Xi'an Famous Foods Reviews

I came in for a late lunch, so there was no wait and plenty of seating. I imagine it's hard to find a seat during a busy lunch time. The pork spicy noodles (N3) was great. Not too spicy, and a large portion. However, it was a bit salty. Overall, very good.

Restaurant was spacious, ordering was quick and easy. Illustrations on the menu was very helpful when making a decision on what to eat. Noddles was OK... nothing to brag about. However the spinach dumplings was the Bomb!!! tasty and delicious.

I've been eating at Xi'an Famous Foods for years. Really if I lived in NYC instead of CT I'd probably eat there once a week at least. This past summer was my second trip to China - I spent 7 weeks this time. Including 2 nights in Xi'an. I was anticipating this of course wanting to see the terra cotta warriors but also to see how authentic XFF is. Well I finally got back to XFF after my visit to Xi'an and I'm here to say that the food her is spot on. If you want to save a fortune on a trip to Xi'an (but eventually you MUST go) come here for the food. We had the lamb burger, Concubine's chicken hand ripped noodles, spicy cumin lamb noodles in soup and for dessert the rice cake in honey. The lamb burger was spicy and lamby and I love the bun. The cumin lamb soup is wonderful. The cumin flavor seems to non-Chinese to most Americans but it's so common in China and more so in Xi'an. The noodles are chewy and the spices are spot on. The concubine's chicken is flavorful and cooked so it's tasty and tender but not dried out an rubbery. Be careful for bones. If you aren't aware of it, the Chinese don't cut their animals at the joints like Europeans they just chop it up bones and all. The rice is stuffed with red dates. Walk into any grocery store in Xi'an and you'll find bags and bags of red dates so very authentic to have this in the rice.

This location looks new (I think they opened in 2015) and has seating in the back, as well as in an upstairs area. Tables turn over pretty quickly. Having read so many reviews raving about the noodles, I could not wait to try them. I ordered the spicy cumin lamb noodles and the spicy Asian cucumber salad. The dish was a let down. The cumin is quite intensive and lacked other spices to balance it out. The noodles were long, thick, and would have been delicious had they been cooked in salt water. I found the portion of meat on the skimpy side for the amount of noodles you get. Once the meat is gone, you're left with a plate full of bland noodles. The spicy Asian cucumber salad is served in a chili marinade. The cucumbers were fresh and crisp, but had to be dunked in marinade before each bite to pick up flavor and heat from the chili. I am not sure how long the cucumbers marinate. It's possible they aren't covered in the marinade until someone orders them. That would explain why the cucumbers lack in taste unless you scoop up some marinade with each bite. Maybe I just went on a bad day. I'll go back once I have crossed off other noodle joints on my NYC list.

I truly love this place. Everything I tried I loved, especially the spicy lamb with noodles and the tiger salad. Phenomenal! I'm salivating as I write this review.

My friend and I came here for some late-night noodles. Whatever dish we both got had seitan in, but they were otherwise forgettable.

We went for the spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles - one dry, one in lamb broth - and both versions were delicious. I left New York a massive fan of Xi'an Famous Foods — the food is cheap, tasty and extremely flavoursome. Highly recommended.

After a snowy morning of working in my hotel I was starved. I wanted something quick, warm & inexpensive. Xi'an hit all three of those spots! If you're a very small group, or want somewhere to grab a bite in solitude & slurp away at your noodles this is the place.

One of my fav lunch spots in NYC, you gotta go! There are multiple locations and choices to pick from. I always get (N4) pork hand pulled noodles (mild) and add my own chili oil (available in a small container near napkins, chopsticks) to add spice. They allow you to chose the level of spice which I appreciate since I don’t love super spicy favors. They have soups and a small option of burgers (meat in between bread) which is a good appetizer. I also really love the spicy/sour dumplings- they are tangy with a small kick but SO good. A must try for a first visit! I also like the iced tea - there are 3 kinds and I usually mix them since one of them is very sweet. It’s about $10-12 per dish and portions are larger in size. Everything is a great size to share so the more people you have the merrier! No reservations or waitstaff. Most importantly I love how consistent it is (I’ve been close to 10x) and how quickly the line moves- stop by you won’t regret it!

I purchased the pork bun sandwich and although this is my first time trying this. It was very good! Interesting concept, 2 buns genius but seriously it was rich in flavor but a bit dry. Perhaps if requested you can top it off with BBQ sauce to make it A+

This was some of the best food we ate in NYC. We got the spicy pork and the spicy beef noodles. We could have split one meal. The only complaint I had is there was very little ,eat. If I went again I would just get the vegetarian option.

