 This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
| Location |
| 335 F Street |
| Hours |
| Mon-Thurs 11:30am-9:30 p.m. |
| Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. |
| Sun 12 noon-9:30 p.m. |
| Owner |
| Sam |
| Phone |
| (530)758-1318 |
*****CLOSED: Davis Enterprise blurb*****
Despite its updated diner/truckstop appearance, Silver Dragon is, in fact, a Chinese restaurant that offers dishes typical of Chinese food restaurants in Davis. While renowned by some for its General Chicken, Silver Dragon has been criticized for a higher-than-usual rate of inedible or unsanitary objects in the food (such as hair and bugs).
A beautiful koi fish tank sits in the waiting area at Silver Dragon Others, however, claim enjoying meals without incident and find the food affordable and of comparable quality. For example, the restaurant was ranked third best Asian cuisine in the California Aggie's "Best of Davis 2007" list. It's also a good spot for solo dining during lunch, with attentive wait staff that is quick to refill your drink.
Alternatives include Great Wall for a buffet, Panda Express for more "American" Chinese food, and Noodle Express for better atmosphere.
Silver Dragon has a less than stellar health inspection record. It isn't horrible, but definitely worse than average for Davis.
Take-out Menu
Menu Cover 
Lunch Specials 
History
The steer head logos at the booth tables are the last vestiges of Topper's
Back in the 60s and 70s, the location was held by Topper's Steakhouse. As recently as the 90s, Silver Dragon still had a wagon wheel chandelier, and the backs of the bright red chairs were emblazoned with the Topper's steer head logo.
If you want to feel like you're at a truck stop, eat at Silver Dragon. - JeremyAbramson
I've been to this place a couple times, and I had pretty good food. It sort of is a diner, so I don't think the look really matters. Sure, I wouldn't take a girl there on a date, but it's not awful or anything. Personally, my favorite Chinese place in town is Hunan. I would suspect a lot of people like Silver Dragon because the place always has a lot of customers? - PhilipNeustrom
The sad thing is that arguably the most authentic Chinese food in Davis can be gotten at Old Teahouse, in terms of selection and serving food without sweet sauces, although this says little about quality. For those who truly love authentic Chinese cuisine, it's hard to do much better than New Canton. Its Chinese name is something like "Towards the Wind," just to be random, and it is located on Broadway & 26th in Sacramento. Chef Tony Su, used to be Executive Chef at ABC in Milpitas, the best Chinese restaurant in the northern half of California (sharing this honor with Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae). - jr
There is a bit of Davis history available here if you look for it; take a close look at the decor the next time you go in. Look for the steers with the capitol T on their foreheads. The tables and chairs have the logo of the restaurant that was there before Silver Dragon. Their lunch offerings are good. - JasonAller
The food here is the best Chinese food I've found in Davis so far, and the prices are pretty good. Main course, rice, soup, and egg roll for about $6.00. Food is good quality Americanized Chinese. Service is really, really terrible, but it is bearable because the food is good. Definitely try the Generals Chicken steamed rice plate. —JacobOrenberg
I dont recommend it. While some of my friends rave about it, I think the food is gross and unsanitary. Last time I ate there I found pieces of metal (perhaps foil?) inside my eggrolls, and a loonngggg piece of hair in my General Chicken. EWWWW. Needless to say I have not been back since. - AshleyOrsaba
- I think this restaurant caters to people who love general('s) chicken. I have no idea why, but it seems that "Chinese" fans, seem to be broken down into two camps, with the silver dragon-type fans prefer the sweet sauces. Since I avoid sweet meat, I avoid Silver Dragon. -jr
I went to this place with a group of friends. We ordered several dishes to share. The food was pretty good until we found a lengthy black hair near the bottom of our chowmain dish. As if the discovery of the repulsive hair was not tramatic enough, when my friends and I reported the problem to our waitress, she actually suggested that the hair might be one of OURS. After that I swore I would never return to Silver Dragon. —SiennaGrass
2005-07-05 16:09:52 Some of my friends love this place, but I think it's gross. I know someone who found a huge beetle (I'd hate to say cockroach without knowing for certain, but...) in his food, and the guy who owns/runs the restaurant creeps me out. —SummerSong
