Eric's Chinese Restaurant

I'm tempted not to tell you how good this place is. It's my favorite Chinese restaurant. The service is abrupt and impatient. They clearly want you to eat and move on. One should not linger here. There are probably people waiting for a table, even with the service and the wait. Because the food is that good. Order the Shanghai chicken. Seriously. It's prepared with sauce you won't forget and topped with fried seaweed and pine nuts. Simply awesome. Dang, now I have to go get some. Don't tell your friends. ;)

Consistantly great food. I have been making Eric's a frequent choice for over 20 yesrs.

There are so many Chinese restaurants of all types in S.F., but Eric's stands out to me. No, not because it's epic, ground breaking Michelin star foodie porn. Not because it's the most authentic un-americanized straight outta Hunan street food. It stands out because it is a pleasant, local, down to earth, nothing fancy type of place, and every dish I've had here has been high quality and tasty. I guess I'd say it's a slightly more upscale/higher quality everyman's Chinese spot, if that makes any sense. The hot and sour soup is thick and chock-full of goodies. The orange chicken actually has orange rind in it (and it's delicious!). The vegetable dishes are never over or under cooked. The Kung Pao Meatless Chicken is one of my faves, and I'm not even vegetarian. I could go on and on, but what's really apparent to me here is that they have mastered their dishes, and they've got a very experienced chef(s) back there crankin' 'em out. I frequent this place multiple times per month, and the consistency is pretty incredible. I can always depend on my favorites to taste the same as always, and I really like that about this place. All of the front staff are always so pleasant and earnest. They also do a great job boxing your leftovers, which I will admit is something that I sometimes don't trust people to do! For me, Eric's is a casual, relaxing, down-to-earth stalwart that I can always depend on whenever I'm in the mood for quality Chinese comfort food. Decent prices as well. Thank you all at Eric's!

Great food. Great service. Restaurant can be cold.

I’ve been going to Eric’s for 26 years. The food has been consistently great all this time. My favorite order is General Tso’s, Fried rice and Buddha’s Delight. But so many dishes are wonderful too. They are very fast for Take-out: 10 minutes and your food is ready. I’m glad the dining room is open again. I like the simple decor and hide windows. Never an overcooked vegetable 🌶!!!

Te food and the service improved so much since my last review. Very tasty food Excellent wait seevice Im ever so pleased in how much theyve improved

Excellent food! Recommend the Sweet & Sour Chicken, and the Hunan Fish! And the mimosas are also delish!

Some of the best Chinese I’ve ever had. The Szechuan beef is crispy, spicy and so flavourful. The hot and sour soup is fresh and fragrant and unlike I’ve had anywhere else.

Stopped in for lunch on a Sunday, and was really impressed with the food! It came out super fast, the service was nice, and the atmosphere is chill. We ordered three dishes: Eric’s Spicy Eggplant, General Tso’s chicken & Snow Peas Moo Goo chicken. They were all great dishes and will absolutely be ordering them again. Don’t skip Eric’s spicy eggplant!

Best General Tsos Chicken in the city. Good quality meat cuts

** Food ** Service * Price * Atmosphere Eric’s was amazing! Had the mixed appetizer (it was just me, 2 of each, almost finished it) Also had the general tso’s vegan chicken. Came with broccoli. Sauce was amazing and close to what I’m familiar with in the Midwest. Hard to find the general on the west coast. Staff was super nice. Didn’t skimp on the hot mustard and other condiments. Hot tea comes with meal- delish. I ate solo and they always made sure I knew they were there for me. Good experience and great food!

Stopped in today to checkout Eric’s Resturant. I was served egg drop soup that was delicious. I ordered crab ragoon and kung pao chicken off the lunch menu. The crab ragoon actually had some crab meat in it and came fresh out of the fryer. The king pao chicken was not over spicey although just a tad salty for my liking. Service was great, they kept my water glass full. The dining area was clean and elegant

THANKS TO MY BEST FRIEND I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AMAZING HUNAN AND MANDARIN RESTAURANT AMAZING LOCATION WITH A VERY CUTE SETTING THE FOOD ITS DELICIOUS DEFINITELY THE BEST!!!! WE ORDERED SO MUCH BUT WE ATE IT ALL CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS COOKED TO PERFECTION

I used to live in Noe Valley 21 years ago. Today I visited after so many years, and just had to go to Eric’s! The food is still amazing just as it used to be! We love the hot and sour soup and the general tso.

