Jockey Wok n’ Rolls

I just called the restaurant a few minutes ago, about 3 or 4 times – the phone number is disconnected. I also double checked on-​line for news on the restaurant: JOCKEY HAS CLOSED DOWN/​IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. :-(

I think this place has closed down. Went there this past Saturday. Shades were down, and a «space available» sign was up. Phone number is disconnected. Sad because we liked this place for dim sum. Now we need to trek all the way to Chinatown. :(

This place has gone to the dumps. Hair in one of our dim sum plates. Was grudgingly replaced by hostess, who then yelled at our server.
All of our plates were cold, lost their flavor from sitting out for who knows how long.
It was an uncomfortable experience.

Our family loves Dim Sum. Since this place is the only Dim Sum restaurant in the NW, we went and gave it a try even though the rating for this place was not so good. We went there during the week around 6:30 pm, we were the only customers in this restaurant. The floor felt sticky so were the tables and chairs.
Half of the items from their Dim Sum menu were crossed off which was a surprise. Their web site says Dim Sum daily without mentioning half of their «weekday Dim Sum menu» was not available. The food was not good. The Pot-​stickers were over cooked and greasy. The skin of the Pot-​sticker was too hard. All the steamed dumplings were broken. The bean curd roll was cold in the center. But after it was cooked all the way, it didn’t taste near as good as other Dim Sum restaurants. Inside the roll, the bamboo shoot was chewy and the pork was dry without much flavor.
When we received the check, the cost was a surprise as well because we were charged higher than the price that shows on the Dim Sum menu. We didn’t bother to argue with them because we just wanted to leave and go to another place to enjoy true fine dining.

I’d give no stars if I could. After being seated at a second booth, as the first one had sweet and sour sauce that my hubs almost sat on, instead he got a hand full. I thought things would get better. Was I wrong!
The place smells like a urinal. It was a disgusting restroom that he washed his hands in and they had the door propped open.
Dim sum is very limited, of the five things I would have ordered only one was available.
Extremely disappointed to say the least.

Nice place to go if you want some dimsum in the suburbs. We ordered dimsum from the push carts. My husband and I loved the hakaw (shrimp dumpling) and the steamed bamboo roll.
We gave it 3 stars because our table was sticky and the spring rolls were cold.
Overall, we loved some of the dimsum and it was affordable. When we get a craving for dimsum in the suburbs, we’ll go back.

I have no idea what happened to this once fine establishment.
My missus and I stopped in on a late Saturday afternoon to get our dim sum on. She had a Groupon.
We were seated immediately, no surprise since the restaurant was practically empty. We ordered some tea and our dim sum: chive dumplings, beef dumplings, and spring rolls.
The chive dumplings were still frozen in the center. The beef dumplings were bland and lukewarm. The spring rolls were dry and bland as well.
What happened? The food used to be so good and tasty! New chef? Cutting corners in the kitchen?
Stopped in to the restroom and it was filthy. The soap dispenser and paper towel dispenser were broken. There was a bottle of liquid hand soap and a roll of paper towels on the counter. The counter was wet and the roll of paper towels was partially soaked too.
Overall, the restaurant is showing its age and needs some updating.
The only positive experience came courtesy of our waitress. She brought out new chive dumplings, steaming hot. And she advised us that we hadn’t used the full $ 30 value of our Groupon, so we ordered some Ma Po Tofu and brought it home with us.
Jockey was once one of the better dim sum places in the NW burbs, but unfortunately, our most recent visit will likely be our last.

Two words: Dim Sum!
I’ve been here many many times and food is consistently good. Feel like they don’t have as much options as Chinatown /​Argyle but anything can be ordered off their reg menu. It’s a closer alternative if you live in the suburbs. On weekends they open at 11 am but will seat u sooner if you arrive early, however there is a wait before the steamed food comes out. Like most places service can be inconsistent, today was really good but other times not so much.

Dragged the hubby out for dimsum on a cold Friday night. As we drove up to the restaurant we notice they were they only business whos sign was not lit. The parking lot was empty but I reasoned that was due to us being there at 6pm. We walked in and it was completely empty in the main dining area. We were taken to a smaller section of the restaurant where some Chinese guests were talking about how to use their new cell phones. It was entertaining all the same.
The place was cold and the mirrors on the wall dirty, as were the carpet.
The food was decent. I ordered pork spare ribs (winner), porridge, bbq buns, and hubby had sesame chicken.
As the option for dim sum is very limited in the area, I would give it another try during the weekend as I dont think we got the full experience.

Sundays are always busy since they have the most extensive dimsum menu in the northwest suburbs.
I recommend the pan fried noodles, shrimp with chives, congee, pork siomai and shrimp dumplings. Finish your meal with a bowl of sweet tofu and freshly fried sesame balls.
I couldn’t give it more than three stars because it took a while to get water on our table since they only had four servers covering the entire restaurant. The place needs updating as well. It has not changed in the last 15 years.

