Mayflower Chinese Takeaway in Vale of White Horse

Absolutely adore a takeaway from The May Flower, enjoying exploring the menu but just can’t say no to the generous Mayflower Special Rice and saucy Crispy Chilli Shredded Beef. Just love ordering lots of different things and sharing amongst the family. Such good value for what you get. No photos, we scoffed it all.

Avoid its the worst Chinese you will have buy absolutely fuming wasted my money couldn't eat it it's that bad

Salt and pepper ribs were fantastic - moist and flavorful. The special fried rice was good but not great. I thought the portion was small for the price. But I would definitely go back

Satay chicken, crispy chilli beef and prawn toast were all amazing. Chicken balls were a little dry, special fried rice was fine but not the best I’ve had and portion sizes could be a little better, but I feel like the overall quality of the food makes up for this. Great service, will definitely be going back! I also feel like it’s important to mention we went at about 18:30 on a Saturday and it was incredibly busy but there was no issue with sorting out our order and getting it to us quickly!

Drove from Dunmow to Collect food when I got home 2 dishes where missing (ridiculous) rang and told them they said come and get it, I asked for a concession they said they would ask, poor really given the distance they declined and the chicken balls tasted like old foot skin.

Honestly been coming here for ages and never had a problem but today the chicken is inedible as stringy as anything and generally making me question if it’s even chicken.

Singapore Noodle to die for everything from the sweet and sour to the spring rolls cooked to perfection. With we lived locally so we could visit more often.

I’m just gonna say something quickly. Something quickly. Anyway. I’ve been to Mars and the Chinese up there was bussin compared to this, I worked for a short while, as an electron and found more mass than what I had in these containers. The Curry sauce was more lumpy than uncle vernon. The prawn crackers where staler than my marriage. And the beef was dryer than my humour. -1000 out of 10. Moving house. Forever. This is what thatcher wanted.

First class Chinese cuisine that compares well with any other Chinese takeaway I have tried. I am very surprised that some other customers have complained.

I honestly don't understand the (very few) people who give this place good reviews, it's the absolute worst chinese we've ever had. Tried them multiple times over the years but the food is very very bad. No idea how it's still going as a business, all the positive reviews seem to know the owner Debbie, so maybe there's something there - you can believe the bad reviews, it's god awful.

More disappointing than growing up!!

Tried this takeaway for the first time today and had nothing to complain about at all. The Won Ton soup was exactly what I wanted, the chicken chow mein and chicken in hot bean sauce was delicious and the house chicken wings were really tasty. The prawn toast was nice and crunchy and not too greasy which is commonly an issue in some takeaways. The food was cooked very promptly and the person that took the order was polite and friendly. Will definitely be back 👍

It's such a shame as I love Chinese food but this place is just awful and I don't understand how they are still in business. Seriously, who is going there and deciding that they ever want to eat that again? I did retry it again recently in the vain hope that things would have improved but it's still as bad as ever. I'm not saying this to be mean, I really hope they read this review and all the others and get the message that they have to make big improvements but I suspect they won't. I don't know what the handful of people who give it good reviews are on, crack presumably?! Please Mayflower, either get better or close down so we can have a local Chinese that wants to serve good quality food to the local community. Until then, I'll have to keep using out of town places I guess.

I came here hoping it wouldn’t be too bad, however unfortunately there is quite a lot they need to change. I had some mini veg spring rolls and egg fried rice which was delicious, however it was until I opened everything else that was the problem. My mum had a chicken in black bean and it was extremely watery - it was just a total mess; looked liked a dogs dinner! I ordered chicken chein mein and the chicken was so hard and rubbery and at first I thought the noodles were yummy but by the end I was covered in grease! The whole meal was just greasy! Also the seaweed I ordered was ash. burnt to a crisp. Such a shame! I am writing this review because I want to try and help them to understand that their food is clearly not selling well! I would listen to the reviews and customers and improve now!!

Ordered food picked it up chicken balls were rock solid chicken was also all the was bland don’t recommend this place at all

I’ve been using this Chinese for 30 years now! Had a few bad meals as in chicken balls over done/ greasy pancake roll… however all in all the food is tasty and flavoursome! Sweet and sour prawn balls melt in your mouth, Singapore fried rice is fab and the pancake roll is delicious. We all have bad days so give it a try hopefully you enjoy it I could eat there everyday !!

I’ve been using the Mayflower as my preferred Chinese takeaway for over 30 years. The curry sauce is the best I’ve ever had , nothing has ever come close! Any other Chinese I try seems bland in comparison. Well run, friendly family takeaway

Best Chinese I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many! This is true Hong Kong style cuisine. Not the average over-anglicised Chinese that you find in London or Manchester restaurants. A unique traditional take-away experience. Enjoy.

