Imperial Chinese Restaurant

Business Hours:: Mon-THUS11:00AM-10:00PM
FRI-SAT11:00AM-10:30PM
SUN 4:00PM-10:PM

Restaurant Location: Major city

Number of Employees: 21+

Number of Seats: 200+

Cuisine: American-Chinese

Awards and Honors

Top100 Best-Value (2007)

Top100 Metro Favorites in 10 Cities (2007)

Top100 Overall Excellence (2006)

Top100 Overall Excellence (2005)

Vote and Comments

food:

AVG:(5.0)

services:

AVG:(5.0)

sanitation:

AVG:(5.0)

decor:

AVG:(5.0)

Number of voting: 1 people have voted

	Reviewed by : whitney m. On: 3/24/2013 5:57:00 AM we have been coming to Imperial since we used to live on cap hill back in the day - so 14 years?!They serve consistently good chinese food. The preparations here are far superior to any other chinese place in denver IMO.We havent sat down and had dinner in a few years but the kids used to enjoy the big buddha, tea refills, and fish tanks. It is pricey compared to the hole in the strip mall but as i mentioned- preparations are better- fresh vegg and not steamed chicken and beef but actually sauteed meat and veg, ya know like when you stirfry at home! we always love the duck and whole fish and recently were very impressed by the bok choy dish.
	Reviewed by : Ted P. On: 1/11/2013 9:14:00 PM I've lived in Denver for 12 years. I've yet to eat at a Chinese restaurant here that had exceptional food.We've mostly gone to Imperial over the years, despite their complete lack of creativity or flair, because it's above the median for Americanized Chinese food and is relatively consistent. But, even that low bar is beyond their reach at this point. We had take-out tonight and the meat in the pot-stickers tasted like microwaved frozen hamburger.Have some pride, people. If we want Chinese food this lousy, we can just go to a dollar per scoop place on Colfax.This is not a restaurant that's owned by someone who truly loves food. It's just another business for them. If you are going to mail it in, you may as well buy a Pack-n'-Ship franchise.
	Reviewed by : Lizi C. On: 1/8/2013 8:54:00 PM Sad, 3.5 star cumulative rating for what I consider to be one of the better Chinese restaurants in town. Say it ain't so Denver....Imperial has rock solid Chinese food. My absolute favorite dish is the Chilean Sea Bass with black bean sauce. (This is a 5 star dish) The bass is very lightly fried and has a deliciously garlicky and salty sauce on it. Some people may complain about the price, but I think it's worth it. Ever looked at the price of Chilean sea bass at the grocery store? Yeah its expensive there too. All the other dishes I've tried are also tasty. Be prepared Chinese food is salty in general and Imperial Chinese is no exception. Does it taste delicious? Yes it does!Lunch specials are a good deal. The restaurant is nice inside and well kept. The service is attentive and efficient.How on earth could this place be less than 4 stars? If I'm in the mood for Chinese food, Imperial is the first restaurant on my mind.
	Reviewed by : Sherri L. On: 12/30/2012 5:52:00 PM Perhaps we were there on the wrong night...After all the hype to hit the Imperial on Xmas Eve, we decided to stop in after a long day with family. We checked in with the hotess and decided to grab a drink at the bar. 1 hour later, after hearing other people being called around us we went to check on our table. We were told we were called already but would be put back on the list. Another half hour goes by, with lots more people being seated so we check again. Finally we get seated where we continue to sit. All the tables around us get their orders taken and food starts coming before our order is finally taken. I know, we should have left but knowing what was in the fridge at home and being so hungry we thought for sure we'd eat soon. The food finally came and it was not very good. Over 3 hour experience with ok food, don't think we'll be back or recommend this place to anyone else in the future. Spare yourself.
	Reviewed by : Stephen K. On: 12/1/2012 9:31:00 PM Basic lunch menu looks great, but a little pricy...6-10 for most apps, 11.50-15 for most lunches...most lunch menus I've seen for Chinese food run between 8-12.50...very stylishly decorated internally though and impeccably polished service...when you can tackle it. If you don't order when your waiter comes by to take your order the first time, you might be waiting for some minutes unless you actively flag someone down...Food, sadly, was average for my Vietnamese noodle bowl, not much in the way of sliced beef strips...guess it was ok.
	Reviewed by : Julie B. On: 11/12/2012 12:04:00 PM Quite possibly the closest to perfect Asian lunch I've ever had. Definitely, the best Basil Chicken I have ever had. The chicken is tender and not drowned in gooey sauce. They use lots of basil, whole spicy chili peppers, red and green bell pepper, green onions, bamboo and grape tomatoes throughout. The sauce is light and the brown rice, perfectly cooked.The won ton soup is amazing. It has cabbage, whole spinach, and green onion. You almost don't need the won ton but they are so very good.Not surprised they also gave me what is now my favorite egg-roll in Denver.
