I've visited this restaurant twice now and both times were very mediocre. The wait staff was unimpressive. They were out of dumpling sauce and a fryer was "down." What is this, McDonalds? The dumplings are rubbery and relatively bland. Also the vegan dumplings come with non-vegan sauce?? Save yourself the money and go to a local establishment and not this chain. read more

SO MANY GNATS. They swarmed our food the entire time. Even the server said I'm sorry yeah the gnats are really bad right now. They landed in our food. We didn't even want to eat it. People around us were even swatting the tables they were sitting at. One couple behind us just got up and left without even ordering because the bugs were so bad. First time for us coming. read more

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This was definitely on my to try list and I was super excited that this place was finally open. The interior design and seating of the place was so cute and on theme. The staff was friendly and the was always attentive. I loved how they had various soup dumpling options and they had different colors as well as a sampler option so we could try different ones. The soup dumpling came out nice and tasted great. The only downside I had about it was that the skin on a few of the soup dumplings had torn more easily when I picked them up. My friend and I ordered the cucumber and popcorn chicken as appetizers. The cucumber was crunchy and the sauce on it was so refreshing. We actually ate the cucumber after we had everything else bc it was a nice cleanser for the more heavier tasting food. The popcorn chicken came out crispy, nicely seasoned and so juicy. We also ordered the green tea noodle with sesame sauce. It had a nice kick to it and the noodles were so chewy and had a nice bounce to it. Also if you love peanut sauce, you'll definitely love this dish. It had such a nice nutty flavor and the sauce wasn't too thick. Overall, this is a solid place to go eat at and I would definitely recommend coming here again to eat with friends. read more

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Food was great and so was service! quite packed on a Tuesday afternoon (there was a wait) so definitely keep that in mind but was worth it! cant remember what the filling was in the black dumpling, but would recommend getting a full order of those as opposed to the sampler read more

Ugly Dumpling - Ugly Dumpling's Sampler (5) Cream Cheese Rangoon Edamame - Dim Sum Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Today will be the second time eating the food. So far it has been great food. Both eat in and takeout tasted great. But the services was beyond awful. Both times. First, it was close to opening day. You get a pass until kinks are worked out. Today was not a kink. Went in twice today. Called in the order, and got a note it was ready. Nobody up front, but my bag with my name and order was, I stood around and waited. the bag was stapled shut, so I took it. Got back to work and the order was incomplete. Like no dumplings. So I drove back to the restaurant. 4 people up front, but the hostess was off checking on a table for the people in front of me. More than half empty but I guess they only run a few tables at lunch. I don't know. When she came back, I told her my issues and she flat out told me I was wrong. They they always check the order in the kitchen. That it could not happen. Asked what I wanted to do, and I said I either want my food or a refund. Well a refund is impossible. Or at least the hostess and maybe the manager said it was not possible. Really all I wanted was lunch. Not two trips in the car and an argument that ate up most of my lunch break. Just for fun, I guess the hostess had to complain to the person at the bar and laugh about me. I may go back, but if the same hostess is there, I will just walk out. read more

Third time. First time not so good but gave it a second try and it was okay but third time stunk. Sent fried rice back because it was not cooked and replacement was gross. Techno music is awful. Service so so. No fourth time. read more

Hannah was fantastic! Great service and great food. Felt like our very own Din Tai Fung in Richmond. I am so excited to go back soon!

This restaurant opened recently, so they always have a wait if you want to sit at a table. Tip: if there's space, sit at the bar, which is full service! My boyfriend and I didn't wait long at all for the food to come out, and the server was very kind. We ordered: Scallion pancake (3/10) - not enough scallions Pork and truffle soup dumplings (6/10) -good but not as good as the pork and crab Pork and crab soup dumplings (8/10) -my favorite dumplings we tried! So juicy and flavorful Chicken fried rice (7/10) -solid fried rice Green beans with garlic (7/10) Beef noodle soup (9/10) -favorite dish of the night. The beef was so tender, and I was surprised by how flavorful the soup was. Crystal shrimp dumplings (6/10) read more

