Empire Asian Bistro
3819 Union Deposit Rd, Harrisburg, PA, 17109
Empire Asian Bistro Menu
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Address :
3819 Union Deposit Rd
Harrisburg, PA, 17109 - Phone (717) 558-9988
- Website https://www.empireasianbistro.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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B D.
Don't let the second star fool you! Empire gets the second star for one reason and one reason only: half-price sushi on Sunday. Ironically, it's the half-price sushi on Sunday that also costs Empire a second star. Allow me to explain... I've been to Empire twice now, and only because one of my pals insisted that A) it's his and his girlfriend's favorite sushi joint in Harrisburg; and B) they've got half-price sushi on Sundays. With that, and because the chef at my beloved Okini is long gone, my lady and I decided to give it a shot. We sat at the bar, which, like the entire restaurant, was ridiculously crowded. It wasn't three-people deep, mind you, but every bar seat was taken. We waited for menus. And we waited. And then we waited some more. Finally we received them and ordered a couple beers, for which we waited. And waited. And then waited some more. After the beers finally arrived, we placed our order, which was nothing more than five different types of sashimi. No rolls, no rice, nothing cooked. Just raw, sliced fish. And with that, we waited. And waited... And waited some more. After an hour -- an HOUR -- our sashimi arrived. Again, it's sashimi we're talking about here! And, yes, I realize there's an art to great sushi, and I'm more than happy to wait for it, as I completely respect the process of properly slicing the fish. What I didn't realize, though, is that the chef had to go to the Tsukiji Market in Japan for each and every order. Actually, I wish the chef HAD gone to the Tsukiji Market for our fish, because at least then it would have been worth the wait. Instead, we got a bunch of fish that was average at best. The squid? Bland. The scallop? Bleh. The yellowtail? Meh. The sea urchin? Downright terrible. Sadly, the only above average fish was the tuna, which I would expect to be the case from any reputable sushi joint. What's more, the chefs rolling the sushi (which, by the way, is all they do) didn't say a single word to us. Not one! We sat at the sushi bar and ordered sashimi, and these three guys making rolls didn't even greet us. Hell, they didn't even make our sashimi! It came out of the kitchen, which is suspect, as far as I'm concerned. So, Empire, you get a second star because you're sushi is half-price on Sunday. Realize, though, that half-price deal is the same thing that costs you from forming any sort of bond with your customers, something I count on at a sushi joint, particularly when I sit at the bar. I suppose I could sit here in my contempt, waiting for you to say hello, but I'd be waiting forever. And waiting. Then waiting some more.
(2)Abigail B.
I arrived for a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and no one was at the host desk so I flagged one of the workers down. I was given a table. There were hardly any customers there, it was looked very non-busy at the time. It was Chinese New Year so I asked about the New Year specials. The waitress said they did not have them this year. But then I explained that I had seen them in the newspaper talking about this particular restaurant, so she said she would ask the manager. It turned out that they did have the specials after all. I think, as a waitress one should be aware of the specials. Or the manager should tell them. Whoever it was, someone goofed. I ordered my meal, (one of the specials, after all, it was the whole reason I had come) along with soup which came with the meal. The soup came out on time, and it was delicious. Even though there were negative things about the experience, some of the food and sauces were definitely the redeeming quality. It was wonton soup and the wonton dumplings were rich and yummy. I also had fried crunchy strips with sweet and sour sauce that pretty much every Chinese restaurant gives. These were a little too oily and fried for me, I like the ones at Hong Kong City and Chef Wong's better. They were still edible though as I waited. I finished the soup and it took a long time for the waitress to take the empty bowl, and I waited....and waited....and waited. I think I went through my whole water almost. Later on my water was refilled but by then I was almost ready to leave. I waited for 20 minutes. I asked, "How much longer is the wait?" and they said "It's coming" which I thought was kind of rude. I explained that I couldn't wait much longer. Good thing I had soup because otherwise I may have passed out! It was 2:15 pm by then, after all. I ordered crab which cooks quickly. I really don't know what the wait was about, since the place was so slow. I would be more forgiving if the place was really busy but it wasn't. Finally the food arrived. The sauce was delicious, so that cheered me up a little. It really was a delicious brown ginger sauce. The presentation...well..I don't know if this is a traditional way or what but the crab was in the shell, and sauce was put over the shell. It was so messy and difficult to deal with. It was hard to crack the shells with my bare hands (there were no shell-cracking devices) with the slippery sauce all over them. What a mess! Of course, there were no wet-naps given. My one napkin was soaked. I decided to leave and take the rest home, since it was 2:45 and I wanted to get back home to the West Shore before traffic got ugly. They gave me a 15% discount because of the wait. At first I thought she said 50%, which made me feel a lot better, thinking it was generous and nice of them, but then when I found it was 15% I felt grim because it seemed kind of tight. After all this, I was glad to be out of there. The wait time for such a seemingly slow time seemed ridiculous and I don't know if there is a good reason for it or not. I think that was the biggest turnoff for me. The food was good but there are so many other good Chinese places around which have given much better service. I'll stick to the tried and true.
(2)Jim K.
2nd trip to this restaurant. During both dinner outings service has been friendly, but slow, the first time ponderously slow, this last trip a dinner with appetizers for 3 took over 2 hours. Appetizers were good, pot stickers were fresh not frozen. House salad had a ginger dressing that was creamy, not oil based, a nice surprise. Dinner course was more pedestrian. Pad Thai was underseasoned. Chicken teriyaki was presented well, sizzling on an iron platter, but was again underseasoned. Sweet & sour Chicken for our teen was standard fare for a generic chinese restaturant, it could have been served just as easily from our local take out place. Overall, a pleasant but not outstanding meal. Since its neighbor Okini has just closed, this place may see more traffic by default, even though it likely doesn't merit it.
(3)Jody L.
We went there on a Sunday for lunch . The service was so bad that we waited an hour for the food to arrive . The food was not good at all . It was my 2nd time and will be my last .
(1)Jonathan M.
I took my 8 year old son here for a not-to-late dinner. He loves sushi and hibachi style dishes. We shared an order of sashimi Yellow Fin Tuna, which I felt was of a fairly good quality. I have had Yellow Fin dozens of times and this was pretty good. I saw some of the other posts regarding their sashimi being poor, but I cannot say I had this same experience. For my dinner I had 3 rolls: 1st Roll- Three different types of spicy fish (tuna, salmon and something else) 2nd Roll- Spicy tuna roll with tuna on top 3rd Roll- last roll was a tempura shrimp. I was happy with the presentation and the flavor and freshness was good. It was not the best sushi I have ever had (a small corner sushi bar in San Diego, CA holds that title), but it was above average. My son had the steak/chicken with fried rice and vegetables, hibachi style, which I of course tried. The brown rice was of a good quality and the overall dishes flavoring was pretty good. I was impressed with the vegetables as they appeared and tasted fresh. The meat was juicy and flavorful. My son and I both gave it a thumbs up. The server we had was prompt and did a pretty good job. It was to her advantage that the restaurant was not overly busy, but either way I was happy with her service. The interior of the restaurant was nice and well lit. They had several TV's throughout the restaurant so you could stay up on the scores of games. The bar was located at the center of the restaurant. They advertised a few specialty drinks, which looked good, but I did not try one. Final Thoughts: I did enjoy the overall experience and my son was happy too. The environment would accommodate a group of people and is not a bad place for children. They offer both booths and tables and the environment does not feel cramped. Overall it was a good experience for the price paid. Many other reviews were not positive and perhaps rightfully so. I did not encounter many of the issues that were discussed. If the prices were any higher I would give Empire three stars, but the price point, atmosphere, service and food all met at a good point. It was good enough that I took my wife here a couple weeks later. We had similar food to when my son and I first came, but she felt that Empire only earned about 3 stars.
(4)Juliet G.
Oh my... This time I tried the sushi- simply amazing! I had the vegetarian sushi dinner which was great. Love the atmosphere- quiet, a bit elegant with the table linens and great service. I will be back!
(5)Matt B.
I guess I have to give it a star, but I wish I could give this a zero. Called in order, told 45 minutes, showed up 45 minutes later, waited 30 minutes at the restaurant. No apology - they just don't care. Food bland and missing my sushi. NEVER again.
(1)Ashley A.
I just went here over the weekend with friends and it was okay. I somewhat enjoyed the food. I'm not in love, but it was okay. We sat at bar so we could watch the staff make sushi, which was cool. I will say, they have amazing presentation when it comes to food delivery. Each plate is uniquely decorated. I ordered the pineapple chicken entree, which tasted good! I loved the way the pineapple was cooked and soaked in the sauce. The chicken was a turn off. I wish it was cooked longer and not so chewy. The prices were moderate for the entrees and yet pretty reasonable for some things. I don't think I will go back.
(2)Katie P.
I just moved from Hawaii and was feeling a little depressed....I miss my Asian food (especially sushi even though I'm Filipino). Just when I felt like all hope was lost in Harrisburgs same meals of Italian and American, my cousins from Delaware brought me here on a Sunday. I thought it would honestly suck, but I was pleasantly surprised. A wide selection of sushi, tenpuras, stir fry and other dishes. It's a hybrid of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian food. Spicy ahi was really good. They gave more fish than rice. My cousin had honey glazed prawns with walnuts and vegetables. The prawns were plump and cooked just right. The vegetables were crispy and not soaking in greasy sauce like a lot of other places. Price-wise, it was pretty good too. Half-off sushi on Sundays...so my roll came out to $6. My cousins food was $12. The prices are similar to restaurants in Hawaii (not counting Waikiki's ridiculously overpriced/overrated sushi) so I was surprised by that. I thought they'd jack up the prices since sushi in Harrisburg cones few and far between. I try not to compare this place with Hawaii and Japan, because obviously, more competition means greater quality.... But 5 stars for this little restaurant in Harrisburg.
(5)Joshua W.
Chicken was gross. Took forever to get food. Meh. Not again.
(1)Art C.
While the place is nicely decorated and the service is good, the food was not very good. I had Singapore style curry noodles. The curry was nearly undetectable. I think there was about 1/8 teaspoon in the giant pile of noodles. The dish had no flavor apart from the ingredients. The chicken had a slightly off taste as well. This place has been promoted in the local press as a "traditional" Asian restaurant. That's total BS. I saw almost nothing on the menu that I would consider a traditional Chinese or Thai entree. Most of it appears to be the same old tired Americanized crap that any Chinese, Thai or Japanese resto in this area serves, this place just has a sampling of all three styles under one roof. Given the prices, the menu and food quality needs a lot of work. Extremely disappointing. While I'm glad others whose opinions I respect had good experiences here, I most certainly did not.
(1)Patrick B.
What a huge disappointment! Went here for its broad selection of Asian foods. (I wanted Thai curry, my fam Chinese.) "SERVICE": I'll usually give a place a break for new staff; but not when the hostess is shadowing the new waitress and the service is still screwed up. Why would a bottled beer ever be served at a table with no glass? Why does it take 15 minutes for said glass to arrive after it's asked for? Why is the glass that finally arrives more suitable for juice than beer, especially when it's sitting next to water served in a more appropriate glass? Why were we sitting for half an hour waiting for our entrees in a half-empty restaurant?? {Note, I haven't even gotten to the food.] As I probably could have predicted, the orders were wrong when they were delivered. FOOD: When the orders were finally made right, the food ranged from just edible to inedible. Majority of two entrees left on the table, not even boxed to go home! Can't say I have EVER seen M walk away from chicken and broccoli, but I guess there's a first time for everything. WILL NOT BE BACK. EVER.
(1)Lexi N.
Good food, slow service. I went tonight for 1/2 off sushi and had no idea I was going to wait over an hour for our food. I wouldn't have minded so much if our waitress had told us ahead of time of the wait expectancy, but she didn't. When I asked her why it was taking so long she just told me she would check on it....15 mins later we got our food. I would only recommend eating here if you have a lot of time!
(3)Yujie D.
Dishes are really good! If you want to try some real Chinese style food, I strongly recommend this restaurant! Go there and enjoy!
(5)Nina N.
Very good food! Great service! Not a local however this had all the great Chinese food we love! Egg drop soup, potstickers and wonderful sizzling teriyaki chicken. I recommend this for anyone is this area.
(5)Amanda Z.
I just had dinner here last night, and I am very happy with the place. Everything was good to me, it took me about 10 minutes just to look through their menu because they have such a huge variety when it comes to their sushi and entrees. I ordered 3 of their sushi rolls and a side of seaweed salad, and honestly it was amazing. It came out 10 mins after I ordered it and my waitress was really nice, she came and checked on me all the time. While eating my food I noticed the manager or boss of the place walked around the restaurant checking on the customers. I have to say this place was amazing and I will definitely coming back here again.
(4)Ryan H.
The sushi is good! Watch out for too much sauce if youre not into that, the rolls can get soggy. Best time to go is sundays if you like sushi. All sushi is 1/2 off. The "thai" food is mediocre. It ends up being more like lo mein with peanuts i you get a noodle dish like pad thai. 4 stars for the sushi and ranking in the area.
(4)Katherine M.
It's time for an update. I don't get the sushi here. Let's start here. Not anymore. They are painfully slow with it and mess it up often - I took home a strange eel roll when I ordered a (tofu skin) inari roll. Not the same thing at all. I'd go elsewhere for sushi. Iny my mind this is more like take out Asian food for me. I suggest picking up - the service is slow most times I end up here, so we have taken to getting take out. The main reason I go here is their sesame tofu is amazing - it's one of the best Asian tofu dishes in this city and I can't get it elsewhere. Other than that, I haven't found many other things. There is better tempura, sushi, and Japanese dishes at otehr places. This isn't the worst place. It isn't the best. It's what it is. And I keep coming back because I can't find better tofu.
(3)Michael V.
I am not a big sushi, mainly becuase of a shellfish allergy, but I have found that Empire's sushi is one of my favorite places to eat. I like the friendly atmosphere and th wait staff is very attentive to their tables. For larger groups they are very accomodating and allow the bill to be split between for all attendees. Also, if you grab a coupon from the "Clipper" there is no question about the use for each individual. The manager does stop at the table to talk with the customer. So for dinner I order the Fireball and Empire rolls, a pork eggroll, and seaweed salad; with a pitcher of Mich Ultra. To me, Empire offers a great atmosphere, service, and sushi experience. There are many choices to chose from and even someone who has alergies can find something good to eat.