The menu is chock full of tasty looking meals, and going with a friend allows you get try more. However, in my case it meant we both over ordered and ended up stuffed...and happy. Cold skin noodles and spicy lamb were both great, along with the cuc's and dumplings.

Went to this restaurant after watching multiple videos about it and the food was good. Really liked the bun and the jasmine iced tea was the literally the best iced tea ever! It had a very organic taste and was not too sweet. My husband loved the hand pulled noodles. For me, it was a bit too thick. If you are looking for a tasty, quick and filling food, definitely visit this place and don't forget to get the iced tea!

The menu is on the wall as you walk in; go to the cashier and tell him what you'd like. Folks in front of us had questions about the menu, and they were helped patiently and with lots of information. Don't forget to buy your drinks when you order your food. The signs are clear; it won't taste as good "to go," so eat in. After you've paid, you'll get a ticket with a number. Then line up to wait for your food (sending someone in your party to grab a stool to sit on). There's also extra seating upstairs. Hold on to your receipt - it has the code that allows you to enter the restroom! The "normal" spiciness was pretty spicy, so if you're not sure you can enjoy that, go for "mild." Also, the noodles are long and difficult to cut and covered in sauce of one type or another -- all of which is to say, don't wear a white shirt! Or be a lot more careful (less sloppy) than I was! Delicious fast food.

Stopped at this restaurant by an accident, but I am happy I did. Nice and tasteful at a really good price! Longest noodles I have ever seen!

If you like a chewier noodle then this place is for you. Looks so simple when they make it but the taste is incredibly complex and delicious.

This was for sure one of my best finds for food during my US trip. It was very very delicious. Tried both N1 and N9 on the menu, went to Xian 2 times during my time in NYC. Both tasted fantastic. Can't recommend this place enough if you enjoy noodles.

Interesting noodle and Northern Chinese dishes in a quick serve, yet appetizing setting. Reasonable prices and communal tables foster social interaction. Had great conversations with table mates comparing notes on favorite dishes.

I went to this place for quick lunch bite for several times. The long wait is tough to handle. Otherwise, the food quality is above average and suitable for lunch take out

Visited here after reading nyeater's list of top cheap eats in the city. When you go in you choose from a selection of items displayed on a picture menu on the wall and then can either take away or sit down at cafe style tables and eat with plastic cutlery provided. The food was reasonably priced, excellent quality and so flavoursome. Somehow they managed to combine sweet, sour, spicy and depth of flavour all at once. Helpfully the menu shows how spicy the dishes are, but for many you can choose your level of spiciness by dish. Really good and ended up sharing a table with some locals who gave us various tips on things to see, do etc when we were in town. Would go again.

Friendly service, but the food is unfortunately terrible. Noodles were slightly over cooked with massively too much oil, too much spice and hardly anything beyond that.

The spicy lamb noodle soup is spicy but worth a try. Enjoy it for lunch or maybe even dinner, it's a big bowl.

Ordered the lamb dumplings. Split the order between 2 of us. It was just a quick snack so I can't speak on the other food. However, our dumplings were excellent and the place was crowded. You stand in line to wait for your food, then sit at communal tables. Staff very friendly. Cook explained food was from Western China near Xinjang Autonomous Region.

This place has amazing noodles. You can see them behind glass making hand made or "hand ripped" noodles. I had the spicy cumin lamb noodles. I ordered them extra spicy. The flavors in this plate of noodles was absolute heaven. I can't wait to go back.

Stopped here for lunch on recommendation by family and it was fabulous. Had the Spicy cucumber salad and the Spicy cumin lamb noodles. One of best noodle dishes ever. Came around 11:45am and by 12:15pm they were 20 deep waiting for their orders. You order and then sit down. Bar and a table downstairs and more seating upstairs. No alcohol is served which is too bad because a nice cold beer would be great with the spicy food. Would go back again and again.

This is a good place for SPICY food. I think we are the wrong patrons for this type of cuisine. Have a cold drink and napkins or Kleenex close at hand. We ordered the spicy and tingly beef and noodles: mild chicken concubine: and lamb dumplings. The dumplings were well made with a spicy red sauce that was not overly spicy. ( I discovered that I personally did not care for the lamb and would order a different type of dumpling next time.). The spicy and tingly beef had a lot of strong smokey flavors. More than my palate is accustomed to. 1/2 way through it - I couldn't eat anymore. Even though we ordered mild chicken concubine - we think the cooks did not see the word "mild" printed on the ticket. 1/2 way through, my daughter gave-up eating her dish due to the heavy spices. My husband ate his meal, but said, "If this is mild - I would hate to see what spicy is." I offered to take their meals back for a more mild version - but, my clan chose to soldier on. Clean place. Friendly and efficient staff. We will not be returning to this restaurant. (We are not New Yorkers anyway.)