I came in last night as a solo diner with a dumpling craving. The soup dumplings were fine, but the overall experience made me not want to return. Walking in was jarring. The lights were overly bright, the music was so faint it was basically silent, and the host greeted me in a whisper after a noticeable delay. She suggested the bar, even though the dining room was nearly empty. Once seated, it took a while before anyone approached, and my first interaction was simply placing a food order. No one even asked if I wanted a drink, which was surprising at the bar. On top of that, the menus were so worn that many of the cocktail ingredients were unreadable. Combined with the lack of anyone offering me a drink, I ended up skipping one altogether, and I'm usually pretty easy to talk into a cocktail. Staff interactions throughout the evening were consistently quiet and hesitant, making what little communication there was awkward. One bartender checked in under his breath, as if hoping guests didn't need anything. Later, the same bartender talked loudly about shutting the bar down at 6:45, then began breaking it down in front of guests, mats and all on the bar top, which felt careless. I also witnessed a to-go guest waiting nearly 30 minutes past his expected pickup time. After he left, the manager openly criticized him to the host within earshot of customers. That, combined with the host scrolling on her phone and wearing an AirPod while guests arrived, gave the impression of disengagement. When a large party came in, she stood silently in front of them, staring at an iPad, before finally acknowledging them. What stood out most was the manager's behavior. During my visit, she seemed more engaged in taking pictures of herself for Instagram and speaking poorly about guests than in leading her team. The shift wasn't being managed. There is a huge difference between simply working a "manager shift" and actually managing a restaurant, and the latter was not happening here. Why not inspire the staff, coach them, and guide them to improve guest interactions? It was a slow evening, the perfect opportunity to lead by example. Instead, speaking poorly about guests in front of staff sends the message that it's acceptable to dismiss or disrespect customers. That kind of leadership sets the tone for the entire team, and unfortunately, the tone was indifference. This restaurant is currently offering zero hospitality. Luckily for them, that means there is plenty of room for improvement. But improvement requires a management team that cares enough to lead, coach, and set higher standards. Without that, the guest experience will continue to suffer. read more

The food here is all pre-packaged and prepared off location then heated up in the kitchen, no real cooking. The few times we got food from there it fell way off the mark. The beef in the noodles was chewy, the noodles too soft, the broth was terrible. The soup dumplings were just gross and the orange chicken was the eorst I have had. Even the rice was crap. Avoid at all costs. read more

nothing wrong with the service or ambiance, the food was alright but honestly we didn't really like the dumplings but i think that's personal preference cause we overheard someone else at their table say they were great, my partner really really liked the pork buns though so as long as they were happy i'm happy too read more

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I first came here in early June with my boyfriend. Service was ok but they did give our food to the wrong table close to us and it took them nearly 5ish minutes to realize that we were trying to get their attention to swap the food to our table. We tried this restaurant again last night and today's service was worse than the first time. It took us almost 10 minutes to get seated because there seems to be no host watching the door for customers. We had 2 delivery drivers walk in front of us to collect their orders and the worker took care of them first before us, which is kind of rude but we brushed it off. We got sat at our table and we waited nearly 10 minutes for a waitress to show up asking what we wanted to drink. We watched 5 waitresses walk by and several seemed to converse throughout our wait. We left to go eat elsewhere since our patience was tested enough. We will not be coming in again because of the service. There's more than enough seats and staff to take care of specific roles but it seems like the staff have low priority for customers coming in and when they get seated. Food is good but service gets a 1/5. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Dim Sum Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Super cute restaurant! Decent food I like how it's dim sum style and we're able to try a bunch of different dishes. Very very similar to Din Tai Fung if you've been. The service was amazing the food came out so quick we ordered and food started coming out 2 mins later. I'd recommend the spicy chicken/pork wontons, noodles with shredded beef & shishito pepper, string beans with garlic, and fried chicken dumpling. I do not recommend the mochi because of texture and boba if you don't like sweet drinks bc it is extremely sweet. Overall would come again! read more

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Great bartender/service. I had the soup dumplings , pork/shrimp wontons, fried rice with pork chop and brown sugar boozy boba tea. A must try. I will be back to try other menu items but overall the food was good. The pork chop was very moist and flavorful and everything seemed reasonably priced. There is also outdoor seating. read more

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I went here with a small group so got to try a variety of things on the menu. First and foremost, they nailed the soup dumplings; they had a delicate wrapper with flavorful meat filling and savory broth. The wontons and pork buns were both notable as well. The only thing that I was disappointed in was the fried chicken - it had a crunchy fried layer but it wasn't warm and felt like it had been sitting out for a little bit. But definitely not the biggest priority since the place is known for their dumplings and they definitely nailed that! read more

Don't think I'm a fan. The ambiance of the restaurant is really nice. Modern with soft glowing lights. Makes you want to stay around and enjoy a good meal. The service was good. My waitress was attentive and quick. I ordered the pork and crab soup dumpling and spicy noodles. The soup dumplings were good. With broth and flavor bursting with every bite. It came out in a steamer so you know it was hot. The spicy noodles left a lot to be desired. At first bite they lacked flavor and simply taste like noodles with hot chili oil over them. I added some of the vinegar and soy which brought them more to life but over still not a tasty dish. The noodles had a burnt smokey after taste to them. Should invest in making an actual sauce for the noodles. Overall I don't think I'll be returning it didn't leave me longing for more. read more

