The food was very tasty and the price point was quite affordable. We took the food to go and the staff were kind. Definitely will return.

I keep coming back here. I figured out that if you order online via Yelp/GH/Chowhound, the prices are different, so I decided to call in my order and was able to get the lower prices that match their menu. They have a pretty extensive menu and in addition to the pot stickers and steamed dumplings, we've also tried the garlic broccoli and walnut prawns. Everything we've had has been excellent and we'll be returning to try more. Staff is friendly and polite. read more

See all

We ordered the shrimp dumplings, the fried pan fried pork bun and others. The service was great and efficient. If this was a taste of SF, I loved it. TY :) read more

Dumpling Specialist - Hot tea, waiting for our dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

The Lunch special General Chicken was flavorful I give it 4 out of 5. The portions are more than average. The place hold about 18 people, but when I got there the place was packed around lunch time on a Thursday afternoon. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Establishment - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great neighborhood restaurant. Saw so many photos of the sticky rice roll, so ordered two. Was a little overdone, but still very tasty! Ordered the steamed pork and cabbage dumplings and they were flavorful, juicy and had good amount of stuffing. Tried the pork & preserved vegetable stir-fried rice cakes - really good!! Pork was tender and the vegetables had nice flavor. Small, very clean and well-lit. Service was great. Food came out super quick. Staff were cordial and polite. Prices were reasonable. Would highly recommend! read more

See all

My friend introduced this spot to me and I am very impressed with all the items we ordered. Currently they are takeout only, and we tried to order via phone but wasn't working so we went ahead to order in person for dinner and waited about 10-15 mins. The owners were very nice and helpful with our questions too. We tried both the sweet soymilk(drink) and savory soy milk(soup), five spice beef stew noodle soup and rice options, chili oil wonton, and bean curd salad. Prices here are very nice and reasonable, and they accept venmo here which is great if you wanna save on the credit card fees. We might have overordered for the two of us but everything was delicious and will definitely reorder all of the options. read more

Best fan Tuan aka rice rolls in California cuz they make they fresh so the you Tiao or Chinese donut inside stays super crispy. Cash or pay credit card surcharge! Place is tiny but efficient and always busy. read more

As many know, the OG Dumpling Kitchen folks from down the block run this spot and so this place def got the same, if not better, food at its given price point (in my humble opinion). However, they are only doing to-go orders at this time and no dine-in option. Shanghai dumplings are a must - each order is 5 pieces so I highkey recommend getting 2 orders. Tbh, I was a tad disappointed since right now they're only doing takeout so the quality of the dumplings were underwhelming even tho I ate them like 10 mins after pick up - skin felt almost dry and it was sticking to the tin foil a bit on the bottom. BUT the flavor is top notch so I can't wait til I can try them fresh the next time. Also comes with a vinegar dipping sauce which you can pour a bit on top of your dumpling. Furthermore, I would throw in the pan fried pork buns, which are dumplings fried at the bottom and a normal go-to for myself. Shanghai-style stir fried rice cakes are a personal fave - slightly smaller portions than what I remember back in the OG dumpling kitchen times but still a good balance of rice cakes, pork, and veggies. The oiliness isn't overpowering and the flavors and textures hit the spot every time. Bok choy with garlic was me just trying to throw greens in my diet to be healthy but honestly enjoyed the subtle sauce they put on it, which made it less boring than most bok choy dishes. We also got the sweet soymilk (hot) which they make in house and it's just a classic. Great for a chilly SF morning! I got nothing but love for this local spot and hope to get back to eating the dumplings fresh and steaming hot some time in the future! read more

See all

This was a nice find on our last trip to San Francisco. We ordered the following: cucumber salad, xiao long bao, chow mein and spicy won tons. We enjoyed everything, but our favorites were the spicy won tons and the xiao long bao. The won tons were bigger than the normal won tons we see. Plus, their chili oil had some real kick to it. We thought the xlb was really good as well. The soup and meat were very good and tasty. I normally don't notice the chow mein, because they usually taste the same form place to place. However it was better here at Dumpling Specialist. I'm definitely coming back the next time we are in Sunset. read more

