I wish I could give negative stars.. This Oriental Express is horrible! We called at 6PM for a small order. I spelled out the name of our address twice and provided my phone number in case of questions. They said the order would deliver in 45 minutes. At 7:15 and & 7:30, I called twice to check on my order. I said my address both times and they said the order was on its way. I finally called back at 7:50 to ask to speak to a manager and cancel my order. They then told me the manager was not available and they could relay the message. I continued to ask to cancel, when finally the driver got there, we had to turn him away b/c the food would have been cold. Horrible service- don't go!
(1)
Fabian M.
Gasparilla Saturday, 1:15 pm: I wanted to have a quick bite before my 20 mins walk to an unpredictable point of gathering with my friends. There was a place called Gilligan's but I had to pay a cover of $5.00 to get in and order food. The only other option around was this Chinese joint. The usual choices for Chinese food with the option of a small portion or a large portion, which I thought it was great since I knew I was going to indulge in festival food at some point. They cooked the food to order and it came quick. I had the Szechuan Chicken small portion(conservative since I didn't know about the near future restroom situation) and it was spicy and flavorful as I expected. The flexibility in the portion size along with the price makes this a convenient restaurant in my opinion. I don't live close to downtown so I am not expecting to come to this restaurant often, but now I know that if I need it, it'll be there for me!
(3)
Ashley Z.
The absolute worst Chinese takeout I have experienced. I live about 2 miles away and it took over an hour on a random Sunday evening for the food to arrive. The order was wrong ( I ordered 2 egg rolls and they were missing). The crab rangoons had hardly any stuffing in them. The Mongolian beef was 90 percent onions (hardly no beef). Complete ripoff.
(1)
Gina G.
Ordered for the first time today. The delivery took over an hour. The driver did not have change after I told them we had 20's. The food is disgusting. The hibachi chicken is drenched in grease. The noodles have no flavor and my Rangoon are way overcooked. Never again! Had to give a one star but they deserve a zero star.
(1)
Rob C.
So i decided to try Oriental express one more time. After sampling what Tampa has to offer in Asian food, I decided I might have been a bit judgmental about their driver..from last time... The owners have been very friendly and apologetic... I will update again after my next delivery.
(4)
Nina B.
If you are really craving Chinese food, then go here. Otherwise, I don't recommend. If you do get food here, call ahead. It was chaotic and I feel like the people were overwhelmed. We had a big order, sure, but it took almost 45 minutes to get our to-go order. I ordered bourbon chicken and for some reason it had potatoes in it (maybe to make it look like a bigger portion). My crab Rangoon barely had anything in it. I probably won't go back.
(2)
Desiree C.
I ordered online for my weekday lunch. Upon finding the location downtown I stood at the register for a few minutes before anyone acknowledged I was there. An Asian young man asked if the meal on the counter was mine and I told him know. I told him I had a carryout. He asked if the same package was mine. Eventually another woman told him online - online. When I was given my order I was surprised at how small the bag was for a beef pepper steak. Now that I am sitting here at my desk eating this I am thinking this was by far the worst, not kidding, Chinese I have ever had. The 'spicy' request was not completed as I requested in writing. In fact I feel like they washed my food in water before placing it in the to go container. There is no flavor and frankly no beef. I would have been better off going to a buffet at any random mall. Starting to feel all food around downtown and channelside is not meant for human consumption.
(1)
Zao Z.
Don't order from here. Everything about this place is just bad. Service is bad. Food is bad. Decor is bad. First off, this is takeout Chinese food. In the culinary scale, this isn't complex like French food. It is slightly above a Chipotle. It is the fast food of Chinese food. Somehow they manage to suck. Like the food was probably the worst take out Chinese food I have ever eaten. I ordered an hot and sour soup, general tsao's, and lo mein. All were among the worst I have ever ate. They use subpar ingredients on everything. The soup had no flavor and was very watery.(I had much better at a buffet) The general tsao's tasted old and not crunchy. The chicken didn't taste too fresh. They had barely any broccoli. The ones they did have noticeably old. lo mein was okay. I don't think they cook fresh. Service.... what service? First off, they barely speak English. On the phone, the kid that picked up sounded frustrated at me. Even if it is my fault(which it isn't), you are suppose to sound nice. I had to switch over to Chinese to finish my order. BTW, their Chinese isn't too proper either. They messed up taking my order. If I didn't review with them, they would have forgotten a item. This place is like 10 mins walking from my place. It took like a hour for them to get the food to me. I think they forgot. I called them and they delivered it. Decor is pretty bad. It is a take out place. I don't know how this place still survives. Someone should seriously open a Chinese place down here. Panda Express would be a huge upgrade to this place!
