Szechuan in West Berkshire

Sorry, ordered the simplest of dishes, Chicken Curry, Egg Fried Rice and a Spring Roll. This is has been our takeaway for many years and is usually pretty good. Covid had an impact, the visible through a window takeaway section had to close and now food is cooked by the sister sit down restaurant next door. The Chicken Curry was awful, the sauce was almost cement like, way to much thickener it was the same shape as the plastic container when tipped out. The Spring Roll tasted weird, almost stale like. Unfortunately we won’t be going there again as it’s spoilt what would have been a nice evening, TV, Curry and a bottle of wine.

The worst Chinese I’ve ever had from here. Spent just shy of £25 on a Sunday evening and the food was cold, very poor quality and resulted in me being very sick this evening! Disappointed or angry not sure which describes my experience best..

I bought a takeaway from this restaurant last night at a cost of £34.30. Part of the order was 2 portions of Crispy Chilli Beef. We started with this. It was absolutely disgusting. Obviously cooked in rancid fat, it made both my husband and I feel quite sick. We consequently could not risk even opening the rest of the order and so threw the whole lot straight into the bin. I shall never use this place again and I shall make sure that none of my friends do either.

Had a takeaway for two people. Food cold. Prawn toast were rubbery and crackers overcooked. Satay dry and generally tasteless. Received and charged for food we didn’t order. £34 spent on a disappointing meal. We chose this place as we thought it was the best locally. How wrong we were. Will not go back.

Yuk We spent nearly £30 for 2 people for our Saturday Takeaway and unfortunately it all went in the bin. Disgusting soup so thick it would hardly come out of the pot. Chicken in pineapple was gross tasted like grapefruit. Horrible prawn crackers didn't enjoy it at all. This will be my last visit. We need a decent Chinese restaurant in Newbury and Thatcham - miss The Laurel.

Disappointed with our order. Prawn crackers were not crispy. Vegetable curry was cold as were the chips The rest of our order was satisfactory. But its not the first time we've been disappointed .

Very disappointed. It’s a shame you have gone down hill. Used to be excellent ☹️ Had a takeout tonight. Not good I’m afraid.

Very disappointing dinner, the chicken and mushroom was simply tasteless and the Szechuan prawns mostly consisted of onion chunks. Would no be ordering again.

Had Szechuan prawns and chicken & mushrooms, plus rice and starters and really wasn’t impressesd at all. The prawns dish was mainly made up of big chunks of onion and the chicken one was very bland with no flavour coming through. Won’t be trying again I’m afraid.

Great takeaway, cook freshly and ready when they said it would be. Had a mix of beef and chicken dishes with rice and noodles. All were made with quality ingredients with plenty of meat. I will be going back.

Tried Szechuan Express for the first time last night. I can honestly say it was the worst I have ever had.It went straight in the bin,I live 8 miles away so couldn’t be bothered to return it.Never again!!! The pictures tell there own story Chilli Beef,Special Chow Main.

very bad paid £26.90 for E1 menue was the worst takeaway ever .Can start to explain it was that bad.Just dont use it.

Grandchildren were delighted to get a take-away after school and it didn't disappoint--duck pancakes, seaweed, rice ,satay skewers, prawn crackers and chow mein all disappeared very quickly! Delicious!

Great menu selection and cooked beautifully with no saturated oil like you get in other resturants. Whether ordering take away or sitting. Must choice for area

Usually this is my favourite Chinese takeaway. The set meal that I just ordered -E1- was tasteless, contained either tinned or frozen veg. Portions were scanty, especially the prawn toast. The main complaint was the blandness and complete lack of flavour. Will not use again.

Got a takeaway from here as I have done in the past but it has gone downhill. I ordered the beef satay as a starter and chilli chicken as a main. The beef satay ha a mushroom on each end of the skewer but as they were covered in sauce it was unnoticed until I took a bite, my initial reaction was I had bitten into a slug, not a nice start. The chilli ken contained so much chestnut that I thought I had turned veggie. However the Singapore noodles I had ordered tasted very nice and the portion size was huge.

Second time this week to this takeaway There curry’s are excellent Had a big order this time Everything was hot and very tasty Would recommend to anyone Very consistent with serving good food

Good selection. Decent prices. Fast service. Watch them cooking whilst you wait. How much more do you need?

Great takeaway service where you can view the kitchen. Very quick and efficient service. The vegetarian dishes work out quite expensive but in general the food is tasty with a good chouce

Use this take away venue whenever I have friends to stay. Lovely variety of dishes, which can be pre--ordered or chosen on site. Always enjoy the dishes I choose.

We always use this takeaway always hot and tasty,very polite staff.tried other takeaways around but just keep going back to this one,so may it continue.

