Locke Garden Restaurant

My mom, my daughter and I stopped for lunch today on the way back from Sacramento. We’ve passed by it many times driving down the river road but it looked so dive-​y we were hesitant. I checked on Unilocal and everyone raved about the food and they were absolutely SPOT ON! We ordered Shrimp Chow Fun with black bean sauce, dry sauteed green beans with garlic in black bean sauce, Locke Garden fried rice, vegetarian egg rolls, vegetarian Kung Pao and the hot and sour soup… oh yes we did! The woman who waited on us raised her eyebrows and said, «that’s a lot of food for 3 ladies» and it was. Everything was delicious, excellently prepared and arrived at the table tongue burning hot, which I much prefer. You do have to be patient! The entrées arrival was a bit protracted, for example the fried rice came at the end after we’d stuffed ourselves basically. Really good, the hot and sour soup was some of the best I’ve had, be advised lots of pepper in it! Décor.hmmm… eclectic, restrooms… hmmm… best to be a short person but food??? We will definitely be back to sample more of that menu!

This is not a fancy restaurant, you’re not going to have cloth napkins on your table, or a Maitre D greeting you when you arrive. That’s not why I gave this place 5 stars.
This is a greazy spoon, full of character, «mom and pop» restaurant! The day we were there, it was LITERALLY a 2 person operation. It took a while for them to even notice we were there because it was, as I said, a 2 person operation. Once we were seated, it took a little while for our order to be taken, but that was okay because we couldn’t decide what we wanted.
The food was so good! We had sesame chicken, ma po tofu, and fried rice. My 2 year old son, who has feeding issues, enjoyed the ma po tofu, but he found the sesame chicken to be too sweet for him (it was perfect for his daddy and me, though.)
When you go there, PLEASE be patient! While we were waiting for our food, we noticed people walking in, waiting to be seated, but they left after waiting a few minutes. Had it been any other restaurant, I would have walked out too, but there was one person cooking and one person doing EVERYTHING ELSE.
We’re looking forward to our next visit!

Love this sweet place great food and great service

I must say I am truly impressed. You would think a old Chinese ghost town would no way have a great Chinese restaurant, but it does. The food is amazing. The sweet and sour pork, the beef and broccoli amazing. The Egg Foo Young… the Egg Foo Young!!! Heaven!!! Light and fluffy. The gravy… all I gotta say is WOW! Sooooo when you visit Locke come to Locke Garden and check out da real kine Chinese food!

The aesthetics aren’t great, but the food is terrific! Brought my family of six and enjoyed a nice dinner. The Honey walnut shrimp and general chicken were notably magnificent. The wor won ton soup, chow mein, and the Locke garden fried rice were pretty great as well! Though, they did not refill our waters as frequently as desired (only refilled once). Visited their «Mini Grocery» store and purchased some Hi-​Chews, ginger candy, and throat-​coat tea which were reasonably priced. Waiter was awkward, shy, and reactive (not proactive about anything really) and hesitated when asked about specific menu items. At first glimpse, it seems as if you are walking across the street to a high-​crime neighborhood, but it all changes for the better when walking in to the restaurant. Very authentic Chinese feel with natural Tsingtao beer and Budlight available to the public. Tablecloths are sticky and look dirty, causing a decrease in the overall aesthetic feel.

Good food at great prices. Don’t expect a five star pretentious meal. But if you want authentic Chinese America fare at a family owned restaurant, this is the place. It’s pretty much a must stop of you go to Locke or are just driving through the Delta

Cute little town with a Chinese restaurant that goes well with the other buildings. Food is just so-​so with too much salt and was a bit overcooked. Prices are reasonable and service was average. Will try other restaurants when in the area next time. Free WiFi but was very slow.

An Excerpt from my article on Locke Chinatown in Lowdown on Chinatown.
There are only two places to eat in Locke, and of course, I tried both. I can happily report that I would detour back to Locke if just to eat at either one. My first stop was Locke Garden, the sole Chinese restaurant. When I walked in, I was surprised to find a restaurant half-​full on a weekday in this abandoned town. There was only one server, who turned out to be the owner, Catherine, and I watched as she cheerfully served each table. Everyone else seemed absolutely satisfied with their food but seeing that they were all Caucasian, I decided to go with the most Americanized dish on the menu, Egg Foo Yung. To my surprise, she brought out an egg dish more similar to what I would find in Chinese households: the eggs were light and fluffy; the sauce was less heavy on the palate. When I asked her why this was, she brought out her husband, the chef. As it turns out, he isn’t just another Chinese immigrant forced into the restaurant industry as a result of limited career choices, which is often the case with Chinese restaurants in rural areas. Mr. Cheung, a Chungsan native, is a graduate of a culinary program in Canton and served as a chef in San Francisco before moving here with his family. His restaurant is clean and still very much resembles Chan Tin Sin’s Beer Parlor circa 1912. I went on to try the beef chow fun and potstickers, both of which were good. Be forewarned, the food is authentic, which means it will be less salty and heavy than what one might find at Americanized Chinese restaurants.
For more, please feel free to check out the website url in my profile.

