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Chinese Restaurant Happy Hour
updated: Sep 27, 2012, 3:17 PM

I'm looking for recommendations on a Chinese restaurant with a good happy hour, preferably with a sit-at bar. Any suggestions?

Places People Are Talking About:

Ming Dynasty

The Szechuan

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 324942	2012-09-27 03:21 PM
Jimmy's Oriental!!!
COMMENT 324947	2012-09-27 03:29 PM
Do we even have any half decent Chinese restaurants in town?
COMMENT 324950	2012-09-27 03:30 PM
China Palace on coast village
COMMENT 324952	2012-09-27 03:32 PM
947 - No. Well, to be more precise, we have the same quality Chinese food that 99% of the cities in the country have, which is pretty poor. Ever since my last trip to San Francisco (one city that does have excellent Chinese food), I have never yearned for local Chinese.
EDHATBARBARA	2012-09-27 03:34 PM
I think the only place that actually has a bar and a full alcohol license is China Pavillion on Chapala and Anacapa. Their food is good, too.
COMMENT 324955	2012-09-27 03:34 PM
Jimmy's?? Didn't they close like six years ago?
EDHATBARBARA	2012-09-27 03:35 PM
The sister restaurant to China Pavillion is China Palace, on Coast Village Road, but it doesn't have a bar. I really like their food, though. They do have a very nice outdoor patio area.
COMMENT 324959	2012-09-27 03:35 PM
You mean Chapala and Anapamu, EdhatBarbara.
EDHATBARBARA	2012-09-27 03:35 PM
Jimmy's is long gone.
EDHATBARBARA	2012-09-27 03:40 PM
If you're willing to go to Ventura, Golden China is perfect.
COMMENT 324967P	2012-09-27 03:44 PM
Ming Dynasty (K-Mart plaza in Goleta) used to have a very strong bar business (with a "sit-at" bar). Haven't been there in a long time, but I doubt they've changed much. Food-wise (in the side discussion), I think the food at the Szechuan Restaurant on the Mesa is some of the best in the area. I like it even better than China Pavilion and China Palace.
COMMENT 324970	2012-09-27 03:49 PM
The Szechuan Restaurant on the Mesa isn't bad but it is probably the most expensive Chinese restaurant around. I have yet to find a place that is better than Wings, on Hollister and Nogal (near Modoc).
COMMENT 324976	2012-09-27 03:52 PM
Ming Dynasty. The bartenders are awesome, you can sit at the bar or in the bar area at tables. Nice spot, if a little dark. I like to think "cozy" Happy Hour isn't terribly impressive, but they do have strong drinks and friendly staff, and nothing is outrageously expensive.
COMMENT 324977	2012-09-27 03:53 PM
The trick is to order off the Chinese menu, if you are nice they will translate it for you or recommend some dishes. The standard American menu you are handed is missing a ton of stuff they will actually make and tends to have significantly tastier and more interesting dishes then the standard menu.
COMMENT 324990	2012-09-27 04:16 PM
If you have ever been to China and eaten a traditional Chinese meal, you would know that 99% of Chinese restaurants in America serve 100% Americanized food which resembles nothing that is eaten in China.
COMMENT 324991	2012-09-27 04:16 PM
If americans only knew the disdain the Chinese have for you....[used to do books at a few restaurants in town] By all means,go & eat their food...it`ll probably be ok.
TISHERSELF	2012-09-27 04:24 PM
I don't know what happened to China Palace, but the last 2 times we were there it was awful!!!
COMMENT 325022	2012-09-27 05:33 PM
I think China Palace in Montecito does have a bar, but small. Pretty good food, but maybe TISHERSELF is onto something since I haven't been there in about a year.
COMMENT 325036P	2012-09-27 05:59 PM
Ming Dynasty (by K-Mart in Goleta). Secret? 2 menus. The printed American menu, and the unprinted 'whatever you want' Chinese menu. Visiting Chinese business-people have declared it "very good."
COMMENT 325038	2012-09-27 06:04 PM
I second Ming Dynasty. Very strong drinks. I recommend the Mai Tai. They have an awesome bar. Their dinner menu is really fabulous and food quality is excellent.
COMMENT 325064	2012-09-27 06:59 PM
OP here, thanks for all the lovely suggestions! I think i'll try Ming Dynasty first!
YIN YANG	2012-09-27 07:01 PM
990, anyone who has ever watched a tv food show, specifically Bourdain and Zimmern, or read a book that mentions Chinese food or travel, in whatever province, knows they're not getting authentic food. Anyone who cares about food knows, but honestly, thanks for pointing it out. I know many believe Chinese-American food to be authentic Chinese, as Tex-Mex is thought to be authentic Mexican. Given that, my elders and I eat the food from the Chinese place at 5 Points, Mandarin Palace, which does not have a bar but has decent food, and I would feel pretty comfortable talking to them about off-the-menu food. 990 or anyone, can you start a thread about SB Chinese restaurants? I for one would appreciate it. Love any info on the off the menu dishes or the Chinese menu. Any input on the one off Las Positas, toward the beach? I know they have seafood tanks. Do they have a bar?
YIN YANG	2012-09-27 07:06 PM
Oh! Is Ming Dynasty the little place close to Storke? Next or almost next to a liquor store? They have chicken feet on the regular menu! Soft though, not brown and crispy. But I'd sure go back and try more. Yes, a very quiet bar. Very nice hosts and employees.
