Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Chai Waii Chinese Food in Santee

3.9 (81) 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd, Santee, CA 92071, United States

Categories

Chinese restaurant

Location on the map

Santee, San Diego County, California, US

Phone: +1 619-596-8898
Site: http://chaiwaiichinesefood.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Tuesday:Closed
Wednesday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Thursday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Friday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Saturday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Sunday:11:30 AM–9 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 3.9

81 Reviews for Chai Waii Chinese Food 2024:

Review №1

2022-11-13 19:42:05

I ordered a bowl of wonton soup to eat when I was waiting for my order. That was a mistake because it completely filled me up. Everything I ordered tasted good. Took about 15 minutes from when I ordered until the food was ready. Cashier was friendly and made several suggestions (thats how I ended up with the soup). I will eat here again.

Review №2

2023-08-03 01:43:28

Worse service ever I don’t know how the government allows to restaurant like this still open, I went to buy juice to my kids the lady ask me to pay cash I said I am sorry I have only card the lady started to deal with us with so bad way like she let me repeat my order three times and she insisted to give us another flavour and when I urged with her she said you’re so mean I can’t believe my ears . She even screamed and scared my kids .I left her and go to to Sonic Restaurant completely different great drinks perfect service. My advice don’t go to this restaurant agian they really so rude. If you don’t pay cash .I asked to meet manager they said we have no manager

Review №3

2023-05-14 14:27:28

Always enjoy their food! They are fast and efficient. The tofu taste best fried, not steamed. The veggie plate is exceptional, with a huge selection to choose from. Hubby loves the chow mein as it has a Smokey taste.Their sweet and sour sauce is amazing too.The Jasmine ice tea is freshly bag brewed and is delicious!

Review №4

2023-08-10 23:39:11

The ladies are a little pushy on selling you things, they charged me $25 for just a pork rice bowl and small boba tea, which according to their menu prices I was overcharged by roughly $8!! What the heck? Foods a little dry and lacking flavor, just not worth it and I wont be coming back. Theres so many better choices Id avoid this one.

Review №5

2023-07-22 01:37:12

Great chicken with string beans.They cook to order.Veglie rolls were delicious, too.

Review №6

2023-02-05 03:12:46

Best Chinese food in San Diego! So glad my wife found this place. Nice people and fair prices. We get their eggplant tofu and honey spicy tofu with chow-mein. I literally eat here every week and highly recommend it!

Review №7

2023-08-25 01:53:45

The service was great.👍 The staff and owner were very kind plus friendly, giving you a wholesome vibe. The food is amazing

Review №8

2022-12-13 01:26:02

The food is tasteless and so greasy that I felt physically ill after eating. I tried 6 different menu items, all were terrible. Way too pricey for the quality of food. Also, I ordered a boba, the lady told me I should get a different flavor, I said no, and she ended up giving me the flavor she wanted me to have. It was so nasty it tasted like mint chapstick. Although the mint chapstick probably has more flavor. Youre better off driving out of Santee if you want good Chinese food.

Review №9

2021-05-10 04:21:54

We order Chicken fried rice and it was very good tasting. Not as greasy as most Chinese restaurants. They were also very nice at the register.

Review №10

2022-11-03 00:55:22

We eat here almost weekly! The people who work there are incredibly kind and the food is delicious. I love the wonton soup and my husband loves the orange tofu and Buddhas delight. Our kids love the chow mein and boba!

Review №11

2022-08-22 17:54:02

Found this place 7 years ago. And still order from here to this day. Everything here is amazing. You really cant go wrong. Everytime we place an order I know Im fixing to get a great meal and they have never let me down yet. It had dawned on me after all this time of excellent service that I have never given them a review. So this is long overdue. Thank you Chai Waii for all the excellent food and service over these past 7 years.

Review №12

2022-11-03 23:38:04

Man, even the soy sauce bad and I didnt think that was possible. It was like water. No flavor. Id guess they water it down to save flavor but it was packets! Crazy! I even opened the other packet just to check it!The chow mein was soggy. The General Tsos: no heat, no spice. Just sweet kinda meh sauce. Not overly sweet though. Nothing was wok or fried crisp.The cream cheese won tons were ok.

Review №13

2023-05-29 03:59:43

The Orange Chicken was so good compared to most other Chinese Restaurants. This place is just great.

Review №14

2020-07-21 15:48:17

I gave it two runs, once at lunch and once for dinner. Each time the food was fresh and delicious.My last order was House Spicy Wing, House Special Chicken, Fried Rice and Cream Cheese Won Tons. The House Special Chicken was good, but I think next time I will go back to the Orange Chicken I once had for lunch. Cream cheese won-tons were crunchy but had a slight pull which I love.The real champion of the dinner though was the House Spicy Wings. The batter was flaky and crunch with some zing from red chili flake and peppers, but not super spicy to not be enjoyed the masses.Give this local gem a try today!