Been here twice and will go again. It’s a nice little restaurant with good food and nice people. Highly recommend if you get a chance to swing by here to stop in, the food is good, reasonably priced and the portions are good.

Our family went out to Locke for a relaxing trip through Chinese history. Of course we had to have Chinese food for lunch. We had Twice Cooked Pork, Pork Fried Rice, Locke Garden Special Chow Mein and General’s Chicken. Amazing! Is all I can say. Yes they used Ajinimoto in the twice cooked pork, but I’m sure they could do without on request.
The service was prompt and the brief wait was worth it. Everything tasted great and they provided an ample amount of food for a family of 4.
I’m excited to return to see how they prepare Mongolian Beef, my comparison dish. If you’re wondering about trying Locke Garden, don’t hesitate. Just go right in, you’ll be met with grêat hospitality and fresh food. Excellent food that’s been a part of Locke history!

We had taken our granddaughter & her cousin here for her 16 birthday.
Got the usual Chinese food: broccoli beef,
Walnut shrimp, chow mein, fried rice & lemon chicken. Overall food was quite tasty.
The two loved shrimp; should have ordered 2 orders of that!!!
Come here with confidence; it is a casual Chinese restaurant where food is cooked to order and not a long wait!

Ok, here’s the thing stupids, this is a old CHINESE historic town. For a place that used to be a gambling hall (yeah, read up on American history) and now a restaurant in a town that now has HARDLY any Chinese people (even though they freaking created this whole town bc whites didn’t want them in sacramento!), and is now inhabited by, what seems like, only whites, this place gets FIVE FREAKING STARS… and yeah, I did just bring up race.
This review is most likely to be taken down in a few days since Unilocal is a total scam. But FIVE FREAKING STARS!!!
Have a nice day.

Small towns need a Chinese Restaurant! And this is it in Locke!
An old town feel and family run. The food is pretty good and caters to the authentic and the not so authentic eaters.
It would be really cool if they created what a Chinese Restaurant would look like in the old West during the Gold Rush times. So it would be a museum/​dining experience! That would put them on the map! Have old photos of Chinese gold miners and life back then. Have the furnishings rustic but with antiques! Perhaps making their outdoor area more nice with more tables and chairs for people to dine outside at night under lanterns etc.
Ambiance and décor is important when it comes to having a location where there is tourism and out-of-towner’s visiting. Tie that in with a great menu and service (which Locke Garden has) and you have a winner!

Okay, here’s the thing, this is in Locke! In my head it is either gonna be great or suck. So, here is what is real, if you follow my reviews you will know I put a high value on any place I can eat with my dog… this is worth a star! Good and friendly service also worth a star!
So, that leaves 3 possible stars for food.
At Locke Garden the service was friendly and attentive, even when sitting out on the porch with our dog – need I say more?
The Food was flavorless.
But, I gotta tell ya, I have driven the delta many many times and always wondered what the place was like, and while the food was blah, I enjoyed sitting out on the porch with my partner and our dog in this historic Chinatown on the Delta.
It was worth going to satisfy my curiosity!

This is by far one of the worst Chinese food we had. The hot and sour food was flavorless, it had some kind of unknown species in the soup. The food we had were not authentic Chinese food. We were actually excited to try the food here but it was a huge disappointment.

I was so satisfied with this place. Prices were good but most importantly, the food was good. Good might be an understatement because I found myself almost wanting to eat just to eat after being full. The serving sizes were generous and enough to have the next day. Best part of all… the restaurant had an authentic Chinese feel to it. I’d go here again and again AND again.

If you’re looking to go a little bit, well, a lot out of the way for some good Chinese food, then this is the place for you.
The atmosphere reminds me of Chinese food restaurants I used to go to as a kid: nothing fancy, nothing special, but still cozy.
The service does take a while, but think about it: how many people would you have working at a restaurant that is out of the way? However, the food is worth the wait.
The egg rolls were crunchy and delicious without being overly greasy and it was served with a sauce unlike the usual «sweet & sour» typically provided. The sizzling rice soup had fresh veggies with a smoky flavor, thanks to the rice. The main dishes, all of which were vegetarian, had big hunks of tofu, plenty of fresh vegetables and a spicy flair.
Be patient with the drive and the service… some of the best Chinese food I’ve had in a while.

The place smelled fabulous as we walked up behind it. We were seated promptly and given menus.
After ten minutes of failing to receive acknowledgement from the only waitress we decided to leave. There were three other tables and only one seemed to be getting food. However I am sure we will come back to try another time or stop in for takeout, given all the positive reviews and dearth of fine dining options in the Delta :)

If you are visiting Locke, do not be afraid to eat here. The place is clean, the service is good and the food is good. It is your standard whitewashed Chinese food, but the best possible version of that genre. It was well prepared with fresh ingredients and sans gratuitous grease.
Now the décor is also something worth seeing. Every single cheesy Asian decoration you can think of is in this place! It has sea shell lamps, faux gold characters, ceramic cats, 3D artworks, fans, screens…
And the prices are very reasonable. Potstickers, fried rice and foo yung for two for $ 20!

Excellent hot and sour soup with Kung Pao chicken. Home cooked meal! I used to live down the block and this is home. Just close your eyes and point at the menu, it will be great !