I visited Dumpling Cafe after reading good things about it in the Globe. The writer had recommended the soup dumplings, so I ordered the pork variety. When they arrived, I opened the lid to reveal six enticing-looking dumpling, topped with something orange which I assumed was a garnish. I ate the first one, and was pretty happy with it. The other items I ordered were alright. The kung pao chicken was on the plain side. It was about five minutes later though, when I had my second soup dumpling lined up and ready to go in my spoon, when our server returned. Looking concerned, he opened the lid of our dumplings, informed us we had incorrectly received pork & shrimp dumplings, NOT pork dumplings, and removed the plate. He then hesitated and PICKED UP THE SOUP DUMPLING OUT OF MY SPOON AND PLACED IT BACK WITH THE OTHERS. I was too shocked to protest. I'm usually very understanding of these situations, and I'm aware we all mistakes, I've just never had a server remove food off my eating utensil to return it to the kitchen. For the rest of my meal I looked around the restaurant for the poor fellow who was unknowingly eating the pork & shrimp dumpling that had been inches from being mine. When leaving, it took 20 minutes to get our check too. All and all, the food gets like 2-3 stars, while the service gets negative 100. read more

Terrible spot for a late night bite if you actually want to eat. I just left the place at this moment. I don't know whether or not they think they're serving a bunch of drunkard with crappy food but there are some people are actually there to eat because they are hungry at 1AM on a Saturday. I am Asian and know the quality of the food being served to us. Crap, period. Pork fried rice came out on a baby plate, all other table had more than we did. General gau chicken was good but not worth $13 and one of our friend spoke in Chinese because she want it a specific way, but still came out crappy. To be honest, take out Chinese would be better than this place if you want the general Chinese food, I.e., chicken wings, fried rice.. Save yourself and go somewhere else. I would go to chow chau or peach farm, at least they give you more for the price you pay, or just do Chinese take out. Spicy wonton soup, general gau chicken, pork fried rice and streamed dumping for $42. Definitely will not be coming back. read more

The little sister of Gourmet Dumpling House also seems to have smaller portions. The same dish we would get at Gourmet Dumpling would be approximately the same price, but at GD it's a gigantic Chinese plate, while at Dumpling Cafe, it's a little tiny rectangular western plate. The food quality...I think I prefer Gourmet Dumpling too. Perhaps it has to do with the older Wok or the atmosphere, but for some reasons I find Dumpling Cafe to lack in the same aromatic and flavourfulness in its dishes. Don't get me wrong, the food at Dumpling Cafe is good, just not AS good. In the end, it's really about what you're looking for. The Dumpling Cafe is cleaner, prettier, bigger, a lot more westernized, but I think I prefer to eat in a greasier, aromatic cramped restaurant like the original gourmet dumpling house. read more

If I knew their soup dumplings were great, I would've came here instead of the other place down the block! The soup dumplings were moist and filled with soup. The skin was thin but held the soup very well. They even provided a top for the bamboo container to keep your dumplings warm. Very important! There's nothing worse than a cold soup dumplings. read more

this place was average. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: scallion pancake with beef and Taiwanese rice cakes. The soup dumplings were average, the dumpling skin was too thick and the filling tasted ok, definitely had better soup dumplings. Overall the food was all really salty, but the service was good and the food came out pretty fast. read more

Dumpling Cafe - MAJOR KEY ALERT!!!! the taiwanese rice cakes and scallion pancakes with beef is a must try. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I understand that when you set foot inside of a restaurant like this, that service is secondary to the product. In other words, I know that the service is going to sh***y and I am okay with that. Even with these low standards, I was impressed by how low they could go at Dumpling Cafe. Boston, be warned, you may actually pop that blood vessel in your head as a result of your dinner here. I think the experience begins and ends with the waiter who, after noticing I left the "Gratuity" portion of my credit card slip blank, looked at me and asked me if I was planning on completing it for him. I'm not sure whether this made me feel more violated than that time that I was bending over on a crowded T and... well that's a story for another day. I let him know that I would be paying the tip with cash. As I left the restaurant with my party, he came running up to the table to count the cash that was left for tip. Couldn't even wait until we were out of sight. He must be saving up for those etiquette classes he enrolled in. Oh, and the food? After reading all of these positive reviews, I figured they would be amazing. I was let down. There are better dumping houses within walking distance, which are much much cheaper. read more