Review №15

2021-02-27 05:06:42

This is the best Chinese food I’ve had in years! It reminds me of Chinese food I experienced in the Bay Area. Super fresh, piping hot and delicious. The woman behind the counter is charming. She clearly loves cooking and takes pride in the food she serves. This is now our “go to” Chinese restaurant. Try the Orange Chicken, Egg Rolls and Wings! Oh, the Hot Mustard and the House’s fried garlic,pepper mixture used as seasoning for the wings is out of this world.

Review №16

2022-04-24 17:56:36

Brought thier advertised lunch special $5.95 but when I paid they charged $6.95,then tried to upsell a $2 eggroll and a$3 cup of soup...when I said no she g ot mad and told me my special plate wasnt enough food and should order more! All I recieved was an icecream scoop of boiled rice and one four ounce ladle of broccoli chicken! Served on an 8 inch plate! And she told me I had to eat outside because the inside tables were for families spending more!!!

Review №17

2021-04-10 04:11:01

I hate to say it because I really wanted some good Chinese food but I took about 3 bites and said no more.I am a huge foodie and in general will eat just about anything put in front of me within reason. And give the benefit of the doubt to places that may not be the absolute best or just had a bad day cooking something up. But this food was dry, flavorless, and had a strange aftertaste that I could not quite pin down that seriously made me question if it was safe to eat. Almost like it was cooked in dishes that had not been thoroughly rinsed. Like faint, musty dishwasher taste. Even without that strange aftertaste I cannot in good conscience recommend this place. I went here based on the 4.2 star rating without reading the reviews thoroughly and after my visit I went back and realised my experience falls in line with the other low star reviews as well. I honestly ended up tossing it in the trash and cooking something.

Review №18

2023-03-26 00:43:19

I think this is the best place in Santee for Chinese food. Its so yummy! The owners are also a delight. It should have at least 4.5 stars.

Review №19

2022-07-03 23:02:59

I got boba from here and it was amazing! The price is actually cheaper than a lot of other boba places in Santee. The cashier chatted with us while the other lady made the drinks, they were super friendly there!

Review №20

2018-12-25 02:12:23

The food here is delicious, portions are large, and price is amazing. The owners are also really nice and love to chat. The selection of boba teas is large. They also deliver. This was our go-to take-out place for lazy nights in...and lunch the next day on the leftovers!

Review №21

2020-01-11 15:55:57

Ive never eaten at the actual location but I have ordered here at least 20 times. Every time is fantastic. I used uber eats a couple times but I much prefer to order from the restaurant. They have these combo meals that are massive and come with appetizers as well. I love tht it gets to me in under 30 minutes. I see a lot of people complaining about the size of the meal when delivered, but in my experience I receive enough food to last me me for 2 dinners. I really love this place, fresh, fast and knowing it is a local eatery makes me choose it over other chain restaurants in Santee.

Review №22

2018-03-06 03:16:31

First and last time going here. Food was burnt, dry, and tasteless. Sweet and sour pork was tough and didnt have any sauce, the food looked liked it was cooked in a dirty pan. Plus the lady was rude because when I order online and I stated I was going to pay cash, but I changed my mind when I got there. She pointed to my order saying that I was going to pay cash when I presented my debit card. Then snatch my card out of my hand. Will never go there again.

Review №23

2018-07-24 02:37:18

Very disappointing. I really feel cheated. While ordering several dishes, we were casually asked what kind of noodles we wanted for the Pad Thai dish, thick or thin. I said thick, my wife paid, we waited (for 20 minutes). Walking out, I asked, BTW, what was the overall price? It turned out we were charged $4 additional. I returned and asked why, she said because of the noodles. I asked why she hadnt mentioned that, she said she had, I said, no you didnt. It kinda went back and forth, and she said shed reimburse us the full price if we returned the dish, which I did. What really got me that she kept blaming me for not knowing the exact price of some upgraded version of Pad Thai, and stayed unapologetic. Sorry to say, not the way to handle your business.

Review №24

2021-11-18 04:30:05

Terrible food that was obviously reheated and had no flavor. Thai tea with boba was good and the soda was properly mixed but the food was BAD and not cheap. Disappointed and wont be returning. 0/10 do not recommend.

Review №25

2018-01-11 21:51:23

The main downside is the high price for some of the vegetarian options they offer. They taste great! Ive had their Kung Pao tofu, and its delicious. They also offer Thai iced tea thats dairy free. Both of these options are amazing to have so close to home in East County.