Fab food as usual, this is our go to Chinese in the area. Quick service and good price. Varied menu, suits all taste buds.

Yes the takeaway is very nice and prompt service. Very busy so I advice you to order on the phone. A little piece of advise is to order the takeaway from the restaurant next door, a much better quality and great service. Advice you to...

it was bad from the phone call really I got hung up on while I was just asking my partner a question! but I phoned back! ordered £35 worth and was told it would be 5 minutes?? collected our order... ribs- meet fell off bone...

Unfortunately the Pork rib starter was very dry , usually get sauce !! Rice was also dry, and no flavour to my pork sweet & sour either !! ........must have been leftovers from yesterday. At the cost of £18 , it was very disappointing.

I've probably had over 50 takeaways from this place starting in 2009. Back then it was the best in Thatcham but something has gone seriously wrong! The last couple of takeaways have been really poor. The latest last Saturday was the worst I think I've...

Been using the Szechuan for some years but it has slipped recently, the quality has gone down, and the food is hidden In some very sugary sauces. I have tried elsewhere now and decided to give this one a bit of a rest. It was...

We have had a zillion Chinese take aways from here over the years - we would never go elsewhere for a Chinese when at home - faultless service - we ring an order (sometimes over £100 worth if we have family visiting) - they always...

Rude staff rush you while ordering,write down the wrong items then shout at customers !!! Curry and curry sauce is just full of salt. Will not return !!!

It's always fantastic, food is cooked amazingly fast (when they say 15mins think 10! Or less. Staff are always helpful and don't forget you can order from the restaurant menu as well (get the steamed dumplings they are excellent!)

Having sampled "real Chinese" food whilst working in China I have to say I am not a fan of the UK version of it and quite often suffer after eating it. Having said that we decided to give it a go instead of the normal...

Watch your food being cooked while you wait. A great take away. The good is always top notch. Highly recommended. No photos sorry.

Simply the best Chinese around for takeaways. They can exclude Chilliest of requested and the Crispy Duck is always lovely . Best crispy beef I have ever had including restaurants

Food can be hit and miss.the telephone orders I difficult as they don't seem to understand and is the only Chinese I've ever been to where you spend over £15 and still don't getprawn crackers free if you want them you get charged £1.20

This is where we have bought Chinese takeaway as a treat for many years and always had excellent meals. But this Saturday was defiantly a bad day for the chefs! Chilli beef was not cooked, too large uncooked carrots in the chilli beef. Prawn toast...

We have been many times over quite a few years and we always enjoy it. The food is excellent and the you get very attentive service, always feel like the only customer. Happy to tailor some dishes to suit you palette.

Been going here for a long time we no Jeffrey very well the food is very good we all ways pick different things don't have set menu to often

Used Szechaun Express for many years...never been disappointed ...we ring ahead and always it takes 10 minutes to pick up...sometimes for 20 people yet still cooked fresh in 10 mins!

Our first visit to this excellent Chinese restaurant. The food was amazing and so was the service. The owner has been here over 20 years and it is clear to see why so many people come here time after time. We will definitely be returning...

I Found the staff here very friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere totaly stunning with beautiful music. The food delicious and plentyful. Each course arrived piping hot and colourful within its variety. The premises were very clean and comfortable. This is a beautiful setting to go...

I liked the open kitchen which I thought was a nice touch but the food was pretty disappointing. I should say that I'm a vegetarian and so was looking for a bean curd based dish. I asked what they had and was told that they...

We use the Szechaun Express as our take away of choice and have done for many years now. Food can be seen cooked to order and the range is pretty decent.

The best in town - regardless of what anyone else tells you. Fast turnaround Always well cooked Entertaining to watch cooks through the window

I living in Thatcham I use the Szechaun Express every now & then. Like all restaurants it's not entirely consistent. One visit it'll be exceptional & then the next quite average, so my advise will be, if you fancy some Chinese give it a go,...

We have many times visited this lively Chinese Restaurant but most recently our older teenage children have decreed we should use it to celebrate their various milestones like family gatherings for a 21st birthday. I am sure the stuffier family members will have thought the...

I have been coming to the Szechuan ever since I was young- it used to be our go to place for celebrations when I was younger. I haven't been in years since moving to London and so booked with a bit of trepidation nervous that...

We always use the Szechaun Express when we have family takeaways. The S.E is the family firm favourite as the food is always flavourful and the speed of service is something out of this world! Sadly the inside could do with a slight do up...

Not much on the menu for non meat eaters. The specials are quite high in price for what you get. Portion size are quite small for the prices they're charging. Service was quick though and food was hot.

Arrived at the restaurant and was greeted by very friendly staff, also the manager. Our friends arrived and we were sat at a round table. We had various dishes very generous portions cooked to perfection fresh fish lovely spices. The duck was delicious with plenty...

