Ba Ren Restaurant

Business Hours:: Lunch Time:
Mon.- Sun.: 11:00am-3:00pm
Dinner Time:
Mon.- Sun.: 5:00pm-9:30pm

Restaurant Location: Small city, town, or suburb

Number of Employees: 5+

Number of Seats: 101+

Average Price: $10-$14.99

Restaurant Type: Full service

Cuisine: Sichuan

Awards and Honors

Top100 Regional Chinese Cuisines (2008)

Vote and Comments

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Number of voting: 0 people have voted

	Reviewed by : Robert M. On: 2/17/2013 2:43:00 AM This ain't no Ba Ren Not worth a special trip. Showing up to Chili Max when expecting to find Ba Ren was a serious downer. New family staff kept turning up the tv even though we were sitting below it trying to have a discussion about our favorite now closed Szechuan reseraunt and eating a miserable Hunan meal.
	Reviewed by : Ping Y. On: 2/12/2013 8:42:00 AM Really Good Service! The food is good but can't compete with LA Hunan style cuisine. But I will definitely visit again next time I travel to San Diego.
	Reviewed by : Jeff L. On: 10/9/2012 2:34:00 AM This ain't Ba Ren folks.The decor is exactly the same as before nothing has changed.The booth that I sat in had lumps in it and was very uncomfortable so I sat on the other side.The service is the same as Ba Ren's which is non existent.I ordered the boiled fish and lamb combination.They never asked me what I wanted to drink so they just gave me some water.No tea.My food came and it was all lamb.No fish at all.The lady looked and took it back.It came back and they removed a lot of the lamb and put a few pieces of fish in there.Wonder what they did with that lamb?The lamb was sliced super thin.For a boiled dish I would think you want a thicker slice of meat since the boiling just leaches out all the flavor of any kind of meat.So needless to say the lamb was kind of tough and flavorless.They served me one small bowl of rice with the rice.Usually when I order boiled fish at any other restaurant they give me a plastic bowl of rice with a cover on it a substantial portion of rice.Of course they added 80 cents to the bill for the rice, bad move.There is no sichuan peppercorns in the food because it is a Hunan and not Sichuan food restaurant.The boiled dish I had today did not have the depth of flavor that Ba Ren had at all.Spicy City is a better version and their service sucks too lol.I may try this place again but then again maybe not..........
	Reviewed by : A P. On: 9/21/2012 1:51:00 AM This place I thought was going to be so-so based on some of the lower Yelp! reviews. I have to disagree this place is awesome and looking forward to trying more things on the menu. It's my favorite place now for Chinese food. I knew things were going to be good once I saw the "specials" in chinese. The won ton soup is to die for (even has seaweed in it and I swear there was a hint of ginger in the wonton meat). If your looking for Panda express brand of Chinese food this place is not for you (American style chinese food= greasy and over glazed). This place is spot on without overdoing it on sauces.
	Reviewed by : X H. On: 9/10/2012 9:18:00 AM The restaurant after the ownership changes rocks. The service becomes better. The place becomes cleaner. The cuisine is awesome, the best Hunan food in San Diego (I am a sichuanese who loves Hunan and Sichuan food). And very importantly, I do not get any stomach pain after dining, no exception for the several times I have been there. It mean Stacey do not sell bad material there. It's my favorite place now. Spicy city cannot compete with it in the overall quality.
	Reviewed by : Chris L. On: 8/28/2012 3:24:00 AM first time here, but pleasantly surprised.. the waiter is not the most attentative, but we are used to the typical shy chinese young men as he is. so really no big deal. The food is delicious, or could it be the looong day after shopping in IKEA.. ;)whatever the case, I'm back for more..
	Reviewed by : Jiaqiao S. On: 8/18/2012 9:44:00 PM So went here just after they had the sign change from Ba Ren to Chili Max. I was hoping for some kind of miracle, but it was not to happen that day. By the looks of it, not much has changed from the change in ownership. The service was a bit better, with slightly more English being used. And the portions of the food, still being pretty generous as well. But something was just missing from the dishes.We like to order pretty much the same thing: diced chicken with peppers, the "A" cai, Sichuan cold noodles, and then something from the cold counter up front. For the cold stuff, we loved the peanuts and fish, what and odd but delicious combination. We also loved the very crunchy, crispy cucumbers, and also the dried beef with hua jiao, prickly ash peppers. All very delicious and add that little bit of change.All the dishes came out looking just like Ba Ren, but they all tasted just a bit off. None of them were horrible in any way, but they were just not the same. Definitely a different chef. The chicken was too oily and didn't have that hint of sweetness, and was not as crispy. The A cai was a bit over blanched and a bit too watery and soft. The cold noodles were too saucy and super oily. Even the little cold foods were just off, i think the only thing we really like were the fish and peanuts, and the cucumbers. The dried beef was a bit too dry and a bit too chewy as well.They did keep up filled with water, which the old Ba Ren was challenged. If you needed water then it was sure NOT to come with the old Ba Ren. This place was just the opposite, they guy was sure to check up on you about every 8 minutes or so. But then the place was not too busy at all.All in all, an OK copy cat restaurant, but nothing original. And the copies were pretty unremarkable as well. If you are trying Sichuan food for the first time, don't go here, as it will leave you not liking the food at all. I've been wandering around the streets of Chengdu and this is not Ba Ren!
