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The line on opening night at their new digs.

Location

132 E Street (at Mansion Square)

Owners

Steve and Jean Lee

Hours

Mon-Sat 11:30AM-9:00PM

Phone

(530) 758-6188

Payment Method

Cash, Credit cards (Visa, MC; 50-cent charge for under $5, 25-cent charge for over $5)

Hometown Chinese Food is located in Downtown and is considered by many to have the best tasting Chinese Food in Yolo County, although some people find their food too oily. It is one of the few places in Davis that does both Americanized and authentic Chinese cuisine well. The beef noodle soup, meat gravy over rice, porkchop over rice, and garlic eggplant seem to be the most popular dishes. The new location has counter service only, just like the old location.

According to an employee, the display tray lunch specials have been discontinued; so now all your food will be made-to-order no matter what the time of day you arrive. Steve cooks all the dishes by himself (with one assistant) so this is not "fast food". Speed tends to be a bigger issue during dinner hours (5:30-8pm) - there will be be TONS of people so you will have to wait quite a while even if you pre-ordered by phone. You should either get there early, or buy your food earlier during the day and save it for dinner.

History

The old location at 1601 Research Park Drive, inside South Davis Chevron

The owners: Jean and Steve Lee

Hometown Chinese Restaurant has been serving rustic, wholesome, and unpretentious Chinese/Taiwanese cuisine to the hungry students and residents of Davis for nearly two decades. It is owned by Mr. Lee, known to his friends as Steve, and his wife Jean. Hometown Chinese Restaurant was first located on Lake Boulevard in the current location of Shanghai Town. It then held a brief stint in Woodland, but relocated back to South Davis at 1601 Research Park Drive, inside South Davis Chevron where Norm's Pizza used to be. Unsatisfied about the location in South Davis, Steve and Jean decided to lease a much larger facility in order to accommodate the growing popularity of the business, especially among students and families of the local community. Hometown Chinese Restaurant is now located at Mansion Square and held its grand opening on February 8th, 2010. Goldtown has now moved into the Chevron location.

Old Menu

2008-04-13 Menu Page 1

2008-04-13 Menu Page 2

New Menu (Updated 2011-06-06)

New Menu pg. 1 (updated 2011-06-06)

New Menu pg. 2 (updated 2011-06-06) New Menu pg. 3 (updated 2011-06-06) New Menu pg. 4 (updated 2011-06-06)

Dishes

Steamed Rice with Pork Chops

Taiwan Style Rice Noodles Eggplant in Garlic Sauce Beef Noodle Soup Chicken drumstick with Meat Gravy over Rice Hock Pork over Rice

Comments:

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Older Comments

2009-03-09 11:58:42 best Chinese place in davis. —Raydiant

2009-03-17 19:14:25 This place is sooo good, they practically feed me three times a week. You guys should try their tomato beef, oh and there hock meat is also really really good. Defintely the best Chinese food place in Davis. —3balls

2009-04-22 21:02:00 This place is WAY overrated. I went in tonight around 8 to get some take out. I guess they were cleaning up or whatever, but there was no food out. Anyways, I got the special of rice, chowmein and sweet and sour chicken. I asked if I could substitute fried rice instead of steamed rice and she said "no its too hard for him to make just a little bit." which is understandable, I guess.

So then I come home, open my food and see that it's basically noodle, rice and chicken coated with sweet and sour sauce you can buy at safeway. neither the chowmein or sweet and sour chicken had ANY VEGGIES in there. "chowmein" was basically just noodles, oil and pepper. it had no taste so I actually had to use some soy sauce with it.

Sweet and sour pork was pretty gross too. He probably just fried the chicken (that's been coated with whatever that is already) and then just pour some sauce on it.

that thing cost me 7.07. "reasonable prices" my ass. I can get like a 3 entree dish at panda express for less than that. I was very angry and disappointed. That's seven bucks I'll never see again. I wonder if they do refunds or do "customer service" type of thing because I really want my money back. It's probably the worst chinese food place I've ever been to in my life. Will NOT be returning there unless they give me my money back or give me a free dish. Ugh. —JFountain

Wow, you're dense. Coming from someone who has worked in a Chinese restaurant before, it's true, making a small side of Fried rice is not very economic, because the amount of labor that goes into cooking Fried Rice is more than you think. The easiest way is to make a large batch. You're the type of person that creates a hard atmosphere for Chinese cuisine to work. If you want bastardized Chinese food, go to Panda Express, but don't spout your inexperience of Chinese cuisine on a page that deserves more uplifting responses. By the way, Panda Express uses this same fashion to cook their Sweet & Sour chicken, it's a batter around chicken pieces, deep fried, and then coated with Sweet & Sour sauce. Before you criticize a business's method of creating a cuisine, how about you educate yourself in how the dish is commonly prepared? -IdealParadigm

So I guess my first question is why didn't you try to resolve this issue before making a smash-and-grab anonymous post? That would have been the right thing to do. But since you didn't, I took the liberty of asking Jean and Steve if they would give you your money back. They said yes, of course they would. But then, likely as not, it doesn't matter because you'll only be using daviswiki to trash businesses anonymously and can't be bothered with a dialog, either here or with the Lee's. -JimStewart

