Review Lims Chinese Restaurant - Glenelg

Incredibly disappointed. It took ages for them to take our order, and when the food came, the serving size was equivalent to a kid’s meal. We ordered Lemon Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork - costing about $19-25 each. The taste was also not the best! We waited ages and was served horrible food for a high price. We were still hungry so we drove to McDonald’s Camden Park. Probably the worst Chinese Restaurant we’ve ever been to.

LIM'S is a great place to go if you want that good ol' Chinese food. Honey chicken, chicken and corn soup, crispy beef, sizzling pork - they have it all! We did the banquet so we could try most things. What I also liked about the restaurant was the traditional Chinese decor inside, because the outside didn't look like much at all. But what we liked most of all was the great waiter that we named Mr LIM'S!!! I think he's the manager or owner.... But he was making us laugh so much. That really made our experience great. Food was great, wine was great and the staff were obviously great!!

After reading so many awful reviews I think I'll order elsewhere. Sounds like they can't afford employing proper trained Chefs, but just amateur home cooks. I see it everywhere, esp. Chinese restaurants. This is where reviews are useful. Thank you Google.

Great Chinese food and nice decorations. The staff were so friendly too. Highly reccomend dining in.

Visited Lims today, being a weekday I did not expect it to be si crowded. We were attended in reasonable time and the staff were very good and attentive. The food itself was average. We ordered a chicken prawn pork sweet and sour combo, which had way too sweetness and if not mistaken then food colouring as well. The fried rice was ok but the ginger fish was good. Portions are average, two average eaters can share one rice and gravy.

Amazing place, packed the night we went and catering for large crowds with minimal fuss. Serve sizes were good without being too big Staff are amazing ,all of them. They all take turns at making sure each table is covered. Well worth the time to have a meal, lunch or dinner.

We went for a family celebration and loved it. Great recommendations, tasty food, very quick and extremely entertaining staff!! Nothing was a problem for them including creating a special kids version of chopsticks for my son (he literally uses them for everything now!!) we will be back very soon!!

I went with my Husband and son's family on Christmas eve 2021 and could not have been more disappointed. The size of the servings were a joke, a "large" fried rice was no bigger than a "small" fried rice at every Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. Every main meal was a half portion at best. The place was a complete rip off. All I am expecting is a fair serving of food for the money we were paying (the place is not cheap). If you are planning to go to this restaurant be prepared to pay double to satisfy your hunger, or leave the restaurant hungry.

We had a great meal at Lim's tonight and the service was fantastic although when we walked in with our 2 young girls it was immediately assumed that we would like take away and when we said we would like a table we were made to feel a bit uncomfortable. We noticed that throughout our dinner, the gentleman that greeted us was shaking hands and very friendly with all the other customers except us, was it because we had our kids with us ???? By the way, our girls were well behaved throughout dinner and we left as soon as we had eaten so we didn't upset anyone else's meal. Its a real shame as the food and all other staff were wonderful...

We had a lovely meal at Lim's on Thursday night, delicious food and a great atmosphere along with lovely staff - we'll definitely be back! �

Amazing night with the family celebrating a milestone birthday. Phil and the staff were amazing, thank you. Food was excellent and service was fantastic. Love this place.

Had the banquet for 6. Food was well spaced so we could eat more. Food was to a high standard. They even gave us an extra dish. Service was great, very friendly. Definitely recommend!

We re-discovered Lim's a few years ago on a visit to Glenelg since we now live in a rural area. Couldn't believe still same owner and fantastic food and service! Next time we came with 18 people for lunch on a week-day and asked if they could cater for us. Big round table set up in 5mins and best service and food ever. Hope this place is still going for our next trip on June 20!

What a great traditional Chinese restaurant.loved the decor,traditional dress and very friendly and polite staff. Food was great as well. We enjoyed this Chinese restaurant. We will be back next time we come to Adelaide.

What can you say about this place? Food is awesome, staff are great and you are made to feel like family.

Great place to have a meal, well priced and good for takeaway. Highly recommend

Good customer service , but i thought size of servings of food was too small.

