We went here yesterday for lunch, the front area is rather small but the dumplings made up for that, their HUGE . My sister and I shared a table full of food , we wanted to make sure we tried all the dumplings there. Such a great experience. We'll definitely be back. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I cannot put into words how much I love this place. The food is delicious, the people who work here are all very friendly, and the location is great. I will admit that the first time I came here (a few days after they opened), we didn't get the best service. However, after coming here weekly since then, their consistency has gotten a lot better. I do think that they could work on their service a bit, though. When the restaurant gets busier, they can lose track of certain items easily. Every time they've forgotten an item, they've made up for it by giving me extra though, so not always a bad trade! The xiao long bao are NOT soup dumplings. They're more like sheng jian bao, but still delicious of course. Their beef noodle soup has gotten tastier and more consistent since I first started coming here. The beef is great, the noodles are authentic and hand-pulled, and the soup is flavorful but not too thick. The scallion pancake is a great, cheap appetizer. The dumplings themselves are large in portions and easily recognizable as hand-made. I've tried pretty much everything on their menu and still can't find something I don't like. Follow this meal up with some milk tea at Kung Fu Tea right around the corner and you've got a delicious Asian meal :) read more

Waited half an hour for the beef brisket noodle soup. Opened it when I got home and there was no broth at all. Beef Brisket Noodles read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Good food! Lots of choices. Food was fast too, small eating area but worth it for good dumplings

I got the 3 Delights (?) dumplings, a tiny bit pricey at 10 bucks, but damn, they were good. The staff acted like I barely existed, but I just wanted to do a crossword, eat dumplings and look out over State Street (go down, then up the stairs towards the back and you will find a second floor dining area with a floor-to-ceiling window). Decor is non-existent. I'd love to get my hands on that upper level space... I have ideas for it, haha! I am for sure going back here to warm up with more of those treasures very soon... and bringing a friend to turn them on to the magic of the jiao zi. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Here's a fuzzy, kinda washed out pic from my flip phone of my 3 Delights dumplings... enjoy. :) - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

While looking for somewhere to eat in the University area, I stopped here on the recommendation of Yelp. I love dumplings, and this place seems very authentic. Everything is in Chinese and English, which is fun. My family and I ordered 2 types of dumplings, one chicken and one pork and chive. They were both fine, but not amazing. The filing in both was flavorful and juicy. The only thing I didn't like was the outside of the dumplings. They would have been amazing if there was just a slight bit of color or crunch or something. They were very one note, which may be more authentic, but I didn't really care for them. Dumplings are served 10 to a plate here, which are plenty for 2 people. They have quite a few different items, which may be better, so don't necessarily be deterred by my dumpling review! read more

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PROS: Solid place for dumplings! CONS: Small space The dumplings and appetizers we ordered were pretty good. Everything tasted on point. Even the scallion pancakes, which usually I don't order anymore at restaurants because they come out all doughy and wrong, were great! The space is quite small, seats maybe a handful of people, and feels like a takeout place (lots of people do takeouts here). Apparently there is more seating upstairs, but that was not apparent to us at the time. The prices, portions, and taste of the dishes were all up to par. I would love to come back and try more items from the menu. read more

I was Madison on business. That night I was starving, so I walked along State Street to find something unique to eat. That's when I spotted Chen's Dumping House. I ordered their signature dish, Beijing Beef Noodle Soup and an order of their Chicken & Mushroom Pan Fried Dumplings. Both were really good. A couple notes, it's took a while to cook the Dumplings. I ate the Noodles Soup up before the before they served the Dumplings. The restaurant is really small inside. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Beef Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The best spot for Chinese dumplings in town! I've tried many of their dumpling varieties, which are all great, but you have to go with the classic steamed pork dumplings. They're so savory and fluffy and delicious. I've also had the scallion pancake, which was tasty if you need to add a little variety, but the dumplings are the main focus here. The noodles also look good, but I have not yet been able to order something other than the dumplings, because I just get too excited and don't want to eat anything else! The staff is very friendly and I've always felt welcome here! read more