2005-07-06 18:40:02 I think alot of the claims against Silver Dragon are nonesense. the food is delicious, the Employees are always there to help you with anything (once i spilled a glass of water on the floor, and the waiter jumped up with a smile to tell me it was okay and that he would get it) and in regards to the food, it may not be authentic as far as chinese goes, but then again, think what chinese restaurant in davis is? —StevoDragun
2005-07-08 21:27:47 Fine. Enjoy your hairy chowmain. —SiennaGrass *This comment made me laugh out loud. Rocksanddirt
2005-07-08 23:37:52 I thought it was pretty weird that when you order the mu-shu pork, the guy actually comes to your table, wraps it up, and throws it on your plate for you. Not a one time thing, he does it all the time. I end up grabbing the spoon for the sauce as soon as its on the table so that I can start before he does. Maybe it's the fact that he uses his bare hands, ich. I used to eat here a lot before I went on to other Chinese places, the food was always decent. Not good, sometimes weird, but thankfully never any beetles or hair. Service isn't god awful but it's definitly mediocre. —ES
2005-08-13 11:10:48 The Wor Wonton soup is inexpensive, huge, and tasty. —AlexPomeranz
2005-08-14 18:54:45 If you want Americanized chinese junkfood, eat at Silver Dragon. If you want good food and qualty service try Shangra La over E. 8th Street. —WesOne
My parents and I enjoy eating at Silver Dragon. The price isn't that bad and the food is great. I recommend the Hot and Sour soup. —SimonFung
2005-08-27 15:32:15 I like this place because it's good for takeout. Eating in you get to experience different groups of people (who are mature, immature, etc) and different levels of service. I don't really reccomend eating there alone; their individual portions are not really up to par. But I'm not sure their food is any better or worse than say, Hunan, where the atmosphere is better. —SS
2005-10-15 20:30:17 I think Silver Dragon is an excellent restaurant with very good food. The staff is very nice. —MaggieBlank
2005-11-12 00:36:40 My husband and I have two favorite Chinese Food places in town, and this is one of them. The silver dragon is great because the waiters don't bother you every 5 minutes with food in your mouth. The food is plentiful and quite delicious, as well as cheap. The setting may not be as "atmospheric" as a lot of people would like, but who really cares? I go there for good food, not to stare at wallpaper. —TarynHornen
2005-11-19 15:04:19 I really wish they didn't spill more water on the table then they pour into your cup. They pour it so fast from filled pitchers that it drips and splashes everywhere. If you place your cup away from the tables edge, you'll even get water in your plate. Every single time nomatter who the server is for the last 2 or 3 years. Part of why I said the service is mediocre at best. Oh, and before I said the guy does the moo-shu wrap stuff for you - last time I tried to do it myself he actually half-yelled at me to stop. But I think the food is alright for the price, so we still go. Just don't tip much. —ES
2006-01-11 16:05:28 Well I have been going to Silver Dragon for 13yrs now and have never found an unwelcome thig/stuff in my food. The walnut shrimp and cheese wontons are GREAT. If you ever have a cold I highly recommend the Hot & Soup soup. All of the food is pretty cheap and pretty good. —MichiePal
2006-02-14 15:30:13 Pretty bad. I guess it's edible though. Of course, I can't help but think of the smell of the alley right next to the front door. It's one of those smells that makes you throw up a little in your mouth. YUM! —RyanLeverenz
2006-02-24 09:39:35 I like this place. The lunch specials really fill my belly for less than $6. I've eaten here a dozen times or more and haven't seen a hair or a bug in my food. —SteveGreen
2006-03-17 19:56:49 F**KEN PISSED!!! I understand that it was a busy hour. But how come they pack for others but not my table? I guess it's becasue people at my table looked young... We called them for bills and packing, and I swear to god that they were ignoring us to serve others first. For freaken 15mins!!! Even though we asked for service first!! When paying the bill, they asked us to go to the front and pay whereas they takecare of other people's bill and bring it to their table. I mean, their food has always sucked, but I went back once a while because of the proximity. But with this kind of treatment? F**K NO!! Also, You want to try Monglian Beef "Soup"? Go here... (Never seen Monglian Beef with so much water!!) =_=; —JoyJoy
2006-03-20 01:10:19 What sort of "chinese" joint has a stash of chopsticks in plain view but doesn't even offer the Chinese customers chopsticks? The food was not horribly salty but the meats were strangely fried and somewhat gooey. I wasn't feeling very good after eating dinner there the other day. As for atmosphere, for much of the time we were there, a middle aged guy(manager, perhaps) seemed to be ranting at the waitress. They were pretty nice to the customers for the most part but told a guy who's been at UCD for a few years to "get a job." —MarieHuynh
