We were excited to see this open up. We wanted to find a place that had soup dumplings close by so we did not have to drive down to Ding Tai Fung. FOOD Garlic Butter Edamame - I probably could have passed on these. They seemed a little undercooked. Chicken Wonton w Chili Sauce - This was one of my favorites. I thought the wonton itself was well cooked. The wrapper held strong without being mushy. I wish this was slightly spicy. Pork XLB - Very slightly soupy. Still had a good flavor and the filling was plentiful. Beef Potstickers - I felt like these had a pretty similar flavor profile to the pork ones minus the soup. Pan Fried Pork XLB - I liked these because the bottoms were a little crisp. Gave it some texture. The sauces they provided was a good addition to these dumplings. BBQ Pork Buns - I tend to gravitate towards these because of the fluffy buns. The buns were perfectly fluffy. The filling was excellent. Savory and not too sweet. My toddler typically doesn't like these due to the flavor but she liked it from here. DRINKS Green Tea w Boba - It was fun to see the dumplings on top of the cups as lids. The tea itself was tasty. The boba needed some work. They were undercooked and hard. Overall, it was a good meal. We tried a lot of their menu and most things were enjoyable. We would come back for their dumplings! read more

Dumpling Bar - Chinese Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Located in the Encinitas Shopping Center, parking was difficult on a Sunday around noon. However, there was no wait in this quaint establishment and we were able to be seated right away. We chose to sit towards the back to be able to see through a glass partition, a lady making fresh dumplings. There were good menu items and decided to share pork xiao long bao, wontons with chili oil, braised beef noodle soup and the chocolate-filled xiao long bao for dessert. We also tried the green milk tea. We liked the wontons with chili oil the best, so soft yet so flavorful I could've just drank the sauce! Both kinds of xiao long bao flavor-wise, was good too, but the outer wrapper/dough was a bit too al dente for our preference. The braised beef noodle soup and milk green tea were ok, just a bit lacking. Service was ok and a bit slow, it was surprising especially since there were not a lot of people dining. So, we came & went. Glad we had a chance to try this place. read more

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Super good, hits the spot. Service was friendly, got hit with some DoorDash order so there were slow spots but it's AYCE no big deal. Went midday not too crowded read more

Dumpling Bar - AYCE Rules - Chinese Near Me - Encinitas, California

My mom & i have been dying to try this place since we first saw it! But of course we live 1.5 hours away so we had to wait. It was worth it!! We got the xiao long bao, the sweet n sour ribs, and the chocolate buns. Everything was INCREDIBLE!! Our server was very nice and the food came out quickly and steaming hot. The soup dumplings were perfect - full of pork and soup as expected. The ribs were TO DIE FOR and a generous portion! The choco buns were the perfect dessert - yoy could have 1 and be satisfied but ordering 3 is good too! ;) I cant wait to come back ASAP! Parking is generous and everything was clean. Restaurant itself is a bit small but it kinda feels like youre dining with friends because i was so happy eating there. Highly recommend! read more

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Food was good for the price. The restaurant is small and loud but we didn't mind. Service was ok. Server wasn't really there to SERVE just felt like he wanted our money (lol shocker) when we were ordering for our last round, the server repeated back the order but forgot to mention the 3 small boba tea. No biggie so I corrected him and he gave me a long weird stare like he already knew and said "...yeah" and walked off lol Best part he walked back a few minutes later and asked what drinks we ordered haha. read more

I really wanted to visit this location because I was hearing that this place rivaled another large chain but at a more reasonable price. I was surely disappointed. The Yelp waitlist was not really followed. We waited 40 minutes being 16th in line without moving up a spot. This place was definitely understaffed on a Sunday. That's all fine once we managed to get a seat. We wanted to try the food. The service was ok, but when we got our food. The portions were small and the food tasted less than ideal. The soup dumplings, while fresh, had no soup. The prices were comparable to the other large chain in town, but at least there, I would be receiving better service at a comparable price. I don't know if I will be visiting this location again sadly. I was really disappointed in everything. read more

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Great dumplings and service! The setting was nice and the food came out quickly. I would highly recommend!

