Recommended Eateries in Rizhao

1. Rizhao Port has shipping routes to South Korea, so Korean food is widely available across the city. The best Korean restaurant is a family-run shop in Shijiu Market. It offers affordable dishes with an open kitchen, so you can watch the food being prepared while waiting. Several Korean grocery stores are located right next door.
2. Dazhong Beef Restaurant stands north of the intersection of Taiyuan Road and Tianjin Road. The food here is fantastic. Try the mixed plate of beef lips and beef tongue, paired with shredded beef wrapped in local pancakes. In this season, add a plate of tossed lettuce stems and a pot of big bone stew for only 15 yuan. The plain broth is free and you can drink as much as you want.
3. On Haibin Fourth Road, the best barbecue restaurant is Huiweiju at the northernmost end. They cook food on baking trays lined with tin foil. My regular orders include streaky pork ribs, pickled Chinese cabbage spare ribs and sliced tofu.
4. Weihai Road is lined with restaurants. We often dine at Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant. Their sour fish hotpot is authentic. Add a plate of white cut chicken and Sichuan river tofu — my all-time favourites — at very reasonable prices.
5. There are popular restaurants including Mu Chai Xiao Zhua Ji and Zuo’s Restaurant on Wendeng Road. Just pick whichever one with the most parked cars out front.
6. On Jinan Road, try Jiang’s Ecological Park and Tiantian Grilled Chicken Wings.
7. Plenty of restaurants sit at the crossroads of Haibin Second Road and Qingdao Road, such as Mengyin Spicy Chicken Restaurant diagonally opposite Bibo Hotel.

   Many small eateries can be found near the east gate of Gang No.1 Residential Quarter across from Bibo Hotel, serving decent seafood. More restaurants and barbecue stalls line the west side of Qingdao Road at the eastern end of Shijiu Market.
8. Xiao Jinyu on Haibin Fifth Road serves authentic Sichuan food with free extra chili peppers, though prices are a bit higher. The Smoked Meat Pancake shop on the same road has been in business for many years.
9. Hu’s Pork Trotter Restaurant is located across from Haina Shopping Mall.
10. Haibin Second Road and Heze Road form a street full of dining options. I recommend the cold dishes at Guyue Longshan Restaurant.
11. A tiny Chinese hamburger shop sits on the pedestrian street of Industrial World Century City (Wangfu Street). Their sour and spicy noodles are also excellent.
12. Ju County Whole Mutton Restaurant is in the courtyard east of Wanghai Building on Middle Haiqu Road.
13. Jiaoyin Mutton Restaurant is in old downtown Rizhao, opposite No.4 Middle School on Xihai Road. Every taxi driver knows this place.
14. A newly opened Donkey Meat Sandwich shop stands on the south side of the road west of Liqun Department Store. Their sandwiches and donkey meat soup taste great.
15. Lanyang Fishing Village

    Location: 150 metres southwest of the junction of Linyi Road and Tianjin Road, Rizhao Economic Development Zone (south of Linghai Hotel).

    It offers seasonal seafood, big-plate chicken, stir-fried chicken and pan-fried buns at budget-friendly prices.
16. Fifty metres east of the crossing of Yantai Road and Tai’an Road on the south side of the road is a tiny spare rib rice shop. Its food is far more authentic and delicious than the fancy chain restaurants of the same type.