The xiao long bao here tasted pretty good! The buns weren't as chewy as I usually like, which also meant that the buns stuck to the steamer and tore easily. Still, at this price point, the xiao long bao here is pretty solid. Shanghainese Pan Fried Buns - This is one of my favorite Shanghainese dishes, so I order this every chance I get. I really liked their version, although the fried flavor on the bottom was a little stronger than I'm used to. read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

So once again, Yelp has brought happiness to this foodie! I love my Chinese food, but often I'm disappointed by over cooked chicken, non de script sauces and less than stellar options. Dumpling Kitchen delivered on food, service, cleanliness, and speed of preparation! So far I've been in San Francisco for 4 days and 3 of them I've been able to walk right in. I hear I was pretty lucky! - [ ] Shanghai-Style Steamed Pork Dumplings .... All three times I ordered these. Delivered piping hot, fresh and juicy, so tender and flavorful. They have a home made vinegar they serve for dipping that is so good I could have it as a drink over ice! - [ ] Sichuan Spicy Chicken... have you ordered a chicken dish where the chicken is so over cooked either "firm", bordering on jerky, and so laden with breading you can hardly find the chunk of chicken? This dish the breading is light and simple. Chicken cooked perfectly and is hot and juicy. The peppers give this an incredible kick! - [ ] King Pao chicken. As expected a great mix of chicken and vegetables, with a delicious sauce. I couldn't have been happier! - [ ] General Chicken - slightly sweeter than some places I've visited, but but still a wonderful dish. It's served with some pieces of broccoli that were steamed to perfection and were wonderful. - [ ] Mongolian Beef... wow. One of my dining companions took his first bite and said wow- that beef is so tender! Lots of onions and a few peppers for color. Fabulous dish! - [ ] Pan-Fried Pork Pot Stickers... jumbo size filled generously and served piping hot! So wonderful! Don't miss this place! read more

See all

Food was so good had it with family and friends the dumplings were so good . The beef chow was so tasty and the chicken wings,chicken fried rice... yes yes yes. Service was in time and was good and on point. We were in the back room and I didn't know it had a back room... so quiet and on point read more

Great neighborhood choice for Dumplings and other food. Love the friendly staff and comfortable environment.

Check your take out orders before leveling the restaurant. It could went wrong ! It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was greeting by a charming young man with heavy makeup on his face when I step in . But when I got home and try to enjoy the dumplings, I found there were 2 dumplings were HALF cooked and the rest were well cooked. Clearly someone was intentionally sabotaging my order. I tossed all my orders in the trash can. How can I trust the cook? My day was ruined. read more

amazing food prices are very fair for the quality and location and service lots of people are discovering this location.... read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - making it fresh when i order - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

We stopped here shortly after they opened. They sat us immediately and brought water to drink. We ordered chicken fried rice, sesame chicken, chicken and shiitake bao, and chicken and corn dumplings. The chicken fried rice came out quickly followed by the sesame chicken. The food was delicious. The service was excellent. I would definitely recommend if you are in the area. read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - The remnants of the food we ate. - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

overall a really great chinese food option in the Castro! seems much easier to get into than the Sunset location. * no wait on a weekday around 6pm * we had to wait a long time to put in our order (seemed they had a LOT of takeout orders to deal with) but our waiter was super friendly * scallion pancake - 4.5/5, very crisp and not too heavy * veggie bao - 3/5, i appreciated that they had this option but it was rather bland * fish dumpling - 4/5, this was solid but not as good as the Yuanbao Jiaozi ones * steamed veggie dumpling - 4/5, i loved the texture and this had a lot of veggies! but also seemed a bit underseasoned * crab giant soup dumpling - 4.5/6, amazingly this was HUGE and didn't have any pork. they stick to each other and break easily (so sad) but otherwise it was delicious with vinegar. read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - steamed veggie dumpling and veggie bao in the background - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