We had a late lunch there and did not enjoy the food at all. The staff there aren't friendly, the cashier guy (maybe the owner) was very standoff-ish. Our veggie dumplings broke the second you tried to pick it up, a sign that they were previously frozen and then steamed for too long. The pork buns also have the same proboem, seemed to be previously frozen too, the fillig is too lean and not seasoned proprely ( too much soysauce and we can't taste any ginger or scallion which are musts for this type of buns). We didn't get to try any noodles there but judging from the dumplings, Chen's cook doesn't seem to know how to work their dough properly or there are just not enough love in their food. Give this place a miss. read more

My first time there today. Had the beef roll and mushroom chicken dumplings both were amazing!! Clean, friendly and authentic! Definitely highly recommend it especially if you love dumplings!! I will certainly be going through the menu until I I've tasted everything and then start over!! Go check it out!! read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about! The beef/brisket noodles are absolutely on point. As someone with Chinese parents who cook and is consequently remarkably picky about what Chinese restaurants are acceptable to eat at, I can say that those noodles pass the test. Tender beef and a well balanced spice profile make this good stuff. Scallion pancakes were also great! I think I'll be sure to go in for some dumplings to make my final assessment. read more

Ordered food through GrubHub at 7:50, estimated time was 45-55 minutes - enough time to eat it before bed even if it's a little late. Kept getting pushed back, delayed to 9:50-10:00pm. Way too late. I called and asked them to just cancel the order because it would be too late when it got here. Couldnt get a good explanation and coulsnt understand alot of what was said, they said I had to call GrubHub. Ruined dinner for us that night. If you cant get the food out to the customer within 2 hours, what point is there to make it at all. read more

A small dumpling place with bare bones decor. This place was packed when I was here which made me think that I found a gem restaurant in downtown. I was wrong. Below average tasting dumplings that weren't better than frozen dumplings. I ordered two noodle soups and a minced meat noodle. The texture of noodles were good and plenty but overall they were below average tasting as a whole. If the broth had some seasoning in it it would be called water. The sauce that came with the minced meat noodles tasted like a can of Campbell's chunky chicken noodle soup and the meat was a weird reddish color which may have been a old burger patty at one point. I also ordered sticky chicken rice, which was a bad sticky rice, chicken, shitake mushroom wrapped with a lotus leaf like you can get at dim sum...also bland. Chen's Dumplings should be renamed to Chen's Palace of bland. This place is great if you're allergic to good food. Don't let all the people inside fool you. read more

The dumplings I had here were wonderful! I also had the scallion pancakes. My friend and I got our food to go (the to-go packaging was great too!) to eat at the terrace. I am definitely interested in returning and trying some of the other dishes they serve. The prices are reasonable as well! There's not a ton of seating downstairs, but there's an upstairs dining area as well! Excited that this place is giving me another reason to head over to State Street :) read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The soup dumplings didn't have any soup in them and the dumpling dough was almost as thick as the filling. The filing was a congealed ball and didn't have enough flavor for us to tell the difference from the pork dumpling to the crab one. The beef roll was luke warm. Is it supposed to be hot? The beef itself was like over cooked roast beef. I recommend using the sriracha to give everything a little flavor. Skip this place- it's in an area where there are many other choices. We walked down the street afterwards and ate at Five Guys. read more

Always looking for an authentic place to eat Chinese food- and this place was very good! I tried the scallion pancakes and potstickers, both tasted very fresh. My dad had the homemade beef brisket noodles. He says the noodles were very good, and it was spicy but not hot. It's a smallish menu with a less than 20 items, and I will definitely go back again to try the rest of their menu! read more

