- Chinese Food
- Chinese Restaurant
- New York
- Tompkins County
- Ithaca
- Chinese Restaurant in Elmira Road
- Golden Bayou
Golden Bayou Photos









Hours
Monday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PMTuesday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday, Closed
Thursday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Sunday, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
About Golden Bayou
Golden Bayou is a Chinese restaurant located at 401 Elmira Rd STE 11, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA. You can contact them at (607) 391-0026 or +1 607-391-0026. Despite its name possibly suggesting Cajun cuisine to some, Golden Bayou is known for serving Chinese food, particularly Szechuan dishes, and offers both dine-in and takeout services.
Long-time customers consistently praise Golden Bayou for maintaining quality and consistency in their service, food, and atmosphere since opening. The restaurant is a popular choice for both lunch and takeout among regulars. The staff is noted for their friendly and kind service, with instances of providing discounts and showing understanding towards customers.
A standout dish mentioned in reviews is the fish dry pot, described as excellent with a good balance of chilies and Szechuan peppercorns, tender fish, pleasantly crunchy and chewy breading, and very good vegetables. However, one reviewer noted that the batter was slightly too salty. While the prices are considered fine, they might be a few dollars higher than similar establishments in the area; the fish dry pot was priced at $20 before tax according to one review.
Golden Bayou offers a lunch special that includes American-style Chinese dishes like lo mein. Some customers have suggested that including a couple of Szechuan or Cantonese options in the lunch special could further enhance the appeal for those seeking more authentic regional flavors.
The restaurant is described as clean with plenty of space. The staff is consistently mentioned as friendly.
In summary, Golden Bayou is a highly recommended Chinese restaurant in Ithaca, particularly for its excellent Szechuan cuisine, with the fish dry pot being a must-try. Customers can expect consistent quality, friendly service, and a clean, spacious dining environment. While prices might be slightly higher than some competitors, the overall experience appears to be positive for those seeking authentic Szechuan flavors.
Golden Bayou Location
401 Elmira Rd STE 11, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
Customer Reviews
I have been a long-time customer since they opened. We always go there for lunch and to go. They keep quality and consistency until present for services, food quality, and atmosphere. We always took family members and relatives to this restaurant. One time, my husband wanted to reorder the Cahun for lunch, and they gave a discount, too. That's nice. Also, one time, a long time ago, I forgot cash, and they allowed me to go out of the restaurant without paying to get cash for about 30 minutes. That's really nice heart. Highly recommended.
Excellent fish dry pot. Right amount of chilies and Szechuan peppercorns, fish was tender, breading was pleasantly crunchy + chewy, very good vegetables. Batter was just a little too salty. Prices are fine, seem to be a few dollars higher than similar places in town. Fish dry pot was $20 before tax, and I think it's more like $18 at other places. Lunch special has American-style dishes like lo mein and stuff. That's fine, but would be better IMO if they also did a couple Szechuan or Cantonese dishes for lunch special as well. Clean, lots of space, staff were friendly. To be honest I always thought this place was a Cajun fast-food restaurant chain. Then I stopped in randomly and was like "wait they do Szechuan food here??" lol
The food here is amazing!!! My partner and I got the cheese wontons, chicken lo mein, barbecued pork buns, and a seafood boil with crab legs, shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage. Everything was cooked well and tasted delicious! The staff was very nice and got our food out fairly quickly for how much we ordered 😂 We will definitely be going there again!!!
We love this place. More importantly, friends of ours from China won't go anywhere else. The key is to avoid the Americanized dishes on the first couple pages of the menu and work your way back to authentic dishes. That is the prize
Food was absolutely awful. Ordered a fish fillet dish and tell me why it was crispy? Absolutely not edible. Proceeded to order another dish and textures of vegetables are very bad. Not a single smile from the server either from the moment we walked in. She looked like she was forced to work here. Will never be back.
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