We happened to be shopping, or rather my wife happened to be shopping right next door, and we popped in for dinner. All in all, I would say that I was happy with the quality and flavor of the food. Is it the best that I have had, no but it is one of the better ones within my area! While I came in for the Xiao Long Bao, it was not my favorite here, but I did enjoy the pan-fried version over the steamed. The Chicken wontons and garlic string beans were both good, and next time I am back I will try a few other items! read more

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Yummy places. Plenty of tables/seating. Everything was delicious. My son's favorite was the pan fried soup dumplings. I loved the spicy chicken wontons. The pork chop and noodles were ok, but my least favorite. Service was friendly. I wanted to try their milk tea boba and dumpling combo but I'll just have to get that when I come back! read more

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The food was so good! I'd recommend coming during the afternoon, evenings can have a longer wait!

The BaoTea combo is not just a gimmick! 6 pan fried xiao long bao in a bowl placed on top of boba tea. It's definitely a sight to see. This would be really convenient if you have to walk around and eat, but if you have a place to sit, I'd recommend separating them right away. You don't want your hot dumplings to be cold or your drink to get warm. The mini dumplings were tasty and even though they're small, they still contain the soup inside! The skin is lightly fried and adds a nice slight crisp in each bite. For the drink, you can choose any drink you like and I opted for the brown sugar milk tea. It was so good! The service here was wonderful! The server for my table was friendly and she brought us water and checked on us periodically to see if we needed anything else. It was quiet at lunch time on a weekday and it's nice to be able to just take your time to enjoy these amazing food. read more

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This place is amazing! Two incredible folks hand making dumplings, excellent service, and a fantastic meal. We got: - Vegan dumplings: Still had umami flavor despite being vegan; they do have mushroom in them so the texture is a bit slippery (word of caution for those who don't like that) - Cucumber salad: cold, crisp, with a great sweet and slightly spicy sauce - Pork BBQ bao: Light bun, sweet bbq pork bits inside - Pork soup dumplings: the best thing we ate all night! Extremely flavorful - Chicken wontons in spicy sauce: great texture, and the sauce was nice, filling could've had a bit more flavor Overall, one of the best meals we've had in Encinitas at a new spot in a long time! Would not sleep on this place and we look forward to bringing back family and friends. read more

Good is salty but acceptable. Service is okay. You don't see many Asians in this Chinese restaurant. Their recommended tips are from 20% to 25%. Be careful with the bill at the end else they will pull a quick one on you. read more

I recently discovered this little gem. The place is small and cozy, which gives it a really intimate feel. The food is exceptional--every single dish we tried was packed with flavor and clearly made with care. Service-wise, there's some room for improvement. The staff wasn't particularly friendly or very informative about the menu. In a restaurant that specializes in a specific cuisine, I think the experience could be elevated if the team were more interactive with guests--sharing the story behind the restaurant and highlighting that everything is made in-house. That said, the food alone makes it worth the visit, and I'm definitely looking forward to going back. read more

I'm hoping to come back with a proper review as I didn't even get the chance to try the food. On a Friday night at 6pm, we were told it would be a 10-20 minute wait. Clearly they need to work on their waitlist time estimation as we finally gave up an hour later as we didn't want to cut into our 90 minute time limit for the AYCE dumplings. By the time we left, we were still 3rd in line. There were others still trying to get on the waitlist and being told by staff it would be a 20 minute wait (other guests in line quickly warned them it would be longer.) Maybe we'll try again earlier in the day for lunch. read more

Dumpling Bar has an authentic flare with homestyle cooking and flavors. Happy to see more authentic Asian restaurants in North County! Prices are on the higher end however service is very good and attentive. Appetizer trio: Cold Green Beans, Cold Cucumbers and warm Spare Ribs. Cucumbers were good and seasoned well. Green Beans tasted sweet and wasn't a fan. Spare Ribs was cooked too long and sauce was sticky. Spicy Beef and Noodle bowl (san soup). Noodles were oily but good. Beef was cooked very good and authentic! Xiao Long Bao Pork filling was authentic! Bravo. However, wrapper was too thick. read more

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Been here a couple of times, awesome food, milk tea delicious We tried different things from the menu recommended by the waiter Really enjoyed everything read more

The owners can't bother to give their customers and employees access to wifi AND there's no cell coverage inside the restaurant. Eat elsewhere- like at the places next door and the owners are gracious. Wifi costs you zero except now. It cost you a customer. Get with the 21st century ! read more

