A Reliable Chinese Restaurant Stop on Route 16 in Sanbornville

A bowl of wonton soup, a plate of pork fried rice, and a takeout bag headed back out onto Route 16: Wontons has become a useful, familiar stop in Sanbornville for exactly this sort of meal. The restaurant sits in the Wakefield area, serving Chinese-American standards to local regulars, vacationers and people passing through.

It works equally well as a sit-down dinner or a practical dinner-to-go. Some customers first come in for takeout and later return to settle into the dining room, which says a good deal about its place in the community: dependable food, ample portions and a menu broad enough to cover a table with several appetites.

The menu is built around the Chinese-American dishes people recognize without needing a long explanation. Wonton soup, fried rice, lo mein, sesame chicken, sweet-and-sour chicken and shrimp all make the list, along with barbecue spare ribs, beef teriyaki and egg foo yong.

That range gives a mixed group room to order in different directions. One person can go for a sweet-and-sour entrée, another can choose sesame chicken, and the table can begin with pan-fried wontons while the main dishes are on their way.

Egg foo yong is another useful reminder that the menu is not limited to crunchy fried entrées and rice. It is the sort of old-school favorite that can be easy to overlook until it arrives at the table alongside more familiar takeout staples.

Wonton soup receives unusually warm attention here. The restaurant's broth has been described as made from scratch, a small house-preparation detail that matters in a dish so straightforward. A good bowl is not trying to impress with spectacle; it just arrives hot, savory and welcome at the beginning of a meal.

Pan-fried wontons are another strong place to begin. They have been praised with their dipping sauce, and they make an easy shared appetizer before the larger plates appear.

Crispy fried noodles and duck sauce offer one more snackable detail. The noodles have been described as having a homemade look, which is a nice extra alongside the more substantial appetizers.

Fried rice is a frequent return order, particularly the house fried rice. Pork fried rice has also stood out for its plentiful pieces of tender pork, without an overly fatty feel that can weigh down an otherwise simple dish.

Lo mein and fried rice make a sensible takeout pairing, and they have been described as arriving fresh and satisfying. The fried items hold up well, too, with a light, crisp texture rather than a heavy coating.

House-made sauces give the menu a little more personality. The sweet-and-sour sauce has drawn particular praise, and beef teriyaki has been noted for lean, well-seasoned meat. These are the details that keep familiar dishes from feeling merely routine.

Inside, the room is bright and open rather than tightly packed. It has space for couples, families and larger tables, and the atmosphere is generally quiet enough that conversation does not have to compete with the room.

The prominent fish tank is the visual detail people remember. It gives the dining room a little movement and color while everyone waits for appetizers, soup and entrées to make their way to the table.

Food arrives on substantial plates and in proper bowls, which suits the generously portioned style of the meal. Appetizers may come out ahead of the main courses, allowing a table to ease into dinner instead of having everything land at once.

Wontons is well suited to the everyday challenge of feeding a larger group without turning dinner into a complicated project. Tables of six and eight have been handled smoothly, with servers accurately keeping track of orders even without writing every item down.

The service style is friendly, accommodating and efficient. That is especially useful with a menu that invites a little back-and-forth: one person wants lo mein, someone else wants spare ribs, and a shared appetizer somehow becomes two.

Cocktails, including a scorpion bowl, have been available with meals. Beverage and bar arrangements can change, so it is sensible to confirm current availability if that is central to the evening.

For Route 16 travelers, the takeout side is a major convenience. Regular passersby in the Wakefield and Sanbornville area commonly stop for a pickup, with fried rice, lo mein, combination meals and crispy appetizers all fitting neatly into a meal for the road or back at a rental, campsite or home.

One order was ready in about 20 minutes, though timing can vary when the restaurant is busy. Takeout demand can be brisk, especially at popular meal times, so the pace of both pickup and dining-room seating may shift with the crowd.

A dedicated lot provides ample free off-street parking, an unglamorous but genuinely helpful detail on a driving route. The restaurant also lists vegetarian choices, with vegetarian dishes or a designated section on the menu, giving a group another set of options to consider.

Wontons is known for substantial meals at approachable prices rather than tiny plates or elaborate presentation. One dinner of two entrées, appetizers and a scorpion bowl came to about $50, a useful picture of the restaurant's value-minded approach.

The best way to order may be to let the table have a little range: soup for one person, fried wontons to share, a rice dish, a noodle dish and a couple of classic entrées. It leaves room for the individual favorites while still giving everyone a taste of the spread.