I believe this restaurant is located near a missionary and in an area with lots of Mexican style buildings. Strange how a dim sum place would be here, but it manages to be super packed anyways. The biggest gripe about this place for me is the wait. They didn’t really give us a time to how long it would take before we got a table. After 40 minutes, my grandmother complained that there were a bunch of tables outside not being used. After sufficient complaining, they relented and set up the tables. After that, we set a precedent of other people sitting outside. That was amusing.

After that setback though, things went smoothly. They worked fast to accomodate the people outside. We just ordered dim sum since we were outside, so I am not too sure if there are cart pushers. All the dishes were rich and tasty. A dim sum place worth checking out if you are willing to wait. I hear it is booked often for special occassions, adding to the wait. I think I favor NBC dim sum a little bit more, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying this restaurant out.

I’m always amused when I see a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t look like a Chinese restaurant (like Russell’s seafood in Irvine). Mission 261 definitely looks like a Mission and it’s the only Chinese restaurant that I’ve seen with patio seating. The restaurant is huge and could easily accomodate very large groups and weddings. The interior is very nicely appointed and all the niceties are reflected in the food prices which are way higher than I’m used to paying for Chinese.

The food was good, but not good enough to justify the very high prices. I think I’ll stick to NBC in Monterey Park. It was a good experience nonetheless since it does make you feel pretty fancy.

i’ve been to mission 261 once for dinner, and overall it was a pleasant experience. the food was on spot, the service was the usual quick & brisk chinese service, and the ambience (we sat in the large high-ceiling banquet room) was probably the most outstanding part — as it was upscale and fancy. we didn’t really have to wait for a table, but it was an early dinner for us. the prices were on the higher side, so maybe not worth too frequent a visit.