We have been to this place a few times during weekends, for dim sum, mainly because this is the only restaurant offers dim sum in the neighborhood. But every time we came here we hated it. Food was bad, but services were even worse. The guy sitting behind the counter (I think he’s the owner), was very rude, and acted like his customers came not to give him business, but to rob his restaurant. If the owner hates his own restaurant that much, I can’t imagine how he handles the food he makes for his customers.
We, my wife, me, our kids, all voted never go back there again, Never !

In the spirit of full disclosure — I love dimsum and have had it in Hong Kong, China, and nearly every major and minor city I can find it in. I am a regular in China Town in Chicago and New Asia parts of Chicago.
Sunday mid-​day we went with a group — we didn’t have to wait long and were hopeful when we saw the carts making their way. We dove in immediately to get some things off the fry cart — I know the drill so we gave them our paper. We were a group of 8. Hard to miss… but for a half hour no waiter or waitress. We waved down one guy in a vest and he waved me off said he was too busy… um… but you’re the waiter… In reality we could have just kept eating until full and left without paying… but that wouldnt have been nice.
soooooooooooooooooo… I have to get up and find someone at the front desk and ask for a waiter to take our drink orders, maybe some water, or tea. anything? 5 minutes later (and yes I timed it) a nice waitress comes over and tries to act like we just sat down… at this point … whatever just bring us some tea.
Har Gao (shrimp in rice flour dumpling) fine enough — can’t really screw that up
Chow Fun Noodles (mid sized rice noodles) Good flavor — no meat which was good for the vegetarian member of our party
Singapore Noodles — w/​o the singapore — they had no curry — also no meat — and really no flavor
Fun Roll — ok I hate Fun Roll… and they messed up and brought us 2… so I had to eat some… we got the vegetarian one — and the vegetarian didn’t want it…
sticky rice in lotus leaf — meh — nothing special inside — no quail egg, or Chinese sausage just some pork
Shu Mai — bland — but edible
pot stickers — meh
shrimp paste in peppers — meh
bbq pork buns — meh
Pork roast on the cold tray was good — great crunch of the skin and a layer of fat (if you like that kind of thing which I DO)
Chinese Broccoli pretty hard to screw that up — tasted fine
it came to under $ 20 a person because the same stuff kept coming out — and it wasn’t inspiring and the service or lack there of had worn us out. No steamed custard buns but the red bean with sesame seeds was ok enough
if you don’t want to venture into the city — it can pass… I had a line of view of the kitchen and thought I saw some frozen things being poured into a steamer — so not sure they make their own here.
All I was thinking was I wonder if I can get to Furama in the city before they close for a custard bun… Short of that — I will try again if only because this set of friends doesn’t like to come into the city that often for dim sum but I am fairly certain one more visit here and they will WILLINGLY drive east… WonKow here we come!

Came here for my first dim sum experience so, just a disclaimer, I am rating this one with zero experience with the cuisine! But I like to think I know food in general so hopefully it’s still helpful.
We came for brunch on a Saturday, on Saturday and Sunday this place does brunch where the servers walk around with different dim sum dishes.
It wasn’t very crowded, so no wait. We were served drinks right away and offered Peking duck right away, and it was really good! We had to wait for the rest of the stuff because we were there at 10:50, and they technically open at 11! It was fine though.
When the food started circling we were eager to pick stuff out, we went for what we recognized first, potstickers, shrimp rolls and deep friend lobster bites. All were great! And familiar haha! The rest of the food was just a go for it and hope for the best, the servers walking around just offered the name of each dish no description so we went for what looked interesting and good. And it worked out! We tried meatballs, deep fried pork buns and shrimp on grilled eggplant. Everything was pretty good and flavorful. We were there early but if not I can foresee some problems, such as the food getting cold as its walked around. I will go back and try all different things, more adventurous things for sure. No other dim sum in the suburbs really so worth a try.

Saturday morning we decided to introduce some friends to dim sum that had never had it. It’s not bad, much better than the garbage at Royal. No where near as good as the stuff in chinatown. i would say about the level of average stuff in chinatown. But in the burbs, probably the only place that I know of that sells it.
Nothing particularly stands out except the rice crepes with shrimp or beef. They call them Funn rolls, which is based on the chinese name.
The service was very nice as well, which is a great change from those average places in chinatown where you get no service.

Dim Sum is very good for the burbs. Probably closest you can get outside of China Town. Restaurant is big with lots of tables and your typical Chinese décor. Needs to be updated so if you are looking for ambience and atmosphere, you will be disappointed. We come here for the Dim Sum and there are lots of variety and carts come often so you don’t have to wait. Outside of dim sum, if you like fish, get the salt and pepper smelt. Very crunchy and tasty.

Love coming here for dim sum and just about any occasion. They give a free appetizer soup and a dessert soup during non dim sum hours. Plenty of space in the restaurant, usually not too crowded. Waitstaff are generally friendly as well. I highly recommend getting their whole fish/​lobster special. You get 2+ more dishes on the special menu and it’ll include a whole fish (my favorite) or lobster.
As for the food, it has always been good to average in my experiences. They give pretty decent sized portions as well. I like getting the ong choy in garlic, marco polo beef, and the whole fish cooked in soy sauce! This place has always been a go to for a comfort Chinese meal. Give it a try!

