Zhu Zhu

Haven’t been here for a few years. The food is as good as I remembered. We ordered double cooked fish and the fish was so tender. Everything was great. Although it was very hard to find parking.

Ritz Bitz

Did a takeaway from Spicy City recently. I loved every single dish! My favourite was the eggplant with century egg followed by the mala chicken. The older lady serving us was very helpful with recommendations too.

+8

Jayson Chen

Been to this Chinese restaurant more times than I can count at this point. It’s pretty much my go-to now whenever I’m craving Chinese food. My girlfriend’s been coming here since college, and honestly, I get it, this place hits. Some of my staples: the hot and sour noodle soup. It’s exactly what the name says hot, sour, tasty. A bit on the greasy side, yeah, but I’m also convinced it wouldn’t taste half as good if they toned it down. Balance, right? The baked tofu with leek is one of my absolute favorites. The tofu is packed with flavor and the aroma? Insane. Easily one of those dishes you think about days later. Every now and then the chef drops a surprise new dish, like the recent “thousand layered tofu dry pot” (hopefully that’s the right translation). Had it twice already because it’s just that good. They’ve got tons of solid dishes here you really gotta come try it yourself to see what I mean. Bonus points: their to-go packaging is elite. They give you those big Costco style boxes that make carrying everything to your car stupidly easy without spills. One time I even saw a waitress personally bring a to-go box to a handicapped man’s car while I was still hunting for parking. Huge shoutout to her kindness. Overall? Great food, great people, consistently delicious. No wonder it’s stayed on our list for so long.

+7

Arief Ramon

The go-to spot in San Diego for authentic Sichuan and Yunnan cuisine. Known for its intense flavors and real spice, the menu is huge, featuring popular dishes like Boiled Fish with Hot Sauce and various rice noodle soups. A must-visit for heat seekers and bold flavors!

+6

Amber Patterson

A friend of mine and I always go here. It is our go-to spot for hot and sour soup as well as dumplings. The portions are very generous, and an entree can feed two people easily. The restaurant is clean and the staff is friendly! You definitely should give Spicy City a try! Only issue is the parking can be a challenge at busier times, but that isn't the fault of the restaurant.

Dhruv Chevli

I went for lunch with my coworkers here and we ordered the Szechuan Style Spicy Fish, Deep Fried Chicken Cubes with Hot Peppers, and Soup Dumplings. Every single dish was absolutely amazing, but the Szechuan Style Spicy Fish stole the show—it had the perfect balance of bold flavors and heat, truly fantastic. The soup dumplings were soft and flavorful, and the fried chicken cubes, with their crispy texture and spicy kick, were just as impressive. The Szechuan peppercorns added a delightful numbing sensation that elevated the whole meal. The portions were huge, making it well worth the price. I’m already looking forward to coming back and trying every dish on the menu. Definitely a spot worth visiting!

+27

LULU LIVE Art

This place has a big menu, they have a lot of different types of cuisines in China. We had a Stir Fry Shredded Pork, Stir Fry All Veggies and a Fish Head with Hot Pepper, they are all so delicious. They are better than I expected since this restaurant’s review is not that great. But from a real Chinese perspective, I think their food is good and authentic, I definitely recommend!

+11

Jason Joe

Amazing authentic food! Far superior to the humble setting. You won’t find better spicy Sichuan variety and quality than here! But you’ll need to accept the fact that it is served in a modest mom and pop setting typical of good authentic Chinese food.

+5

Ingrid Chen

Fast service and authentic food, this place has all the classic Chinese dishes you’d expect. There’s usually a short wait on weekends, but it’s worth it. Staff is friendly and they even pack up your leftovers for you. Only downside is the food can be pretty oily and tastes like it has a good amount of MSG. Still super flavorful, just something to keep in mind!

Mike W

A flavorful, satisfying Sichuan experience with bold dishes, stellar portions, and great value. Slight inconsistencies in spice and occasional wait times prevent full five-star status—but if you’re craving spicy, authentic Chinese fare, Spicy City delivers reliably. You put your name on pad at door and wait outside. Food comes out super fast so you may want to stagger order. Or just order drinks at take time to review the menu. Note the in house menu has pictures of all the dishes. They also serve beer and wine.

+11

Momo Zhang

A Must-Try Sichuan Gem in San Diego Wow, spicy city absolutely lived up to the hype! This long-standing Sichuan spot in San Diego was packed tonight – always a good sign – and the energy was fantastic. The menu is a dream for spice lovers and adventurous eaters. We were thrilled to find Braised Pork Knuckle (蹄膀, Tí Pǎng) on offer! It was incredible: fall-off-the-bone tender, rich, savory, and coated in that deeply flavorful, slightly sticky sauce. A real standout and a must-order if you see it. The flavors across our other dishes were bold, authentic, and packed that classic Sichuan punch . Service was efficient and friendly, especially considering how busy they were. If you're craving real-deal Sichuan in San Diego and don't mind a lively atmosphere (or potentially a short wait), Guo Qiao Yuan is definitely worth it. That Pork Knuckle alone is worth the trip! Highly recommended for a satisfying, flavorful feast.

+7

Olive T

Our family ate at Spicy City for many years so this review was overdue. We came for lunch today and restaurant wasn’t too busy but a steady flow of customers came in after us. This is not a big restaurant and has been serving authentic Sichuan cuisine for many years in San Diego. So, during peak hours, you might have to wait outside for them to call you in. Restaurant does provide outdoor folding chairs for customers to sit and wait for their turn to go in. Waitstaff were friendly, efficient and straight forward in their manners. They even tried to offer us some good suggestions. Their menu is quite extensive and offers both spicy and non-spicy options for people with low tolerance of hot spices. We ordered the appetizer cold dish (we picked these three mixes: spicy cucumbers, spicy cured beef shank slices and marinated seaweed); chicken fried rice, wontons in chili oil, braised beef rice noodles soup and steamed fish with tofu soup bowl. We ordered more of the non-spicy dishes today. Food came out really fast, piping hot and with the right amount of spiciness and packed with full flavors. The wontons in chili oil were tasty and we even added more chili sauce to bring it to another level and our mouths were numbed after that but so, so good. We did notice that the restaurant has adjusted and reduced the spiciness of some of their dishes, perhaps to please some of their customers who cannot tolerate the sight of their food covered with tons of red hot chili peppers. Before the Pandemic, 90% of their food was extremely spicy with numbing intensity of the authentic Sichuan food. All dishes we ate today were delicious, very generous portions and at a budget friendly price point. Spicy City is a no-frills restaurant. Parking can be a challenge as it is located in a busy strip mall with many popular restaurants on Convoy Street. Good thing is that parking here is still free (for now). We will definitely be back and support this authentic and unassuming restaurant.

+6

Jintao Bao

I came here today for a simple dinner by myself. The food was tasty, but I had an unpleasant service experience. When I asked to have my leftovers packed, the server immediately took my dishes away without saying anything and packed them at the service counter. I wasn’t asked how I wanted them packed, nor given any options. I noticed that other tables were treated differently—servers asked them politely whether they needed help packing and used proper plastic takeout containers. However, my food was packed in a basic paper box without any communication. It felt like inconsistent service and made me a bit uncomfortable, as if I was treated differently just because I was dining alone. The food is good, but I hope the restaurant can provide the same level of courtesy and service to every customer.