(1)
Curt T.
It just took 1.5 HOURS to arrive after ordering online. My Octopus tasted Rotten. I spit it out and thru the rest out. My Sushi rolls were delivered sitting On Top of Hot food, so they were as hot as if the rice just came out of a cooker. I'll Never order from them again.
(1)
Amara G.
If you find me anywhere, please return me to myself. Hectic and chaotic does not do justice to my last couple of weeks. Thank goodness I had promised to not misbehave. I have not stopped. Aurora (my car) can testify that she has not rested. Indecisive me. Fickle me. Restless me. Today I went into four eateries. I was very hangry. The one who loves ribs wanted Chinese food today. He hinted and sighed and eventually just asked as I drove him to crew camp. Orient Express it was... Had Agatha Christie ever visited here, she might have not written her novel at all. Had she used me as one of the characters... I would have wanted to be murdered first. My nose is rather high maintenance. The food looked interesting (my mother uses this adjective when she does not want to criticize my accessory choices, the ones she really disagrees on.) Let me make clear that I don't mind cafeteria style places. But I felt odor-slapped as soon as I walked in. I also feel very pressured when asked for my order immediately. Perhaps others feel catered to... or welcomed when that happens. Not me. So I was a tad nauseous over the smell (mind you, it was not a foul smell at all. It was the overwhelming combination of food choices mingling and marrying, overpowering and divorcing all at once.) Had I fallen in love with the bareness of the decorations... wait! What decorations? No, that did not help to distract me either. Have I mentioned how visually sensitive I can be? I love beautiful things. The Libra in me seeks beauty. Anywhere. Everywhere. I will refrain from reviewing the place in detail even when, until today (yes, no more), I called for deliveries and found the food okay. They serve abundantly. Huge plates to share... if you wanted to share okay food with family or guests. I have delivery-tried (which was like blind tasting until today): fried rice, white rice, egg rolls (quite oily tasting), bourbon chicken, orange chicken, egg drop soup, steamed dumplings, pepper steak and Lo Mein. Call and order with enough time so that your hangriness does not get the best of you. I went today. I felt catfished like in the MTV show. Our relationship platonic and beautiful. Maybe not the best, but okay. Nice... and nice is often good. Why did I try to ever meet?
(1)
Dave G.
I am in downtown for a test with limited time. so I chose Chinese. I had got the general tso chicken with fried rice and a spring roll. the chicken had good flavor different than others but was sitting for a while. the fried rice was good. but the spring roll.... was soggy. I asked for another as she put the same one back into the deep fryer. I bit into it and oil came out. my bottled soda was expired and had no carbonation. it was just one thing after another. they have a sushi menu,, please don't try it. I really don't think they are sushi grade. it was my fault for choosing Chinese over a burger.
(1)
Alan C.
Drop in every so often before or after lightning games. Food is hot, fast, and the menu includes your typical small family run chinese food fare. Quality of dishes I've had have been oversauced, but bonus points for late/weekend hours downtown which is otherwise deserted.
(3)
Kyle G.
Ok, I revoke the 'fast delivery' portion of my review; however, a 45-minute wait is still worth their awesome food...
(5)
Marisa V.
Food was ok. I called ahead, my food wasn't ready. They made it on the spot bit talked about me on a different language the whole time. Would have rather gone any where but there.
(1)
Janet P.
good location because it was walking distance from our hotel, its very casual probably used more less for there delivery service, but I didnt mind the walk at all, I really enjoyed my egg drop soup spring roll and general tso meanl very fulling and hearty
(3)
No I. D.
This rating is strictly on quality of food. We ordered takeout so I cannot fairly speak on the service or ambiance. Bottom line, worst chinese food I've ever had. Mind you, I've had chinese food from various states in the U.S. and other countries, ranging from mama/papa shops to franchises. Poor preparation and extremely poor in flavor. I don't know what rice they served us but it wasn't fried rice. More like Mexican fried rice (I'm Mexican so I can say that!). I will not be returning.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Casey C.
