Szechuan House in Birmingham

For well over 20 years we have eaten from Szechuan House regularly and considered it the best Chinese take-away in the area by far. We never had a bad dish and the food and service was always wonderful. Sadly, however, it seems to be under new management since we last ordered from there a few months ago. There was no warning or announcement, as far as we were aware, so the first indication of the change was when we phoned to order. Our number has always been recognised by the extremely friendly and efficient Chinese staff, who never had to be told our address. Last week we were answered by a really rude lady with a broad Brummy accent who seemed to struggle with the menu and not even know what was on it. When the food arrived, it was the worst Chinese meal we have ever had. The ribs, normally thick, juicy and in a tasty barbecue sauce, were very dry and fatty, like old meat in a thick, jelly-like substance, like treacle that had no flavour at all but was extremely salty. The spring rolls, normally in a light, crispy pastry stuffed with a fresh, moist & very tasty beansprout mixture, had a thick, stodgy, soggy pastry with tasteless, not at all fresh beansprouts. The prawn toast was just as bad: a layer of very dry, chewy, badly minced prawns with bits of shell in it just sitting rather than spread into the top of very dry toast. Again, it was tasteless but very salty. The pork dumplings were soggy pasty filled with a tasteless, gelatinous mixture, nothing like any pork filling we've ever had before. The Seaweed was overcooked and the fish flavour so overpowering that I gagged. The main courses were also truly awful. Rice noodles with pork (my favourite usually) were dry (the bits of pork that are usually juicy and fresh, were like scrap leftovers that had been sitting around for a couple of days. The Char Siu was not Char Siu at all. Char Siu is actually marinated then roast pork served sliced with a distinctive red colour around the edges and nothing else. What we got was boiled pork in a bland but salty glutinous sauce with vegetables. The beef dish was no better, with dry beef in a very thick very salty sauce that just tasted of soy sauce. The rice was probably the best dish but even that was overcooked but dry and crispy around the edges. I like my food salty and always add extra, to the dismay of my family, but even for me this meal was far too salty, I suppose to mask the lack of taste. To top it all there were no fortune cookies. Suffice to say that, after nearly 25 years, we are having to find a new Chinese takeaway as there is not a chance on earth that we will ever eat from Sezchuan House again, particularly given the 'dodgy' stomachs we all suffered through all night. The food reminded me of the kind of bland tasteless 'Chinese' food, full of monosodium glutomate, that was served in the 1970s when foreign food takeaways were unusual and most Brits thought vol-au-vents were sophisticated. If we could give Szechuan House zero stars, we would. Such a shame.

I ordered Szechuan chicken at just after 5pm. Within 15 mins it was delivered but it was not Szechuan chicken. It was chop suey with tons of sweet chili sauce. I threw the second half away

manager is an absolute disgrace, rude when i came in with my brother to collect my food, food was cold and nearly raw, the poor girl at the counter was absolutely exhaused and clearly overworked which is unruly when running a business and should be investigated immediately. i have been a loyal customer to this chinese and have been coming here for 18 years but from what i have seen and tried to eat in the last 7 months has truly disturbed me. i will not be returning or giving my custom in the near future!

Friendly local Chinese takeaway 😋. Great food and great prices, always get a happy and jolly service.

NOT HALAL food is not bad but unlikely its not halal

Good portions and fast delivery.

Ok food but a little expensive, so I was disgusted to be charged 10 pence for the cheap bag they put the takeaway food in. I don't doubt that they have to pay for these bags but come on, 10 pence. I cook Chinese food just as good myself, so I know it is relatively cheap to cook, so they are making a huge profit anyway without charging for a bag you haven't asked for. How long before they start charging for the cartons.

Must of changed hands food was horrible funny taste.spare ribs came in a bbq sauce that was like thick custard. Couldn’t even bite into ribs as they were so tough and rubbery. Never going back

Have used for many years but the food we bought last night was very disappointing and we spent nearly £80 The salt and pepper squid was very dry. We ordered salt and pepper chicken wings and received chicken pieces - again very dry. Sweet and sour King Prawn was not fresh - the prawns had been cooked before so were dry and tasted old. Crispy aromatic duck was dry. Singapore chow mein was okay. I'm not sure if this food is pre-prepared and reheated, or frozen, or whether it's just old stock.. but it was not up to par. Would you be prepared to refund us some of the money we paid?

Got my usual order Singapore vermicelli and Thai spare ribs. Enjoyed it as always. If this place has changed hands then I can’t tell, and I’m a Chinese cook. If you think the new owners have gone out of their way to change all the tried and trusted seasonings and sauces then you need your head checking. All this stuff is bought in. None of it is made fresh. You just don’t like the idea of change.

