Empire Garden

We discovered this once gem through friends when we would visit.
I work nearby and once in a while I get the lunch special for my evening dinner.
Since I’m not close by I call in my order a half hour prior to pick up and never had an issue except the last two times.
I said the first time was ok anyone can make a mistake.
But again it happened today
I walked in and they had no clue and then placed the order.
Well it won’t happen again because I’m done here.
The purpose of calling ahead is to grab n go.
I feel they don’t put the order in until you arrive.
Well I won’t have to worry about that again.
There are many restaurants that sell after many years in business and I’m sure the new owners pay a premium for an established since 1985 business so why would you run it into the ground.
Makes no sense.
BTW the dinner was just ok
Nothing lasts forever

Have been here so many times and find it to be delicious each and every time. Great drinks and Great food, staff is also very pleasant

This place is terrible. I don’t know where to begin. Went here for their lunch special, asked for chicken fried rice with my chicken entrée (I don’t eat pork), and they would not substitute it. They said they would only serve me pork fried rice or brown rice even if I paid extra. I don’t know what kind of business doesn’t except extra money for customizing an order. I can definitely see the direction this place is going in.

I’ve been eating here for 25 years, it’s always been great. In the last year, the original owners sold out and new people took over. This past Saturday night, April 2^nd, 2016, I ordered Edamame as one of the appetizers. As we were making our way through them, when we got to the bottom of the bowl, there were two cockroaches in the bottom of the bowl, I nearly hurled. This place had always been a cut above, it was always crowded, you always had to wait for a table. Now, you can walk in any time, no wait. It’s no wonder, that great standard they set left when the original owners left. NEVER AGAIN, I must find a new place.

Being on the generous side with three stars. Two and a half would be better if i could select it.
Nice décor, and the ladies at the bar who rang me up were polite enough (though pleasant would be better for a restaurant to make you feel truly welcome), but three things threw the experience off. First, I would have to see what the tax for food is in NHP, but I suspect I might have been overcharged. I would have asked then and there about it, but really needing to eat got me more focused on getting home with the take out. Second, while the food came out quickly. almost too quickly to leave me wondering how well they cooked it, many of the vegetables in my dish were rather soggy. The taste was okay, but nothing to write home about either, leading me on the hunt for a better chinese food place, closer to to those I’ve enjoyed in Pennsylvania,

Went there recently for lunch with a friend. I had egg drop soup and my friend had sweet and sour soup. Both were delicious. I had the eggplant with shrimp which was so delicious my plate was clean. Just wish there were a few more shrimp, maybe 2 – 3. My friend had the orange flavored beef which looked and tasted wonderful. I’m have that next time we go. Staff is friendly and very accommodating. Quick service.

I have been coming to this restaurant for 5 years now. Their food is very affordable and delicious and service is fast. I especially love the chip appetizer they serve you w the sweet sauce and hot tea. The ambient environment w the ample parking makes this restaurant my ideal lunch destination. Their lunch menu also has lots of options. You have to try their general tso chicken that’s the bomb!

I’m a regular here and tonight I ordered a scallop dish. The scallops were raw, bad, and just thrown on the plate. When asked to speak to the manager, the server wouldn’t allow. It was a big back and forth and was told that I had to pay for the bad food. I insisted and after twenty mi Utes, still no manager. Finally, I ordered the killing me in and the server agree that I was right. She was very accommodating. I do not recommend this place and will never come back even though I am a regular.
Poor service and customer relations! give it 10 negative stars.
— JLC

A very nice «sit down» Chinese restaurant. Consistently good food and service.

this is an over priced chinese sit down place. Everytime I come here, the portions get smaller and smaller while the prices get bigger and bigger.

Their mu shu was pretty medium, but their pu pu platter? Perfect.
It’s like I was eating Chinese food in a time machine that was set to 1989. The service was indifferent, but in that good way, and the cocktails list was straight out of… well, Cocktail. (Zombies? Sure.)
The place is Long Island Cantonese with that Polynesian ethos (to wit: the pu pu platter with the flaming can of sterno inside… literally, that’s what brought me in here to begin with, and it did not disappoint.)
Thanks, y’all!

