This place was tucked around the corner of a smaller street. I am happy to stumbled across it because it felt so authentic. We got dumplings and some cold dishes. My kiddo devoured the dumplings. The code apps were good too, got the spicy sliced tendons and the cold tofu strips. Also got a beef noodle soup and there were actually beef chunks with tendons that I like. My only complaint is that they were extremely slow. I waited 30 minutes for my takeout order and almost missed my shuttle! read more

This is for a takeout order. Got the bogo fried rice, pork and corn dumplings, wild cold noodles, and bogo bbq pork buns. Bogo rice portions is basically half of a container each compared to most places so in the end ur just getting like one portion. Rice and noodles were really salty, like if you brought your parents there they would complain salty . The noodles were an entire entree price but consisted of a fistful of not fully cooked noodles, a drizzle of sauce and cucumbers. The dumplings were fine and the bbq pork was fine as well, nothing much to report read more

Service - 5 stars - great service Tea pot - 2 star - need cleaning Table - 5 stars - clean. Ambiance - 3.5 stars Food - 5 stars - Except the tendon Noddle soup - 4 stars - it's salty. We will definitely return and dine at this restaurant, because the service is excellent and most of the dishes are good. I noticed that many customers seem to order their food to go. Parking is not a problem. read more

See all

This is a solid (kind of hole in the wall) Chinese place in downtown South SF. Service was a bit slow and not the most attentive but......what can you expect hahahaha. Food was solid, nothing more special than any other Chinese place though. Prices were a bit higher for the portions? Overall, solid place to get dumplings and other Chinese dishes close to downtown. read more

See all

The garlic string beans have an immense amount of flavor- so delicious! The freshness of the pork dumplings are also really great, too! The service is always super fast and the restaurant is extremely laid back- I prefer to do take out at Dumpling Empire. The restaurant itself is pretty small and it can get a little overcrowded in there pretty easily. read more

Dumpling Empire - Garlic string beans and pork dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I havent' even eat yet, I can sense the attitude. I gave her some money change, she refused in the counter. I really want to buy some more, and bring business. However, the way she handle that simple 5 minutes interaction already told me this is not the place to get food that handle with care. Lucky I went in a time that they have no people, otherwise, it could have been worse. read more

A true representation of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I must admit we were a bit fearful and unsure when I walked in through the thick, heavy plastic strip door curtain. In my mind I was debating to see if we should just turn around and leave. But we were greeted right away, the server motioned to a table with menus on her hand already, so we sat down. Although the main dining was clean enough, the surrounding area was visibly cluttered. There was an older gentleman lounged at one of the tables with a shower cap looking thingy on. He quickly got up and head to the back room. We placed our order and soon enough our food came out one dish at a time served by this person. I'm assuming he was the chef. The food was piping hot! Freshly made! It was awesome! Every dish was very flavorful, well seasoned, and delicious!!! The food was spot on! We were very impressed and so glad we didn't missed out! read more

See all

The garlic string beans have a lot of flavor. The spicy chicken pot is a generous portion (was two of these containers). The salt and pepper tofu is crispy and savory. The pork and chive dumplings were solid. First time picking up to go. A little hard to find parking read more

See all

Pork and cabbage dumplings are delicious. Hot sour soup was great full of flavor was great choice to began our meal. Not mainstream but worth a try. Friendly staff, attentive and helpful. read more

I took my family here for a quick lunch on Easter Sunday. This place has one of the best dumplings - they are seriously delicious. Their string beans is still the best in my opinion. And their XLB quality is topnotch - the wrapper is thin and the soup from the filling is just right. Sure, there are XLB restaurants with instagramable decor or brand name out there. But I honestly think Dumpling Empire's XLB is as good as the classic XLB from those restaurants. Chives pocket is my personal favorite item from any dumpling shops and I love what they offer here :) If you want to switch things up from your usual pork / chicken dumplings, please give the lamb dumplings a try! The lamb filling is not gamy at all. You can't go wrong with any of the pork / chicken dumplings too. I like the classic with cabbage. My kids love the ones with corn! One thing I note: we didn't get super thirsty after left the restaurant. I guess they didn't use much MSG despite we have a meal that's full of flavor!! This is still the hole-on-a-wall dumpling restaurant I love! I still remember when I visited this place back in 2010s with my team. My team fell in love with it. I wondered if my team were being polite (i was the only Asian American in the team). But I knew they truly loved the food here because they kept on requesting take-outs from this place for dinner when we had to work late or team lunch subsequently. We stopped by this place for take-outs during the pandemic when we were doing staycation at the hotel nearby. I'm so glad the place survived pandemic and still delivers the same quality and flavor despite all the changes on Grand Ave. read more

