Handmade dumplings steaming fresh all day long China Max Dumpling House is a Convoy favorite for soup dumplings dim sum and cozy comfort food. Our favorite highlight dishes were the Shumai Dim Sum and Lamb & Green Onion w/Garlic chili sauce. Follow @havilahvashti on Instagram and TikTok for more food recommendations. What we ordered: Sweet & Sour Pork Baby Back Ribs Cucumber Salad Shumai Dim Sum Truffle Xiao Long Buns Pan Fried Pork Xiao Long Bao 6pcs Braised beef noodle Lamb & Green Onion w/Garlic chili sauce Chinese Churro China Max Dumpling House 4698 Convoy St Suite C101 San Diego CA 92111 #instagram #convoydistrict #dumplings #sdrestaurants #sandiego read more

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Finally made it back to China Max after the fire and renovation. They now offer all you can eat which includes all yo can drink sodas and teas! This place is popular but the wait is never too long. They strive to get people in and out because it's good for business. It's clean and busy. Parkong is a task in itself but still doable. Just be patient. The food is fresh and flavorful. Service is great and the vibe is relaxing. When I visited I had less than an hour to eat since I was attending a Broadway Show. I felt a bit rushed but still managed to make the best of my dining experience. From appetizers main entreed and dessert, I came, I ate and I conquered. I wouldn't hesitate to dine here again. It is an excellent value for sure. Give them a try and thank me later. read more

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Came to try the all you can eat with my family but overall it was disappointing. There was no quality and the temperature of some of the dishes were questionable. It tasted like old frozen food. The cucumbers for the cucumber salad looked/tasted like they were on their last leg. The best thing we tried was the pork xiao long bao but even that had the quality of frozen dumplings. The drinks are self serve, the passion fruit tea and mango tea were good. They also have canned soft drinks. The AYCE includes ice cream which is the Thrifty tubs. I got the cookies and cream which was my favorite thing I ate. The customer service and ambiance were okay. We ate the following: Chicken wontons, egg fried rice, Cucumber salad, vegetarian noodles, sweet and sour ribs, wagyu pot stickers, shrimp tempura, chicken karaage, orange chicken,garlic string beans, chocolate buns, mango buns, and BBQ pork buns. read more

China Max Dumpling House - Cucumber salad - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Second time coming here for the AYCE. We made a reservation on Yelp for 12:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated when we arrived 15 mins earlier. They were pretty packed so I definitely recommend making a reservation! Service was friendly and checked on us though a bit slow. Tried some new items. The Wagyu beef potstickers and pan fried pork XLB were my top picks since they were nicely crispy and juicy! -Noodles w/ scallion oil w/ pork chop (4/5): flavorful and crispy pork chop but noodles were kinda soft and soggy -Beef dumplings w/ garlic chili sauce (4.5/5): juicy thick meat, sauce was nicely garlicky but not too spicy -Chicken karaage (3/5): crispy and juicy but not much meat and not too flavorful -Egg drop soup (4/5): warm, comforting, tasty -Egg rolls (3/5): crispy and big but decent filling -Chinese churro (4.5/5): tasty but a little too much sugar and sweetness, could be a little crispier read more

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Came back again for their AYCE, this time on a weekend so it was $38 per person. We came 15 minutes early of our 12:30PM reservation but were still seated right away; totally recommend making a reservation via Yelp! Tried a few new items. Service was good but a little hard to track them down as they were understandable busy Pork chop Noodles w/ Scallion oil (4/5): savory and flavorful, but the noodles were on the soggier side Egg drop soup (5/5): hearty and warm, so comforting on a cold day Chicken karaage (4/5): could've used more flavor in the breading Egg rolls (3/5): decent, the filling wasn't my favorite Chinese churro (4.5/5): a little too sweet from all the sugar, but still yummy. I would've liked it to be a little crispier read more