	Reviewed by : Ginger C. On: 10/17/2012 3:44:00 PM This is very, very good food in a very, very nice atmosphere. The service is fantastic and the atmosphere is soft and date-night like, but you don't have to dress up and they don't make you feel out of place because you're in jeans.The menu isn't your typical Chinese food fare; they do have that, don't get me wrong, but they also have really nice selections of fish and other items you wouldn't necessarily expect at a Chinese restaurant. Those were really pricey though so I'd save those for a special occasion.I had Happy Family. The scallops were so well cooked that I would've ordered a dish of just those had I known. They were tender and almost buttery; not at all chewy or fishy. The beef was obviously from a good cut of meat that had been cooked and sliced before adding to the dish because it was tender and juicy and also incredibly delicious. It really put all other beef dishes of curled up overcooked and chewy meat in other Chinese restaurants to shame. The vegetables were fresh and crunchy and the sauce had subtle hints of ginger and garlic instead of being an overpowering soy sauce gravy with MSG added.The service is phenomenal yet understated. Sometimes the filling of my water glass every time I drank an ounce or two was a little too attentive, but I never noticed them lingering so it didn't really bother me. Someone at my table actually spilled a glass of water and two staff members quietly swooped in, cleaned it up, covered the wet table cloth with napkins, replaced her water and disappeared into the night leaving me to say, "Who were those masked men!?" I wanted to spill another glass just to watch it all again. It was like some kind of mission impossible spy stuff with hushed tones. Cool.I only wish it weren't so pricey, but then again, the quality reflects the cost.
	Reviewed by : Jon H. On: 10/15/2012 10:23:00 AM Someone said that it was a great place for tourists to eat Chinese. It is. No subtle flavors, no delicacy, no imagination, no soul. Nice room, friendly service, but not a place for those who love the complexity of Asian food. Watered down for the old people who flock to tis place. Want taste? Head for Federal Blvd or Aurora. You will never find it here. I won't go back, but would recommend it it to my sister-in-law who thinks pot stickers are the essence of Chinese cooking.
	Reviewed by : Jaromir B. On: 9/16/2012 5:35:00 AM One of the best Chinese restaurants I have ever been to. Incredibly good, nice atmosphere and great staff.
	Reviewed by : David T. On: 6/24/2012 12:27:00 PM I'd like to think my downgrade in their rating here on Yelp (or my direct email to the owner) has had some impact on what has been going on here. Whether it was me, or, just luck, I can't say but my last couple of experiences have been much better.For one thing, when I ordered take out sesame chicken, they asked me if I'd like the sauce on the side so it doesn't get all gummy on the way home - yes, please. Much better.Last time I had the scallion pancakes and chicken lettuce wraps. All packaged separately so the warm things stayed warm and the veggies stayed crispy. Delish.I'm very much more pleased and they are back in my regular rotation.
	Reviewed by : M K. On: 6/24/2012 3:45:00 AM My first 5 star review. I'm usually a bit stingy with the stars. I came here based on a recommendation from a friend as the "best sesame chicken ever." I looked up some of the reviews beforehand and was a little skeptical based on some of the latest reviews.This review is based on a weekday lunch visit.Restaraunt was very clean, and nicely decored. Excellent atmosphere. Sharply dressed wait staff.I had the sesame chicken, wife has the daily special - sesame scallops. Food was hot and outstanding. We both immensely enjoyed our dishes. They have great sweet and sour sauce for the egg rolls, not the red syrupy nasty sweet stuff most places serve but the excellent orange sauce you only see in the better places.Service was top-notch. My iced tea and water glass never got half empty. The minute a dish was empty it was removed from my table.I'm really confused about some of the more recent reviews. Maybe someone was reading them and has made some changes, but I honestly couldn't ask for a better dining experience. Prices are slightly higher than other Chinese restaurants but in my opinion it was totally worth it. Heck, I enjoyed myself so much, I want to go back tonight for dinner, it was that good.
	Reviewed by : Janet S. On: 6/17/2012 3:18:00 AM Always on the lookout for chinese food and always have unrealistic expectations, still I had hoped for better. Pancake appetizer, was expecting some thing with a soft texture like a Korean one...it came out like frybread!, sent it back.next up - shrimp with mayo and walnuts,..you know its supposed to have that little crunch to it, it did not...and there was a whole jar of mayo...sent it back....next up steamed duck, expensive and almost inedible/flavorless which for a duck slut is tragic. cocktails - pretty Ok - served in tikki cups. Whole lot came to $73 and that - they just comped the frybread. No value for money here, pretty good service though - she agreed with most of what we said...hmm so why no more comp on the food.