Esp for those who went to the "Talk" page of this comment: I had no intention of "smash-and-grabbing" their business. I guess it came out rather harsh than it should have. I am not sure where some readers thought that I left a "one line criticism", because I provided as much detail as possible. I was very disappointed with the food, and did not get a chance to address it to the owners because I didn't open it until I got home, sat down to eat it. I wasn't "taking advantage" of the fact that it's over the internet and it could be "anonymous". It was more of a rant, and most likely giving the readers of daviswiki the other end of the restaurant, coming from my experience. All I could find on the page was very misleading to my experience - most, if not all of my experiences with other restaurants based on daviswiki has been pretty much accurate. This one was not. I suppose whoever disagree with my comments can express their own opinions. —JFountain

Dear JFountain, we apologize for your displeasure. Sweet and sour chicken is just deep-fried battered chicken drizzled with sweet and sour sauce and that is how we make it. If you are willing to give our establishment another chance, we recommend something more authentic that you can't get from say, Panda Express. If you want your money back, then please stop by and we will gladly return it. Once again, we apologize for your negative experience at our restaurant. -Steve&Jean (Owners)

2009-05-07 12:09:22 Hometown is the real deal. Been a fan since 96' Its a shame to see someone compare the quality/prices of food to Panda express(the americanized fastfood of asian cuisine) you probably think Taco Bell is real mexican food too. Thats a shame "if" your service was bad, I dont see how, they are truly nice people & make excellent food, sesame chicken & the eggplant are awesome. as with any good food there is sometimes a wait & the place can be packed at times, but then again thats a sign of good food.

—TheTruthHurts

2009-05-07 12:18:54 Because this place had gotten such stellar reviews on the Wiki, my husband and I decided to try it. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I wasn't very impressed. I am used to Chinese food not being the healthiest cuisine with its sugary sauces, but the grease level in the dishes we ordered was almost shocking. We ordered a couple chicken dishes (sorry, can't remember which), and the eggplant in garlic sauce, which came highly recommended. Everything was greasy, but the eggplant really took the cake. It was actually unedibly greasy for me. —AmLin

2009-06-15 00:58:26 ate there the other day with a friend during finals week...and the food might've been good if it didn't take almost an hour! when we got there it was busy and i've heard there's only one person (or 2 people at night) cooking so i can forgive it taking a bit of time, but our wait time was ridiculous. we watched SEVERAL people come in after us, order their food, and then leave with it, and we were still waiting! my friend had to go remind the lady at the register to make ours...and guess what, 5 minutes later we got our food. like i said i think it was good but we ate so fast b/c we had to go study that i dont really even know what it tasted like...but i'm willing to try it again, maybe when its not so busy. —KTFreeman

2009-06-23 21:35:52 This is by far the best and most authentic of Chinese cooking in Davis - dripping with spicy oils, and full of delicious flavors. And yes, it's in a gas station. Who cares? It's spotlessly clean, and the service isn't service, it's order at the counter. Who cares again? The food is awesome. Hilarious that someone could compare this to Panda Express — just because your taste buds desire high fructose corn syrup and piles of sodium doesn't mean that others won't be able to appreciate a kick-ass dose of some Szechuan chilies. If you want fried rice and potstickers, go wherever. If you want the most authentic cooking in Yolo County, try Hometown. —jmofro

Well said —JimStewart

2009-07-07 15:01:49 I am completely surprised by the negative reviews. I've eaten here for at least three years. Jean and Steve are always consummate hosts. Even though they often are serving thirty people and have many long-time clients, they always try their utmost to attend to you. Those who've had bad service need to remember that, at any restaurant, the squeaky (but polite) wheel gets the grease. They've always made sure I had the right sauces, boxes to take food home, and when the restaurant is closing have checked up on how I'm doing. I've eaten Chinese food in ten states in two countries, and this remains the best place I've ever had the pleasure of eating at. It's authentic, delicious, holds up in the refrigerator... And I've brought more than twenty of my friends here, all of whom love it. It's not for everyone, but it is amazing food. I know a few friends who prefer this place to locations in the Bay Area!

And, frankly, for those who complain: There is not a SINGLE item on the menu that's more than $10. Even if you get three entrees, you can feed mammoth-size eaters for less than $20. Cheap, fast Chinese food that's served out of a gas station with only a few staff? Even if you don't like your experience, you're only out a pittance. This is especially true considering that the food holds up in the fridge, so any leftovers are far from wasted.

My recommendations? The Singapore Curry Noodles are best chilled. Get them to go and have them the next day. Their Fried Pork Chop is flavorful and tender both over rice and on its own. Their over-rice dishes are some of the best deals you can get in town. I'm a fried rice connoisseur, and the fried rice here is delicious without being greasy. Bites of fresh-cooked egg suffuse every part of the rice. The Beef Noodle Soup is spicy (and, again, amazing the next day chilled), with giant chunks of well-stewed tender beef. The Black Pepper Beef and Szechuan Beef have kick. The Garlic dishes have amazing kick to them. And, since it's in a gas station, you have dozens of beverage choices at a nominal price to choose from. I typically go for the $1.99 for the 64 oz soda.