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This has been on our family bucket list for a while. We stopped by once and the line for a table was so long we decided to come back with a reservation. Today we walked in, no wait on a Monday with our reservation at 12:30pm. We knew we wanted the all you can eat menu. As part of it there are areas to get up and get your own beverages, steamed rice, curry and ice cream. It was nice to get our own items but definitely changes the vibe of the restaurant. Loved being able to see the chefs making the dim sum fresh. Makes you realize just how fresh your food really is. As much as we enjoyed the food, and we will be back, our biggest negatives were that the staff didn't come and clear empty containers off of our table. The table just felt very messy and we finally had to ask someone to take dirty dishes off the table. The other negative was that a few items we really wanted to try, they were already out of at lunchtime. Not sure if this is because it was a Monday or if they're just popular dishes. When asking what dishes to try we were recommended some noodle dishes. Next time we will only order one noodle dish. Those were so big and filling that we were not able to try as many dim sum dishes as we wanted to. I also would recommend bringing a larger party so we can try more items on the menu and share them. One of my favorite items was the large churro at the end of the meal. It was the perfect ending of a hot dessert and very sweet that with some ice cream is a perfect compliment. They were out out of the chocolate buns and egg tarts. The beef with noodles was very good, but again large portion so beware. All of the Xia long boa we tried was very good, so were the potstickers and shumai. The duck tacos were a little disappointing, and not everyone liked the sweet-and-sour ribs. We look forward to going back and trying more dishes read more

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Met all our expectations for this AYCE dumpling spot. Fast moving and bare bones restaurant but the dumplings come out delicious and quick. Wouldn't recommend the noodle dishes as they are bigger and sometimes dry. Stick to the dumplings and veggies and dimsum and you won't be disappointed. Service is nice and helpful- read more

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Not a full dim sum restaurant. There are so many things they do not have on the menu and it was disappointing. Overall it was okay and the food came out quickly and it was hot and steamy, just wish they had more of a selection. read more

On a mission to find good dim sum spots in San Diego, we decided to try China Max after their revamp. We went on a slower day since last time there was a 2-hour wait. We were seated in the corner by the door, which was wide open, right next to extra utensils. My seat still had crumbs on it and the wall next to us was dirty, which honestly should've been a sign. The AYCE menu felt pretty limited for the price, and you're only allowed to order two dishes per person per round. Soft drinks are included. The only standout dish was the har gow. Nothing super special, but still good. The green beans caught me off guard since they were cold when I expected them to be warm. The wagyu dim sum and xiao long bao were the biggest letdowns. Both had a really odd smell that made it hard to even take a bite. The xiao long bao had this jelly-like texture attached to the meat, which completely ruined my appetite. Not sure if it was unmelted soup base or just fat, but it was enough for us to stop eating. Egg drop soup had good flavor, but I was not expecting how thick and jello-like it was. It honestly felt like I was slurping boogers -- dramatic, I know, but it was such a weird texture. Service was okay, but not very professional. Workers were dressed in regular black clothing, so it was hard to tell who our server was until she approached us. Hair being down also didn't feel the most hygienic. For the price, service, and overall food quality, it just wasn't worth it. Left feeling pretty turned off after that experience. read more

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Went here after seeing it on Instagram and it definitely lived up to the hype. This an AYCE dumpling house and every item we tried was delicious. We ordered almost every dim sum option, except the lo mai gai since it was out of stock, along with the pot stickers , xiao long bao, and steamed dumplings. We also tried a few appetizers like the cucumber salad, sweet-and-sour pork baby back ribs, potato salad and Peking duck tacos. Parking in the area can be a bit tricky when we arrived around 5:45pm. We were told it'd be about a 45 minute wait but ended up waiting only about 25 minutes. The staff was very friendly and attentive the entire time. For the amount and quality of food, the price felt very reasonable. Definitely a spot I would come back to again. read more

