(310) 581-8305

1512 Pacific Ave
Venice, CA 90291 33.988 -118.4723

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Neighborhoods: Venice, West LA

MAOSKITCHEN.COM

Years in business

Established in 2004

Price:

$

Last updated 6.23.11

Category:

Restaurants, Moving Companies, Trucking Companies

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, B.Y.O.B., Food Delivery, Carry Out

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Chinese

What People Are Saying About Maos Kitchen

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Hardwood picnic tables and colorful propaganda posters from China's Communist Revolution mirror the character of the clientele: informal, quirky and hip. Solo diners can grab a seat at the communal table and chat with the outgoing, attentive waitstaff. With a menu boasting country-style food made without canned products or MSG, the kitchen will accommodate special requests: Sweet and sour chicken can be sauteed instead of batter-dipped and vegetables can be steamed not fried.

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Mao's is strictly B.Y.O.B. If you forget to stock up beforehand, a liquor store is located a few blocks away on the corner of Horizon and Main.
Parking:
Parking gets easier after 6pm, when the meters stop. After 6:30pm, you can also use the Bank of America parking lot just down Winward behind the restaurant.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. also enjoy their chow fun and chow mein--Hong Kong style.
  2. Although Mao's Kitchen doesn't look like any other Chinese restaurant I've been to (the decor could easily fit either a hamburger joint or rustic bistro), it provides an excellent dining experience.
  3. Fun, cozy chinese
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. But I would personally skip dessert - the Red Bean Pastries are popular and were interesting - I normally love desserts made from red beans - but these were just fried rice dough filled with red beans and not my cup of tea.
  2. Bamboo steamer dumplings with spinach, mush, tofu, Crispy salad with Smoked Tofu, sichuan eggplant (with smoked tofu if you want that extra meaty feel), long life beans (the sauce really is highly addictive) and Please Please Please don't forget the red b
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. They also have a really good Jasmine iced tea.
  2. But I would personally skip dessert - the Red Bean Pastries are popular and were interesting - I normally love desserts made from red beans - but these were just fried rice dough filled with red beans and not my cup of tea.
food quality
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. I've never dined in or had takeout but in reference to all the reviews on here citing poor customer service, I have to say that each time, the food was delivered hot and within the time frame that I was told (usually 45 minutes).
  2. Bamboo steamer dumplings with spinach, mush, tofu, Crispy salad with Smoked Tofu, sichuan eggplant (with smoked tofu if you want that extra meaty feel), long life beans (the sauce really is highly addictive) and Please Please Please don't forget the red b
  3. am one of your fellow citizens, all I want to do is to make Maos Kitchen a nice, friendly place offering good food at reasonable price.
  4. Mao's Kitchen makes healthy but tasty Chinese food that is surprisingly affordable.
  5. The ingredients are always fresh, the dishes aren't too greasy, and the menu is diverse.
  6. Come here for willfully bad service, the uplifting theme of mass murderer as pop icon, or an astronomical ratio of popularity to quality (hint: the higher the ratio, the worse the restaurant; mao's is crowded and the food ranges from mediocre to inedible
  7. never once thought the food was outstanding but you get what you pay for and this was always a quick, cheap and mediocre way to satsify a craving.
  8. The onion pancakes (while not always cooked consistently) are usually a good dish to start off with.
  9. Really, really good chinese food
  10. Service is always spotty, but if you order carryout, the foods fresh, hot, and on time.
  11. The service is incredibly inconsistent which is unfortunate because the menu is interesting and the food is delicious.
  12. My favorite is the salt and pepper shrimp--the flavors are simple and believe it or not, I enjoy the subtle flavor that comes from the oil in which it's cooked.
  13. think the food has changed a bit since day one but aside from pizza, it's the best leftover food in the fridge the next day.
  14. Garlic chicken is a little lighter and the Kung Pao chicken is also extremely good.
  15. always order food there for lunch, the food is execellent , always hot, fresh and affordable.
  16. Great food, TRULY AWFUL SERVICE.
  17. When it arrived, the order was wrong and the food just tasted bad that night (wrong order, rice was undercooked and noodles were overcooked).
  18. Really good Chinese food (coming from a Chinese person).
  19. recommend the Long Life Beans (their black bean sauce is excellent!)
  20. The brown fried rice is really good with lots of vegeis and nuts.
  21. The food, as always, has been consistently good, borderline great for the price.
  22. recommend their fried rice, and anything made with their black bean sauce.
  23. It's not quite authentic, but it's some good grub.
  24. excellent delivery service and food
  25. The ginger, garlic, and cilantro were a fantastic complement to the fish.
  26. Either way, the food's decent if not somewhat heavy on the cooking oil, but their meats are decent and their vegetarian dishes are good as well.
  27. you know they have fresh food being cooked for you, so you wait a bit more for that service.
  28. Great food, poor service
  29. live in Venice and Mao's has some of the best veggie Chinese food ever with huge portions!
  30. am vegan, and it is overwhelming how much they cater to us and the food is always so yummy.
  31. Most dishes are very tasty, don't be afraid to try strange combinations like substituting cashews for chicken.
  32. Won ton soup and flavorful black bean chicken never disappoint.
  33. Good food, but horrific service
  34. Venice locals flock to this funky spot for cheap, creative Chinese food.
  35. Their food is delicious!
  36. OK food, lousy service
  37. Great authentic food.
  38. The waitstaff are, as a whole, extremely rude, and the food takes forever to arrive.