	Reviewed by : Mark L. On: 8/5/2012 7:17:00 AM I almost cried the last time I ate at Ba Ren the day before they closed. The initial Chili Max configured as a Szchuan restaurant was awful.Chili Max is now under yet another owner and is now a Hunan restaurant. No Szchuan pepper (the numbing aromatic pepper) but lots of other peppers and spice. Very complex flavors and wonderful dishes.We particularly like the hunan specialty tofu; very simple but complex flavors and aroma. The hot pot mushrooms were very nice; it has pork in it so it is not a vegetarian dish. We also had squid and a lamb dish. The lamb was cooked with lots of corriander and a variety of peppers. This generated a really pleasing combination of flavors.
	Reviewed by : Patrick L. On: 7/25/2012 4:34:00 AM Ba ren is under new ownership and the place is called, somewhat ridiculously, chili max.When I walked in I knew something had changed. Diffferent staff. New decor. And the silly new name. The menu selections are very similar, if not identical.We ordered the number 42 boiled fish on scallions, chicken chow mein, and garlic spare ribs. The fish was very tasty and spicy. At a medium I could eat it, enjoy it, but knew I was at my spice tolerance. Would order again for sure.The chow mein was also good. Nothing too special. But better than most. The spare ribs were also good - they weren't broiled ribs like you generally get a chinese place. These are like fried rib nuggets.I give it four stars for the flavorful fish dish, friendly staff (more friendly than original BA ren), and huge portions. You can feed a family of four for $15 here. Easy.It ain't ba ren but it's a worthy substitute.
	Reviewed by : Dorothy M. On: 7/6/2012 10:29:00 PM They took over from Ba Ren. The food was okay. I am always suspicious when the Hunan style and Szechuan style are mixed together. They are two provinces, two distinct style of cooking. Any restaurant that offers both is just telling the world that "I make it spicy, and I bet you can't tell where it comes from in China." The green bean was bland, the boiled fish was not of substance, and the home-style tofu was over salted. The appetizers was okay. Quite disappointed in the drop of quality over the previous restaurant that was here.
	Reviewed by : Garrison S. On: 6/24/2012 8:02:00 PM Classic Chinese restaurant, but I don't think locals can get used to the taste. It is the real Chinese spicy. The service is good, cleanses is ok. Personally I recommend this place pretty much.
	Reviewed by : Denise L. On: 6/22/2012 2:52:00 AM It was pretty bad. In fact I can't say I enjoyed anything too much. Was hoping it was a scaled back Ba Ren. maybe it was what I ordered but it just wasn't good.The service was ok. Took an especially long time to get the check. I also noticed our appetizer portion was way smaller than those served after.
	Reviewed by : Christopher C. On: 4/28/2012 10:00:00 AM I love this place. My review will be on a comparison of Spicy City. I am a regular customer at Spicy City but let me tell where Spicy City lacks Chili Max has made up for. Spicy City has the worst service possible, they never fill your water nor do they acknowledge you politely when you ask them for anything. Eating spicy food what would one expect, water and LOTS OF IT! Chili Max waiters speak good english and they come and refill your water every so often (reminds me of Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa). I also loved how this place wasn't overly packed and cramped, another quality that Spicy City was lacking. The portions at Chili Max were also bigger than Spicy City. I had such a wonderful experience at Chili Max that I have decided to appoint it as my new Sichuan establishment. Why wait in line at Spicy City when you get better service and no wait time at Chili Max. Another thing that I noticed was one of the waitresses that worked at Spicy City was now working at Chili Max (not as a waitress). That sight alone assured me that the food shouldn't be too far off from Spicy City.
	Reviewed by : tahitira t. On: 4/18/2012 9:39:00 PM Do not be fooled. I had read such great reviews about BaRen that I decided to give it a try. When I looked it up on Yelp, it says CLOSED so I called the number just to make sure. When I called someone answered the phone saying something like "---- max" and I asked if this was BaRen and the person said yes. I got into my car and drove up to the restaurant which still said BaRen and had a new sign "under new management".I decided to try it anyway hoping the chef was the same. I highly doubt it. I ordered Mapo Tofu or Mapo Dofu and Schezuan Fish and was highly disappointed. I found the place to be very dirty and while the food was spicy the overall taste was one-note (a bad one).
	Reviewed by : Mike Z. On: 4/12/2012 12:21:00 AM I used to be a regular visitor to Ba Ren. After the owner changed, I gived this place a try, it is nothing like before. It just lacked the authentic sichuan flavor. The food is alright but it is nothing like before. This used to be my favorite chinese restaurant, but now I'm not sure if I would go back. Even spicy house is better now...
