Very tasty authentic Sichuan cuisine. Free tea and spicy cabbage salad. Will definitely come back!

Lao Sze Chuan is probably closer to four stars, but I'm giving it a five because it was my go-to haunt for good Sichuanese food during my college years. I came here all the time with friends back in the day, and celebrated my birthday and my college graduation on the second floor. The food was always delicious, they can seat large groups, and there are a ton of dessert spots and bars nearby that you can hit up to make an evening out of it. It was a joy to return after these many years when I was in Chicago for a wedding! Lao Sze Chuan feels like a classic Chinese restaurant: the ambiance inside is just fine, clean, and the service is prompt and no-frills. Their menu is insanely long and can be tough to navigate. When I've come in the past, I've ordered the Szechuan string beans, mapo tofu, twice cooked pork, dry chili chicken, and the boiled sole fish fillet in Szechuan spicy sauce. This time, true to form, I ordered the Szechuan string beans, mapo tofu, and dry chili chicken for the two of us. I thought the string beans and dry chili chicken were excellent, flavorful and well-cooked. The mapo tofu was a bit of a letdown, though. The sauce wasn't very balanced, and the tofu came in larger chunks that didn't seem to have absorbed the flavor of the sauce. But overall, the prices were reasonable, the portions were large (we had a decent amount of leftovers), the food came out hot and quickly, and we left satisfied. Some things never change!

The food was very tasty and great service. I will come here again. The sizzling rice was different from what Im use to where the pour the hot oil on top of the rice and broth was clear but the one I ordered tasted good.

Ordered takeout with 20% off my first online order, and it was ready in no time! The portions were huge, and the chili chicken was incredible--perfectly spicy and flavorful. Great food, quick service, and amazing value. Highly recommend!

Good place for authentic Chinese cuisine. Not much ambience, it was pretty crowded during the weekend.

A GO TO whenever we're in town. The absolute best place to get your Szechuan fix! The service is great and staff are super nice and friendly! Cozy and relaxed ambiance. They did change the interior of the restaurant and gave it a more stylish look. But it still feels warm and cozy, which is exactly what you need when eating something spicy and delicious. I cannot wait to come again and again. Honestly I don't think I'll ever be tired of Lao Sze Chuan!

Came late at night, just me at 11 pm on a Sunday. They're open til midnight. Lots of places closed at this time, but this place was open and spacious. The hot tea is lovely. I ordered the cumin lamb to compare to two other places I've enjoyed it. (Chef Xiong and Uncle Zhang's). This is the most expensive of the 3 since I had to pay for rice separately. But I think it's the same price as Chef Xiong. It's a generous portion, enough to split with someone, but family style multiple dishes would probably be recommended. I liked that it was a little less greasy than others, and the red bell peppers were a vibrant addition. The cumin flavor was more subdued than Chef Xiong and about on par with Uncle Zhangs. However, the lamb flavor was more apparent, and I appreciate the size of the lamb pieces, very satisfying bites. I particularly liked the spiced/pickled cabbage accoutrement on the table. Not quite kimchi, not sure what it's called, but it paired beautifully with my dish. I also had the spring rolls which were decent. The hot mustard was the real star of the show on that front. ACCESSIBILITY: Despite being in the "mall" which has TERRIBLE brick tiling throughout, this location is the western most unit and can be more easily accessed from Princeton which also has a graded slope curb. The entrance does have two doors that might take a little maneuvering, but inside the spacing of dining chairs seems manageable. I did not use the restroom, so I can't speak to that. I use a cane/walking stick and appreciated the ease of access it afforded me, and would say this is about as close to wheelchair accessible location you'll find, in this mall at least. The main benefit of this restaurant is the late night hours, and the food quality is definitely good enough to return.

Lao Sze Chuan has won a lot of accolades, and proudly boasts itself as one of the greatest restaurants in Chicago Chinatown. Did it live up to the hype? Just about. The meat dishes delivered very well on taste, texture and flavor- the veggie dishes were a bit more typical. Service was fine! No complaints. Ambiance was also nice- good place to go for a group dinner. I'm reading a lot of reviews and a few of them give praise and a few of them are saying their food was chewy and flavourless- and while I can't speak for anyone else but myself, I would wholeheartedly agree that this restaurant is very good! I don't think you could go wrong by coming here.