(5)C N.
Closest thing to a Chinese Restaurant in Harrisburg area. Food is ok, does lack the real Asian taste like NY Chinatown places.
(3)Claudine L.
We have been here several times and the food has always been excellent. There is a lot to choose from even if you do not want sushi. My big complaint is the lack of service. We were a party of six and waited over 20 minutes for drinks. We did not even receive water in that time. Our waitress appeared to have had zero training as she had no idea what any of the wines were and was even confused on menu items. I had to show her which wine I wanted in the menu. When the drinks finally arrived our waitress informed us that they were out of glasses! The place wasn't even busy!. When we finally ordered we waited again for our food which came out very sporadically. The entire meal took over 2 hours. A table near us got their drinks and wound up walking out. I really would hate to see another restaurant shut down because of poor service. I may give them one last chance only because I enjoy the food. If the service is as poor I will not return.
(2)Dan R.
I had read some of the horror stories about Empire Asian Bistro on Yelp and wasnt too sure what to expect. We visited for lunch on a saturday afternoon recently, it had been totally re done. Nicely laid out sushi bar, very spacious, Empire also has a selection of wine and liquor. The interior of the restaurant was very nicely decourated. For lunch we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the entrees: our family of four adults and two children ordered: Empire Yaki-Udon (10.95), Japanese Teriyaki Steak (14.95), Crispy Whole Fish (19.95), Sauteed Veggies (8.95), and the Maki Combo A: 1 spicy tuna, 1 spicy yellow tail, 1 spicy california roll (14.95) All of the entrees came with a bowl of miso or wonton soup.
(3)Jason M.
Good sushi, but has all the atmosphere of a McDonald's...
(3)Susan B.
Hubby and I stopped in for lunch, early in January on a recommendation from a business associate in Harrisburg. They said they recommend it to everyone. Nice decor, good food, and good service. Our food was great and came out quickly. They weren't packed at lunch time. If in Harrisburg again I would definitely go back.
(4)Steve G.
I've heard good things from others, and since I was driving by at lunchtime today, I thought I'd just give it a look. The decor is quite nice. Clean and classy. The wait staff is effective, if not overly friendly. The food (I opted some something a little different - pad thai) was very good. My only complaint might be that I would have liked a lunch-size offering. I ended up getting an entree at $11, and now I'm a little too full. The mood music was a little different, too. Sinofied versions of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Auld Lang Syne." LOL I'd have no problem going back with a date, but I'll stay away when I'm looking for a solo lunch stop.
(3)GingerSnap G.
okay, inspite of a few things, i do have to say that i'm a fan! they have pretty good food, and a nice selection. the decor is nice, and overall has a nice feeling to the place. it makes me happy to be there! and look, there are other patrons (unlike alot of other asian/chinese places). they have goood sushi! i had the spider roll, a crispy, soft shell crab roll (and they were able to make it w/out the cucumber. yeah!) it was the best i have had so far! but the day we had sushi service was kind of slow. and the potstickers / panfried dumplings were just okay. great sushi presentation (sorry no photo this time)! the next time i went they messed up our order twice. when i asked if they could add tofu to the eggplant, they said yes, but didnt. then they brought us some random beef dish when we ordered chicken basil. they fixed both dishes, were very polite. and luckily i was with good company and we had plenty of time! the basil chicken was very tender (chicken breast pieces), nice flavor. the eggplant was really well cooked. tender yet still held its shape... and such a beautiful color! the sauce didnt make me think of a garlic sauce per se... but it was still good. and i saw another table get some awesome looking desserts! that's next on the agenda!! but the real stars are for the fairly good food and the ambiance!! It's an enjoyable place to eat at!! I dont feel dirty when i leave! ;o)
(4)Tina Z.
Was here for lunch with some friends, very nice decor and a large menu. Prices as comparable to similar pan Asian restaurants in the area. Our waiter was a well seasoned server and really on top of things. I did notice some of the servers did not understand English as well but everyone was very pleasant. We ordered: the chicken lettuce wraps, they bring you a whole head of lettuce and you roll your own but it was very tasty Sweet potato roll, very good Shrimp tempura roll, was okay eel and avocado roll, very good garlic eggplant, I was told it was the best she ever had and a masamom (I think that's what it was called) beef curry, that was enjoyed I will definitely go back and try the sushi next time and if it's as good all the time I can see this being a regular spot with us
(4)Brian R.
You would never notice this place was a ruby tuesdays once you step inside, it's beautifully decorated. Recently opened by the owner of Jumbo Buffet on Paxton St., this place is a much more upscale establishment with a large menu of Asian fusion cuisine along with a full sushi bar. I tried the Singapore Noodles, which I was pleased with. Tasted like really good mei fun with curry sauce on top. I'm definitely planning on going back to try the sushi and other items on the menu.
(4)Colleen S.
I have to rate Empire as "Not bad, would go again" had chinese (broccoli with garlic sauce) because felt it had a very chinese restaurant feel to it, started with fried crackers and egg roll sauce. Tasty and decently priced. Also we sampled some sushi, I like to call it american sushi (fried, mayoed and stuffed with non fish filler) as it was heavily decorated with mayo. As far as american sushi goes, the sweet potato roll was very tasty.
(3)Adri P.
I should have listened to the other reviewers on this site. Food was just ok. Not great. One of my friends asked the server how the fish was prepared, and due to the server's lack of English speaking and comprehension, she had to get the manager to come speak English to us. For an Asian restaurant with a huge menu, there really were not that many vegetarian options (only 4 entrees on about 6 pages of menu) or options to sub tofu in place of meat. I also ordered Thai Panang curry with chicken to take home for my boyfriend. They forgot the rice, which I didn't notice until I was home. I noticed that another reviewer mentioned this as well, so beware. Check for your rice before you leave. The Panang tasted like Chinese stir fry, not how Thai Panang curry tastes in a Thai restaurant. not sure if I'll be going back unless someone twists my arm. Can we get a PF Changs here instead?
(2)shivam k.
Went in for lunch. Hard to find good sushi restaurants around here but this nice. Has a nice ambience very welcoming and mainly good food. I ordered one of the lunch boxes with an extra appetizer. It was good food. Will be back to try other items on the menu than only will be a good judgement. Service was pleasant. Nice place will be back. Good place to take your friends.
(4)Terry B.
We dined there last evening. The service was very slow. We started with cocktails. My cocktail was pleasant, but very watered down. I had the calimari as the appetizer. Again, that was ok, but a bit rubbery. Next, I had the 1/2 duck. The duck was very dry and I had to really dig through the fat and bones to find any meat. Rice was supposed to come with my dinner, but I had to go get it myself. The waiter knew he had 1 extra bowl of rice left on his tray, but would not make eye contact with anyone at the table. I kept raising my hand to get his attention because I also wanted a drink refill. My husband ordered the curry and asked for it to be spicy. He said it was very mild - not spicy as he had ordered and there was very little sauce - in other words -- dry curry. We were there from 5pm to 8pm and only received 1 water refill, and were never asked if we'd like another drink from the bar. We had to wait nearly an hour after we received our appetizers to be served our main course. The one plus was that with the dinner comes rice and a choice of soup or salad. Since I didn't want either, I asked if I could just have some vegetables instead. They graciously accommodated. There was nothing spectacular, nothing really bad -- just not up to par with the prices.
(2)Robert A.
The coconut curry vegetables was very good--particularly the broccoli. Also, the miso soup was among the best I've tried in the area.
(4)Jenny D.
Great food at great prices. I've gone on weeknights and it has never been more than half full. I've always been pleased with what I've ordered. Good drink selection, too. I've gotten carry out a few times and it's been ready when I've gone to pick it up. It has carpet and tablecloths, a little fancier than your average Chinese places, but the prices are still low. Great find in Harrisburg!
(5)Barbara V.
Excellent sushi and incredible presentation. My only complaint, no jasmine tea in this Asian restaurant! They offer some basic Thai & Chinese but haven't tried them. Gonna stick to the sushi here.
(4)Lisa R.
I like the menu here. Many options to select from. Japanese sushi, tempura, and hibachi, Thai Curries and noodle dishes, and all your traditional Chinese fare. So far I haven't had anything here I haven't liked. Service is decent. Not always all that friendly, but efficient. Another plus is the nicer atmosphere with linen table cloths and nice serving ware. For Asian food, this is one of the nicer places to eat in my opinion.
(4)John H.
Good sushi with nice presentation. Spicy Maki Combo was tasty & filling. "Sizzling Plate" was very good. A couple interesting seafood choices on the menu. Our take-out pad thai was sadly blah.
(3)Mere M.
Ordered the Thai Panang Curry for take out. It was good. However, for being asian food place it did not have 1. brown rice 2. chicken and cashews. Standards in Asian dining.
(3)Terri H.
My first time at this restaurant, and we had a pleasant experience, none of the issues that other diners experienced. Located in the former and short lived Ruby Tuesday's on UD, the decor is nicely and tastefully done. My friend and I had a chuckle at the statues outside, they are anatomically correct:-) Service was good and competent, but we were one of four tables there. We were there on a Sunday evening. Hot and Sour soup was hot and tasty, and the egg roll was good, nothing to write home about either way. The dipping sauces were good, and I ordered the Seafood Delight on the Sizzling Plate Menu. I highly recommend this dish, it was fresh, the veggies colorful and a good variety. The seafood was steamed to perfection, and the lobster and scallops were the perfect texture and temperature. My dining partner had the Orange Beef, and it was also wonderful, with just the right level of tangy heat and just enough coating to be lightly crispy. Dessert was custard sushi, and it was tasty and a nice end to the meal. Check out was quick, and we were on our way. I am anxious to try their sushi, and prices were what I would have expected for a restaurant of that level of service and selection.
(4)J R.
I am going to upgrade this place to 3 stars. They got a bit better..food and service has improved. I feel in all fairness they should be re-reviewed since my last reviews awhile ago.
(3)Steve P.
Heard about this spot from a few of my parents co-workers having tried it for lunch. From what I have read here, that is the prime time to go. Looking at the reviews it would seem that their dinner service is where the major pitfall is. Bearing that in mind, We went for dinner anyway. Party of two, we chose a booth table over the sushi bar since we were feeling like meat this evening. We started the meal with the Lettuce Wraps which were the highlight of the meal. Good flavor and I could definitely see saving myself the drive to MD in order to go to PF Changs whenever I get the hankering for some. All the was missing was some kind of dipping sauce and they would be comparable. The main courses on the other hand were lacking. I ordered the Teriaki Chicken, it was basically 2 thin breasts sat upon a bed of onions and carrots drizzled with sauce. Very simple, very plain, kinda tasteless. The chicken was dry and the sauce was scarce. The other dish ordered was the Pineapple fried rice which was stated as being "ok, but it has an odd smell and flavor I can't put my finger on" since we are a house hold of foodies, whenever we can't put our fingers on a particular spice, there's something slightly off about that. Neither of the meals were finished and we took them home for left overs later. The service was decent, since the weather was so horrible outside there were only 2 tables in the whole place, allowing for the servers to pay close attention to us. Perhaps a little too close, I'm all for attentiveness, but when we tell you we're gonna need another 5 minutes to look at a menu we've never seen before, don't give us 30 seconds. Meh..
(2)Susie M.
Want Asian but can't quite agree on Japanese, Thai, or Chinese? There is something for everyone on the immense menu at Empire Bistro. Had a nice dinner here with fellow chow hound John. The sushi- we had an assortment of rolls- was fresh and well-prepared. The Thai red curry was very coconutty and had a bit of a kick. Wonton soup was nothing special but not bad. All in all, a pleasant meal for the price, with courteous service and comfortable surroundings. I'd go again.
(3)Jason d.
Went for lunch on Friday. The place is nicely decorated and the menu was fairly extensive. Service was good and the spicy basil chicken was perfectly spicy. Thanks to other yelp reviewers I knew to ask for it extra spicy to get it just right. Wanton soup was just ok. Friend got the cocunut shrimp roll and said was very good. Price was in line with other restaurants of its kind, no surprises. I'd definitely go back (definitely want to try their sushi).
(4)tina j.
my aunt took me there during my visit. the place is nicely decorated. serves was very friendly~ dinner was really good !!!!
(5)Cymone A.
This place is super delicious and reasonably priced! They have wonderful Hibachi and The General Tso Chicken! Yum!!!! My two favorites! They also have great service, everyone was nice from beginning to end! :)
(5)Yuelin L.
I have been to this Empire Asian Bistro so many times. And decide to write my first review today. As a chinese, i should say this place is comparative authentic in harrisburg area. This is the only place i will go for chinese food. And there are so many good choice of sushi. We tried the snow mountain, spider, crazy, and spicy girl rolls before. They are all good. For chinese food, i usually go with ginger scallian lobster, and it is only 19.95 with fully mouth delicious. Or the sizzler is good as well.
(5)BigCat T.
This place gets five stars. The atmosphere was great service was great the restaurant was very clean and the food was spectacular. If you in the area I definitely recommend this restaurant.
(5)Ryan F.
Great selection! I like what they have done with the place. I would definetely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for good authentic foods.
(4)John F.
The staff was friendly and professional. Food was fine, nothing extraordinary. But then again, I'm no food Connoisseur so i wouldn't put much weight on that. What i liked most is the atmosphere. If you're in the mood for some chinese and still have a romantic feel to your dining, this is the place to go. Prices were reasonable as well. I certainly recommend this place to others.
(4)Kaity M.
This place is gorgeous. I felt under dressed walking in wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I ordered something with pineapple, coconut, shrimp and chicken while my mom had sesame chicken. We also got some Mochi... Ordered the coconut, but the waiter gave us strawberry. He said something about them not being marked. It was awesome, though. We didn't care which flavor it was. We were very happy with the food and the service. It's a little pricey, but I'll definitely go back on a date with my husband.
(4)Adam F.
The sushi was pretty decent. The sashimi was some really thick slices of fish so I would definitely get that next time. Lunch specials were good as well.
(3)Pat B.
