221 Country Club Park (Crestline Village, Mountain Brook)
871-7588
Dine-in, take-out and delivery. A thread on cheap eats on Chowhound.com in August 2007 noted, "They are quick, pretty inexpensive, and more importantly, they DELIVER. I've had their pot stickers and steamed chicken and vegetables. Both were very tasty."

2656 Valleydale Rd (near intersection with Caldwell Mill)
980-7151‎
This Indian Springs are restaurant was recommended by a Bhamdining.com reader: "Really great food, and huge portions! Living off of 280, this really beats Golden Palace, and any of the others around here."

813 Green Springs Hwy Ste F
942-9782
On Green Springs Hwy. across from Mazer's in the Homewood area, Chop Suey is mostly known for good, inexpensive, Americanized Chinese takeout food, including egg rolls amd bacon fried rice. One person described it on Chowhound.com as "the little hole in the wall that could," and someone on the Homewood board on Al.com said, "Chop Suey is much better than that over-priced place on Valley."

114 Wildwood Pkwy. (Homewood)
945-8711
We haven't been there, but a couple of readers recommend it. "They'll ruin every other Chinese restaurant for you," says one. Another writes, "I have eaten at countless "Chinese" restaurants. I thought Wang's was good until I tried the Dragon. They have the best hot and sour soup I have ever eaten." A review last year on ChefMoz.org says, "It is probably the best Chinese food you will ever eat. The service is friendly, the atmosphere authentic, and all dishes are served without the addition of MSG."

7740 Crestwood Blvd. (Irondale area, near Century Plaza)
956-8287
Huge, all-you-can eat buffet with more than 100 items daily. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Get it to go by the pound. You can also order off the menu.

4647 K Highway 280, Riverhills Shopping Center, Inverness area
991-3197
Lunch and dinner. Beautiful, if a bit shabby, surroundings. Very good, typical Chinese-American food. Some of the best hot-and-sour soup in town.

7001 Crestwood Blvd # 606 (west of Century Plaza)
595-6868
We haven't been there, but have heard from others that they have excellent hot and sour soup and some of the best egg rolls in town.

514 Cahaba Park Circle (off Hwy. 280 across from Target plaza)
991-3803
Reviewers on Yahoo Travel give it five stars for the food, with high marks for hot and sour soup. If you're adventurous and not in a hurry, try the whole Szechuan fish.

1917 Hoover Court (next to Green Valley Drugs)
824-8283
The Chen family, who came to Birmingham from Taiwan 24 years ago, previously operated the Red Pearl restaurant, reports Bob Carlton in the Birmingham News' City Scene. Some of the most popular dishes include braised pork meatball, smoked duck, salted crispy whole shrimp, shredded chicken with cilantro, sizzling beef, and spare ribs wrapped in lotos leaf. Chowhounds were largely happy. "This is not your typical Chinese menu. No Moo Goo Gai Pan and electric-red sweet-and-sour dishes (although there are kung pao chicken and sesame chicken). Instead think Basil Squid, Ginger and Onion Crab, Spare ribs wrapped in Lotus Leaf, Braised Beef Belly in hot pot," wrote one.
Read our review here. 

243 West Valley Ave., Homewood
945-9558
Lunch and dinner. No alcohol available. Part of the Super Oriental Market, Red Pearl Restaurant offers Chinese-American staples like Sesame Chicken and Moo Goo Gai Pan, but also more authentic fare such as sizzling pork intestines in Szechuan sauce and fish head hot pot.