Been using for as many years as I care to remember popped in for a special chow mein tonight and totally different to what I have had before it was bone dry with hardly any sauce to moisten it and it was just covered in what appeared to be chilli powder suffice to say I didn't eat it and now reading other reviews it must of changed owners. It was a Singapore chow mein and if you remember I asked for no pork plus I queried the cost as menu said £6.50 and you said its £6.60

Have been using this place for over 15 years, ordered this evening and food was totally different 😩. Found out they have changed hands...I am absolutely gutted!! Don't understand why new managers feel the need to change suppliers or the way they cook the food. Now need to find somewhere else 🙄

NEW MANAGEMENT GOT MY FOOD IN A MUCH SMALLER CONTAINER= CRAFTY

I called without a menu as I’d been recommended by a friend I don’t live in the area I live in Acocks Green the food arrived quickly and was warm and very tasty I would definitely recommend trying

Excellent food always fresh pipping hot fast delivery amazing flavours really well potioned would highly recommend this shop

This is a takeaway we visit regularly, usually love our meal. This time our spring rolls were dripping in oil, even after wrapping in kitchen paper they were far too greasy. We ordered chicken & shrimp curry we declined a side of rice because we we usually enjoy pineapple fried rice. Thee was very little chicken but a good portion of shrimps Pineapple fried rice ( this is NOT a side but meal charged) there should be pineapple and mixed meats, a couple of bits of pineapple & a little chi chicken NO char Sui NO shrimps. I telephoned the takeaway they did apologise, told me they would speak to the kitchen said the spring rolls must have been put straight into the bag. With regard to the pineapple fried rice they offered another portion but as I had said we would hardly enjoy at that moment. The gentleman mention Chinese New Year celebrations Think I will wait until celebrations are over before I visit again.

I would not go anywhere else. All the staff are really friendly especially the owners 10/10 on every level

Always get delivery from here good food at avreage prices reccomend this place if youre feeling like a quick take out❤👍👍

Only Chinese take away I would use been going there from the first day they were open

your place is filthy and disgusting I am absolutely dumbfounded at how rude and ignorant you are. you absolute idiots don't how to cook basic food to the point where it gave me partner extreme food poisening. this is outrageous NEVER EVER GO HERE. when we called you to say you gave my partner food poisoning you didn't care and didn't even offer a refund which is absolutely crazy.AGAIN NEVER GO HERE unless you want a trip to the doctors.

Having tried this place a couple of times the food is always nice and it seems a popular place with the locals. I tried singapore fried rice, which was really nice. l specifically asked to make it slightly hot and it hit the spot. Well worth trying the place if you have never been here before.

We have been going to szechuan House for over 15 years now. Wouldn't go anywhere else. Always wonderful food. Friendly staff, clean and good value x

Been using this place as my nearly every Friday go to place for few years now, but now out of the blue they have blocked my phone number. The food is amazing don't get me wrong but i am unhappy that i can no longer call and place an order due to mysterious reasons. I wish the owners would reply with what went wrong and such.

absolutely adore this place, i'm such a fussy eater and they adhere to my needs perfectly. the chicken chowmein is beautiful, never undercooked. no word of a lie i order from here about 2 times a week😂

I come from Wales and I always get my Chinese from .. lovely food

Love the food from here but just lately they are putting more and more onions in the dishes. End up picking half of them out so a bit disappointing.

Great food, consistent, reliable and reasonable priced

Best Chinese takeaway, friendly service and great food.

They have changed the chips😮‍💨to cheap fries...come on guys don't spoil it know

Always lovely fresh food and good service. My husband loves Chinese food but I’m not as keen but I like this place and enjoy the Butterfly king prawns and rice.

Always got a friendly reception and food is always nice and hot and fresh tasting ...

10/10 food and a quick efficient service with friendly customer service would recommend and eat from here again.

The only Chinese my family and me have ever ordered and it’s always been amazing quality and reasonable prices, they are lovely and polite and always on time would recommend to anyone

BEST FOOD EVER I ORDER IT ALL THE TIME THAT THEY RECOGNISE OUR VOICES AND KNOW WHERE TO DELIVER 😂😂😂

Went in to order, didn't have to wait long, great meal, enjoyed by all

Ordered a delivery of Chicken Chow Mein. Got chicken chop suey. Rang up. They were adamant it was chow mein. It wasn't

cheese was very cheesy and smelt like beef it was very balcony which made my nan fell off of it was ok though because it was actually my neighbours dog.

Food is delicious Best Chinease

Szechuan House Hagley Road Halesowen fantstic king prawn satay in special fried rice mitchelin star resurant from me treated like royalty and the food first class ! Excellent !🐾♥️💎🍾🥂🌹

We've been using Szechuan House for years and years and honestly in our opinion nothing compares from any other takeaway.

I absolutely love this takeaway, have grown up with my parents ordering from here for many many years and now I order from here for my family. Always polite, great service and fantastic food!! 😍

Buena comida, estaba fresca, tardó unos 45 minutos en llegar. El único problema que las patatas fritas estaban un poco poco cocidas.

He estado usando este lugar durante más de 10 años. Nunca he tenido una mala comida. Las costillas de sal y pimienta son para morirse.