Got a variety of their menu. The dim sum was overall decent but nothing I would go out of my way for. It's reasonably priced for the Bay Area and make sure to bring some cash (there is a fee for cards). read more

See all

When this place first opened it was in the tiny storefront with limited seating with people in line trying to get in. Everything you order from the small menu were excellent. Fast forward through the Covid-19 pandemic and now they expanded to the storefront next door, expanded their menu offering and doing takeout only. Other than that the consistent line for take out is still there and the 3 new items I ordered are very excellent and I will come back to order again. Always great to support mom and pop place and same friendly gentleman cashier there from when the restaurant first opened. Great to have consistency in a restaurant. Yummy in my tummy! :) Catch you later Dumpling Specialist! read more

See all

Meh... the Michelin attention surprises me because these are the typical dumplings you can get anywhere. They're good, but it's the Bay Area, I need a bit more than good. I was surprised by how average the food was. read more

This like one base meet they make for all every dumpling only different skin wrap 1 potstickers very good skin is soft( Recomended) 2 wonton soup skin too soft if you take home wonton skin broken 3 shanghai dumpling good 4 Shanghai dumpling with cabbage it's ok One flavor Soup base for every noodle 5 wonton noodle soup is ok ( flavor basic) Noodle is thin,soft & fresh 6 beef noodle soup very tasty because flavor of the beef Noodle fresh thick & chewy little bit ( Recomended) 7 sticky rice it's ok 8 chilli sauce not spicy (*) to oily Note: I recommend potstickers , beef noodle soup read more

See all

Maybe it was an off day, but all the food I tried felt bland and very under seasoned. I was excited to try the Sticky Rice Roll but that turned out to be rather disappointing because the fried donut was really over-fried; the texture was hard and crunchy all the way through instead of having a crunchy outer layer with a fluffy interior. The service was fine and even though the interior is rather plain, the ambiance is actually quite nice if looking for something that feels a bit more intimate because of how close quarters everything feels. read more

Love their dumplings and beef noodle soup. Too bad they no longer open for dine in so I had eat all their food out of a box. It would taste better serving on a plate or bowl. We still go every other Fridays though. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Known to have a wait during peak hours. Got here right when they opened on a Saturday (5pm dinner) Yelp review Ordered: hot Sweet soy milk, XLB, fried XLB (not sure about the name) , Chinese donut, crunchy sticky rice, spicy wontons Everything was worth to try and super good Wait time: there will be , if you don't come right when they open Service: fast Ambiance: hole-in-the wall Price: $ Tip: cash only WIGBA (would I go back again)yes read more

See all

This is a very tiny place, so would not recommend for groups larger than 6 people. The food here is amazing and every dish we ordered we loved. The thing to not miss is their sticky rice rolls. In fact, you're going to want to order more than one. All of their dumplings are so good. I'd skip things like their chicken wings. The green beans are on point. It's definitely our favorite dumpling place on Taraval, especially if it's going to be a group of 4 or less. read more

Easy four star, potentially five star. Small door front, you can step in about six feet. Orders to go only and they charge a 4% Service Fee for Credit and Debit Cards. Get rid of this one nasty inconvenience and I'll raise you to five stars now! Depending on the time of day you visit, dress warmly. I'm guessing that most of the day, they are on the shaded side of the street. Waiting outside is less than desirable, especially when you're waiting with you 80+ mom. We just wanted a nibble so we ordered light. Had there been indoor seating, we would have been Morley likely to 'tear it up!' Xiao Long Bao - 4 - came in the tin cups, wee bit smaller than I'm used to finding. Good flavor, soupy, hot, thin skinned. Pot Stickers - 5 - also thin skinned, somewhat juicy, some hot oil would have been nice. Pan Fried Pork Buns - 3 - thin skin again rather than a steamed bun texture. Some juice but very little veg which I had expected to find in abundance. Shanghai Chow Mein - 5 - Flavor wise, the closest to the Shanghai Chow Mein that I used to order at the Yangtze River, a long ago closed restaurant in Berkeley. A bit more garlic and a little less liquid and we'd be in heaven! I need to come back with someone other than mom. Someone who can pick it away so I can order even more flavors! Any volunteers? read more

