Ming is behind with payments on his huge debt to the smugglers who brought him to the United States.

After borrowing most of the money from friends and relatives, Ming realizes that the remainder must come from the day's delivery tips.

[4] The film was shot on digital video due to both the cinema vérité style and a non-existent budget with an ensemble cast of both professional and nonprofessional actors[5] while shooting without a full crew in an actual take-out restaurant during operating hours.

The case went into arbitration under rules of the Motion Picture Association of America in November 2005.

The website's consensus reads: "Take Out presents an unvarnished view of one immigrant's experiences as a restaurant deliveryman – and leaves the audience with plenty of food for thought.