The Duck was nice but the beef in black bean sauce look like dishwater and tasted disgusting! The crispy chili beef was gopping! I can only think that the lady behind the counter was wearing her mask so she wouldn't be identified in a crime scene line up!

Do NOT attempt to eat from here, it's a shocker! I felt unwell afterwards. The food is awful, tasteless, greasy, and bland. I would not like to see the hygiene in the kitchen.

Absolute worst place ever!!!! Worst chinese i've ever had i never normally call or complain but the food was absolutely disgusting and so bland so I called up and was trying to explain our experience. I then got a load of abuse from the lady at the reception with pink hair. Blaming me saying it was all my fault! I said im with four girls and all of us have complained saying the food is disgusting and don't want to eat it she was sooooo rude on the phone I said I'd bring it back and speak to her face to face. When I arrived I opened the door and she attacked me with abuse, but the most concerning part was that she was livid that we tried the food and she couldn't resell it that we had brought back at her request. Then when she was told to give our money back she literally threw it at us. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!!

Worst take out I have ever had its in the bin and went to local pub instead for my dinner I was the first customer in the door so you would expect bad food when they are to busy not straight away . I have never seen so much oil in any food ever im glad I'm on holiday here and this isn't my local . I cut open a pancake roll and it was like an oil tanker had run aground the amount of grease that came out of it I apologise to the local water companies that will have to clean up the oil slick after washing up my plate

We've been going to The Mayflower for about 20 years - love Debs to bits. Would love a delivery service, but that won't stop us going!! Food is always tasty, and prices are more than reasonable 😊

Literally the worst excuse of 'food' I've ever eaten. 8 of us ordered and none of us thought it was any good. The Sweet n Sour Chicken Balls were like rocks, the Chilli fried beef was actually pale in colour and the dish contained a red blob of congealed 'something' in the corner. The Chicken was rubbery and flavourless. If there were a zero rating button, this would be used. Save your money, do not visit this abomination.

Not going to lie worst chinese I have ever had! Sweet and sour chicken balls was like rubber and been re-heated more than twice. Beef in black bean sauce was more like boiled beef (very chewy) in a sauce that had a few black beans in the chicken chow mean was OK. Food was ready literally 3 minutes after I order, not a good sign overall very, very poor

I saw the slew of negative reviews after I ordered and wondered what I was in for, but I need not have worried. It was old school in many ways but very tasty and good value for money. Two of us for less than £15. Will go back.

I am fairly new to Faringdon and fancied a Chinese, after reading reviews online I thought people might have been over reacting saying ‘worst Chinese I’ve ever had’ etc. So I thought how bad can it be? Surely it can’t be that bad!? So decided to find out for myself. I’m telling you now they were right. By far the worst Chinese I have ever had in my life you will 100% regret it. I’m not even that fussy about food quality but it genuinely was that bad! So so dry. The rice was hard, chicken was so dry, chicken balls dry, crispy chilli beef had no flavour or chilli, and sweet and sour sauce was runny and barely any flavour. See the attached photo of a chicken ball that’s been opened, see for yourself how dry it just looks let alone tastes! Will not be going back!

Our salt n pepper ribs were black and swimming in grease. The chillie chicken was so crispy it was nearly rock hard but the sticky beef was ok and the rice was fine.

I’ve been getting my take away from mayflower for years it’s the best Chinese by far would definitely recommend run by a lovely family who are always welcoming and friendly

I was really surprised by the number of negative reviews for the Mayflower! I don't go often, but every time I do I'm pleased with both the food and the customer service. I particularly like their black bean dishes.

Great food. Excellent value for money really enjoyed my meal.

By far the worst Chinese in England! Recommended by boss, food was overcooked and dry. Rude staff when complaint was made. Never go there if you value your Chinese food

Great quality tasty food and quick. Love Debs and will always visit when I'm in the village :)

Portions were very small , expensive & didn’t taste of much at all ! They forgot our chips . Shredded chilli beef had more grease than beef . Chicken balls were so dry they went in the bin as well . Gutted!!!!!

We thought we try it again after we had a poor takeaway last year. We now regret that decision. If you looking for a good meal save your money and look elsewhere. Don’t make the same mistake as we did. Just shocking and never again.

Outstanding food for 32 yrs , I live in Wiltshire now, but still call in when passing! I cannot get these bad reviews!!