Coming back from California, I've been on a dumpling kick and was excited to have found this spot during our stay in Madison. Unfortunately it didn't quite meet the mark. We ordered the noodles with egg and tomatoes, pork and chives dumplings, shrimp dumplings, and the crabmeat buns. The noodles were more saucy than expected with the egg being overly salty. I blame myself for not going with my gut and ordering soup noodles which my hungover body would have appreciated much more. The noodles I had were salty but flavorless hence the disappointment. The shrimp dumplings were ok, similar to what you'll get at dim sum spots although theirs had a fishier taste. The crabmeat buns had really thick skins, to a point where they almost tasted a bit uncooked. The thickness of the skin was a bit off putting although the dumpling at least held on to some juice inside. The pork and chive dumplings were probably the best item of our order (disclaimer - husband ate those, I didn't). Overall, it was a bleh experience for us. I wouldn't return on my own but would give it another try if someone really wanted to go here. read more

My favorite dish from Chen's is the beef noodle soup - it's as authentic as you can get in Madison. I heard people complain about the environment here. But I thought it was okay. I didn't come here for Michelin-star service or atmosphere. I came here for the noodles, and the noodles are pretty bomb. read more

The person at the register had an attitude. Whenever i had a questions, he would passive aggressively wave me off and told me to refer to the menu. And when i asked a clarifying question about a fault about the menu, he raised his voice and told me off. Got my order wrong and i could see that they microwave their chicken thighs and wings in plastic wrap read more

So good! The noodles were chewy and freshly made with delicious sauces. We got the beef noodle soup and minced noodles. All were as good as the ones we get in Beijing. The shenjianbao ( aka soup dumplings served pan-fried) were the best I had - comparable to what you would find in China. Come here and support this small and delicious restaurant! read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Get it. "Pan fried Soup Dumplings" aka shenjianbao - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This is amazing and I unfortunately forgot to take pictures before I ate my food but it was beautiful! Tried the #4: Traditional Beijing Noodles with Soybean Paste and the #5: Chinese Chive and Pork Dumplings, both were fantastic and I would highly recommend! They have some tables for dine in as well. read more

The xiaolongbao are not xiao long bao, they are just pork dumplings. Otherwise the dumplings fillings in the xiao long bao and the leak dumplings are bland and inconsistently sealed. Both lacked broth both from leakage and from lack of broth to start out with. For the chinese expat or maybe self proclaimed foodie: I wouldn't eat here, flavors are lacking, execution is spotty. For the American who's never had Chinese dumplings: these are Chinese dumplings I guess, you can eat here and cross something off your list of foods to try but know that these are not very good. For the hung over college student: good choice! These feel clean to eat, decent quality ingredients and will soak up some alcohol just fine. In summary: I'd rather get the frozen stuff from the Chinese grocery stores in town, do that if you have the time and transportation. read more

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Chen's is great! We always order more food than we can finish! Their dumplings are average, hence the four star rating. They're not amazing, but definitely good. read more

Amazing authentic food. My favorite are the Chinese bbq pork buns, always super fluffy and the filling is so good. Usually have fast service and very friendly staff. I try and make it over here about once a week and the quality is very consistent. Definitely a must have. read more

Chen's dumpling house is by far one of the best places to eat authentic dumplings in Madison. Every bite of everything I've ever ordered is fantastic. I highly highly recommend eating here. read more

My fortune cookie said I will change my name to ching chong. I'm in the process right now. Nice creamy dumplings as well. CREAMY AND MOIST.

What a great dumpling spot. If you like steamed dumplings or ramen like noodle dishes, and you are on state street in the Mad city, this is the place. Dumplings came fast and were really good. Seating is limited on first floor but heard you can also sit upstairs or down, did not check that out though. So great spot for a quick dumpling fix. read more

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Been wanting to try this place for a while and I have to say, it would've been okay to wait longer. Their food is made on site but not freshly prepared when ordered. I ordered the handmade noodles with beef soup, dumplings with chives and pork, and xiao long bao buns. The soup was the best dish! It wasn't too spicy and just perfectly seasoned. The beef was very tender and soft. The noodles were very good and cooked just perfectly. The sides dishes: dumplings and buns were not as impressive. The flour covering for the dumplings were much too thick and the pork and chives portion was too small. The buns were not freshly made and they were not hot when served. Overall, I give this place a 3 out of 5. read more

