China King Menu Prices 2026: Typical Chinese Takeout Menu & Prices

No — China King is not a chain. "China King" is a popular generic name used by many independently-owned American-Chinese takeout restaurants across the U.S. There is no parent company, no franchise system, no corporate menu and no shared pricing. The restaurant called "China King" in your town and the one across the state are almost certainly unrelated businesses, run by different owners, with different menus and prices. This page describes the typical menu shared across most of these restaurants — it's a category reference, not a chain menu.

At a typical China King restaurant, General Tso's Chicken runs around $7–$9 as a lunch special (with fried rice and soup, served 11am–3pm Mon–Sat) and $12–$15 as a dinner entrée (larger portion, white rice). The combo plate version — General Tso's + fried rice + egg roll + soup — typically runs $10–$13. Because each China King is independently owned, pricing varies widely by location and region. Always confirm with your local restaurant.

The typical China King Lunch Special is a fixed-price combo served between roughly 11am and 3pm, Monday through Saturday. It typically includes: one entrée (General Tso's Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Beef with Broccoli, etc.) + pork fried rice + one cup of soup (wonton or egg drop) or a fountain drink. Pricing typically falls between $7 and $9 per lunch special. Lunch specials are the best value on the China King menu — roughly 25–35% cheaper than the same entrée ordered for dinner.

Generally yes. Most independent China King restaurants are cheaper than Panda Express on a per-meal basis. A typical China King combo plate (entrée + fried rice + egg roll + drink) runs around $9–$13, while a comparable Panda Express Plate (1 side + 2 entrées) runs $11.40. A China King Lunch Special at $7–$9 undercuts Panda's Bowl at $9.20. The trade-offs: Panda Express has a consistent menu, faster service, and the famous Orange Chicken; China King restaurants serve a wider American-Chinese menu (more dishes, lo mein, family dinners) but service, quality and pricing vary by location.

American-Chinese food is the style of Chinese cooking developed by Chinese immigrants in the United States over the past 150+ years — it's heavily adapted from regional Chinese cuisines to American tastes and ingredient availability. Dishes like General Tso's Chicken, Crab Rangoon, Chop Suey, Beef and Broccoli, Egg Foo Young and the classic Combo Plate are American inventions, often only loosely related to dishes in China. Most independent "China King" restaurants serve this style — sweet, fried, generously portioned and quickly stir-fried. It's distinct from regional Chinese cuisines like Szechuan, Cantonese, Hunan or Shanghainese cooking as eaten in China.

A typical China King Combo Plate (also called "Combination Special" or "Combination Plate") includes: one entrée + pork fried rice + one egg roll + one cup of soup OR a fountain drink. Typical pricing is $9.99–$13.99, depending on the entrée — General Tso's Chicken, Sesame Chicken and Beef with Broccoli are the most-ordered. Some China Kings include both a soup and a drink; others offer a choice. Combos are the most-ordered ticket type at most China King restaurants because they bundle entrée + rice + appetizer + drink at a clear single price.

No — and this is the most important thing to know. Each China King is independently owned, so each sets its own menu. That said, an estimated 80–90% of the menu overlaps across most China Kings, because they all serve American-Chinese takeout. You'll almost always find General Tso's Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Lo Mein, Combo Plates, Egg Rolls, Wonton Soup and Crab Rangoon. What varies: regional specialties (Chicken Corn Soup is common in the Mid-Atlantic but rare in the South), specific spice levels, premium items like Black Pepper Steak, exact lunch-special times, family-dinner configurations, and pricing. Some China Kings add bubble tea, sushi or a buffet — most don't.

Across nearly all independent China King restaurants, the most-ordered dishes are: General Tso's Chicken (#1 by a wide margin — the defining American-Chinese dish), Sesame Chicken, Crab Rangoon (most-ordered appetizer — 6-piece order around $4–$6), Beef with Broccoli, Chicken Lo Mein, Sweet & Sour Chicken, and the Combo Plate as a ticket type. Family Dinners that feed 2–4 people are heavy weekend movers. Wonton Soup and Egg Drop Soup are the standard included starters.

Many — but not all — independent China King restaurants deliver. Because each location is independently owned, delivery availability, radius, fees and minimums vary widely. Increasingly common since 2020: third-party delivery via DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, which most China Kings now accept even if they don't run their own drivers. Many still offer in-house delivery within a 2–4 mile radius with a $10–$15 minimum and a $2–$4 fee. The best way to check: search "China King [your city]" on Google Maps or in DoorDash/Uber Eats and see what's listed.

Most China King restaurants are open roughly 11am–9:30pm or 10pm Monday through Thursday, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday (often until 10:30 or 11pm), and slightly shorter hours on Sunday. A handful close on Mondays. Lunch specials run roughly 11am–3pm Mon–Sat (rarely on Sunday). Because each China King is independently owned, hours vary — always confirm with your specific local restaurant on Google Maps or by calling ahead.

Because "China King" is the name shared by many independent restaurants, the easiest way to find your local China King is: (1) Google Maps — search "China King near me" or "China King [your zip code]"; (2) Yelp — useful for menu photos and recent reviews; (3) DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub — most China Kings are listed and you'll see their actual menu and prices. Once you find your local restaurant, save the phone number — many China Kings still take phone orders for pickup with no third-party fee. Always confirm your specific restaurant's menu and pricing — none of the prices on this page should be assumed to apply to any particular location.