The Mayflower used to give great service and provide delicious food - but we've suddenly had the worst meal ever. Took well over an hour to come. Two items were wrong and the usually delicious Chiu yin Squid had dry, chewy batter with only a tiny bit of squid inside. We were also charged for delivery, which should've been free according to the website. When I called to complain, I was told that no one else had complained about the squid in the restaurant the previous night (so it must be me...) and got no apology for the incorrect items. Was put through to someone who said they would replace the squid and incorrect items and told us to package everything up for them to collect - so we had to wait while this happened. When I called again about the delivery charge, I found out it is under new management. Well, they are rubbish and so is the food and service. I don't expect to argue with someone about the mistakes they have made. Bad, stupid lack of customer service.

I can’t understand the good reviews for this place, it’s by far and away the worse Chinese takeaway I’ve had the misfortune of using. We didn’t order a lot but none of it was good to the point where we decided we’d rather have some toast instead. I can’t say the service was friendly either and as others have said, you cannot use card to pay which instantly raises a flag up in my books... Don’t waste your money, go to Mings

Nice friendly lady behind counter but the food is by far the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. Chicken in chicken balls was dry being belief and tasted like the oil was years old.also they were put in he bag upside down so most of them ended up on h floor when I picked them out of the bag. Chicken in the curry was the same. The portion size of the chips is a total joke. Ribs were tough and extremely salty. Never again sorry

This was the first time we had ever used this take-away and noticed that it had mixed reviews but thought we'd give it a chance anyway.I'll start off by saying that we won't be going back because the food was 'just about' edible - if you were hungry, but that's all.I had sweet & sour chicken balls in batter and my wife had chicken Chow Mein. My meal looked appetising enough but the sauce to pour over it was quite thin and watery - but more importantly, it lacked any distinct flavours. It was also immediately absorbed by the chicken balls, leaving none for my rice. I was disappointed to find the chicken inside the balls was very dry and not particularly enjoyable.My wife's Chow Mein was made up with very thin noodles, rather than the thicker ones you'd normally expect - and it lacked much of the sauce associated with this dish. The chicken in it looked re-fried and was hard. There were very few vegetables in it either and overall, it looked quite aenemic; the whole dish really looked unappetising and proved to be quite dry and bland.We also ordered some mini Spring Rolls that were equally disappointing and dry, along with some Prawn crackersSo that's it, we didn't order any rice (we did our own at home) and the whole meal cost us about £13.50, which was the only acceptable part of the experience (if the meal had been nice).

Very disappointing Chow Mein - dry and tasteless. Won't be returning 😒

Ordered from here as Mings is closed on a Sunday and it was the biggest regret! £18 worth of food and all we ate was the chips and egg fried rice simply because we were starving. Hong Kong style chicken pieces didn't even taste of sweet and sour, chicken curry was vile to say the least just dry and tasteless, chicken chow mein again was dry and tasteless with what looked like chunks of pre cooked packet chicken mixed in and that is all. Can't express enough how honestly awful it was and I will NEVER return here.

Ordered from here as Mings is closed on a Sunday and it was the biggest regret! £18 worth of food and all we ate was the chips and egg fried rice simply because we were starving.Hong Kong style chicken pieces didn't even taste of sweet and sour, chicken curry was vile to say the least just dry and tasteless, chicken chow mein again was dry and tasteless with what looked like chunks of pre cooked packet chicken mixed in and that is all. Can't express enough how honestly awful it was and I will NEVER return here.

Noodles very dry chicken very very dry literally couldnt chew through it and all very tasteless best bit was the chips and they was just ok. Wish Mings would open on a sunday

Had a couple of chow meins from this place and they were not good. Very dry noodles and completely tasteless.

Eating from here over 20 years . Think ive only ever had one bad meal in that time. Debbie is lovely and happy to accommodate. A revamp could be an idea, delivery service would be even better 🤞

I have been going to Mayflower since 1988 and the food is superb and Debbie is always happy

Not very good gone down hill, Ming's down the road is a lot better.

Best Chinese food I've ever had, hence I still call in if passing, 20yrs after leaving Faringdon...Need I say more?

Went there twice in the restaurant section, the food was nice and reasonably priced. The service was very good and the staff very friendly. Recommend it to people looking for generous portions at a good price.

Ok food, but a little bit pricey

Spent the day at Silverstone and not prepared to pay for expensive poor quality food, so waited till I got home.Ordered a meal and didn't have to wait too long. Piled it on my plate and it was lovely. Cooked nicely, very warm and filling. What more do you need.

Food's good but would be more convenient if they took cards.

