Open List Home > San Francisco, CA > restaurants > Big Lantern Restaurant
Fine Catering for Over 20 years. Weddings, Corporate, Parties, Picnics
A beautifully carved wooden screen and goldfish-filled fountain inject a dash of elegance into the otherwise casual dining room. A screened-in porch and a few sidewalk tables provide additional seating for...
citysearch.com - expert review - 09/21/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place has some of the best fake meat dishes I have ever had. In particular, the Sesame Meatless Chicken is one of my favorite dishes ever! The sauce is perfect and the meatless chicken makes…
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I had a terrible experience here: I am a vegetarian and ordered a meatless dish for pick up. When I got home, I realized they made it with real chicken. I've eaten here before and know exactly what…
yelp.com - user review - 09/24/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
1st delivery. Not bad. Not great either. 2nd delivery. They sent flour tortillas trying to pass them off as Mu Shu pancakes. When we called, they first insisted they sent Mu Shu pancakes, then started…
yelp.com - user review - 09/23/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Maybe 2 1/2 stars. Just because Chinese people work there doesn't mean it's going to be good Chinese food. I came here for the dim sum on a Sunday morning because bf and I didn't want to wait an hour…
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Meatless General Tso's chicken - YUM!! If you are vegetarian (or not), like savory goodness, and are willing to accept that it's ok to occasionally indulge in fried food, then dig into this. One…
yelp.com - user review - 09/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
2 entrees and a free noodle or rice dish!?! I'm sold!
yelp.com - user review - 09/19/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I'm determined to log all my eating experiences in SF for the two weeks I am here. I have made a promise to myself that I will also eat out once a day. That being said, I came home from work utterly…
yelp.com - user review - 09/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place has such unique ambiance. It's a quiet spot, unassuming, not trying to fit in with its increasingly stylized surroundings. The service is good and it's never been crowded when I've gone.…
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This is a solid 3-star place which means I'd come back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. The wait staff was attentive but not overly so. We had a selection of dim sum items: Shrimp…
yelp.com - user review - 09/06/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Big lantern chinese Food is passable, okay
yelp.com - user review - 09/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I like this place for so many reasons: - They deliver, so on those weeknights when we're busy or tired or lazy, they are just a phone call away.
yelp.com - user review - 08/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Good. Cheap.
yelp.com - user review - 08/25/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I went with a friend on a Saturday night and was surprised not to find a mob. I guess nowadays this isn't expensive, but it's not cheap either. (We all have to watch our pennies as we dig ourselves out…
yelp.com - user review - 08/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There are a few restaurants that are special to me. ...part of it is consistency of a mood as well as the food.
yelp.com - user review - 08/18/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The Big Lantern is my dim sum spot for Sunday afternoon football at the Kilowatt. Their dim sum is pretty tasty and I don't know of any other place in the Inner Mission that has dim sum. Its a…
yelp.com - user review - 08/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
OK, I subscribe to the theory that most Chinese restaurants are hooked up to a secret subterranean network of pipes that lead to a massive, hidden factory somewhere in a forgotten neighborhood. These…
yelp.com - user review - 08/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ever since I moved out of the Tenderloin, I've been at a loss trying to get my hungover noodle craving fixed. When you live less than a block away from Osha, you can get pretty spoiled, in terms of…
yelp.com - user review - 08/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Amazing vegetarian options, the lemon "chicken" is amazing as is everything else I've tried (which is a lot, this girl has needs.) Super quick takeout and they're all really nice - meaning nobody…
yelp.com - user review - 08/06/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The basil tofu is mmm mmm mmm. Real, long, tangible strips of basil too-- sweet and pungent and delicious. Not just a spice in a name of a dish that you later receive and ask yourself if they used…
yelp.com - user review - 08/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
omfg! this place rocks......so much so that a strange sensation took over my brain as i typed forcing the phrase "omfg! this place rocks......" from my fingers even though i dont speak like that in…
yelp.com - user review - 08/02/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Let me start off by saying this: I'm sure at some future point I'm going to come home tired and lazy from work and order from Big Lantern. The food is edible, its never made me sick, it comes when I…
yelp.com - user review - 08/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Big Lantern is a gem in the Mission District, just a few blocks west of the 16th St. BART Station. The food is fresh, I mean REALLY FRESH! I know fresh seafood and had the Kung Pao Calamari on the…
yelp.com - user review - 07/24/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I'm a veggie and wanted to try thier 'meatless chicken' options and got it in the Mu Shu. It was inedible. I ordered both the tofu vegetable puff and the veggie pot sticker. One was great (the…
yelp.com - user review - 07/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I eat Big Lantern like twice a week. If you are a vegetarian you have to try the sesame seed "chicken"! It is amazing. Normally when I order it takes anywhere from 20-40 mins to get to the house but…
yelp.com - user review - 07/23/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
It's ok not great. It's another one that is near my house. Maybe that is why I give it the extra star. Otherwise it's very average.
yelp.com - user review - 07/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Hella good hella good hella good. Better off ordering to go though, some reason the food tastes better outta those white cartons. Good prices, too.
yelp.com - user review - 07/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is solid hangover food. I like to keep some of their vegetable chow mein on hand for such occasions. And if, for some godforsaken reason, Big Lantern isn't in a box in my fridge, they bring…
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place has the best fake meat I've EVER HAD. I'm never going to Herbivore/Golden Era/Golden Buddha ever again. Everything else is crap compared to this place. Service was fantastic.