April

Stopped in for lunch on a Sunday, and was really impressed with the food! It came out super fast, the service was nice, and the atmosphere is chill. We ordered three dishes: Eric’s Spicy Eggplant, General Tso’s chicken & Snow Peas Moo Goo chicken. They were all great dishes and will absolutely be ordering them again. Don’t skip Eric’s spicy eggplant!

Matt Stone

Best General Tsos Chicken in the city. Good quality meat cuts

Brian Kaminski

Stopped in today to checkout Eric’s Resturant. I was served egg drop soup that was delicious. I ordered crab ragoon and kung pao chicken off the lunch menu. The crab ragoon actually had some crab meat in it and came fresh out of the fryer. The king pao chicken was not over spicey although just a tad salty for my liking. Service was great, they kept my water glass full. The dining area was clean and elegant

Marc Hilko

** Food ** Service * Price * Atmosphere Eric’s was amazing! Had the mixed appetizer (it was just me, 2 of each, almost finished it) Also had the general tso’s vegan chicken. Came with broccoli. Sauce was amazing and close to what I’m familiar with in the Midwest. Hard to find the general on the west coast. Staff was super nice. Didn’t skimp on the hot mustard and other condiments. Hot tea comes with meal- delish. I ate solo and they always made sure I knew they were there for me. Good experience and great food!

paolo moreira

THANKS TO MY BEST FRIEND I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AMAZING HUNAN AND MANDARIN RESTAURANT AMAZING LOCATION WITH A VERY CUTE SETTING THE FOOD ITS DELICIOUS DEFINITELY THE BEST!!!! WE ORDERED SO MUCH BUT WE ATE IT ALL CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS COOKED TO PERFECTION

Oshrat Ben Isaac

I used to live in Noe Valley 21 years ago. Today I visited after so many years, and just had to go to Eric’s! The food is still amazing just as it used to be! We love the hot and sour soup and the general tso.

I am wild about their hot and sour soup. Was on a hunt for the best in the city- tried several and this is my favorite! Yummy broth fun funky mushrooms, great ratio of stuff to broth

Very good experience overall. Everything we ordered was very hot and fresh. Reasonably priced, especially for SF

I have been coming here for about five years and every time I’ve eaten the food it’s still delicious. Great service , clean space and pretty ambience. I love the simple decor. This is truly a great classic a San Francisco. Today I have general szo chicken, sesame, beef, and egg fried rice, all three dishes were delicious. I highly recommend coming here.

I just ate their food for the first time. Amazing flavors, loved the String Beans and Walnut Prawns. Very clean restaurant with a quiet atmosphere. Server is very nice, always attentive making sure you stay happy. I made sure to tell the chef thank you in person!

Been going to Eric's since it opened in the early '90s. It is the bar at which I set neighborhood Chinese restaurants by. Very few have come close. The general cho's chicken is far and away my favorite of any I've had, period. The szechuan beef is also exceptional. Again, this is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants of all time. The hoisin string beans and Eric's spicy eggplant are also quite good. Crab rangoon and pop stickers are some of my favorites as well, the green onion pancakes are excellent too. In truth, I've never had anything that resembles an average meal there. The pricing on this review reflects a meal with two children, and no beverages, fyi.

AVENGING ANGEL

I just ate their food for the first time. Amazing flavors, loved the String Beans and Walnut Prawns. Very clean restaurant with a quiet atmosphere. Server is very nice, always attentive making sure you stay happy. I made sure to tell the chef thank you in person!

ERIKA WALTON

I have been coming here for about five years and every time I’ve eaten the food it’s still delicious. Great service , clean space and pretty ambience. I love the simple decor. This is truly a great classic a San Francisco. Today I have general szo chicken, sesame, beef, and egg fried rice, all three dishes were delicious. I highly recommend coming here.

Jennie Loerch

I am wild about their hot and sour soup. Was on a hunt for the best in the city- tried several and this is my favorite! Yummy broth fun funky mushrooms, great ratio of stuff to broth

A G

Been going to Eric's since it opened in the early '90s. It is the bar at which I set neighborhood Chinese restaurants by. Very few have come close. The general cho's chicken is far and away my favorite of any I've had, period. The szechuan beef is also exceptional. Again, this is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants of all time. The hoisin string beans and Eric's spicy eggplant are also quite good. Crab rangoon and pop stickers are some of my favorites as well, the green onion pancakes are excellent too. In truth, I've never had anything that resembles an average meal there. The pricing on this review reflects a meal with two children, and no beverages, fyi.