Simply and truly delicious! Honestly. So great. My husband and I ate here a total of four times on our trip including a cheeky stop off on our way to the airport to catch our flight! Get the chilli noodles and don't be afraid of the oil, it so delicious and ethically sourced. The veg noodles are great too. These dishes are VEGAN tooo! Very good vibe and the staff are super chilled and cool. Wish we had one of these eateries in London. We've even tried to replicate the chilli noodles at home, lol!

I visited Xi’an (China) in 2001, and will never forget the sights and smells of its back alleys. Chinese Muslims grilling lamb kebabs on the sidewalk, hand-pulled noodles. The call of the muezzin. This restaurant is as close as it gets to that street scene. A hole in the wall on a busy NY street—don’t expect fancy amenities, plates or even necessarily a seat; it’s first come first seated—, Xi’an Famous Foods brings all the flavors of 2001 rushing back. Lamb! Cumin! The noodles cooked just so! So happy I found this place.

So glad I stopped here instead of walking the two additional blocks to Little Korea. The Legend "Western Chinese" inspired me because it was a chance to eat minority Chinease cuisine which is not readily accessible. The posted menu was inspiring. I chose the lamb offal soup and the spinach dumplings. It turned out that my eyes were bigger than my stomach -- the delicious soup would have sufficed for my lunch. The spinach dumplings were excellent but I could not eat more than two. It was really busy when I went at 2.40 pm but the crowd eased off by about 3. There is not much sitting space -- it seems to attract serious eaters -- groups, couples and singles who just focus on eating and then leave.

I had heard about this place on shows with Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmeran. I looked them up on line and they had multiple locations (I guess they even have one where I live about1.5 hours away..I am so going). This place was just the best! Yummy noodles...just delicious. Service was fast and pleasant. Prices are terrific. My husband and I shared a dish as we were not real hungry (11.05 with tax). We sat at the counter. I will be back. Great prices for NYC if you are eating on a budget...I wasn't but man, it's delicious and that is what I care about.

not your average chinese food that many would think of ....great noodles and great spicy dishes. Go there for lunch often and cant go wrong. Wish they have a bit more variety on the meat selections as i dont like lamb that much

Been to Xi'an and gorged on noodles every day. They are great. When we found this place we were so excited. We has the PORK “ZHA JIANG” HAND-RIPPED NOODLES. Fantastic. Oily, spicy and sooooo good. They put a little tingle on your tongue. Highly recommend this place. My only criticism was with the female taking your orders and money. She was bored out of her mind. Barely conversant and not terribly motivated.

Stopped here for a quick lunch because of the online reviews. Got the N2 spicy & tingly beef hand-ripped noodles. The beef, cut into small 3/4" chunks, was well braised and succulent - not tough or dry at all. Juicy and with a good texture. The noodles were 1.25" wide at least, and nicely al dante - chewy. But it was one incredibly long noodle - probably two feet long or more, all piled on the plate. Good texture but odd. What really turned me off was the sauce. It was very mildly spicy and it really did make my tongue tingle, but the flavors were simply way off for me. In fact, there was very little flavor and an insane amount of salt. Essentially, it tasted like a salt and chili-ish paste. And it had a rather unappealing smell to go with the not so great taste. I was quite disappointed. I got through about 1/2 the noodle and tried to give some to my husband, but because it was one really long noodle, just trying to give some of it away turned into a nightmare. I doubt I will be back, even to try any of the other well recommended dishes. It simply didn't do it for me.

This is probably their biggest location and thus not as crowded as the other branches. Their noodles are authentic spicy (not watered down for western palate). You can ask for mild if you cannot handle spicy. The best part of their noodle is the noodle itself. It is chewy and not the run of the mill pre-packaged from the grocery kind. Stick with the noodles and the buns. Skip the dumplings. The dumplings are so sour.

After getting a noodle soup at the Times Square location, I had to stop at another for more noodles. This location was much more relaxed (though still really busy) and I could ask for recommendations. The Spicy Fried Noodle was great.

