About
Welcome to Great River Chinese Restaurant, a gem nestled in the heart of Hayward, California. Situated at 22218 Foothill Blvd, this inviting establishment effortlessly combines a casual dining atmosphere with exceptional culinary craftsmanship. Whether you're taking a break for lunch or gathering with friends and family for dinner, Great River is the go-to spot for a delightful Chinese cuisine experience.
With added amenities such as outdoor seating, Wi-Fi, and even dog-friendly options, Great River Chinese Restaurant isn't just about delicious food; it's about creating memorable experiences for everyone. So whether you're enjoying a quiet meal, catching up with friends over a bottle of wine, or opting for a quick takeout, let Great River be your top choice for authentic Chinese flavors in your neighborhood.
For more information, feel free to call them at (510) 581-3456—a call that could lead to your new favorite dining escape! Dive into the culinary delights at Great River and discover why it's been a beloved fixture in Hayward for years.
“ The food here is top-notch. I often get takeout, but when I eat in the service is excellent. Always friendly and accommodating. Clean. The mu shu is fantastic. The honey walnut prawns are the best. Double mushroom chicken is not to be missed. My favorite soup is the sizzling rice, but the hot and sour is also good. Actually, I don't think I've ever had anything here that I didn't like. Potstickers, fried rice, chow mein, everything is good. Highly recommend! ”
“ Food is very good! Servers are nice! I highly recommend this restaurant. Location is convenient. ”
“ Service is great! The food is so tasty, it's a family restaurant, the owners are very friendly ”
“ No wonder great river Chinese restaurant has been around for a long time, this place is not only delicious but has excellent customer service! When we moved closer to downtown Hayward it was hard to find a tasty Chinese restaurant and we have found it! Highly recommend: - Chicken fried rice -Orange chicken -Cashew chicken -Eggplant in garlic sauce -Crab Rangoon's ”
“ This place is fantastic and great for takeout! I came here during first weekend in August and tried many of their dishes. Everything was delicious and authentic. My tried and true method of testing any Chinese restaurant is ordering my two favorite dishes; beef chow fun, and pan fried noodles HK style. Beef Chow Fun-excellent flavor in the noodles and that wok-hei hint in the beef. Pan-Fried Noodles-1/2 crunchy and 1/2 chewy. Perfect balance and tasted great. The service was great and we tried many dishes. They were all excellent. Great place to get some good Chinese food and decent portion size. See all my pictures which will make your mouth water. ”
“ Came here for dinner because our daughters ate here with friends a few weeks ago and enjoyed the food. There were 3 of us and it was Saturday at 6. There was plenty of parking in the lot, especially since we were the only people dining in! We were greeted promptly and seated. We could hear the hustle and bustle in the kitchen as the phone rang constantly for orders. They seemed to have a delivery person and we saw other people pick up orders. Like many Mom and Pop restaurants, there were even 2 kids and a gramma hanging out watching tv and helping with simple chores. Our order was placed and food came out fairly quickly. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are good. We thought everything tasted good too. ”
“ Actually wanted to posted more pictures, but was so hungry/ food was so good, I only took picture of one dish and ate everything else in an instant. Great River is a really good find. It could be easy to miss because they're right behind iHop's big sign and their parking lot is a little small. We came on a Sunday afternoon and the parking lot was almost full already. The place was popping. It's a small family restaurant, but the food is fantastic. The family is incredibly nice. They can accommodate to your needs as well. Which is super nice. We basically requested a custom dish and they were able to execute it flawlessly and for no extra charge. I mean how many other places out there can do that for you?!?! Service is extremely flawless and above and beyond. I highly recommend Great River for their great food, but also just feels fantastic to support local to a family that really deserves it!! ”