See all

Yum! I came across this place on Yelp and was craving Shanghai dumplings so we decided to give this place a try. It was rainy Saturday afternoon so luckily we only waited for about 5 minutes for a table. This place is veryyyy small, only has about 5 small tables, so be prepared for a wait! I found myself wanting to come back, but was thinking about how small this place is and how long we would have to wait for a table. It is a bit discouraging, but I definitely will come back when i feel like waiting or for a late lunch when there's less people. We tried the peanut noodles, pan fried dumplings, shanghai dumplings, spicy wontons, savory soy milk for two people and a hot soy milk and sticky rice with chinese donut to-go. The shanghai dumplings were very soupy with a thin shell, yum! The spicy wontons were pretty good as well, but could use a little bit more flavor - same with the peanut noodles. The pan fried dumplings were pretty good as well! The savory soy milk was not my favorite, but it's just a personal preference, i enjoy my soy milk sweet. The hot soymilk that I got to-go was nice and soothing, flavorful and tasty! The sticky rice with donut was also tasty as well. It tasted fresh and did not taste stale like some other places. Overall, we had a great meal and everything was pretty good. I enjoyed the shanghai dumplings the most and would definitely come back! I wish this place was bigger or had a yelp waitlist though. read more

See all

I saw some YouTuber's recommendations to come here. Growing up in Asia, i missed sticky rice balls so much. I ordered pan fried and regular soup dumplings, a rice ball, and Dan Dan noodles. I want to put it at front, for the price, this is a good place, especially when some overcharge for their non-creative incentives of chinese dumplings. I like the rice ball the best, Dan Dan noodles isn't bad. For two kinds of dumpling, I will give only a 3 star. A bit disappointed. Again, the price is the advantage of this restaurant. Might come back again. read more

See all

I am usually not a fan of Shanghai or northern style cuisine, but occasionally I need my XLB or shengjianbao (SJB) fix. While there are plenty of good options when it comes to excellent XLB, I still can't find any descent SJB. It's either too dry, skin way too thick, lack of flavors or not pan fried correctly. Now I know why Panda Express didn't offer it on its menu. This place comes highly recommended and I can see why. Their baozi skin was prob one of best I had in the bay area. It was not too thick, very doughy, fluffy & QQ, definitely made from freshly knead dough. Exterior was perfectly pan fried which produced a sexy brown crispy bottom, again it was not too thick. The dipping sauce (combination of light soy sauce and vinegar) was perfect, the fillings inside could use a bit more flavors. The SJB orders were made fresh, you have to wait 15-20 min but it's worth it. This is a small hole in the wall take-out only family shop, run by my fellow Cantonese peeps i believe. The only "imperfection" was the lack of juice inside. The interior was moist, but not much juicy if any at all. Perhaps the baozi soaked up most of the juice. I still fantasize about the "perfect" SJB I had in Shanghai, the juice literally squirted out of the baozi and hit someone sitting across from me. I thought the shengjianbao here was good, it just needs more juice inside. My search for that perfect SJB in the bay area continues... read more

See all

Small shop serving up good Chinese staples at reasonable prices. 1. The Shanghai dumplings are small soup dumplings and good but not anything terribly special. The broth was very flavorful and the meat and dough were just right. If anything, I wish there was a little more liquid inside. 2. The wonton in chili oil is unusual and I had mixed thoughts. The wontons are BIG and great value. They were supposed to be spicy but there was almost no spice at first and instead the oil seemed very heavily peanut-oriented with the trademark chili taste cutting through a bit, but definitely not sichuan peppercorn in any appreciable amount. The peanuts on top are also a bit unusual but pleasant and I enjoyed them. However, in my last bite I hit an incredibly spicy pocket of the oil/sauce that makes me think its consistency is not...well...consistent. Overall, would give them another shot and think they have potential to be some of the better wontons in the city. 3. The noodles in peanut sauce are delicious and worth the trip alone. I really have no idea what is in the sauce (pork?) but they are incredibly decadent and rich with terrifically springy noodles. At about 10 bucks this is an amazing meal you could eat any time of the day. As with many places, make sure to order pickup/delivery from their site. Prices much higher off e.g. yelp or other sites. read more