Always great food freshly cooked in open kitchen and quick service with a smile

Best Chinese takeaway food in South Birmingham!!!been using it for 10 years and never been disappointed!great ingredients and great chefs who put it all together superbly 😋

Great food good service reasonable priced 👍🏾

Best food in Birmingham it's a must

First time sent for food, it was lovely, hot and good value, and quick.

Always loved this place, one of my favourite Chinese takeaway. The kitchen is kept clean and busy. The person who takes the orders is quite helpful. No fuss simple Chinese cooking. Ordered chicken wings black pepper and salt, spicy king prawn chow mein, schezwan vegetables, stir fried vegetable rice, chicken chow mein. They also gave a bag of free prawn crackers because the order was more than 20 pounds. The chef added chopped green chillies as i requested a spicy chow mien. All freshly prepared, took about 15 minutes for my order.

Great Chinese food was great and lots of it Great value for money as well Always go there when we pop to see my mum

Gave me the wrong meal was not happy

Best Chinese around the area , nice subtle taste . Not cheap and can be busy at weekends , but worth the wait .

We order from here nearly every friday & it is by far the best takeaway in Hall green/Billesley area. We have on odd occasion ordered elsewhere but found food not up to same standard. Delivery always on time & food hot & fresh.

Been buying takeaways here for a couple of years. Always found the dishes very tasty. Even liked by my mother who can be tough to please. Its a busy place so i tend to collect the food myself rather than have it delivered. Find the staff prompt and friendly. Have tried a couple of other places...food not as tasty as here.

I’ve used this takeaway for the last 20 years and none of the other near by restaurants can match it for quality. Always polite and accurate on delivery times the food is better than a lot of other seated restaurants locally and in city centre.

Great friendly staff and the foods good. Especially the salt and pepper ribs 😎

Absolutely love this place, food is amazing, never missed anything in my orders & it's exceptionally fast even when they are busy. The place is spotless & I like that you can see into the kitchen. Staff are friendly & efficient. Been using this place for years & I'm sure many more! 👍

My current favourite Chinese takeaway. Favorite dish Szechhuan Mixed Vegetables.

Been using this take away for years and years. Lovely food every time and the delivery guy is really friendly.

This is and has been the best chinese takeaway in the area for years. We constantly ring up and order ours and the food is always excellent. Never have to wait to long for it to be delivered. They always give you an estimated delivery time when you order and are always within it. Good food at a reasonable price.

Best Chinese around, always really nice food... would highly recommend never had a bad meal :) and we have used this place 1 to 3 times a month for the last 3 years

We've tried many Chinese takeaways over the years. Some good, some just absolutely awful. We actually only tried this one for the first time this year, as our usual favourite had sold up and been turned into a chip-shop; much to our disappointment. Waiting time is always quoted as 30 to 45 minutes, and it virtually always is. If they're busy, they'll tell you it's going to be longer, and I always appreciate that honesty when ordering from anywhere. Since discovering this place, I haven't gone anywhere else. It's simply the best Chinese food I've eaten in the UK. So, so tasty and fresh, and even things that I thought were bland before, such as Yuk Sung, are now amongst my favourites. The manager and delivery drivers are always cheerful, which goes towards making this place a real pleasure to deal with. Can't recommend them highly enough.

Always good food I rate this place and recommend to all

Always top food. Always speedy delivery. Always polite and super efficient. I recommend the Jill Juen King Prawns, the best I've ever tasted.

We have enough used this place for years..... Tonight one of our dishes was clearly cooked in reclaimed veg oil. When I called them the guy on the phone spoke to the Manager who's response was that it is the same as always.... I explained it was inedible and his reaponse was tgat the manger said it was the same. This is obviously the end of our custom. Really disappointing response!!!!

Amazing food, been using these guys for at least 10 years, best Chinese ever!!

We rarely do take away but decided to see what this place was like prior to Christmas so we would be safe to use it over Christmas with visitors Went on line and found the menu, rang and ordered and was told 30 minutes and sure enough within 30 minutes the doorbell rang and there it was. Was so much food, we had way over ordered but all of it was yummy and the leftovers we ate for lunch on a Saturday! Particularly good was the Yuk Sung and the Peking Duck, both fabulous but all of it was really high quality and as a result we also ordered in on Christmas Eve and quality was equally good and service just as speedy! Highly recommend!

Always beautiful food. Very clean & friendly

Great chinese take away... Been using it for years...never had a bad one........

Been using this take away for many years now. I wouldn't use any other now, the food is out of this world. Recommend it to everyone I know and not one of them has ever disagreed with me. The food is always piping hot. You must try this place, you wont be disappointed.

Moved into the area nearly three years ago, and having experimented with other take-aways, we will now go nowhere else. The food is superb and good value and the owner is very friendly and helpful. We always recommend Szechuan House to all our friends.

Food has been superb everytime.