Review №26

2018-06-14 04:08:07

The lunch special is fairly priced, but the food was hot but bland tasting. The upgrade to the fried rice was plain and a small portion. The additional spring rolls had soggy ingredients and oil dripping out. The large soda was all ice and a little bit of soda.

Review №27

2022-07-28 20:22:33

I’m a delivery driver so I can deliver all over San Diego. I’ve tried Chinese food everywhere in San Diego. This place is by far the best I’ve had so far. I highly recommend it

Review №28

2021-08-15 03:44:25

Ordered at 7:30. Delivered at 7:50 very fast. Orange chicken, chow mein and egg rolls all over cooked. Guessing it was reheated not fresh. Not again

Review №29

2022-10-24 21:27:29

Very disappointed. Wanted some good Chinese food . Small portion. Asked for hot mustard and lady said didn’t have. Really? What Chinese restaurant doesn’t have this!!Not coming back!!!

Review №30

2022-07-03 23:06:35

As soon as I walked in, the ladies treated us as if we were family! They made sure we felt welcomed and comfortable. Their boba is to die for

Review №31

2019-10-07 00:32:50

Very bad. Order-in, dine at restaurant, they will give you half portion of your meal. Like other people say in the reviews, UP SALE, BS.Lucky Chinese off Bradley is 3x better

Review №32

2019-04-01 00:21:48

I read the reviews- I knew what I was getting into***Yes, the ladies BIG TIME upsell- worse than a department store slangin Visa Credit Cards during the holidays.***Yes, they scoff at your debit card and ask for Cash. (Honestly, if its that big of a deal, they should be a cash only business)Items Ordered:(1) Sampler Appetizer(1) Broccoli Beef Combo(1) Sweet & Sour Chicken Combo(2) Ice Waters1. Sampler Appetizer: Cold cream cheese wontons, warm fried shrimp, lava egg rolls & pot stickers. Like way to scalding HOT. Also came with meal, not before.2. Broccoli Beef: Warm & Salty. Beef and veggies were fresh. The white rice was a few hours old.3. SS Chicken: Varying temperature. Some pieces were warm and tender, some were cold and tough. The sauce was very good. The white rice was a few hours old.4. Ice water: Ice Cold water with ice in styrofoam cups. It wet the whistle.This will be my first and last food rodeo here. I mightve try their boba tea at another point in time however, Santee does have other options for that. 🤔

Review №33

2016-05-30 00:31:44

I would have to agree with the other reviews. They are very fresh and autentic. And yes they do upsell you. I just got upsold on some egg rolls. But guess what...? They were the best egg rolls Ive ever had. No joke. We have had every Chinese in santee and panda country was our go to place. Chai Waii blows them out of the water!! Hands down. We were very satisfied with our order.

Review №34

2019-02-10 02:26:58

The comments down below are pretty much correct. The food here is very good and tasty and tastes authentic. The service however is kind of poor. I think its mostly a cultural difference due to the fact that the owners are elderly chinese ppl who are used the doing things their way. The service was not horrible but it also could of been better. I would come back here however cuz the food was good.

Review №35

2022-01-14 18:51:27

Ordered food there last night the fried rice was like it was preheated and overcooked tasted old. The food was not fresh the shrimp was overcooked and chewy.

Review №36

2017-11-18 03:09:08

Fresh, fresh, fresh and so good. Moved here a week ago and have enjoyed dining here twice already! Friendly, helpful staff. They do take cards, but prefer cash, that helps in keeping prices reasonable. If the staff recommends it, try it.

Review №37

2017-03-30 02:13:15

I think for take out or delivery will receive one or one and a half more stars because the food was pretty good, but their customer service is horrid if you dine in. They upsell you, pressure you to pay cash. If you tell them you dont have enough cash they ask you to pay with the cash you have and charge the rest. What the heck?

Review №38

2015-05-20 05:42:21

Just about any dish on the menu can be made with tofu as a substitute to make it vegan. Dont let the ladies push you around! They do love to upsell but you gotta stand your ground and stick to your original order or you will walk out with enough leftover food to choke a Newfoundland.

Review №39

2021-04-26 22:09:59

My father went in there and ordered food, after he got food he asked for napkins the lady started screaming at him asking why he needed napkins and if he had them at home. he then replied saying he was homeless. the lady then continued to yell at him for him being homeless and not having napkins. don’t ever go back waste of money.

Review №40

2019-05-14 01:41:33

❤🙂 Our familys favorite Asian food restaurant hands down! Always a pleasant conversation on the phone and delivery is quick and friendly. BEST MISO SOUP IN TOWN! 🙂❤

Review №41

2019-07-07 00:01:59

This place is amazing. Any other reviews saying other must be ordering something weird because the food is 🔥. I recommend the garlic spicy chicken-crunchy.