Terry

Very good experience overall. Everything we ordered was very hot and fresh. Reasonably priced, especially for SF

Man, this is a blast from my past. I can still recall the first time Jaclyn and her folks invited me to the city for Chinese food. It was magical. And here I am, some 25 years later, dropping in for some lunch. I live in the mountains now and I couldn't get a decent chow fun if I had a million dollars in cash. I LOVE their pot stickers. Always so fresh and piping hot! Gotta be careful when you cut into em cause they are so plumpy they will pop. I like to dash some hot Chile oil over the top of the chewy exterior, then another few dashes of hot oil inside too. Delish. Then, I get Mongolian beef. This version of the Mongolian is absolutely, positively better than any other spot I've tried in all my years. It's more of a steak dish than other versions. It's crispy, saucy, gooey, and fantastic! Kung Pao shrimp is always a great second dish, or I'll go big with the Eric's spicy eggplant. Can't go wrong with a mango beef or mango chicken either. Overall, this is the top Chinese food spot for me and I'll keep coming back as often as I can.

The mango 🥭 prawns were good with their sauce and I had the spicy Eric’s eggplant which is very tasty. The crab meat ragoons were good but didn’t have any crab meat. Small intimate seating with fresh tea on the table.

I had been here before a couple of years ago and did not like it much. But I have to say the food got better. Will go back and do proper review next time. Let's give 'em another chance

Went here on a Thursday night around 6 and it was packed! Went on a Thursday night around 5 and it was empty. Food tastes fresh and there are a few vegan options. The meatless chicken is a cube of something instead of the traditional chicken-looking soy. Maybe seitan? The waiter was rushing and service was slow so they may be understaffed. It is a convenient location for me so I'd be willing to go back again though.

Absolutely the best crab rangoons in SF. The spicy garlic eggplant is also really really tasty. 4 stars because the eggplant arrived over cooked- it was very mushy with no texture. Great flavor but need some texture and body or it’s just super mushy as you chew.

I order two dishes, 1. Egg Fried Rice, good seasoning with plenty of egg in the mixture, 2. Eric’s Special Chow Mein, sautéed broccoli, asparagus, carrots and onions with a dark, savory sweet sauce with a pleasant mouth-feeling taste that activates the brain pleasure zone. The restaurant is located on the corner of Church and 27th Street on a clean neighborhood with the J train stopping near by.

Great neighborhood spot for chinese. Reasonably priced. Friendly service. We got the sampler app platter, Tao’s chicken, and portobello beef with the recommendation of our server. All the dishes were solid during dinner and next day during lunch. Portions are generous. Wanted to try this place for a while since we always walk past it, and finally went in. We’ll be back and we’ll bring friends 👌🏽as for the pics, we got a little saucy before I snapped.

Good fresh food. Sometimes a little on the greasy/spicy side. And prices are a bit higher than other local places. But still one of our favorite choices for Chinese!

Carina Tina

Great neighborhood spot for chinese. Reasonably priced. Friendly service. We got the sampler app platter, Tao’s chicken, and portobello beef with the recommendation of our server. All the dishes were solid during dinner and next day during lunch. Portions are generous. Wanted to try this place for a while since we always walk past it, and finally went in. We’ll be back and we’ll bring friends 👌🏽as for the pics, we got a little saucy before I snapped.

Emilio

I order two dishes, 1. Egg Fried Rice, good seasoning with plenty of egg in the mixture, 2. Eric’s Special Chow Mein, sautéed broccoli, asparagus, carrots and onions with a dark, savory sweet sauce with a pleasant mouth-feeling taste that activates the brain pleasure zone. The restaurant is located on the corner of Church and 27th Street on a clean neighborhood with the J train stopping near by.

Musik the Dog Actor

Good fresh food. Sometimes a little on the greasy/spicy side. And prices are a bit higher than other local places. But still one of our favorite choices for Chinese!

Disappointed. My wife and I lived in the area 20+ years ago and we loved Eric’s. We were so excited to come back to town and eat there. Not sure what happened in the meantime. The sweet and sour chicken was ok (similar to most Chinese spots) but the General Tso's and Sesame Beef were subpar. The sesame beef had a burnt taste to it. Service was meh and overall upkeep tells me someone stopped caring along the way. I’m so sorry that I’ll have to take this off my list of restaurants to hit when in San Fran.