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We made reservations for a Thursday evening and, thankfully, were able to sit immediately. There was a line and it was a 90 minute wait without reservations. Restaurant was clean. A bit cramped but servers were able to go between tables without running into anything. Food taste was good although not quite the level of DTF. However, the AYCE price was good and service was phenomenal. Our server was very gracious and even sold us on some dessert even though we were stuffed. Would definitely recommend making reservations. However, it's a one and done for us. read more

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I'm so excited to try China Max because my friend has always wanted to go with me, and finally we had the chance to visit! Even though it was a busy day since it was a holiday, we didn't mind waiting because we were excited to try the food. We ordered garlic string beans, sweet & sour pork baby back ribs (which were so delicious, we loved them!, Peking duck buns, egg drop soup, cucumber salad, crab truffle budak scallion karaage noodles, har gow, Shanghai siomai, steamed chocolate bun, dan dan ramen, and beef dumplings with garlic chili sauce. Everything was so good! I forgot the name of one of the spicy noodle dishes, but it was extremely spicy, definitely not for us. Overall, we were very happy and delighted with everything we tried. The server was also very nice and answered all of our questions. Haha, it was definitely worth it. read more

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The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and not finding a parking space at Convoy Pointe Plaza on Friday nights. Luckily, we snagged a space after circling the parking lot for 15 minutes. It was barely 6PM and the restaurant was already packed. Inside, with its simple but clean décor, was spacious enough to accommodate 100+ guests. We checked in and got seated right away. The attentive waitress brought the menu and explained the two ordering options to us: a la carte or All You Can Eat. After some intense crunching of numbers, we decided to go for it and have AYCE. Each guest could order up to 2 items per round, and we started with the fancy ones: wagyu, truffe and crab xiao long baos and dumplings, then went down the list until we were stuffed to the gills. The food arrived quite fast and all the warm dishes were nicely steaming hot. Below are some of the items we ordered: Wagyu Beef Dumplings: The wagyu was lean but soft, and nicely seasoned. The wrap was sophisticatedly thin with slightly chewy texture. Crab Xiao Long Bao: The flavor and texture of crab were quite subtle and overpowered by the blended pork filling. Overall seasoning was great and the wraps retained their shapes and the savory broth inside. Truffle Xiao Long Bao: The wrap was perfectly steamed without any breakage. The filling was flavorful with pleasant hint of truffle's taste and aroma. Peking Duck Tacos: They were more like gourmet nibbles. Lightly seasoned and delicately made. I could easily eat a dozen of them (only 3 pieces per order). Pan Fried Dumplings: The bottom was lightly burnt and crispy. The outer layer had a nice texture, and the filling was well seasoned. Chicken Wonton with Spicy Sauce: Silky outer wrap with lightly seasoned filling. The chili sauce gave the dish an added flavor and kick. Taro Balls: Cute little fried chewy mochi balls with taro filling. Matcha Lava Custard Buns: The outer layer was fluffy and slightly sweet. The creamy filling wasn't too heavy and contained pieces of fruit jelly. The aroma and taste of matcha was quite subtle. We ordered multiple rounds and the staff never tried to kitchen throttle the orders. Great service and great food. Totally worthy of repeating visits. read more

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Overall, it was mid. There were a few standout dishes, but a lot of the food and service missed the mark. The egg drop soup came out not hot, which was disappointing. The steamed pork buns were not good, and the egg fried rice was lukewarm and a bit hard. The mango buns were honestly not enjoyable at all. Orange chicken was gross, didn't finish it That said, the short rib noodles are a must-get definitely the highlight of the meal. The soup dumplings were also solid and worth ordering. Service could use improvement. The person bringing out the food wasn't very friendly and basically just dropped dishes on the table. Tables weren't cleared regularly, so empty plates started piling up, which took away from the experience. On a positive note, the kids enjoyed it--mainly because of the ice cream and soda options. I wouldn't go back unless the kids specifically asked. Not many good buffets in San Diego this one is almost Mid read more