	Reviewed by : P T. On: 4/11/2012 5:14:00 AM This place was originally 'Ba-Ren' restaurant, but after the change of ownership, the menu changed (but dished in the new menu used a lot of the same name as the old menu).My girlfriend and I were a regular visitor to Ba-Ren, and have visited Chili-Max 3 times already. Compared Ba-Ren, the hospitality is better whereas the food was not tasty like before. The taste is kind of flat now for several dished we have tried. It used to have layers of spiciness and flavor, but not anymore. The food also left some residual dryness in your mouth long after eating (maybe due to MSG?).Nevertheless, we did find one dish tasty, which is Cumin Lamb. Try it out if you have a chance. Nevertheless, I think this restaurant may have a difficult time to survive if it locates in the chinese community of east Los Angeles, and we probably won't take our friends to this new restaurant as before.
	Reviewed by : Sunny C. On: 4/8/2012 9:52:00 AM they have the DIRTIEST plates i have ever seen. Right when i sat down, i felt like this was a mistake. The plate and tea cup that was sitting in front of me were so dirty that i can literally see bits and pieces of food that the last customer had. UGH!The food there was okay. My friend said the food was actually pretty good to him but maybe because of the disgustingness of the environment, i just didn't even wanna be there any longer. there was little fruit flies here and there flying over the dishes so the food just seem to be less appealing.service was chaotic. it seems like they don't have a good system of serving customers. every waiter or waitress will go to every table start asking the same questions such as have you ordered yet? it was actually kinda funny.anyhow. i would rather go to other sichuan places although they might be more crowded.
	Reviewed by : Rene P. On: 4/6/2012 12:19:00 PM Let me offer the first non-5-star, non-orange-head review of this place.As you may know, this place is the reconstituted, reincarnated form of Ba-Ren, which I have a special spot in my heart--not because it was the best Sichuanese place in SD, but because it was one of the first I discovered. It's also a bit bigger and less crowded than some of the other options, which gave/gives it a nice, comfortable vibe.But it's not Ba-Ren anymore. It remains to be seen whether this place can live up to its (relative) former glory, but my generally positive feelings towards my first visit suggests that it might if they iron out some initial kinks.I tend to order more or less the same dishes when I go to a Sichuanese place for the first time.I do this because it gives me grounds for comparison both with other places in SD and what I eat when I live in China. In this case, I went with my old standbys Lazi Ji (fried chicken with chili peppers) and huiguo rou (stir-fried pork belly = Chinese bacon). The lazi ji looked the part well. (Although, like most Americanized versions, it lacks the bones one finds in China). Chili peppers piled high? Check. The taste, however, was a little off. Specifically, the breading was a little thick, giving the chicken the texture of Sinicized chicken nuggets. The pork was closer to the authenticity mark, but the meat was a little tough.Summary: The chilies may be maxed, but it remains to be seen whether the taste will be. I'll definitely go back though!
	Reviewed by : Sarah V. On: 4/1/2012 8:24:00 AM I was there couple years ago, the food was just OK, not as good as spicy city. Yesterday my friend wanted to go there to have lunch. I was hesitated because of the experience, she told me that it is the new owner and new chef now, the food and the service are totally different. Alright I always like to try new things out. So we went there for lunch yesterday, the place is nice and clean, I like that. The food was excellent, no matter how much spicy you want, they will get it for you! I start to like this new place, they are not as crowded as spicy city, and they make the same quality food as spicy city do. Even they have nicer and cleaner place to eat.Im glad that they have the new owner and the chef!This is absolutely another best restaurant to have spicy food in San Diego!Highly recommend this place!
	Reviewed by : Ruth Q. On: 3/31/2012 12:33:00 PM My husband and I went to Chili Max for lunch yesterday and we are huge fans of therestaurant and their food. We had the hot and sour soup (always a good test of a new restarant) and it was great. It is a Suechwaun and Hunan Restaruant and clients can ask for low, med. or high hotness for their food. We love hot food so chose high which seemed to surprise the waiter. He made sure that we were aware of the fact that the food would be pretty hot. We tried the Local Flavor Lamb and also an order of Dan Dan noodles. OH YEAH, It was hot and each dish was soooo well prepared and very authentic. We chose brown rice to go with our meal. The service was excellent and caring and the restaurant was really clean anda pleasure to be in. We are not Oriental and both over 70 and were the only non Oriental diners but it was clear from the conversations around us and the happy faces of the others that they were enjoying the food a lot. The servings arevery generous and they packed our extra food with care and we are enjoying ittonight. Whoopee.We plan to go back this weekend and try some other things. The waiter suggestedthat we would likely enjoy the Lamb w/ cumin so we will try that. By the way, thereis a special part of the menu on the back page that mentions about 20 to 25 itemsthat American diners who have limited experience with Chinese cusine will find familiar to people. Thanks to other reviewers for the suggestion of the Turtle Fish.I saw it on the menu and was intrigued by the name so I definately will try it.The price of our lunch was less than $25.00 and they offered us a 10% discount.Ruth Q
	Reviewed by : Z J. On: 3/20/2012 11:06:00 AM Most of foods are hot but delicious especially the boiled turtle fish in hot sauce(weird name.) But anyways, it really reminds me the old time when I was back in China. Very authentic!!!! Good place..