One Month One time eat here. Professional & experience serving, place clean . The Best Dumplings & Spicy Braised Beef with Fresh Noodles and don't forget to add Spicy Chilli read more

See all

Visited on a Thursday night around 6:30, walked in and grabbed a table. Restaurant had one other party seated but seemed like more of a takeout spot. Very casual hole in the wall spot. Food: pork and chive dumplings - served boiled, wrappers are of medium thickness with a slight chewy texture, generous amount of filling which was well seasoned, savory with a nice garlic chive flavor, soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce all paired well with this Crispy lotus root salad - okay, served cold, lotus root slices in a soy, sesame vinegar dressing with lots of scallions, was expecting a hot dish so a little surprised lotus root had a nice crunchy texture overall but bottom of the dish soaked in dressing was a little slimy and scallions were in long pieces that were a bit hard to eat Lamb and vegetable dumplings - also good, again served boiled, generous with the filling, which was savory with a hint of gaminess that worked well in the dumpling, this was great with some added vinegar Service was okay, quick and efficient, water and tea provided when we started our meal. A free sesame red beans mochi was provided for dessert but was quite dry a nice touch none the less. Cleanliness could be improved as well. Overall great dumplings, would order takeout from this spot in the future but probably pass on sit down dining. read more

Dumpling Empire - Lamb and pork dumplings and crispy lotus root. - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Dumpling Empire is a great spot in South SF to grab a warm, delicious lunch! It's a very no frills, classic dumpling spot. Great spot to share food. We got sat immediately, we ordered a variety of dishes, pea shoots, pork dumplings, lamb dumplings, shrimp dumplings, spicy wonton, XLB. We also got hot tea, it was all the classics. The service was great food came out at a good pace for sure. I loved the classic XLB. Lamb dumplings were not my favorite-that might be a personal preference. I loved the spicy wonton. The pea shoots were bright, cooked well. For simple dumplings, this is your spot. It did hit the spot. I would come back for a group lunch. The prices were pretty good as well. I appreciate the portion sizes here. read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

The food was okay! The restaurant is not very large, about 8 tables (best for groups of 2-4). There's also one waiter, so be patient. Appetizer: Cucumber with mushroom ($8.75), crunchy and good sesame oil flavor. Salt and pepper chicken wings ($12.96) are lightly seasoned with five spice seasoning. The wings can be crunchier and have better frying color. The dumplings are made in house, occasionally see dumpling cart. The soup dumplings ($12.95) were tiny, definitely can have more filling. The chives dumping ($12.95) were good. My favorite was the beef stew noodle soup ($13.95). The noodles are made in house and have a great chew texture to the noodles. Plenty of bok choy and the meat was tender. The food can be better, not too much flavor. read more

See all

The best dumplings, authentic, fresh, sooooo good! I've been going here for 18 years - the service is the same ..warm really nice people! It's a true gem, a hole in the wall, functional ambience; the food makes up for every bit of it! read more

See all

This place is definitely a hole-in-the-wall. When we first walked in, there weren't many people, but once we sat down and started looking at the menu, we suddenly heard a zapping noise. They were using a flyswatter to kill the flies floating around the restaurant, which I thought was a bit unusual. The food here is definitely good. I tried a few things I've never ordered before, and at the end, they gave us sesame balls for free, which was a nice touch. Most of the time, they prefer cash, but they do accept card. Just be sure to bring cash. read more

Dumpling Empire - Menu - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

See all

it was just OK not a place. I would llike to come back. what I wanted they don't make it. The server kept banging her items that she placed on the tables hole in the wall. read more

Great hole in the wall for dumplings in ssf. Found this place from DoorDash with a bogo offer on dumplings. Order and was impressed. The dumpling was flavorful and the skin wasn't too thick. After trying this from doordash we decided to go try this place out for dining. The food was delicious. We order the Napa cabbage,corn dumplings and the spicy dumpling. We got the dan dan noodles and it was delicious. The service was great and friendly. Definitely worth coming back to as the prices was reasonable and delicious. The portions are good size. read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

The other reviews do not lie. It's a little hole in the wall spot. The pot stickers were my favorite, the dough was thick and the filling came out. Green onion pancakes were great, soup dumplings were nice and the little red bean sesame dumplings were a really nice finish. Would recommend! read more