I wish I could give negative stars.. This Oriental Express is horrible! We called at 6PM for a small order. I spelled out the name of our address twice and provided my phone number in case of questions. They said the order would deliver in 45 minutes. At 7:15 and & 7:30, I called twice to check on my order. I said my address both times and they said the order was on its way. I finally called back at 7:50 to ask to speak to a manager and cancel my order. They then told me the manager was not available and they could relay the message. I continued to ask to cancel, when finally the driver got there, we had to turn him away b/c the food would have been cold. Horrible service- don't go!
(1)Fabian M.
Gasparilla Saturday, 1:15 pm: I wanted to have a quick bite before my 20 mins walk to an unpredictable point of gathering with my friends. There was a place called Gilligan's but I had to pay a cover of $5.00 to get in and order food. The only other option around was this Chinese joint. The usual choices for Chinese food with the option of a small portion or a large portion, which I thought it was great since I knew I was going to indulge in festival food at some point. They cooked the food to order and it came quick. I had the Szechuan Chicken small portion(conservative since I didn't know about the near future restroom situation) and it was spicy and flavorful as I expected. The flexibility in the portion size along with the price makes this a convenient restaurant in my opinion. I don't live close to downtown so I am not expecting to come to this restaurant often, but now I know that if I need it, it'll be there for me!
(3)Ashley Z.
The absolute worst Chinese takeout I have experienced. I live about 2 miles away and it took over an hour on a random Sunday evening for the food to arrive. The order was wrong ( I ordered 2 egg rolls and they were missing). The crab rangoons had hardly any stuffing in them. The Mongolian beef was 90 percent onions (hardly no beef). Complete ripoff.
(1)Gina G.
Ordered for the first time today. The delivery took over an hour. The driver did not have change after I told them we had 20's. The food is disgusting. The hibachi chicken is drenched in grease. The noodles have no flavor and my Rangoon are way overcooked. Never again! Had to give a one star but they deserve a zero star.
(1)Rob C.
So i decided to try Oriental express one more time. After sampling what Tampa has to offer in Asian food, I decided I might have been a bit judgmental about their driver..from last time... The owners have been very friendly and apologetic... I will update again after my next delivery.
(4)Nina B.
If you are really craving Chinese food, then go here. Otherwise, I don't recommend. If you do get food here, call ahead. It was chaotic and I feel like the people were overwhelmed. We had a big order, sure, but it took almost 45 minutes to get our to-go order. I ordered bourbon chicken and for some reason it had potatoes in it (maybe to make it look like a bigger portion). My crab Rangoon barely had anything in it. I probably won't go back.
(2)Desiree C.
I ordered online for my weekday lunch. Upon finding the location downtown I stood at the register for a few minutes before anyone acknowledged I was there. An Asian young man asked if the meal on the counter was mine and I told him know. I told him I had a carryout. He asked if the same package was mine. Eventually another woman told him online - online. When I was given my order I was surprised at how small the bag was for a beef pepper steak. Now that I am sitting here at my desk eating this I am thinking this was by far the worst, not kidding, Chinese I have ever had. The 'spicy' request was not completed as I requested in writing. In fact I feel like they washed my food in water before placing it in the to go container. There is no flavor and frankly no beef. I would have been better off going to a buffet at any random mall. Starting to feel all food around downtown and channelside is not meant for human consumption.
(1)Zao Z.
Don't order from here. Everything about this place is just bad. Service is bad. Food is bad. Decor is bad. First off, this is takeout Chinese food. In the culinary scale, this isn't complex like French food. It is slightly above a Chipotle. It is the fast food of Chinese food. Somehow they manage to suck. Like the food was probably the worst take out Chinese food I have ever eaten. I ordered an hot and sour soup, general tsao's, and lo mein. All were among the worst I have ever ate. They use subpar ingredients on everything. The soup had no flavor and was very watery.(I had much better at a buffet) The general tsao's tasted old and not crunchy. The chicken didn't taste too fresh. They had barely any broccoli. The ones they did have noticeably old. lo mein was okay. I don't think they cook fresh. Service.... what service? First off, they barely speak English. On the phone, the kid that picked up sounded frustrated at me. Even if it is my fault(which it isn't), you are suppose to sound nice. I had to switch over to Chinese to finish my order. BTW, their Chinese isn't too proper either. They messed up taking my order. If I didn't review with them, they would have forgotten a item. This place is like 10 mins walking from my place. It took like a hour for them to get the food to me. I think they forgot. I called them and they delivered it. Decor is pretty bad. It is a take out place. I don't know how this place still survives. Someone should seriously open a Chinese place down here. Panda Express would be a huge upgrade to this place!
