Super Carry Out in Baltimore: No-Frills Chinese Takeout with Massive Portions
Super Carry Out is a counter-service Chinese takeout spot on Pennsylvania Avenue in West Baltimore, built entirely around speed and volume. You order at the window, pay in cash or card, and wait five to ten minutes for food packed in clear plastic containers. The menu is standard Americanized Chinese: fried rice, lo mein, General Tso's chicken, egg rolls. The draw is not novelty; it's portion size and price.
What Super Carry Out actually is
A bare-bones takeout window with no seating, no decor, and no frills. You stand at the counter facing a menu board, point at what you want, and the kitchen delivers it in paper bags. Most customers eat in their cars or take food home. The operation runs on volume: get the order right, pack it fast, keep the line moving. This is the opposite of a destination restaurant; it is functional fuel.
Menu and pricing
A half-pint of fried rice or lo mein costs around $4.50 to $5.50, depending on protein. A pint is roughly $7 to $8.50. A large combination plate (entree plus fried rice or lo mein plus egg roll) runs $10 to $12. Prices have risen modestly over the past two years; confirm current rates by calling or visiting, as they shift seasonally with ingredient costs.
The signature move is ordering a large. One large combination feeds two people with room left over. A half-pint of fried rice is a single meal; a pint is a meal plus a solid leftover lunch. Quality is consistent: chicken is cooked through, vegetables are not limp, sauces cling properly. It is not restaurant-caliber, but it is competent.
How Super Carry Out compares to other Baltimore fast-food Chinese
Jade Palace in Canton (Fayette Street location) has full table service and a broader menu featuring dim sum and house specials. Prices run 20 to 30 percent higher than Super Carry Out, and you pay for the sit-down experience. Choose Jade Palace if you have time and want to eat on premises; choose Super Carry Out if you need volume and speed at the lowest price.
Mandarin Palace on Howard Street is also counter-service, with a similar menu and comparable prices. The portions are smaller, and the wait is often longer. Super Carry Out's portions are the main advantage.
Who it suits and who it does not
Super Carry Out suits people who prioritize value and speed: construction workers on a lunch break, students on tight budgets, anyone buying food for a group on a limited timeline. Portion-to-dollar is unbeaten in this category.
It does not suit anyone who wants to eat on-site, prefers table service, or values plated presentation. The plastic containers and fluorescent lighting are functional, not welcoming.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, look at the menu board above the counter, point or call out your order (or hand the server a written note if you are uncertain). Payment is cash or card; the machine is at the register. The kitchen is visible through a pass window; you will see your containers being filled. Wait by the counter or step aside. When your name or number is called, pick up your bag, double-check the count, and leave. The transaction is five minutes from door to bag in hand.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Super Carry Out is typically open weekdays 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with reduced or closed hours on Sundays. Hours shift seasonally and occasionally without notice; call ahead to confirm. Pennsylvania Avenue has metered street parking nearby and a lot two blocks north. The location is accessible by bus; the #3 and #7 lines stop within a block.
Super Carry Out holds its space because it delivers what it promises: a large, inexpensive meal in under ten minutes. That simplicity is why it survives in a neighborhood where food trends move fast.
