TLDR: I need to come here more Generally we come for dim sum but we did a random weekday night dinner and it was fabulous. Seriously good value in not just the food but also the drinks. I don't know where you can get cocktails this strong for $11 or less. We had the beef chow fun which came out steaming and hot and a couple dishes of dim sum and a beef fried rice to round out the experience. Food was so yummy and great portion size. read more

We had barely sat down and push carts came at us. We didn't even have a minute to get coats off and they were pushing us to choose. Weren't even given an option to order drinks. What we did have was very good. The ambiance was cool, an old theater. However, it's a little long in the tooth. Rugs and table cloths need a good cleaning. read more

Excellent dim sum in truly unique old theater surroundings, completely unassuming from the outside. Friendly service, if a bit in need of translation to know what items are what. Perhaps a tourist menu for us beginners eager to eat, but in need of pictures and descriptions so we can select all these delectable dishes. They brought a pot of hot tea automatically. The Yelp entry says Empire Garden, but the exterior awning also says "Emperor's Garden." They are one and the same. The left set of doors enters the main stairway to the 2nd floor where the large theater dining area awaits you. Despite communication gaps, we managed to point at Fried Chive Wontons, delicious. Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, we think -- so good. Fried Rolls but skinny -- we couldn't tell you what they were (and they couldn't tell us what they were either, LOL). Shumai, which we also did not know what it was, and they just kept repeating it as if we might understand eventually. :) We finally just gave in and got some and they were excellent, whatever they were. Little meaty steamed open-top dumplings. And a GINORMOUS order of pork fried rice that was so excellent. After seeing us struggle with chopsticks like the amateurs we are, they also brought us forks. :) We accidentally got a plate of sweet rolls with some kind of custard filling, because the well-meaning lady really put the Push in Pushcart and kept urging them toward us. Did not know they were going to be sweet but they were tasty and donut-sized. Now, for us, this was all a riot and part of the fun of the experience. Especially since everything was so tasty. All of this food was $58, which seemed a very good price for this much nosh in Boston. In the heart of Chinatown, yet very close to Downtown Crossing and the Paramount Theatre. If you don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin but you're up for a delicious adventure in a terrific vintage dramatic atmosphere that does not need to be updated One Single Bit, give Emperor's Empire Garden a try. read more

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This historic majestic restaurant in the heart of Chinatown was hosting a very special event for the Asian Community which had so many luminaries such as the District Attorney of Middlesex County Marian Ryan who has supported this event for the last 5 years and is truly an integral part for tonight's event! They were other elected individuals such as Tom Leung of Quincy School Committee who last year made history breaking records getting over 8,000 votes more than any previous School Committee candidate! As an Asian American he has been giving his support to others in making a difference not only in the Quincy School System but in City Politics! Tonight's event was to Crown a new representative for the Asian Community while the current one helped crown its newest at this unbelievable banquet of Asian Cuisine! The guests were entertained by dancers of Asian culture and Asian musicians! The platters of amazing dishes kept coming while speeches were made and scholarships were given and $1000 dollar gifts were also made to prominent members of the community! The evenings events concluded with group photos of each tables and lots of photo opportunities to mark and celebrate tonight's events! The newly Crown Asian Representative 2026-2027 RACHEL was busy posing with many of the guests! It was a night to remember here at Empire Garden and many thanks goes to the staff that provided the guests with great service and the hosts for tonight's event and celebration that made tonight a huge success were ESTHER AND WILSON LEE! Who without their dedication and contributions and commitment to the Asian Community this would not have been possible! THANK YOU BOTH AND THANK YOU EMPIRE GARDEN FOR AN AMAZING TIME! read more

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Wow, talk about your quintessential old-school Boston Chinatown dim sum experience. From the very faded carpeting on the ground floor that greets you when you walk in to the extremely spacious ballroom dining room on the second floor to the ladies pushing carts, Empire Garden is a solid choice for both dim sum novices and experts. (Also if you don't want dim sum, they offer you a menu of other dishes right as you sit down - I wish more places did this.) The food was all right - while everything tasted fine, a lot of the stuff seemed pre-frozen. Ask for a side dish of chili oil / soy sauce to spruce up many of the buns. One of the biggest let-downs was the spare ribs which had a ton of gristle and fat in almost every piece. Definitely had to take advantage of the free toothpicks after the meal. I will say that the tables could benefit mightily by having lazy Susans installed, as they're pretty wide and much of eating involved either politely asking someone to pass the buns you've been eyeing for the past two minutes or reaching over like a savage. It was about $25 each for five people to get their worth of dim sum so not a bad deal. read more