Quite good. Sweet little XLB with a thin, al dente wrapper and tons of tiny pleats, a They are a dumpling specialist, and they have Pan Fried Potsticker and Pan Fried Pork Buns down pat. Both have a nice filling, and they taste like something you'd get from a Shanghai stall. The Wonton in Chili Oil could use a thinner, less flour-y wrapper, but I loved the Sticky Rice Roll. I can rarely find one in SoCal, and this is the best one I've had so far. Love the crispy texture encased in rice. Cute little place, easily affordable, very adorable! read more

Too much great food in this town, lately I haven't been let down. Dumpling specialist, you are a STAR. Yet ANOTHER raised food bar. I never heard of Taiwanese breakfast before so I had to try it, I craved it in my core. Dumpling Specialist has it all so I ate everything, and I had a ball. First, Shanghai Dumplings, delicate skin juicy, umami explosion within. Pan fried pork buns, another home run I didn't realize I could fall in love with a bun. The star of the show is the fried dough in both the salty soy milk and the rice roll. Both have pickle and pork floss overwhelmed with flavor, I'm at a loss. Easily top five favorite place in the Bay. Please go support them so they'll stay. Limited hours, so check before you go. And cash only fam, just so you know. read more

See all

Had some time to grab lunch in the Sunset District and I've heard about the dumpling options on Taraval so what did I do? Yelped it! - Food is to go only - even before COVID - Prices were reasonable - Ordered three items - Steamed pork dumplings, Shanghai Dumplings (couldn't get a picture), and Five spice beef stew - The wait was 10 minutes - Parking was easy at 12:30 pm on a Friday Overall, the flavors were amazing and everything came out very hot and fresh. The guy forgot our Pan fried pork buns so I deducted a star for that. Excited to try the other spots down the block. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Steamed Pork Dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Dumpling Specialist is the definition of that hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves the most incredible food. I came here when they first opened and again more recently and the quality here is really consistent. They literally only have 4 of the tiniest tables of all time -- so this is NOT group friendly. I wouldn't even say it's family friendly because there's just literally no room. What I like most about this place is that they serve really good food with impressive portions at below-average SF prices. (also, they're cash only!) - Beef noodle soup: a balance of tender, juicy beef, and chewy noodles. The flavor is pretty good and you can really taste the spices that they use, but sometimes I wish that it was just a little more flavorful as I think the noodles can drown it out sometimes - XLB: they've got the recipe down. Comes out piping hot with a solid amount of soup inside paired wonderfully with their ginger black vinegar dipping sauce. - Sweet soy milk: PROTIP-- they add the sugar in first before dispensing the soy milk, so you can ask them to add less/more based on your preference AND don't forget to mix it because otherwise it'll be extra sugary at the bottom - Wontons with chili oil: had a good proportion of meat to wonton wrapper and good flavor, but wasn't mind-blowing. The only thing keeping me from coming back all the time is that you need to basically come before they open or ~30 minutes after to be the first/second wave of customers as the wait can get a little crazy. read more

See all

Beware, its a small restaurant. Seats only 10-11 people with 4 tables. Waited about 35 mins for a table for four. But trust me, everything was delicious. This place has the best soup dumplings in SF. The soup was sweet and the skin was perfect. I love the potsticker and sticky rice roll as well. Menu is small, my friends and I ordered almost everything and honestly everything was good. Service was friendly as well. If you do not want to wait for a table, many people does take out. So happy this place is now open. Can't wait to come back. FYI: Cash Only read more

See all

So their dumplings are deinfitely worth getting. Any dumpling, so you can't go wrong. Prok dumplings, Shanghai dumplings, or the egg rolls are great to go items. They have noodle soups but they took some off the menu and it's kind of weird to go to a dedicated dumpling place for noodles. But I gotta see if their dan dan noodles and spicy beef noodle soups are any good. They aren't doing indoor seating at the time of the review, and parking is street only but you're next to a park so it shouldn't be difficult. Get some dumplings to go and explore sutro Baths for a nice sunset! read more