Me and my bf were craving dumplings at 6pm on a Saturday night. We contemplated going to Din Tai Fung, but already knew the wait would be unnecessary. We found this restaurant is IG and it looked good. Since we were already in the area, we decided to check it out. The wait was about 20 mins which makes sense since they are new. You have to check in yourself bc they are busy, but it was worth the wait. When seated we ordered the green beans, sliced steak in chili sauce, bbq ribs, beef potstickers, xlb, shumai, fried xlb, and crispy pork noodles. The xlb was my fave! I'd probably pass on the shumai (I've had better). Everything was good though! I'd come back if I lived closer. This is definitely a great alternative to DTF if you live north of Convoy. read more

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We came to dumpling bar on Wed around noon. There was no line and we got seated right away. The staff were pleasant and efficient. Food arrived without much wait and the fun began! The appetizer wood ear mushroom and soy noodle were tasty. The soy noodle looked a bit bland but it definitely had enough flavor. The wood ear was also tasty, I loved the addition of celery in the dish. Shumai was probably the weakest dish that we ordered. It was not bad but I guess you can't compete with a full blown dim sum restaurant. It was still acceptable, just not great. We liked the beef potstickers. Meaty and crispy at the bottom. The filling was nicely done. The pork chop with noodle, I loved the pork chops. They were not fatty, perfectly fried. Although I thought the noodle didn't have a lot of taste, so I didn't care much for the noodle. Overall, not a bad showing for an Asian place in north county. Would definitely want to come back to try other dishes next time I'm in the area. read more

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Worth it for the variety if you choose AYCE! I don't think any of the dishes are good enough to order on their own, but if you want a fun experience of being able to order anything you want, check it out. Kind, prompt service, clean place, good/fine food. Out of chocolate buns so I don't know if that's permanent or not. read more

Dumpling Bar - Pan Fried Pork XLB(6pcs), Vegan Dumplings(6pcs), fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Encinitas, California

My husband and I go here frequently and absolutely love this place! We never get tired of the fresh dumplings and it never disappoints with its fast service and lovely grub. read more

- tucked into a plaza with plenty of parking - on a weekend there's a waitlist - just write your name down and listen out for when they call it out! - super attentive and kind service food: - appetizer combo comes with 3 bowls of your choosing - great value and able to sample different dishes! - pork ribs were a little too saucy, sweet, and slightly tough for my liking - vegan dumpling was surprising good! thin skin and tons of veggie filling, mushroom was prominent and so delicious in there - crispy fried pork was crunchy and yet retained a tender taste it was slightly salty so pairing with the noodles is a must! read more

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Finally made it in to dumpling bar and it ended up being really good! They have a simplified menu but if familiar to those who have been to Din Tai Fung. I ordered the cucumber salad, chicken wontons in spicy sauce and rice. The cucumber salad was good, but the wontons were the star of the show. The sauce had a really great flavor. I also ordered a green milk tea which was not very sweet and I loved it! Our server Hope was super sweet and friendly. read more

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The food is good but that's it! The service is bad and the place is filthy! One of the waiters had an attitude and doesn't even know the menu, another was so slow moving and kept throwing all the food from the tables he was wiping on to the FLOOR. It was disgusting! All the waiters would walk around all the trash on the floor instead of picking it up. They also had no idea how long the waits would be and underestimated by nearly half! So if they said one hour, people had to wait almost two! Please train your staff to be pleasant and especially hygienic! In addition to the restaurant, personal hygiene is key when serving food. At least 3 of the servers should wash their hair; it was so greasy, dirty and unkept. The black clothing they wear also made one wonder how dirty everything was. Not sure how they keep an A at the door. read more

Dumpling Bar is a great dumpling spot in Encinitas! Their Xiao Long Bao, my go-to dumpling, didn't disappoint. I got to enjoy this place with family and everything we ordered was delicious. read more

Dumpling Bar - Pork XLB(6pcs) - Chinese Near Me - Encinitas, California

had the privilege to revisit this spot again and this time, with more friends! the wait was a stark contrast from my first visit because we were immediately sat, which was nice. food was still good like the first time, but they were out of the chocolate buns; the one dish i was looking forward to the most :(. i did get the change to try out the custard buns this time around, and they were tasty too! nice, fresh, and supple, but it doesn't hold a candle to the chocolate buns in my opinion. i do wish they have an extended selection, but that's only because we've pretty much tried everything on the menu for ayce. shoutout to dariy and everett this time for their awesome service! they were both very prompt and personable, and just good vibes overall. excited to come back for more food! read more