See all

I don't think anyone should go into this place expecting Luxury. To me, it's a hole in the wall spot that is authentically ran. We ordered a variety of items, including Cilantro Bean Noodle (cold), spicy wonton, S&P pork chops, shanghai soup dumpling, and a few varieties of pork dumplings. Pork chops were crispy through the entire time from beginning to end, good color and good flavor. Maybe i was just enjoying myself, but all of the dumplings tasted pretty much the same with slight differences. The dumpling wrappers had a little bit of a bit which makes me think it may have been frozen. Nonetheless they were all still tasty. The flavor and texture was similar, but the vinegar/soy sauce/chili sauce on the table gave it a little more flavor. Although it's just wontons with chili sauce on top, The spicy wontons we're really good. Light wrapper, good amount of filling and the chili sauce on top was a good touch. Without the chili, it would have been regular wontons. My favorite was the soup dumplings, I wish it came with more than 6 pieces. The flavor was there, the dough had a little bite to it but once you got past it, the soup inside was light but hearty taste. Some pieces had more soup, some pieces had little soup, but still tasty. I'm fine not getting the cilantro bean noodles. I think it was just the texture I didn't like. Almost like a firm thin strip of tripe. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I asked my wife if we could go again the next day. This is just me, but if they had spicy mustard it would make this place so much better. read more

Loved the customer service but the food with just med. My recent trip to the City, I stopped by the Dumpling Empire since they close late. I actually enjoyed the no frill ambiance and loved the friendly customer service. However, their quality was just med. Ordered their dumpling, salt + pepper pork chop, beef chow fun, and one for their fried dumpling which was average. I would recommend if you need a quick late night Chinese craving. I would highly recommend Li's Knife Cut Noodle @ San Mateo!!! (This is my favorite all time noodle place!) read more

Look-- the food here is fire. Especially the handmade shrimp and chive dumplings. Hot and sour soup and cucumber salad were great too! But everything is served piping hot in takeout containers, with plastic utensils. Just makes me a lil uncomfy thinking about the plastic melting into my food. Might come back just to buy dumplings! Would love if they could serve with dishes and silverware. read more

Dumpling Empire - Fresh Cucumber with Straw Mushroom Hot and Sour Soup shrimp and chive dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Love the hole-in-the-wall vibe here, and the women working there were very sweet. Had the Shanghai soup dumplings (2 orders because yum), shrimp and chive dumplings, garlic pea shoots (which were the best part of the meal but not sure why they are $17), and green chive pancakes. I wasn't a fan of the green chive pancakes since they had a very fishy flavor and were pretty loose/hard to eat, but my friends liked them. Really great food and will definitely go back. Also fun suggestion, go on a hike first to nearby Sign Hill to work up an appetite and watch planes take off from SFO! read more

See all

My fiancé and I came here, too tired to cook after traveling for almost 24 hours, close to SFO this was a perfect location to stop by! I had never been before but saw the reviews on yelp so decided to try! We ordered chicken wonton soup, pan fried soup dumplings, chicken chow mein, and beef pancake roll. We loved every dish we ordered but I think the chow mein was our favorite. It's definitely a hole in the wall with not the best ambiance, but the service and food make up for it! The staff was really friendly and even gave us free sesame dessert balls at the end which was a nice touch :) I would definitely return! read more

Dumpling Empire - Sesame ball - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

See all

another hole on the wall spot that does not disappoint. their dumplings are always on point. always come for the pork and cabbage and always, always, always sooo sooo good. I just wish they would be give more soy vinegar and hot sauce. every time I ask for more (always to go orders) it's like pulling teeth. read more

I saw good reviews and thought I'd give it a try for my family and I for dinner. I ordered the seafood clay pot, chicken chowmein, beef chowmein, bok choy, and greenbeans. The chicken tasted chewy and hard, as well as the beef. It tasted old and not fresh. The noodles had no flavor whatsoever. The seafood was more of a soup than a clay pot I asked for and that was still a disappointment. The only tasty dish were the greenbeans. I will not be ordering anything from here again unfortunately. The staff was decent. read more

