I was excited to visit this historic restaurant. Note that it is on the second floor with a steep staircase walk. It's a cute cosy hole in the wall, but I was disappointed by the food. It seemed poorly prepared, overcooked, and underwhelming. I've had better Chinese at Panda Express. I hope to keep the restaurant legacy going that they improve the food quality.
The historical element of the food and the restaurant has been washed away. When you enter the restaurant after climbing a fight of stairs, you are greeted with cubicles like the ones you find in tech support call centers. As a Chinese-American, I can account for authenticity of Chinese food. Saying that the authenticity has eroded over time is generous to say the least. We were served msg soup with crackers like how you would find in a midwestern diner. The main course was served on a cafeteria plate piled with celery, canned mushrooms and questionable meat. I recognize that some people like American-Chinese food, but this is a insult to culture and the ingredients as a whole. I would even say a Panda Express is 1000% better. Overall, come for the history, but leave your appetite for somewhere else.
Literally the worst “Chinese,” food I’ve ever had. I’m Chinese. I grew up going to multiple Chinatowns. This felt like someone had Chinese food once and tried desperately to replicate the taste. The bbq pork, is not char siu. It is literally indistinguishable from ham. The shrimp were overcooked and not even vaguely Chinese. The food isn’t Chinese in the slightest, and is only edible by the strictest literal definition. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement.
We haven't been there since family took over. It was still great. We were glad to see it's still really busy. Great food, great staff and fast and hot
Cool piece of American history, right here in Butte. While not my very favorite Chinese food restaurant, they are fast, friendly, and the food is different from many Chinese restaurants and good. In a world full of chain restaurants with identical menus and recipes, the Pekin is refreshing and timeless.