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place has great "meatless chicken." If you're a vegetarian who likes fake meat, I really recommend the Kung Pao Meatless Chicken. I get takeout from this place like weekly. It's cheap, good…
yelp.com - user review - 07/03/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's probably a good thing that I'm moving out of delivery range since this is my favorite kind of cheap Chinese food. A little too salty, a little too greasy and a lot of delicious. Delivery is fast…
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
F*** This place! Since when are restaurants allowed to roll their stinking hot garbage bins right past tables full of late night patrons and out the front door. I mean what the hell!?! Subtle hint…
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The thing I love about this place is that you can substitute a vegan meatless chicken in any meat dish on the menu. I highly recommend the mandarin meatless chicken. The egg rolls are a bit bleh, but…
yelp.com - user review - 06/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Did the Yum Yum House people really go over to Big Lantern? I'm confused, and now unsure of where to put my anger. I was mad at Big Lantern for driving Yum Yum out of business, but maybe that's not…
yelp.com - user review - 06/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place has taken a definite turn for the better once the Yum Yum House staff came over. I'm still dismayed that Yum Yum lost their lease - I always loved the food at Yum Yum. I recommend the Mango…
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is AWESOME! The food is very fresh and delicious... Delivery is easy (though at times reminds me of the seinfeld episode...) and takes about 30 minutes. Very friendly staff. HIGHLY…
yelp.com - user review - 06/20/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I have to admit that I've never had a dine-in experience at Big Lantern, but as far as the food is concerned, I am a total fan. Their meatless chicken dishes are awesome (Sesame Meatless Chix &…
yelp.com - user review - 06/14/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I ended up swinging by here with two friends who assured me the food was "really good". And, truth be told, the food was decent. But the service was downright rude. And when your food is only…
yelp.com - user review - 06/09/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
So sad. As a Yum Yum default, we had high hopes for Big Lantern. So high. I was willing to ignore other yelpers and hope they just had some Haterade because Yum Yum was closed. Alas, it was not the…
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Date & Time: Saturday June 7, 2008 @ 2pm Company: Michael & Canine Jack
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I hate to say I have to add my voice to the chorus of "this is no Yum Yum House." At Yum Yum I would always order the garlic eggplant and the meatless five-flavored chicken--we ordered the garlic…
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
We went to Big Lantern last night and had a negative experience. We've eaten there and had take out many times and been happy with it. I am afraid their quality is slipping.
yelp.com - user review - 06/06/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
i'm sorry, but this ain't no yum yum house. where's my delcious pot stickers? the sauce is not so good and they fell apart. veggies are not as fresh, food not as good. first time i went here i…
yelp.com - user review - 06/06/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
3 days of food poisoning! sweet!
yelp.com - user review - 06/01/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Whenever I go to the bay, this is one of my favorite spots to hit. We stumbled upon it one drunken evening while trying to escape a downpour. That was the night I discovered the worlds greatest won…
yelp.com - user review - 05/27/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
best chinese delivery in the mission. prompt & delish!
yelp.com - user review - 05/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I had 15 minutes before I had to report to work and was craving some rice and meatless chicken, so I stopped in here for the first time and was highly impressed. Little apprehensive from the outside,…
yelp.com - user review - 05/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
BIg Lantern came through for us late nite when it counted. We ordered at 11:30pm from the other side of town (marina), wondering whether or not the delivery would really come through (we used a…
yelp.com - user review - 05/17/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I've had delivery here a few times, been in the place twice. This delivery was not good. The orange chicken was not cooked enough and the sauce was heavy and unusual. I took one bite and knew I…
yelp.com - user review - 05/12/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Thank god for big lantern. I am not especially religious (or at all religious actually) but I have uttered these words to myself on many occasions.
yelp.com - user review - 04/14/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
CREDIT CARD FRAUD. I purchased food over the phone for delivery. I had no cash so I gave them my credit card info (and of course they also needed my address and phone # for delivery purposes). Next…
yelp.com - user review - 04/10/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Very good. Love their free noodles/rice with two orders of an entree.