So I went to this restaurant with my friends because one of them suggested it was a good place. We sat down and a few minutes later the waiter comes to see if we were ready but we weren't. She was constantly coming back to see if we were ready. I think that the waiter should've been patient and just waited until we asked for her. When one of my friends spilled tea over the table, the waitress came over to help clean it up and when she walked away, she let out an annoyed sound under her breath. Before finishing our food, the check came when we didn't ask for it. Other customers received slices of oranges when we didnt and when we paid for our bill, the waiter counted it right on our table. The service there was just horrible. Now on to the food. The general gao was good but I find the rice plate relatively small compared to the other chinese restaurants. The chicken for the appetizers was small and the beef terriyaki was really tiny and thin. My friend that came here before was shocked to see this, because the portion for the appetizers was much different. Overall I dont suggest going to this place. There are many other places better than this one. Maybe we were just unlucky or maybe your experience would be different! read more

I have been here once a week ever since they have opened a month ago, and each time they continue to impress me. Their Soup Dumplings are the closest thing to the ones I had in Taipei here in Boston, you cannot skip these if you come to this restaurant. I did not like the ones at TC or DH, their wrappings were too thick. I know people complained about service but hey, it is Chinatown after all, so it is expected, but I think they are more attentive than other places nearby. Their business is picking up briskly, each time I observed more and more people waiting for a table, so get here quickly before it becomes too popluar! read more

I can honestly say that this was the worst experience i have had at a restaurant in a long time. We ordered some sort of fish cooked in a hot pot, soup dumplings, and kung pao chicken. My boyfriend had his second soup dumpling on his spoon when a waiter came over and removed the dumpling from his spoon as he was about to eat it, put it back onto the plate and took the dumplings away. He told us that they were the wrong dumplings and put down the right dumplings. Very strange that he took the dumpling from his spoon, almost seemed like he was planning on reserving the soup dumplings to someone else. The Kung Pao Chicken was the worst I have had. The fish was not bad but after the meal was over my stomach was hurting and I had hardly eaten that much. It took forever for us to get the check, and even though I had no intention to box up the food, they didn't even offer. I laughed as I walked home knowing that it was one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had a restaurant. I would recommend going to Sichuan Gourmet in Brookline for more authentic Sichuan cuisine. As for Taiwanese, still searching in Boston. read more

The worst service ever! The waitres are not kind and rude. Food's ok... Not recomended read more

This used to be our go-to place to order from on DoorDash until we had the literal worst customer service experience ever! After waiting for an hour and a half, while our driver and DoorDash themselves were contacting the restaurant to see what was taking so long, they gave our food away to some random person! Did anyone from the restaurant apologize to us? Of course not, they first hung up on us when we called to figure out what was going on and then when we called back they argued with us that "someone already picked it up". Well, not us or the DoorDash driver so thank you very much for giving away our food to a rando!! read more

I'd been here once before when the line at GDH was too long. Got the soup dumplings and fried pork and leek dumplings and they were great-on par with anything else in Chinatown. And I was with my friends, having a great time, so in our good humor we kinda laughed off the bad service. Even when the waitress spilled water on me and my friends when refilling our glasses, and refused to speak to us or look us in the eye, we let it go. Didn't seem that bad. I couldn't really ignore the terrible service today. The food I had this time around was not good at all. Don't get the mango chicken. It's artificial tasting, too sweet, and doused with sauce. Also the bubble tea is icy. Obviously their specialty is the dumplings, so I don't hold it against them that my entree was subpar. Especially considering the size of their menu-it's hard to make 9 pages' worth of excellent, invariably delicious meals. Once again, the waitstaff was aloof, cold, and blatantly uninterested in common courtesy. I've never been the type to get mad at unfriendly waitresses. I don't expect them to crap rainbows or radiate warmth. But actual eye contact and verbal communication would be swell, so I know that they've heard me. TL;DR If you're gonna go, go in a good mood with a big group. And stick to the dishes they're famous for. read more

I'm on day three recovering from the WORST food poisoning from here. Don't get the take out and god don't get the mini juicy dumplings

