Pick Up Stix

Charlie Zhang, a Chinese immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1982, started it all. Charlie had an idea one day: he could open a restaurant that catered to Americans' desire for flavorful Chinese food that was quick and wok'd to order using fresh ingredients. Thus, the first Pick Up Stix restaurant opened in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, in 1989.

You'll have to travel to Southern California to try to Pick Up Stix, but it might be worth it: it's incredibly popular there, with over 70 locations. One unique feature of Pick Up Stix is that the food is prepared in an open-style kitchen, allowing you to watch your meal being prepared right in front of you. They're famous for their House Special Chicken (made with white wine, garlic, and soy sauce), as well as their Cream Cheese Wontons appetizer.

A big part of Charlie's success was developing recipes and sauces using the best traditional Asian food and adapting it to the American palate by reducing the oils and adding wine, vinegar, and soy sauce. The result was the distinctive flavors that have become our trademark. Pick Up Stix still carries on this tradition and continues to prepare food in an open-style kitchen, allowing you to watch as your meal is cooked before your eyes.

Address: 1249 S Lone Hill Ave, Glendora, CA 91740

Website: https://www.pickupstix.com