2006-05-08 23:55:52 I have always had great food at Silver Dragon. Their orange chicken rice plate is my favorite. With the exception of one brusk waiter, the staff is extremely friendly. —EliseKane
2006-05-25 22:32:32 P.S. Once found a hair in the food, but c'mon, that's very hard to prevent. I mean, hairs get in things. It's not going to hurt you. Unless it was a rat hair (which most likely won't hurt somebody either), I think it wasn't a big deal. I've gone to Silver Dragon several times and even took my parents there once when they visited Davis. The portions have been huge; you get more than you pay for. The owner is amiable and jokes around, but is not intrusive. A good ol' family restaurant. —EliseKane
2006-05-26 00:00:32 I found the following entry at found.com amusing.. http://www.foundmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=finds.view&fid=267 —CaptainRush
2006-06-10 14:30:30 I have tried both Hunans and Silver Dragon and by far I feel Silver Dragon suprassed my expectations. I have been eating Chinese food since I was little in the Bay Area and this one is the better of the two. —CarmenCastillo
2006-07-14 06:56:43 The food that they serve is not really Chinese food. What they serve is American's perception and a twisted deception of Chinese food. —KillerBobo
2006-07-14 08:39:45 I'm an American and this is not my perception of Chinese food. —CarlMcCabe
2006-08-07 18:37:10 I must say, the cashew chicken is amazing. Highly recommended. —EliseKane
2006-09-16 13:53:47 Best service in Davis. The food is tasty and the wait-staff is awesome, unlike many other Chinese places in davis (*cough* Hunan *Cough*). —DennisMuldoon
2006-10-15 16:51:26 Someone recently raved to me about this place and I finally decided to check it out. The food (I've tried it twice) is not great. I won't be back. Not to mention the place is dirty and cruddy to boot. —AnnieSirrah
2006-11-28 22:01:49 this place is terrible. been there once, will never go back there EVER AGAIN. they put msg in EVERYTHING. —KitLau
2006-12-18 19:45:34 I like americanized chinese food more than authentic chinese food! So, go figure... And as far as silver dragon is concerned, I went there recently and my food was quite tasty (nice and MSG-ed). All these stories about hair and bugs are kinda gross though - I hope they aren't true. —DanielWorthington
2007-01-16 05:28:45 I just recently went here for the dinner specialty and everything was sanitary as well as delicious. I had the generals chicken which is basically Orange chicken with a different sauce and it was fine. Overall pretty good place —JasonKong
2007-01-22 02:38:51 Chalk another one up to enjoying meals without incident for as long as I can remember. I love the hot and sour soup and the boss hooks it up more or less now that I'm a semi reg. I like getting a number J for lunch, you should to —StevenDaubert
2007-03-02 14:06:26 Silver Dragon was recommended by one of my husband's professors at UCD. It's great! We've never had any problems there at all. I think the food is very good and inexpensive. We have always had great service there. It's a low-key family place. My favorite dishes are the Sweet n Sour Pork, and a pea dish they have, name escapes me at the moment. Give it a try! —PatrickRogers
2007-04-24 12:03:06 If you get there after 8 pm, the owner's favorite joke is to pretend that it's too late and that he's about to close his restaurant. And he does this to 4 out of 5 customers who approach. It's very amusing to watch. He's a very happy, loud, friendly guy who will tell you to enjoy your "Spaghetti" as he puts down your plate of beef with broccolli.
2007-04-29 18:44:04 Silver Dragon has the best Hot and Sour Soup around these here parts. I think it's the best Hot and Sour soup I've ever had. The place is totally affordable and the customer service is really good there, as I've had very jovial experiences with some of the waiters and the owner. I once complimented one of the waiters on his shirt, as it was a different color from everyone else's and he said it was his work shirt when he used to work at a casino! :) —ArielaHaro
2007-05-02 12:49:42 the food is average but not the best chinese food i've had. its good location can rack in customers but the quality of the food is enjoyable. service is good also. —trambajuice
2007-05-27 15:14:58 Good food and good service. Order the Letter J lunch special. —dancohen
2007-07-11 17:09:43 Terrific Service and the absolute best Chow Mein Ive had in my entire life. Their Rice plates are so-so. —JoeLow
2007-07-13 23:44:58 Great hot braised bean curd...but if you don't eat animals AND have a hankering for Chinese I would definitely check out Ding How and their wonderful "vegetarian meat" menu. —K.C.