Soup dumplings...*gurgle drool gurgle*... If Dumpling Cafe, no, if CHINATOWN served nothing but these babies, I would be wholly satisfied with my Chinese food experience in Boston. Ever since I sank my wee baby teeth into my first paper-thin xiao long bao wrapper and sucked out the rich, meaty dumpling soup, I've been in love. And when I moved to Boston, one of my top priorities was to find excellent soup dumplings to satisfy my intense and frequent cravings for them. For years, I scoured the city, frequenting restaurant after restaurant to no avail! Finally, I settled for the frozen packages at C-mart, which are actually quite good, and I thought I was satisfied. Then Dumpling Cafe opened. For me, they get five stars for their soup dumplings alone, but there is quite a bit more that this place has to offer. Dumpling Cafe offers a broad array of authentic Chinese dishes containing assorted meats and exotic vegetables showcased on a pristine menu unbesmirched by spell-check. I'm actually not a fan of their main dishes, but if you must get one, I recommend the ones with the strangest ingredients and/or the worst translation. I think their forte is definitely the appetizers and dumplings. The selection may be small, but each item is very well executed. Additionally, the restaurant itself is spacious and clean. The wait staff is quick and efficient, albeit not especially friendly (but this is Chinatown, folks. Come on.). They take reservations and cards, and serve alcohol into the late night hours. I also really like their complimentary tea. They serve you a large pot of this nutty, black tea that is different from the other restaurants, and is never over-steeped. I have to admit, I was initially skeptically, but now this restaurant is my go-to establishment for late-night Chinatown runs, which means that if it's 11pm and any of my friends mentions a) dumplings or b) Chinese food, we invariably end up here. It's definitely a great place to go to try something new, or to return to an old, comfortable favorite that tastes just like home. read more

I'm gonna share with you a secret. Gourmet Dumpling House = Taiwan Cafe = Dumpling Cafe. I know this because I asked the very nice lady at the cash register if the owner was making bank since the restaurant was packed and she replied, "Yes, he owns Gourmet Dumpling House and Taiwan Cafe so he makes lots of money!" I was surprised and so I asked, "Same menu?" She nodded her head. In conclusion- I know Gourmet Dumpling has Kate Hudson's face on the wall and a ton of hype because of the lines but if you want amazing soup dumplings, spicy flounder stew, beef with julienne peppers, and crappy service WITHOUT waiting in line, go to Dumpling Cafe! read more

THis place is your classic Chinatown service. Horrible service. Good thing is they open late so if you are in Boston, stop on in and get your fix of dank chinese food. But don't expect much. I didn't. Their dumplings are of such small portions, as are their other dishes. So if you are not sober, this is your place. If you are sober, try something else. read more

The first warning sign was no boneless spareribs. But ok, I found several other items on the menu that seemed appetizing. - pork fried rice - pork/leak steamed dumplings - spring rolls - chicken wings - crispy chicken strips The pork in the pork fried rice was very soft and chewy; not quite the consistency I was looking for. The rice was flavorful, as were the peas. The sauce on side was helpful for that added bit of flavor. The pork/leak steamed dumplings were the highlight of the meal. Very tasty pork/leak combo, juicy, and hot. The dumpling dough was good. The spring rolls were very pedestrian and nothing at all to write home about. Nothing really jumped out at me here. The chicken wings weren't good at all. I'm not even sure they were cooked all the way through, although they were extremely hot on the outside. I couldn't quite pinpoint the sauce that they were garnished in. Doesn't matter, it didn't make them any better. The crispy chicken strips were decent but overall not that crispy. They were a mix of white and dark meat, which was nice. But, they were lacking. We left half of them on the plate. We arrived right before a lunch rush, but service was still subpar. We had to ask for water and tea refills. My plate was dirty, although it might have been a water stain from the dishwasher. read more

Now this place was better than the first Chinese restaurant i went to Boston. But for having the 3 largest Chinatown in the country, the food is sub-par to the SGV. In fact, most Chinese restaurants in these large Chinatown areas pale in comparison. Being called the dumpling cafe, i would assume the dumplings were good...they were average...they have the soup dumplings like Din Tai Fung, but these were large and the flavor was just on there...We got the Kung Pao Shrimp and they used the baby shrimp...never seen that before...flavor was ok, but no heat whatsoever...We got the pepper beef which was a watery mess...we got general gau's chicken (Panda's orange chicken is much better), chinese broccoli (probably the best dish, but no dipping sauce), egg rolls (average) and chicken and broccoli (average). Probably not going to eat here even if i am in town read more

I was just here with my friends for midnight food. The waitress is so mean, showing us the sick face all the time. I found out why she's mean to the customer , she charged 18% of gratuity automatically in the bill. This is not right !!!! I will never come back to this place again !!! read more

Their food is both overpriced and mediocre. They have an award in the restaurant that says best soup dumplings but the dough was super thick and the soup was fatty and thick. We bought a vegetable dish that was priced at $15 which probably only took $2 to make. The service was nice but I won't be returning :( read more