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This restaurant is the best restaurant I have ever been to. They have tons of options like dumplings and noodle soups. One of my all time favorite are the cold chicken noodles! It's amazing and a little spicy. If you by any chance order food there, you better try it!!! read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Cold chicken noodles - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Lots of homemade and authentic options to consider. Fresh ingredients. well executed. Reasonable prices; decent area to dine in upstairs. read more

Hole in the wall dining establishment. Ordered the Number 1, 11 and 12. Nothing short of amazing. Warms the belly and the soul. Make sure to try it! read more

Ordered Uber eats. The food was bad and cold. Just a bad place to get take out. I would consider a different restaurant for Asian food.

Great range of dumplings and noodles. No ambiance at all and service wasn't particularly friendly. The dumplings were tasty especially the vegetable ones. Spend the extra dollar to get them pan fried. We only had dumplings: veggie, pork and chive, soup dumplings. I would like to explore the rest of the menu- especially the noodle soups. read more

I think I would have appreciated this place a lot more if I was still a college student. Seems like the perfect place that serves the needs of a hungry, over stressed, sleep deprived student who wants an affordable, quick, a good portioned out meal to put something into their hungry stomachs. Everything we had was decent. Nothing spectacular- I've definitely had worse and definitely had better. the noodle beef soup was okay! Generous portions. Seems like they used a lot of chili oil. The noodles were a little too overcooked. I still liked it. We also orderes the xiao long bao but it didn't come out correctly. There was no soup? It was just a bun and the bun was steamed a little too long for my taste. It was a little hardened. We got the chive pork dumpling. I enjoyed this one a lot! It was a steamed dumpling. Had a nice flavor. Not too salty. We also got the pork buns. These were okay. A little sweet! The people there are super nice and friendly! read more

Aggressive employee Aware! My friend (their frequent customer) and I went to Chen's Dumpling place today. They served our food in plastics to-go boxes even when we said we were dining in. Since we need to split the food I went to the counter to ask for an extra plate. The employee said dismissively that they don't have any. I was a little surprised so I checked with him again. Then he suddenly exploded and started yelling at me, in front of several other customers. The other employee behind him gave me a very bad look and then turned away. At this moment I pointed to the many plastic plates right next to the counter guy and asked him why he couldn't give us one of those. He then shouted at me to get out of his restaurant. I was little shocked and even confused at this scene, since I did nothing wrong. I tried my best to stay clam and explain to him that he couldn't treat a customer like this, but he was as angry as before and insisted we leave. This place is not used to be like this as I ate there a lot when they first opened a few years ago. The food takes unusually long and they don't serve the food to your table and instead ask you to pick up at the counter. I suppose somehow the ownership changed and now they possess some of the most aggressive and rogue employees you will ever find in a business. If you happen to have nowhere else to eat, please take precautions and be prepared to get some thrilling customer experience when you visit Chen's Dumpling. read more

Best dumplings in Madison, hands down! Great variety, great portion sizes, and thoughtful staff. I also really liked that they had a number of sauces you could choose from should you decide you need more than what comes with each dumpling. The dessert peanut dumplings were to die for - I highly recommend these. Thank you Chen's! read more

Very authentic Chinese food, in a no frills atmosphere. These are unusual choices for the average American and therefore it's not an easy menu to figure out, but well worth the effort to experience the real deal. read more

Wonderful noodle soup and I want to try the dumplings soon. The service is quick and the staff is friendly and helpful with selections. Some may feel intimidated by this very ethnic Chinese restaurant, but it's a place you should go. They have a multi generational client base. The food is great and the price is also read more

Based on getting to mooch 1 Amazing dumpling from one pretty cool friend who brought a box home: 4+ stars. Delicious.