Dumpling Specialist - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Specialist is a term reserved for very few people and occupations in the world. Klay Thompson, is a three point specialist. The interventionist that works with students at the high school I teach at, that's a specialist. To call yourself a dumpling specialist...in the city, is a bold thing to do. This place however, and whoever makes the food here, rises to the occasion. The food is soild and, not to be overlooked, the price to quantity ratio is also very solid. My family of four, after tip and tax had takeout for 50. Thats four noodle/soup entrees, a bok choy dish, a bean curd noodle starter, and an order of pan fried dumplings. And, judging from the amount of people ordering take out from here when we picked up the food, we aren't the only fans of the food here. read more

I really want to like this place because I believe in supporting small business like mom and pop shop. However, I came back with a bad headache because of the MSG used and was chasing for water. Nevertheless, the rating is a bit inflated. They offer limited menu selections which is expected from a small place that can only accommodate 4 small tables (12 people). Their XLB was marinated on the sweeter side but juicy. The cucumber was crunchy but yet bland. Noodle soup was fine. read more

See all

Great food! Didn't read the menu quite carefully enough and forgot to order plain rice, but one of our entrees was fried rice so it worked out ok. read more

New kid on the block. Rumor has it that it's the same owner as dumpling kitchen. .:: Food ::. Shanghai dumpling $5.50: 5pc good amount of soup on the inside, good flavors from the pork filling. The outside is a bit chewy. Pan fried potsticker $5.50: 5pc surprisingly, there's soup inside this as well. But not as much as the Shanghai dumpling. Has a slight crunch to it. Sticky rice roll $3.75: the owner said this was very good. The outside is rice, inside is YUK SUNG, aka meat wool or pork floss as well as a crunchy addition of the Chinese donut. A interesting combo. One of those simple pleasures. Five spice beef stew noodle soup peanut $6.95: I like this over the wonton soup as it consists of more flavors and the beef is soooo tender. Thin noodles. Pretty authentic as it tastes homemade. Wonton noodle soup $6.50: same thin homemade noodles. Clear soup a bit light on flavors. The wontons were pretty tasty and also seems like it's made in house. .:: Ambiance/ Service / Parking ::. The place is simple to the T. Not much going on. VERY small place. Legit only 4 tables. Think of your car garage and making a restaurant out of that, that's pretty much the size. It was quite uncomfortable with hella people outside the door/ window all staring at you waiting for you to finish. Tbh I was there during work lunch so we were the last table seated and first table out. Not a big deal, but it's definitely not a great "ooo let's sit down and catch up over lunch at Dumpling Specialist" type of place. The owner is SO young. She's super nice and attentive. She wasn't too flustered even though she took all the orders, brought out the food, cleaned out empty plates, acted as host, and several parties asking for several things. She was one of those that took orders without writing it down. But she got everything we ordered out. Parking shouldn't be too bad on a weekday. Friday to Saturday may be a bit difficult. On the side are free 2 hr parking or if you don't mind walking up the hill there should be some heading towards Santiago or Ulloa. *****CASH ONLY ***** Signs are written everrrryyywhere. Come prepared! read more

See all

XLB is likely the best in SF... skin not so supple as infamous Din Tai Fun... but you don't have to go to Taiwan. Yeah the one in Cupertino isn't even worthy comparison. Beef tendon soup brings me to Taiwan. Soup isn't as rich but the ingredients is truly awesome. For $7 you can't be beat. Cash price and the portions for dumplings of 5 pieces about 1/2 the size down the street of 10 piece for $9. But flavorful and simple. 4 tables only and hard to get in when full. read more