My only complaint is about the wait during rush time (which only goes to show how good and authentic the food is). To avoid this problem, come later than 8:00 or, preferably, before 4:00. FredericChristie

2009-08-02 12:23:53 i love chinese food more than any other food in the world and i have to say this was some of the worst chinese food i've ever had. To the people who said it was the best in yolo county, its not even the best in davis and you apparently you've never had good chinese. Atleast i can the say they didn't screw up my white rice, however even that would be hard to do. Avoid this place, its not good americanized or actual chinese —jewbaca

Yes... let's insult people that come straight from Taiwan/China about their cuisine because apparently you have more experience with Chinese food, EATING it rather that PREPARING it. Good call there. -IdealParadigm

"...apparently you've never had good chinese." It is unfortunate that you did not have a good experience; but please do not mock the people that come from China/Taiwan or those who grew up in Chinese homes that have eaten authentic Chinese food their whole lives and vouched for this place —BenLee
What BenLee said. Hometown is usually full of people who would appear to know what good Chinese food is. Comments like yours make me wonder if you might somehow be related to Hometown's competition. —jimstewart

As someone who did not grow up eating authentic Chinese food, I have to ask: Is authentic Chinese food so greasy? The times I have been to HCF, the food had a lot of oil in it. That's not what I prefer, both for health and for taste. And no, I am not connected to any of HCF's competitors. —CovertProfessor

If it is too greasy for you, you can go ahead and request less oil or salt. The chef has no problems cooking to request as long as its nothing very tedious during busy hours. BenLee

Hmm, you didn't really answer my question. It wasn't rhetorical; I genuinely would like to know the answer. —CovertProfessor

Just like most cuisines, there will be dishes that are greasy and dishes that are not. I grew up eating vegetable dishes that were not oily and meat dishes that were mostly oily and heavy. This was balanced out with plain steamed white rice and soup with little salt. —BenLee

Ah, ok. I had always been told that Chinese food with lots of oil was Americanized Chinese food, and that authentic Chinese food was much healthier. Perhaps others on this page who don't think the food at HCF is authentic have the same misconception that I did. Does HCF serve any non-oily vegetable dishes (other than one you can request specially)? I don't think I've seen them on the menu. It would be a welcome addition, from my perspective. —CovertProfessor

Chinese food is like any other food, it can be healthy or unhealthy, but there are several different styles. Saying that food is "Chinese" actually covers a wide range of foods. It can be Schezwan, Taiwanese, etc. America just has classified all these types of food to be "Chinese" and thus there are many misconceptions on just how wide the food spectrum that label covers. In the scheme of things, Professor, any food can be healthy, it's just a matter of how it is prepared, what's in the food, and the cooking/baking/stewing process, not the origin or possible cultural attachment it may have. -IdealParadigm

2009-11-04 01:35:13 I was wondering, is this place moving? Because I saw the exact same restaurant name on this (currently) closed store in Mansion square. —Eirin

I've wondered the same thing because my chopsticks had an address in Mansion Square on the wrapper. —NickSchmalenberger

The restaurant will be closing at it's current location by the end of November. The one at Mansion Square is the new location and should be up and running by January 2010. —BenLee

2009-11-10 16:00:49 I don't know if this place is the "best" in Davis (I'd probably vote for Jade Garden)... but it's pretty darn close. Very authentic Chinese food, no complaints from me.

This is probably the only Chinese place I've ever been to, where I'm satisfied with the food in the "buffet" warming trays. It's usually cooked very fresh (no more than 15 minutes from the wok during lunch hours)... and tastes great. My only gripe/complaint/hope: more variety. Seems like it's been the same 6 dishes all week. —ChonT

2009-11-24 20:29:21 BEST CHINESE FOOD IN DAVIS! Kind staff, great food, only issue is the wait, but that is because it is so popular. I hope they have the opportunity to expand and hire more people someday. —JSlice

2009-12-01 21:13:53 I went to the gas station tonight and discovered that there is a new tenant in the Chinese restaurant. The new establishment is called "Gold Town." Its menu emphasizes dishes from Shanghai, although some of the Hometown's Taiwanese staples are still on the menu. The food was good, but not as good as Hometown's. The young man who took my order said Hometown will re-open in a new location in downtown Davis in January 2010. I'm looking forward to it! —Pwu133

2009-12-02 01:39:59 I'm super excited, it's opening up where the chaat cafe used to be, I noticed signs on the window about a month ago (I work at Zen Toro, they are in the same complex). —AlvinTsao

2009-12-06 00:17:42 the chaat cafe is now Agave...

Hometown is replacing the Nepalese restaurant, which is above Thai Recipes. (same complex as Zen Toro and Kaplan) —jentruong

Before there was a Nepalese (or wasn't it Indian? Indyna Bistro?) restaurant in that location, there was a New Delhi Chaat Cafe... different than the Chaat cafe that was where Agave is now. Hard to keep all the restaurant changes in Davis straight! —CovertProfessor

2010-01-07 11:48:03 any news on when the new location opens? I live in Elk Grove so can't randomly drive by 132 E Street to find out. —druboni

2010-01-07 18:42:20 I am hankering for this place to open again. When in January will it be open? I heard so many different dates that I don't know which to believe. It may seem odd, but try the orange chicken. People just think "gross, Americanized orange chicken." However, this place will make you have a new-found appreciation for orange chicken. —David-D

2010-01-19 12:24:00 There's a big sign at the new E Street location that says COMING SOON IN JANUARY. There are people inside the new location everyday doing construction. So far, it looks like all the flooring, painting, and lighting are done. Looks like it will be open before the month ends. —KimL