This place is nicely decorated with great ambiance. The food is not so great. I feel the food is under seasoned and bland. The hot & sour soup was very thick and it was not spicy or sour. The General Tso's chicken was crunchy, but did not have the pungent taste of vinegar combined with sweetness and saltiness. The spicy basil chicken was bland and had tons of vegetables- asparagus, snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini... The waiter did not know much about the product . When we asked about an item he was unsure, but did not want to find out. The hostess was nice and friendly. The price and portion were reasonable with nice presentation of the entrees.
(2)Tony B.
It was just OK. Had better & had worse. Staff was polite, food was hot, and they have a wide variety of food. I would eat there again.
(2)Lauren H.
We went here several weeks ago on a Sunday evening (around 6). We took our kids (9 and 11) with us. We had a 10% off coupon (more on that later). I had a lobster special (with ginger) and the rest of my family had hibachi plates. We also had a sushi roll for an appetizer. My lobster was absolutely delicious, though it was extremely messy because you had to get the lobster out of the shell with the ginger sauce covering it. The sushi was excellent, and the hibachi plates were good, my husband said, but not as good as Benihana type places. If we were judging this place on food alone, it would get 4 stars. Unfortunately, the service was the worst we have encountered in recent memory. It took a long, long time to get our food, the waitress completely forgot to get our son's drink refill and when we asked her about it again 20 minutes or so later, she didn't even act like we had told her the first time. The language barrier seemed difficult too. Not sure if that was part of it. And instead of bringing it as an appetizer like we asked, the sushi roll came with our dinners. The worst part was trying to pay the bill. We gave her the coupon and she came back with our bill and said she couldn't use the coupon because we had ordered sushi and a lobster special and they were excluded. Our logic was that she still should have taken 10% off the rest of the bill. My husband found the manager and he re-rang it into two separate bills--the items excluded and the items he took 10% off of. Anyway, slow, poor quality service but good food--it's a shame. If I'm dropping $70+ for dinner for 4, I expect better service. We are not planning on going back.
(2)Linda S.
The five stars are for the sushi. Had a business lunch there today. I wasn't quite sure about sushi in Harrisburg after a not so great experience at Okini. There is a brand new sushi chef from China. They said he just arrived. He is a true artist. We had the tuna dumplings..superb. The Special Lobster roll was amazing and the presentation was actually astounding. I live in Philly and am used to great sushi. This place rivals any of them. We also tried a crispy whole red snapper from the Chinese menu..also very, very tasty and well presented.
(5)Sheri G.
Not good! Had a twenty dollar sushi special with rolls, sashimi, sushi on rice bed. The foremost thing was that the fish was not only not-fresh, but also the tuna was rotting! Fishy smell, had to spit it out and this plate had probably 2/3 tuna! Three generous, thick slices of raw tuna, a whole roll of tuna n rice...so sad. No one loves sushi more than i do. Its my absolute favorite food in the world. I live for raw salmon! Truly. But the salmon, while generous slices again, was not that almost buttery flavor. It was probably a day away from being as funky as the tuna. I practically wept. I had been waiting for this meal. The chef picks what goes in your plate. Nothing exciting or adventurous. With aging fish, its for the best in this case. The miso was good, the free crispy wonton chips with sweet n sour sauce on the side made the meal. How sad is that? The ambiance with cloth napkins and tablecloth, nice lighting was the best part of my experience.
(2)Michele D.
Should have known better when we entered and no one was there to greet us. About 5 minutes later someone showed up. We were seated and our order was taken. But then a table of 8 came, ordered a family style meal ( not sure where that was on the menu) ate it and left before we got food. We were never asked for a second drink. My daughter only had water for over an hour. I wouldn't come back here if it was the last restaurant on earth!!!!!!!
(1)Upstate Y.
We stopped here from a near by hotel for a quick order and pick up. Got sweet/sour chicken & pork fried rice. It was really good. Plus.....wait for it...only took 10 minutes!
(4)Matt N.
My Wife wanted to go somewhere local for Valentine's and it was up to me to find a suitable place for the occasion. I admit due to my prorastination most of the better options were already booked until 10 pm so I was surprised when a local place accepted our reservation for 6pm. When we arrived my wife didn't like the fact it was totally empty so we left and came to Empire Asian Bistro. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken but another group of 8 came later and started getting their food before us. I ordered snails because I like to try unusual menu items but they came out over 15 minutes later to tell me they did not have them. There was a waitress in training when we made our order and she took my alternate order of frog legs. My wife's food came out cold as if they cooked my dish late after hers was finished and sat getting cold. I tested the temp and ate a few of the frog legs after we had already eaten the appetizer which was good yet nothing special - a tuna "dumpling' sushi with artifical crab stuffed inside. Things got worse after that -I bit into a frog leg and when separating the meat from the bone noticed a fishy odor. I opened it to look inside and there was blood indicating it had not been cooked thoroughly. That was not all, I ate some of the vegetables since I was still hungry and found a piece of a cricket's leg in the dish! I took a picture and showed the hostess who told me she would tell the manager, but he never came. I flagged down the waitress next but she just walked away. I then found another waitress who ngegotiated a 15% off price. My wife asked for a box and took hers to go, but I left half the food on the plate. We went to the diner on Eisenhower Blvd. later because we were both hungry and had already spent almost $40 on food at Empire. I regret coming here. I had been here in the past for the 1/2 price sushi and it was great, they took my son to see the aquarium with fish and lobsters but this Friday night experience was bad enough that I won't be back... they just ignored that there was a problem, never asking if my wife wanted her food sent back and making me stand around after I showed them the inedible item that was on my plate.
(1)Fatimah B.
I honestly think the food at this place was good, i ordered sésame tofu, it was indeed the best tofu i have ever had. The price wasnt bad either.. i went with 3 other people and out enitre bill came upto Almost 60. Which is nit bad at all for fine dining. The only thing that was à bit lacking was the serivice. I feel as if they were short of staff, and my table wasnt Being given proper reaponse by the waitress since she had so many other tables. I will come back again, i had à nice expérience.
(4)Ryan B.
I wish I could give this place zero stars. I have eaten sushi in hundreds of cities, on 4 continents, and this is without a doubt the WORST sushi I have EVER had. I specifically went to meet the "sushi chef" before ordering, and asked what is good today. He responded that the Tuna (Maguro) and Salmon (Sake) were the best choices. The waitress came to take our order. She did not know what Nigiri is. Service was slow. When the sushi finally arrived, I tried a piece of Tuna Nigiri first. The texture was terrible, it was the worst Tuna I have ever had. The second piece I ended up spitting out in my napkin because it was so awful. The spicy tuna roll was similarly not edible, and was in a disgusting mayonnaise sauce. The Yellowtail also had a terrible texture and was not edible. The only edible thing I was served was the Salmon, and it was just OK. This place isn't any cheaper than the other options in the area, and is by far the worst. This is certainly the worst Sushi restaurant in Harrisburg, and maybe the worst in the world.
(1)Sien R.
Did not get a table. Was not even greeted at the door. When somebody did finally show up, they were trying to do a million things at once and just asked us to sit and wait to get a table when there were tables available and seats at the sushi bar. I will give it another shot but so far not impressed.
(1)Alicia L.
This is probably my favorite sushi place in the area. And that's not because of half price sushi Sundays. They have a great selection of food and good presentation. I will say that sometimes you do wait a while for your food, but it's always been worth the wait.
(5)Mike H.
Great food. Have eaten here several times every year we come for shows. Service can be good but is exceptionally slow during high traffic times. If you can't wait patiently for food don't go here or you will be disappointed in the food, which is very good to me.
(3)Brian B.
I remember when this was still Chilis in the early 90s. Only later to become a Ruby Tuesdays which failed miserably (and for good reason). After living in Florida for two years I acquired a taste for sushi. Granted, living in Florida; one tends to receive fresher fish than you may in Harrisburg. Thus, I never quite found the same quality of sushi-roll in central PA until I visited Empire Asian Bistro. I went the week of their grand opening and was first impressed by the decor. Everything had been redone except for the bar area which only had an additional refrigeration unit for the sushi chefs. If you look close enough, the bar still has the "Ruby Tuesday" feel to it, but flows good throughout the restaurant. There were not many people there when I went for dinner during their opening week. I had a coconut shrimp and mango dragon roll which were absolutely outstanding. By far the BEST SUSHI IN HARRISBURG. Now, anybody can make a standard "spicy tuna roll," but if you visit this establishment, be sure to spend the extra money and buy a "Special Roll" from their menu. I have taken friends there and every single person has LOVED it. Nate claims it was "the best sushi I ever had." I now frequent Empire and every time I go back, there are more and more people dining. Word of mouth is beginning to do wonders for them as I have not really seen any sort of advertising. Their menu was recently updated with color-pages that look a little classier as opposed to their black and white menus from prior weeks. All staff has been courteous. I have sat at the sushi bar and the chefs are very nice and may allow you to try different things at times if you seem curious. They are always more than happy to recommend something. Price is spot-on. I had 2 beers, a sushi roll and a large sushi roll for $26. Your standard price for a decent ethnic restaurant. They have a liquor license which is nice as they have a variety of different Asian beers. All in all, I have yet to be disappointed out of the 10 times I have been there. If you go to the restaurant, please get a large special roll! Best sushi in Harrisburg. (I've been to Sapporo, Sakana, Okini, Tokyo Diner, Bangkok Wok, etc etc etc) Empire Bistro takes the cake!
(5)David B.
I had dinner last night at 6pm. It was not busy and we did get our food fast. However, the egg roll was under cooked, My main dish General Toas, Chicken was very bland. I am glad I had asked for hot oil as I was able to spice it up. They only give you a small bowl of rice and then charge you a $1.00 for another small bowl. We all know the rice is made in a rice cooker and does not cost much to make. I do not think we will return.
(1)Brian B.
I remember when this was still Chilis in the early 90s. Only later to become a Ruby Tuesdays which failed miserably (and for good reason). After living in Florida for two years I acquired a taste for sushi. Granted, living in Florida; one tends to receive fresher fish than you may in Harrisburg. Thus, I never quite found the same quality of sushi-roll in central PA until I visited Empire Asian Bistro. I went the week of their grand opening and was first impressed by the decor. Everything had been redone except for the bar area which only had an additional refrigeration unit for the sushi chefs. If you look close enough, the bar still has the "Ruby Tuesday" feel to it, but flows good throughout the restaurant. There were not many people there when I went for dinner during their opening week. I had a coconut shrimp and mango dragon roll which were absolutely outstanding. By far the BEST SUSHI IN HARRISBURG. Now, anybody can make a standard "spicy tuna roll," but if you visit this establishment, be sure to spend the extra money and buy a "Special Roll" from their menu. I have taken friends there and every single person has LOVED it. Nate claims it was "the best sushi I ever had." I now frequent Empire and every time I go back, there are more and more people dining. Word of mouth is beginning to do wonders for them as I have not really seen any sort of advertising. Their menu was recently updated with color-pages that look a little classier as opposed to their black and white menus from prior weeks. All staff has been courteous. I have sat at the sushi bar and the chefs are very nice and may allow you to try different things at times if you seem curious. They are always more than happy to recommend something. Price is spot-on. I had 2 beers, a sushi roll and a large sushi roll for $26. Your standard price for a decent ethnic restaurant. They have a liquor license which is nice as they have a variety of different Asian beers. All in all, I have yet to be disappointed out of the 10 times I have been there. If you go to the restaurant, please get a large special roll! Best sushi in Harrisburg. (I've been to Sapporo, Sakana, Okini, Tokyo Diner, Bangkok Wok, etc etc etc) Empire Bistro takes the cake!
(5)GingerSnap G.
okay, inspite of a few things, i do have to say that i'm a fan! they have pretty good food, and a nice selection. the decor is nice, and overall has a nice feeling to the place. it makes me happy to be there! and look, there are other patrons (unlike alot of other asian/chinese places). they have goood sushi! i had the spider roll, a crispy, soft shell crab roll (and they were able to make it w/out the cucumber. yeah!) it was the best i have had so far! but the day we had sushi service was kind of slow. and the potstickers / panfried dumplings were just okay. great sushi presentation (sorry no photo this time)! the next time i went they messed up our order twice. when i asked if they could add tofu to the eggplant, they said yes, but didnt. then they brought us some random beef dish when we ordered chicken basil. they fixed both dishes, were very polite. and luckily i was with good company and we had plenty of time! the basil chicken was very tender (chicken breast pieces), nice flavor. the eggplant was really well cooked. tender yet still held its shape... and such a beautiful color! the sauce didnt make me think of a garlic sauce per se... but it was still good. and i saw another table get some awesome looking desserts! that's next on the agenda!! but the real stars are for the fairly good food and the ambiance!! It's an enjoyable place to eat at!! I dont feel dirty when i leave! ;o)
(4)Mike H.
Great food. Have eaten here several times every year we come for shows. Service can be good but is exceptionally slow during high traffic times. If you can't wait patiently for food don't go here or you will be disappointed in the food, which is very good to me.
(3)Art C.
While the place is nicely decorated and the service is good, the food was not very good. I had Singapore style curry noodles. The curry was nearly undetectable. I think there was about 1/8 teaspoon in the giant pile of noodles. The dish had no flavor apart from the ingredients. The chicken had a slightly off taste as well. This place has been promoted in the local press as a "traditional" Asian restaurant. That's total BS. I saw almost nothing on the menu that I would consider a traditional Chinese or Thai entree. Most of it appears to be the same old tired Americanized crap that any Chinese, Thai or Japanese resto in this area serves, this place just has a sampling of all three styles under one roof. Given the prices, the menu and food quality needs a lot of work. Extremely disappointing. While I'm glad others whose opinions I respect had good experiences here, I most certainly did not.
(1)Patrick B.
What a huge disappointment! Went here for its broad selection of Asian foods. (I wanted Thai curry, my fam Chinese.) "SERVICE": I'll usually give a place a break for new staff; but not when the hostess is shadowing the new waitress and the service is still screwed up. Why would a bottled beer ever be served at a table with no glass? Why does it take 15 minutes for said glass to arrive after it's asked for? Why is the glass that finally arrives more suitable for juice than beer, especially when it's sitting next to water served in a more appropriate glass? Why were we sitting for half an hour waiting for our entrees in a half-empty restaurant?? {Note, I haven't even gotten to the food.] As I probably could have predicted, the orders were wrong when they were delivered. FOOD: When the orders were finally made right, the food ranged from just edible to inedible. Majority of two entrees left on the table, not even boxed to go home! Can't say I have EVER seen M walk away from chicken and broccoli, but I guess there's a first time for everything. WILL NOT BE BACK. EVER.