See all

Dumpling Empire has a comfort neighborhood feel. If I lived in the neighborhood I would probably be down here often for comfort soups. Beef tendon soup, won ton soup, beef noodle soup. Soup is my jam. When I'm not going out with friends this is what brings a smile to my tummie. That is what I was in the mood for this day and Dumpling Empire was in my pathway in between stops so... easily fit a trip down to the Empire! Ordered the beef tendon soup and so thankful I did. The soup had a nice clean taste. The beef tendon pieces were melt in the mouth tender, perfectly seasoned and filling. The tendon was served with a generous portion of fresh pulled noodles (so much that I left most of the noodles behind) and vegetables. And the price was very reasonable. In fact, the prices so reasonable, I had to throw in an order of xlb, shen jian bao, and chive pancakes (most taken out for next day consumption). Strangely even though dumpling is in the name, did not enjoy them as much. Dumplings were rather thick skinned and doughy. Come for the soups and other dishes ! Thank you Dumpling Empire for the cute and tasty jin dui doughnuts. Thank you for satisfying my craving for good down to the soul yummie soup! Service pleasant and very efficient. And, I got to practice my bad Mandarin language without anyone laughing or telling me to learn a different language instead! That's a bonus. People nice here. :-) The place is very unassuming. It's a little mom and pop kinda place contrasted to the brand new buildings in the surrounding area. Parking is metered on the street only. At only $1.25/hour makes parking more than reasonable. read more

See all

Solid five Yelp star hole-in-the-wall dumpling place! There are so many varieties of lamb, pork, shrimp, vegetable dumplings! Everything is super delicious and tasty. Food is served sizzling hot, just how I like it. The service is incredible. The sole server is running around to serve everyone. What I like most is the crispy and hot complimentary sesame balls when you are ready to pay. Parking is super easy and I rarely have to wait for a table. It's such a special treat to watch how the dumplings are made in the restaurant. I love it here! Come to support your local restaurant and enjoy the delicious dumplings! Enjoy! read more

See all

This time we ordered the spicy beef pot in addition to our usual ordering of dumplings and green beans. We really liked the food. My kids loved the dumplings - highly recommend pork dumplings with Napa cabbage. read more

Funky little diner with Great comfort food. No nonsense one-person server, busboy, cashier staff that may appear grumpy. Sautéed Garlic green beans is so good. read more

See all

BEST CHINESE FOOD. Every single thing I eat at Dumpling Empire is delicious. The restaurant is a hole in the wall gem. The staff are so kind and hard working. I highly recommend: - Pork and Napa cabbage dumplings - Salt and pepper fish - Green beans - Green onion pancake read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Dumpling Empire is a classic hole-in-the-wall that serves DELICIOUS homestyle dumplings. Zero frills and thrills, but everything about the food here screams comfy and cozy. Ordered the pork dumplings with Napa cabbage, garlic black fungus, and the couple's delight. The dumplings and black fungus were perfectly executed and tasted like your grandmother made them. The couple's delight was a wild card pick -- it's a slightly unconventional dish with thinly sliced beef, offals, and LOTS of onions, but quite good if you're feeling adventurous. Service is quick and friendly. Parking on a Sunday evening wasn't too bad (and free!). Just writing this review is making me hungry; hope to be back soon for more dumplings! read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Last night I made an online order and I received 20% off for being a first time customer. I had ordered a whole shmorgishborg of food. I bought enough food to feed a small village for only $70. Everything was so delicious but their beef chowfun, spicy wontons and chicken broth were delicious. This place is walking distance from me so even upon getting home my food was still steaming piping hot. Definitely recommend! You get a bang for your buck. read more

Dumpling Era and Dumpling Empire are sister branches to one another. We've been eating at both for years. We love their dumplings! Just from our recent visit, the fillings are much smaller amount than what it was before. Service was good; they're finally not using paper plates and bowls like during the pandemic. The lady even gave us mini sesame balls as a thank you. IMO, I wish they wouldn't downsize the filling portion but charge us the extra. read more