This has been changed to "COMING SOON IN FEBRUARY," so I guess there is a delay... —SunjeetBaadkar

2010-02-02 15:26:16 I talked to Mrs. Lee this morning. She said they should be open on Monday the 8th. —JimStewart

2010-02-02 21:35:40 (talking about the old location) The Good
- Food is Just Excellent
-Service
-Eat here Get Gas
the okay
- an order that tends to be Good but Really Really Spicy
The Bad
-the seating
- the store is kind of hidden
- Food portions (I tend to finish my order and still be hungry for more)
-Bathrooms (This is true for most Chinese Restaurants)
There is a fairly high Quality Chinese Restaurant in Sacramento called Rice Bowl.
Rice Bowl vs Hometown Rice Bowl Wins but hometown is a close 2nd

—DarkArchon

2010-02-03 22:10:52 NOOOOOOOO goodbye —betabeta

2010-02-11 13:48:51 I'll have to say, great food. My friends and I were impressed the first time we went so we came back today for lunch.. approx an hour ago.

I'll probably never go again... There's this one girl who was wearing a dirty pair of dishwashing gloves; she wore these gloves THE WHOLE TIME she was carrying out clean plates, scooping rice, busing tables, etc etc. Funny thing was that we saw her scoop up some rice with that same damn pair of gloves on, and seconds later our orders were called. May the best man get diarrhea... —Col

Dear Col, we were unaware of this situation. Thank you notifying us and we promise it'll never happen again. Thank you for your patronage and we hope you'll give us another chance. (On a side note: sometimes we do use yellow dishwashing rubber gloves to exchange tubs of rice as the containers are heated metal. These gloves, however, are solely for exchanging rice between containers and are not for dishwashing. -Steve&Jean (Owners)

2010-02-11 17:21:09 The new opening is much bigger and nicer ambience than their previous location inside a gas station. But that's all that I can attest to because when I went there at 4:30 today, hoping to beat the dinner crowd, I was informed that one of their chefs was sick and I couldn't order anything until past 5pm. I wanted to see if their quality was up to par at this new location but just not my luck today. I noticed their prices are higher than before: Chicken, pork and beef dishes are all now $7.95 and their seafood is $8.95. I wanted to see their new Bubble Tea drinks menu but I could not find them. I ended up going to Jade garden instead. —KimN.

2010-02-12 16:58:00 Hooray! I'm so happy that Hometown is open again. I went last night to pick up dinner to go, and the dining room was filled with happy customers. The food was flavorful and cooked perfectly. And Jean, the owner who works the register? She's so nice! I'll be back again and again. —Pwu133

2010-02-12 21:00:02 I am a loyal customer of hometown when it was in the research park drive. I went there tonight after their new opening. The food there is still good.
However, there is only one chef and the waiting time is REALLY unacceptable. It
took us about 1 hour and 5 minutes until we get our food since we start waiting
in the order line. It's not worth the time. I think I would never go there again
if they are not improving the waiting time. —echo

Dear echo, first of all thank you for continuing to be a patron of our business. This was our first week, so we were still trying to get used to our new arrangement and working out the kinks of our business, including buying more inventory each morning because we seem to run out after every night. We actually have two chefs working in the back, and are already in the process of hiring another one; our kitchen space is very limited so it might take time. We don't like to keep customers waiting, just as much as the they don't like waiting long times for their food. We apologize for the long wait and hope that you will come back. -Steve&Jean (Owners)

2010-02-16 01:42:44 Just tried out the new location. The food is great as always, no complaints there. The only thing I can recommend is to make sure that the employees work on their customer service skills. The male employee earlier this evening was a little rude, didn't seem happy to be servicing people, didn't smile, or really even seem to acknowledge us as customers. Customer service skills are really important and I don't want this place to feel like old teahouse. Do try to get the employees to be a little more cheery and hospitable. Other than that, the food again is excellent. I especially love the Spicy Fish and the Spicy Chicken with Basil. —ThUn

2010-02-16 22:47:46 Just tried out the new place. The Beef Hock & Gravy over rice was excellent and not oily (which is hard to accomplish considering the ingredients), the Fried Chicken Wings were good but could have used a little garlic or chili peppers. I also liked the Pork Ears but they could have been sliced slightly thinner (but the male owner acknowledged this without me actually mentioning anything). Will probably try the place another 2-3 times before I write a final review.

I went on an off time (3pm), the food came out really fast, it seemed peeking at the kitchen that they have more people working in there now. So hopefully those of you who were put off from the opening week craziness will find it better. —AlvinTsao

2010-02-17 17:43:12 only thing i've really eaten here is the garlic eggplant, but its so freakin good i can't really ever be bothered to try anything else. garlic eggplant is my favorite chinese menu item wherever i go, and it's amazing at hometown. i also like to add meat to it...dont remember how much it costs but its worth it...so delicious!

i love the new location downtown, more seating, not so sketchy looking next to the gas station and much easier to get to on a bike b/c i HATED going over the overpass into south davis, i practically never went there like i wanted to b/c its death on a bike >.> the only "problem" is you will probably wait a little bit for your food, but its understandable considering the dude's back there by himself so im not complaining...and its def. worth the wait! —KTFreeman

2010-02-18 16:16:57 Frankly, I love hometown. It is by far my favorite place to eat in Davis (this includes fancy places like Mustard Seed and cheap ass McDonalds). Jean is the nicest lady, and Steve makes everything delicious. I can't wait to go again tonight. Yum! —eryan