**Roaches ** We showed up 45 minutes before closing and as soon as we were sat, we were told to order immediately as the grill closed in 5 minutes. The waitress/bartender was rude the entire time. The food was okay. Crab Rangoon, egg rolls, soup dumplings were nothing to write home about. During our stay we saw at least 3 huge roaches. One was taking a long stroll across the bar heights tables area, weaving in between wait staff. Two others were chilling in the women's bathroom. First and LAST time we ever go to Ugly Dumpling Willow Lawn read more

This review is on the soup dumplings alone as it's the only thing I had. They are nothing special and not like legit soup dumplings. Small and not very soupy like they should be. If you've had legit soup dumplings you will be disappointed. The size and amount of soup filling is about the same as the frozen grocery store soup dumplings, but the taste is admittedly better. If you've are ever in NYC, get soup dumplings in China Town and you will understand... read more

My husband and I were so excited to try this place after reading all the great reviews. We took off work and went on a Tuesday afternoon which we thought would be a great time since a lot of the reviews said the wait time was always so high. It was indeed no wait which was great. We ordered the pork and pork crab soup dumplings. They were ok tasting I had higher expectations on the taste since they're made fresh in house. You get about 6 dumplings for each order. It honestly tasted on the same level as the Trader Joe's frozen soup dumplings. Next we ordered the sesame noodle dish and my husband loves everything orange chicken so we ordered that as well. I feel bad that I couldn't even taste the noodles to properly review them because they were so stuck together and overcooked. The waitress asked if I wanted them remade but I politely declined based on that first impression. We then got the orange chicken which looked good and that it would be very crunchy. It looked exactly like the popcorn chicken we saw at another table just covered in sauce. The chicken was soggy and the sauce overpowered everything. Not to mention the orange chicken didn't come with any rice at all. It was an upcharge to add on which I felt was odd for the price and the advertising of being family style. Overall I felt like we had such a subpar experience especially since the price point was $45 for only three items. We didn't order any drinks only water. I felt like I could have just saved my money and made a better date night at home. read more

Food is literally just not goooood, don't get the noddles. Cost so much and is just not worth it . Would recommend literally any where eles.

Everything about this place was spot on. The decor and ambiance was lovely and comfortable and conducive to the menu and setting. The menu was expansive and perfect for my companion vegetarian as well as my own carnivorous preferences. We REALLY enjoyed the serendipitous Happy Hour, too. Thank you, Cynthia, for taking care of us so well read more

My wife and I were very disappointed in the overall blandness of the food. My wife usually goes for bland food but for the first time ever she said, "this is bland". We got the soup dumpling sampler, vegi noodle stir fry, and vegi dumplings. Everything kind of just tasted the same. The dumplings all tasted like an indiscernible mush in some broth. It's a shame, this is a great location in willow lawn that can't seem to keep a tenant. My guess is this place will join the long line of failed restaurants. Service was pretty good, our waitress was very nice and polite read more

The soup dumpling sampler platter is so good and all the noodle dishes are a hit. It's very nice inside and family friendly.

The service was great! The food unfortunately underwhelming, some dishes were salt forward while other dishes were bland. We had a few dumpling dishes that were too "doughy". read more

Thought I give this place a try while visiting customers in Richmond. The dumplings were great, just like the ones in Shanghai. The soup dumplings were my favorite. Service was polite and prompt. And the ambiance was happy and now. read more

Run, don't walk. Fantastic take 2. Every meal is spot on. Great service, great food, and great ambiance. Spicy cucumber, garlic green beans, orange chicken and amazing buns. Love! read more

Finally some good soup dumplings in RVA. Been here a few times and have tried most on the menu ended up being good.

Given that they still haven't had their grand opening, this modern, trendy restaurant is off to a good start. The service is friendly, if still a little shaky- the server said that they had no sugar free drinks other than water, which I suspect is incorrect, and we had to ask for bowls to mix soy sauce and vinegar. I do wish that the house music was not so loud. The surfaces are all hard, so noise just bounces around, making it hard to hear even table mates. The dumplings came out within ten minutes of being ordered, at the same time as the appetizer, a perfectly crispy, but not greasy, scallion pancake. We had the spinach, pork, and shrimp soup dumplings, the spicy pork and shrimp dumplings (which weren't at all spicy, and were missing the Szechuan tingle I expected from them), and the shrimp crystal dumplings. All were delicious. Be aware that the dumplings are single bite sized, smaller than at other restaurants. They're tasty and tender, but you need to order more than you normally would. I'd suggest getting an order of noodles or rice to round out the meal. We'll definitely be back- there are more dumplings to try! read more

i like the shrimp pork xiu mai cusotomer service was good good overall was good i would come back read more