See all

Came in on a Monday with 3 other people. There was a short wait, about 15 minutes. The place itself is tiny and is cash only. Five spice beef noodle stew was my favorite dish from what we ordered, 4/5 stars. The soup was delicious, and the beef was tender. The noodles themselves weren't that good though, mostly because of the texture. The noodle in peanut sauce was my least favorite dish, 2/5 stars. It wasn't anything like dan dan mien. The noodles themselves weren't a good texture, and the sauce was subpar. Shangahi dumplings were standard, 3/5 stars. The flavor was nice, and the soup inside was good. However, the dumpling skin wasn't as thin as I would like. The pan fried dumplings weren't the best, 2.5/5 stars. They weren't crispy at all. When you bit into them, there wasn't any soup/liquid that came out. The pork filling tasted fine, wasn't anything special. Given that it was only $9/person, this place is pretty good for the price. read more

See all

Dumpling Specialist serves really comforting food! I ordered five items to share for three people. Everything was delicious! *Beef Noodle Soup - We ordered two of these! I would say this is my favorite item we ordered. The soup is really good and the beef is tender, juicy, and fatty!! *Peanut noodle - Comes with a lot of sauce so this is pretty saucy. Yum! *XLB - Very impressed since it traveled really well! I've had XLB's for takeout from other places before and the skin always dries up! However, the skin for the XLB's here did not dry up and is very thin! So good *Pan fried buns - Yumm! These are mini compared to others I have eaten but very good. The prices here are very affordable! All the items on their menu are less than $7 each. Although it is cheaper than other places, the portions are smaller. However, the portions are perfect to me. Most of the time when I order out, the portions are much bigger so I have to decide whether I want to finish my food and be bloated or save my leftovers for later and eat it later when it's not as fresh. Another good thing about their smaller portions is so you can get several dishes and share with others! We ordered on the phone and they told us our order would be ready in 10 mins so that was fast. They also accept cash or Venmo! I would come back for sure! read more

Dumpling Specialist - Beef noodle soup, XLB, pan fried dumplings and peanut noodle. Everything was delicious! - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Easy ordering on Yelp that was ready for pickup at the door when I arrived (with a table blocking the entrance, it looks like you couldn't eat there even if you wanted to). I ordered a variety of lunch items (a buncha dumplings, a few noodle/rice dishes, and green beans) for six. Very tasty overall. The highlight was the dumplings in chili oil, which was super flavorful and not too spicy. Good portions on the noodle and rice dishes. This place is also near my vet's office, so I can imagine picking up lunch or dinner on my way home another time. I do wish they had marked the vegetarian items. Portion:cost-wise (and the fact that the restaurant has "dumpling" in the name), at 5 per order I felt like the dumpling dishes didn't go as far for the money as the other dishes (that said, they're probably more work to make than noodles!). read more

Ordered 5spice beef noodle soup. It's so flavorful delicious, plentiful & I appreciate the low price. Paid $9.25 cash. Parking is a bit of challenge bcs streets are slightly busy but you can park alongside the park behind SF library--it's meter maids but I just grab & go fast so no need to put quarters read more

Dumpling Specialist - 5 spice beef 5-Spices Beef Stew Noodle Soup $9.25 cash as of 1/17/2023 - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great little to-go spot for dumplings and noodles. Ordered: XLB dumplings (hot and soupy, nice thin dumpling skin 5/5pts) Pan Fried bun (pork filling was good, could have been a little more moist/soupy inside, felt a bit dry 3/5pts), Beef brisket noodle soup (very tasty, a lot of beef and vegetables, great soup temperature. 5/5pts), Dan dan noodles (a nice portion of noodles in a peanut and pork sauce 5/5pts) Would've been great if there was a place to sit, but the park across the street under the sun was just as swell! Will definitely revisit to try their rice and chinese donut read more

For this price point, you cannot beat this quality. The pan fried potstickers, the vegetarian dumplings, and the xiao long bao were all great--on par with the average (and much more expensive) dim sum place. The mongolian beef was 66% onion and 33% beef, and just alright. It seems this is a place you go to for dim sum and not dishes. So sad I didn't get to try the chinese doughnut, it's so hard to find a place that offers them. Dining space was limited. We waited 15-20mins for take out on a saturday afternoon. Wish this place wasn't so far out from public transit. read more

Great food for great price! Highly recommend the chili oil wontons, savory soy soup, and sticky rice roll in that order. Veggies and other dumplings were only ok but could be because we got takeout. read more