Came here due to finding social media posts about AYCE dumplings here. For me.. The noodle dish was the best dish to order and for a dumpling spot.. that means something. The pork chop part of the Pork Chop & Scallion Oil Noodle dish was crunchy in the outside and tender in the inside, not dry. I got to taste my girlfriend's Braised Beef Noodle dish and really liked the braised beef she got also. Out of all the dumplings, I liked the pork xiao long bao because it was flavorful and tasted great. The Shanghai shumai was the most disappointing of all the dumplings. There was only sticky rice inside, and yes it tasted like meat, but there was no meat inside. I thought the BBQ pork buns were too dough-y and didn't have enough meat. Each order btw comes in 3 to 6 dumplings, depending on the menu. Service was okay, I know our server did his best but they came by very slowly for each round. We were lucky we waited only 39 minutes because I know some wait times can be 2 hours. You can reserve ahead of time. Probably won't come back here again. read more

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An innovative AYCE dimsum place that blew up on TikTok, but they only offered 4 dimsum dishes (shumai, Hagao, bbq buns, luobuogao) and didn't have the popular ones at other places (ex chicken feet, tripe, pork ribs, steamed shrimp rolls). The XLB was OK, the steamed pork ones were gamey tasting and too salty while the crab one was a bit too fishy. The pan fried pork XLB were definitely better and we would recommend that. The cucumber salad and green bean apps were OK but had a good contrast to the warm dishes. My personal fav was the sichuan noodles! They tasted really similar to the noodles I had in ChongQing and I would definitely return to have that again!! I also loved the mango buns and they made for a yummy warm dessert. They also have AYCE ice cream and drink selection too read more

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I was going to give 2 stars at first, but after looking at the pictures I took, remembering the horrendous service my party received, and realizing the bill came out to about $50/person after tax and tip were included, I had to change my review to 1 star so people know not to come here. My friends and I came on a Friday around noon and it was about a 30 minutes wait. When we were seated, our waiter came to take our order, and we put our first order for appetizers, and she explained some of the all you can eat rules but she didn't mention the time limit, which at the end we were suddenly just given a bill without knowing we couldn't order more, and we weren't given the last call. After the first dish was brought out to us, which was the cucumbers, we waited about 10 minutes for our waiter to come back to ask for plate and utensils because she forgot to give to us in the beginning or with our first dishes. How do you forget the plates and utensils? Overall, the food was just alright if not kind of on the bad side for most dishes. I think it was mediocre overall. But what was really frustrating was that about four times when we tried to order something off the menu, we were told that it was not available. The funny thing was when we tried to order the peking duck tacos, we were again told it wasn't available, but towards the very end before we were abruptly cut off, the table next to us received 2 orders of the peking duck tacos, so we had to wait until our server came back to mention this, and she said, "oh, I forgot to mention it, but we have it again now." In my mind, I was thinking what on earth is this kind of service. My whole party had the same reaction. How do you say you're out of something and then it is magically available again. After I left the restaurant, I highly regretted ever coming here in the first place. I hope you can learn from my mistake and avoid this restaurant. I was fooled by the social media postings. read more

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Came here to try the first AYCE dumpling house in San Diego and honestly... I was impressed. You can literally watch the chefs hand-make the dumplings fresh, which already sets the tone. Everything tasted freshly prepared and came out hot. The soup dumplings (especially the truffle and crab XLB) were super juicy with flavorful broth inside. Definitely eat carefully because they're packed. The har gow had a nice thin wrapper and good shrimp texture. I also loved the pan-fried dumplings -- crispy on the bottom but still juicy inside. The beef noodle soup was comforting and tender, and the egg drop soup + fried rice were solid additions between dumpling rounds. They also have green beans and other sides if you want to balance things out. And yes... dessert is included. The egg tarts were flaky and creamy, and the matcha lava custard bun was such a fun way to end the meal. Service was efficient, food came out consistently, and the AYCE format makes it easy to try a little bit of everything. If you're in Convoy and love dumplings, this is definitely worth checking out. read more