So excited that Dumpling Kitchen opened in the Castro, so I don't have to make the trek out to their Sunset location! The location is nicely located in the heart of the Castro district, so there's a lot to see and do while you wait for a table. The food here is always delicious, you can never order the wrong thing. We ordered the shanghai style pan fried pork bun, shanghai style stir fried rice cakes, salt and pepper tofu, steamed pork dumplings, braised beef pancake roll, pork and chive dumplings. The flavors were amazing and it was very filling. My favorite dish was the beef pancake roll, the contrast and coordination of sweetness of the sauce on the roll and the saltiness of the braised beef was so tasty! The service here is amazing, the staff was very attentive and the food came out quickly after ordering. The price is definitely worth it, you can get so much food and don't have to break the bank doing so. I would recommend this place if you are ever craving dumplings! Great spot for a date night or going out with a group of friends. read more

See all

Ordered takeout from this place because I was craving honey walnut shrimp. I opened the Tupperware (the lid was broken and it looked used) and was utterly disgusted at what I saw. This was a very sad attempt at honey walnut shrimp. The sauce on the side did not even resemble what honey walnut shrimp should be. Also the shrimp was not fried like it's supposed to be. It looked like they microwaved day-old shrimp. So sad cause it was $18 and I had to throw it in the trash after taking these pics. read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - Honey G15. Walnut Prawns - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Had a delightful dinner this weekend with a bunch of friends. Saturday night and the restaurant was busy, with a couple of tables empty. Generally the service was a little slow in the back room, but good overall. Dumplings were fantastic and they had a good number of non-pork options for me. I also love that they had Chong Qing chicken and some regular entrees for the anti- dumpling people in the crowd! read more

Overall great place - I came during lunch so I was just in time for their lunch special! This dish was only 11.8 and the portion is pretty big so it aaa hella worth it. The mapo tofu itself was pretty spicy and numbing so do not get this dish if you can't handle your spice. The service was fast and the place has a nice ambiance- perfect if you just want to enjoy a quiet meal by yourself or with a few friends. I would definitely come back and try their xiaolongbao which looked really good! read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - H3. Mapo Tofu over Rice Lunch Special - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was so good--yum! I am keeping my fingers crossed that Dumpling Kitchen stays in this space that has been so many things before it: Nirvana, Papi Rico, and more! Four stars for the food and hospitality! We sat out back because the rest of the restaurant was reserved. This was good to note because next time we'll make a reservation. It was packed. I wouldn't say I liked sitting out back--it needs to be worked on a bit. It felt isolated and a bit dirty. You can think of the restaurant being divided into three separate spaces: the inside [as soon as you walk in there is also a small bar area], the middle section which is a large enclosed room, and then the backyard area. The restrooms were interesting. There are two of them, but one just has three urinals. They are so close together that you'll bump elbows with someone. They could use some TLC. The entire restaurant could too. It needs to be picked up and cleaned up a bit. The stairs to the backyard are sketchy, for example. Service was so nice but they were slow! Dishes came out at odd times and the condiments for the pot stickers were not brought until we asked for them. We ate them before the soy sauce, vinegar and hot oil arrived! Yep--they were delicious. Kind of doughy though. Loved the assorted chow mein, shrimp dumplings, and chicken and broccoli. Good food. Nice people. Lots of options. Make a reservation! read more

See all

Wow this is such a fantastic dumpling spot in the Castro! I came here with my roommates on a Sunday night and we were seated immediately in the cutely decorated dining area. Everything was delicious - the xiao long bao and pan fried pork buns were absolute hits. The black truffle with beef fried rice is another must order! I think Dumpling Kitchen is a much better and less expensive version of the ever so popular Dumpling Home in Hayes. For a fun and interesting dessert, be sure to try the chocolate hazelnut soup dumplings! read more

See all

Fantastic food, the hot and sour soup is amazingly delicious. Added with a little heat, the dumplings are all super juicy. The knockout surprise performance was with the fish and chive dumpling. So smooth and delicate yet accidentally executed and delicious. The truffle fried rice, another surprise, knockout, unexpected and delicious highly recommend. All the dishes, my friends ordered they enjoyed thoroughly on top of the hot and sour soup which my friends keep coming back to time and time again. The lovely atmosphere that's relaxed and humorous at times is what it is relaxed no nonsense, excellent service with a little bell on your table to order more food. Quick and efficient worth the way, can accommodate large groups. This has become a favorite of the neighborhood and the new favorite in my heart. I read more

