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Dumpling Kitchen - Castro

4.3 (204 reviews)
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Updated a few days ago

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DUMPLING KITCHEN - CASTRO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Inside
Dharma M.

A Chinese restaurant in Castro district specializing in authentic Shanghai-style dumplings and dim sum. We found this when we were in the area and try figure out what to have for dinner. The restaurant is not that large with nice interior, bar. The restaurant serve authentic Chinese dishes. it seems the also serves cocktail as it has bar but we didn't see it in the menu. It was pretty busy and we were lucky we get table. The menu is not overwhelming and have plenty to choose from. We ordered Szechuan Fish Fillet w/ Pickled Cabbage in House Broth and Shanghai style pork dumpling. Our order was ready pretty quickly. Both dishes were yummy. I like Szechuan Fish Fillet w/ Pickled Cabbage in House Broth a lot as it is not numbing and not that sour. The service was good and definitely will come back again when we are in the area.

The bill
Manny Y.

Came here after playing pickleball with my friends and celebrate his birthday. We ordered so much food like shrimp dumpling (hargow); fried soup dumpling, fried rice combination, spicy chicken, fish soup, beef in pancake roll. Service was okay

Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles ($16.80)
Tracey A.

Regularly finding myself in both Hayes Valley and the Castro I've two observations: * The dumpling place in Hayes Valley is perpetually packed, with crowds routinely waiting for a table; and * I've never once noticed a wait at the Castro's Dumpling Kitchen. The take-away of these two facts was a (false) assumption that Dumpling Kitchen was less than good and nothing could be further from the truth. On a Friday evening my party of 3 was immediately seated and served and we liked it all: Green Onion Pancake ($8.95), well-spiced Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles ($16.80), Steamed Pork Dumplings (5 pcs., $11.80), Steamed Scallop & Shrimp Har Gow (4 pcs., $11.80), and a pot of Jasmine tea ($5.25). A solo diner beside us ordered only chicken wings about which she seemed less enthusiastic but order right and you'll leave as happy and full as we did. Service here is the sole weak link. Dan Dan Noodles came out before the Green Onion Pancake which was intended as an appetizer. One dish never came out at all (so we canceled it when asking for the check). And servers are somewhat inattentive when they're not actually serving you (i.e. you may need to flag them down). Still, I appreciated everything about this place. Quick, well-priced, accessible with little to no wait, and really good food. Dumpling Kitchen ought to be as busy as that place in Hayes Valley.

Ajay K.

Very friendly and helpful staff but the food itself was pretty mediocre. The string beans weren't flavorful and the skin on the dumplings were too thick / not delicate. They'll have to up their game to compete with all the awesome dumpling spots in the bay.

mongolian beef
Akari Y.

The food here was good but i would say it is more on the smaller portion side. The prices were on the pricier side of chinese food but the food was great! The service was good too.

G17.Spicy Fish Fillet in House Broth
Steph C.

This spot always is satisfying. Love the fish fillet house broth and pea sprouts and beef. Staff are friendly and seats about 8 tables.

Chicken corn soup
Poonam M.

Came here on a cold gloomy day and it was a perfect comfort meal. I got the salt and pepper wings were super fresh literally had to wait for it to cool down. The cucumber salad was something you can skip it was alright. The corn and chicken soup was the excellent and need on a cold sf day. Over all great experience and the service was amazing and quick. Will totally go back soon.

Welcome Shelf
Lynn F.

January 31, 2025 I'm here for the Sizzling Beef. Several 5 star orders. One anomaly. Management responded & spoke to the staff. Anyway, the place is very popular, that's saying something. Interior is thoughtful, orders arrive promptly, friendly wait staff. It's really not fair of me to review the dumplings since I've only tried the har gow. Wasn't my favorite, shrimp filling tasty, but too doughy for me. If you're in the Castro, Dumping Kitchen a solid choice.

Soup dumplings, A03.Butter & Garlic Edamame, S15.Steamed Shrimp & Pork Shumai (4 pcs),
Sydney S.

Went to a pride night market in the district and there was a food stand that I got soup dumplings from to hold me over for dinner. Well they were so incredibly good that i ended up going to the restaurant which I am so thankful for. They still allowed my friend and I to order while we waited for a table since the kitchen was closing, and service was almost as incredible as every dish we got. The restaurant itself is small but they have a bar and clearly do well for take out. cannot wait to come back next time I'm in town for my next fix!!