2007-09-04 05:56:48 Good "Americanized" Chinese food, but their hot and sour soup will satisfy any craving no matter what the weather is like outside —DCWine
2007-10-14 03:51:01 Davis Cops love this place. Must be the diner atmosphere. —JeffShaw
2007-11-21 21:09:19 Silver Dragon's cuisine is certainly Americanized (though outside of SF, LA or the rare place in Sac, whose isn't?), but it's pretty tasty, our service was very fast and polite, and the portions were quite good. Did I say good? I meant to say utterly absurd (in a good way). We got the Family Dinner for two and were served enough food for 5—soup, egg rolls, wantons, chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and cashew chicken. Any of the last three could have fed my wife and myself on their own. Admittedly, none of it was exceptional, but it was all good enough to look forward to the week or so of leftovers that we took away from it. —RyanSandler
2007-11-21 23:05:50 As Jason notes, it looks like a diner because it WAS a diner, long before it was Silver Dragon. I've been eating there for decades. Good food, reasonable prices, friendly service, very consistent over the years. Great Hot and Sour Soup. A pleasant place to take visitors. (I have never had a problem with anything unsanitary, and frankly I'm beginning to disbelieve all the stories about these things that show up on restaurant comments all over the Davis Wiki.) —DonShor
2007-12-19 20:38:33 The food is fairly good, particularly the Mongolian beef and General chicken. Sometimes the staff tries to crack jokes that aren't funny, but other than that, it's not a bad place to try. —thelonepiper555
2007-12-21 00:08:05 Pretty good Chinese food for Davis, although not comparable to mommy's homecooking...although few things are. I'll definitely come back here again. —kthrnngo
2008-01-27 01:05:36 This is my favorite Chinese food place in Davis. The food is pretty good and the waiters are generally funny and nice. They recognize me and my group of friends that come often, and last time they gave us free soup! Mmm... I like the feel of a place, so I really like this one. —ChristyMarsden
2008-02-17 19:03:04 Why does everyone like this place? It seems like any regular Chinese fast food. It's bit better than the other places in Davis, but it's still not that great. The food is too salty. —feichu-huya
2008-03-19 13:28:57 Great Americanized Chinese food. Service, price, and food quality was pretty good. A great place to go out with your friends for dinner now and then. It also has a very nice family atmosphere. —VTang
2008-04-15 18:43:29 The sesame chicken was delicious until we uncovered the giant bug, but that might have been what made it delicious. edit: I forgot to add, he didn't comp the check, they just took half off and offered to replace the sesame chicken. —SamanthaA
2008-05-03 10:02:33 I have eaten at Silver Dragon many times over the past few years while in Davis - sometimes as many as four times per month. My friends and I always looked forward to being served by 'Sam' who is friendly and outgoing so it wasn't always the food that brought us back. The food has always been good and tasty and remarkably inexpensive.
During the past year, however, I have noted a disappointing change in attitude by the owners. I challenged the bill one time as it seemed way too high even for a party of four (they write your order in chinese and just put a total on the bill rather than itemizing items as in most restaurants) When I had him ring up each item seperately on the register, it turned out that our server (not 'Sam') had tacked on an extra five bucks. Begrudgingly he adjusted the bill. No tip that day!
Things went well for a while and we even added the tip we didn't leave before to Sam's tip since he treats us so well. Then we ate there around noon one day and I ordered General Chicken, my usual. To my dismay it was cooked poorly (practically raw inside and gummy outside)and I just ate the chow mein which is always very good. I told the manager who rang us up that I wasn't pleased (I would have sent it back but the non Sam server never even came back to the table and we were in a hurry) and his reaction was "we can't please everyone".
This past week however was an even worse experience and our last straw. My friend and I had stopped in around 3pm for a late lunch and found the place practically deserted. The staff was all seated around a large circular table eating so we just seated ourselves. Eventually some guy must have finished eating and came over and dropped two menus on the table. We ordered when the owner finally came by. A totally different person came by and practically dropped the plate on the table and walked away without a word.