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Excellent service. The place runs like a well oiled machine. Super nice people. Very clean place and with good energy. Well prepared dishes. I would come back. Seaweed salad too thick and sticky for my taste. read more

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Came here 15 February at 1110 as they opened up at 1100. A big mistake of you do not have a reservation as the line was about 50 people deep. So we get to the front of the line just to sign up and a 2+ hour wait. Parking of plenty however, with all the restaurants, it still gets packed solid so look for street parking if you come any other time after 1100. The tables are clean and there are just too many foods to list but try them all as there is only one we did not like because maybe it was undercooked, the egg rolls. I bit into the egg roll and the middle was cold. Aside from that, everything else was and is good and a must try. For desert, you have to try the matcha lava custard bun. Drinks and desert are unlimited well. Fairly priced and pretty good food, a secret in San Diego that not everyone knows especially several years ago this establishment burned and took several years again before it reopened. Ambiance is ok as it was loud from the people and the music of dance, hip hop etc... The restroom were clean and the waiters / waitresses were kind and helpful. If you want all you can eat dumplings, come here as Jasmine's is good but you do not know what they are stamping on your ticket as they do not speak English there. read more

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Alas! We finally made it back to China Max since it reopened in 2025. Was happy to see it become the first AYCE dim sum place in San Diego. For $37, you can't complain. It includes everything on the menu except for alcohol - even your drinks and dessert! I came with my husband and 2 friends. We ordered a total of 26 items. Everything was pretty tasty! My favorites were the pork ribs, shrimp hargow, chicken wontons, and the waygu beef potstickers. I loved the taro balls and the Chinese churro was fantastic, but be warned that it's very large! I'm a huge fan of any chili oil (or salsa matcha). This one perfectly compliments most of the savory dim sums without the spice overpowering the bite. I also love that they already have vinegar on the table - an authetic must have! It was packed on a late Saturday afternoon and I was thankful we had a reservation. . We were seated in the narrow room off to the side perpendicular to Convoy street. The ambiance could use improvement. While the wait staff was extremely friendly, the service was lacking. They need one or two bussers to clear out plates and to keep things looking clean. Overall, an excellent value and I'd return. read more

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Everything here was SO GOOD. I was pleasantly surprised since it is AYCE (including drinks and desserts) and just $40 per person. I tried a good variety but my faves were the pork XLB and pork chop with noodles. I would love to come back because it was so worth it. Service was also pretty quick. The wait gets long so make a reservation if you can! read more

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We came for the "all you can eat" special and I think we could've saved money by ordering à la carte. I was not a fan of the cold green beans or the ube balls. I didn't realize the green beans were prepared cold, and the ube balls tastes like an old dessert that was hanging out in the freezer too long and then fried. Soup dumplings and wontons were delicious!! The ribs were just okay. Service was decent. I would not come to China Max with the expectation of Din Tai Fung. I don't think this restaurant should be compared DTF, this is a completely different experience. read more

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We had a great experience here! We went around 11am on a Saturday and got seated pretty quickly. Our server was amazing! She was fast, checked in on us, and made it a wonderful experience! We got seated near the patio side which was nice. They have self serve soda (all in a can), flavored teas, and water. The dumplings all came out hot and fresh! I love har gow. The har gow does have a thicker wrapping, but the shrimp is larger too so it balances it out.. The XLB's were good. We had the pork and truffle. We skipped the crab since many reviewers said it was fishy tasting. I enjoyed the crispy Wagyu pot sticker. Got a little crunch, with a little soup, and it had a good amount of meat for the filling. The pork chop was surprisingly light and crispy. I thought it would be soggy but it turned out not bag. The egg tart was pretty crispy on the outside, but the custard was pretty dense. All in all, I would come back. Great place to hang with friends and have a nice meal. read more