This takeaway is so good you must try good value for money quick service evey time friendly staff should try the main restaurant too

Been there few times, normally for the £10 Sunday buffet (and £5 for child under 10) with set of selections which I consider very good for £10. The level of the service varies depending on who are on duty but the manager Chi is good...

Celebrated a family members birthday here and the service ruined the occasion. Very rude staff! One of the girls rudely asked to give her space to clean the plates, being shouted at to order drinks now, one of the men taking the mick out my...

One of the best Chinese meals I've ever had. Wish it was closer to were I live now. The service is good and friendly. Although you sometimes feel that they want to get you in and out.

Been visiting this restaurant for 25 years or so, as we used to live in Bucklebury, close by. Last week, flying visit to see family and friends and five of us had a terrific gourande feast here. The service was excellent....attentive, but without being overbearing,...

Been going here with my family ever since I was young. 20 year later still great food is great, service is friendly. Best Chinese in the area. We travel all the way from Kintbury about 20-30 mins to go here.

We went to celebrate my parents 64th wedding anniversary, for lunch. We were the only people in the restaurant so received lots of attention but it was not overpowering. The food was excellent as was the wine although it was rather pricey, but they say...

We have eaten many times in the Szechuan restaurant next door and always had a very good experience. The other evening we did not have enough time to sit down so used the Express to get a take away meal. The lemon chicken was obviously...

I booked a table for this meal, It was a set menu on this night ,I have been before and not been disappointed, We had starters a platter of food to start , It was good. Then we had crispy duck with pancakes. Then we...

We went as a group on Chinese New Year so the restaurant was packed. The waiters do not have any system of looking after tables so the service was pretty random - we tried for 20 minutes to get more drinks and when they did...

We have enjoyed this resatuarant for over twenty years and have never been disapointed whenever we go in The staff have always been a credit to Geoffrey

For someone who prefers starters rather than the main course, the Sunday buffet for £10per head was ideal. Wish the waiters and waitresses smiled though.

This place is really good for food. .......but.....it puts a dampener on things when I see they are getting busted by police recently Because of their illegal immigrant workers Make your own minds up about it. I'm just being honest

Fantastic in every way! Food was delicious, every dish ordered was loved. Service very attentive. Perfect for celebrating a special occassion. Wear comfortable clothes as you will end up eating everything as it is so lovely!

The food in this small Chinese Restaurant is excellent - good size portions and good value for money. The servcie is excellent with a very friendly / helpful staff. Thoroughly recommended and we will certainly be going back for more...

Excellent selection of food, quality always good. We had a charity event with 50+ customers and the staff managed everything very well.

Have been using this restaurant for many many years and have always enjoyed my many visits both with family and friends. When anyone asks where I would prefer to eat the Szechuan is my choice. The Peking feast meal for 2 or more is excellent...

Thoroughly enjoyed our evening. The food and service was exceptional and it was good value for money too. The staff were very helpful in assisting us with our choices of food as we had not eaten there before. Will definitely be going again.

Having friends in Thatcham we frequently choose Szechuan for meals out and celebrations, as was the case this weekend. I totally agrtee with previous reviewers that the food is delicious and of good quality, with reasonable sized portions, plus friendly and efficient service. But by...

The food--the ribs and the Crispy Duck are always reliable but for a change order the Crispy Lamb--its delicious ---the service is reliable and they are always very helpful--a great night out can be had here with a few friends.

We had a set meal for four and thought this was great value for money, also gave us a chance of tasting other dishes we would not normally order. The staff were great and also the food was very tasty top marks.

Ideal for family occasions. service is friendly and efficient if at times rather fast and furious. However the food cannot be faulted with their extensive menu there is something for everyone.

We have been using this restaurant for many years, and not just because we live within walking distance. We often go as an extended family for birthdays etc, as the atmosphere and service is very good and attentive. The traditional Peking and Thai food is...

Good service and quality with a good atmosphere. Staff were helpful and explained dishes if they were not known by you.

We have eaten in several times and get a takeaway at least once a month. Fantastic chinese food at affordable prices.

This is a great restaurant where the service is faultless and the food is just delicious and never ending! Ive been here twice in the last month with a group from work for birthday celebrations and we will be back again next time. The staff...

I have been going to this restaurant for approx 25 years and never ever had a bad meal there, the quality is consistently amazing. Me and family always have the set meal which is a feast! The huge plate full of amazing starters is definately...

Went for a Mother's Day treat Sunday buffet with parents and my wife and daughter. We all enjoyed our meal and there was plenty of food served with a smile. Good attentive service with plenty of tasty Chinese tea on tap. Recommended