Orange chicken was not what we expected. It was like chicken jerky it was so dry and tough. We each ate a piece and left it untouched. We sat at our table for 10-15 min before our order was taken. They kept filling my water...which was nice on a hot sunny day

The restaurant was accommodating to my large party! We ordered a lot of food but didn't eat much of it, unfortunately. We had pot stickers, which were okay. We ordered "egg rolls" made with thin spring roll wraps, making them difficult to eat. The fried general tso's chicken was extra, extra crispy because the breading outweighed the meat. The broccoli florets were close to being raw. Perhaps we ordered dishes that were not the chef's best work. There were plenty of vegetarian options that my family appreciated! Despite the average food, the service was nice!

So here we are again, trying a new place in a neighborhood which I haven't spent much time in. Somehow the evening called for Chinese food and we decided to give Eric a try. One thing is for sure. Eric has left the building or an apprentice with the same name took over the cooking. Let's start from the beginning. Eric's can make a name for itself for the fastest fast food restaurant, even McDonald's could learn from Eric's. We sat down, we place the order of three dishes and they all arrived in under 2 min. Ouch, that was the first warning sign, the 2nd warning sign , they all looked the same. The 3rd warning sign, they all tasted the same. Dear chef, you don't need to dislike your craft that much. The beef was already dead. No need to drown it XO Sauce a 2nd time around. Same goes for the egg plant, please cherish this beautiful vegetable, don't take your frustrations out on it. 5000 years of Chinese cuisine and that's what you came up with? Just take a fork and stab me, it would be less painful. Yes the interior is pretty nice.

A nice & comfy neighborhood Chinese cuisine go to. We were visiting our close friends in San Fran & treated ourselves to this fare. It was a busy 5p dinner hour as we were seated at a table adjacent to a couple of big tables. We were greeted by a staff member (young Asian gentleman), he seemed a bit off as he quickly asked for our order of drinks. Service timing was good- our drinks arrived in 5 mins, food was served in approx 17 min. The Geneneral Tsos's chicken is the Best we've ever had anywhere, as well as the Stir Fried Green Beens. We ordered a noodle dish - Eric's Chow Mein - a definite fail! - flavor was OK, but noodles were not fresh, hard to the "chew", maybe intended to serve 'al dente' but not really, it's not fresh. Also ordered - Ocean Garden, which was a beautifully served in a fried noodle basket. The flavor was good, however, the basket it was served in was very tough & possibly not edible. Not sure if it was meant to be part of the dish, but it was very tough to even break a piece & try it. So we did not really favor this one either. A young Asian Lady staff was very pleasant as she attended to us with refills on tea & drinks. I noticed the many "to-go" orders which is a good sign for the other choices in their menu that we can try, possibly when we visit again. Service was OK, and could use a more warmer & welcoming reception.

R M

So here we are again, trying a new place in a neighborhood which I haven't spent much time in. Somehow the evening called for Chinese food and we decided to give Eric a try. One thing is for sure. Eric has left the building or an apprentice with the same name took over the cooking. Let's start from the beginning. Eric's can make a name for itself for the fastest fast food restaurant, even McDonald's could learn from Eric's. We sat down, we place the order of three dishes and they all arrived in under 2 min. Ouch, that was the first warning sign, the 2nd warning sign , they all looked the same. The 3rd warning sign, they all tasted the same. Dear chef, you don't need to dislike your craft that much. The beef was already dead. No need to drown it XO Sauce a 2nd time around. Same goes for the egg plant, please cherish this beautiful vegetable, don't take your frustrations out on it. 5000 years of Chinese cuisine and that's what you came up with? Just take a fork and stab me, it would be less painful. Yes the interior is pretty nice.

Odette Nudera

A nice & comfy neighborhood Chinese cuisine go to. We were visiting our close friends in San Fran & treated ourselves to this fare. It was a busy 5p dinner hour as we were seated at a table adjacent to a couple of big tables. We were greeted by a staff member (young Asian gentleman), he seemed a bit off as he quickly asked for our order of drinks. Service timing was good- our drinks arrived in 5 mins, food was served in approx 17 min. The Geneneral Tsos's chicken is the Best we've ever had anywhere, as well as the Stir Fried Green Beens. We ordered a noodle dish - Eric's Chow Mein - a definite fail! - flavor was OK, but noodles were not fresh, hard to the "chew", maybe intended to serve 'al dente' but not really, it's not fresh. Also ordered - Ocean Garden, which was a beautifully served in a fried noodle basket. The flavor was good, however, the basket it was served in was very tough & possibly not edible. Not sure if it was meant to be part of the dish, but it was very tough to even break a piece & try it. So we did not really favor this one either. A young Asian Lady staff was very pleasant as she attended to us with refills on tea & drinks. I noticed the many "to-go" orders which is a good sign for the other choices in their menu that we can try, possibly when we visit again. Service was OK, and could use a more warmer & welcoming reception.