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The AYCE option was what made me want to check this place out. They had so many of my favorite items on the menu. Our server explained how the AYCE worked and let us know we can order two items at a time. The tea and soft drinks were self serve, as was the ice cream. We ordered steamed pork buns which weren't the best, but the chicken spicy wontons were my favorite. The rice felt like it needed a little more flavor so I mixed the chili sauce, vinegar and soy sauce into and it tasted great. All in all it was a good experience, but I'm not sure I would come back with so many great dumpling options in San Diego. read more

We came in at 6PM on a Wednesday, seated immediately. We did the AYCE and service was decent; they'd check in occasionally and ask if you'd like to order more food (2 plates max per person each round). The place feels like a big dining hall and doesn't have much decor... or 华人 for that matter. The food itself was mid and they don't have a lot of variety. The sweet and sour pork was way too sweet, and the crab xiao long bao was a bit ocean-y. The fried pork xlb had a good texture and was tasty, and I liked the duck tacos. Chocolate bun had a nice melty center, and custard buns were a tad too sweet but not bad. It's definitely a downgrade from before the renovation and it caters to a more American palate, but not a horrible place if you want to stuff your face with AYCE xiao long bao. read more

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My family visited on a Sunday for dinner and it was packed!! We waited 30 minutes to be seated. The restaurant is decent size and every table was full. You get your own drinks and it's unlimited access to tea and soda if you're opting to do the ayce. We ordered sooo much. Highlights were definitely the xio long baos and spicy wontons but we tried the pork buns, noodles, fried rice, and pork chops. Food came out extremely fast and I was sooo full, you definitely get your moneys worth here!!! I'd visit again and focus mainly on the dumplings :) read more

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China Max located in Kearny Mesa in a shopping center, so parking is easy. For AYCE customers you have 90min from the time the first item hits your table. You are only allowed to order two items per person at a time (to reduce food waste). Save room for desserts and drinks as all in inclusive in the AYCE price. It's just shy of $40 per person...JUST MAKES SENSE TO DINE AYCE!! We tried as much as we could and for the most part everything was delicious! It would be easier to name the items that weren't so great. The items we cared least for were: Har Gow - noodle casing too thick Noodles w/scallion oil - noodles were overcooked and I did not like the taste of the scallion oil sauce on the noodles, it was not a pleasant taste for me! Peking duck tacos - I did not care for at all Chicken Karaage - not enough meat and too dry DEFINITELY give this location a try if in the area and you are wanting a variety of good eats to choose from! read more

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No pictures because we were so hungry and the food was so food there was no time for pictures. Went with a group of 6 and each person all enjoyed the food just as much as the next person. Drink are get your own for the AYCE. The server was attentive while still giving is space which was good to scarf the food down. The food came out hot, delicious and quickly. Food highlights: The garlic green beans were so buttery and perfect. The shumai were crispy and delicious. Xio Long Bao? delicious. Sesame noodles eith the porkchop? DELICIOUS. Currently planning another trip as I write this. read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

First time back as here as AYCE. Definitely worthy the price for it. The food was fresh and and came out quick. The AYCE comes with dessert, teas and sodas. If you come try this place out I highly recommended it. You definitely will not leave hungry. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and bright. read more

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This all you can eat dumpling spot was giving din tai fung vibes. It's clean and bright inside. They no longer have the upstairs so it's just one floor and the patio. We made reservations and got right in. The service was good. The all you can eat is a pretty good deal. They have a variety of items to choose from. Although they didn't have a couple dishes we wanted which was a little disappointing but still a good price for all the food we ate. Would recommend checking this place out if you are in the area. read more

China Max Dumpling House - BBQ Pork bun - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Came to this spot after seeing it on IG and my daughter was craving dumplings. It's 37.oo during the weekend for all you can eat and you can get any items on the menu, including nonalcoholic drinks and dessert. I'd suggest making a reservation because this place is packed. I heard it had previously caught fire and they revamped it and eliminated menu items, not sure if it's true or not, but someone waiting for a table shared that. We ordered several items from the menu and enjoyed all except the shumai. My daughter thought the wagyu had a weird texture though. We ordered an egg tart for dessert, they never brought it but it was fine, we were stuffed. This spots cool if you're wanting to chow down for a good price. read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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It was definitely a tasty - and gargantuan - meal. I've had better dumplings in my lifetime though, so not sure I'll return. I think this meal will work if you pre-game really hard (as in not eating much earlier in the day) to make sure you can eat as much as you can. I think of it like a fun challenge :) Favorite dish was the sesame dumplings. Least favorite were the matcha buns- those were kind of gross. Make sure to make a reservation because this place is crowded! read more