(1)Tina Z.
Was here for lunch with some friends, very nice decor and a large menu. Prices as comparable to similar pan Asian restaurants in the area. Our waiter was a well seasoned server and really on top of things. I did notice some of the servers did not understand English as well but everyone was very pleasant. We ordered: the chicken lettuce wraps, they bring you a whole head of lettuce and you roll your own but it was very tasty Sweet potato roll, very good Shrimp tempura roll, was okay eel and avocado roll, very good garlic eggplant, I was told it was the best she ever had and a masamom (I think that's what it was called) beef curry, that was enjoyed I will definitely go back and try the sushi next time and if it's as good all the time I can see this being a regular spot with us
(4)Brian R.
You would never notice this place was a ruby tuesdays once you step inside, it's beautifully decorated. Recently opened by the owner of Jumbo Buffet on Paxton St., this place is a much more upscale establishment with a large menu of Asian fusion cuisine along with a full sushi bar. I tried the Singapore Noodles, which I was pleased with. Tasted like really good mei fun with curry sauce on top. I'm definitely planning on going back to try the sushi and other items on the menu.
(4)Colleen S.
I have to rate Empire as "Not bad, would go again" had chinese (broccoli with garlic sauce) because felt it had a very chinese restaurant feel to it, started with fried crackers and egg roll sauce. Tasty and decently priced. Also we sampled some sushi, I like to call it american sushi (fried, mayoed and stuffed with non fish filler) as it was heavily decorated with mayo. As far as american sushi goes, the sweet potato roll was very tasty.
(3)Adri P.
I should have listened to the other reviewers on this site. Food was just ok. Not great. One of my friends asked the server how the fish was prepared, and due to the server's lack of English speaking and comprehension, she had to get the manager to come speak English to us. For an Asian restaurant with a huge menu, there really were not that many vegetarian options (only 4 entrees on about 6 pages of menu) or options to sub tofu in place of meat. I also ordered Thai Panang curry with chicken to take home for my boyfriend. They forgot the rice, which I didn't notice until I was home. I noticed that another reviewer mentioned this as well, so beware. Check for your rice before you leave. The Panang tasted like Chinese stir fry, not how Thai Panang curry tastes in a Thai restaurant. not sure if I'll be going back unless someone twists my arm. Can we get a PF Changs here instead?
(2)Terry B.
We dined there last evening. The service was very slow. We started with cocktails. My cocktail was pleasant, but very watered down. I had the calimari as the appetizer. Again, that was ok, but a bit rubbery. Next, I had the 1/2 duck. The duck was very dry and I had to really dig through the fat and bones to find any meat. Rice was supposed to come with my dinner, but I had to go get it myself. The waiter knew he had 1 extra bowl of rice left on his tray, but would not make eye contact with anyone at the table. I kept raising my hand to get his attention because I also wanted a drink refill. My husband ordered the curry and asked for it to be spicy. He said it was very mild - not spicy as he had ordered and there was very little sauce - in other words -- dry curry. We were there from 5pm to 8pm and only received 1 water refill, and were never asked if we'd like another drink from the bar. We had to wait nearly an hour after we received our appetizers to be served our main course. The one plus was that with the dinner comes rice and a choice of soup or salad. Since I didn't want either, I asked if I could just have some vegetables instead. They graciously accommodated. There was nothing spectacular, nothing really bad -- just not up to par with the prices.
(2)Robert A.
The coconut curry vegetables was very good--particularly the broccoli. Also, the miso soup was among the best I've tried in the area.
(4)Mere M.
Ordered the Thai Panang Curry for take out. It was good. However, for being asian food place it did not have 1. brown rice 2. chicken and cashews. Standards in Asian dining.
(3)shivam k.
Went in for lunch. Hard to find good sushi restaurants around here but this nice. Has a nice ambience very welcoming and mainly good food. I ordered one of the lunch boxes with an extra appetizer. It was good food. Will be back to try other items on the menu than only will be a good judgement. Service was pleasant. Nice place will be back. Good place to take your friends.
(4)Jenny D.
Great food at great prices. I've gone on weeknights and it has never been more than half full. I've always been pleased with what I've ordered. Good drink selection, too. I've gotten carry out a few times and it's been ready when I've gone to pick it up. It has carpet and tablecloths, a little fancier than your average Chinese places, but the prices are still low. Great find in Harrisburg!
(5)Barbara V.
Excellent sushi and incredible presentation. My only complaint, no jasmine tea in this Asian restaurant! They offer some basic Thai & Chinese but haven't tried them. Gonna stick to the sushi here.
(4)Lisa R.
I like the menu here. Many options to select from. Japanese sushi, tempura, and hibachi, Thai Curries and noodle dishes, and all your traditional Chinese fare. So far I haven't had anything here I haven't liked. Service is decent. Not always all that friendly, but efficient. Another plus is the nicer atmosphere with linen table cloths and nice serving ware. For Asian food, this is one of the nicer places to eat in my opinion.
(4)John H.
Good sushi with nice presentation. Spicy Maki Combo was tasty & filling. "Sizzling Plate" was very good. A couple interesting seafood choices on the menu. Our take-out pad thai was sadly blah.
(3)J R.
I am going to upgrade this place to 3 stars. They got a bit better..food and service has improved. I feel in all fairness they should be re-reviewed since my last reviews awhile ago.
(3)Terri H.
My first time at this restaurant, and we had a pleasant experience, none of the issues that other diners experienced. Located in the former and short lived Ruby Tuesday's on UD, the decor is nicely and tastefully done. My friend and I had a chuckle at the statues outside, they are anatomically correct:-) Service was good and competent, but we were one of four tables there. We were there on a Sunday evening. Hot and Sour soup was hot and tasty, and the egg roll was good, nothing to write home about either way. The dipping sauces were good, and I ordered the Seafood Delight on the Sizzling Plate Menu. I highly recommend this dish, it was fresh, the veggies colorful and a good variety. The seafood was steamed to perfection, and the lobster and scallops were the perfect texture and temperature. My dining partner had the Orange Beef, and it was also wonderful, with just the right level of tangy heat and just enough coating to be lightly crispy. Dessert was custard sushi, and it was tasty and a nice end to the meal. Check out was quick, and we were on our way. I am anxious to try their sushi, and prices were what I would have expected for a restaurant of that level of service and selection.
(4)Steve P.
Heard about this spot from a few of my parents co-workers having tried it for lunch. From what I have read here, that is the prime time to go. Looking at the reviews it would seem that their dinner service is where the major pitfall is. Bearing that in mind, We went for dinner anyway. Party of two, we chose a booth table over the sushi bar since we were feeling like meat this evening. We started the meal with the Lettuce Wraps which were the highlight of the meal. Good flavor and I could definitely see saving myself the drive to MD in order to go to PF Changs whenever I get the hankering for some. All the was missing was some kind of dipping sauce and they would be comparable. The main courses on the other hand were lacking. I ordered the Teriaki Chicken, it was basically 2 thin breasts sat upon a bed of onions and carrots drizzled with sauce. Very simple, very plain, kinda tasteless. The chicken was dry and the sauce was scarce. The other dish ordered was the Pineapple fried rice which was stated as being "ok, but it has an odd smell and flavor I can't put my finger on" since we are a house hold of foodies, whenever we can't put our fingers on a particular spice, there's something slightly off about that. Neither of the meals were finished and we took them home for left overs later. The service was decent, since the weather was so horrible outside there were only 2 tables in the whole place, allowing for the servers to pay close attention to us. Perhaps a little too close, I'm all for attentiveness, but when we tell you we're gonna need another 5 minutes to look at a menu we've never seen before, don't give us 30 seconds. Meh..
(2)John F.
The staff was friendly and professional. Food was fine, nothing extraordinary. But then again, I'm no food Connoisseur so i wouldn't put much weight on that. What i liked most is the atmosphere. If you're in the mood for some chinese and still have a romantic feel to your dining, this is the place to go. Prices were reasonable as well. I certainly recommend this place to others.
(4)Kaity M.
This place is gorgeous. I felt under dressed walking in wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I ordered something with pineapple, coconut, shrimp and chicken while my mom had sesame chicken. We also got some Mochi... Ordered the coconut, but the waiter gave us strawberry. He said something about them not being marked. It was awesome, though. We didn't care which flavor it was. We were very happy with the food and the service. It's a little pricey, but I'll definitely go back on a date with my husband.
(4)Susie M.
Want Asian but can't quite agree on Japanese, Thai, or Chinese? There is something for everyone on the immense menu at Empire Bistro. Had a nice dinner here with fellow chow hound John. The sushi- we had an assortment of rolls- was fresh and well-prepared. The Thai red curry was very coconutty and had a bit of a kick. Wonton soup was nothing special but not bad. All in all, a pleasant meal for the price, with courteous service and comfortable surroundings. I'd go again.
(3)Jason d.
Went for lunch on Friday. The place is nicely decorated and the menu was fairly extensive. Service was good and the spicy basil chicken was perfectly spicy. Thanks to other yelp reviewers I knew to ask for it extra spicy to get it just right. Wanton soup was just ok. Friend got the cocunut shrimp roll and said was very good. Price was in line with other restaurants of its kind, no surprises. I'd definitely go back (definitely want to try their sushi).
(4)tina j.
my aunt took me there during my visit. the place is nicely decorated. serves was very friendly~ dinner was really good !!!!
(5)Adam F.
The sushi was pretty decent. The sashimi was some really thick slices of fish so I would definitely get that next time. Lunch specials were good as well.
(3)Pat B.
This place is nicely decorated with great ambiance. The food is not so great. I feel the food is under seasoned and bland. The hot & sour soup was very thick and it was not spicy or sour. The General Tso's chicken was crunchy, but did not have the pungent taste of vinegar combined with sweetness and saltiness. The spicy basil chicken was bland and had tons of vegetables- asparagus, snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini... The waiter did not know much about the product . When we asked about an item he was unsure, but did not want to find out. The hostess was nice and friendly. The price and portion were reasonable with nice presentation of the entrees.
(2)Lauren H.
We went here several weeks ago on a Sunday evening (around 6). We took our kids (9 and 11) with us. We had a 10% off coupon (more on that later). I had a lobster special (with ginger) and the rest of my family had hibachi plates. We also had a sushi roll for an appetizer. My lobster was absolutely delicious, though it was extremely messy because you had to get the lobster out of the shell with the ginger sauce covering it. The sushi was excellent, and the hibachi plates were good, my husband said, but not as good as Benihana type places. If we were judging this place on food alone, it would get 4 stars. Unfortunately, the service was the worst we have encountered in recent memory. It took a long, long time to get our food, the waitress completely forgot to get our son's drink refill and when we asked her about it again 20 minutes or so later, she didn't even act like we had told her the first time. The language barrier seemed difficult too. Not sure if that was part of it. And instead of bringing it as an appetizer like we asked, the sushi roll came with our dinners. The worst part was trying to pay the bill. We gave her the coupon and she came back with our bill and said she couldn't use the coupon because we had ordered sushi and a lobster special and they were excluded. Our logic was that she still should have taken 10% off the rest of the bill. My husband found the manager and he re-rang it into two separate bills--the items excluded and the items he took 10% off of. Anyway, slow, poor quality service but good food--it's a shame. If I'm dropping $70+ for dinner for 4, I expect better service. We are not planning on going back.
(2)Linda S.
The five stars are for the sushi. Had a business lunch there today. I wasn't quite sure about sushi in Harrisburg after a not so great experience at Okini. There is a brand new sushi chef from China. They said he just arrived. He is a true artist. We had the tuna dumplings..superb. The Special Lobster roll was amazing and the presentation was actually astounding. I live in Philly and am used to great sushi. This place rivals any of them. We also tried a crispy whole red snapper from the Chinese menu..also very, very tasty and well presented.
(5)Jim K.
2nd trip to this restaurant. During both dinner outings service has been friendly, but slow, the first time ponderously slow, this last trip a dinner with appetizers for 3 took over 2 hours. Appetizers were good, pot stickers were fresh not frozen. House salad had a ginger dressing that was creamy, not oil based, a nice surprise. Dinner course was more pedestrian. Pad Thai was underseasoned. Chicken teriyaki was presented well, sizzling on an iron platter, but was again underseasoned. Sweet & sour Chicken for our teen was standard fare for a generic chinese restaturant, it could have been served just as easily from our local take out place. Overall, a pleasant but not outstanding meal. Since its neighbor Okini has just closed, this place may see more traffic by default, even though it likely doesn't merit it.
(3)Jody L.
We went there on a Sunday for lunch . The service was so bad that we waited an hour for the food to arrive . The food was not good at all . It was my 2nd time and will be my last .
(1)B D.
Don't let the second star fool you! Empire gets the second star for one reason and one reason only: half-price sushi on Sunday. Ironically, it's the half-price sushi on Sunday that also costs Empire a second star. Allow me to explain... I've been to Empire twice now, and only because one of my pals insisted that A) it's his and his girlfriend's favorite sushi joint in Harrisburg; and B) they've got half-price sushi on Sundays. With that, and because the chef at my beloved Okini is long gone, my lady and I decided to give it a shot. We sat at the bar, which, like the entire restaurant, was ridiculously crowded. It wasn't three-people deep, mind you, but every bar seat was taken. We waited for menus. And we waited. And then we waited some more. Finally we received them and ordered a couple beers, for which we waited. And waited. And then waited some more. After the beers finally arrived, we placed our order, which was nothing more than five different types of sashimi. No rolls, no rice, nothing cooked. Just raw, sliced fish. And with that, we waited. And waited... And waited some more. After an hour -- an HOUR -- our sashimi arrived. Again, it's sashimi we're talking about here! And, yes, I realize there's an art to great sushi, and I'm more than happy to wait for it, as I completely respect the process of properly slicing the fish. What I didn't realize, though, is that the chef had to go to the Tsukiji Market in Japan for each and every order. Actually, I wish the chef HAD gone to the Tsukiji Market for our fish, because at least then it would have been worth the wait. Instead, we got a bunch of fish that was average at best. The squid? Bland. The scallop? Bleh. The yellowtail? Meh. The sea urchin? Downright terrible. Sadly, the only above average fish was the tuna, which I would expect to be the case from any reputable sushi joint. What's more, the chefs rolling the sushi (which, by the way, is all they do) didn't say a single word to us. Not one! We sat at the sushi bar and ordered sashimi, and these three guys making rolls didn't even greet us. Hell, they didn't even make our sashimi! It came out of the kitchen, which is suspect, as far as I'm concerned. So, Empire, you get a second star because you're sushi is half-price on Sunday. Realize, though, that half-price deal is the same thing that costs you from forming any sort of bond with your customers, something I count on at a sushi joint, particularly when I sit at the bar. I suppose I could sit here in my contempt, waiting for you to say hello, but I'd be waiting forever. And waiting. Then waiting some more.
