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    Sichuan River

    3.7 (442 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Sichuan River Takeout or Delivery

    Sichuan River Photos

    SICHUAN RIVER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Sichuan River

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    Reviews With Photos

    Christian J.

    My brother and I enjoyed the venue itself- it's cleaner than other Chinese-buffet type restaurants. I ordered the beef fried rice, my brother ordered the wanton soup. The food came out within 5 minutes of when we ordered; this made me question the freshness. The wanton soup tasted strongly of pepper, like the chef dumped in the whole can of McCormick black pepper. My rice was burned and flavorless. Two stars go to the venue and the solid menu.

    Beef Lo Mein
    Ashley W.

    5 star for takeout beef lo mein! Generous portion that I can split between two meals. Not too oily and very much the comfort food I was looking for. I was honestly iffy about trying this spot but definitely excited to come back to try more items on the menu. Not a fan of the interior ambiance as it's windowless and all dark but it's a great place for takeout!

    VG8 Mapo Tofu
    Christina H.

    First, don't expect bells and whistles at this no-frills South Austin restaurant. Second, don't expect Chinese food, as this is Szechuan! Szechuan food is more flavorful from due to its powerful peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and garlic. Expect tons of potent flavor and spice with every bite. If you are looking for good Sichuan food, look no further. Must try: The Mapo Tofu and the Spicy Stir Fried Chicken.

    Mapo Tofu
    Hannah K.

    This is the best Chinese food in Austin, as far as I'm concerned. I'm talking real Sichuan Chinese food, not just American Chinese food, with mala (mouth-numbing) spice, wok hei (char), and vegan options. I'm extremely picky about my mapo tofu, and this is the ONLY restaurant I've ever found that can rival the version that my chef friend makes. Soft tofu, rich, pungent, and boldly seasoned sauce with all the funky notes of fermented black beans; it's what I crave and could happily eat every single day. Don't overlook the seemingly plain vegetables, either. They do downright magical things with humble cabbage. The eggplant melts in your mouth. Green beans are tender-crisp and as compulsively munchable as potato chips. I can't explain why or how it's all so good. My big dilemma is that I want to try the whole menu, but I always want to eat the same things, too. Consider this a review in progress, but I haven't found a disappointing dish yet.

    CS12 Sichuan Sauteed Spicy Chicken
    Andrew L.

    I came here for lunch early on a Saturday afternoon. We had no wait and immediately got the vibe that they cater more to their takeout audience. Something about the vibe felt off, almost as if we had shown up to someone's house uninvited. The staff was nice and attentive, but almost everything else about the restaurant screamed "we may be open for dine in, but we'd really rather you didn't" The menu is absolutely tremendous and had a lot of interesting options. Since my Sichuan experiences are rare in Austin, I stick to a more traditional dish and went for the sautéed spicy chicken. The portion size was quite large, but it's about in line with what I'd expect for their price point. The chicken was pretty good, it had a fairly mild pepper kick and you got a little bit of the numbing spice. I purposely ordered this dish because it wasn't described as popcorn chicken, as opposed to the similar spicy chicken dish, but the chicken I had was still quite bready. On the positive side, I thought the mix of vegetables was a great choice and went really well with the chili oil. One other downside to the dish was the sheer volume of oil used in the dish. Across all the plates my group ordered everything was drowned in oil. Overall, if you live in South Austin and are craving Sichuan, this spot should reasonable satisfy you. However I wouldn't come out of my way to try them and likely wouldn't have them in my regular rotation of spots to eat out

    VG7 Dried Sauteed Green Beans

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    2 months ago

    Good food, good service....always gets my order right! It is my "go to" place for Chinese food.

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    7 months ago

    This place is recommended. Foods were not fresh. The pig elbow we ordered tasted like in refrigerator for long time. Will not come again

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    11 months ago

    The chicken was tough and chewy. I couldn't eat it :( the egg roll I got was super soggy.

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    3 years ago

    Not bad for Austin. I always get the fish in chili oil whenever I want fish and I recommend that dish.

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Sichuan River

    Anyone know who has the best GARLIC EGGPLANT in Austin?

    sichuan river on gateway at 290 has an impressive, traditional rendition fortified with ginger. but i suspect that asian cafe on 183 at spicewood springs will have a very good one.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Went to Qi for dim sum brunch and overall had a really enjoyable experience. Qi is know for…read morecombining western and traditional Chinese cuisine by using local organic farming. Did not have a reservation on this occasion, but they always make me feel welcome and manage to fit us in. Sat on the outdoor covered patio that was cool and shaded. The atmosphere is modern and lively, making it a great spot for a weekend brunch. Started the meal with cocktails including Lycheetini with Deep Eddy Vodka, Giffard Lichi-li. lemon, cranberry, I cut the cranberry. Also had a Fresa Paloma with Socorro Reposado Tequila, Contratto, strawberry, lime, grapefruit, five-spice that was very sweet and garnished with a flower. You are given a card where you can mark your dim sum selections. I ordered the Shrimp Pancake, Snow Crab Ball and Chinese Sausage Sticky Rice. The standout was the shrimp pancake that had a really great texture and flavor. The snow crab ball had a strange texture with shrimp surrounding the snow crab claw. The Chinese Sticky Rice is always a favorite. Also ordered the Truffle Egg Fried rice and Birds Nest with Seasonal Vegetable. The Truffle rice is so flavorful like a flavor explosion in your mouth. The Birds Nest is made with fried potato shreds which contain the a variety of vegetables including cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus. The nest is also edible and has a crunchy texture. The presentation of the food is amazing and everything came out hot and fresh. The flavors were on point, and you can tell there's attention to detail in the preparation. Service was attentive outdoors and the pacing of dishes felt just right for a relaxed brunch. This restaurant is truly a gem whether you come for brunch or dinner service. Will definitely be back.