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Come here if you only want to eat a crap ton of XLB. Wait was about an hour at 5o clock on a Thursday. Service was okay, there were enough wait staff but there was only one girl bringing all the food from the kitchen to the table - and she often had to fetch other things for customers so some food on the cart were left sitting. The only things worth getting besides the desserts are the pork soup dumplings and crab and pork soup dumplings. I think the pan fried pork dumpling would have been good but it sat out and was could by the time it made its way to us. The wagyu beef potstickers and beef dumpling was horrible, the filling was so tough and dry. House made eggroll was also awful. Passion fruit tea, Chinese churro, matcha lava buns, and the self serve ice cream were alright. read more

Good food, however very long wait. I believe they told us it would be a 2 hour wait. So we went and walked all the way down the street to kill time and get ice cream. They finally called us to come in as I was driving away down the street. So I made a quick turn and went in. The staff were kind as typical. Ambiance is normal to what you would think of as a Chinese restaurant. read more

Great concept the AYCE Dimsum! So on NYE, we tried to get into another restaurant in this plaza but they had an hour and a half wait so we strolled over to China Max, where my guy had been before and liked it. They didn't have the AYCE last time he visited, so we were excited to try. Price is not bad for all the food offered. We did pay the weekend rate, because it was considered a holiday on NYE. We were seated right away, that was great! Large restaurant with tons of tables and very clean/bright. Our server was really helpful letting us know about the items on the menu and describing certain items to make sure we would enjoy it. Great selection of drinks too, but we stuck with the free option of getting a can of soda or the yummy iced teas. The drinks are serve yourself, I like that! They also have a self serve freezer with ice cream, but we didn't have any of that. Food was just ok - the flavors were good but there wasn't anything on the menu I wanted to order again. The cucumber salad was ok, seasoning was bland. The shrimp tempura was really good. My guy got the short ribs and I didn't care for the sauce but he liked them. I love Dan Dan noodles and ordered this but it was 100% a ramen, not Dan Dan. It was Ramen noodles with a great broth but I wanted to send it back to the kitchen. The soup dumplings were ok. The shrimp wontons, very good. Crab wontons too fishy tasting. Food came out pretty fast. Oh the chocolate steamed bun - soooo good, the best item for me. They did miss bringing us one item my guy wanted, the fried shumai, they said they accidentally gave it to another table. Had to request napkins and soy sauce dish. Worth visiting, that's for sure! read more

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Never come back again. Bad service, long wait for food, not enough choices not worth for price.

New China Max is worth checking out, food made fresh. Friendly services, and clean aesthetics. read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

3/17/2026 - had reservations at 5pm, plenty of parking and slow inside. We left at 6:30 and it was packed inside and parking harder to find. Fast service, excellent service, food quality is always consistently marvelous. 5 stars once again. read more

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ok I'm cutting straight to the chase -- you're probably wondering is the AYCE worth it? Yes. Well, only if you're already ordering 3-4 dishes at a la carte places. For my family of 4, we routinely have a bill of $200+ so going the AYCE route is a no-brainer. I was surprised at how delicious and well presented the food was! Despite being AYCE, they did not sacrifice on quality and taste. Service was quick and the place was packed on a Monday at 1pm. Luckily, AYCE is all day, everyday so you can come anytime. However if you're planning on going during typical dim sum hours, then make sure to have a reservation. read more

China Max Dumpling House - Pork XLB (6pcs) - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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