It's in a gorgeous old theater on the second floor. Yes, the carpet could probably be replaced, but focus on the old theater, which is beautiful. The dim sum was amazing. I had all the shrimp things, my dad had all the meat things, and we even got greens for vegetables. Everyone is nice and friendly. This place is a gem. read more

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Food is pretty good and servers are attentive. Very big on the inside. Rice rolls aren't as good as Mings, but still yummy. read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We were there on a Wednesday before a show. Service was good. Wife ordered but was told "no martini". Not sure why. PuPu platter was served in a dish and was too greasy. Spring roll instead of egg roll.? No chow Mein or chop suey sold here (as info). My Mai Tai was excellent. We still tip 20%. Just a tough day for this place I guess. Weekends are probably a good idea as I'm sure they're better prepared. Place was cool for a former 19th C. Theater. Not a fan of leaving bad reviews but I had to be honest. read more

So good! Staff was super friendly. I enjoyed that the food was super fresh even though we got here at noon. As soon as we sat down we got served with yummy plates. The place is absolutely stunning, I enjoy the music as well. It's a must go and I'll be coming back for sure! read more

I have to say, the interior of this building was absolutely stunning! The converted theatre works perfectly for the dim sum vibes and the preserved architecture and traditional art contributes to this welcoming, unique atmosphere! Additionally, at dinner time this is a great place to come if you want a quick table, friendly service, and some plates to share. I can't speak for the morning/afternoon options, but I will say I was a little disappointed with their limited dim sum menu for dinner time. On the other hand, their regular menu is extensive offering all the traditional dishes you might crave! Overall, though, I wouldn't say I was overly impressed with anything I tried, it was certainly satisfying, but at the same time could've been better (I'm sure there's some other really delicious options in the area). I thought the cook on the meats was a little overdone, and though everything was flavorful, nothing really blew me away. For the price, I can't say this spot is completely worth it at least for dinner, but I'd encourage anyone to give them a try earlier in the day (which are their more popular hours I've heard). It's certainly worth a trip at least once to experience the magical and breathtaking decor inside! Really, that's what makes a stop here worth it, so I definitely do plan to come back and try their traditional dim sum menu read more

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If you are going for dim sum in Boston Chinatown, Empire Garden has one of the larger dining rooms, and still has the ladies pushing carts so you can get a good look before you order, which is particularly great if you don't remember what your favorites are named. We ordered up the popular ha gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), ha cherng (shrimp steamed noodles dressed with soy sauce), siew mei (steamed pork dumplings), before getting some fried items. I took a walk to the stationary hot counter, and scored a plate of fresh leafy greens to round out our carby meaty meal. We also ordered a plate of chow mein, and found ourselves satisfied. If you're new to the dim sum scene, when you are seated, they'll ask you for a choice of two teas, which will come in a pot to share. Lift the tea pot lid for free refills. As you select your items from the carts, the ladies will ask for your paper order slip so they can stamp the number of dishes you ordered per category. When you are done, one of the other workers will take the slip to prepare your itemized bill. On this February visit, it was $1.35 per person for the tea, the veggies were $9.85, small plates were $6.25 each, and medium plates (which most of our choices were) $6.85. Everything was good. The dumplings well filled with skins of acceptable thickness. read more

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We've been here a few times, and although others have given bad reviews, we have always had an amazing experience. There are at least 10 different dumplings, and every thing we got was great! Many servers came with carts, but sometimes it was hard to figure out what things were delicious. Our grandchildren love the food, especially the bao, spring rolls and shrimp dumplings. It can definitely accommodate picky eaters. Overall, everything is nice, and the imperial designs --murals and bas reliefs --are very impressive, thought the outside entrance and outer building is a little unappealing. The giant space can accommodate any amount of people! read more

