody who has eaten decent Chinese can go here to eat. Will never go again, and will certainly not recommend this joint to friends.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for YEARS. They never disappoint.
DELICIOUS Fried Rice. MOUTH-​WATERING Crab Ragoon– they def. do NOT skimp on the crab like many Chinese restaurants do.
Always stop by on my way back from school.
VERY friendly owner (ALAN) and employee (EDDIE!).
Simple. Delicious. Cheap.

Amazing fried rice here! spare ribs are extremely delicious too, as well as the general tso’s chicken with a little bit of spice.
The lomein and basically, most of the dishes are good, except my favorite have got to be the crab ragoons. AHHHHH-​MAZING!
i used to stop here all the time going to/​from school. My mom still randomly brings takeout from here. it is a no-​frills take out joint, but yummyy, it’s cheap & delicious!