This Fort Worth Chinese restaurant has endless options for $20 and under

Szechuan Chinese has an overwhelming amount of options that fit into our $20 budget.

Parking should be no problem for those who want to go. It is located in the “Locke Blocke” strip mall off Camp Bowie with parking out front. On a Thursday night, you can walk in for dinner with no wait. However, based on Yelp reviews and word of mouth, lunch is the best time to go because of the restaurant’s lunch specials.

They are known for serving Sichuan, a specific type of Chinese cuisine that is hot and spicy. At Szechuan, the most popular dish is the Orange Chicken. Those who aren’t fans of spice can customize their spice level.

Szechuan recently started serving alcoholic beverages. While I would normally enjoy a glass of wine with my meal, I had to skip it for the sake of our budget. Szechuan offers beer, wine and a full bar with some signature cocktail options.

Cynthia Quintana Pena, the restaurant’s new owner, told me that when people come across Szechuan, it’s often because they are looking for Peking Duck. This dish is duck with extra crispy skin, plum sauce and thin tortillas. (This is not a review of the restaurant, but Szechuan’s Peking Duck is delicious.)

The duck comes as a half size portion for only $16.95. This portion rationed plenty of food — so much so, my guest and I had to take some home.

This dish alone met our $20 and under ticket, considering tax and total. However, after grazing the menu, I had no problem coming up with other dish combos that fit our allotment.

My guest and I also decided to do a few dishes from the appetizer section (still staying true to $20 and under per person). To start, a crispy Veggie Egg Rolls. These were only $2.00 for a serving of two.

Pena also suggested the Pu Pu Tray, which is $13.95 and meant for two people. This comes with a ton of food, including two chicken skewers, two beef ribs, two pork skewers, fried pork wontons, tempura green beans and shrimp tempura.

If you would rather do an entree, Pecan Shrimp is $16.95, and the aforementioned Orange Chicken is $15.95. This still leaves room for the $2 Egg Rolls.

They also have a family special where guests get soup, an egg roll, and an entree of choice for $17.95 a person.

And of course, our meal ended with a fortune cookie. My guest’s fortune read: “Your next big announcement will come to your email inbox,” which made me think, what do you guys want to see next?

Email me your Fort Worth On A Budget tips at egonzales@star-telegram.com.

This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 6:00 AM.

Ella Gonzales

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.