I'm giving them 5 stars because EVERYTHING I tried tasted so good! The food did take a little longer than other places but good things are worth waiting for--although it'd be nice if it came out a little quicker. If the food wasn't so good I'd give it 4 stars for the wait but I couldn't possibly do that. The presentation is also great. I loved everything but my least favorite was the lemon chicken. My favorite one is the vegetarian eggplant entree. But the shrimp, veggies, rice, and beef were all yummy! Also, they have pretty yummy teas and their shaved ice dessert was great. The server recommended and I was skeptical to order it because I don't eat such things as shaved ice...but it's not what we're used to. It's like a fluffy frozen condensed milk shaved concoction with fruit on top. So good! I asked for the strawberry syrup on the side though because I'm not a fan of RED 40 products( if you know what that means, you're awesome!). I totally recommend it. But caution, it isn't healthy and it will break your diet. Your wallet, on the other hand, won't even know notice you stuffed your belly. Prices are great here!!!
I just had Shoots for the first time and I have to say the food was delicious. Had crab puff appetizer, really good doesn't have that nasty taste of old oil grease. Very fresh, the sauce is very good buy a tad too sweet. Had the Walnut Shrimp, never had them this good. The outside was crispy and had s donut like taste. My husband ordered the Hot Garlic Chicken. That was good as well, the chili sauce on it was very good. I like food because it's not over sauced, the chicken fried rice wasn't greasy either. Def try it out
(4)
Ross M.
We love this place! They have the best mu shoo pork ever! Have a great dinner, then stroll around the River Walk. Always a great evening I can't remember ever having a bad meal !
(4)
Cletis H.
Food is fresh and fun. Presentation was cleaver and interesting. The ambience is modern and welcoming if not a little romantic. Its a great pit stop during your visit to the Riverwoods.
(4)
Heather T.
It is impossible to review on food. Been here an hour and half and still waiting for food. Horrible service!!!!!
(2)
Phoebe K.
Shoots is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurant in town. I know the owners and they are traditional Chinese people. They really care about their costumers. Food is great and tasty for its price. Unless you are used to eating super high class food, then you will probably pick one or two little things that you do not like. Service is wonderful. They always have discounts going on. My favorite are the chicken dishes! the chicken was pretty delicious.
(5)
Laurie B.
I tried two chicken dishes and in both, the chicken was very tough. By comparison though, the pork was delicious. The egg rolls were also very tasty. For the price, I'd rather go to Rice King on Center street in Provo, but having said that, if someone really wanted to go to Shoots, it was good enough that I would tag along for a lunch date.
(3)
Abby W.
Shoots is my favorite Chinese joint in town. The food is great, the management is even greater. The atmosphere is relaxing and I love dining here.
(4)
Matt S.
Loved the almond chicken. It was amazing. Other than that it was pretty mediocre.
(4)
Casey W.
Not the cheapest, but certainly one of the best chinese places in the Provo/Orem area. It is never crowded (so never a wait) the service has 9 times out of 10 been fantastic, it is always clean, the food is at least on par with PF Changs, and you get a lot of it (for less than PF too)! Also the lunch specials are great too, and definitely some of the best Hot and Sour soup I've had in Utah.
(4)
Bill F.
Shoots was fantastic, both in service and in taste. I've heard the criticisms, such as "it is too Americanized" or "this isn't real Chinese food." I would say that its menu constitutes a fusion of Chinese food with the chef's unique flair utilizing a number of genres. For me and my family of five, including two pre-schoolers, it comes down to taste and service. Both were great. Enjoy!
(4)
Kent S.
I believe Shoots is one of the best Chinese restaurants around. The food was fresh, service was very good and in a nice atmosphere. We especially loved the fried won-tons for the appetizer.
(4)
Erin Q.
It's not too difficult to find decent Chinese food in Provo, but Shoots provides good Chinese in a metro atmosphere...you don't find that much around these parts. Most of the Chinese restaurants around here are fairly run down (don't get me wrong, I'm not trashing these places - just describing), usually with a mini Buddha in the front and one of those creepy waving ceramic cats. The atmosphere of Shoots is completely different. The lights are dimmed and the place is decorated with what other than bamboo shoots. As far as the food goes, it was really good. The way they serve some of their meals is interesting - very TV dinner-esque...not in the sense that the food looked inedible, but simply in the presentation. Everything was brought out together, separated on these unique plates. The portions looked a little smaller because of this, but it was still enough to fill me up. I like Shoots because it gives a downtown feel to a little town. Oh, but one thing I don't get is why people are so obsessed with boba. Apparently here in Utah, the craze just arrived. I remember how that was THE THING in high school. All of my Asian friends wanted to go to all of those specialty boba places with the tapioca balls on the bottom. Sorry, I never got into that...and I doubt I ever will. But this place has boba if you're into that sort of thing.