	Reviewed by : Bill F. On: 5/24/2012 11:58:00 AM We went Sunday May 24, 2012 when the doors opened at 4pm. It was a celebration dinner for our Wedding annivesary. My sister in law and her husband wanted to treat us for our Wedding Anniversary.We first ordered the Dragon Well Tea (hot & it's decaffeinated) No one liked it, so we went with tried and true Jasmine tea. The server, Jeff was very accommodating, Oh well, doesn't hurt to try something different.What we ordered for four people.Appetizers.1. BBQ baby back ribs 4 in an order (had a nice delicate sweet taste, I thought the ribs were rather small (about 3 inches each one and not very meaty at all)2. Coconut Shrimp for for 4 people. looks like they butterfly the Shrimp before coating and frying. Very good crispy crunchy coating. Everybody liked them3 Oriental Chicken Salad gluten Free. Everybody also like the chicken salad. I think it was everyone's favorite of the appetizers.We didn't order any soups.Main Dish.1. Dungeness Crab imbued with 5 spices2. Whole steamed sea bass Cantonese style3.Shanghai Braised duck half4. Filet of beef with Burgundy sauceChoice of white or brown rice, we took both.Dessert: we all ordered ginger ice cream. Ginger taste was very very light.All four main dishes came out hot and ready, good presentation, good flavor.Everybody was pleased with dinner, our server did a good job.So why give it only 3 stars? I ate in many Chinese restaurants through out the United States, Europe, China and Hong Kong as well as my father owned over 5 restaurants in his life time and I worked in them in my youth. This restaurant serves very good competent food. It's just missing that little extra, to boost it to a four star review.As a Chinese restaurant not located in a major Chinese area, it's good. We did enjoy ourselves at the restaurant.
	Reviewed by : G D. On: 5/17/2012 2:24:00 AM Do you like warm, gross limp, lettuce in your fried rice instead of sprouts? Then you'll like Imperial's revised fried rice. Used to be great, flavorful, full of sprouts, now it's terrible.Do you like glumps of soft, gooey chicken? Then you'll like Imperial's revised sesame chicken. Used to be crispy and fantastic, now it's truly so-so.Do you like by the gross frozen egg rolls that have little taste? Then you'll like Imperial's new egg rolls. Their delicious, lemon-scented, one-of-a-kind rolls are a thing of the past.Or maybe you'd like the Chinese hash with chicken gristle galore disguised as an appealing lettuce-wrap appetizer. Because that's what you'll get at today's Imperial Chinese.I was a faithful customer of Imperial for more than 20 years. Then it fell apart about 3-4 years ago.It used to be the best Chinese in Colorado. Now it's definitely below average.Anyone posting good reviews doesn't know the old Imperial. And sadly, the new one's days are numbered.Bad management being cheap. The ruin of many a business.
	Reviewed by : Megan A. On: 4/29/2012 10:57:00 PM I've heard about this restaurant for years and finally had the chance to try it. It was fantastic and lived up to its reputation. Our server was Patrick, and he was wonderful and attentive. The food was fantastic. Every single course. We definitely plan to go back. It was well worth the price. There was actually meat in the dishes, instead of a ton of vegetables (which cost less than meat) like other restaurants typically serve.
	Reviewed by : Erin M. On: 4/24/2012 3:42:00 AM Having grown up near Chicago, I often miss the ambiance of a true Chinatown restaurant, gilded to the hilt, fish tanks, low lighting, etc. I love when dining is more than just food, but is instead about the experience. Imperial Chinese hits this mark and then some. Both my husband and I noticed and commented on the ambiance as soon as we entered.The service was also wonderful. Unobtrusive, helpful and speedy.The food was better than average. I had chicken dumplings (which I appreciated could be steamed rather than fried) and they were light, crispy and spiced well. As an entree, I had beef and broccoli with brown rice(I appreciated that you could get brown, white, long grain or fried rice in both white and brown varieties). There was plenty of food, (though smaller portions than one might expect from a typical Chinese restaurant) and we each took home leftovers.Why the 3 starts? The meal was $40 without tip. While this isn't the end of the world by any means, the food was not significantly better than the average Chinese restaurant to warrant the significantly above average price tag.I will likely return, particularly because of their abundance of specialty items (gluten free, vegan)as I have friends who fall into both categories.I also appreciate that this is one of the few restaurants in Baker with ample parking, a rarity on Broadway.
	Reviewed by : Dan H. On: 4/15/2012 3:39:00 AM I totally hate doing this but think it's important, especially for those fellow vegan diners out there.And please remmeber that I only base my reviews on friendly staff and good vegan food.I went here last night for a friend's celebration. He had been a couple of times and said they had good vegan dishes. After a long conversation with the server, we all realized that they only had one vegan dish, nbamboo with steamed veggies. They even have items on their menu that say vegan but are not. The problem seems to be with them using egg and chicken stock. It's a huge bummer as even the manager had said they had alot to choose from. I hope they can turn this around and make simple changes so that they are indeed vegan friendly (if they want to be).
	Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-28 The Imperial is the gold standard for REAL Chinese food. I wish it was downtown, but it's worth the quick drive down Broadway.
	Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-27 i love imperial, this is the best in colorado, best food, best service, and a kindly manager!
	Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-20 this restaurants best of the CO!!!! i LOVED ...
	Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-20 Without a doubt, one of the finest oriental restuarants ever. The patrons are among the most loyal you will find anywhere.