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I came here for the first time in many years and sat down for dinner. Instead of the large open area that's usually open for dim sum, we got seated in a side room with windows overlooking Chinatown. For food, we ordered fried rice, Japanese tofu, a whole duck, BBQ Char Siu, fried pork and calamari appetizer, and a vegetable platter. The food was surprisingly good and fresh! I would definitely recommend the Japanese tofu as it's a more unique dish. For dessert, the sesame balls were excellent. The serving sizes are generous and probably a quarter or so more than other restaurants. The service was quick and prompt. The best thing was that for a party of 6, the bill came out to only $160 and we had tons of leftover food! That's awesome in this economy. My biggest complaint is the ambiance as the entrance once you walk inside and the opening of the dining area seems dirty and old and in need of my upgrade. read more

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Always a great, classic dim sum experience. Food is always, hot, fresh and fast and while you wait there is so much to look at around the dining room. If you're looking for the real deal, it is a must stop. read more

i went here for dim sum with a few friends on a sunday. within 5 minutes of sitting down 3 different ladies with carts came to our table so we could pick what we wanted from their carts! everything was hot and fresh- super tasty. the staff are all very friendly and the restaurant is beautiful inside (it used to be a theater i think) read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - sunday dim sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This was my first time having real dim sum and I couldn't have picked a better place! Everything was so delicious but my favorites were the bao and sesame balls. The decor is so beautiful and unique and service was very fast! read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The amphitheater interior is very unique. Food itself is on par with most Chinese restaurants but is more on the expensive side. I think you could find the same if not better Chinese food at other places, but that is not to say that this place is bad at all. Servers were not the nicest people, but food came out pretty quickly. read more

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The ambiance is one of a kind, and the food was spectacular! We knew nothing about the restaurant before going, and they were easily able to accommodate our large and last-minute group. Would highly recommend! read more

This is a hugeeee restaurant which accommodated a wedding of 600 guests! Which means capacity must have been so much more because they might have had 50-100 waitstaff serving tables. It also had a bar. The food was good and I really enjoyed their lobster with ginger and scallions. read more

This place was so amazing, and to be turned from a theater to this spacious dim sum restaurant. Serving up some delicious, authentic Chinese cuisine in Boston's Chinatown. The food was made fresh & steaming hot as it reached the table. Service was fast & accurate to your liking. Chicken and broccoli was the best I've ever had. All the fresh ingredients to the tender cuts of chicken. You have to get here early if you wanna see the dim sum carts going around. #chinatown #boston #dimsum #chickenandbroccoli #goodeatsinct #foodporn #foodie #fooddestination #travelingandeating #empiregarden #baobuns #currynoodles read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Scallion pancakes, fried shrimp dumplings, bao buns, spicy chicken & shrimp curry noodles, chicken and broccoli. - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Bit of an off-day today, as the goods were out in the carts for a bit too long. The har gow was a bit stiff on top and the innards fell out of the wrapper; the fish paste and eggplant was also a bit tough, with the fish paste portion not particularly tasty. The shrimp rice noodle was decent; the taro dumpling was decent, as it was hot, and steamed well, and the taro texture was well-matched with the wrapper. The fried tofu wrapper around meat and bamboo was somewhat unfocused this time, with the texture of the tofu a bit tough, and the insides a bit cold. In short, go when the food is hotter, i.e. earlier in the service. read more

What an experience. I haven't dined in a place like this in a really long time. It almost feels like a place from 20 years ago, and the stained table cloth and beaten up plastic water cups show it! Look, the ambience is the best thing about this place. It's in an old converted theater and you're basically dining where the audience and stage used to be. It's beautiful on the inside for sure. Service? Not rude but not friendly. Will do the job but nothing extra. Food? If you come here, just go to Chinatown. It is the worst version of Americanized Chinese food to the point half way through the meal, I thought to myself that Panda Express would have more flavor. For some reason, the food is greasy but lacks flavor. Not junky and over saturated with salt-- just-- bland. They do have a bar but the cocktails are overly sweet. If this is your jam, have at it. read more

When you enter this place, let's just say you going back in time when it was the 90s. Meaning it was dirty and I questioned if I was about to get food poisoning. Luckily we didn't. Thank goodness. It's located in an old theater and they converted it into a dim sum restaurant. The food was fine, but not memorable. It was warm, aside the egg buns. The service, the ladies were nice. But I like how I was speaking Chinese and they spoke English back to me. I mean come on, I'm trying here. Maybe because I was with a white person. Would I come back? Hmmm maybe if nothing else was opened. Also look at the air vents. They need to clean it up. read more

We have friends came from San Francisco , Canada Montreal and Boston. We went here about 9 am. We ordered Dimsum, dumpings...... about 15 items . All the food only warm, not hot, dumplings and most food taste bad and spoiled. We so disappointed. We left all the food in the table, paid the full price and left. read more

I'd give 10 stars if I could. Each dish was a hit! The steak was my favorite though. That staff was great too. The atmosphere was nice.