yelp.com - user review - 04/10/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I've only had delivery from Big Lantern, so this review reflects that. This review also reflects my only-veggie-dishness. One star for fast delivery (arrived long before they said they would!),…
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Quality Chinese food? NO Good Chinese food? hmm it's ok
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Three stars for Free Delivery, not-five stars for quality of food. I live on East Bay side of Bay Area, and that means an awesome Oakland Chinatown with dim sum aplenty. Maybe this is why i am dimsum…
yelp.com - user review - 04/03/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great dimsum and great price. I highly recommend the turnip cakes and the spinach soup. And surprisingly, they have the nicest and cleanest bathroom compared to most Chinese restaurants.
yelp.com - user review - 04/03/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I think when reviewing things it is important to keep things in perspective. So this four-star review is for the fact that they offer delivery and is coming from the perspective of a vegetarian. At…
yelp.com - user review - 04/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Anytime I want chinese vegetarian delivered to my house in lower haight from the mission area, I always seem to call this place. I really love it! This place is my house's favorite take-out…
yelp.com - user review - 03/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have lived in the mission all my life and have had the best and worst Chinese food they have to offer. Big lantern was a welcome change to the other severely overrated restaurants in the mission.…
yelp.com - user review - 03/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Lots of yummy vegetarian options at Big Lantern. I frequently find myself getting take-out from there. The General's fake chicken and the sesame fake chicken are delicious, but my absolute favorite is…
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I like the food here, and I am giving them an extra star for delivering.
yelp.com - user review - 03/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
big lantern...you are too good. ordering delivery on a monday night and it arriving LESS than thirty minutes later when you said 45 minutes...that's awesome. the hong kong style pan fried noodle was…
yelp.com - user review - 03/17/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
Health dept says - unclean premises. EWW! www.cleanscores.com
yelp.com - user review - 03/13/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This was an ok place. took my fam from out of town here and started to get nervous when after we ordered it seemed like all the chefs and waitresses sat down to eat themselves......it's like "hey,…
yelp.com - user review - 03/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
WOW...such delicious vegetarian dim sum! And they actually have a large selection of vegetarian options.
yelp.com - user review - 03/06/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is a delivery Godsend for me. I was living off of May Lee sushi for months while I worked in the studio, and then one day, a flyer crawled along a gust of wind to my ankle and stayed there. I…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Holy crackers I eat this place at least once a week. Never have I had the pleasure to witness first hand such a fine establishment. First off, it's budget, they deliver, the portions could feed a…
yelp.com - user review - 02/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Great neighborhood Chinese restaurant. On a cold rainy night, their combination won ton soup is awesome. Dim sum is generally good -- some great pieces; some okay. Quality of products used is very…
yelp.com - user review - 02/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Most interesting and flavorful menu I've tried so far. Great variety, dim-sum and unusual [to me] soups. We've eaten there once but we usually get it delivered.
yelp.com - user review - 02/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I was leery when someone suggested we go to Big Lantern. I mean, come on, Chinese food, much less dim sum, in the Mission? It didn't help when we got seated and I took a look around - only Mission…
yelp.com - user review - 02/26/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I used to be a devote patron of Wild Pepper and found this place to be far superior. The vegetarian options are fresher and their rating with the department of health is a safe comfort. Plus they have…
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place rocks! We order all the time from them at work. Often even complicated orders. They have never once screwed it up. When you call its short and to the point you don't have to repeat…
yelp.com - user review - 02/24/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
In our neighborhood we get bombarded with take out restaurant flyers/menus every week, but on one windy, cold and foggy night in San Francisco (like every other night) we were craving Chinese food and…
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Gung Hay Fat Choy! FINALLY, a decent cheap chinese takeout in the Mission. I've lived in the area for nearly ten years, and I struggled to find a Chinese that compares to the many (superior quality in…
yelp.com - user review - 02/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Easilly the best Chinese delivery I've had in San Francisco. Last night, Joe and I neither wanted to cook nor go out. But we didn't want shit delivery either. To quote Joe, "I've just been burned so…
yelp.com - user review - 02/05/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
***UPDATE*** - 2/13/08 4.5 stars now
yelp.com - user review - 02/03/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love Big Lantern. They have great veggie options including tasty fake meat, dessert, and they deliver! I was worried that I wouldn't find a substitute for Mayflower in Berkeley (delivery and Veggie…
yelp.com - user review - 01/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
popped in here today while i was out and about in the misson. Its a relatively new spot...open about 3 months. It calls itself Fine Chinsese Dim Sum & Dinner. They have most the standard chinese…
yelp.com - user review - 01/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Right after this place opened I got a menu-flyer on my steps and as I do with everyone of these things that I get, I read it for interesting foodstuffs for delivery...and there they were: DIM SUM! Now…
yelp.com - user review - 01/22/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I stopped eating Chinese food after I discovered how consistently better Thai restaurants tend to be. My brother used to work as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant in Northampton, MA and told me about…
yelp.com - user review - 01/21/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of my favorite haunts in the Mission. It's close to home and I love their flaming schezuan chile fish. You can't beat their lunch specials.
