For those living in Tonawanda, New York, Beijing Garden is the place to go for friendly service and delicious food. The restaurant is run by Mr. and Mrs. Lin, a couple known in the area for their hospitality. And the positive reviews really support this statement. According to one happy online reviewer, “This restaurant is clean and the food is excellent, especially the Black Pepper Chicken. [Mrs. Lin] always smiles at me when I walked in.”

The take-out restaurant is located in a shopping plaza near plenty of office buildings so there are quite a few passers-by. Since the restaurant primarily focuses on take out, the interior décor isn’t the main attraction, however, the restaurant is always kept clean, bright, and comfortable, with a few tables and chairs for customers waiting for their to-go orders.

• Location: 33 Niagara St, Tonawanda, NY 14150


• Cuisine: Americanized Chinese cuisine


• Offers: Take-out


• Signature Dish: General Tso’s Chicken, Bourbon Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken 


• Year of establishment: 2007


• Phone: (716) 693-8858


• Operation hours: 11:00am-10:00pm

Take Out With a Twist

Beijing Garden serves mostly Americanized Chinese cuisine with influences from Hunan, Sichuan, and Cantonese culture, with General Tso’s Chicken as the best-selling dish. Other popular dishes are the Bourbon Chicken, a flavorful entrée spiced with honey and wine and baked in the oven; the Black Pepper Chicken, a dish prepared with bell peppers, onions and black peppers with a delicious kick, and the Singapore Mei Fun, a dish stir-fried with onions, peppers, chicken, pork, shrimp and a lot of garlic in curry spicy sauce.

Overall, the food at Beijing Gardens is all prepared healthfully, with little oil, salt, sugar, and no MSG. However, if customers are looking for extra healthy options, Mrs. Lin recommends ordering the Mixed Vegetable Soup, Vegetable Mei Fun, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Chicken with Broccoli, and the various seafood and tofu options. Customers can also have their food steamed, with brown rice, or with the sauce on the side upon request. Mrs. Lin reassures that no matter what a customer is requesting, her restaurant will gladly cater to them.

Smiley Service

Mr. and Mrs. Lin consider Beijing Garden a family style restaurant. They are the owners as well as the staff. They are often very busy, especially on the weekends and during the dinner rush, but they are quite experienced and can handle the volume without any problems. Mrs. Lin answers the phone and packages the orders while Mr. Lin is in charge of cooking and the kitchen.

According to Mrs. Lin, the restaurant is run so efficiently because of adequate preparation. They prep all of the ingredients one day prior to service so the food and seasonings are always stocked, easily reached, and ready to go.

Following the Rules

There are three main rules that Mr. And Mrs. Lin always follow for smooth operations. The first is temperature control. All of the food is stored at the proper temperature so ingredients are not wasted. The temperatures are set according to the Health Department standards. The second is freshness. Mr. Lin guarantees that the food served is fresh and tasty. “Without fresh ingredients, any veteran chef wouldn’t make it in the business,” explains Mrs. Lin. And the third is speed. All of the orders are prepared within five to ten minutes.

Overcoming Obstacles

When Mr. And Mrs. Lin first opened Beijing Garden’s doors, business did not flood in as they had hoped. They offered a 30 percent off deal during the first month and a 15 percent off deal in the second month. While this is quite a large discount, potential customers were not aware of the new eatery, so Mr. And Mrs. Lin decided to take action to get their attention. They also posted their menu in the surrounding area, advertised in a local magazine, and sent out coupons. Eventually, they began to see the results of their hard work and their business began to grow.

“Although opening a restaurant is a very tough job, I’ve always known that the first priority is to satisfy the customers,” says Mrs. Lin.

The Lin Family

Mr. and Mrs. Lin moved to the United States about eleven years ago. Mr. Lin worked in a variety of restaurants at first, as a busboy and waiter, and then eventually as a cook. Overtime, he gained rich experience. He learned the ropes of running a restaurant and at the same time be became quite an impressive cook.