    I met a couple of friends here last week for an early (before 5pm) get together that I thought was…read morea happy hour, but turns out they don't have happy hour so we paid regular prices. The place reminded me of Ling Wu in the Grove area because the decor looked similar. Maybe they are owned by the same people? Firstly, I was impressed with the fact they had a FREE parking garage nearby since this is in the downtown area and next to Whole Foods. It took me a bit to find it as I'm directionally challenged, but I did and was just running a bit late. We really enjoyed the food and cocktails. I got the Singaporean noodles, a mezcal drink, and a sake. The serving size was big so I had plenty to take home. We shared many of the other dumplings and dim sum items. Everything was very good! The place wasn't too crowded so after we paid our bill we sat around for a while longer to chat and catch up. Usually someone would come by to see if we needed or wanted anything further, but no one did so we kept chatting and left. I'm happy to know of a central location with easy parking as a future place to meet people. I wish they had a happy hour because the bill for 3 of us was unexpectedly higher than usual.

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    View from the Patio
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    Dumpling World

    Dumpling World

    4.3
    (258 reviews)
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    Having grown up in a household where dumpling making and preparation were treated as a meditation…read moreon perfection, I've been incredibly pleased to see Austin seriously upping its dumpling game. While I've yet to find a Korean joint with a proper Korean mandoo on offer, Chinese varieties are thriving with the likes of Julie's Noodles, Steamies, Lin's and, the subject of my review, Dumpling World. Definitely don't expect ambiance here. After suffering the Triangle's persistent lack of parking, you'll walk into this place and find a really spare, almost utilitarian set up that screams "we mean business." They definitely mean business. I've probably been here a good 5-6 times, and have tried almost everything on the menu. Soup dumplings shine -- my daughter refuses to eat them anywhere else -- and their recently introduced thumb buns, which I think are fried mini soup dumplings, just ooze flavor. More traditional half-moon dumplings, no matter your filling of choice, steamed or fried, never disappoint. Don't ignore the non-dumpling items too. I don't know what the seasoning is in their green beans, but it's ridiculously delicious. You'll never look at green beans or haricot vert the same way ever again. Good, but unremarkable, are the soups and stews. Better to get those at other Chinese eateries. I don't mean to dissuade anyone from those, but did you really come to a place called Dumpling World to eat anything but dumplings? It gets crowded here at times so I recommend trying on a weekday evening. Uniformly, whether it's packed or slow, service is quick and courteous. With dumplings this good, it's clear that humility is one of the key ingredients to their consistency and quality.

    Hell, yeah! I like this place. Good for groups. Everyone order something and pass it around the…read moretable! The spicy and sour dumplings are the bomb. Way better than the soup dumplings (which are really good!). You can't go wrong with the curry chicken and potato pot stickers. Tan-Tan noodles were really good. The only side you need is the garlic box choy - it's pretty f'n awesome! Service is attentive and friendly. Ask questions and the staff will steer you in the right direction. And...did I mention this place is REALLY affordable! Can't go wrong!

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    Preparing orders
    Preparing orders
    Pork and mushrooms soup dumplings
    Pork and mushrooms soup dumplings
    Dumpling World

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    Shanghai Restaurant

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    3.5
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    We came in for dim sum on a Sunday night, only about 30 minutes before closing, and the staff could…read morenot have been nicer. Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and they repeatedly told us not to rush. We never felt limited in what we could order or pressured to finish up and leave, which we really appreciated. And the food delivered! Everything came out fresh, hot, flavorful, and legit. I'd give the food a solid 4.5/5, but the service was an easy 10/10. Great food, exceptional hospitality, and an all-around great experience. Definitely a spot I'd come back to.

    This might be the best dim sum in Austin now…read more I actually had never eaten at Shanghai having grown up in Austin. I didn't have their food until around COVID when we got dim sum to go a few times. I remember at that time thinking it was pretty unremarkable, and also quite expensive for dim sum. Fast forward to this year. I'm not sure if they have new ownership or new cooks, but the difference is night and day. I've been a couple of times now for dine-in in dim sum and each time was awesome. You can order off the menu or by QR code. They definitely focus on the classics but they're all executed really well. Standouts for me were the pan fried turnip cake, full of turnip and super sweet, the shrimp and leek pan fried dumplings, shrimp stuffed eggplant, and chili wonton. What makes them unique to me is that the food is all cooked to order and comes out hot and fresh. The fried items are crispy and hot and everything else you can tell just came straight from the kitchen. This avoids the one issue with carts which is that the food has been cooked who knows when and has just been sitting in a steam cart for an unknown amount of time. Also since you order off the menu, you can get exactly what you want instead of having to wait for a cart to come by. The service is always friendly and I've never had to wait to be seated, even on a weekend. If you haven't come here in awhile or written it off in the past, I'd encourage you to come and try it again. Right now it's a hidden gem but if more people realize how much better it is now, it might not be for long. Also bonus points for being a dim sum place that's not super far north like New Fortune 2 or Golden Palace.

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    On the side of the restaurant. Enter on the left.

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    On the side of the restaurant. Enter on the left.

    Sichuan River - szechuan - Updated August 2026

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