  39. The food, despite it being wrong, was still pretty good.
  40. Everything seems chaotic and disorganized-- the food is not worth the hassle.
  41. But I would personally skip dessert - the Red Bean Pastries are popular and were interesting - I normally love desserts made from red beans - but these were just fried rice dough filled with red beans and not my cup of tea.
  42. and the Orange Chicken is also delicious.
  43. I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but the sauce was delicious and so the next time, I ordered from there, I asked for the same dish but with just beef and they accomodated the request for a few extra dollars charge.
  44. The People's Potstickers and the Orange-Ginger Chicken were terrific, but both were completely eclipsed by the house fish specialty.
  45. Order the pot stickers once and you may not start another meal here without them.
  46. It's really frustrating b/c I enjoy the food immensely.
  47. Good prices, fresh food, but salty
  48. hate the service, but I keep eating there because I love the food.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The service is incredibly inconsistent which is unfortunate because the menu is interesting and the food is delicious.
  2. The ingredients are always fresh, the dishes aren't too greasy, and the menu is diverse.
overall
70.0% positive
  1. know there has to be a great take out and/or inexpensive place closer to Los Feliz, but I have yet to find it.
  2. am still looking for a great Chinese place on the Westside, but one thing is for darned sure, Mao's Kitchen is a venue I would never wish upon my worst enemies.
  3. If they could get their act together, Mao's would be a great place.
  4. It's loud and lively and you may be sitting very close to the people next to you so it's not the best place if you are looking for privacy or quiet.
  5. am one of your fellow citizens, all I want to do is to make Maos Kitchen a nice, friendly place offering good food at reasonable price.
service
55.06999969482422% positive
  1. OK food, lousy service
  2. The waitstaff are, as a whole, extremely rude, and the food takes forever to arrive.
  3. Great food, poor service
  4. love the Peace Not War Wonton Soup, but good grief the service is so awful it's just not worth it.
  5. i've been to mao's a ton of times, and without fail, each time, I am astounded by what is horrible service.
  6. hate the service, but I keep eating there because I love the food.
  7. It's loud and lively and you may be sitting very close to the people next to you so it's not the best place if you are looking for privacy or quiet.
  8. the service was excellent the night we went.
  9. Come here for willfully bad service, the uplifting theme of mass murderer as pop icon, or an astronomical ratio of popularity to quality (hint: the higher the ratio, the worse the restaurant; mao's is crowded and the food ranges from mediocre to inedible
  10. have never encountered such rude behaviour in all my years of dining out.
  11. went here even after reading the reviews about bad service.
  12. excellent delivery service and food
  13. I've never dined in or had takeout but in reference to all the reviews on here citing poor customer service, I have to say that each time, the food was delivered hot and within the time frame that I was told (usually 45 minutes).
  14. servers are horrible
  15. Mao's has delightful service-but they are in a rush.
  16. Good food, but horrific service
  17. Pretend the customer isn't annoying and that your job is to be our server.
  18. Get another job if you can't deal with people in a polite, professional manner.
  19. The service is incredibly inconsistent which is unfortunate because the menu is interesting and the food is delicious.
  20. The service may not have been perfect, but it was accurate and friendly.
  21. am one of your fellow citizens, all I want to do is to make Maos Kitchen a nice, friendly place offering good food at reasonable price.
  22. you know they have fresh food being cooked for you, so you wait a bit more for that service.
  23. People who say this place has "bad service" have obviously never worked in a busy restaurant and are impatient for a good thing.
value
78.21000099182129% positive
  1. The food, as always, has been consistently good, borderline great for the price.
  2. never once thought the food was outstanding but you get what you pay for and this was always a quick, cheap and mediocre way to satsify a craving.
  3. always order food there for lunch, the food is execellent , always hot, fresh and affordable.
  4. live in Venice and Mao's has some of the best veggie Chinese food ever with huge portions!
  5. love the Peace Not War Wonton Soup, but good grief the service is so awful it's just not worth it.
  6. am one of your fellow citizens, all I want to do is to make Maos Kitchen a nice, friendly place offering good food at reasonable price.
  7. Everything seems chaotic and disorganized-- the food is not worth the hassle.
  8. Portions are huge and you get plenty for your $$$.
  9. Good prices, fresh food, but salty
  10. know there has to be a great take out and/or inexpensive place closer to Los Feliz, but I have yet to find it.
  11. Venice locals flock to this funky spot for cheap, creative Chinese food.
  12. Mao's Kitchen makes healthy but tasty Chinese food that is surprisingly affordable.
  13. I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but the sauce was delicious and so the next time, I ordered from there, I asked for the same dish but with just beef and they accomodated the request for a few extra dollars charge.
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. I've never dined in or had takeout but in reference to all the reviews on here citing poor customer service, I have to say that each time, the food was delivered hot and within the time frame that I was told (usually 45 minutes).
  2. never once thought the food was outstanding but you get what you pay for and this was always a quick, cheap and mediocre way to satsify a craving.
  3. Bamboo steamer dumplings with spinach, mush, tofu, Crispy salad with Smoked Tofu, sichuan eggplant (with smoked tofu if you want that extra meaty feel), long life beans (the sauce really is highly addictive) and Please Please Please don't forget the red b
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/27/09