The mood of the staff was somber and grim and not at all cheerful (where were you Sam!) There was only one other customer eating alone and soon left. We ate quickly and I went to the counter to pay since they never seem to bring your check around to the table anymore. The owner took my cash and gave me change. I asked him what was up and he basically said if I didn't like the service then go eat somewhere else!
OK, we will! From what I saw and experienced, I would'nt be surprised to see them closing their doors soon. Maybe the economic downturn is affecting them.
Now we meet at Hunan where the food is always excellent and the service fine. The food is more expensive but the atmosphere is worth it.
Good luck to you Sam! Thanks for all your funny banter!
2008-05-29 12:55:33 I eat here every few weeks, usually with one other person. We get a combo meal and it always amounts to about two meals worth of food for us, which is great! —Loccster
2008-07-29 01:41:07 Terribly expensive for the General Chicken+Chow Mein+Rice for one person its automatically $14. I tried ordering just the chicken and chow mein and it was still $14, I just about died. I hate going here but damn I do love their General Chicken. —csmith
2008-09-21 03:18:22 Number 1 Rule of Chinese Dining....
If there's no asian people eating at an asian restaurant.. THEN IT"S NOT GOOD. —2point0student
- Well, not good to Asian people. But it's still good to me because I don't have stringent "home cooking" expectations for Asian food. This place has been open for a looong time. They must be doing something right. At least for the white American palette. —OscarSabino
2008-09-25 07:14:08 Using that logic, if no Germans or Polish people are eating at Hotdogger, then it must suck. Faulty logic. Plus, on a more basic level, Asians do eat there. So, argument null and void. —DCWine
2008-11-08 15:29:56 I've always had an okay experience at Silver Dragon until today. Today I ate the hot and sour soup, and when I was done, I removed the bowl so that I could use the small plate for sauce. Underneath my cup were four very alive squirmy baby roaches. I was appalled and disgusted, and when I complained, they quickly took the bowl away and apologized. However, they charged me for my meal, even though I ate less than half of it because I lost my appetite! I will never return here again. —DiLane
2008-11-13 13:13:01 I ate at Silver Dragon for dinner with a friend. We got their $9 dinner special, which consisted of wonton soup, fried egg rolls, chicken chow mein, sweet/sour pork, and a chicken dish. The portions were huge (more than enough for 2 people) and the food was okay. The total bill came to a $11 split, not exactly affordable but considering you are getting a soup, appetizer, and 3 dishes, plus some extras for take home, it ain't bad. —justinhu
2009-02-20 17:07:22 If people had a legitimate claim of unsanitary conditions why didn't they report them to the Health Department? It is not that hard! =) Once a request has been made the inspector of restaurants will make a surprise visit. —Ericka
2009-03-09 13:29:19 RACIST..... The food is o.k. at best its a hit and miss.. you get good food about every third time.. but heres a good one. i worked my butt off the other day so decided there was enough room in this place to take my friends family and mine to this place and i had been snubbed here before having Asians seated before me and the same Waiter did it again and gave our booth to people that came in way after us .. again of Asian decent ..to all those who have ever been effected by racism i now know how you feel .. we walked out and after going here off and on for ten years .i will never go there again EVER ..I have been in the food business for 22 years and have never done this to anyone .reading someone elses comments about cockroaches on the cups does not surprise me . hardworkingdad —hardworkingdad
2009-03-15 18:54:41 Silver Dragon is definitely hit or miss. I love the authentic taste and the authentic service (Which is also hit or miss; the service I experienced in Beijing was about the same). The location is pretty prime, and it's a really solid place to hit if you're just roaming around downtown aimlessly. I've tried pretty much all the Chinese restaurants in Davis in my 6 years here so far, and Silver Dragon is a perennial favorite. I'm not sure about these claims about roaches and unsanitary stuff, aside from the fact that sometimes when soup's being served, the server touches his thumb to the soup. No big deal if his hands are washed regularly. —Aggieanthony
2009-03-21 10:47:42 Been to this place several times with my family. The price is really good for the amount of food that you get. Service is pretty decent. Food comes out really fast. I think it was the owner....but one day he made really funny comments about some guy out the window with a fancy bike and a 4cm thick chain used to lock it up. Hilarious. Can't go wrong with this place. —Ruby777