See all

Is this the best Chinese restaurant in SF, no... but it's pretty good for this neighbourhood. The prices are reasonable and the service here is very good. I really like the young people who work here, they are very friendly and know about Chinese culture stuff. Like I eat my Chinese food with an empty bowl, and they get it. The food is delicious and the chef is very accommodating! I got a 辣子豆腐，like I was surprised he would even do it! But I asked and he could:) if you have ever been to China you know they eat a lot of veggies over there, and here we ordered all the green veggies and they were perfect. Get the cucumbers and green beans. We had a perfectly healthy and tasty meal! Also their hot chilli oil and vinegar are good quality and good flavor:) the restaurant is much bigger than it looks and the vibe is chill but fun... read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - Before - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Ordered via UberEats! I I ordered the salt and pepper chicken wings, braised pork belly with preserved vegetables, pan fried pork dumplings, combination fried rice, and string beans. They don't give a lot of food when you order their takeout. My gripe with this place is that it looks like they have a large menu, but actually just have very little. It's dumplings with different combinations of meats, chicken with different combinations of flavors, or fried rice/chow mein. . Salt and Pepper chicken wings: pretty good, can't go wrong w this! Juicy meat and crispy skin . Braised pork belly: the meat wasn't as tender as I would've liked . Pan fried pork bun: Had a good amount of soup, the meat was tender, the bottom was crispy, and it was the right amount of bread to meat. Just wish there were more buns in an order - 10$ for an order of 4, other restaurants typically give you 6-8 buns... The meat could've had more seasoning as well. . Combination fried rice: lots of little pieces of meat, decent but not amazing . String bean: also just decent read more

Yummy dumplings. Quick pleasant service. Family oriented atmosphere. My family and I enjoy eating here

I was hoping to really like this spot given I'd heard good things about its original location, but found myself disappointed by the dishes we got. pork soup dumpling - These were the best item we got - the pork itself was quite juicy and tasty. Don't expect a top tier soup dumpling (say like Din Tai Fung), but these will do if you're craving soup dumplings. braised beef pancake roll - The second best thing we got, the filling was tasty and the scallion roll was super crispy. Surprisingly I found the roll too crispy for me and I can't put my finger on it but something about the overall construction just didn't match up to the best versions I've had, but it was still yummy. beef shank & tripe in chili oil - do not get this. The beef shank is sliced pretty thickly and the sauce was just wrong - it had a weird vinegary / sour taste to me that was off putting. pan fried pork buns - The bottom was way too thick and crusty, it was hard to bite through. Skip this. read more

Excited to have Dumpling Kitchen in the Castro, and I love that they kept the murals from Papi Rico (and points for the rainbow word art menu from Microsoft). I always liked their Taraval location, so I'm happy they're branching out. Noodles come out piping hot here, freshly wok-fried, and not too oily; get the Shanghai-style chow mein! All the dumplings we've gotten have been good, from XLB to the fish & chive dumplings. Great for groups since there's plenty of seating inside and out. read more

If this one is in way related to the one in the Avenues, you could not convince me. Ordered from them one night and it was inedible. I made three trips here just for the hot and sour soup. When I say "hot," I'm talking about two types of hot. First, the steaming, huge bowl that landed in front of me was steaming, almost boiling. Second, that steam carried with it a touch of the peppers infused in the broth. I was NOT disappointed. I'm a Texan, raised on a large ranch with a Mexican cook who was my second madre. From my earliest days, I loved her, her cooking and the heat of the jalapeños, serranos, habaneros, anchos, etc. I swear she put them in everything! My first sip and the broth carried that whisper of pepper that grew into fire in my mouth before I could swallow. The second spoon was an inferno and I WAS IN HEAVEN. The intermingling of spices elevated the flavor above any hot and sour soup I've had anywhere. I really need to not order the soup the next time so I can try the rest of the food. The few other tastes I've had of friends' dishes all proved to be excellent. On previous visits, I tried the dumplings, dim sum and pot stickers friends ordered. They were heaven! Can't say enough great things about this place. read more