2010-02-19 12:30:51 Arguably the best Chinese eatery in Davis - period. I have yet to experience terrible wait-time but that is likely due to the fact that the times I've gone were not during peak hours. Moreover, the food is great the prices are reasonable (although they rose slightly - likely to cover the cost of the new location). I assume they will be installing a soda fountain at the new location because selling soda at $1.50 a can is ridiculous. Also, they will soon have bubble tea which will only add one more reason to love Hometown :) —blastoff

2010-02-22 18:04:58 Food is good, but i thought the old prices were too high for the amount of food they gave. :( —lovindavis

2010-02-25 10:11:04 I've been a long time fan. Went to the new location yesterday and loved the ambiance, although there seems to be some confusion about whether it wants to be fast food or a sitdown restaurant. My dad and I dined in and our food came on nice plates, but the water cups were styrofoam. The food is as good as ever though. —Risky

2010-02-25 23:56:12 Tried it recently. The food was good, and I would definitely go back. I ordered a non-spicy dish, but it had lots of red pepper in it, and my mouth was definitely burning as I ate it. The rice could use a little work. It was rather dry, although very plentiful. The restaurant itself was very nice. Food came within about 4 or 5 minutes. I was disappointed that they were using styrofoam cups. Those are definitely bad for the environment. They should switch to reusable glass cups. Prices were a little bit high for the amount of non-rice food that they gave me. I'd have preferred it if there were more of the dish and less rice. But overall, pretty good. —IDoNotExist

This is fun, we always seem to be busting each other's chops. Anyway, study is a bit outdated (dishwashers are more efficient but manufacturing processes probably increased in efficiency as well) but gives you something to think about: http://sustainability.tufts.edu/downloads/Comparativelifecyclecosts.pdf —hankim
The problem with styrofoam is that it takes up a lot of space in landfills, never degrades, and in some cases, winds up floating in the ocean. There is an island of floating trash the size of a state in the middle of the Pacific. —IDoNotExist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene#Environmental_impact —hankim

2010-02-26 09:52:55 Good pictures, Steve. You blinked (a favorite word of mine) though - better retake that one. Nice shirt. Hi Jean. —BruceHansen

2010-03-03 19:22:31 I've been coming to hometown for a number of years, with mostly good experiences. One of the problems at their prior location was the long wait times - I would usually make sure to stop by either for a quick lunch or an early dinner, and would not bother to even try to order a meal around 6-7pm. I love hometown though, so we tried their new location during peak dinner hours. I was a little worried at first seeing a line of 7-8 tickets in front of our order, but we waited no more than 10-15 minutes. Thanks for working to fix that Jean & Steve. Hope you guys do well in your new location!

If you haven't tried hometown and want something other than their americanized fare (which is actually quite good), I recommend the beef noodle soup, hock pork over rice, or noodle with
minced pork (the last having a hint of heat, in case you stray from spicy food). yum.. —rgysel

2010-03-15 14:20:29 My wife and I went here for the first time today for lunch. When we walked in we received a lively, friendly greeting, followed by a comment from (I'm assuming) Jean that I look "just like Clark Kent!"

We both got the lunch special: $6.99 for massive quantities of food, consisting of two entrees, fried rice, and chow mien-style noodles. This is around $1.50 more per person than Hunan, and drinks are somewhat pricey ($2 for a Snapple, and I think $1.50 for a can of soda). The quality of the food makes up for the price, though. Bekka got a shrimp and eggplant dish and the General Tso's chicken, while I got the General's and a spicy fish dish. All three dishes were absolutely delicious! My only complaint—and it's a minor one—is that the rice in the fried rice was a bit under-cooked.

As we were leaving, Jean said she hoped to see me flying by sometime, and mimed Superman. Needless to say, I'll be returning again soon. And I might wear blue and red spandex. —TomGarberson

2010-03-17 01:05:08 It's like the upgraded old tea house. One thing about this restaurant is- they charged me for using a foreign credit card. I have been using that credit card for years in the states and I've had used that credit card in other places such as Japan, Korea, UK...but that was the first time that I paid an extra fee for using a foreign credit card. Well, the bank sometimes charge me for currency conversion. So when Jean ,one of the owners, told me that, I was like, "oh really, I never heard of that before". She then answered as if I owned her a million dollars,"yeah, of course of course you don't know. you are not the one who is paying for the fee. we are! we also pay for so many other things, of course you don't know " I was thinking why the hack she's talking to me like that..I didn't feel like arguing with her, however, seriously, I was annoyed by her attitude. That was ridiculous....If she said" we are paying for so many bills and maintenance fee, hope you will understand that ", I would have paid the fee without being annoyed. —notathome

This comment sparked a small conversation on the nature of credit card fees, which was moved to the Credit Card Minimum Purchase page.