2009-05-15 20:15:44 food is pretty good. service is great. they're all super nice. —julpham
2009-07-22 21:27:22 We went today and had the spicy chow mien and mandarin chicken rice plate dish. At first, looks were kinda suspicious, but we received excellent service and great food, especially the chow mien, all for a decent price. They were also good portions. Our waters were refilled twice without asking. One of the plates came with soup, but the worker gave the hot & sour soup to both of us so we overall had a pleasant experience and would definitely come back. —MichVan
2009-08-17 13:34:37 After living in Davis for 4 years, I decided that this restaurant has the best customer service out of all the restaurants in Davis. The servers are always genuinely nice and cheery. Never ever annoyed or bored looking. Food is typical of any chinese restaurant in Davis so if you had a choice, go here for the service. —julpham
2009-09-11 20:25:06 Not always the most authentic Chinese cuisine, but it is consistently outstandingly tasty! —arynkoo
2009-09-17 01:26:49 Lunch Combo J. boom. —tneeley
2009-11-09 18:33:46 If you want pretty good chinese food at a decent price, this is the place to go. It's your stereotypical chinese restaurant, but the soups are better than most of the other places in Davis. Good lunch specials. —KCcomix
2010-01-26 10:02:17 Nice place to go for a casual meal. Service is extremely fast. Staff is friendly, hospitable, and generous. —MikeHubby
2010-04-19 20:02:44 Been going here for years. It's always been good food and excellent service. The portion sizes are huge and always have left overs for lunch. Some of the dishes kind of taste the same. Ex. Orange chicken and sesame chicken. But it doesn't stop me from coming back. —103
2010-05-03 20:14:46 i've been generally satisfied with this place. i usually order take-out chow mein, but i've eaten in as well. good food, plenty, cheap, fast — what more could you ask for? —TimMatthiessen
2010-06-02 14:48:03 a yummy place to go eat and the staff is relatively nice. Never had any problems. Some customers can be so nitpicky. >_> —PaulV
2010-06-26 23:55:41 I used to really like this place, but I don't think I will ever go back. They have good portions and awesome lunch combos. I really like their noodles, appetizers, and kung pao shrimp. The other day I had the worst service I have ever had, I got a hair in my food, and one of the employees was clipping his fingernails in the dining room. My friend told me he got a hair in his food a couple weeks ago, but I didn't care. Now I do. This hair was buried deep within my delicious kung pao shrimp, hidden between peanuts and peppers, only to be discovered once in my mouth. Deciding whether to swallow or not after I removed the hair was a tough decision, but I totally spit it out and left. —reviewaskew
2010-07-03 19:19:52 Pretty much on par with most of the Chinese in Davis, similar menu. I'm not as fond of the atmosphere as I am at House of Chang but I was satisfied. Also, it just so happens that one of my previous favorite dishes at my aforementioned regular spot was the vanilla walnut shrimp. I'm not a huge shrimp fan but I love that dish and when one of my friends ordered the same thing with chicken at Silver Dragon I nearly died. It's wonderfully addicting. Otherwise, service was quick and friendly and the food was eaten quickly, so I don't see a trouble with this.
Also to the bemoaners... French fries aren't French but that argument was given up long ago. Authenticity doesn't matter but for the sake of variety, so I always prioritize taste and value. This fits the bill so I'm not about to complain. If you want authentic Chinese food have someone's Chinese mother make it for you. You know what I mean, yes. —KBathory
2010-08-06 20:37:12 I ate here despite the warnings on this site and found a metal filing in my food like what you may use to scrub off burnt food stuck to a pan. Needless to say, I will never be eating here again. —JonathanDunsworth
This doesn't seem like a big deal to me. After having been cooked its probably safe to eat as long as its not razor sharp. If I found that in my food and the food was good, I would definitely still go there again so I don't think its needless to say. -NickSchmalenberger
2010-08-07 09:17:22 Not discounting allegations from others, but I've probably eaten at Silver Dragon hundreds of times in my 15 years here, and have never encountered anything but food on my plate. Indeed, no insects, no foreign objects, etc. It's traditional Chinese-American food (distinct from regional Chinese food unadulterated by the Stars and Stripes)—an affordable way to fill up your stomach in a tasty manner, usually served quickly and in a friendly manner. —ScottLay