Terrible and disgusting pork dumplings and chicken wing I never had, I will not go back anymore!
Rubbish!

Empire Garden is a small little gem in the heart of New Hyde Park hidden in a small strip mall off hillside avenue. Excellent food and atmosphere, but the $ 8 minimum per person has to go! What if I want to share a dish? This place is great for dining in, but better for takeout.

I order from here quite a lot considering this place is hit or miss some days. One day it can be good and the next its not. I’ve eaten there and they are all very nice. I think the owners keep changing though cause the food seems different every few months. Hate that they don’t have chicken wings but it’s my daughters favorite spot so we will still order from there. Lunch specials are a great price with a soup or soda.

Was once the greatest, now avoid at all cost, plenty of better options in the area.
Let me start this by saying my family and I would order from Empire Garden at least once a week. You could not find better Chinese food on LI and maybe even in NY. The staff was kind and helpful, from the front desk to the waiting staff. Never messed up an order and never had a problem. Every dish was great.
With that said, the new ownership is terrible and there has been a severe downgrade in the quality of the food. It’s borderline inedible. Everything was stale, the chicken was not good, lomein was terrible, dumplings forget about it, even the pancakes for moo shoo pork was gross. I’m not quite sure how you mess something like this up, but they have.
I have ordered for the last time from Empire Garden. Don’t be fooled by them maintaining the same name, it certainly is not the same.

My dad recently moved to New Hyde Park and we were told we had to try Empire Garden chinese food by his friend. Ordering from this place has now become a routine every time I visit.
I’ve had my fair share of chinese foods, but this place tops them all!!! I typically order their egg drop soup. The egg drop soup is so fresh, has niblets of corn in it, and almost has a sweet taste to it. You will not regret ordering this soup. I have also had their mixed vegetables with white sauce. This dish has tofu in it, which really makes it different from other chinese places. The white sauce is the perfect consistency, not too runny and not too thick.
They deliver very quickly. For example they always say about 30 minutes and typically make it here in 15 to 20 mins. Food is always piping hot and delicious. You will not be let down from this place!

Been going here for years, always a great place to dine in or do take out… Always enjoy the hot tea and noodles on the table… Went a couple of nights ago, and it felt different, I was advised there are new owners as of January… Got my normal dish and its usually to die for but it was absolutely disgusting… The chicken was gross, slimy and tasted like fish… No more tea and noodles were skimpy and cheap…

Way too expensive for little portions of frozen food. Did I mention grease? The most greasy Chinese food ever. They cry over tip also. Beware. Don’t go there. Period.

Ok, I have eaten take out here twice so far this week and getting ready to put another order in. I am not much of a Unilocaler cause most good reviews get trashed (I am in the restaurant biz) but I must say that there food is really good. Let me start with there packaging they use the right take out containers not the cheap crap most places use. There product is real fresh. We ask for less oil and they do it with no hassles. And deliver to us in Garden City
We have had the beef on a stick, real good. Orange flavor beef was excellent, we asked to sautéed the beef and did it without question. There fried rice is the real deal, light and fluffy loaded with flavor. The lo main with pork was great, real pork loin.
Keep it up, I am eating Chinese again

we called our order in before we left the house because I know that this place can get super busy. this is not your dirty Chinese that comes in those white boxes. everything comes in plastic Tupperware like containers.
we ordered
boneless pork ribs. quart of wonton soup, house lo mein (which includes all meat and seafood and veggies a great deal), house fried rice and bean sprouts in the a pt container.
sometimes they are out of bean sprouts because when you dine in they give you a small bowl to have while you wait for the rest of your food and they are seasoned delicious!
when we arrived our order was ready and the place was not busy. I was surprised but happy my order was ready and that they did have bean sprouts.
the girl at the front counter is always there and is super friendly.
my boyfriend knows that when he is over my house we do not get dirty Chinese since we have been going here for about 16 years. dirty Chinese doesn’t compare. the quality of the food and service always leave me full.
btw they do not cook with MSG! which should be the standard!