Wok and Roll is convenient if you want a parody of Chinese food, or maybe if you’re into a salt attack, but otherwise I’d say just finish whatever road trip you’re on while passing by this place. It’s not worth it.
Wok and Roll sells about the same stuff you find at any mall food court. So, about ten items. Bourbon chicken, General tso’s chicken, lo mein, fried rice, egg rolls. It’s about as generic as a menu get. Well, I’ve had those Chinese food hunger pangs traveling to Columbus, and was rewarded by it with a staunch need for water for the rest of the day. The small menu contains dishes so inundated with sugar and salt you’d think they were candy. I suppose it could be a guilty pleasure if you’ve got a sweet tooth, but it’s not good enough nor shows enough mastery in Chinese cooking techniques to make the cut for me. Regardless of the remote location, we’re right by two highways at a large, successful mall of upscale goods and clothes. The food should be on par with that, not an afterthought or an imitation. Where are the foods that cater to people who drove for an hour to shop at this mall? The laziness in this cooking is strangely misplaced.
I like the people. The prices here are very reasonable. I would even venture to say I like some of the things about the food. The rice isn’t bad. The texture of the meat dishes is decent. But this place seems content with using the lack of competition as an excuse to really produce subpar food. Location is not an excuse. Nearby Washington Court House has good food, as does Xenia, right up the road. There’s a palette for cheap Chinese food I suppose — I get in the mood for it sometimes. But unfortunately when I taste Wok and Roll, I taste that something is very clearly lacking.
Recommendations
- As a food court stall, the place is obviously only open when the mall is in operation.
- The prices here are good, but the food is very unremarkable, so that’s the trade-off.
- The rice is decent, but I can’t really recommend many of the meat dishes.
Another Food Critic 