Review №42

2020-08-22 02:07:54

I like my food hot, fresh, tastey. This was all three. One of those little holes in the wall that you would never expect such good food. Ill be back.

Review №43

2017-04-11 03:21:30

We have 4 kids and im a picky eatter.........and we all love this place, SO NICE, always makes dishes to your liking and great location ♡Santee is the bestestOh, and they delieverYES!

Review №44

2019-02-22 01:02:40

I come here sometimes for the convenance because its next to the library but the I always regret it because of the food quality. Its just not that great and usually dry or flavorless or both.

Review №45

2017-04-24 19:43:23

At the suggestion of the staff, I ordered mushroom shrimp (not a menu item). Orange Chicken, shrimp rice & noodles. To go. Entire family RAVED about all of it. No MSG too!

Review №46

2018-02-21 05:34:41

For take out or delivery is pretty bad its dry and not that good, but their food inside is way better, thats why it gets a 3 star.

Review №47

2020-02-05 04:26:22

Very nice people that work here. We have been eating here for many years. The food is very good and reasonably priced.

Review №48

2022-09-08 23:00:47

OMGOODNESS!!THIS WAS THE VERY BEST I HAD IN A WHILE. Definitely coming back! Spice level was spot on!!

Review №49

2018-06-03 02:00:58

Food is really good just had bad experience with ladies at register I came ordered and paid for a drink asked for water and waited in my car once it was ready I went back in asked for my soda and they said thry already gave it to me I told them it was water they said no thats all other than that is good food

Review №50

2020-06-13 14:40:02

The delivery (ordered from their website) was fast and the food was fabulous—I will definitely order again and soon.

Review №51

2017-10-08 00:21:22

Tasty chicken, and their Singaporean styles fried rice is a welcome taste for a fried rice fan.

Review №52

2017-04-15 00:32:31

Delicious! Great prices, fresh and tasty. No MSG. The only real Chinese food in Santee!

Review №53

2022-10-25 04:25:16

The food was so disgusting! 80 bucks down the drain!!!!

Review №54

2019-06-19 14:43:34

Best Chinese food ever tasted. Nice lady and Asian Culture.

Review №55

2019-09-19 22:29:39

Their Tofu is delicious!! Super fast & friendly service!

Review №56

2019-11-11 01:54:32

Good authentic Chinese food. Just tried this place after fishing at Santee lakes.

Review №57

2022-06-11 23:30:10

I came for the wonton ragoons and I have to say it’s nasty here

Review №58

2021-01-12 19:25:16

Great food. They serve no msg in there food.

Review №59

2019-08-29 07:02:10

Great Vegetarian options!! They work with you on so many dishes!

Review №60

2021-05-18 18:04:54

Great Mongolian beef, and hot and sour soup!

Review №61

2021-06-18 04:01:55

The worst Chinese food Ive had in a long time.

Review №62

2017-03-19 14:28:48

Amazing food quality, good selection, and quick delivery.

Review №63

2016-12-27 01:14:22

Great food and they also delivere!

Review №64

2019-05-14 01:09:33

ALUVE!! Bugs in all the over head lights!Food hood but yuck!

Review №65

2021-04-28 02:12:12

If you want to wait an hour, this is the place to go🤬

Review №66

2018-09-24 22:28:51

Great food love the chicken curry

Review №67

2020-07-02 00:13:00

Excellent selections and great food

Review №68

2018-12-02 03:29:17

So good!

Review №69

2019-09-28 07:11:08

A hidden gem for Boba drinks!!!

Review №70

2020-12-17 04:34:38

Good foot

Review №71

2020-10-03 22:10:30

Pretty good. I enjoyed it

Review №72

2016-08-17 02:44:29

Chicken fried rice is AMAZING!

Review №73

2017-01-26 21:13:33

Very good

Review №74

2017-06-24 00:38:35

Fresh and always friendly

Review №75

2020-10-17 23:11:21

Great service and yummy food

Review №76

2020-02-09 01:10:43

So so

Review №77

2020-02-08 03:27:49

GOOD FOOD RUDE SERVICE

Review №78

2021-05-05 18:45:50

Best Chinese in Santee

Review №79

2015-12-28 02:15:28

Authentic and fresh

Review №80

2021-01-18 00:29:27

Great food

Review №81

2023-09-15 04:42:33

Friendly treatment, everything clean, tidy, quick service.Plate of white rice with pieces of fried chicken, with fresh and crispy vegetables. They prepared my pineapple drink without sweet as I requested.I paid with my debit card, no problems.