2010-08-07 17:15:44 This place is basically the bomb. While people are correct, that it does rather have a 'truck stop' feel to it (you would expect this place to be on the side of I-80 rather than right in downtown) it has some of the greatest Chinese-American food on the cheap. —MasonMurray
2010-08-14 11:48:57 A Davis native told me that the Silver Dragon location used to be a steak or bbq place. Back in the 90s Silver Dragon still had a wagon wheel chandelier... If you look at the back of the red chairs... there is still a steer head on them. Anyone know for sure what that restaurant was called before Silver Dragon? —LouisM
2010-08-16 13:10:41 I always used to eat at the Silver Dragon. There walnut shrimp was truly addicting and their hot and sour soup wasn't too bad. But the service was another issue. Whenever I went there they would slam the plates down, never smile and if I asked for anything (more water, another napkin, etc.) the waiters and waitresses wouldn't give any acknowledgement of the fact that they heard and would hardly follow through with the product. And it wasn't only me who was treated like, so were my friends. The last straw was when my parents came to town. My dad was seated, and waited patiently until the food was served. he then asked if he could have some chopsticks, the manager was serving us as they were short on staff that day. The manager turns towards my father and tells him in a rude voice that he would have to hold on as he, the manager, was too busy to get chopsticks at the moment. My father then asked if a waiter could get the chopsticks. At this point the manager walks away without even a verbal confirmation. In the end, I had to get up to get the chopsticks myself for both my parents. I would go to this restaurant at least once a week. But due to their bi-polar nature, I have now stopped. There are much better, more authentic, cheaper Chinese places that people can go to. This place has bad decor, bad service, bad management and even an even worse location. At first I thought that their food was really good, and I could learn to ignore their rude behavior, but after I stopped going to the place I realized that there are restaurants with much better food out there and better service. Save your money and your time, don't go to the Silver Dragon. Horrible place. —shehzadihamid
2010-09-22 17:15:24 I used to be a regular here and the owner, Sam, would always top my food with something extra. I remember once when I ordered take out, he said to me "Lots of food here. You're going to be eating Chinese food for three days!" And yeah, he was right. —DaveKHuh
2011-01-18 20:21:50 Went to Silver Dragon for dinner on a Tuesday night, not too many people inside. Liked the decor, the red booths were cute =) The service was very good; nice people, quick, and attentive (yet not overly so). The Eggplant Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce I ordered was a large portion, and quite tasty. My roommate ordered the Vegetable Deluxe which was pretty good as well. We also ordered "Fried Wontons" as an appetizer, which I don't recommend getting, as they're essentially fried wonton wrappers (nothing else!) with a sweet dipping sauce. Overall, a good place to go for cheap Chinese-ish food. —KTruong
2011-02-03 20:26:33 Overall pretty good food, again like with most chinese restaurants in Davis you get what you pay for. For some reason they only had 1 waiter working this evening when I went, and the entire restaurant was packed so needless to say service was slow. If you dont mind waiting for a little while its not that bad. I asked to substitute the hot and sour soup for egg flower soup and the waiter wouldnt let me because the 'hot and sour is already made'. I am assuming all the soups are made so that was the only downside. A LOT of food, I recommend the steamed rice plates. We got the crab and cheese wontons which were really good also. I probably prefer wok of flame, but I would say silver dragon is similar to hunans in quality and price. —cj2012aggie
2011-02-07 14:40:27 By far the worst Chinese food I've eaten here in Davis. Food sucks! —kumi
2011-02-28 19:25:39 I got the letter J lunch special for take-out last Friday. The general chicken, chow mein, and egg roll were good but it was the fried rice that I really liked. It was moist and tasty unlike at some other Chinese restaurants where it’s hard and dry. I also got some crab cheese wontons which, while good, could not beat Ding How’s (the best!).
This was the first time in a long while that I’d been back to Silver Dragon. I used to go pretty often and never had any problems with the food (i.e finding foreign objects in it). Then I stopped going because of some of the reviews on here, plus one waiter (although nice) was/is a little creepy and overly friendly with young Asian female diners, esp. if you dine in alone.