Okay, seriously, I cannot recommend this place enough! Giving it five stars without any hesitation. This isn't just a meal; it's a HUGE dose of nostalgia and pure, comforting home food. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, and since leaving for college back in 2020, I've searched for truly great Chinese food everywhere--Chicago, Nashville, San Francisco, and even trips in Europe--and absolutely nothing compared to my mom's cooking. Until today! The food here is simply insanely delicious, like truly next-level homemade quality. It instantly took me back to being a kid, watching my mom make dumplings and noodles totally from scratch, often using fresh dill she'd picked herself from the hills and mountains when we went hiking. This little spot is the closest I've felt to sitting in my parents' kitchen in years. Service-wise, the staff is so incredibly hardworking and kind, and the food came flying out of the kitchen, even though they were busy! Plus, they were sweet enough to treat us to a free sesame ball dessert! Seriously, who cares that the decor isn't fancy or super luxurious? I was 100% there for the exquisite food and the genuine, warm hospitality, and they delivered! We are absolutely making this our new regular spot. See you guys soon! 绝了！这简直是隐藏宝藏！吃到了最地道的家乡味！ (五星好评) 我的天哪，我必须强推这家店！五星好评毫无悬念！ 这哪是简单的吃饭啊，这吃的是满满的回忆，是家里的味道，还有那种纯粹的温暖感。 我是在圣盖博谷 (SGV) 长大的，2020 年去外地上大学之后，我跑遍了芝加哥、纳什维尔、旧金山，甚至欧洲的中餐馆，但没有一家能和我妈做的比----直到今天！ 这里的饭菜太太太好吃了，简直达到了那种自家做的、炉火纯青的水平！我立刻想起了小时候，妈妈去山上或丘陵徒步的时候会摘新鲜的莳萝，然后回家从头开始给我们包饺子、做面条。能在这个小餐馆吃到饭，我感觉就像回到家了一样！ 服务方面，店员超级勤快又亲切，而且虽然店里很忙，我们点完菜，食物很快就上桌了，速度惊人！更棒的是，他们还非常贴心地送了我们一份免费的麻团甜点！说实话，虽然店里装修很朴素，一点也不华丽，但我真的完全不介意！我来这里就是冲着绝妙的美食和热情的服务，他们做到了100%！ 我们绝对会把这里当成新的"食堂"！很快会再来的！ read more

Dumpling Empire - 茴香水饺 / Dill Dumpling with Pork (60) Beef Roll - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Came here on a Friday for lunch and it hit the spot! We parked on the street and paid for meter parking. Gave me small mom and pop vibes, which I love to support! Food was delicious and we only had a few green onion pancakes leftover to take home. Service was great and you can tell the food wash fresh! My husband said they have frozen dumplings you can take home and cook yourself too. I'd love to go again soon! read more

See all

This was a mixed bag with our team. I'm posting only one photo, but we've been here about 3 tines now. Here's the breakdown: ---Beef Stew Noodle Soup: Like the noodles, not the fatty beef or the bland broth ----Chicken and chives dumplings: A hit and would definitely buy this again ----Potstickers: Super dry and hard skin, wouldn't order again ---Mustard green and pork noodles soup: Chewy pork and bland soup yet again, but the homemade noodles are good ---Hot and sour soup: Suer chunky filled with mushroom and bamboo and egg. Half of us didn't like it, half liked it. It's definitely not your traditional hot and sour tangy soup read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Food here is delicious and can sometimes see them making the dumplings fresh while there! I have been here many times over the years and the quality of the food is consistent. Menu is big so can be overwhelming. Favorites dumplings - pork cabbage, pork corn, chicken spinach, shrimp chive, Shanghai dumplings, pork potstickers. Other items: garlic green beans, chow fun, fried rice, beef pancake, spicy beef tendon, salt pepper tofu, cucumber, beef tendon soup. read more

Dumpling Empire - Twelve Pork Dumpling with Napa Cabbage Garlic String Beans Grilled Chicken Fried Rice Salted Pepper Tofu - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Had lunch here with good friends at their go to lunch spot in SF and it did not disappoint! Their handmade dumplings were super juicy and flavorful -- you can really taste the freshness. The staff were so nice and welcoming, and they even surprised us with complimentary sesame buns for dessert. The buns had the perfect balance of sweet and savory -- such a great way to end the meal. I also learned they have multiple locations, so I'll definitely be checking out more of them soon. Highly recommend for any dumpling lover! read more

See all

Definitely a hole-in-the-wall family owned business. You'll know that immediately upon walking in. It's a cozy, no frills Chinese restaurant. The service what I expected for a family owned place and the staff are attentive. Everything is reasonably priced and in a side street at the heart of SSF. Obviously, you have to try the lamb dumplings. It taste absolutely incredible. Taste like mom made them at home. The noodle soups here are authentic, light, and refreshing to eat. I tried the Mapo Tofu Noodles. It was quite spicy, spicier than I expected. And beef pancakes are really good, just make sure to let it cool down for 10 minutes. Definitely would come here again and a great casual eatery. Will be coming back here again! read more

Dumpling Empire - Beef Pancake - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

See all