Love this place, it's a family favourite, service is exceptional & the food is great. Good value for money 👍

Very friendly welcome and attentive service. Menu limited compared to most Chinese restaurants. Food was okay. Service slid downhill- no apology what I asked for a clean bowl (dried food stuck on the rim). Then totally disinterested at the end of our meal- bill not offered when we declined coffee and dessert.

My friend and I had dinner at Lim's last night. Not only did we receive hot hand towels on arrival but we enjoyed wonderful service and delicious food! The staff were very attentive, friendly and happy. A great choice for our pre-movie dinner at Glenelg.

Our family has been going to Lims since I was a child now I am taking my kids there. They love going there for meals and birthdays, we are always treated so well and the meal is always amazing!

A Glenelg institution. Always great service. Food old school which we love. Been going for more than 25. Years.

Great place! Very friendly atmosphere

Visited Lims today, being a weekday I did not expect it to be si crowded.<br/>We were attended in reasonable time and the staff were very good and attentive. The food itself was average.<br/><br/>We ordered a chicken prawn pork sweet and sour combo, which had way too sweetness and if not mistaken then food colouring as well. The fried rice was ok but the ginger fish was good. Portions are average, two average eaters can share one rice and gravy.

Super friendly staff and yummy food! <br/><br/>Just a heads up for vegetarians/vegans - I was told by staff that chicken stock is used for 'vegetarian' dishes, so remember to ask for an alternative.

Well, I don't like to write negative reviews but I do hate to waste money. We had sweet & sour chicken take away and spring rolls and both tasted bland & not fresh. Couldn't eat it. That's all I have to say about that. It's a pity, because the restaurant looked lovely inside when I picked up the food.

Love this place! It's one of our recent favourites for takeaway! The veggie parties are a must-try.. we had those with few other dishes to accompany the fried rice (which was great one time but a little dry the next) but overall fantastic here!

A friend and I ended up at this restaurant after discovering Indochine are closed for Saturday lunch (how stupid!), but to our delight, the food was delicious. <br/><br/>This is one of the only Asian cuisine restaurants that is open for Saturday lunch in the heart of Glenelg, the food is delicious and the service is a breath of fresh air. Once you walk in you're friends with the staff straight away, I will admit the food is probably a bit overpriced but a good Chinese feast is never cheap.<br/><br/>Will definitely be going back!

Although the name of the restaurant suggests otherwise, the food that was served was not at all authentic or pleasant. The portion sizes were tiny compared to their prices, and the quality of the food was unacceptable. For example, their "spicy chicken sauce" was just barbeque sauce. We have tried honey chicken in many different places, and we can safely say this is easily one of the worst. However on the upside, their location is quite convenient, and their decoration and environment may be pleasing to some. Their manager was not friendly and instead quite rude, however most waiters were understanding and nice. If you are after a tacky and dimly lit restaurant from a Hollywood 50s movie, with non-authentic, small-portion food, this is the place for you. Everyone else please feel free to go to China town.

Got takeaway from Lims a few weeks ago while visiting a friend in Somerton Park. We ordered five dishes and all were average. Even a simple dish like salt and pepper squid was done poorly. Won't be returning.

Had a lovely dinner at Lim's. Felt like a standard Chinese meal with the general classics - Mongolian steak, crispy lemon chicken and fried rice. Ticked all the boxes. The service was friendly and attentive.

Came across this restaurant after finding the one we were after was closed. Not sorry! We ordered 4 dishes, all great. Were with 2 kids. Staff great and owner even gave the kids little toys. Will return again!

Know What You're Getting. Lim's is great if you're after some classic retro Australian Chinese. If you want pineapple in your Mongolian Lamb, this place is for you. We enjoyed it for its kitsch atmos and menu, a bit of fun. Don't go here if you are looking for a traditional Chinese experience- there is an abundance of better restaurants in China Town!

Yummy food and great service. The food here was absolutely delicious though the servings were quite small. The staff were very friendly. A little over priced but a wonderful treat to have occasionally. Great atmosphere and clean restaurant. Would go again.

Astonishingly mean serves. If you are hungry don't go!