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I come here at least 7 times a month. I first discovered how good their "meatless" general chicken was when I tried a bite of my friends takeout and I had to ask twice if she was SURE it wasn't real…
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
damn. that general meatless chicken was so good. just the right texture and taste. the kung pow meatless chicken was good too, but different. i liked it, but i can't help but think i might have liked…
yelp.com - user review - 01/11/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great Meat and Meatless dishes for all to enjoy. Pleasant atmosphere and great staff. Wins hands down for best Chinese meal in the Mission.
yelp.com - user review - 01/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The first time I went there I got dim sum to go- it was horrid. Then other people convinced me to give it another chance and they were right. In the 15 or so times since I've had good experiences.…
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Dim sum: words that strike fear into the heart of any vegetarian who's watched, hungrily, carts laden with dumplings full of who-knows-what, the dishes your server swears up and down are vegetarian…
yelp.com - user review - 01/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
dear big lantern, thank you for being open on christmas!
yelp.com - user review - 12/26/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Ok chinese place. good dishes overall, a littl too average-ish.
yelp.com - user review - 12/15/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
i was really surprised with this place because I like low-key hole in the wall chinese restaurants and was a little nervous that this place might be trendy because of how sassy it looked inside. we…
yelp.com - user review - 12/09/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I thought it was quite good for a Chinese guy that just came from LA where they have some of the best dim sum. I got the dim sum combination one night and it filled me up. The dim sum good, and…
yelp.com - user review - 12/08/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Excellent Chinese food and dim sum in the Mission, of all places! Great dumplings and chow fun!
yelp.com - user review - 12/04/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
Terrible, terrible food. Don't do it. But if you must, the service is good and quick.
yelp.com - user review - 11/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Having an open kitchen in restaurant design has been in vogue for the past couple of decades. The theory, as I understand it, is to allow the customer to delight in watching the talented chefs as…
yelp.com - user review - 11/21/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
After freezing my ass off and that of my wee little chihuahua at Cootz's fabulous photo shoot in Dolores Park, I was in need of sustenance and I really didn't care what it was. My bestest girlie…
yelp.com - user review - 11/18/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
The food actually tasted pretty decent up until I found a small piece of glass in it!! I thought I accidentally started chewing a piece of rock from the clams or something, but nope. I spat it out and…
yelp.com - user review - 11/15/2007
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My boyfriend and I are so happy we chanced upon this restaurant. Every time we visit SF, we make it a point to stop in for their Sweet/Sour Veggie Chicken, Black Bean Asparagus...Potstickers. One of the...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/11/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I've tried several dishes over the last year at Big Lantern and I haven't been blown away by anything except for the dish I had this past Sunday while watching football at Elixir. I usually enjoy a…
yelp.com - user review - 10/31/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I just called this restaurant for take out and spoke with the rudest person ever! I couldn't believe it. I finally hung up because there's no way I'm ordering from a place where it's employees treat…
yelp.com - user review - 10/25/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
pretty cool place, never crowded, delivers, and certain dishes are really great. outdoor seating in front, really friendly service. the food can be oily... ask for "light on the oil" and see what…
yelp.com - user review - 10/23/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't say enough about Big Lantern. I showed up around 11pm on a Thursday (they close at midnight) and was welcomed in. The service was quite good (very expedient) and the menu options were…
yelp.com - user review - 10/12/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
We go here two or three times per month. There's always room, even for large parties. Our vegan friends will go with us, thanks to their fake meat options. Its close, they're nice, the food is good.…
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is by far the best Chinese delivery joint in the Mission/Noe/Castro area! Believe me we have tried them all!
yelp.com - user review - 09/15/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
The vegetarian options are great, including dim sum. My only complaint is my coworker and I were grossly overcharged for our lunch which we ordered over the phone. Instead of getting two lunch special…
yelp.com - user review - 09/11/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Went to this place during my lunch hour today. The service: prompt and friendly. The food: spectacular! I only wish this place was near my house and I would order from them all the time!
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The best selection of veggie dim sum in my 'hood, as far as I know. I also highly recommend the broccoli with ginger sauce, the veggie potstickers, and the vegetable chow fun, which was some of the…
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Big Lantern is awesome. If we've done some drinking in the Mission earlier, this is a fine place to soak up poisons with the varieties of fake chicken to be found here.
yelp.com - user review - 08/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
i really like this place alot. I find it to be less greasy than the other chinese restaurants in the area. the prices aren't great but the food is so good you don't mind it really. I had their duck…
yelp.com - user review - 08/14/2007