I have readthe reviews of this place and was excited to go as it is close to my house. Was looking forward to some real great western style Chinese food. As they clearly say on their menu this food does not travel well, so decided to eat in. The menu looked tasty and very inexpensive. We ordered the stewed pork burger,the stewed oxtail hand ripped noodles in soup, spicy cucumber salad, and the spicy and sour spinach dumplings in broth. While check in was efficient, It always nnoys me whencashiers do not make eye contact and have their head turned talking to another employee while taking your order. On rereading it she had messed up two of the four items. Before talking about the food, I have two other issues. I live in China about 6 months each year and eat at the noodle stalls on the street. while things like this do not bother me there, here they do. First, if the food is so much better in, why make the dining experience so terrible? The stainless steel counters are barely wide enough for a soup bowl, and it would be a good idea to wash them down once in awhile (they don't have table service, so picking up your mess is sort of on the honor system). Second, while I was waiting to pick up my order, the grill guy dropped my burger on the floor. He apologized picked it up and put it in a bag and set it aside. He made me anther one which was ready in just a few minutes. When I went back to collect it, I saw another employees put the same burger set aside into a take out order bag. This does not bother me so much but I think that it would bother many. Finally the food. Uninspiring. I was with my 20 year old HAPA daughter, my Chinese wife and her mother. It wasn't unedible, just pretty tasteless. Don't know what all the excitement is about. Last good western chinese meal I have had in NYC is a now defunct place in flushing by the church which sadly closed a few years back

Been there before, but this trip to Manhattan required another visit. Great noodles, but my first time with their celery salad -- delicious!

Since I got recommendation for this place, we had to try. Well, I don't think it is that great. You can get noodles there and they don't taste bad, expect all the items on a menu to be very similar to each other. For $10-$12/meal you'll get a plastic plate and plastic cutlery and you have to fight for a place to sit (just a regular fast food, only selling chinese food). I got beef noodles in a spicy gravy and at least half of the beef was chewy and fat, not meat. The gravy tasted good but was very greasy. All together, it's a place where you can get a meal to kill hunger, but I think there would be equal or better places to go, especially in Chinatown where you'll get more authentic and cheaper options.

The Terra Cotta Warriors are the big Tourist attraction in Xi'an, but the city's distinctive food makes helps round out the rest of a visit. Xi'an Famous Foods bring this cuisine to The Big Apple. For me. the best treats were the lamb dishes -- especially the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles. I also recommend Spicy and Sour Spinach Dumplings.

Luckily when we arrived it was not crowded and there were only two people ahead of us. When we were leaving the line was out the door. The spicy dumplings and the lamb noodle dish that I had were good....especially the noodles. The wife's soup was very spicy. Skip the sandwich- it was dry and not that good. There are tables upstairs. Too many places in New York to eat to come back to Xian's but it was good.

I like the food very much, very authentic. I am a Chinese but I've never been to Xi'an. I really like the city and the noodle there.

This restaurant is the real deal. Authentic cuisine from the Xi'an city of China. Hand pulled noodles. Authentic lamb dishes with cumin. Authentic cold noodle dish. This place is small, casual and inexpensive. It is the real deal, and not worth missing.

Omg the food here is to die for! Everything is sooooo fresh, full of flavour, colourful, big enough portions, a good choice for vegetarian, inexpensive, good quality, friendly staff, good music, could not ask for more! The broth is fantastic, you have for most dishes the choice of having is dry or soupy, I would most likely go for soupy! On the spicy side even the mild ones but good spicy, not too hot spicy! The homemade noodles are really nice I never tried such food and I loved it immediately; the veg spinach dumplings are my favourite! I would DEFINITIVELY recommend and go back. Thanks for making my NYC trip even better! 👍🏻

always my first stop in NYC!! this location in particular always gets it right ! the food, music and service are A1!! get the N1 spicy cumin lamb noodles and the dumplings you will not be disappointed !! Great old school hip hop music!! love the vibe!!

Stopped in here for lunch during a recent business trip to NY. Absolutely killer noodles. Spicy and delicious. It's not a place to sit down and enjoy a meal. More of a grab and go kind of restaurant, as there is only a small area for customers to eat on site. But, it's well worth figuring out a place nearby to eat your noodles.

I've been here about 3 times within the past 6 months, luckily during off hours and I've got to say I love this place. The food is consistently good. I've always eaten my food in the restaurant, as recommended on their website (I don't want mushy noodles - nope nope nope). I love the Stewed Pork Burger. There is an abundant amount of flavorful meat in the bun. This is a must have if you're a fan of pork. I've had the Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger but I didn't like it and I just think it's because of the cumin--I guess I'm not a fan of the taste. I’ve had the Spicy & Tingly Beef Hand Ripped Noodles (N2) which were very good. Also had the Stewed Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles (N4), also very good. The place is very clean and they have an open kitchen so you can watch (read as drool) as the food is being prepared. Staff is very friendly and also helpful with recommendations. I would really love to try their soups and their dumplings. They have a “Real-Time Store Traffic Meter” on their website which is very helpful if you work in the area and planning your great escape for lunch. The sauce that the noodles are prepared in is a bit on the oily side, so have a napkin in your hand while eating and don’t wear any light colors. Prices are very cheap. I LOVE THIS PLACE!