It’s good and solid. I was hungry for Chinese and they have a weekday lunch buffet — my bill came to $ 7.70. (nice!!) While it wasn’t anything super fancy, it hit the spot. (I and I prefer to frequent one shop places in strip malls. Gotta support the little guy!)
I was there alone for lunch. I walked in around 11:45am and there were only 5 other patrons in this pretty darn big place. Only 3 people walked in while I was there (not counting the linens supplier). It’s not new, but it’s authentic looking, and the buffet was a pretty good size and had what I needed to fill my cravings.
I had tastings of several beef dishes, a sweet and spicy deep fried chicken, and HUGE crab meat cheese wontons and handmade pork dumplings. Good noodles! Again, nothing fancy or terribly healthy (there was a steamed chicken and veggie dish and a veggie dish or two).
Food wasn’t piled high, but a few pans of food were re-​filled as I was there — it was hot and pretty fresh. That’s a good sign to me.
And the service was just dandy. My server had to show me where the big plates were as I was using the dessert dishes!

I can only speak for their dim sum but my 2 visits here have been enjoyable. Weekend dim sum gets packed and they serve the full menu, but if you prefer to avoid the crowd visit them during the week with a few items dropped from the list. There are few dim sum options out in the burbs so this is a nice alternative to driving to Chinatown. Wok n’ Roll has a spot in Mitsuwa Market, of which I’ve eaten at numerous times.
If you get lucky you’ll find their Groupon deals which is a huge plus.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Poor Jockey Wok N Rolls. It used to be a thing of splendor! Well, I’m getting a little crazy but it used to be the hot spot for dim sum on the weekends because as my good buddy Pari P. points out, it’s the only dim sum spot in the ‘burbs. It was packed to the brim, full of life.
Now when you walk in, a sadness just kind of sets in. The place is dark and dreary, completely desolate and at least today, had a strange odor upon entering. We were seated at a table and service was quick and courteous.
When we arrived they asked if we wanted the lunch specials, dim sum or buffet and we went with the lunch specials. We preferred the cheaper than the buffet price with freshly made food. I felt bad for the buffet as it sat there the entire first hour they were open with no one touching it. There was a big group coming in just as we were leaving so perhaps they were getting it. Something weirds me out about buffet food sitting for an hour with no turnover.
We also wondered if we had ordered the dim sum, would they have brought out 10 dim sum carts just for us?! That’s part of the whole fun of dim sum. More likely they would have just made our items to order. I would *possibly* go back again to try their new weekday dim sum, yep it’s served everyday now.
I ended up just ordering one of their lunch specials. Nothing in particular was calling my name so I went with the sweet & sour chicken. The meal started with what my dining companion thought to be too small a bowl of egg drop soup. It was a bit smaller than the usual serving but it was still too big for me to finish. It was decent but had a strange bright orange-​ish color to it. A bit odd!
When my entrée came out, it was huge! A very generous portion of steamed rice (you can also get fried rice if you so choose) and a lot of chicken. The sauce was a bit too generic for my taste but the chicken was done well — no complaints there. There are so many Chinese spots in the area though that I wouldn’t bother with mediocrity to save a dollar.
If you must try them out, use the 25% off coupon online on their website — My BFF Phill C. and I ate for $ 9 today (without tip)!

My reviews are generally based almost entirely on the food quality, but despite having pretty decent food I will never return to Jockey for a number of other reasons.
I came in for lunch with my wife, mother, and son. We were asked if we wanted the buffet, dim sum, or the menu. We asked to take a look at the menu and the dim sum and after looking through the prices of the menu and seeing no lunch specials, I took a chance and asked if there was a lunch menu. «Oh, you want a lunch menu?» Surprise! Lunch specials for much less money that came with soup and an egg roll like we had expected. This was a big strike for me: trying to trick me into paying for a dinner at noon by not giving me the lunch menu is low.
After we ordered we realized she’d only brought us two waters, we had to ask for two more.
The food came quickly and there I have no complaint. The portions were HUGE, so big that I wondered if we really got the lunch specials after all.
Before leaving I took my son to the bathroom and was disgusted by it, clearly not been cleaned in many days. Urine was caked onto the urinals (see photo), the toilets and sinks were a mess. I’m far from a germophobe but I did not want to touch anything in there, even to wash my hands. Luckily we were done eating and we decided to get out of there, particularly after my wife wondered aloud if the kitchens were as dirty as the bathrooms. I’ve seen gas station bathrooms and bars at 2am on a Saturday that were cleaner than this one was on a Wednesday at lunchtime (with an empty restaurant no less).
My mom and I both handed over our credit cards to split the check, but were told that there’s a $ 12 minimum charge for credit cards. Bah! I’d bought soup to go the week before and was charged an $ 8 bill with no problem.
No matter how good the food may have tasted, I’m not returning to a business that takes advantage of its customers and tries to make them sick in the process. Now please excuse me, I just remembered I need to go wash my hands.