When people claim that take-out is no longer a suitable focus for a major Chinese restaurant chain, I point them to the success of Pick Up Stix.
Pick Up Stix is generally agreed to outclass its more fast-food-oriented competitors in quality, without losing much (if anything) in the way of convenience, thanks to online ordering.
Pick Up Stix Menu
| Item | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizers | ||
| Cream Cheese Wontons | cream cheese blend with green onions and diced water chestnuts in a crispy wonton. | $3.99 |
| Vegetable Egg Rolls | a classic done the pick up stix way | $3.99 |
| Crispy Dumplings | heaven with a crunch dumplings stuffed with ground pork and vegetables. | $4.29 |
| Asian Lettuce Wraps | delightfully different crisp lettuce with minced chicken vegetables and hoisin sauce. | $5.99 |
| Soup & Salads | ||
| salads served with your choice of our famous stix original or fat free spicy lime - cilantro dressing. | ||
| Wonton Soup | freshness makes all the difference, wontons, shrimp. white meals chicken and vegetables. | $4.99 |
| Hot & Sour Soup | hot & sour, bold & delicious, chicken, shrimp, egg, tofu and vegetables. | $4.99 |
| Original Chinese Chicken Salad | marinated white meat chicken served over fresh greens with mandarin oranges, sunflower and sesame seeds and topped with chinese croutons. | $6.49 |
| Mandarin Garden Side Salad | the crunch says fresh. fresh greens, mandarin oranges and sunflower seeds and topped with chinese croutons. | $2.59 |
| Chicken | ||
| all entrees are served with steamed white or brown rice. we work cook with only trans fat free oil. | ||
| House Special Chicken | our claim to fame, tender chicken in a caramelized sauce of white wine, garlic and soy with green onion add vegetables 1.00 | $6.99 |
| Kung Pao Chicken | our version of a chinese favorite. blazing sauce of seared chilies, peanuts and vegetables. spicy | $6.99 |
| Cashew Chicken | for the cashew connoisseur. white wine, garlic, vegetables and fresh cashews. | $6.99 |
| Mongolian Chicken | rich soy and garlic with white and green onions over crispy rice noodles. | $6.99 |
| Chicken & Vegetables | white meat chicken steamed with vegetables in a tasty dark sauce. | $7.29 |
| Garlic Chicken | a honeymoon for garlic lovers fresh garlic , sweet black sauce and fresh vegetables. | $6.99 |
| Szechwan Chicken | an ancient recipe with a 21st century makeover, fiery red chili peppers, garlic onions, carrots and celery. | $6.99 |
| Orange Peel Chicken | beyond basic fresh orange slices, red chili pepper and seared onions. | $6.99 |
| Sweet & Sour Chicken | a tradition with a contemporary flair. crispy white meat chicken with vegetables and pineapple in a sweet & sour sauce. contains trans fat. | $7.29 |
| Lemon Chicken | incredibly lemony. crispy white meat chicken with a lemon ginger sauce and lemon pieces over crispy rice noodles. contains trans fat, | $6.99 |
| Vegetables & Tofu | ||
| all entrees are served with steamed white or brown rice. we wok cook with only trans fat free oil | ||
| Buddha's Feast | may happiness and contentment be your with this array of fresh vegetables in your choice of dark or white wine sauce. | $6.29 |
| Substitute Tofu In Any Entree | 1.50 additional charge for substitution of steamed white meat chicken in any entree | $6.29 |
| Noodles & Rice | ||
| Fried Rice - House Fried Rice | egg, bean sprouts, peas, carrot, onions (chicken, beef & shrimp) | $5.99 |
| Fried Rice - Chicken | $5.79 | |
| Fried Rice - Shrimp | $5.79 | |
| Fried Rice - Beef | $5.79 | |
| Fried Rice - Vegetable | $5.59 | |
| Fried Rice - Egg | $3.99 | |
| Steamed White Or Brown Rice | $1.79 - $1.29 | |
| Pad Thai | rice noodles in a sweet & sour sauce with chicken, green onions, egg, peanuts and sprouts. | $6.29 |