NEVER AGAIN!

by RCogo

I went here even after reading the reviews about bad service. We had no wait, and got our order taken right away. Food came not too long after. But the waitress brought us water when we first got there and never came back to offer a refill. However, we also happened to have bottled waters with us, so we didn't make a fuss. The food, on the other hand, was the most bland tasting Chinese food I have ever had. Everything looked so awesome, but the taste was never there. No kick, no spice, no NOTHING! Started w/ the Four Fried Shrimp. Gross. Something out of the frozen food section. Garlic Chicken--Horrible and Salty. No hint of garlic whatsoever. Chicken Chow Mein-Lovely brown sauce, but zero flavor. I thought no one can go wrong w/ fried rice though, right? WRONG! Just as bland as all the rest! What a huge disappointment! At least I can say I finally went to see all the fuss was about. I drive by here all the time and would see it crowded, but now I know it's not worth stopping in or even recommending! :(

  • Pros: Non-greasy food
  • Cons: Bland tasting food!
4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/13/09

great

by Evan Birenbaum

Had Maos delivered.. I was very impressed with the food. Quality all the way and speedy delivery. Best Chinese delivery Ive had in the area for sure.

  • Pros: food was totally fresh and tasty
  • Cons: nothing
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/02/09

servers are horrible

by hiangza

I usually order from there, but recently seems like they changed servers. Before they changed servers, the service was alright. However right now, they are really rude. Today i was really need to use bathroom around there, so i went in there to ask for using bathroom. I choose that restaurant because I eat there a lot. So I felt comfortable to enter there. Surprisingly they said no to me, only customers can use it. I told them I will order takeout after I use the bathroom. One older Asian lady followed me until the bathroom door and yelled at me, saying " this is not a public toilet." After using the restroom, I tried to order something, but another waitress yelled at me about using their toilet. I can't believe there is a restaurant so rude about using their bathroom, more surprisingly I bought food many times here. When I ask to use the bathroom in other restaurants which I've never ordered any food, they don't have any problem with that. From today I will never buy anything from there. They can't make money from me anymore.

  • Pros: the food is usually ok
  • Cons: servers are really rude
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/08/09

Hello

by 6463569158

Hello,

This is Li Wen.

If you could read this message, Jake. Please contact me at mcct.trust@yahoo.co.nz

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/16/09

excellent delivery service and food

by patmacedo

I always order food there for lunch, the food is execellent , always hot, fresh and affordable. And get this, the new driver is a girl and she is awesome. Kudos for Mao's, I love having a girl bring up my lunch.

Keep up the good work.

  • Pros: hey guys: the driver is a girl, awesome! check it out!!!

The Details on Maos Kitchen

Place Categories:

  • bad customer service
  • favorite chinese place
  • great prices
  • love mao
  • surprisingly affordable chinese food
  • chaotic everything
  • great truly awful service
  • delicious black bean sauce
  • bad food
  • huge portions
  • not annoying customer
  • really good brown fried rice
  • great take
  • like act
  • polite professional manner
  • excellent dining experience
  • cozy chinese
  • good grub
  • not best place
  • awful good grief
  • always fresh ingredients
  • good vegetarian dishes
  • extremely good kung pao chicken
  • great leftover food
  • never disappoint flavorful black bean chicken

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