“ TLDR; I come here often for their delicious food and friendly service. It's become a favorite Chinese food spot for me. This place is such a gem! I originally learned of this place through my mom because she catered a bunch of food for her birthday from here. The food was such a hit that literally all the trays of food disappeared! So many friends asked where the food was ordered from, so clearly it was a hit. Since then, I've dined here several times with my family, and now it's often a frequent date spot for my boyfriend and I. We love the service - Mandy is the best! Plus the presentation and portions of the food is just such a mood booster for me! XD I told my boyfriend that even though the food probably isn't "specially made" for us knowing that we're regular customers, the presentation and portions of the food make me feel special, LOL. Honestly, there wasn't a dish that I've had from here that was disappointing. I loved the beef with egg chow fun, the salt and pepper wings are a must along with the mapo tofu and wonton wu(?). A few items we have asked for that were off the menu that they would happily oblige to, so I'm thankful for that. The items that I felt were a little too much for my taste were definitely the more saucy items like eggplant with garlic sauce, and the tomato beef chow fun. The sauce was a little too saucy and oily in my opinion, but the consistency was there. All in all, this is a family favorite, and I hope they continue to stay afloat! Their main customer base are usually non-Asians, likely because of the odd location next to IHOP. Ambience could use a little update, but I suppose it keeps the authentic vibes with the way it is now. Can't wait to come back next time! ”
“ I was looking for a Chinese restaurant which did party trays as I wanted to cater food for my huge birthday bash. I happened to see their menu through an advertisement which listed party trays. So my husband and I tried them out for lunch. They have their own parking lot. There are maybe 12 spaces which includes 2 disable parking spaces. IHop is to the right of their restaurant on Foothill Blvd in Hayward. However, when I saw the size of their large food tray, it was really a half-size of the normal large trays used by Chinese restaurants. I explained to Mandy that their tray size was really a medium size tray. Mandy ended up buying the regular large-size trays so I did eventually order the salt and pepper chicken wings, vegetable chow mein (thin noodles), Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles, wonton with gravy, BBQ pork fried rice, and braised bean curd for my party. Mike did a great job of delivering and setting up our food at the party. FYI: They no longer do party trays. The cost of the tray depends on how many orders it takes to fill up the tray size that you're ordering. A lot of restaurants are doing this now instead of just giving a party tray price. We went back several times to try entrees we were considering for my party. I worked with Mike to make sure my Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles were crispy but still soft and to also make my wonton with gravy which is not on their menu. I found out that they use a little MSG in their food so I asked that they NOT use MSG for my party and whenever we eat at their restaurant. What I like about Mike and Mandy is that they are willing to listen to their customers to make the food the way the customer wants it. Here are the food items that we tried by ourselves and with family: vegetable egg rolls and pork egg rolls (comes with 4 egg rolls but did half order of each so 2 egg rolls of each), wonton with gravy (not on menu), Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles, vegetable chow mein (requested thin noodles) braised bean curd, salt and pepper chicken wings, BBQ pork fried rice, broccoli with beef, mixed vegetables with filet fish, spinach with garlic sauce, tomato & beef chow fun (not on menu), beef chow fun with egg gravy (not on menu), dried sautéed string beans, egg plant in garlic sauce, hot and spicy tofu, Yang Zhou fried rice, fried wonton, pot stickers, mixed vegetables, and fried wonton dumplings (not on menu). I found sometimes they cooked the egg rolls a little too long as the ends were a little burnt. On my second visit when I ordered regular wonton with gravy, Mandy gave me Wor wonton with gravy. Overall, however, we really like Mike, Mandy, and their restaurant. It's become a favorite restaurant for my family. I would have given them a 4-star on my first visit. After working with them on how we like our food, their catering my birthday party, and my family and I liking their food, I am giving them a 5-star. A lot of my birthday guests were very impressed with Great River's food. Their favorite was the wonton with gravy. A few of my guests said they intend to visit the restaurant and eat there. Others are going to have their family party there. Some friends intend to order take-out food from them for their families. My family has gone back several times after my birthday party to eat lunch and/or dinner. Just a fyi that their food prices are a little higher than some of the typical Chinese restaurants. Right now, they are a hidden gem as many people said they had passed the restaurant but have never tried the restaurant. After talking to me, they plan to give Great River a try. ”