(1)Curt T.
It just took 1.5 HOURS to arrive after ordering online. My Octopus tasted Rotten. I spit it out and thru the rest out. My Sushi rolls were delivered sitting On Top of Hot food, so they were as hot as if the rice just came out of a cooker. I'll Never order from them again.
(1)Amara G.
If you find me anywhere, please return me to myself. Hectic and chaotic does not do justice to my last couple of weeks. Thank goodness I had promised to not misbehave. I have not stopped. Aurora (my car) can testify that she has not rested. Indecisive me. Fickle me. Restless me. Today I went into four eateries. I was very hangry. The one who loves ribs wanted Chinese food today. He hinted and sighed and eventually just asked as I drove him to crew camp. Orient Express it was... Had Agatha Christie ever visited here, she might have not written her novel at all. Had she used me as one of the characters... I would have wanted to be murdered first. My nose is rather high maintenance. The food looked interesting (my mother uses this adjective when she does not want to criticize my accessory choices, the ones she really disagrees on.) Let me make clear that I don't mind cafeteria style places. But I felt odor-slapped as soon as I walked in. I also feel very pressured when asked for my order immediately. Perhaps others feel catered to... or welcomed when that happens. Not me. So I was a tad nauseous over the smell (mind you, it was not a foul smell at all. It was the overwhelming combination of food choices mingling and marrying, overpowering and divorcing all at once.) Had I fallen in love with the bareness of the decorations... wait! What decorations? No, that did not help to distract me either. Have I mentioned how visually sensitive I can be? I love beautiful things. The Libra in me seeks beauty. Anywhere. Everywhere. I will refrain from reviewing the place in detail even when, until today (yes, no more), I called for deliveries and found the food okay. They serve abundantly. Huge plates to share... if you wanted to share okay food with family or guests. I have delivery-tried (which was like blind tasting until today): fried rice, white rice, egg rolls (quite oily tasting), bourbon chicken, orange chicken, egg drop soup, steamed dumplings, pepper steak and Lo Mein. Call and order with enough time so that your hangriness does not get the best of you. I went today. I felt catfished like in the MTV show. Our relationship platonic and beautiful. Maybe not the best, but okay. Nice... and nice is often good. Why did I try to ever meet?
(1)Dave G.
I am in downtown for a test with limited time. so I chose Chinese. I had got the general tso chicken with fried rice and a spring roll. the chicken had good flavor different than others but was sitting for a while. the fried rice was good. but the spring roll.... was soggy. I asked for another as she put the same one back into the deep fryer. I bit into it and oil came out. my bottled soda was expired and had no carbonation. it was just one thing after another. they have a sushi menu,, please don't try it. I really don't think they are sushi grade. it was my fault for choosing Chinese over a burger.
(1)Alan C.
Drop in every so often before or after lightning games. Food is hot, fast, and the menu includes your typical small family run chinese food fare. Quality of dishes I've had have been oversauced, but bonus points for late/weekend hours downtown which is otherwise deserted.
(3)Kyle G.
Ok, I revoke the 'fast delivery' portion of my review; however, a 45-minute wait is still worth their awesome food...
(5)Marisa V.
Food was ok. I called ahead, my food wasn't ready. They made it on the spot bit talked about me on a different language the whole time. Would have rather gone any where but there.
(1)Janet P.
good location because it was walking distance from our hotel, its very casual probably used more less for there delivery service, but I didnt mind the walk at all, I really enjoyed my egg drop soup spring roll and general tso meanl very fulling and hearty
(3)No I. D.
This rating is strictly on quality of food. We ordered takeout so I cannot fairly speak on the service or ambiance. Bottom line, worst chinese food I've ever had. Mind you, I've had chinese food from various states in the U.S. and other countries, ranging from mama/papa shops to franchises. Poor preparation and extremely poor in flavor. I don't know what rice they served us but it wasn't fried rice. More like Mexican fried rice (I'm Mexican so I can say that!). I will not be returning.
(1)Eric F.
Found their menu: menusearch.net/tampa/res…
(3)