—pvo
2011-08-04 15:38:03 This was one of the first real restaurants in Davis, back when there were maybe 5 downtown... used to be a steak house (as others mentioned), thus the furniture. We're talking late 70's here... it's been a Chinese place for like 35 years. I'm trying to remember what the heck the place was called... I'll consult some folks and check back. —OldDavis73
2011-08-05 09:25:42 OK, this place was originally called "Peking" Chinese restaurant. I want to say it changed some time in the 90's... anyway, it was 1 of only 3 real restaurants in Davis back then (mid to late 70's). Everything else was sandwiches or Pizza: Larry Blake's, AJ Bumps, and this place (again, used to be a Texas steak place). —OldDavis73
What, how could you forget Honorable Gees?! —DonShor
and the Branding Iron —SueHjerpe
2011-08-06 13:20:27 My apologies for the omissions, I was relaying what my folks told me was in town back in '74. I do however remember Honorable Gee's (wrote about it on the "Library" arcade page), and the constant Buddah theft... where/what was "the Branding Iron"? —OldDavis73
The Branding Iron was a restaurant owned by the Belenis family that became Mr. B's. I remember eating there in the mid 1960's. No apology need for not remembering that. —SueHjerpe
2012-02-01 10:20:47 I had such a disgusting experience at Silver Dragon. As an undergrad, I loved the won ton soup and ate at Silver Dragon on a regular basis. Then I took my boyfriend here for a date...when I was eating my sweet and sour chicken, I felt something weird hanging from my mouth. It was a WAD of long black hair that had been in my chicken. Not a single hair. A wad of hair. And it was partially in my mouth with my food. I was so disgusted and traumatized. We showed it to the waiter and he took that one plate off of the bill. UGH. I would never go to Silver Dragon again. That still remins my most awful restaurant experience. When I told my friend about it afterward, he said, "Yeah...I've seen things like that on the Davis Wiki for the restaurant." So those of you wondering if these stories are true...I believe every one of them. Disgusting!!! —KellyElmore
2012-03-17 16:03:51 love this place. service is always, always excellent. the workers are very genuine and kind here. thats what makes them so special. also, the food here is great. their chow fun is good and their mongolian beef is the best ive had in davis so far. —SallyVo
2012-08-11 01:40:46 My favorite Chinese place in Davis, hands down. It's cheap and delicious. Their lunch specials are an especially good deal — sweet & sour soup, main course, rice (fried or steamed), and an egg roll for about $6-7 depending on what you order. Service is also always on point, although sometimes I think they're too attentive on the water-refill. I'm always waited on by the flushed-looking waiter, and he's always nice (though a little odd at first)! Whenever I go, we always got free fruit. I thought it was a Silver Dragon thing, but it turns out that it's not. It's he waiter! It was another one of Davis' cruel summer days (106F), and my friend and I got free watermelon and cantaloupe. The watermelon was so sweet. The waiter asked us if we wanted more, and I asked if it costed anything. He said no; he owned all the watermelon and cut slices for customers because he wants to. So he gave us more. I was so pleased I wanted to tip him more, but he wouldn't take it. After, he came around a third time and gave us each a chunk of watermelon to take home, telling me that I had better put my wallet away (I wanted to tip extra) or else he would take back his offer. His generosity was so nice. My friend and I left happy, full (we also could not finished the meal we bought), and excited for the next time we would go. Recommended! —DianaNguyen
2012-11-19 15:00:14 Their salt and pepper pork is about the same as I remember from more authentic places, but the ma po tofu isn't very good. I think they try to get away with ingredients that people unaccustomed to Chinese food don't know don't really belong in certain dishes. I mean, I stick with the pork and hot and sour soup so I'm not really ever disappointed. —HannahToru
2012-12-01 19:45:33 The best Chinese food in Davis!!! I have lived here for 4 years and have found no place with better food or service. The employees and owners are always very friendly and work to make sure my friends and I have had a full and satisfying meal. The Mandarin Spicy Chicken, Curry Chicken and Hot and Sour Soup are amazing and rich with flavor and not overloaded with grease or salt like other places (like Hometown Chinese Food...terrible). —Abdiver17
2013-12-10 14:09:55 Best hot and sour and Wor wonton soup in town. Service is always super good and very friendly. —LokiAbbi
2014-01-02 18:03:35 Best hot and sour soup around. This is standard Chinese food for the American palate, and I find the sauces generally more flavorful than Hunan, the other big fish in the downtown Davis food scene. The waitstaff is sociable and I've had a few good gabfests with them during lunch. A nice casual, tasty dining experience!
I just want to agree with Lily - The hot N Sour is the best around to my palate. I try it everywhere I go and nothing gets the job as well as the soup from silver dragon Daubert
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