Reviewed by : Robert M. On: 2/17/2013 2:43:00 AM

Reviewed by : Ping Y. On: 2/12/2013 8:42:00 AM

Reviewed by : Jeff L. On: 10/9/2012 2:34:00 AM

Reviewed by : A P. On: 9/21/2012 1:51:00 AM

Reviewed by : X H. On: 9/10/2012 9:18:00 AM

Reviewed by : Chris L. On: 8/28/2012 3:24:00 AM

Reviewed by : Jiaqiao S. On: 8/18/2012 9:44:00 PM

Reviewed by : Mark L. On: 8/5/2012 7:17:00 AM

Reviewed by : Patrick L. On: 7/25/2012 4:34:00 AM

Reviewed by : Dorothy M. On: 7/6/2012 10:29:00 PM

Reviewed by : Garrison S. On: 6/24/2012 8:02:00 PM

Reviewed by : Denise L. On: 6/22/2012 2:52:00 AM

Reviewed by : Christopher C. On: 4/28/2012 10:00:00 AM

Reviewed by : tahitira t. On: 4/18/2012 9:39:00 PM

Reviewed by : Mike Z. On: 4/12/2012 12:21:00 AM

Reviewed by : P T. On: 4/11/2012 5:14:00 AM

Reviewed by : Sunny C. On: 4/8/2012 9:52:00 AM

Reviewed by : Rene P. On: 4/6/2012 12:19:00 PM

Reviewed by : Sarah V. On: 4/1/2012 8:24:00 AM

Reviewed by : Ruth Q. On: 3/31/2012 12:33:00 PM

Reviewed by : Z J. On: 3/20/2012 11:06:00 AM