This is our favorite place for lunch whenever we are in Boston on business or vacation the food is absolutely delicious there is quite a variety of dishes to choose from, our server though was a bit strange in that she did speak to us she did not even greet us, but the other servers who attended to us were quite hospitable i am sure if we did not encounter the other servers this place was getting only one star. read more

definitely a much more upscale tawianese restaurant than some of the others in the area, but if you know how to order you can avoid spending a pretty penny. :) instead of doing the traditional family style where you share all the entrees, you can order any of the individual noodle dishes and be full and satisfied for about $6. i tried the taiwanese pork chop noodle dish and was pleasantly surprised at how authentic and delicious it was. my fiance and i fought over the pork pieces, so perhaps learning how to use your chopsticks quickly will benefit you greatly! the noodles were soft and chewy and served with a helpful amount of spinach. the soup tasted like a very mild chicken broth, but definitely comforting. loved my experience there and would definitely come back again! read more

Food us decent, great lunch special prices and they brought the food put quickly. Unfortunately, service was not so great. We were not greeted, had to ask for water, which we didnt get until half way through our meal. read more

Best Taiwanese food in MA. The service is LIGHTNING FAST and everything on the menu is amazing. This is my favorite restaurant, and I often bring other people here to impress them. I'm pretty sure they sprinkle crack on the fried rice, and the beef with long horn pepper changed my life. If I lived within walking distance, I'd probably go broke eating here every day. It's the one restaurant that me and my friends make a point of going to when we're all in Boston. I cannot recommend this place enough. read more

I was eager to introduce the SO to something different within the Chinese restaurant world but didn't really know where to start within the Boston Chinatown. We found this place called the dumpling cafe so we figured we would try it out. For those of you who do speak Chinese and are looking for a place to go they speak Mandarin. As per my norm, I quite frankly ordered way to too much but I really just wanted him to try everything! We got the Xiao Long Baos that surprisingly still had the soup in them. They were piping hot but once sufficiently cooled were a burst of flavor in each mouth. Do you know how to eat these? you should first carefully pick them up with your chopsticks to prevent them from bursting. Bite off the top so they can cool and pour some of the vinegar and ginger sauce inside and eat it. You'll think you've died and gone to Shanghai. The next dish was the salt and pepper pork. Easily a favorite for anyone coming in. They have west lake beef soup as well but unfortunately the SO hates cilantro because of the weird genetic issue making it taste like soap. This was followed by a giant clay pot with mifun and lobster... more of a soup than what I was expecting but delicious nonetheless. This is a solid 4 stars. Not OMG I gotta have it but definitely a solid place to introduce a friend to real-er Chinese food. Parking across the street in the garage =) read more

This is your typical Chinatown restaurant in that the service is essentially horrible. You'll be asked what you want, maybe you'll get water, maybe you'll get courses one by one, or all together, maybe you'll get the check while you're eating, and maybe you won't get it until 15 minutes after you've been done with your food. That being said this place is worth a trip. The food far outweighs the minor annoyance of inconsistent service. The mini juicy pork buns are outstanding. The noodle soups are so outrageously priced it is ridiculous. For $5-$7 you can get an enormous amount of food. The lunch rush is busy, but you'll be in and out quickly enough. I also appreciate that the tea is served in a nice big mug instead of the common tiny little thimbles you get other places. read more

The mini juicy buns with pork. That is all. Nothing else matters. read more

One of the most disappointing Chinese restaurants I have been to in Boston. As someone born to Shanghainese parents who made regular trips to Joe's Shanghai in NYC, these soup dumplings were barely passable as "restaurant quality." The only worse soup dumplings I have had were frozen ones. They were also far too expensive. The prices are also absurd for Chinese food - my boyfriend and I were charged almost $15 for a simple vegetable dish, which would normally go for $8 in NYC. Overall, I would not come back, as it does not provide great value for the price they charge. read more

This place would have gotten a higher rating if they weren't so blatantly racist. An African American man came in around 2am and wanted to buy a soda. They told him, "no we are closed." He pleaded all he wanted was a soda and they would NOT sell it to him. A lighter skinned woman came in and they said they were closed and she asked to buy a water and they said, "yep, one dollar"...... Food was good, service sucked. Do not recommend to anyone with dignity... read more

Rude wait staff. Took forever to take order and then acted like they were doing you a favor. Must be better options in China town.