Everything! We actually ended up here by accident, thought we were walking in to a different restaurant, but were tired and decided to give it a try... big mistake! The minute we sat down the dim sum carts were relentlessly trying to get us take something, we had to keep requesting menus before finally get ONE () The dim sum carts continued to push their goods and we selected one thinking it might be good but were disappointed. We ordered the pork fried rice, which was the "best" dish we had... I was looking forward to introducing moo shu pork to my husband, but it was THE WORST moo shu pork I've ever had! We barely ate any of it. What a waste read more

My family and I have been going here for years. It's a huge restaurant on the second floor; there is an elevator. They'll seat you in a massive dining room with high ceilings; looks like it used to be an opera back in the day. During lunchtime, they have dim sum in a push cart. Each cart has different types of dim sum items. A few of my favorites are, fried taro balls, shu mai, pork bao buns, shrimp in flat rice noodles, shrimp dumplings, and chicken feet. I have tried their congee (rice porridge) and it was bland. They give you complimentary jasmine tea. Pro tip: if you like spicy, ask for the chili oil. Service was always good and fast. We've been when they stopped serving dim sum; we had general Tso chicken, fried rice, and crab rangoons, the food was decent. The cocktails were strong too. Overall, always a good experience and our go to spot for dim sum. read more

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We had an enjoyable meal at this classic dim sum restaurant, located in what used to be a theater. Although a little worse for wear, the dining area was enormous and clean. Various dim sum plates were brought around to all of the tables. It was difficult figuring out what some of the offerings were, so we stuck to the familiar (shu mai, pork dumplings, fried shrimp & chive wontons, sesame balls). We also ordered a plate of sauteed bok choy in garlic on the side, which was delicious. A pot of jasmine tea is provided gratis. read more

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DISGUSTING! The audacity to charge 60$ for TWO platters that took thirty minutes to make and was still under done, under seasoned and overly spicy ?!! W T H IS THAT? I ended up taking a shower for dinner after throwing up the food because it was so slimy. 3 of us ate the food and all 3 of us threw it up. The sauce for the chicken was INCREDIBLY slimy and off putting. I also ordered 2 platters (comes with rice) but noticed there was only 1 in the bag when I got home. For charging such high prices I feel like everything should be in the bag. Overall very upsetting experience. read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Food. - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Good food. Service was good enough. Place seemed a little murky. Good amount of seating. This was probably my go to for dim sum. read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Friendly aunties pushing the dim sum carts and bringing us our tea and waters. The interior is so cool. There was a small lunch crowd on a Thursday late morning and they're 97% Chinese. We had the glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf, shrimp dumplings (har gao), shrimp look funn, braised chicken feet, fish balls, pork ball with mushroom, deep fried shrimp roll, century egg and pork porridge, and custard tarts. Total was $85 with tax. Everything was decent, except for the chicken feet (they were scrawny and not seasoned enough) and the century egg and pork porridge (very watery and bland, the green onions were very old, no amount of soy sauce could salvage the porridge). There wasn't enough shrimp in the look funn either. Also, interestingly the sign facing the street is "Emperor's Garden". I was so confused and had to make sure my friend was referencing this restaurant! 3.5 stars. read more

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Holy Cow, this restaurant on the second level via stairs is a must if you are hungry for dim sum in the morning in Chinatown, Boston. Their elevator is out of order so be prepared to go up 2-1/2 flight of stairs. Their dining room is impressively humongous like a dinner show restaurant in China. Elaborately decorated and the dim sum carts are many. They had soup carts, dessert carts and some dim sum we've not tried before like a black whole mushrooms with 3 dumplings made of perhaps fish cake. Another was a 3 piece huge meatball looking pork hashdumpling, no pi outer layer. The rice packet was exquisite. Savory with different bits of meat after you remove the outer steamed leaf wrapper. It was the best. read more