Great Service, Great Food. I'm not usually a fan of chinese food but decided to celebrate my best friend birthday at LIM's as she highly recommends them. I must say the staff are full of fun and entertaining, never a dull moment and the awesome food kept me wanting for more but I have to watch my weight as well. The food is kind of western style chinese but the flavours were amazing it didn't matter, a great night, service and entertainment, I will be back soon :-). Anna

Had my NYE dinner at Lims with 8 of my family. Small serves, charged $3.50 for the smallest plate of prawn chips, charged a dollar a glass for filtered water and overcharged by $106!!!! The new owners of Lims are giving the history of this Glenelg icon a bad name. Never again.

Amazing food service was fun and outstanding!!<br/>Great way to spend New Years with friends.<br/>Good value too!!!

Must try. Our group of 11 attended Lim's on Saturday the 20th for my wife's birthday. This was my wife and I second visit to Lim's and the first visit for the rest of our friends.<br/><br/>Upon entering you are made to feel at ease by the friendly and welcoming staff. Lim broke the ice with a joke before leading us to our table. Lim is an exceptional host, remembering us from our first and past visit almost 9 months ago. He even remembered my wife was pregnant at the time taking a further interest in our new son which was genuine.<br/><br/>Between a few drinks and a few more jokes with the staff the remainder of our group arrived. A fresh hot towel was offered as a refresher before the meal which is a nice touch. We ordered 5 entrees and a main to each share plus steamed rice for the table. Again the staff excelled with knowledge on all our dishes and provided recommendations for those who were not sure.<br/><br/>The initial dishes arrived quickly and were staggered throughout the meal as to avoid over crowding on the table. All 11 of us were satisfied and full by the time the last plate was taken away. All the dishes were generous and tasty. Standout dish would have to be the Rainbow Lamb which was delicious. <br/><br/>Desert time came and waiter, whose name I'll catch next time was hilarious. He had been good fun throughout the night but stepped up a notch as I think he realised he could get away with it. He had the whole table laughing very loudly, sorry to other patrons and none of our party was safe. It was all in good fun and no-one was insulted, he helped make the night that bit more special. Anyway he convinced us all to get the fried ice cream.<br/><br/>Our ice cream came out and a special birthday serve for my wife. The staff started singing happy birthday to my wife, encouraging the whole restaurant to join in which they did. It was then she was given a free bottle of gift wrapped sparkling.<br/><br/>After desert a further treat for all 11 of us, a complimentary glass of Baileys or Port. Lim joined us for a quick toast and to thank us all for coming. Everyone at the table commented how they would be back.<br/><br/>Lim's hits all the marks of a great restaurant with excellent service, food, prices, cleanliness and ambiance. However where Lim's excels is the experience. <br/><br/>In no other restaurant have I been made to feel so welcome. The staff and Lim really seem to enjoy what they do. By the end of the night you really do feel as you've known Lim and his staff for years. It's also the only restaurant where I feel the staff actually deserved a tip which I happily gave which was humbly and thankfully accepted by our gracious host. <br/><br/>It's our favourite restaurant and we will be back for many more celebrations over the years.

Friendly Atmosphere. We stumbled across Lim's whilst in the Bay last night. The intitial impression was a cosy & friendly old-school Chinese restaurant. The staff were courteous and attentive throughout the night. The food was basic Aussie-style Chinese but tasty and not greasy. The serves were ample size without being too big. <br/><br/>We had prawn crackers, srping rolls and fried dim sims to start. The dims sims were a little on the doughy side but very tasty pork filling. For mains we shared the Hokkien Mee noodles, Fish with ginger & spring onion, Sweet & Sour Pork, Chicken with Cashew Nuts and a serve of wok fried Chinese greens. All were very tasty and the veggies were fresh and not overcooked. I was surprised the fish was battered but perhaps I didn't read the menu well and it was still my favourite.<br/><br/>It took about 40mins to get our mains which I thought that was ok considering they took us without a booking and there were quite a few other tables there that had ordered before us. <br/><br/>A little on the pricey side for standard Chinese fare but the menu is on the front door so you can check the prices before entering. We were 3 adults and one 6 year old. The bill came to $150 which included 3 standard alcoholic drinks, 3 soft drinks and 1 dessert. We probably could have got away with one less dish.<br/><br/>Some nice touches were the offer of hot towels on arrival and paper decorations on the desserts.<br/><br/>I wouldn't rush back to Lim's but would be more than happy to go back. It was the perfect cosy place to go with the family on a cold winter's night.