Shrimp toast
Roselle C.

We stopped by on the way to another shop and saw this little food spot and decided to check it out. There was a bunch of people eating, but we were seated right away. The menu is QR code and you order on your phone. They have a good amount of dim sum staples. The only thing I was disappointed by was that there was no rice option. GREEN BEANS: this was delicious. The perfect amount of garlic and the beans were cooked well. Shrimp dumplings: comes in 4 pieces, but a good size. Siu Mai: also 4 pieces and a decent size per dumpling. XLB: this came with a ginger sauce. The broth in this wasn't too hot, and wasn't too full. The dumpling itself was great because the wrapper wasn't too thin where the broth and meat are escaping. SHRIMP TOAST: this was great but I did feel like it was a bit skimpy on the shrimp. The sauce on this was a good topping. On our way out, there was a bunch of people waiting so I would plan ahead.

S09.Boiled Fish & Chive Dumplings (8 pcs)
Camilla M.

I had dinner on Saturday evening around 6pm and we found easily a table for me, my husband and our daughter. We ordered the dumplings boiled fish and chive (delicious and my favorite) steamed chicken and shiitake baos (really good) and the black truffle and beef fried rice (good also this one and also my daughter ate it). We didn't try anything else because the portions are really good, so we were already full. But a friend of mine told me that their sesame chicken is a must have, so next time. Service was also good and it's a very easy ambiance.

S05.Shanghai-Style Pan-Fried Pork Buns (4 pcs)
Char B.

SOOOO good. Had a work trip in Sacramento and made the drive here just to eat and do a turn around trip. My fave were the pan fried pork buns. I wish I would've just ordered multiple of that. Honey walnut prawns were delicious but literally came with only 12. When she served it to us it looked like someone had eaten 1/4 of it already. Fried rice with chicken was also good but barely had a few bits of chicken. XLB was juicy but just ok. Had to circle a few times for metered street parking. Entrance is so narrow/small and that's where you sign in and wait (also a small bench) while people are coming and going. There's a paper sheet to write your name on when you enter.

Spencer Q.

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Price to Portion: 3/5 Overall: One of the better restaurants I'd consider going to in the castro. Definitely a solid choice. The extended review... Food: 4/5 - Got a bunch of different things. Of course the ones to get always are the soup dumplings and the pan fried Shanghai buns which are delicious. Service: 4/4 - Friendly and attentive staff Ambiance: 4/4 - Nothing special about the ambiance but it's comfortable and spacious.

S10.Wontons in Chili Oil (6 pcs) (Contained Peanut butter)

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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3 months ago

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4 months ago

We ordered delivery, the food was tasty and the price was reasonable. Delivery was very fast.

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9 months ago

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6 months ago

Really enjoyed the food and the service! Everything was delicious. Definitely recommend checking this place out.

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3 months ago

Dumplings were good. Also had the miso soup that was delicious. Place is always packed so that should say something.

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Ask the Community - Dumpling Kitchen - Castro

Dumpling Kitchen

Dumpling Kitchen

4.1
(2.3k reviews)
3.1 mi
$$
Curbside pickup during COVID-19
Grab-and-go

I've been coming here regularly for the past 4-5 years, so this review is long overdue!…read more This spot is one of my go-to's, I bring my family and friends here especially if they're new to the city. Food is always fresh, hot, flavorful & delicious! My favorite dishes are the black truffle fried rice, salted egg pumpkin & shrimp, and pork & napa cabbage dumplings. My mom loves their sliced beef & pig ear in chili oil. Cold soy milk is super refreshing on a hot day. The workers are always so nice. Sometimes we'll see the owner & chit chat with him. Parking can be relatively easy outside of lunch and dinner peak time.

If you're coming here on a holiday, or maybe even just a busy weekend, snag a reservation on yelp!…read moreI grabbed a reservation on Father's Day day of for 6pm and got seated right away despite a long waitlist. I'm glad we came with a large group because we were able to order a lot and try a bunch of items. We ordered a bunch of dim sum, and got chow mein, chow fun and fried rice. The standout for us was the sticky rice roll! I've been wanting to try it out for a while and was extremely happy to see they had it here. I also really enjoyed the pan friend dumpling, it was extremely flavorful and juicy! As far as the other food, everything was decent, good at best. Pretty standard in terms of dim sum, with nothing that really wow'd us. The service here was great! Despite it being a full house with constant to-go orders, we were able to order quickly and got our food really fast as well. Everything came out fresh and piping hot which I really appreciated. Enjoyed my experience here, but not particularly eager to go back right away. Definitely worth a try if you're craving dimsum in the area!