My girlfriend took me here after going with her friends a couple of times and it was the best dim sum I have ever had. My favorite dishes would be the pan fried pork dumplings, the shu mai, and the pork belly read more

My friend found this place on Tik Tok so we decided to try it out! It was a new experience for sure. I've always loved dim sum and I order bao from a bunch of different places around the bay so I made sure to order some of my faves while here, and try some new things too. The soup dumplings were interesting! Very juicy and I was NOT ready for the explosion that happens when you bite into one. We made a mess on our plates, but it was a happy mess, lol. My favorite items were definitely the wontons in chili oil, bbq pork bao, and pork belly! The pork belly was so tender and melts in your mouth. As far as parking goes, there's street parking in the area but you may have to walk a little bit to find a good space. Don't forget, don't leave valuables in your car! read more

See all

Good good good food, good service, great ambiance. Good place. Eat here if you're a good person :)

So glad to have another solid Chinese restaurant in Castro! We went for the soft opening and felt like they were still figuring things out, but excited to see how they improve with more time. FOOD Beef Shank & Tripe in Chili Oil - This one is a Chinese classic that I order as a baseline at most restaurants I go to. It was really well-seasoned, albeit a little too salty. The pieces of beef shank were super thick cut, whereas I feel like this dish is usually thin, deli-slice style beef pieces. Shanghai-Style Steamed Pork Buns - The xiaolongbao here were pretty reasonable! The wrapper was not as chewy as I usually prefer, which also meant it tore super easily when it stuck to the steamer. At this price point though this is a solid place for XLB. Shanghai-Style Pan Fried Pork Buns - This is one of my favorite Shanghainese foods, so I order it whenever I get the chance. I really enjoyed their version of it, though it had a slightly stronger deep fried oil taste on the bottom than I'm used to. Pea Sprouts w/ Garlic - Solid stir fry! Will definitely be back if I'm craving Shanghainese food. read more

See all

it was mid a little I didn't like the food but it wasn't raw. the service was good too. the ambiance wasn't 5 stars but wasn't bad either.

I have been there twice at this point. The first time, I ordered the pork belly. It was OK, but not great. The second time I went, I ordered dumplings, and they were all great. Not as inexpensive as Chinatown, but also not as mass produced tasting and clearly steamed or stewed to order, rather than sitting in a steamer for hours. Nice house sake, friendly staff. I'm actually going a third time tonight. They don't have Cheung Fun, or Chow Fun, but have more than enough on the menu to keep me happy. The ambiance is typical, but it is the food that matters! read more

This is the best breakfast I've ever had in the Bay Area, especially the steamed buns, which melt in your mouth and you want more after finishing them. read more

See all

A small storefront tucked in the heart of the Castro surprises you instantly if you walk in and ask to be seated in the back patio. We went midday on a Sunday and saw that this place had just had its grand opening! Din Sum gets all the love in San Francisco, it's about time to see another Shanghainese place pop up. We ordered the classics, the pork XLB and the pan fried pork bun, both had incredible flavor and were so juicy. While the flavors were spot on, the XLB didn't have the smooth looking skin you'd expect and the pan fried buns had a bit of a thick bottom. The dan dan noodles were delicious and had a perfect texture, but the chili oil wontons left much to be desired. They were really mild in flavor and had a very thick wonton skin. Overall this place had such a home-y feel and mostly nailed all the nostalgic flavors from my childhood, but there are some imperfections with the skins for the buns, wontons, and XLB. They're just starting out and I'd be interested to check out how they improved in the near future! read more