(2)Jonathan M.
I took my 8 year old son here for a not-to-late dinner. He loves sushi and hibachi style dishes. We shared an order of sashimi Yellow Fin Tuna, which I felt was of a fairly good quality. I have had Yellow Fin dozens of times and this was pretty good. I saw some of the other posts regarding their sashimi being poor, but I cannot say I had this same experience. For my dinner I had 3 rolls: 1st Roll- Three different types of spicy fish (tuna, salmon and something else) 2nd Roll- Spicy tuna roll with tuna on top 3rd Roll- last roll was a tempura shrimp. I was happy with the presentation and the flavor and freshness was good. It was not the best sushi I have ever had (a small corner sushi bar in San Diego, CA holds that title), but it was above average. My son had the steak/chicken with fried rice and vegetables, hibachi style, which I of course tried. The brown rice was of a good quality and the overall dishes flavoring was pretty good. I was impressed with the vegetables as they appeared and tasted fresh. The meat was juicy and flavorful. My son and I both gave it a thumbs up. The server we had was prompt and did a pretty good job. It was to her advantage that the restaurant was not overly busy, but either way I was happy with her service. The interior of the restaurant was nice and well lit. They had several TV's throughout the restaurant so you could stay up on the scores of games. The bar was located at the center of the restaurant. They advertised a few specialty drinks, which looked good, but I did not try one. Final Thoughts: I did enjoy the overall experience and my son was happy too. The environment would accommodate a group of people and is not a bad place for children. They offer both booths and tables and the environment does not feel cramped. Overall it was a good experience for the price paid. Many other reviews were not positive and perhaps rightfully so. I did not encounter many of the issues that were discussed. If the prices were any higher I would give Empire three stars, but the price point, atmosphere, service and food all met at a good point. It was good enough that I took my wife here a couple weeks later. We had similar food to when my son and I first came, but she felt that Empire only earned about 3 stars.
(4)Juliet G.
Oh my... This time I tried the sushi- simply amazing! I had the vegetarian sushi dinner which was great. Love the atmosphere- quiet, a bit elegant with the table linens and great service. I will be back!
(5)Matt B.
I guess I have to give it a star, but I wish I could give this a zero. Called in order, told 45 minutes, showed up 45 minutes later, waited 30 minutes at the restaurant. No apology - they just don't care. Food bland and missing my sushi. NEVER again.
(1)Ashley A.
I just went here over the weekend with friends and it was okay. I somewhat enjoyed the food. I'm not in love, but it was okay. We sat at bar so we could watch the staff make sushi, which was cool. I will say, they have amazing presentation when it comes to food delivery. Each plate is uniquely decorated. I ordered the pineapple chicken entree, which tasted good! I loved the way the pineapple was cooked and soaked in the sauce. The chicken was a turn off. I wish it was cooked longer and not so chewy. The prices were moderate for the entrees and yet pretty reasonable for some things. I don't think I will go back.
(2)Steve G.
I've heard good things from others, and since I was driving by at lunchtime today, I thought I'd just give it a look. The decor is quite nice. Clean and classy. The wait staff is effective, if not overly friendly. The food (I opted some something a little different - pad thai) was very good. My only complaint might be that I would have liked a lunch-size offering. I ended up getting an entree at $11, and now I'm a little too full. The mood music was a little different, too. Sinofied versions of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Auld Lang Syne." LOL I'd have no problem going back with a date, but I'll stay away when I'm looking for a solo lunch stop.
(3)Michael V.
I am not a big sushi, mainly becuase of a shellfish allergy, but I have found that Empire's sushi is one of my favorite places to eat. I like the friendly atmosphere and th wait staff is very attentive to their tables. For larger groups they are very accomodating and allow the bill to be split between for all attendees. Also, if you grab a coupon from the "Clipper" there is no question about the use for each individual. The manager does stop at the table to talk with the customer. So for dinner I order the Fireball and Empire rolls, a pork eggroll, and seaweed salad; with a pitcher of Mich Ultra. To me, Empire offers a great atmosphere, service, and sushi experience. There are many choices to chose from and even someone who has alergies can find something good to eat.
(5)C N.
Closest thing to a Chinese Restaurant in Harrisburg area. Food is ok, does lack the real Asian taste like NY Chinatown places.
(3)Claudine L.
We have been here several times and the food has always been excellent. There is a lot to choose from even if you do not want sushi. My big complaint is the lack of service. We were a party of six and waited over 20 minutes for drinks. We did not even receive water in that time. Our waitress appeared to have had zero training as she had no idea what any of the wines were and was even confused on menu items. I had to show her which wine I wanted in the menu. When the drinks finally arrived our waitress informed us that they were out of glasses! The place wasn't even busy!. When we finally ordered we waited again for our food which came out very sporadically. The entire meal took over 2 hours. A table near us got their drinks and wound up walking out. I really would hate to see another restaurant shut down because of poor service. I may give them one last chance only because I enjoy the food. If the service is as poor I will not return.
(2)Dan R.
I had read some of the horror stories about Empire Asian Bistro on Yelp and wasnt too sure what to expect. We visited for lunch on a saturday afternoon recently, it had been totally re done. Nicely laid out sushi bar, very spacious, Empire also has a selection of wine and liquor. The interior of the restaurant was very nicely decourated. For lunch we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the entrees: our family of four adults and two children ordered: Empire Yaki-Udon (10.95), Japanese Teriyaki Steak (14.95), Crispy Whole Fish (19.95), Sauteed Veggies (8.95), and the Maki Combo A: 1 spicy tuna, 1 spicy yellow tail, 1 spicy california roll (14.95) All of the entrees came with a bowl of miso or wonton soup.
(3)Jason M.
Good sushi, but has all the atmosphere of a McDonald's...
(3)Susan B.
Hubby and I stopped in for lunch, early in January on a recommendation from a business associate in Harrisburg. They said they recommend it to everyone. Nice decor, good food, and good service. Our food was great and came out quickly. They weren't packed at lunch time. If in Harrisburg again I would definitely go back.
(4)Cymone A.
This place is super delicious and reasonably priced! They have wonderful Hibachi and The General Tso Chicken! Yum!!!! My two favorites! They also have great service, everyone was nice from beginning to end! :)
(5)Amanda Z.
I just had dinner here last night, and I am very happy with the place. Everything was good to me, it took me about 10 minutes just to look through their menu because they have such a huge variety when it comes to their sushi and entrees. I ordered 3 of their sushi rolls and a side of seaweed salad, and honestly it was amazing. It came out 10 mins after I ordered it and my waitress was really nice, she came and checked on me all the time. While eating my food I noticed the manager or boss of the place walked around the restaurant checking on the customers. I have to say this place was amazing and I will definitely coming back here again.
(4)Sheri G.
Not good! Had a twenty dollar sushi special with rolls, sashimi, sushi on rice bed. The foremost thing was that the fish was not only not-fresh, but also the tuna was rotting! Fishy smell, had to spit it out and this plate had probably 2/3 tuna! Three generous, thick slices of raw tuna, a whole roll of tuna n rice...so sad. No one loves sushi more than i do. Its my absolute favorite food in the world. I live for raw salmon! Truly. But the salmon, while generous slices again, was not that almost buttery flavor. It was probably a day away from being as funky as the tuna. I practically wept. I had been waiting for this meal. The chef picks what goes in your plate. Nothing exciting or adventurous. With aging fish, its for the best in this case. The miso was good, the free crispy wonton chips with sweet n sour sauce on the side made the meal. How sad is that? The ambiance with cloth napkins and tablecloth, nice lighting was the best part of my experience.
(2)Tony B.
It was just OK. Had better & had worse. Staff was polite, food was hot, and they have a wide variety of food. I would eat there again.
(2)Yuelin L.
I have been to this Empire Asian Bistro so many times. And decide to write my first review today. As a chinese, i should say this place is comparative authentic in harrisburg area. This is the only place i will go for chinese food. And there are so many good choice of sushi. We tried the snow mountain, spider, crazy, and spicy girl rolls before. They are all good. For chinese food, i usually go with ginger scallian lobster, and it is only 19.95 with fully mouth delicious. Or the sizzler is good as well.
(5)BigCat T.
This place gets five stars. The atmosphere was great service was great the restaurant was very clean and the food was spectacular. If you in the area I definitely recommend this restaurant.
(5)Ryan F.
Great selection! I like what they have done with the place. I would definetely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for good authentic foods.
(4)Lexi N.
Good food, slow service. I went tonight for 1/2 off sushi and had no idea I was going to wait over an hour for our food. I wouldn't have minded so much if our waitress had told us ahead of time of the wait expectancy, but she didn't. When I asked her why it was taking so long she just told me she would check on it....15 mins later we got our food. I would only recommend eating here if you have a lot of time!
(3)Yujie D.
Dishes are really good! If you want to try some real Chinese style food, I strongly recommend this restaurant! Go there and enjoy!
(5)Nina N.
Very good food! Great service! Not a local however this had all the great Chinese food we love! Egg drop soup, potstickers and wonderful sizzling teriyaki chicken. I recommend this for anyone is this area.
(5)Ryan H.
The sushi is good! Watch out for too much sauce if youre not into that, the rolls can get soggy. Best time to go is sundays if you like sushi. All sushi is 1/2 off. The "thai" food is mediocre. It ends up being more like lo mein with peanuts i you get a noodle dish like pad thai. 4 stars for the sushi and ranking in the area.
(4)Katherine M.
It's time for an update. I don't get the sushi here. Let's start here. Not anymore. They are painfully slow with it and mess it up often - I took home a strange eel roll when I ordered a (tofu skin) inari roll. Not the same thing at all. I'd go elsewhere for sushi. Iny my mind this is more like take out Asian food for me. I suggest picking up - the service is slow most times I end up here, so we have taken to getting take out. The main reason I go here is their sesame tofu is amazing - it's one of the best Asian tofu dishes in this city and I can't get it elsewhere. Other than that, I haven't found many other things. There is better tempura, sushi, and Japanese dishes at otehr places. This isn't the worst place. It isn't the best. It's what it is. And I keep coming back because I can't find better tofu.
(3)Ryan B.
I wish I could give this place zero stars. I have eaten sushi in hundreds of cities, on 4 continents, and this is without a doubt the WORST sushi I have EVER had. I specifically went to meet the "sushi chef" before ordering, and asked what is good today. He responded that the Tuna (Maguro) and Salmon (Sake) were the best choices. The waitress came to take our order. She did not know what Nigiri is. Service was slow. When the sushi finally arrived, I tried a piece of Tuna Nigiri first. The texture was terrible, it was the worst Tuna I have ever had. The second piece I ended up spitting out in my napkin because it was so awful. The spicy tuna roll was similarly not edible, and was in a disgusting mayonnaise sauce. The Yellowtail also had a terrible texture and was not edible. The only edible thing I was served was the Salmon, and it was just OK. This place isn't any cheaper than the other options in the area, and is by far the worst. This is certainly the worst Sushi restaurant in Harrisburg, and maybe the worst in the world.
(1)Michele D.
Should have known better when we entered and no one was there to greet us. About 5 minutes later someone showed up. We were seated and our order was taken. But then a table of 8 came, ordered a family style meal ( not sure where that was on the menu) ate it and left before we got food. We were never asked for a second drink. My daughter only had water for over an hour. I wouldn't come back here if it was the last restaurant on earth!!!!!!!
(1)Upstate Y.
We stopped here from a near by hotel for a quick order and pick up. Got sweet/sour chicken & pork fried rice. It was really good. Plus.....wait for it...only took 10 minutes!
(4)David B.
I had dinner last night at 6pm. It was not busy and we did get our food fast. However, the egg roll was under cooked, My main dish General Toas, Chicken was very bland. I am glad I had asked for hot oil as I was able to spice it up. They only give you a small bowl of rice and then charge you a $1.00 for another small bowl. We all know the rice is made in a rice cooker and does not cost much to make. I do not think we will return.
(1)Matt N.
My Wife wanted to go somewhere local for Valentine's and it was up to me to find a suitable place for the occasion. I admit due to my prorastination most of the better options were already booked until 10 pm so I was surprised when a local place accepted our reservation for 6pm. When we arrived my wife didn't like the fact it was totally empty so we left and came to Empire Asian Bistro. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken but another group of 8 came later and started getting their food before us. I ordered snails because I like to try unusual menu items but they came out over 15 minutes later to tell me they did not have them. There was a waitress in training when we made our order and she took my alternate order of frog legs. My wife's food came out cold as if they cooked my dish late after hers was finished and sat getting cold. I tested the temp and ate a few of the frog legs after we had already eaten the appetizer which was good yet nothing special - a tuna "dumpling' sushi with artifical crab stuffed inside. Things got worse after that -I bit into a frog leg and when separating the meat from the bone noticed a fishy odor. I opened it to look inside and there was blood indicating it had not been cooked thoroughly. That was not all, I ate some of the vegetables since I was still hungry and found a piece of a cricket's leg in the dish! I took a picture and showed the hostess who told me she would tell the manager, but he never came. I flagged down the waitress next but she just walked away. I then found another waitress who ngegotiated a 15% off price. My wife asked for a box and took hers to go, but I left half the food on the plate. We went to the diner on Eisenhower Blvd. later because we were both hungry and had already spent almost $40 on food at Empire. I regret coming here. I had been here in the past for the 1/2 price sushi and it was great, they took my son to see the aquarium with fish and lobsters but this Friday night experience was bad enough that I won't be back... they just ignored that there was a problem, never asking if my wife wanted her food sent back and making me stand around after I showed them the inedible item that was on my plate.
