11/17/08

A Truly Restaurant Nightmare

by jdeater

Chinatown hasn't exactly have the best service, some places have good to average service. We decided to try this place out and we will never forget it. First the dining are is upstairs and there was a strong odor coming from the bathrooms, which we later found out that the doors were "WIDE" open. It is the begining of winter in Chicago and it was freezing outside. Inside was the coldest restaurant I have ever been in, the staff and customers were in their jackets.

The staff was something unbelievable in a bad way. All of them carried their cellphones and answer them infront of customers. They yell across the room to talk to each other. One staff was clipping her nails in the middle of the restaurant infront of everyone, by the food she was gonna take to a nearby customer, that is the absolute truth. A customer next to our table was complaining about the weird taste of her food and the staff just noded and left. I try to order dim sum, but was told it is closed, and then a person next to us arrived and ordered dimsum, I told her about it and she said "try coming in earlier next time."

The food is something else it is overpriced and such small portions. Nine dollars fried rice had about 3 cups of rice in it. Mangaloin beef with maybe 10 slices of mostly fat beef and loads of onions and grease.

My advice is to stay away from this place like it has a radiation sign infront. There are much better places around Chinatown.

• Pros: Plenty of Seats, Mostly because no one is there
• Cons: Staff, Food, Smell, Decor, Just about everything

07/19/08

Pass this one by!!

by Spiritbeing

The staff was rude, the table not set for eating unless you could use chopsticks, asking for silverware, we were given 2 knives and 3 spoons for a party of 4. The food was bland, tasteless and overcooked as well as cold. Possibly asking for NO MSG means there are no other Asian spices or flavorings. The floor/rugs were scattered with empty fortune cookie wrappers and food on them. The Dim Sum is served for "breakfast, lunch and snacks"only, not for dinner. Where this restaurant got a four star rating is beyond my understanding. This is by far the worst food, not to mention Chinese food, I have ever tasted. The staff needs lessons in cooking, manners and presentation.

• Pros: An elevator to get to the restaurant as opposed to walking up a flight of 25 stairs
• Cons: restaurant dingy and dirty, plastic picnic table cloths, food bland tasteless, overcooked, and cold. Staff rude and sloppy.

03/05/08

Gross food, bad service

by JRBK

I took my wife and son to 3 happiness for dim sum. The wait staff came to our table quickly, but were rude and unhelpful. They were also dishing out cold greasy food. It was also overpriced. There are way better choices in Chinatown.

• Pros: easy to get a seat
• Cons: cold greasy food, rude wait staff, dingy dining room

08/20/07

Great view overlooking the Chicago Parking Lot & Red Line, and Chicago Chinatown Gate

by unknown888

The Big Three Happiness and the Small Three Happiness (the one that started it all), there use to be three of these restaurants in the 80?s, the one on 22nd Place was sold decades ago, now part of Chinatown Hotel. The remaining two Three Happiness, are own by two different owners, and they are no longer own by the Moy?s brothers (happily retired). The Bigger Three Happiness was bought by the same owner who own Furama Restaurant. Personally, I went there because I knew the owners and the restaurant managers, but I do not go there for dim sum anymore, great place for tourist and a nice view overlooking the Chicago Parking Lot & Red Line, and part of Chinatown. Cooking style is very similar to Furama, otherwise the Big Three Happiness still retain it own menu.

06/01/05

Good Dim Sum across from the gateway to Chinatown

by joelrwilliams

You can order from a menu or pick from the items passing by in the dim sum carts. Most of the women who push the dim sum carts didn't speak english, so we kind of guessed at some of the items. But this was part of the fun and lended quite an aire of authenticity. The place was 25% filled with Chinese families, curious tourists (like us) and locals who were into dim sum. We were there near the end of the dim sum period (up until 3pm in the afternoon) so the restaurant wasn't very crowded and fresh dim sum wasn't streaming from the kitchen. I'd go back again when the joint was jumpin' and fresh dim sum was steadily coming out of the kitchen. Sticky rice was good.

• Pros: Dim Sum, Close CTA stop, Authenticity

Busy two-story Chinatown institution that's famous for its dim sum.

by Contributor

In Short
Chatty groups of tourists and Chinese families create a bustling atmosphere in the bright upstairs and downstairs dining rooms. Dim sum is the draw, offered daily from 10am to 3pm. Just point to appealing dishes as servers push carts by your table. Steamed items like ha gow, an addictive ball of shrimp wrapped in rice flour dumpling, are a perfect start. Fried rice is studded with bits of Chinese sausage and steamed in aromatic banana leaves. Entrees are also available, including a seafood combo and tender steak.

11/27/02

Locals don't go there!

by guy2681

Not the best, most groups in the area have stopped holding their parties at Three Happiness. In fact one school a few blocks away stopped holding their huge Chinese New Year Celebration and other parties there back in 1993. It was terrible back then. Most local residents eat else where, only tourists and out-of-towners eat there because it is near parking and intersection.

11/20/02

YUCK!!

by AnnaAradia2769

This place is way over rated. The food is mediocare, and the service is nothing outstanding. More importantly it is pricey! If you are in china town go over two doors to Moon Palace which is so much better!

11/09/02

very happy at 3 happiness

by wkarlinpace

the Dim Sum at this restaurant is the best I have tasted since leaving NYC and the wonderful restaurants there on Mott Street. The service is very good, but the food is divine. If you like Dim Sum and don't mind sharing a table with strangers then this is the place to go in Chicago.

• Pros: Inexpensive, parking available
• Cons: English not 1st lang.