See all

I am here in San Francisco on vacation and I am so happy that I came here for dinner! It was delicious and I loved the service we received! I loved the sizzling rice soup so much!!!! Definitely recommend :) read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - A01. Shanghai - Style Steamed Pork Dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I've never had such blatantly unsafe to eat food served at a restaurant. Absolutely horrible. I got served pork dumplings with raw pork (hot on the outside and raw inside). Returned them and subsequently was served RAW CHICKEN dumplings. Omg they are so horrible it's a joke. Whelp, so much for a MamaJi's competitor. Also service is slow. read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - Raw chicken and corn dumpling - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super happy to see a restaurant open up in the previously Papi Rico space. It's a lovely space with a back patio that needs to be used. Overall the food here was great, and I would definitely come back to try more dumplings. All the dumplings were great, you really can't go wrong. The service was a bit slow, probably due to the fact they have just opened and are likely training staff. We put ourselves in on the Yelp waitlist, but when I talked to the person at the host stand, they said they hadn't checked it. The host seemed busy bussing tables, taking orders, and bringing food out, so likely they are understaffed at the moment. There were also a couple of items on the menu that they didn't have in stock, including the chocolate dumplings. I hope those arrive soon!I'm looking forward to them. All that is to say: I expect and hope these issues will be fixed soon. I have no doubt it's hard to start a business in the Castro. I can't wait to come back in a few months and have a 5 star experience. read more

See all

Popped into this place to check it out for the first time and was super impressed! Lemon chicken was super flavorful and just the right about of crispy. The cucumber salad had this amazing sauce - also super tasty, and the dumplings were cooked perfectly. We were in a hurry so we only ordered a few things, but everything that came out of the kitchen from other guests that passed by our table looked so delicious. I will definitely go back and try even more things on the menu. Really happy to see such a great spot in Castro! read more

We are happy with the wok fried items but want to highlight all dim sum we ordered were terribly executed. Pork bun is crispy from the outside but the filling is plain and faint. Don't really have the enjoyment of having a good bite of pork bun filling. Shrimp dumpling or Har Gow is so wrong in every way. They didn't bother to break the dumplings apart before steaming it. The texture of skin is also wrong, soggy, sticky, and very thick. The filling is made of smaller shrimps and they break apart easily. Definitely do not recommend read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - A05. Shanghai-Style Pan-Fried Pork Buns - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

All around awesome. Fresh delicious dumplings, fast service, what else do you need? One of the better dumpling spots in SF

Wow! Welcome to the 'hood! As you walk in, there's a small space where a lady makes fresh dumplings. The choices are fantastic, we tried all the Shanghai dishes and everything was delicious and excellent. Great service, and absolutely wonderful food! Enjoy! read more

The Black Truffle with Beef Fried Rice and Shanghai-style steamed pork dumpling were perfectly delicious for our lunch. The flavors were great and well-seasoned. The portion size was not what I expected but so far the quality didn't disappoint me. The Chow mein was so savory and appetizing too. The place has great vibe and the staff were so friendly. read more

10/10 every time. I love the shrimp fried rice, pork soup dumplings, green onion pancakes, Shanghai style chow mein, steamed pork bao buns. Delicious!!!! Love this place so much. Great service read more

Dumpling Kitchen - Castro - Pork soup dumplings, shrimp fried rice, and chow mein. Delicious - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food: wontons in chili oil (5/5) super yummy and the sauce is amazing. Soup dumplings (3/5) - a bit too big and thick for my taste. Truffle beef fried rice (3/5) - just ok wouldn't reorder. Green beans (4/5) they added some Szechuan peppers for us which was a nice added kick. Sat in the back patio which was nice read more

I've had Dumpling Kitchen bookmarked for almost 3 years now and was so surprised to see they had a second location at Castro, which is much more convenient for me! Definitely glad I finally got the chance to go. Though this definitely isn't the cheapest Chinese spot in the city, the quality and flavors of the food was great. Some of the food I tried and really recommend: - Salt and Pepper Wings (amazing flavor) - Soup Dumplings (thicker skin than I'm used to, but still enjoyed and the pork/soup were great) - Eggplants + Garlic - Pan Fried Dumplings - Shanghai Fried Rice Cakes read more