We've been waiting for this eatery to open for many months and finally we got to try it. What a delight! The ambience is very casual. All of the items that we ordered were very tasty and the service was great. Since this was our first visit, the waiter made some great suggestions of things to try and they were spot on. Prices are very reasonable - will be back. read more

My daughter found this and wanted to try it; we're glad we did! We were there about 4:30pm on a Sunday and there was no wait, thought it got a bit busier as the night went on. I appreciated what I though was a somewhat limited menu. That meant we didn't have to debate too much on what to order, and that what was on the menu ought to be good. We ordered the appetizer combo that includes 3 appetizers for a healthy discount. With four of us we added a forth appetizer. In all we had the Cucumber Salad, Seaweed Salad, the Ribs, and Garlic String Beans and they were all great. Would order them all again! For mains we ordered the Pork XBL, Pan Fried XLB and both were great. We did like the pan fried version as it added a bit of crunch to the dish, but both were excellent! Of everything we ordered the Shumai was our least favorite, but that's not to say it was bad, just our personal preferences. We wrapped up with an order of the Steamed Custard Bun and 2 orders of the Steamed Chocolate Buns. Both were great and our group was mixed on which they preferred; I personally liked the Custard Bun! Overall we'll add the Dumpling Bar to our list of go-to spots. Service was nice, efficient, food came out quickly, and was hot and delicious. read more

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The food was great, the service on point, will definitely go back. Highly recommend the all you can eat with a friend or two.

I was genuinely excited to celebrate Lunar New Year at Dumpling Bar Chinese Restaurant with a group of friends. We called ahead and were told reservations weren't necessary because of quick table turnover. Instead, we waited over an hour in the cold -- which we were willing to do for a festive evening with good food and good service. Unfortunately, what we encountered was not just disorganization, but deeply frustrating and inflexible management. My husband has Celiac disease -- it's a medical condition requiring strict avoidance of gluten. Five of us planned to order the All You Can Eat (AYCE) option, while my husband intended to order a simple salad à la carte. That's when things fell apart. Although our server was kind and clearly uncomfortable, she informed us that the restaurant enforces an "all-or-nothing" policy: if anyone at the table orders AYCE, everyone must. No exceptions. She repeated multiple times that they've "gotten in trouble before" for allowing otherwise -- which raises the question: what kind of management culture pressures staff to rigidly enforce a policy at the expense of basic hospitality and common sense? The reasoning appears to be distrust -- a blanket assumption that guests will cheat or share food. Rather than train staff to monitor tables or design a reasonable system, management has chosen the easiest route: penalize everyone equally. That approach may simplify enforcement, especially being so short-staffed, but it can ruin the guest experience. The gluten-free handling was equally concerning. The menu (as of 2/16/2026) lists only a handful of gluten-free items -- a few salads and plain rice. Yet we were told my husband could have fried rice. How? With what soy sauce? Is there separate fried rice made from gluten-free soy sauce that isn't listed on the menu? If so, why isn't it clearly labeled? For a restaurant that is so rigid about rules, the lack of clarity and care around a serious dietary restriction is alarming. What's especially confusing is that the menu itself states: "No takeout and no sharing with non-paying guests (AYCE is for dine-in only)." That wording suggests that mixed ordering should be allowed, provided there's no sharing. Apparently, that is not the case -- at least not under this management's interpretation. The most disappointing part? The manager never came over to speak with us directly. No attempt to explain. No attempt to accommodate. No effort at hospitality. Just a firm wall of policy. We chose to walk out. Restaurants can set whatever policies they like. But when inflexible rules, poor communication, and a complete lack of accommodation for dietary needs override basic guest experience, it speaks to a failure of leadership. We won't be returning -- and we can't recommend that others do either. Happy Lunar New Year, I guess! read more

Dumpling Bar - Chinese Near Me - Encinitas, California

My kids said "this is my favorite restaurant, can we come back here pleaseeeeeeee". And that's all you need to know. Just kidding. I think the combo of good food + having Scooby Doo on one of the TV's helped the cause. It's a cozy restaurant. Lots of two tops and some four tops. We got there around 5:45 and probably got one of the last four top tables before they went on a wait. I loved the trio of appetizers we got. Shaved beef w/ chili, cucumbers w/ chili oil, and ribs. It was a nice start to the dumplings. My kids devoured the XLB. My husband liked the beef dumplings the most. My favorite was the crispy pork + noodles. They pork and tender. Better than any chicken katus I've had. My only complaint was the noodles were a bit too saucy/drenched. The jasmine green milk tea was also bomb! Nice balance of sweet/bitterness. I'm looking forward to coming back!!!!! read more

