Rice Bowl Cafe

Rice Bowl Cafe is a north Austin mainstay. I don't know how long it has been around but I can't remember the local landscape without it.Located in a strip mall at the corner of Lamar and Braker, they specialize in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine. When I call and order, they ask for my number and then call me by my first name - a nice touch. Dining in or to go, service is always good and the food relatively fast.I suggest the 3 cup chicken (if you have a picky eater, you can specify white meat only). The meat is slightly crispy but not breaded and the dish is full of stir fried basil. I also love the moo shu chicken/beef/pork/vegetable. I always order extra pancakes and plum sauce to go with it because they are generous with their portions of the main entree. The beef roll is a tasty app that combines green onion pancakes with sliced beef. Stir fried green beans always hit. If I want to eat light, I get the chicken lettuce wraps, hot and sour soup and sauteed snow pea leaves. Parking is easy. The menu offers a lot of variety. If you haven't eaten here, what are you waiting for? Try it out soon and often!

Stopped in for lunch and my partner and I were both not terribly hungry because of a big breakfast so we split an order of the chicken and mushroom in brown sauce. We also ordered a small bowl of egg drop soup and wonton soup thinking that maybe this would supplement half of a meal. Still, even with splitting the main dish we still took some home as there was a lot on the plate. That's one of the things we really like about this restaurant, you get your money's worth and then some. The chicken and mushroom entree was very good and would definitely come back to try some more menu items.

This was a nice and quick lunch visit. The food was great and fresh, the server was attentive and its priced just on par with the rest of this style restaurant. The spot is nice and quiet in a slower part of the area and easy to access. They serve great sweet tea and Coke products here.

Okay first of all, the beef rolls were so delightful! Hands down, would come back just to eat those again. The service was friendly and we were quick to get our food! The S&P tofu was more salty than peppery, but it had a good crisp to it which i appreciated

This restaurant is located right next-door to St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop on Braker. I decided to grab a bite here for lunch while the wife checked out the thrift store. I decided to dine in and was directed to one of a dozen or so tables. The egg rolls and soup came out in minutes. I ordered the beef rolls which came highly recommended by some of my fellow yelpers. The beef rolls are considered to be an appetizer, but they are more like a full meal unless you split them between four people. The hot and sour soup was decent, but I've had better and the eggrolls were straight out of the fryer and piping hot. You can pretty much expect to pay $20 for lunch here without the tip. There's no tip screen waiting for you if you dine in, but that may not be the case for takeout. They got the formula right here. Fast, friendly service, good food at a good price and plenty of parking. They do not serve alcoholic beverages and there is no public bathroom (unless you dine in). Keep in mind, they are closed on Mondays. Definitely a place I would visit again or get takeout.

Best go to to hit the spot . Never disappoints. Has the right amount of take out for that night in. Order your favorite classic out a movie on and enjoy your nostalgia as the memories of your favorite local spot come flooding back.

First of all I'm new to Austin, I moved here in July, 2023. My grandson Edward recommended Rice Bowl so I knew I had to try it. The people are so friendly and service was great. The food is delicious!. We ordered several dishes, Szechuan Beef, Kong Pao Chicken, Szechuan Shrimp, Stir Fry green beans, Bok choy, Snow Peas leaves. It's was all simply delicious. I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to the next visit.

Highs: my Salt and Pepper Tofu came to the table just out of the fryer with a crunchy, crispy exterior. I would have liked more veg on the plate, but otherwise, I would give this dish an A+ rating.The scallion pancakes were gummy and completely saturated with oil. The snow pea leaves were both tough and oily. Neither of these dishes made a passing grade. My dining companion liked her generous portion of 3 Cup Chicken, with enough to share with her friends when she got home. Upon checkout, I mentioned the problem I had with how oily some of the dishes were. I was told to ask for light oil next time. I pass this on to you so that you might consider this choice when you order.

** I AM A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN, TX BUT MY LOCATION IS SHOWING AS SAN FRANCISCO, CA FOR SOME ODD REASON **Rice Bowl Cafe used to be my go to spot for great Chinese food until the latter part of 2024, when for whatever reason, the portions shrunk and the prices increased. I'm a creature of habit and always order the same menu items - - 2 egg roles and Teriyaki Chicken w/white rice. I could do take ouit and knew the exact amount I'd pay each and every time.Imagine my disappointment when I got take out in November 2024 and learned the following - - - The usual 8 oz. rice pail box was replaced with a 4 oz. styrofoam container - The chicken was literally 1/2 the normal size - The price had increased by over $10When I brought to up to the cashier, the response I got was: "Maybe you find new Chinese restaurant?"Needless to say, I no longer give Rice Bowl Cafe my hard-earned money.

Good Food! They close at 2:30pm & we called in an order at 2:11pm. I must have opened their front door at 2:30pm precisely & they were there, ready & my food was waiting to be picked up.