2010-03-19 09:29:06 So, I have to admit, the food is really good. Not necessarily cheap though... $58+ for a dinner for 2 Adults and 2 kids and drinks. Went back for a Tapioca at lunch time the other day and was utterly disgusted when the ?owner? was talking on the phone and clipping her nails by the lunch buffet thingy. Totally gross, nail clippings flying everywhere. —Your2Cents

2010-03-20 19:54:12 I love this place! I always get the pork chop over rice and their tapioca drinks. Very reasonably priced and really delicious! —StellaTo

2010-04-12 00:11:35 All my friends and I approve of this place. Here, spicy actually means spicy, and orange chicken actually means orange flavored chicken. And the owner lady is really really nice! By the way, isn't it common for Chinese food to be on the greasy side? I don't quite understand the negative remarks about the food being too greasy... —susiekim

2010-04-19 13:43:17 chinese foods are often greasy because of one simple reason: less work for the cook. As we all know, chinese foods are cooked on a "wok" and they tend to stick with tremendous high heat. With excessive among of oil, the food can easily be stirred around; therefore, less rubbing and cleaning and faster cooking cycle. —lazifocker

2010-04-20 19:05:14 That previous comment may be true for a small amount of Chinese cooking, but not all Chinese food is greasy; most Americanized Chinese food is though. We have found this place to be pretty authentic and non-greasy, except when we have ordered stuff that isn't thought to be "real" Chinese food in China. —jsbmeb

2010-05-17 12:31:12 I don't like the price of the food here. Its way too expensive for what you get. I would much prefer to go eat at Hunans. I also have tried their tapioca, which was really terrible. I didn't even finish it. I ordered green tea and I'm not sure what she put in it, but it wasn't green tea. It tasted like this melon gourd drink I've had in Taiwan. The tapioca wasn't cooked right and I could tell that it was old and soggy. —sophiaxtai

2010-05-25 21:58:39 I just ate here tonight with a party of 8. First the good. The Chinese food here is IMO the best in Davis and all the food I sampled was fantastic. The food came out super fast. So fast, in fact, that our party had not finished ordering when the first dishes started coming out. Now the not so good. As others mentioned the price is a bit high for the amount of food you receive. Also, they charge a $.25 fee per credit card transaction. This surprised a couple people in my party after they read their receipt. (there was no sign) Overall this place is pretty good and I'll eat here again. Just not every day. —ARWENNHOLD

2010-06-02 13:39:46 good food, but way overpriced for the small portions. —danielliu

2010-06-07 17:38:32 I love Hometown, definitely one of the best Chinese food in Davis. I like the old location much more though, so much easier to find a place to park. —xgen

2010-06-07 21:52:08 This place is pretty awesome! Love their new place, it presents a relaxing eating atmosphere. I felt welcome where, Jean asked for my help to open a jar for her, it brought a smile to my face and reminded me of home with my family :) I had the curry noodles, Steve recommended them to me and I find myself craving for the dish sometimes! One thing that I also love here is their Royal black tea, PLEASE NEVER CHANGE the way your make your black tea! It's delicious! Other boba tea places in Davis make their black tea too bitter for my taste, it's perfect and refreshing here. Thank you! Prices are a little more compared to other places, but who cares! It's well worth it when you have awesome services, environment, and food! I'd differently go here again and recommend it to all. —BeanMarine

2010-06-13 01:33:58 me and friends come here for chinese food...nowhere else. i haven't tried all of their menus cause i'm really hesitant but i got their walnut chicken which was really amazing(walnuts and chicken go very well), though quite pricey. my friend always gets the taiwanese pork chops which is a big dish and it's cheaper than my walnut chicken! other friends say that the beef noodle soup is heavenly but it just taste like noodle soup to me. overall, it's possibly the best chinese restaurant in davis. for now.

ps. don't bother the employees if possible. just sit quietly and wait. seriously, from their stern faces it seems like they are going to explode if you even whisper a complaint. —binladen

2010-07-19 15:02:40 Best Chinese place in Davis. The owners are extremely nice and friendly, and they always remember us when we come in. Thanks for the great food! It's so comforting to eat some of the (cooked well!) food I grew up with. I've only had their boba tea once, and I found it to be quite enjoyable. The only downside is that sometimes the food can take a while to come out due to limited manpower, but I always find it worth the wait. —Adalwolf

2010-07-21 03:31:29 I love this place! Coming from San Francisco I've had a very large variety of Chinese food, and this is what I consider the Best Chinese food Davis. I missed it dearly for the period of time when they were relocating the venue from the gas station to the current downtown location!

Side note: The owners seem to speak numerous dialects of Chinese. Bonus! —ClarenceL

2010-07-26 19:00:04 I was introduced to this place by a few friends when it re-opened and I LOVE it! My friends are more traditional with their Asian cuisine while I am more Americanized, but all of us are able to find something we love on the menu. I thought that their prices were a bit high, but recently they seem to have changed their menu and portions a bit. The owners are always very nice, and the wait has never been long for me, but I've never been when it is busy. Not too greasy for me, but I expect Chinese to be on the greasy side. This is now my go-to for Chinese; better prices than Old Tea House, better flavor than anywhere else. —DaniD

2010-09-08 11:55:03 This place is delicious. I come here to get their Pork meat gravy over rice with a black or green tea. and it's only 5 bucks! The bowl also comes with boiled egg. I also really enjoy their hock pock (I think that's waht its called) with rice, boiled egg, and green veggies. So delicious. These are the main two things I get, I have tried other dishes (family style) with friends and they were also delicious but it was a while back and I didnt catch the names of the dishes. —anonymon

2010-09-17 18:55:32 While the food is good, I hope that I am just a victim of "at the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong condition." I was starving and honestly wasn't in a very tolerable mood, and when I heard about the food at this place I went to try for myself during dinner a couple days ago. Honestly that lady in the front needs a lesson in customer service and how to treat other people in general, because her attitude and mannerism just scream the B word all over. Before anyone comments how similar behavior is common among Chinese restaurants, there is a difference between being blunt and direct to save time (as in the case of some restaurants in the Bay Area, Mainland China, Hong Kong, etc) and being a prick for reasons unknown (as in the case of the aforementioned person). If you want to keep a loyal customer base, it'd require more than just good food (my compliments to the chef).