| Pad Thai | rice noodles in a sweet & sour sauce with chicken, green onions, egg, peanuts with shrimp | $8.29 |
| Chow Mein - House Chow Mein | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce. (chicken, beef & shrimp) | $5.99 |
| Chow Mein - Chicken | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce | $5.99 |
| Chow Mein - Shrimp | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce | $5.99 |
| Chow Mein - Beef | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce | $5.99 |
| Chow Mein - Vegetables | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce | $5.99 |
| Chow Mein - Plain Noodles | shanghai noodles with green onions, bean sprouts and vegetables in a black sauce | $4.29 |
| Kid's Meals | ||
| kids 12 & under only served with steamed rice, a beverage and an apple cinnamon roll. | ||
| House Special Chicken | chicken in a caramelized sauce of garlic and soy with green onions and white pepper | $3.99 |
| House Special Chicken | chicken in a caramelized sauce of garlic and soy with green onions with vetetables | $4.49 |
| Chicken Bowl | wok'd white meat chicken garnished with broccoli and carrot with teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. | $3.99 |
| Desserts | ||
| Apple Cinnamon Rolls | apples and cinnamon in a golden chinese pastry | $3.29 |
| Gourmet cookies | $0.99 | |
| Beverages | ||
| Soft Drinks & Iced Tea | $1.49 - $1.79 | |
| Bottled Water | $1.79 | |
| Teriyaki Bowls | ||
| you've never had it this good. served over steamed white or brown rice with vegetables, glazed with a teriyaki sauce. | ||
| Teriyaki Bowls | chicken | $4.99 |
| Teriyaki Bowl | Beef | $4.99 |
| Teriyaki Bowls | vegetable | $4.79 |
| Family Value Pack | ||
| feed four people for the price of two. | ||
| Family Value Pack | any 2 chicken entrees, 1 side order of any chow mein or fried rice, 1 order cream cheese wontons (6) or vegetable egg rolls (4), 1 order apple cinnamon rolls (4) | $24.99 |
| Family Value Pack | add chow mein, fried rice or tofu for any chicken entree at no additional cost, any beef for any chicken entree add 0.99, any shrimp for any chicken entree add 1.99 | |
| Lunch Specials | ||
| available until 3 pm daily, our lunch special includes a lunch-sized entree, your choice of steamed white or brown rice and a small garden salad. | ||
| Any Chicken Entree | $5.79 | |
| Any Beef Entree | $5.89 | |
| Any Shrimp Entree | $5.99 | |
| Tofu Or Vegetable Entree | $5.29 | |
| Chicken Or Beef Chow Mein | $4.99 | |
| House Special Chicken Lunch Combo | ||
| House Special Chicken Lunch Combo | lunch portion of house special chicken, egg fried rice or steamed rice, choice of 1 appetizer item: cream cheese wontons (2) crispy dumplings (2), egg rolls (2), 32 oz. drink | $6.99 |
About Pick Up Stix
After coming to America seven years earlier with next to nothing to work with, Charlie Zheng opened his first Chinese restaurant in Rancho Santa Margarita, California in 1989.
Here at the end of 2018, almost thirty years later, their website lists 63 locations in Southern California, from LA to San Diego, and the company is widely praised.
Pick Up Stix Review
Pick Up Stix focuses more on takeout and catering than in-house dining, but the open kitchen that commands the interior space might just be worth sticking around to watch.
Everything is made to order, by hand, and from fresh ingredients. After trying it, you too will feel like spreading the news that “Pick Up Stix is better.”
Just about anyone you ask will recommend the House Special Chicken. Sides are more a matter of personal preference, so I say try them all until you find your favorite.
Since nothing is pre-made, you’re free to customize to your heart’s content. Cooking for a pickup time is what they do, so order ahead instead of waiting!