An incredibly frustrating visit. I was really happy because they had a lot of vegan options, but the taste just wasn’t there. The appetizer was the onion cake, was not tasty. Just felt like oiled bread. I got the Shanghai Tofu and my SO got the spicy bean curd. She told our server multiple times I want it really spicy, I told our server I just want it a little spicy. When the food came out, there was no spice at all. I don’t even think they added pepper: the spicy bean curd was not good, might have been better if it was actually spicy. And the Shanghai tofu was good, but again it would’ve been so much better spicy. Service was also extremely slow, took me forever to get water and such. This place seems to of lost its spark.

This place gets a lot of hype from the locals but if you’re used to really great Chinese food (east coaster here) you will be disappointed. The potstickers were decent - very large but not a great meat to dumpling ratio. The kung pao was one of the worst I ever had, beef and broccoli almost flavorless and the chow mein was edible at best. When the best part of the meal is either the decently priced drinks or the spicy mustard condiment, you know it’s a place you won’t return to.

This is my second, maybe third, time dining at Erick’s, a Chinese restaurant located in the Noe Valley District near Church and 27th Street. Every time I go there, I hope my experience will be better than the last one. My main concern is that when I go out to eat, I expect the food to be served (warm, if not hot). That is what most people look for when dining out. Otherwise, we could just stay home and eat something from the freezer. I can hear the cooking happening in the kitchen, but for some reason, by the time the food reaches my table, it is (cold). Another issue is the owner, the lady at the front. She could put a little smile on her face. A friendly attitude helps customers feel more comfortable and welcome.

Zee Truth

This is my second, maybe third, time dining at Erick’s, a Chinese restaurant located in the Noe Valley District near Church and 27th Street. Every time I go there, I hope my experience will be better than the last one. My main concern is that when I go out to eat, I expect the food to be served (warm, if not hot). That is what most people look for when dining out. Otherwise, we could just stay home and eat something from the freezer. I can hear the cooking happening in the kitchen, but for some reason, by the time the food reaches my table, it is (cold). Another issue is the owner, the lady at the front. She could put a little smile on her face. A friendly attitude helps customers feel more comfortable and welcome.

Food had no flavor at all, everything was overwhelmed with oil! The eggrolls were infused with oil, the Mongolian beef was the best in flavor, but sooo much oil! Kitchen was not kept. I won’t be back here!

Mona Annie

Food had no flavor at all, everything was overwhelmed with oil! The eggrolls were infused with oil, the Mongolian beef was the best in flavor, but sooo much oil! Kitchen was not kept. I won’t be back here!

Extremely rude service. I went in to pick up an order and asked politely if there was a possibility to be seated as my sister was very hungry. I was met with a very hostile response of denying seating. The owner was immediately dismissive, impatient and rude. Apparently I did not order enough to be seated and even when I asked if i could order more I still denied seating. The restaurant was almost empty btw. I live close and I used to order pick up very frequently so they know I'm not trouble. I'm just really upset that they treated me with such disrespect. (i'm south asian and i've been to so many smaller "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants that ppl tell you to "expect rude staff" but this was the rudest interaction i've had in a while)

I used to love Eric's and have gone there for years. But I always seemed to get a frosty reception from one of the waiters. a tall thin man named Will or Noland (depending on what two other staff said). I was there celebrating a friend's BD on 3-1-24. My friend wanted a tofu dish and was hesitant saying one and then changing it to another choice. The waiter acted angry and just walked away, ignoring my order completely. I called him back and said he didn't take my order. He seemed hostile. Because of his utter rudeness, I will not be going back. I'll go to Alice's instead!

This was the worst Chinese food I've ever had in my life. I ordered the Hunan Fish and it was 6 large pieces of fish with zero flavor. I don't understand how this business is in operation?

in october 2025 we ordered dinner from Eric's to be delivered. The charge was $81.44, but nothing was ever delivered.

steve hoppe

in october 2025 we ordered dinner from Eric's to be delivered. The charge was $81.44, but nothing was ever delivered.

Arjun Tyagi

This was the worst Chinese food I've ever had in my life. I ordered the Hunan Fish and it was 6 large pieces of fish with zero flavor. I don't understand how this business is in operation?