The food was flavorful, slightly on the salty side, but the portions were decent - we had enough for leftovers the next day. The xiao long bao (mini juice buns) had a lot of extra soupy juice in them, be careful to eat them with a spoon and not puncture them! My other fave dish of the night was the Taiwanese style chao nian gao (rice cake), if you like the flavor of stir fry dishes, I would recommend this dish. Another lighter (by comparison) dish was the Fu Zhuo style mei fen (rice noodle), which is a nice supplement to pair with other dishes, than a stand alone dish. We also got the black pepper beef, which was good, but definitely would have been better if you ordered a side of white rice to go with it. Unfortunately, one of my standby Taiwanese dishes, the beef noodle soup, was a bit lackluster for me. The dishes came out lightning fast, though the server seemed even more brusque than usual for a Chinese restaurant. read more

The customer service here was so horrible. They gave us dirty can sodas. The food was not good and the waiter kept tossing things at us and was just cut and dry. Then we decided to leave, the waiter stopped us from leaving and was stopping us to tip her. We ate some of the crab Rangoon and decided to leave. She tried to charge us 20$ for two can sodas and the crab Rangoon. Basically forcing us to tip her when the customer service was never there to begin with. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Soup dumplings here rock. You may have to ask for them specifically as it's not in the menu to my knowledge. The duck buns were good too, but I come here (and will continue to) for the soup dumplings. About $8 a plate here, and three plates were too much between myself and my date. read more

If you look at the lunch special price on the menu it saids $5.95 but they charge you 7.95 (another price) if you don't tell them you want the$ 5.95 version. FYI - You're getting the same amount of food for paying $7.95. Convo with the host - it was my responsibility to tell her I want a lunch special $5.95 verison. It's not even the lousy $2 dollars that I am concern with. She can't even look into my eyes when she told me she has to charge me $4 dollars extra for the 2 lunch special I order. It doesn't make any sense to me to have 2 different prices for lunch special. Slow service on the weekend - I called for the takeout orders and they said it will take 10 minutes. I ended up waiting for almost 30 minutes. While I was waiting next to one of the table the waitress (short hair lady) was cleaning...She was annoyed she YELL "EXCUSE ME" and stared at me because I was in her way!!! She was SO RUDE!!!!!!!!!! Food was ok. Not so friendly host and waitress. Taiwan Cafe and dumpling house doesn't pull crap like this. Wait staff are more friendly there. read more

Seriously the best xiao lum bao in Boston! The skin is thin and the soup has a great flavor. I enjoyed these tasty dumplings with a side of sauteed green beans with dried shrimp, also delicious. Less oily than the veggie dishes you get at most Chinese restaurants here, more similar to how they are traditionally prepared. Also, you get complimentary tea (as you should!). You don't get a pot at your table, but our cups were constantly refilled. I can't wait to go back! read more

Stepping out in Boston. This place was calling me as I passed by. Ordered a dumpling soup that was amazing with a lot of flavor. The mix vegetable was very nice even in Chinatown in NYC I don't find a good one like this. Definitely a must try. Only thing that needs to get a better flavor is the duck buns. I'm giving a 4 start for the flavors. Keep it going all the best I will be back. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Good a must try in Boston. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I have been going to Dumpling Cafe since it opened. When I am not traveling i go at the least 3 times a month spending at least $50 each time. I tip 20% minimum every time I go in there even with the lackluster service, and even tip on takeout. I'm 6'5", so called black, I have a huge beard mustache and glasses...IN BOSTON! Needless to say they recognize me! But only once in the 5+ years did any of the staff (Sharon...but hasn't worked there in 4 yrs.) cared to even ask me my name! There has been little turnover with the wait staff. The finally straw happened today. I ordered takeout at 10:52pm. I'm told 10 mins. I show up 15 mins later. Paid, left a tip, and asked the lady to please bring me the food to the car which what literally 5 feet from their door when it arrived. I sat in the car until 11:40pm which was when I went and grabbed my food. Needless to say, I will never be going back. I was looking forward to my ritual birthday celebration there with my friends. :( Their lack of customer appreciation is just that unpalatable. Let this be a lesson to anybody who interacts with other people for a living: Learn at least your loyal customers names. Thank them when they bring large groups and friends to your business. read more

The dumplings are still fantastic, but service this past weekend was horrid. I had to ask for waters twice, and the check three times. Additionally, we ordered two sets of dumplings and they only came out with one. We were in a rush to be somewhere and didn't have time to order another by the time we could flag our waitress down. We left hungry and were disappointed. read more

These soup dumplings are not the best I've ever had, but they are the best in Boston. For all you fans of Gourmet Dumpling House, you are all suckas! The dumpling skin here is fresh, smooth, and thin. The soup and dumpling size are ample! The other food is pretty decent too. The service is so so, but what do you expect? It's Chinatown! There's usually not much of a wait, unlike at GDH. read more

This is the fck?$& worst service ever. The food is ok. But its totally shadow by the horrible service of the waitress and the one i can assume is the manager or the cashier. I guess they don't care cause they charge you all ready the 18% of tip. So def. not coming back ever. read more