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I was pleasantly surprised to find an authentic dumpling place in Encinitas. We tried a variety of items- cucumber salad, pork xlb, pan fried xlb, chicken dumplings, and steamed chocolate bun. The items were all delicious and the xlb did have the soupy goodness. The servers were attentive and checked in with us often. The dining area was clean and comfortable with the ability to see into the kitchen. It was nice to be able to see the chefs making the dumplings right there. The place was not cheap but it was expected for the area. It probably would have been cheaper to go to a place on convoy but when looking for a dumpling spot in north county, this is the place. read more

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I'll never get tired of dumplings, especially when a restaurant offers so many different varieties! Dumpling Bar has a great selection for you and your friends to choose from, so be sure to bring more guests for a bigger feast! - PARKING - Shares a large parking lot with several other businesses. It does get busy due to the grocery markets, but you'll find a spot eventually. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - Not a huge restaurant, but it can seat a decent amount of customers. Most tables are arranged to fit 4 people comfortably. I love when places have the clear window for you to see the cooks in the kitchen - feels more immersive! Seeing the chefs hand roll out the dough and pleat each dumpling is fun. Service was very attentive throughout our meal. After we ordered, items came out in waves as they were completed, rather than all at once. - FOOD - Pork XLB: At first glance, I didn't think there would be much soup inside, but after biting into them, they definitely proved me wrong! Delicious juicy meat inside, and the wrappers aren't too thick. Pan-Fried XLB: Level up the classic XLB and pan-fry them to get a crispy bottom! I actually ended up liking these the most because of the contrast of textures. The inside was still juicy too which is a plus! Steamed Beef Dumplings: Nice clean taste, and packed with meat. Their homemade chili oil went nicely with this! Pan-Fried Beef Dumplings: Again, the delicious beef dumpling but leveled up! The crispy skirt just takes it up a notch. Custard Buns: Gotta always have a sweet treat at the end of a meal! The custard doesn't ooze out, but it does have a nice level of sweetness. The bun itself was super soft and fluffy. - OVERALL - A great spot if you're craving some dumplings! Bring more of your friends and family to try out more options! read more

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First time = Amazing service & delicious options!!! Very comparable to other big name dumpling restaurants in SD. Second visit = Same amazing service & tried all the other dishes we were too full to try 3 wks prior, but both experiences were amazing!! To top things off, kid friendly, especially with a child on the spectrum. Definitely will visit again!!! Always supporting local. read more

This place is amazing. Such great food and service. Good location and had great Ambiance.

Really good dumplings, recommend the crispy xiao long bao with their big boba, beef dumplings okay, good noodles and great service. Good cucumber salad read more

First time eating here and the food was amazing! The service was super quick and we felt very taken care of. We ordered a good amount of food to try a little bit of everything on the menu. My personal favorites were the chicken wontons with chili sauce, pork XLB, beef spicy noodles, & the chocolate XLB. I definitely would come back for those along with the 3 appetizers combo (great to way to try a variety)! There were other items that I would want to come back to try as well, including the dim sum and soups. My dumpling cravings were satisfied! See photos below for all items we ordered & the menu. The parking is great, very spacious parking lot with a Sephora & Trader Joe's nearby (for the girlies!!). Overall, really cute dumpling place and definitely worth a try if you're in Encinitas! read more

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Great spot for AYCE dumplings- our favorites were the beef and chicken wontons in chili sauce. I liked the ability to sample lots of items on the menu with the AYCE option, but probably wouldn't do that in the future since I don't need to eat that much! read more

To start with, the food was great! The service not so much. Our server took our order and we never saw him again. No mention of going on break or going home for the day, su we had no idea who to ask for help. After sitting there with empty plates for 20 minutes I flagged down another server for our check and asked for two orders of chocolate dumplings to go. Another 15 minutes passed and I asked again. 10 minutes later I asked AGAIN. Then it turns out we were charged for all you can eat instead of each order we placed. Having managed in food service for years, I'm not an ask for a manager person. It was a Sunday and not very busy. Five stars for the food but three for the service. I will try again and hope for better. read more