Food was dry and tasteless. And portion sizes were a joke a total waste of money

Este Chino intentó llevar a la recomendación de un amigo, más no ahora. No muy especial (como nos hizo creer). El arroz era insípido y soso, el pollo con fideos fritos al mismo como la Choi Mein. Resultó que la mitad de ella. No vamos a volver, en el lado positivo, el personal es muy amable y la comida es un precio razonable.

I have been going back to the Mayflower for almost 9 years now, and I have always had superb food which tastes great and is good value for money. Reading the few negatives reviews on here, makes me think that some disgruntled customers have become too accustomed to commercial, main-stream Anglicised 'Chinese' crappy food which has nothing to do with traditional Cantonese cuisine. No disrespect, but please travel to Suburban Hong Kong, and not Slough, before you make your mind up!

My usual takeaway was constantly engaged so I tried the Mayflower.

A warm welcome with reasonable prices and good, hot, well cooked food. Probably the best in Faringdon.

Stay away unless you want bland tasteless food covered in grease. One of the worst Chinese ever! The chicken balls in sweet and sour were very chewy

Worst Chinese ever, the chow mein was like they just used supernoodles and chucked a bit of chicken in it, no sauce terrible. Crispy lamb looked like it had seen better days a week ago. Most of the meals went in the bin if that take away is still there in a few months I'll be very surprised serving rubbish like that.

This Chinese is local too me I use regularly and enjoy the food twice a month maybe nore.....sometimes I also use the other Chinese mings for lunchtime as the am flower is shut then.

Not only was the food dear for what I ordered, the food itself was not nice. The chicken and noodles were both dry. Overall I wish I didn't spend my money on the place. 😌

we arrived without booking but were quickly seated. The service was quietly efficient, the food excellent, and one minor variation from that ordered was immediately corrected. Well worth a visit

The greasiest, fattiest tasting food I've ever let pass my lips. Truly horrific Chinese takeaway that was once pretty good Seems to be going downhill of late

As previous comment we ordered chowmein and got thin rice noodles dripping in grease.. Absolutely awful will never go there again

It's been a while but after moving back to Faringdon I thought I would give the Mayflower another go. The beef and green pepper in black bean sauce was awesome and the chicken in the other dishes really well cooked. Deb's always remembers us even after a long time away.

Debbie is fantastic, she recognises people on the phone before you give your name. The food is delicious and very reasonably priced.

The food is nice, the service is quick and friendly, but they don't take payment by card.There is a cash point very close by.

I'm a Japanese, I ate this shop's chow men and fried rice and feel good :)In this shop, some customers came with ordering before.

Meals were all some bizzare take on what they were suppost to be with little resemblance to that which you would get in any other asian resteraunt or take away. Black bean chicken for example was a garlic chicken stock with a few beans and bits of pepper thrown in for good measure. To top of this fairly poor meal everyone who ate fell ill shortly after with stomach disscomfort. My advice would be avoid!

Shall I compare thee to a summers chow meinThou art more tender and more chickenRough sauce doth coat the darling noodles of torsion And Chinese least have all too small a portion

Ordered fromHere last night, my friend and I ordered omelette. The omelette arrived in 2cm of fat and grease, and the omelettes were green and grey an looks unedible. We ordered a large portion of chips and were given chips that aren't equivalent to a small portion. My other friends ordered various other Chinese meals and apparently we're too salty and tasted vile. Our order came to £40 and the majority of this was thrown in the bin. Absolutely appalling, not even sure why they are still in business.

The difference between mings and mayflower - the only two chineses in faringdon is uncomparable. Mings is a chip shop/chinese whereas mayflower is chinese only.Love the owner. She makes you feel more than welcome. We always have duck in lychee (only takeaway ive ever been to which does this) salt and pepper squid, crispy lamb in plum sauce, crispy chilli beef, egg fried rice, pork noodles and pancake roll. This is enough food to feed an army I know but we can never choose between these dishes as they ate so delicious! Dishes never rushed, cooked to order and taste as if cooked with love :)

This is what I remember a chinese take away to be. Nowadays they seem to try and be too posh, this one just does good, as it used to be.

i thought we would try a diffrent takeaway.... would never go here again. chicken balls were dry and rock hard... noodles were hard(ordered chow mein and got rice noodles).. beef over cooked and chewy... all had to go in the bin....STAY AWAY;!!!

you are the best chinese shop there is in faringdon :)

I worked out how much it should be and when I turned up they charged me 6 quid more than the menu prices said the owner said that they had gone up they should try bringing out a up to date menu and price list

For the price the food isn't terrible. Some things are better than others and that's what keeps me going back. Waiting times for food are generally average though most of the time I do wish they'd hurry it along a bit.