(1)Fatimah B.
I honestly think the food at this place was good, i ordered sésame tofu, it was indeed the best tofu i have ever had. The price wasnt bad either.. i went with 3 other people and out enitre bill came upto Almost 60. Which is nit bad at all for fine dining. The only thing that was à bit lacking was the serivice. I feel as if they were short of staff, and my table wasnt Being given proper reaponse by the waitress since she had so many other tables. I will come back again, i had à nice expérience.
(4)Sien R.
Did not get a table. Was not even greeted at the door. When somebody did finally show up, they were trying to do a million things at once and just asked us to sit and wait to get a table when there were tables available and seats at the sushi bar. I will give it another shot but so far not impressed.
(1)Alicia L.
This is probably my favorite sushi place in the area. And that's not because of half price sushi Sundays. They have a great selection of food and good presentation. I will say that sometimes you do wait a while for your food, but it's always been worth the wait.
(5)Abigail B.
I arrived for a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and no one was at the host desk so I flagged one of the workers down. I was given a table. There were hardly any customers there, it was looked very non-busy at the time. It was Chinese New Year so I asked about the New Year specials. The waitress said they did not have them this year. But then I explained that I had seen them in the newspaper talking about this particular restaurant, so she said she would ask the manager. It turned out that they did have the specials after all. I think, as a waitress one should be aware of the specials. Or the manager should tell them. Whoever it was, someone goofed. I ordered my meal, (one of the specials, after all, it was the whole reason I had come) along with soup which came with the meal. The soup came out on time, and it was delicious. Even though there were negative things about the experience, some of the food and sauces were definitely the redeeming quality. It was wonton soup and the wonton dumplings were rich and yummy. I also had fried crunchy strips with sweet and sour sauce that pretty much every Chinese restaurant gives. These were a little too oily and fried for me, I like the ones at Hong Kong City and Chef Wong's better. They were still edible though as I waited. I finished the soup and it took a long time for the waitress to take the empty bowl, and I waited....and waited....and waited. I think I went through my whole water almost. Later on my water was refilled but by then I was almost ready to leave. I waited for 20 minutes. I asked, "How much longer is the wait?" and they said "It's coming" which I thought was kind of rude. I explained that I couldn't wait much longer. Good thing I had soup because otherwise I may have passed out! It was 2:15 pm by then, after all. I ordered crab which cooks quickly. I really don't know what the wait was about, since the place was so slow. I would be more forgiving if the place was really busy but it wasn't. Finally the food arrived. The sauce was delicious, so that cheered me up a little. It really was a delicious brown ginger sauce. The presentation...well..I don't know if this is a traditional way or what but the crab was in the shell, and sauce was put over the shell. It was so messy and difficult to deal with. It was hard to crack the shells with my bare hands (there were no shell-cracking devices) with the slippery sauce all over them. What a mess! Of course, there were no wet-naps given. My one napkin was soaked. I decided to leave and take the rest home, since it was 2:45 and I wanted to get back home to the West Shore before traffic got ugly. They gave me a 15% discount because of the wait. At first I thought she said 50%, which made me feel a lot better, thinking it was generous and nice of them, but then when I found it was 15% I felt grim because it seemed kind of tight. After all this, I was glad to be out of there. The wait time for such a seemingly slow time seemed ridiculous and I don't know if there is a good reason for it or not. I think that was the biggest turnoff for me. The food was good but there are so many other good Chinese places around which have given much better service. I'll stick to the tried and true.
(2)Katie P.
I just moved from Hawaii and was feeling a little depressed....I miss my Asian food (especially sushi even though I'm Filipino). Just when I felt like all hope was lost in Harrisburgs same meals of Italian and American, my cousins from Delaware brought me here on a Sunday. I thought it would honestly suck, but I was pleasantly surprised. A wide selection of sushi, tenpuras, stir fry and other dishes. It's a hybrid of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian food. Spicy ahi was really good. They gave more fish than rice. My cousin had honey glazed prawns with walnuts and vegetables. The prawns were plump and cooked just right. The vegetables were crispy and not soaking in greasy sauce like a lot of other places. Price-wise, it was pretty good too. Half-off sushi on Sundays...so my roll came out to $6. My cousins food was $12. The prices are similar to restaurants in Hawaii (not counting Waikiki's ridiculously overpriced/overrated sushi) so I was surprised by that. I thought they'd jack up the prices since sushi in Harrisburg cones few and far between. I try not to compare this place with Hawaii and Japan, because obviously, more competition means greater quality.... But 5 stars for this little restaurant in Harrisburg.
(5)Joshua W.
Chicken was gross. Took forever to get food. Meh. Not again.
(1)Matt N.
My Wife wanted to go somewhere local for Valentine's and it was up to me to find a suitable place for the occasion. I admit due to my prorastination most of the better options were already booked until 10 pm so I was surprised when a local place accepted our reservation for 6pm. When we arrived my wife didn't like the fact it was totally empty so we left and came to Empire Asian Bistro. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken but another group of 8 came later and started getting their food before us. I ordered snails because I like to try unusual menu items but they came out over 15 minutes later to tell me they did not have them. There was a waitress in training when we made our order and she took my alternate order of frog legs. My wife's food came out cold as if they cooked my dish late after hers was finished and sat getting cold. I tested the temp and ate a few of the frog legs after we had already eaten the appetizer which was good yet nothing special - a tuna "dumpling' sushi with artifical crab stuffed inside. Things got worse after that -I bit into a frog leg and when separating the meat from the bone noticed a fishy odor. I opened it to look inside and there was blood indicating it had not been cooked thoroughly. That was not all, I ate some of the vegetables since I was still hungry and found a piece of a cricket's leg in the dish! I took a picture and showed the hostess who told me she would tell the manager, but he never came. I flagged down the waitress next but she just walked away. I then found another waitress who ngegotiated a 15% off price. My wife asked for a box and took hers to go, but I left half the food on the plate. We went to the diner on Eisenhower Blvd. later because we were both hungry and had already spent almost $40 on food at Empire. I regret coming here. I had been here in the past for the 1/2 price sushi and it was great, they took my son to see the aquarium with fish and lobsters but this Friday night experience was bad enough that I won't be back... they just ignored that there was a problem, never asking if my wife wanted her food sent back and making me stand around after I showed them the inedible item that was on my plate.
(1)Fatimah B.
I honestly think the food at this place was good, i ordered sésame tofu, it was indeed the best tofu i have ever had. The price wasnt bad either.. i went with 3 other people and out enitre bill came upto Almost 60. Which is nit bad at all for fine dining. The only thing that was à bit lacking was the serivice. I feel as if they were short of staff, and my table wasnt Being given proper reaponse by the waitress since she had so many other tables. I will come back again, i had à nice expérience.
(4)Sien R.
Did not get a table. Was not even greeted at the door. When somebody did finally show up, they were trying to do a million things at once and just asked us to sit and wait to get a table when there were tables available and seats at the sushi bar. I will give it another shot but so far not impressed.
(1)Alicia L.
This is probably my favorite sushi place in the area. And that's not because of half price sushi Sundays. They have a great selection of food and good presentation. I will say that sometimes you do wait a while for your food, but it's always been worth the wait.
(5)Mere M.
Ordered the Thai Panang Curry for take out. It was good. However, for being asian food place it did not have 1. brown rice 2. chicken and cashews. Standards in Asian dining.
(3)Upstate Y.
We stopped here from a near by hotel for a quick order and pick up. Got sweet/sour chicken & pork fried rice. It was really good. Plus.....wait for it...only took 10 minutes!
(4)David B.
I had dinner last night at 6pm. It was not busy and we did get our food fast. However, the egg roll was under cooked, My main dish General Toas, Chicken was very bland. I am glad I had asked for hot oil as I was able to spice it up. They only give you a small bowl of rice and then charge you a $1.00 for another small bowl. We all know the rice is made in a rice cooker and does not cost much to make. I do not think we will return.
(1)Susie M.
Want Asian but can't quite agree on Japanese, Thai, or Chinese? There is something for everyone on the immense menu at Empire Bistro. Had a nice dinner here with fellow chow hound John. The sushi- we had an assortment of rolls- was fresh and well-prepared. The Thai red curry was very coconutty and had a bit of a kick. Wonton soup was nothing special but not bad. All in all, a pleasant meal for the price, with courteous service and comfortable surroundings. I'd go again.
(3)Jason d.
Went for lunch on Friday. The place is nicely decorated and the menu was fairly extensive. Service was good and the spicy basil chicken was perfectly spicy. Thanks to other yelp reviewers I knew to ask for it extra spicy to get it just right. Wanton soup was just ok. Friend got the cocunut shrimp roll and said was very good. Price was in line with other restaurants of its kind, no surprises. I'd definitely go back (definitely want to try their sushi).
(4)tina j.
my aunt took me there during my visit. the place is nicely decorated. serves was very friendly~ dinner was really good !!!!
(5)Adam F.
The sushi was pretty decent. The sashimi was some really thick slices of fish so I would definitely get that next time. Lunch specials were good as well.
(3)Pat B.
This place is nicely decorated with great ambiance. The food is not so great. I feel the food is under seasoned and bland. The hot & sour soup was very thick and it was not spicy or sour. The General Tso's chicken was crunchy, but did not have the pungent taste of vinegar combined with sweetness and saltiness. The spicy basil chicken was bland and had tons of vegetables- asparagus, snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini... The waiter did not know much about the product . When we asked about an item he was unsure, but did not want to find out. The hostess was nice and friendly. The price and portion were reasonable with nice presentation of the entrees.
(2)Lauren H.
We went here several weeks ago on a Sunday evening (around 6). We took our kids (9 and 11) with us. We had a 10% off coupon (more on that later). I had a lobster special (with ginger) and the rest of my family had hibachi plates. We also had a sushi roll for an appetizer. My lobster was absolutely delicious, though it was extremely messy because you had to get the lobster out of the shell with the ginger sauce covering it. The sushi was excellent, and the hibachi plates were good, my husband said, but not as good as Benihana type places. If we were judging this place on food alone, it would get 4 stars. Unfortunately, the service was the worst we have encountered in recent memory. It took a long, long time to get our food, the waitress completely forgot to get our son's drink refill and when we asked her about it again 20 minutes or so later, she didn't even act like we had told her the first time. The language barrier seemed difficult too. Not sure if that was part of it. And instead of bringing it as an appetizer like we asked, the sushi roll came with our dinners. The worst part was trying to pay the bill. We gave her the coupon and she came back with our bill and said she couldn't use the coupon because we had ordered sushi and a lobster special and they were excluded. Our logic was that she still should have taken 10% off the rest of the bill. My husband found the manager and he re-rang it into two separate bills--the items excluded and the items he took 10% off of. Anyway, slow, poor quality service but good food--it's a shame. If I'm dropping $70+ for dinner for 4, I expect better service. We are not planning on going back.
(2)Linda S.
The five stars are for the sushi. Had a business lunch there today. I wasn't quite sure about sushi in Harrisburg after a not so great experience at Okini. There is a brand new sushi chef from China. They said he just arrived. He is a true artist. We had the tuna dumplings..superb. The Special Lobster roll was amazing and the presentation was actually astounding. I live in Philly and am used to great sushi. This place rivals any of them. We also tried a crispy whole red snapper from the Chinese menu..also very, very tasty and well presented.
(5)Joshua W.
Chicken was gross. Took forever to get food. Meh. Not again.
(1)Amanda Z.
I just had dinner here last night, and I am very happy with the place. Everything was good to me, it took me about 10 minutes just to look through their menu because they have such a huge variety when it comes to their sushi and entrees. I ordered 3 of their sushi rolls and a side of seaweed salad, and honestly it was amazing. It came out 10 mins after I ordered it and my waitress was really nice, she came and checked on me all the time. While eating my food I noticed the manager or boss of the place walked around the restaurant checking on the customers. I have to say this place was amazing and I will definitely coming back here again.
(4)Ryan H.
The sushi is good! Watch out for too much sauce if youre not into that, the rolls can get soggy. Best time to go is sundays if you like sushi. All sushi is 1/2 off. The "thai" food is mediocre. It ends up being more like lo mein with peanuts i you get a noodle dish like pad thai. 4 stars for the sushi and ranking in the area.
(4)Cymone A.
This place is super delicious and reasonably priced! They have wonderful Hibachi and The General Tso Chicken! Yum!!!! My two favorites! They also have great service, everyone was nice from beginning to end! :)
(5)Sheri G.
Not good! Had a twenty dollar sushi special with rolls, sashimi, sushi on rice bed. The foremost thing was that the fish was not only not-fresh, but also the tuna was rotting! Fishy smell, had to spit it out and this plate had probably 2/3 tuna! Three generous, thick slices of raw tuna, a whole roll of tuna n rice...so sad. No one loves sushi more than i do. Its my absolute favorite food in the world. I live for raw salmon! Truly. But the salmon, while generous slices again, was not that almost buttery flavor. It was probably a day away from being as funky as the tuna. I practically wept. I had been waiting for this meal. The chef picks what goes in your plate. Nothing exciting or adventurous. With aging fish, its for the best in this case. The miso was good, the free crispy wonton chips with sweet n sour sauce on the side made the meal. How sad is that? The ambiance with cloth napkins and tablecloth, nice lighting was the best part of my experience.
(2)Tony B.
It was just OK. Had better & had worse. Staff was polite, food was hot, and they have a wide variety of food. I would eat there again.
(2)Yuelin L.
I have been to this Empire Asian Bistro so many times. And decide to write my first review today. As a chinese, i should say this place is comparative authentic in harrisburg area. This is the only place i will go for chinese food. And there are so many good choice of sushi. We tried the snow mountain, spider, crazy, and spicy girl rolls before. They are all good. For chinese food, i usually go with ginger scallian lobster, and it is only 19.95 with fully mouth delicious. Or the sizzler is good as well.
(5)BigCat T.