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We were there on a Saturday. There were barely any carts. We asked for chicken feet multiple times and they kept saying "later" or "almost done." When they were on the cart the waitress would serve all the non-minority tables who requested chicken feet after us. One waitress did try to get us some but the old lady pushing the cart basically motioned to her that they didn't have anymore and proceeded to give it to another table. Our first and LAST time going there. If you are looking for great dimsum, you are better off going to Hei La Moon or China pearl. read more

We were in Boston this weekend and wanted to try a dim sum place we have not been before. Empire Garden Restaurant kept appearing in my searches and it is in a venue that used to be a theater, so we thought we would check it out. There was no wait which was nice and a few tables were taken, but it wasn't packed. The aunties pushed the carts from table to table and were very pleasant to talk to. We ordered the traditional dim sum dishes. The sweet rice wrapped over with lotus leaf had char siu in it which was a nice surprise, since it's usually chicken and Chinese sausage. The beef tripe was seasoned well. The har gao skin was sticking to the paper, so maybe it was cooked too long. The shrimp cheung fun was better than the beef cheung fun. Overall, the food was okay but we definitely had better dim sum in other places in Boston. There was a good mix of asian families and non-asian families in the restaurant. We paid $54.20 for 7 dim sum dishes and for tea by credit card. It was a little steep for the quality of food. read more

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Overall rating: 4 stars Rustic hidde ngem for the most affordable dimsum in Boston Food: dimsum, cocktails, and other fried dishes such as rice and noodles We got shumai, soup dumplings, tofu, chicken feet (scary but yummy), and a pina colada Texture: the dumplings are slippery and slide right down your mouth, pair the soup dumpling with ginger vinegar for a burst of flavor Pricing: $3-4 dollars for each dumpling basket (holds 4 dumplings) and drinks are $8-9 each! Ambiance: The ambiance is rustic, it's a high ceiling former opera house turned into a restaurant, all the tables have a pink cloth covering it and the chairs have gold/yellow coverings Seating & Parking: plenty of seating but little to no parking in front, walk up the 2 flights of stairs to enter the restaurant Service: no frills straight to the point, they mistook me for being Chinese but they were very kind Music: no music, light chatter from other tables Bathrooms: mens and womens on the side on the entrance Final comments: my favorite spot for dimsum in Boston, hope it stays a hidden gem read more

This place is super huge with a lot of tables. But their dim sum is maybe the worst I've had in Boston. The 小笼包 has no soup inside. The 烧卖 wrapping easily fell off from the meat. The 肠粉 doesn't taste fresh. And it's super expensive too. The very ordinary tea costs $5 per person. The service is good and they have carts carrying the dim sum, but the taste and value is not good. read more

Beautiful interior space- the murals are stunning and it's incredible to be in an old theater that's been converted We made a reservation for 7 on a Sunday. We were the only people in the restaurant. Servers came and took our orders quickly. There were several communication issues- getting white wine instead of red; receiving the wrong items; etc. but the food we had was good. Worth it one time to say you've been but there are better restaurants in the area. read more

Empire Garden Restaurant - Dining area - Dim Sum Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Horrible service and food. The food they served was leftovers from the day before. Will not be coming back, stay far away.

Large elegant restaurant that was a theater. One can have tea, lunch or dinner. They have dim sum in pushcarts throughout the morning. Order typical Chinese dishes from the waiter. The service was a little slow. We had to find and flag down a waiter to get refills or the bill. read more

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Everything was delicious!!! I loved the deep-fried stuffed Tufo with shrimp a lot. Its two different types of proteins complemented each other perfectly. The shrimp was bouncy, fresh, and flavorful, the Tufo was mild-flavored, crispy on the shell, and fluffy inside, together it's fantastic. The sticky rice with chicken and mushrooms in the lotus leaves was aromatic and scrumptious. The rice was perfectly cooked with the fat from the chicken and juice from the mushroom all mixed together with the right amount of seasoning that is not overpowering just enough to add flavor. Chicken paws fall off the bones. Shrimp dumplings are full of fresh shrimps. The taro in steamed ribs is more tasty than the ribs! We both think it's the most friendly service in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! People there greeted us when we came in, everyone said goodbye when we were leaving. They were very attentive and brought hot tea when we sit down. The food was slowly brought to the table a couple of a time. It doesn't look like a lot of food but it's so filling! I also like how spacious the space is. It's beautifully decorated in this old-school Chinese style. Absolutely amazing experience! Definitely will go back very often with more people. read more

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