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Great food and AMAZING service! Visited on Sunday and Yesenia was extremely kind and accommodating, they made sure we got everything we needed and went above and beyond to make sure our first time at Ugly Dumpling was a good experience. 10/10 would come again! read more

Food was average or slightly above average. Service was some of the worst service I have ever had the misfortune to experience. Waitress abandoned us after drink order for at least 20 minutes. We had to ask another waitress to refill water glasses. Didn't refill drinks, never checked on us after someone else brought out the food. Didn't clear off the table after the meal was finished-the minimal expectation for a server. Not returning. read more

the food was good, but the service is terrible. for the price you're paying it should not be this bad. I came here twice, once in a group of 8 and once with another person, and both times it took the server 15 minutes to even approach the table. main courses came out before appetizers or even waters, and they got our orders wrong both times. i wish I could say the food is worth the inconvenience, especially as someone who has to drive 45 minutes one way to get there, but it isn't. read more

Consistently delicious. I wish I had a bigger stomach so I could try it all. This time we got chicken & broccoli, pork xiao long bao, salt/pepper fried chicken, chicken fried dumplings & chicken stir fried noodles and it came out fast. The noodles were the only thing I wouldn't get again as I had to doctor it a bit with soy sauce & hot sauce to give it some flavor. The rest were on point with flavor & presentation. The decor is modern, upbeat music at a comfortable level to have conversations. Elise was attentive & friendly. read more

Met two friends out for a birthday. Second time I've been here. Smokey was our server and did a great job. Was cordial and checked on us. Food was good and priced fairly so we could sample several things. We all LOVED the cucumbers, oddly enough. Their sauce is tasty, Noteworthy also were the soup dumplings. BBQ Pork Bao buns need a little something extra to kick them up a bit, Both of my friends had two different beers and both of their beers were 'off'. Not cold enough. Flat. There was no resolution to come of that. Still would come back though. read more

WAS so excited to try this place. Let me tell you... I wish I could go back and slap some sense into myself. Fried pork chop noodle soup was the biggest letdown. What we got versus what the menu led us to believe we were getting were two completely different things. No vegetables, overcooked noodles, bland meat... Orange chicken was rubbery. Scallion pancake was dripping in oil. Spring rolls were complete mush. The only thing that we actually enjoyed was the broth on the soup (and it came from a can). Just save yourself the trouble and pick up a frozen pizza read more

I have eaten via Grubhub with Ugly Dumpling numerous times. When it is good, it is very good, 5 star. I really enjoy their dumpling and noodles. However, and its a big however, if I order 4 dishes odds are great that two of them will be inedibly hot, as though they have had chili oil poured all over and in them. I am not talking about the items marked as spicy, I am talking about those that are not. Tonight is was the shrimp and pork dumplings, after one bite, they went into the trash. This is really frustrating, as they do not offer a spice level. As such, plan on $60 orders having only $30 of edible food. read more

4 of us went here last night. We were seated quickly. We ordered 3 bar drinks and a couple non bar drinks along with edamame, pork chop fried rice and popcorn chicken as appetizers. If you want anything brought out together, forget about it. Appetizers were brought out one by one, a few minutes apart. (No drinks yet other than water and a soda). I was told the apps were average. I did have some edamame. Hard to measure that up. Bar drinks were brought out one by one into the dining room intermittently. One took about 20 minutes after asking twice. None of the entrees were brought out together. 3 were rice dishes and the 4th were dumplings. Bu the time the final entree was brought out, the person with the first entree brought out was almost finished. The rice was reeeaaalllly average. Blas and slightly gummy. Not great. I did not partake, but the pork and crab dumplings were probably the best thing in the table, although nothing special. Hopefully the service will improve with time, but I don't think we will be back. read more

I recently went to ugly dumpling with my friend on Sunday and I had an amazing experience. Yesenia my server was extremely kind and attentive. I felt so welcomed and the atmosphere was amazing! read more

It's a lovely place with satisfying aesthetics. I ordered shrimp fried rice, soup dumplings, and fried dumplings, and everything was great. My only issue was that the soup dumplings stuck to the parchment paper inside the steam basket, so I had to be extra careful not to tear them and accidentally spill the broth. read more

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AWFUL experience!!! Will never ever ever go back. The food does not arrive at the same time and some dishes never came.