This place gets five stars. The atmosphere was great service was great the restaurant was very clean and the food was spectacular. If you in the area I definitely recommend this restaurant.
(5)Ryan F.
Great selection! I like what they have done with the place. I would definetely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for good authentic foods.
(4)Lexi N.
Good food, slow service. I went tonight for 1/2 off sushi and had no idea I was going to wait over an hour for our food. I wouldn't have minded so much if our waitress had told us ahead of time of the wait expectancy, but she didn't. When I asked her why it was taking so long she just told me she would check on it....15 mins later we got our food. I would only recommend eating here if you have a lot of time!
(3)Yujie D.
Dishes are really good! If you want to try some real Chinese style food, I strongly recommend this restaurant! Go there and enjoy!
(5)Nina N.
Very good food! Great service! Not a local however this had all the great Chinese food we love! Egg drop soup, potstickers and wonderful sizzling teriyaki chicken. I recommend this for anyone is this area.
(5)Katherine M.
It's time for an update. I don't get the sushi here. Let's start here. Not anymore. They are painfully slow with it and mess it up often - I took home a strange eel roll when I ordered a (tofu skin) inari roll. Not the same thing at all. I'd go elsewhere for sushi. Iny my mind this is more like take out Asian food for me. I suggest picking up - the service is slow most times I end up here, so we have taken to getting take out. The main reason I go here is their sesame tofu is amazing - it's one of the best Asian tofu dishes in this city and I can't get it elsewhere. Other than that, I haven't found many other things. There is better tempura, sushi, and Japanese dishes at otehr places. This isn't the worst place. It isn't the best. It's what it is. And I keep coming back because I can't find better tofu.
(3)Ryan B.
I wish I could give this place zero stars. I have eaten sushi in hundreds of cities, on 4 continents, and this is without a doubt the WORST sushi I have EVER had. I specifically went to meet the "sushi chef" before ordering, and asked what is good today. He responded that the Tuna (Maguro) and Salmon (Sake) were the best choices. The waitress came to take our order. She did not know what Nigiri is. Service was slow. When the sushi finally arrived, I tried a piece of Tuna Nigiri first. The texture was terrible, it was the worst Tuna I have ever had. The second piece I ended up spitting out in my napkin because it was so awful. The spicy tuna roll was similarly not edible, and was in a disgusting mayonnaise sauce. The Yellowtail also had a terrible texture and was not edible. The only edible thing I was served was the Salmon, and it was just OK. This place isn't any cheaper than the other options in the area, and is by far the worst. This is certainly the worst Sushi restaurant in Harrisburg, and maybe the worst in the world.
(1)Michele D.
Should have known better when we entered and no one was there to greet us. About 5 minutes later someone showed up. We were seated and our order was taken. But then a table of 8 came, ordered a family style meal ( not sure where that was on the menu) ate it and left before we got food. We were never asked for a second drink. My daughter only had water for over an hour. I wouldn't come back here if it was the last restaurant on earth!!!!!!!
(1)Abigail B.
I arrived for a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and no one was at the host desk so I flagged one of the workers down. I was given a table. There were hardly any customers there, it was looked very non-busy at the time. It was Chinese New Year so I asked about the New Year specials. The waitress said they did not have them this year. But then I explained that I had seen them in the newspaper talking about this particular restaurant, so she said she would ask the manager. It turned out that they did have the specials after all. I think, as a waitress one should be aware of the specials. Or the manager should tell them. Whoever it was, someone goofed. I ordered my meal, (one of the specials, after all, it was the whole reason I had come) along with soup which came with the meal. The soup came out on time, and it was delicious. Even though there were negative things about the experience, some of the food and sauces were definitely the redeeming quality. It was wonton soup and the wonton dumplings were rich and yummy. I also had fried crunchy strips with sweet and sour sauce that pretty much every Chinese restaurant gives. These were a little too oily and fried for me, I like the ones at Hong Kong City and Chef Wong's better. They were still edible though as I waited. I finished the soup and it took a long time for the waitress to take the empty bowl, and I waited....and waited....and waited. I think I went through my whole water almost. Later on my water was refilled but by then I was almost ready to leave. I waited for 20 minutes. I asked, "How much longer is the wait?" and they said "It's coming" which I thought was kind of rude. I explained that I couldn't wait much longer. Good thing I had soup because otherwise I may have passed out! It was 2:15 pm by then, after all. I ordered crab which cooks quickly. I really don't know what the wait was about, since the place was so slow. I would be more forgiving if the place was really busy but it wasn't. Finally the food arrived. The sauce was delicious, so that cheered me up a little. It really was a delicious brown ginger sauce. The presentation...well..I don't know if this is a traditional way or what but the crab was in the shell, and sauce was put over the shell. It was so messy and difficult to deal with. It was hard to crack the shells with my bare hands (there were no shell-cracking devices) with the slippery sauce all over them. What a mess! Of course, there were no wet-naps given. My one napkin was soaked. I decided to leave and take the rest home, since it was 2:45 and I wanted to get back home to the West Shore before traffic got ugly. They gave me a 15% discount because of the wait. At first I thought she said 50%, which made me feel a lot better, thinking it was generous and nice of them, but then when I found it was 15% I felt grim because it seemed kind of tight. After all this, I was glad to be out of there. The wait time for such a seemingly slow time seemed ridiculous and I don't know if there is a good reason for it or not. I think that was the biggest turnoff for me. The food was good but there are so many other good Chinese places around which have given much better service. I'll stick to the tried and true.
(2)Jonathan M.
I took my 8 year old son here for a not-to-late dinner. He loves sushi and hibachi style dishes. We shared an order of sashimi Yellow Fin Tuna, which I felt was of a fairly good quality. I have had Yellow Fin dozens of times and this was pretty good. I saw some of the other posts regarding their sashimi being poor, but I cannot say I had this same experience. For my dinner I had 3 rolls: 1st Roll- Three different types of spicy fish (tuna, salmon and something else) 2nd Roll- Spicy tuna roll with tuna on top 3rd Roll- last roll was a tempura shrimp. I was happy with the presentation and the flavor and freshness was good. It was not the best sushi I have ever had (a small corner sushi bar in San Diego, CA holds that title), but it was above average. My son had the steak/chicken with fried rice and vegetables, hibachi style, which I of course tried. The brown rice was of a good quality and the overall dishes flavoring was pretty good. I was impressed with the vegetables as they appeared and tasted fresh. The meat was juicy and flavorful. My son and I both gave it a thumbs up. The server we had was prompt and did a pretty good job. It was to her advantage that the restaurant was not overly busy, but either way I was happy with her service. The interior of the restaurant was nice and well lit. They had several TV's throughout the restaurant so you could stay up on the scores of games. The bar was located at the center of the restaurant. They advertised a few specialty drinks, which looked good, but I did not try one. Final Thoughts: I did enjoy the overall experience and my son was happy too. The environment would accommodate a group of people and is not a bad place for children. They offer both booths and tables and the environment does not feel cramped. Overall it was a good experience for the price paid. Many other reviews were not positive and perhaps rightfully so. I did not encounter many of the issues that were discussed. If the prices were any higher I would give Empire three stars, but the price point, atmosphere, service and food all met at a good point. It was good enough that I took my wife here a couple weeks later. We had similar food to when my son and I first came, but she felt that Empire only earned about 3 stars.
(4)Juliet G.
Oh my... This time I tried the sushi- simply amazing! I had the vegetarian sushi dinner which was great. Love the atmosphere- quiet, a bit elegant with the table linens and great service. I will be back!
(5)Matt B.
I guess I have to give it a star, but I wish I could give this a zero. Called in order, told 45 minutes, showed up 45 minutes later, waited 30 minutes at the restaurant. No apology - they just don't care. Food bland and missing my sushi. NEVER again.
(1)Ashley A.
I just went here over the weekend with friends and it was okay. I somewhat enjoyed the food. I'm not in love, but it was okay. We sat at bar so we could watch the staff make sushi, which was cool. I will say, they have amazing presentation when it comes to food delivery. Each plate is uniquely decorated. I ordered the pineapple chicken entree, which tasted good! I loved the way the pineapple was cooked and soaked in the sauce. The chicken was a turn off. I wish it was cooked longer and not so chewy. The prices were moderate for the entrees and yet pretty reasonable for some things. I don't think I will go back.
(2)Colleen S.
I have to rate Empire as "Not bad, would go again" had chinese (broccoli with garlic sauce) because felt it had a very chinese restaurant feel to it, started with fried crackers and egg roll sauce. Tasty and decently priced. Also we sampled some sushi, I like to call it american sushi (fried, mayoed and stuffed with non fish filler) as it was heavily decorated with mayo. As far as american sushi goes, the sweet potato roll was very tasty.
(3)Katie P.
I just moved from Hawaii and was feeling a little depressed....I miss my Asian food (especially sushi even though I'm Filipino). Just when I felt like all hope was lost in Harrisburgs same meals of Italian and American, my cousins from Delaware brought me here on a Sunday. I thought it would honestly suck, but I was pleasantly surprised. A wide selection of sushi, tenpuras, stir fry and other dishes. It's a hybrid of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian food. Spicy ahi was really good. They gave more fish than rice. My cousin had honey glazed prawns with walnuts and vegetables. The prawns were plump and cooked just right. The vegetables were crispy and not soaking in greasy sauce like a lot of other places. Price-wise, it was pretty good too. Half-off sushi on Sundays...so my roll came out to $6. My cousins food was $12. The prices are similar to restaurants in Hawaii (not counting Waikiki's ridiculously overpriced/overrated sushi) so I was surprised by that. I thought they'd jack up the prices since sushi in Harrisburg cones few and far between. I try not to compare this place with Hawaii and Japan, because obviously, more competition means greater quality.... But 5 stars for this little restaurant in Harrisburg.
(5)Robert A.
The coconut curry vegetables was very good--particularly the broccoli. Also, the miso soup was among the best I've tried in the area.
(4)Tina Z.
Was here for lunch with some friends, very nice decor and a large menu. Prices as comparable to similar pan Asian restaurants in the area. Our waiter was a well seasoned server and really on top of things. I did notice some of the servers did not understand English as well but everyone was very pleasant. We ordered: the chicken lettuce wraps, they bring you a whole head of lettuce and you roll your own but it was very tasty Sweet potato roll, very good Shrimp tempura roll, was okay eel and avocado roll, very good garlic eggplant, I was told it was the best she ever had and a masamom (I think that's what it was called) beef curry, that was enjoyed I will definitely go back and try the sushi next time and if it's as good all the time I can see this being a regular spot with us
(4)Brian R.
You would never notice this place was a ruby tuesdays once you step inside, it's beautifully decorated. Recently opened by the owner of Jumbo Buffet on Paxton St., this place is a much more upscale establishment with a large menu of Asian fusion cuisine along with a full sushi bar. I tried the Singapore Noodles, which I was pleased with. Tasted like really good mei fun with curry sauce on top. I'm definitely planning on going back to try the sushi and other items on the menu.
(4)Adri P.
I should have listened to the other reviewers on this site. Food was just ok. Not great. One of my friends asked the server how the fish was prepared, and due to the server's lack of English speaking and comprehension, she had to get the manager to come speak English to us. For an Asian restaurant with a huge menu, there really were not that many vegetarian options (only 4 entrees on about 6 pages of menu) or options to sub tofu in place of meat. I also ordered Thai Panang curry with chicken to take home for my boyfriend. They forgot the rice, which I didn't notice until I was home. I noticed that another reviewer mentioned this as well, so beware. Check for your rice before you leave. The Panang tasted like Chinese stir fry, not how Thai Panang curry tastes in a Thai restaurant. not sure if I'll be going back unless someone twists my arm. Can we get a PF Changs here instead?
(2)Terry B.
We dined there last evening. The service was very slow. We started with cocktails. My cocktail was pleasant, but very watered down. I had the calimari as the appetizer. Again, that was ok, but a bit rubbery. Next, I had the 1/2 duck. The duck was very dry and I had to really dig through the fat and bones to find any meat. Rice was supposed to come with my dinner, but I had to go get it myself. The waiter knew he had 1 extra bowl of rice left on his tray, but would not make eye contact with anyone at the table. I kept raising my hand to get his attention because I also wanted a drink refill. My husband ordered the curry and asked for it to be spicy. He said it was very mild - not spicy as he had ordered and there was very little sauce - in other words -- dry curry. We were there from 5pm to 8pm and only received 1 water refill, and were never asked if we'd like another drink from the bar. We had to wait nearly an hour after we received our appetizers to be served our main course. The one plus was that with the dinner comes rice and a choice of soup or salad. Since I didn't want either, I asked if I could just have some vegetables instead. They graciously accommodated. There was nothing spectacular, nothing really bad -- just not up to par with the prices.
(2)Jim K.
2nd trip to this restaurant. During both dinner outings service has been friendly, but slow, the first time ponderously slow, this last trip a dinner with appetizers for 3 took over 2 hours. Appetizers were good, pot stickers were fresh not frozen. House salad had a ginger dressing that was creamy, not oil based, a nice surprise. Dinner course was more pedestrian. Pad Thai was underseasoned. Chicken teriyaki was presented well, sizzling on an iron platter, but was again underseasoned. Sweet & sour Chicken for our teen was standard fare for a generic chinese restaturant, it could have been served just as easily from our local take out place. Overall, a pleasant but not outstanding meal. Since its neighbor Okini has just closed, this place may see more traffic by default, even though it likely doesn't merit it.
(3)Jody L.
We went there on a Sunday for lunch . The service was so bad that we waited an hour for the food to arrive . The food was not good at all . It was my 2nd time and will be my last .
(1)shivam k.
Went in for lunch. Hard to find good sushi restaurants around here but this nice. Has a nice ambience very welcoming and mainly good food. I ordered one of the lunch boxes with an extra appetizer. It was good food. Will be back to try other items on the menu than only will be a good judgement. Service was pleasant. Nice place will be back. Good place to take your friends.
(4)Terri H.