(4)
Winst D.
A coworker and I ate here. Since we're not from the area, we were referred here by a local. It was a really good suggestion! We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and chicken lunch plates. You really get a great deal for lunch: freshly fried wonton skins to snack on, soup of choice which was hot and fresh, and full of flavor, egg roll which actually wasn't bland, choice of entre with rice. The servers are friendly and attentive. Prices are fair. Who knew Chinese food would actually be good in Utah?? LOL Being from SF, I know good Chinese food. This was actually really good for a contemporary style Chinese restaurant. I'd definitely recommend it now too.
(4)
James F.
"P.F. Chang kind of place" describes this well. This is not Chinese food, and it is pretty ordinary Americanized Chinese food. Nice atmosphere, good service, over-priced ordinary food.
(2)
Ryan R.
Solid four stars for shoots! We went for lunch one day and it was really a fantastic deal. We got a several course meal for a very affordable price. And the atmosphere is really nice. PF Changs kind of place, but I actually liked the food a bit better. We went quite a while ago but I still remember the tangerine chicken I ordered because it was amazing! It didn't taste substantially different from orange chicken but it was, and remains, the best citrus-based chinese chicken dish I have ever tasted. So great atmosphere, really good prices (for lunch at least I can't vouch for dinner) and solid food with a few stand-outs. If you're looking for a "nice" chinese place in the Provo area, I don't think there's a better option.
(4)
AR S.
Love Shoots. We live very close and love the food. Our kids 10, 8 & 4 just devour everthing, and they are picky, picky.
(5)
Chase W.
Everything is perfectly prepared, the owner was very nice, server was great, food was delicious. We ordered the sesame chicken, which was perfectly tender and crispy. The sauce had the perfect flavor and came out at just the right temperature. Eggdrop soup was great. They also give you wonton chips to snack on before the food comes! -been here twice, and will be back frequently.
(5)
David B.
meh. Sauces are simple and slightly coagulated. The egg rolls were good. The shrimp was precooked, like for salads, before being battered and fried. Terrible! Sent it back, and they came out to know why. The service was decent.
(2)
Mike B.
When I asked friends about where to find good Chinese food in town, the most common answer was Shoots, so last night my wife and I decided to finally try the place. Anyway, we had a good coupon, and it's in the Riverwoods so it's gotta be at least decent right? Well the ambience definitely fit the Riverwoods, very trendy. I liked it. In fact, the only thing this place doesn't have is food with flavor. But that's a terrible thing not to have. I got the honey walnut chicken, and my wife got a combo that came with sweet & sour pork and cashew chicken. We also tried the egg drop soup. Everything was cooked and presented perfectly, but there just wasn't any flavor to any of it (high fructose corn syrup doesn't count as flavor... sorry). It was just very unimpressive all around.
(2)
Jason F.
Boringly mediocre food beset by terrible service. The food here is uninteresting and over-priced and wholly unremarkable. Calling the food Chinese food is probably insulting to food. Cheap decor made even cheaper by a menu that is surely a rip off of other successful restaurants most notably PF Chang's. Hence, this is why others are comparing Shoots to the aforementioned successful restaurant. This restaurant is in a dying location and I think it only survives because there is Tucano's restaurant next door that is still popular. I question the four star reviews, are they just generous with handing out stars? Skip this place unless you are starving to death.
(2)
Celine L.
omg, i hope people don't think this is chinese food. because this is really bad westernised chinese food. don't be fooled by the chinese working there! i got the soup, and it was...basically msg, and weird dumplings, with a bunch of stuff inside. then i got the chow mein, which was like panda express. and my friend got the pineapple fried rice, which was...weird but ok. then they charged us $6 for that disgusting wonton strips? with some sour sauce? i thought it was complimentary, not freakin $6!!! it was disgusting too! the rice is complimentary though, so take advantage of the one bowl! and they also charged for tea. but i guess it's hard making it out there as a chinese restaurant.... favourites: um, none? not disgusting chow mein? the fortune cookie was actually good... do not want: freakin $40 meal!??!?! and wonton strips?? $6?! and tea was extra too. last words: i would be meaner, but hey, i'm chinese too, should support my own kind... =/ the service was good at least
(2)
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Address :4801 N University Ave,Ste 820
Provo, UT, 84604
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Jessie M.