YIN YANG	2012-09-27 07:29 PM
I've never seen eel-fried rice on a menu before - yum! The Mesa place looks good, even if expensive. If only they would photograph or translate their Chinese menu, which is online. Are they patient with customers? Dang, I'm hungry.
COMMENT 325100	2012-09-27 08:20 PM
No booze except beer and wine, and no sitting area, but The Red Pepper on Orange Ave. in Goleta is Pretty GD good. And I have been to China!!!
MESARATS	2012-09-27 11:48 PM
The Szechuan on the Mesa does not have a bar but very good food. They have a seperate Chinise menu and the Chinese students are always there. It took a while to get them to loosen up about ordering off that menu, but they say it is because people would order off it and complained that they didn't like it. After much brow beating the the "2 flavors" (fish and soft beef in a rich chile oil sauce, incredible!) is finally on the regular menu. Also the pork belly and hot pots are very good. When they have the whole fish smothered in a rich sweet and savory sauce is excellent. Again it is one of those dishes that turn people off because it has the head. It is the closest to my favorite restaurants in SF (Utopia cafe #1) that I have found in SB. Sue and Jonn are really good people and Sue will get special foods for the Chinise holidays,but they may also not be on the regular menu. In one way I would like to keep it a somewhat a "secret spot"' but they do a really good job. Sometimes it's about cultivating relationships with your local establishments.
COMMENT 325241	2012-09-28 09:44 AM
uncle chen's carpinteria delicious food respectful service beer and sakai tableside
COMMENT 325278	2012-09-28 10:18 AM
Here's a little random advice... If you type: google translate, you can translate a posted menu in Chinese. You will be able to copy from any language menu, Then paste it in the google translate box, set the settings for Chinese - English . And poof! I often do this for random paragraphs in various languages. It's fairly accurate.. Including Profanity! Funny but true.. I copied and pasted a comment left on my website written in Spanish + some slang... And there was my translation.. A jaw dropping, colorful comment! Anyway, I digress... But that translation site is great. Since then I put an app on my phone I can speak or type in English, pick a language and poof! My point is take a smartphone and you can translate any menu, anytime!
COMMENT 325306	2012-09-28 11:10 AM
I should specify about my post translating Chinese to English. You must find an online menu to copy and paste straight into google translate. This would take much longer if you had a menu in your hand, and phone in the other, as you would have to type in every Chinese word.. Using their alphabet. I hope this helps somebody out there;)
COMMENT 325387	2012-09-28 12:58 PM
OMG thank you for the google translate advice! That just allowed my gardener and I the ability to get some specific requests and details! (finally) And now I can order specific food requests while I am out in ethnic restaurants.
COMMENT 325542	2012-09-28 04:40 PM
It would have been "Jimmy's" who had a popular happy hour and a stand up bar. But unfortunately their GONE. The Chinese retaurant at Anapamu and Chapala also had a nice happy hour, stand up bar and snacks during the happy hour but they were closed for a long time when the owner got in trouble for hiring illegal immigrants. I have not been back there since, so I don't know if they still have the bar and the Happy Hour.
NMEYER	2012-09-28 09:33 PM
Nothing compares now or ever before to Jimmy's...a Santa Barbara icon serving our community over many generations. Jimmy's closed years ago...but this family owned restaurant and bar gave us amazing service, delicious authentic food, and the best drinks in town...thanks to Willie. ;) The memories of such great times at Jimmy's will be treasured by many forever.
COMMENT 325677	2012-09-28 09:53 PM
NMEYER: Totally agreed!! I miss Jimmy's more than any other SB business EVER. And i'm proud to just become an Edhad Subscriber!! Do i get a colored comment-bar now?
COMMENT 325679	2012-09-28 09:54 PM
Oof i guess i don't!
COMMENT 325688	2012-09-28 10:22 PM
Actually i DO! Just figured it out, duh. And yes, Jimmy's was the best EVER. I would take back Jimmy's over ANY other closed SB restaurant ever... i miss it SO much!!
COMMENT 326181	2012-09-30 08:46 AM
Jimmy's Oriental had stiff drinks and perfectly terrible food. Which unfortunately is often the case. There are a number of other restaurants in town offering that same deadly combination and also alive and well. (Harry's and Enterprise Fish Company first come to mind). The Las Positas/101 Chinese restaurant is perfectly terrible - must have picked up Jimmy's old kitchen staff. The well-regarded China Pavillion (Chapala/W.Ananpamu) is open, alive and well and not the operation several years ago that ran into immigration problems. They have special dim sum service on certain days at certain hours. Red Pepper is good for price and okay American rendition of Chinese and offers a very hospitable small cafe, owner-run casual dining experience. Thanks for the tip to try Ventura - Mai's on Main offers Vietnamize/Hawaiian tiki bar schlock and some fairly credible SEA offerings when in Ventura too.