My first time at this restaurant, and we had a pleasant experience, none of the issues that other diners experienced. Located in the former and short lived Ruby Tuesday's on UD, the decor is nicely and tastefully done. My friend and I had a chuckle at the statues outside, they are anatomically correct:-) Service was good and competent, but we were one of four tables there. We were there on a Sunday evening. Hot and Sour soup was hot and tasty, and the egg roll was good, nothing to write home about either way. The dipping sauces were good, and I ordered the Seafood Delight on the Sizzling Plate Menu. I highly recommend this dish, it was fresh, the veggies colorful and a good variety. The seafood was steamed to perfection, and the lobster and scallops were the perfect texture and temperature. My dining partner had the Orange Beef, and it was also wonderful, with just the right level of tangy heat and just enough coating to be lightly crispy. Dessert was custard sushi, and it was tasty and a nice end to the meal. Check out was quick, and we were on our way. I am anxious to try their sushi, and prices were what I would have expected for a restaurant of that level of service and selection.
(4)Steve G.
I've heard good things from others, and since I was driving by at lunchtime today, I thought I'd just give it a look. The decor is quite nice. Clean and classy. The wait staff is effective, if not overly friendly. The food (I opted some something a little different - pad thai) was very good. My only complaint might be that I would have liked a lunch-size offering. I ended up getting an entree at $11, and now I'm a little too full. The mood music was a little different, too. Sinofied versions of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Auld Lang Syne." LOL I'd have no problem going back with a date, but I'll stay away when I'm looking for a solo lunch stop.
(3)B D.
Don't let the second star fool you! Empire gets the second star for one reason and one reason only: half-price sushi on Sunday. Ironically, it's the half-price sushi on Sunday that also costs Empire a second star. Allow me to explain... I've been to Empire twice now, and only because one of my pals insisted that A) it's his and his girlfriend's favorite sushi joint in Harrisburg; and B) they've got half-price sushi on Sundays. With that, and because the chef at my beloved Okini is long gone, my lady and I decided to give it a shot. We sat at the bar, which, like the entire restaurant, was ridiculously crowded. It wasn't three-people deep, mind you, but every bar seat was taken. We waited for menus. And we waited. And then we waited some more. Finally we received them and ordered a couple beers, for which we waited. And waited. And then waited some more. After the beers finally arrived, we placed our order, which was nothing more than five different types of sashimi. No rolls, no rice, nothing cooked. Just raw, sliced fish. And with that, we waited. And waited... And waited some more. After an hour -- an HOUR -- our sashimi arrived. Again, it's sashimi we're talking about here! And, yes, I realize there's an art to great sushi, and I'm more than happy to wait for it, as I completely respect the process of properly slicing the fish. What I didn't realize, though, is that the chef had to go to the Tsukiji Market in Japan for each and every order. Actually, I wish the chef HAD gone to the Tsukiji Market for our fish, because at least then it would have been worth the wait. Instead, we got a bunch of fish that was average at best. The squid? Bland. The scallop? Bleh. The yellowtail? Meh. The sea urchin? Downright terrible. Sadly, the only above average fish was the tuna, which I would expect to be the case from any reputable sushi joint. What's more, the chefs rolling the sushi (which, by the way, is all they do) didn't say a single word to us. Not one! We sat at the sushi bar and ordered sashimi, and these three guys making rolls didn't even greet us. Hell, they didn't even make our sashimi! It came out of the kitchen, which is suspect, as far as I'm concerned. So, Empire, you get a second star because you're sushi is half-price on Sunday. Realize, though, that half-price deal is the same thing that costs you from forming any sort of bond with your customers, something I count on at a sushi joint, particularly when I sit at the bar. I suppose I could sit here in my contempt, waiting for you to say hello, but I'd be waiting forever. And waiting. Then waiting some more.
(2)Mike H.
Great food. Have eaten here several times every year we come for shows. Service can be good but is exceptionally slow during high traffic times. If you can't wait patiently for food don't go here or you will be disappointed in the food, which is very good to me.
(3)Michael V.
I am not a big sushi, mainly becuase of a shellfish allergy, but I have found that Empire's sushi is one of my favorite places to eat. I like the friendly atmosphere and th wait staff is very attentive to their tables. For larger groups they are very accomodating and allow the bill to be split between for all attendees. Also, if you grab a coupon from the "Clipper" there is no question about the use for each individual. The manager does stop at the table to talk with the customer. So for dinner I order the Fireball and Empire rolls, a pork eggroll, and seaweed salad; with a pitcher of Mich Ultra. To me, Empire offers a great atmosphere, service, and sushi experience. There are many choices to chose from and even someone who has alergies can find something good to eat.
(5)Barbara V.
Excellent sushi and incredible presentation. My only complaint, no jasmine tea in this Asian restaurant! They offer some basic Thai & Chinese but haven't tried them. Gonna stick to the sushi here.
(4)J R.
I am going to upgrade this place to 3 stars. They got a bit better..food and service has improved. I feel in all fairness they should be re-reviewed since my last reviews awhile ago.
(3)Jenny D.
Great food at great prices. I've gone on weeknights and it has never been more than half full. I've always been pleased with what I've ordered. Good drink selection, too. I've gotten carry out a few times and it's been ready when I've gone to pick it up. It has carpet and tablecloths, a little fancier than your average Chinese places, but the prices are still low. Great find in Harrisburg!
(5)Steve P.
Heard about this spot from a few of my parents co-workers having tried it for lunch. From what I have read here, that is the prime time to go. Looking at the reviews it would seem that their dinner service is where the major pitfall is. Bearing that in mind, We went for dinner anyway. Party of two, we chose a booth table over the sushi bar since we were feeling like meat this evening. We started the meal with the Lettuce Wraps which were the highlight of the meal. Good flavor and I could definitely see saving myself the drive to MD in order to go to PF Changs whenever I get the hankering for some. All the was missing was some kind of dipping sauce and they would be comparable. The main courses on the other hand were lacking. I ordered the Teriaki Chicken, it was basically 2 thin breasts sat upon a bed of onions and carrots drizzled with sauce. Very simple, very plain, kinda tasteless. The chicken was dry and the sauce was scarce. The other dish ordered was the Pineapple fried rice which was stated as being "ok, but it has an odd smell and flavor I can't put my finger on" since we are a house hold of foodies, whenever we can't put our fingers on a particular spice, there's something slightly off about that. Neither of the meals were finished and we took them home for left overs later. The service was decent, since the weather was so horrible outside there were only 2 tables in the whole place, allowing for the servers to pay close attention to us. Perhaps a little too close, I'm all for attentiveness, but when we tell you we're gonna need another 5 minutes to look at a menu we've never seen before, don't give us 30 seconds. Meh..
(2)John F.
The staff was friendly and professional. Food was fine, nothing extraordinary. But then again, I'm no food Connoisseur so i wouldn't put much weight on that. What i liked most is the atmosphere. If you're in the mood for some chinese and still have a romantic feel to your dining, this is the place to go. Prices were reasonable as well. I certainly recommend this place to others.
(4)Kaity M.
This place is gorgeous. I felt under dressed walking in wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I ordered something with pineapple, coconut, shrimp and chicken while my mom had sesame chicken. We also got some Mochi... Ordered the coconut, but the waiter gave us strawberry. He said something about them not being marked. It was awesome, though. We didn't care which flavor it was. We were very happy with the food and the service. It's a little pricey, but I'll definitely go back on a date with my husband.
(4)C N.
Closest thing to a Chinese Restaurant in Harrisburg area. Food is ok, does lack the real Asian taste like NY Chinatown places.
(3)Claudine L.
We have been here several times and the food has always been excellent. There is a lot to choose from even if you do not want sushi. My big complaint is the lack of service. We were a party of six and waited over 20 minutes for drinks. We did not even receive water in that time. Our waitress appeared to have had zero training as she had no idea what any of the wines were and was even confused on menu items. I had to show her which wine I wanted in the menu. When the drinks finally arrived our waitress informed us that they were out of glasses! The place wasn't even busy!. When we finally ordered we waited again for our food which came out very sporadically. The entire meal took over 2 hours. A table near us got their drinks and wound up walking out. I really would hate to see another restaurant shut down because of poor service. I may give them one last chance only because I enjoy the food. If the service is as poor I will not return.
(2)Dan R.
I had read some of the horror stories about Empire Asian Bistro on Yelp and wasnt too sure what to expect. We visited for lunch on a saturday afternoon recently, it had been totally re done. Nicely laid out sushi bar, very spacious, Empire also has a selection of wine and liquor. The interior of the restaurant was very nicely decourated. For lunch we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the entrees: our family of four adults and two children ordered: Empire Yaki-Udon (10.95), Japanese Teriyaki Steak (14.95), Crispy Whole Fish (19.95), Sauteed Veggies (8.95), and the Maki Combo A: 1 spicy tuna, 1 spicy yellow tail, 1 spicy california roll (14.95) All of the entrees came with a bowl of miso or wonton soup.
(3)Jason M.
Good sushi, but has all the atmosphere of a McDonald's...
(3)Susan B.
Hubby and I stopped in for lunch, early in January on a recommendation from a business associate in Harrisburg. They said they recommend it to everyone. Nice decor, good food, and good service. Our food was great and came out quickly. They weren't packed at lunch time. If in Harrisburg again I would definitely go back.
(4)Lisa R.
I like the menu here. Many options to select from. Japanese sushi, tempura, and hibachi, Thai Curries and noodle dishes, and all your traditional Chinese fare. So far I haven't had anything here I haven't liked. Service is decent. Not always all that friendly, but efficient. Another plus is the nicer atmosphere with linen table cloths and nice serving ware. For Asian food, this is one of the nicer places to eat in my opinion.
(4)John H.
Good sushi with nice presentation. Spicy Maki Combo was tasty & filling. "Sizzling Plate" was very good. A couple interesting seafood choices on the menu. Our take-out pad thai was sadly blah.
(3)Art C.
While the place is nicely decorated and the service is good, the food was not very good. I had Singapore style curry noodles. The curry was nearly undetectable. I think there was about 1/8 teaspoon in the giant pile of noodles. The dish had no flavor apart from the ingredients. The chicken had a slightly off taste as well. This place has been promoted in the local press as a "traditional" Asian restaurant. That's total BS. I saw almost nothing on the menu that I would consider a traditional Chinese or Thai entree. Most of it appears to be the same old tired Americanized crap that any Chinese, Thai or Japanese resto in this area serves, this place just has a sampling of all three styles under one roof. Given the prices, the menu and food quality needs a lot of work. Extremely disappointing. While I'm glad others whose opinions I respect had good experiences here, I most certainly did not.
(1)Patrick B.
What a huge disappointment! Went here for its broad selection of Asian foods. (I wanted Thai curry, my fam Chinese.) "SERVICE": I'll usually give a place a break for new staff; but not when the hostess is shadowing the new waitress and the service is still screwed up. Why would a bottled beer ever be served at a table with no glass? Why does it take 15 minutes for said glass to arrive after it's asked for? Why is the glass that finally arrives more suitable for juice than beer, especially when it's sitting next to water served in a more appropriate glass? Why were we sitting for half an hour waiting for our entrees in a half-empty restaurant?? {Note, I haven't even gotten to the food.] As I probably could have predicted, the orders were wrong when they were delivered. FOOD: When the orders were finally made right, the food ranged from just edible to inedible. Majority of two entrees left on the table, not even boxed to go home! Can't say I have EVER seen M walk away from chicken and broccoli, but I guess there's a first time for everything. WILL NOT BE BACK. EVER.
(1)Brian B.
I remember when this was still Chilis in the early 90s. Only later to become a Ruby Tuesdays which failed miserably (and for good reason). After living in Florida for two years I acquired a taste for sushi. Granted, living in Florida; one tends to receive fresher fish than you may in Harrisburg. Thus, I never quite found the same quality of sushi-roll in central PA until I visited Empire Asian Bistro. I went the week of their grand opening and was first impressed by the decor. Everything had been redone except for the bar area which only had an additional refrigeration unit for the sushi chefs. If you look close enough, the bar still has the "Ruby Tuesday" feel to it, but flows good throughout the restaurant. There were not many people there when I went for dinner during their opening week. I had a coconut shrimp and mango dragon roll which were absolutely outstanding. By far the BEST SUSHI IN HARRISBURG. Now, anybody can make a standard "spicy tuna roll," but if you visit this establishment, be sure to spend the extra money and buy a "Special Roll" from their menu. I have taken friends there and every single person has LOVED it. Nate claims it was "the best sushi I ever had." I now frequent Empire and every time I go back, there are more and more people dining. Word of mouth is beginning to do wonders for them as I have not really seen any sort of advertising. Their menu was recently updated with color-pages that look a little classier as opposed to their black and white menus from prior weeks. All staff has been courteous. I have sat at the sushi bar and the chefs are very nice and may allow you to try different things at times if you seem curious. They are always more than happy to recommend something. Price is spot-on. I had 2 beers, a sushi roll and a large sushi roll for $26. Your standard price for a decent ethnic restaurant. They have a liquor license which is nice as they have a variety of different Asian beers. All in all, I have yet to be disappointed out of the 10 times I have been there. If you go to the restaurant, please get a large special roll! Best sushi in Harrisburg. (I've been to Sapporo, Sakana, Okini, Tokyo Diner, Bangkok Wok, etc etc etc) Empire Bistro takes the cake!
(5)GingerSnap G.
okay, inspite of a few things, i do have to say that i'm a fan! they have pretty good food, and a nice selection. the decor is nice, and overall has a nice feeling to the place. it makes me happy to be there! and look, there are other patrons (unlike alot of other asian/chinese places). they have goood sushi! i had the spider roll, a crispy, soft shell crab roll (and they were able to make it w/out the cucumber. yeah!) it was the best i have had so far! but the day we had sushi service was kind of slow. and the potstickers / panfried dumplings were just okay. great sushi presentation (sorry no photo this time)! the next time i went they messed up our order twice. when i asked if they could add tofu to the eggplant, they said yes, but didnt. then they brought us some random beef dish when we ordered chicken basil. they fixed both dishes, were very polite. and luckily i was with good company and we had plenty of time! the basil chicken was very tender (chicken breast pieces), nice flavor. the eggplant was really well cooked. tender yet still held its shape... and such a beautiful color! the sauce didnt make me think of a garlic sauce per se... but it was still good. and i saw another table get some awesome looking desserts! that's next on the agenda!! but the real stars are for the fairly good food and the ambiance!! It's an enjoyable place to eat at!! I dont feel dirty when i leave! ;o)
(4)