I'm giving them 5 stars because EVERYTHING I tried tasted so good! The food did take a little longer than other places but good things are worth waiting for--although it'd be nice if it came out a little quicker. If the food wasn't so good I'd give it 4 stars for the wait but I couldn't possibly do that. The presentation is also great. I loved everything but my least favorite was the lemon chicken. My favorite one is the vegetarian eggplant entree. But the shrimp, veggies, rice, and beef were all yummy! Also, they have pretty yummy teas and their shaved ice dessert was great. The server recommended and I was skeptical to order it because I don't eat such things as shaved ice...but it's not what we're used to. It's like a fluffy frozen condensed milk shaved concoction with fruit on top. So good! I asked for the strawberry syrup on the side though because I'm not a fan of RED 40 products( if you know what that means, you're awesome!). I totally recommend it. But caution, it isn't healthy and it will break your diet. Your wallet, on the other hand, won't even know notice you stuffed your belly. Prices are great here!!!
(5)Mike B.
Not the greatest, but it was on the south side of OK. I have a problem with a Chinese place that doesn't offer egg drop soup, complimentary with an entrée, I have a problem when they won't allow you to substitute fried rice instead of white rice. Oh you can get fried rice, they just charge you as much as another entrée, seriously, it's not like most other places that just charges a nominal upgrade cost like a buck or two. So them we order lettuce wraps, and the side sauce was horrific! I mean it was like a cross between molasses and road tar. Just awful! The actual entrée we got to share was the cashew chicken, and although mildly good, a bit on the bland side though, it was well undersized for a dinner entrée, and comes with no additional sides, (except white rice). An egg roll, or pot stickers, or cream cheese won tons, or something would be nice to compliment the meal. Anyway, I don't really go for restaurants that skimp so much, it's hard to even want to go back and try it again.
(2)Annette S.
I just had Shoots for the first time and I have to say the food was delicious. Had crab puff appetizer, really good doesn't have that nasty taste of old oil grease. Very fresh, the sauce is very good buy a tad too sweet. Had the Walnut Shrimp, never had them this good. The outside was crispy and had s donut like taste. My husband ordered the Hot Garlic Chicken. That was good as well, the chili sauce on it was very good. I like food because it's not over sauced, the chicken fried rice wasn't greasy either. Def try it out
(4)Ross M.
We love this place! They have the best mu shoo pork ever! Have a great dinner, then stroll around the River Walk. Always a great evening I can't remember ever having a bad meal !
(4)Cletis H.
Food is fresh and fun. Presentation was cleaver and interesting. The ambience is modern and welcoming if not a little romantic. Its a great pit stop during your visit to the Riverwoods.
(4)Heather T.
It is impossible to review on food. Been here an hour and half and still waiting for food. Horrible service!!!!!
(2)Phoebe K.
Shoots is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurant in town. I know the owners and they are traditional Chinese people. They really care about their costumers. Food is great and tasty for its price. Unless you are used to eating super high class food, then you will probably pick one or two little things that you do not like. Service is wonderful. They always have discounts going on. My favorite are the chicken dishes! the chicken was pretty delicious.
(5)Laurie B.
I tried two chicken dishes and in both, the chicken was very tough. By comparison though, the pork was delicious. The egg rolls were also very tasty. For the price, I'd rather go to Rice King on Center street in Provo, but having said that, if someone really wanted to go to Shoots, it was good enough that I would tag along for a lunch date.
(3)Abby W.
Shoots is my favorite Chinese joint in town. The food is great, the management is even greater. The atmosphere is relaxing and I love dining here.
(4)Matt S.
Loved the almond chicken. It was amazing. Other than that it was pretty mediocre.
(4)Casey W.
Not the cheapest, but certainly one of the best chinese places in the Provo/Orem area. It is never crowded (so never a wait) the service has 9 times out of 10 been fantastic, it is always clean, the food is at least on par with PF Changs, and you get a lot of it (for less than PF too)! Also the lunch specials are great too, and definitely some of the best Hot and Sour soup I've had in Utah.
(4)Bill F.
Shoots was fantastic, both in service and in taste. I've heard the criticisms, such as "it is too Americanized" or "this isn't real Chinese food." I would say that its menu constitutes a fusion of Chinese food with the chef's unique flair utilizing a number of genres. For me and my family of five, including two pre-schoolers, it comes down to taste and service. Both were great. Enjoy!
(4)Kent S.
I believe Shoots is one of the best Chinese restaurants around. The food was fresh, service was very good and in a nice atmosphere. We especially loved the fried won-tons for the appetizer.
(4)Erin Q.