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Dumpling Kitchen
Dumpling Kitchen
Dumpling Kitchen

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Bund Shanghai

Bund Shanghai

3.8
(678 reviews)
3.0 mi
$$

Normally, I would write this in the "Tips" section but it's no longer available…read more I am sad to share that this restaurant will close on 6/15/25, final day of service. The owners, the Shen family, are retiring. When they opened in 2008, replacing two popular Chinese western food restaurants, they were a refreshing addition to the mainly Cantonese cuisine Chinatown community. There was only a small Shanghai literal hole in the wall spot across the street that closed many years ago. The mom did the cooking while the daughter ran the front of the house, literally producing home style Shanghainese cuisine. They have regular normal northern cuisine favorites like hot & sour soup and mapo tofu, small bites like XLB (soup dumplings), green onion pancakes, and Sheng jian bao (pan fried dumplings). I often had family style dinners here enjoying Shanghai staples like Lion's head meatballs, Shanghai stir fried shrimp (use that blank vinegar), braised pork shank, and stir-fried eel. Never had the pleasure in trying their Dong Po pork. Get their steamed rice with bacon and vegetable to accompany those saucy dishes. With their departure, I do not know of any authentic Shanghai restaurants in San Francisco... clue me in if you think of one. The closest that comes to mind now is in San Mateo off the top of my head. Thank you, Bund Shanghai and Shen Family for providing my family, my coworkers, and me many meals over the years. You will be sorely missed but enjoy your retirement.

An institution is going away! If you're reading this then I want you to know that the last day of…read moreoperation is June 15, 2025. The chef is retiring, so wish them a congrats and farewell if you're stopping by soon. I can definitely taste the authenticity behind the dishes. While I thought the crab sauce tofu was a bit too sweet and the rice cakes too salty, there wasn't a single bad dish. It's hard to find Shanghainese food in DTSF and I'm sad to see this one go. If you find yourself here, do order the stir-fried eel, XLB, pickle and ham steamed rice, and the Sheng Jian Bao. Overall, it was worth a visit and hope the area gets more Shanghai cuisine in the near future.

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Nanking duck
Nanking duck
Nian gao
Nian gao
Hong shao rou (Soy-braised pork belly)

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Hong shao rou (Soy-braised pork belly)
Shanghai Dumpling King

Shanghai Dumpling King

4.4
(174 reviews)
0.6 mi
$$

Shanghai Dumpling King looks completely unassuming from the outside, but inside they are cranking…read moreout some seriously delicious food. The staff were friendly and super prompt about clearing empty plates and refilling our tea whenever we signaled it was done, which is always great as the dishes just get on coming! We ordered a bunch of dishes to share, and several really stood out. The spicy tendon was fantastic, shredded paper thin and swimming in a classic spicy sauce. The spicy lamb dumplings were another highlight, with an incredibly thin wrapper and a super flavorful and not gamey at all lamb filling. I also loved the stir fried rice cakes, which were sliced thin enough to avoid that overly chewy texture, and the stir fried noodles Shanghai style were classic and simple in the best way, with big chunks of cabbage and meat and just executed really (the chefs clearly have some serious wok skills!). Not everything we ordered was an absolute knockout as the vegetable dishes could use a bit more flavor and seasoning, but everything overall was good, and the portions across the board were very generous. The desserts were a last-minute decision and I am so glad we went for them. The lava custard buns were fluffy and amazing, with a molten salted egg custard inside, and the sesame balls had a satisfyingly crispy exterior that gave way to a perfectly chewy interior and sweet red bean filling. The value here is also excellent. We left absolutely stuffed and spent around $30 per person, which felt like a great deal for how much food we got and how much we enjoyed it. Highly recommend!

Flat out, I didn't like my meal. Service was great. The place was nice and clean. But the food…read more . . no. Shanghai soup dumplings were leaden. That's it. Heavy. The combination egg foo young had very little detectable egg and I could find only scraps of shrimp and whatnot. Another big miss. But I'm an outlier and most people like this restaurant. I just use Yelp as a diary so I can remember what was good or not so good to me.

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Pick up counter
Pick up counter
String beans
String beans
D2. / Spicy Wonton (8)

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D2. / Spicy Wonton (8)

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - noodles - Updated July 2026

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