The Dragon Restaurant, located in the strip mall on Jefferson Boulevard right next to Target and Ross, is exactly the sort of Chinese food takeout and restaurant that you get in strip malls across the country. The appearances are generally very similar and menus offer the dishes that you expect them to offer. The opportunities for surprise are few and far between.
Where The Dragon towers above many similar restaurants is with the quality. In that regard, the staff at this place seems to show pride and joy in making the food as top-notch as possible, despite the very reasonable prices. The service is fast and efficient – not overly friendly, but that’s okay. The vibe at The Dragon seems to be about getting you seated with a (soda) drink in front of you, giving you a menu, taking your order and getting you your hot and tasty food as quickly as possible.
Don’t be put off by that. Embrace it. It’s all part of the fun. The prices are reasonable throughout the day, but especially for the lunchtime specials. Less than $7 will get you a choice of dishes served with rice (fried, brown or white) and either an egg roll or soup.
We picked the Mongolian beef with fried rice and egg roll, and didn’t regret it. It’s a fool’s errand to expect too much from an egg roll in a joint like this, but this one was great. Crispy, piping hot and not too greasy, it was pretty much all vegetable (as far as we could tell), but not at all bland.
The fried rice was deliciously eggy and, with a dash of soy sauce, made the perfect side. It was perhaps lacking in the little pieces of vegetable that you often get, but it was fresh and soft, and it did a great job soaking up the sauce of the main event.
The Mongolian beef isn’t dripping in sauce, but it’s coated in a rich and meaty gravy that is magnificent. The dish is heavy with onions and green onions, grilled but still crunchy. The meat, meanwhile, is tender. This doesn’t taste like it was frozen five minutes earlier, nor does it taste like it’s been sitting in a pot under a heat lamp all day.
The Dragon serves hearty, tasty food, fast and cheap. The selections on the menu all look good but then, at these prices, you can go more often anyway.