Magic Wok

My family eats here every Sunday. The place is family owned and operated. I went to high-​school with their son and daughter.
I currently live in LA and salivate for Magic Wok when I know I’m coming home. The staff is quiet, but far from unfriendly. They are always prompt at getting you anything you need and the place is very clean. The prices are good and the food delicious. My favorite is the black pepper chicken and they have the best crab rangoon in town.
It’s definitely your typical American Chinese food joint, but they do it well. They’ll also make you something authentic if you ask!

I’ve never eaten in or gotten the $ 5 carryout, so I can’t speak to how those experiences are.
The food is just about your standard Chinese food, with some pretty good finds and some things to stay away from. Your best bets are the Singapore Chow Mei Fun (thin noodles, veggies and meats, curry sauce but not all that spicy) and the Mongolian Beef (thin slices of beef with lots of onions). I also liked the Shaved Pork with Green Beans, because they don’t skimp you on the green beans, which are cooked but still crunchy. The only issue there was that I just couldn’t tell the difference between the pork or the beef — no difference in flavor or texture.
The steamed dumplings are the best appetizer I’ve gotten from them, but they’re by no means anything extraordinary. Egg rolls are fine but not great, and the crab rangoons use a too-​thin wonton wrapper that holds in too much of the grease when it’s fried. The beef short ribs are just too fatty. The fried rice is your typical Panda Express-​type fare, but better than the lo mein.
Definitely steer clear of most of the soups. I love getting soup with my Chinese food, but now that I’ve tried the Wonton, Egg Drop, and Chicken Noodle, they’ve all had the same problem — the broth is awful. It has little to no flavor (except the last time it tasted strongly of black pepper? I don’t know), and I basically have to add about a quarter cup of soy sauce to make it edible. The Hot and Sour soup is passable, if a little coagulated.
I’ve given this place about 8 different chances to impress me (all delivery, which came promptly, even in bad weather), and I’ve ordered something different almost every time. Portions are good. Prices are reasonable. Just don’t expect to be blown away by anything you get.

The tables are sticky, the people who own it are aloof, but the prices are cheap and food isn’t terrible

The food is delicious but the employees aren’t the friendliest. The price is pretty decent for a buffet that includes your drink. The biggest downfall is that they don’t always keep the buffet promptly stocked particularly at dinner time. It seems like after 6pm they don’t like to refill stuff. They do have the best crab rangoon and pot stickers around though. Don’t be fooled, it doesn’t look like the cleanest place in the world but it is yummy.

My family went here just after 7 on a summer weeknight. Not late at all, but you would think we were there 15 minutes before close. Everything on the buffet was aged and gross. The Black Pepper chicken had a sweet sauce on it. Weird!?! The stuffed mushrooms and crab rangoon were super sweet too. The staff seemed bored and uncaring. No smiling faces here.
Hit QQ or the Jumbo Buffet in the mall instead. Or, if you’re going to be headed north on 57, check out Tuscola.

The $ 5 late night carryout starting at 9 can’t be beat. You can easily get enough for two meals. It’s typical american chinese food, nothing special, but certainly nothing to complain about either. For the price, it’s outstanding.
Be warned! Extremely popular with local students. Get there at 9 on the dot for the special if you want to see any food left!

I miss this place with every ounce of my soul. I like to tell myself I kept this place afloat while I attended Eastern Illinois, but that would be a lie. Good food was hard to come by in Charleston, I mean one of the pizza places was called Chubbys. It wasn’t named for those glorious things that happen in my pants, but how it made you feel for three days after eating that garbage. I ate here on average 2.89 times per week. I just tried to calculate the amount of money I spent on this place and I believe I spent less on my education. Mom would be so proud!
The steamed chicken and broccoli with a side of brown sauce is by far my favorite Chinese dish of all time. It was a super healthy option, which is hard to come by in any college town. I ordered so much of this stuff, the owner and I became really good friends. I was a pizza delivery dude, so I would often trade pizzas with him. Actually pizza is a very powerful thing when you go to school where partying is a top priority… wink wink. Free Hair Cuts, beer, Bjs you name I probably got it. I also really loved their Lunch buffet. It was 5.95 for all you can eat, there were so many options and everything was delicious.
I’ve been thinking about getting back in school… just so I can have Magic Wok. Well that and they have drive-​thru Liqour stores down in Charleston.