Your go-to for American Chinese! Praised as a fave w/ epic Gen. Tso's & unique veggie finds, though bamboo shoot quality is debated.
Ollie's on 42nd Street is a go-to for American Chinese cuisine, with many praising it as their favorite. While some dishes like the shredded pork with garlic sauce are highlighted for their delicious textures, there's a recurring question about the type of bamboo shoots used. The restaurant is noted for its consistent General Tso's sauce over the years and is considered a reliable, albeit sometimes pricey, option for those seeking classic Chinese-American comfort food.
This establishment is highly regarded for its American Chinese fare, with a specific mention of its sweet & sour chicken resembling chicken fingers and a strong endorsement for its shredded pork with garlic sauce, which features a notably crunchy vegetable (possibly jicama). The General Tso's chicken sauce is noted for its long-standing consistency. While generally well-received, there's some debate about the origin and quality of bamboo shoots used in dishes. The restaurant also offers Sichuan specialties, including a Szechuan Sour Tomato Soup with Beef.
"The shredded pork with garlic sauce is frequently highlighted for its delicious and crunchy vegetable component. The General Tso's chicken is also frequently mentioned, with its sauce noted for consistency over many years."
Customers frequently praise Ollie's for its American Chinese offerings, with many considering it a favorite. However, there's a notable discussion around the quality of certain ingredients, like bamboo shoots, and occasional mentions of inconsistent experiences.
Important Note
One commenter noted a humorous but negative service experience involving a delivery person eating their order. There is also a minor debate regarding the quality of bamboo shoots used in some dishes.
"Ollie's is suggested as a Chinese restaurant option."
Positive"Ollie's is mentioned as a potential dining option."
Neutral"Ollie's Sichuan on 42nd street and 9th avenue was described as really solid."
Positive"This user states that Ollie's General Tso's sauce has remained the same for 30 years and mentions there is a UES location on 77th & 2nd."
Positive"The user notes that Ollie's restaurants used to be very solid for General Tso's chicken and plans to re-try theirs."
Neutral"This user expressed extreme fondness for Ollie's Sichuan, highlighting the 'shredded pork with garlic sauce' as a perfect dish."
Positive"This commenter recommended Ollie's Sichuan as a very good option for Chinese and Chinese-American food, though noted it might not fit the 'casually elegant' vibe."
Positive"This user suggested Ollie's on 42nd street as a strong contender, also stating they have the best General Tso's."
Positive"The author lists Ollie's Sichuan among other restaurant recommendations."
Positive"This user believes Happy Hot Hunan is better than ollie's, and both are too expensive, but ollie's sometimes has Chongqing chicken as a special."
Negative"Regarding ollie's, this user found the 42nd st location to be good but uneven, with experiences ranging from amazing Chongqing chicken to only fine."
Neutral"This user recalled ollie's uptown having an amazing hot and spicy shrimp dish, prepared Chongqing style, which was their first introduction to Szechuan peppercorn as a child."
Positive"This user stated that ollie's is really good."
Positive"A commenter noted that Ollie's has recently started advertising a Szechuan Sour Tomato Soup with Beef item on their menu. The commenter generally enjoys Ollie's food, indicating a positive overall impression of the restaurant."
Positive"Following up on their original post, the author reported that after trying canned bamboo shoots, they believed the delicious vegetable in their Ollie's shredded pork dish was almost certainly jicama. They noted its texture was very crunchy and watery, unlike the bamboo shoots they tested."
Positive"The commenter described Ollie's, a Chinese restaurant, as being like their 'cafeteria,' indicating they order from there frequently. This suggests they consider Ollie's a regular and reliable spot for meals."
Positive"The commenter stated they used to go to Ollie's and enjoys soup. This indicates past patronage of Ollie's without expressing a strong positive or negative sentiment towards the restaurant in this particular comment."
Neutral"The commenter shared a 'best memory' of an Ollie's delivery experience where the delivery person got stuck in their building's elevator. The delivery person then allegedly ate their food, an incident the commenter found hilarious despite the service failure."
Negative"Commenting on the vegetable in Ollie's dish, the user expressed doubt that Ollie's uses good quality fresh bamboo. They suggested it's more likely a canned version."
Negative"The author, after ordering shredded pork with garlic sauce from Ollie's, was trying to identify a delicious, crunchy, pale vegetable in the dish. They described it as crunchy like a water chestnut but with no discernible flavor, initially suspecting it might be bamboo shoots."
Positive