It's not too difficult to find decent Chinese food in Provo, but Shoots provides good Chinese in a metro atmosphere...you don't find that much around these parts. Most of the Chinese restaurants around here are fairly run down (don't get me wrong, I'm not trashing these places - just describing), usually with a mini Buddha in the front and one of those creepy waving ceramic cats. The atmosphere of Shoots is completely different. The lights are dimmed and the place is decorated with what other than bamboo shoots. As far as the food goes, it was really good. The way they serve some of their meals is interesting - very TV dinner-esque...not in the sense that the food looked inedible, but simply in the presentation. Everything was brought out together, separated on these unique plates. The portions looked a little smaller because of this, but it was still enough to fill me up. I like Shoots because it gives a downtown feel to a little town. Oh, but one thing I don't get is why people are so obsessed with boba. Apparently here in Utah, the craze just arrived. I remember how that was THE THING in high school. All of my Asian friends wanted to go to all of those specialty boba places with the tapioca balls on the bottom. Sorry, I never got into that...and I doubt I ever will. But this place has boba if you're into that sort of thing.
(4)Winst D.
A coworker and I ate here. Since we're not from the area, we were referred here by a local. It was a really good suggestion! We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and chicken lunch plates. You really get a great deal for lunch: freshly fried wonton skins to snack on, soup of choice which was hot and fresh, and full of flavor, egg roll which actually wasn't bland, choice of entre with rice. The servers are friendly and attentive. Prices are fair. Who knew Chinese food would actually be good in Utah?? LOL Being from SF, I know good Chinese food. This was actually really good for a contemporary style Chinese restaurant. I'd definitely recommend it now too.
(4)James F.
"P.F. Chang kind of place" describes this well. This is not Chinese food, and it is pretty ordinary Americanized Chinese food. Nice atmosphere, good service, over-priced ordinary food.
(2)Ryan R.
Solid four stars for shoots! We went for lunch one day and it was really a fantastic deal. We got a several course meal for a very affordable price. And the atmosphere is really nice. PF Changs kind of place, but I actually liked the food a bit better. We went quite a while ago but I still remember the tangerine chicken I ordered because it was amazing! It didn't taste substantially different from orange chicken but it was, and remains, the best citrus-based chinese chicken dish I have ever tasted. So great atmosphere, really good prices (for lunch at least I can't vouch for dinner) and solid food with a few stand-outs. If you're looking for a "nice" chinese place in the Provo area, I don't think there's a better option.
(4)AR S.
Love Shoots. We live very close and love the food. Our kids 10, 8 & 4 just devour everthing, and they are picky, picky.
(5)Chase W.
Everything is perfectly prepared, the owner was very nice, server was great, food was delicious. We ordered the sesame chicken, which was perfectly tender and crispy. The sauce had the perfect flavor and came out at just the right temperature. Eggdrop soup was great. They also give you wonton chips to snack on before the food comes! -been here twice, and will be back frequently.
(5)David B.
meh. Sauces are simple and slightly coagulated. The egg rolls were good. The shrimp was precooked, like for salads, before being battered and fried. Terrible! Sent it back, and they came out to know why. The service was decent.
(2)Mike B.
When I asked friends about where to find good Chinese food in town, the most common answer was Shoots, so last night my wife and I decided to finally try the place. Anyway, we had a good coupon, and it's in the Riverwoods so it's gotta be at least decent right? Well the ambience definitely fit the Riverwoods, very trendy. I liked it. In fact, the only thing this place doesn't have is food with flavor. But that's a terrible thing not to have. I got the honey walnut chicken, and my wife got a combo that came with sweet & sour pork and cashew chicken. We also tried the egg drop soup. Everything was cooked and presented perfectly, but there just wasn't any flavor to any of it (high fructose corn syrup doesn't count as flavor... sorry). It was just very unimpressive all around.
(2)Jason F.
Boringly mediocre food beset by terrible service. The food here is uninteresting and over-priced and wholly unremarkable. Calling the food Chinese food is probably insulting to food. Cheap decor made even cheaper by a menu that is surely a rip off of other successful restaurants most notably PF Chang's. Hence, this is why others are comparing Shoots to the aforementioned successful restaurant. This restaurant is in a dying location and I think it only survives because there is Tucano's restaurant next door that is still popular. I question the four star reviews, are they just generous with handing out stars? Skip this place unless you are starving to death.
(2)Celine L.
omg, i hope people don't think this is chinese food. because this is really bad westernised chinese food. don't be fooled by the chinese working there! i got the soup, and it was...basically msg, and weird dumplings, with a bunch of stuff inside. then i got the chow mein, which was like panda express. and my friend got the pineapple fried rice, which was...weird but ok. then they charged us $6 for that disgusting wonton strips? with some sour sauce? i thought it was complimentary, not freakin $6!!! it was disgusting too! the rice is complimentary though, so take advantage of the one bowl! and they also charged for tea. but i guess it's hard making it out there as a chinese restaurant.... favourites: um, none? not disgusting chow mein? the fortune cookie was actually good... do not want: freakin $40 meal!??!?! and wonton strips?? $6?! and tea was extra too. last words: i would be meaner, but hey, i'm chinese too, should support my own kind... =/ the service was good at least
(2)