I'd probably come back to this place again for the food, but hopefully I won't have to spend another second dealing with that lady. And yes it took a lot of restraint to write this comment without using any profanity. —Cyr

Wow, I've been going to this restaurant for over 10 years in 3 locations, and they have always been very nice to me. Maybe its you? -NickSchmalenberger

What Nick said. I've know Steve and Jean for 15 years. They have always been nice and I'm proud to call them friends -jimstewart

Just take out a credit card and see the hate radiating from the cashier, and besides you two said it yourself, you've known that person for years—familiarity breeds bias and clouds your judgment on both parties -Cyr

Um, no. I use a credit card at Hometown at least once a week, usually twice. -jimstewart

You still ignored the fact that you've known that person for years. Who will you treat better as a layperson, someone who you've known for YEARS or a STRANGER? I also see that I'm not alone in commenting about instances of rudeness. Listen I'm not here to troll, I am just saying how my first impression of this place is anything but pleasant except for the food. -Cyr

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on Daviswiki. You maintain that someone there was rude to you. I maintain that I've known the owners for years and they have *never* been rude to me or to any other customers in my presence. Why would they treat you differently than me, and apparently most of their customers? I don't know. -jimstewart

Agreed, hence I gave that person the benefit of the doubt by saying that I hope I was a victim of "being there at the wrong place at the wrong time." IF I were acting like a dick in the first place (as you and your friend had "cleverly" implied), then I would not have been surprised by the treatment I received. The fact remains that I was just paying for a meal like normal, and that sort of treatment was totally random and unwarranted. If she was having a bad day at that particular instance, I'd appreciate it if she kept that to herself. -Cyr

2010-09-17 23:48:53 i ate here back in 2008 (someone else paid for us), back when it was in its old location. the owners of this place go to the same church I go to (the church in Davis). —PeterHuang

2010-09-26 17:12:12 Ate here for the first time the other night. The food was really good, and the layout of the restaurant was really great. The portions with rice are huge, so I would recommend splitting the food with someone. Also, unlike a lot of Chinese restaurants, when they say 'spicy' they mean it. For those of you who aren't used to real spice, I would not recommend anything with a pepper next to it on the menu. —Kipusa

2010-10-05 15:34:12 The General Chicken and the chow main were very yummy. But I don't think I would get the lunch special again after 1 because my food was pretty cold. —Davekhuh

2011-01-24 22:47:21 They make the best eggplant, fish, and fried pork chop. The drinks are really good!! —kobe24

2011-02-07 14:38:54 Food and service both sucks!!! There are much better places to go in Davis for Chinese. —kumi

2011-02-27 18:09:12 I love this place. They serve REAL Chinese food, with real ingredients you can taste the realness in...so real. No seriously, their egg flower soup rocks my socks, and the orange chicken actually tastes like oranges instead of orange syrup. A tad greasy, but that's the only negative thing I have to say. Hometown is in a league of their own when it comes to Chinese in Davis. —WikiChiki

2011-04-30 12:18:26 I really like the food here, a lot. If you get a plate of food, just food and not the combo, you get a decently large portion for just another 50 cents when compared to the food/rice combo. Problem is, every single time I've tried to order a plate instead of a combo, they give me the combo anyways, essentially robbing me of 50 cents. The wait times tend to be so long that I'm practically starving by the time I get my food, so I don't want to ask them to remake the order because I don't want to have to wait even longer. Without fail, even coming in about 10 minutes after opening and being the only table in the restaurant, my food always takes at least 20-30 minutes to make. One time, I came in for lunch had to wait for almost 40 minutes. I've been there maybe 6 times; 4 of the times I asked for a plate of food, and instead was given the combo. Every time the wait was so long, regardless of the time of day, that I did not want to contest it. Not that big of a deal I guess, but it is annoying. The food is good, but the service is awful. Makes me sad because the people running the place are so nice, but at this rate I'd almost rather get panda express- sure, the food isn't as good, but I get what I order and it doesn't take forever to receive it. edit: Just went back today (same day as this review) to give it another try (their food IS good), and everything was made fairly quickly and the order was correct. Hopefully this becomes a trend.—AndrewJacobs

2011-06-17 16:01:12 I liked it better when they were at the gas station. Then I felt like I was in on a secret. Now they have a beautiful restaurant and most people seem to recognize them as the best Chinese food in the County and I no longer feel as special for agreeing. Favorite here is the Sezchuan and Hunan Beef though they're basically indistinguishable. —MikeyCrews

2011-07-30 02:31:30 been here a couple of times. The food is pretty enjoyable and it's pretty cheap as well. I recommend people try it if they have no yet done so. I've had a noodle and rice dish and both were fairly good —C.Ling

2011-10-04 15:57:03 Haven't ordered from here about 2 quarters ago not bc they were bad. Just trying other local restaurants out but lately during this FALL quarter decided to try their cooking again.