Lim's Chinese restaurant- the best restaurant in south Australia! Our family's been going to Lim's for many years, always have the best experience and beautiful food plus friendly staff. We always have our family functions and get together there. All of my friends that I've introduced to Lim's, they love it there! I don't understand why people complain about having to pay for water!! I mean u pay $1 or $1.50(for spring water) u can drink as much as u want, come on!! All other places charge u for bringing in cakes $3-$5 per slice where as Lim's don't. So, people really should not complain about the water, get over it!! Love love love LIM'S!!

I must start by saying i am not a chinese cuisine fan, but enjoyed my meal at Lims last night! Schezuan prawns were big, fresh n sooo tasty! Dims sims were top notch and service was great! Very child friendly aswell!!

Below expectation. We hadn't been to lims for quite a number of years and we felt like some old school Chinese. The service was great, the food was really good too. The serves were too small for the price. Got the bill and were disappointed. They charged $1 each for tap water. They offered prawn crackers to the kids a couple times while waiting for our meals and found the charge of $3.50 x2 on the bill. This left a bad taste in our mouths.

The Best Chinese in Glenelg. I've been going to Lim's for over 15 years and have always been overly happy with the food and level of service.<br/><br/>I've eaten all over the world and am happy to say Lim's is well up there with some of the best westernized Chinese restaurants.<br/><br/>I like it because it reminds me of a forgotten time on the inside, both in appearance and in style of service.You could say its a nostalgic experience.<br/><br/>Almost everything on the menu is delicious with the only exception being the Duck. ( Sorry Mr Lim have to be honest .)<br/><br/>Serves could be slightly bigger, however you do get your moneys worth as far as quality go's.<br/><br/>Staff are always friendly and helpful.<br/><br/>I agree with someones previous revue about this restaurant being a Glenelg institution.

FULL OF FLAVOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Lim's is a Glenelg institution in itself.<br/><br/>It has survived for so long for one reason, and that is that it's classic Australian Chinese at its best.<br/><br/>As far as a typical Chinese restaurant goes this place is faultless and classic.<br/><br/>The menu has a wide variety of choices for everyone including vegetarians and gluten free.<br/><br/>Food is always amazing and FULL OF FLAVOUR!!!<br/><br/>The service is always different but in a good way. The service staff all have big personalities and each has a different take on there form of customer interaction.<br/><br/>Mr Lim's please never leave Glenelg.<br/><br/>We love you.

Tasteless. We grabbed takeaway from Lim's tonight - my boyfriend remembered them having great tasty Chinese. Something must have changed since he'd last been there years ago. The food was absolutely tasteless. The spring rolls tasted like they were from the frozen food aisle and in the chicken chow main dish either that wasn't chicken, or it was disgusting reconstituted stuff. $40 later for two mains, two entrees and 3 fortune cookies feeling totally ripped off. And hungry - couldn't finish it, it was that bad.

Good traditional Chinese. If sweet & sour, Mongolian lamb, steak & cashews and special fried rice is bag, Lim's is for you

Standard chinese cuisine, great staff. The food at Lim's is relatively basic. It is standard chinese food at an average price.<br/><br/>The staff is really accommodating though. They made special vegetarian hot and sour soup and vegetarian fried rice for me! They do have quite a few vegetarian options - but I wanted specific things. The food was tasty but nothing exceptional and the prices were slightly expensive for the portion size.<br/><br/>I would go back, but I am not in any hurry to return.

Great atmosphere served with a smile and a side of kindness! I enjoyed my stay at Lim's Chinese restaraunt. The banquets avaliable are worth the $35 per head and will come back again to try some of the single dishes avaliable. Overall, I would give it a 8 out of 10

Lim’s is a bit of an institution in Glenelg as it’s been around for over 37 years. The menu offers a decent selection of classic Chinese style dishes, with nothing hasn’t been seen before.