Reviewed by : whitney m. On: 3/24/2013 5:57:00 AM

Reviewed by : Ted P. On: 1/11/2013 9:14:00 PM

Reviewed by : Lizi C. On: 1/8/2013 8:54:00 PM

Reviewed by : Sherri L. On: 12/30/2012 5:52:00 PM

Reviewed by : Stephen K. On: 12/1/2012 9:31:00 PM

Reviewed by : Julie B. On: 11/12/2012 12:04:00 PM

Reviewed by : Ginger C. On: 10/17/2012 3:44:00 PM

Reviewed by : Jon H. On: 10/15/2012 10:23:00 AM

Reviewed by : Jaromir B. On: 9/16/2012 5:35:00 AM

Reviewed by : David T. On: 6/24/2012 12:27:00 PM

Reviewed by : M K. On: 6/24/2012 3:45:00 AM

Reviewed by : Janet S. On: 6/17/2012 3:18:00 AM

Reviewed by : Bill F. On: 5/24/2012 11:58:00 AM

Reviewed by : G D. On: 5/17/2012 2:24:00 AM

Reviewed by : Megan A. On: 4/29/2012 10:57:00 PM

Reviewed by : Erin M. On: 4/24/2012 3:42:00 AM

Reviewed by : Dan H. On: 4/15/2012 3:39:00 AM

Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-28

Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-27

Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-20

Reviewed by : Anonymous On: 2007-07-20