ONE THING haveee to agree on is Townhouse is overrated on their food. Really isn't that special coming from an Asian student customer. Now i am complaining about their food but the drinks are very agreeable and they offer a decent selection of popular milk tea tapioca drinks. If the owners are reading this, then please know I am SUPER surprised by how some of the food dishes are made. Ordered beef broccoli entree togo and when i got home....I realized that it's just thin strips of meat with 6 pieces of broccli thrown on top & mixed into it. WILL NOT RECOMMEND their BEEF dishes bc of the way the beef is cut ( thin thin salty strips) === SORRY I'm very disappointed & upset with how the food was prepared.

However i do admit that their chicken dishes that I have tried === usually no problem but I still find their food to be salty sometimes. I've only tried their Chicken & Beef dishes plus their TEAS, of course! I've chatted with the owners before & they are nice chatty people when they have time to converse but that's a separate issue i'm addressing which is the food they serve, not their service. The service provided by the owners or the young cashiers were never a problem. The atmosphere, ambiance, and location of Townhouse is well kept + clean but it's primarily their food that disappointed me again. FYI, perhaps this is preference too but I DONT prefer my food oily, salty, and tastes like MSG. If Hometown doesn't use MSG, then perfect....relieved to know but even on good days with their Chicken mix vegetables, it can taste bit salty too. If your palette prefers more oily and salty food, then u can meet those taste buds here.

CONs of food = depend on which entrees, food is just mixed together, bit too salty & oily, can taste the MSG in food, & a bit pricier compared to other asian/ chinese restaurants for what you can get.
PROs = obviously Townhouse is at a decent location bc i come here on days just for DRINKS andddd MILK TEAS = convenient, good SERVICE even when busy ( i understand busy hrs can get hectic, so okieeee!), ALSOOO lastly at least the place is maintained & KEPT CLEAN.

But on top of it, hear me out that I am not the only one who is dissatisfied with the way of how some of their dishes are just mixed together = yuckkk & not really authentic at all when the food is just mixed/ smashed together! Sincerely hope Old Teahouse will change their ways of preparing the entrees. I will not return to order their food dishes anymore. DRINKs sure!!! BUT definitely will not recommend their food! —somethingaboutemmy

2011-10-19 13:11:05 Had A la carte (no rice)-take out here today, and the food was decent. If you are looking for traditional, non-Americanized Chinese cuisine in Davis, this is pretty close to it. The portions are small ( I am a big guy, but I think I got charged up the *** for the food they gave me). It does remind of home and Chinese food in the Bay Area (My parents would go out every weekend for family dinner). I ordered Hunan Beef, Szechuan Fish, and Shredded pork with dry bean curd (classic!). Dishes were very good. Came out to be $28 dollars (paid wit plastic). The lady at the register who took my order, Jean, was very nice and chill. I'd probably come back here again, if I had the money. —JournaL

2011-10-20 19:11:36 Best Chinese food in Davis! Highly recommend! Love the spicy eggplant and the spicy chicken with basil! :)

—EliraK

2011-10-27 13:20:52 The service was so BAD that me and my family was insulted on a personal level.

I needed to use the restroom, after not finding one in the restaurant I realized that it was outside. When I went out to the restroom I saw that it required a key. When I went back into the restaurant to ask for the key, the owner lady scolded me for not asking for the key before I went out there. Here's the conversation verbatim:

Me: "Can I have the key for the bathroom?"

Owner Lady: "Why didn't you ask me for the key before you went out there?"

Me: "Because I didn't know I needed a key."

Ownder Lady: "What kind of person goes to the bathroom without the key?"

Me: *Complete disbelief*.

The only logical conclusion I can come to is that she simply crazy. Matter of fact, I hope she is indeed crazy because I can't imagine a sane person being this rude and insulting.

Frankly, I don't think someone this unpleasant deserves to own a store, or live in Davis.

On an objective note: The food was eatable, nothing special. I was born and raised in Taiwan, so I know what Taiwanese food taste like. For them to market their food as "authentic Taiwanese" food makes me want to puke in disgust. —TheEmperor

I wonder if it might've been intended as a joke. She has a pretty dry sense of humor. She's decided I look like Clark Kent, and has called me Superman with a completely straight face. She didn't laugh until I gave her a very, very confused look. —TomGarberson

Dear TheEmperor, as the owner of this establishment, there is no way I would treat a customer this way. I've been asked for the code to the bathroom countless times, and not once have I made any type of remark similar to that which you have described in your post. Just fyi, the bathroom requires two codes for entry. I also fail to see how being unpleasant has anything to do with being allowed to live or run a business in Davis. I'm sorry if you may have had an unpleasant experience here, but please refrain from fabricating stories to debase our establishment. Thank you.

Sincerely, Jean—Steve&Jean

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	Dear TheEmperor, as the owner of this establishment, there is no way I would treat a customer this way. I've been asked for the code to the bathroom countless times, and not once have I made any type of remark similar to that which you have described in your post. Just fyi, the bathroom requires two codes for entry. I also fail to see how being unpleasant has anything to do with being allowed to live or run a business in Davis. I'm sorry if you may have had an unpleasant experience here, but please refrain from fabricating stories to debase our establishment. Thank you. Sincerely, Jean--["Users/Steve&Jean"]