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For two people we definitely stuffed ourselves full with this order. No wait time at 7pm, we sat and ordered quickly. My partner is pescatarian so previous dumpling restaurants have had extremely bland tasting vegetable bao or no consideration for that diet The vegetable bao here was flavourful, maybe strongly of mushroom but it did have flavour! And so this gives it some plus points. Bi Feng har gow is basically deep fried har gow. Usually deep frying things makes them better but this was a miss for me. Other dumpling dishes were pretty decent, nothing to write home about but made well, solid tastes The green beans were excellently cooked. Great flavour. Would be back again!
I ordered vegetarian xiao long bao and salt and pepper veggies from them. It was a nearly 30 wait for them to get my food ready, but a person who ordered after me got their takeout first. I'm not sure if it's because the restaurant makes fewer of the vegetarian items than the meat ones? Vegetarian xiao long bao: It was so-so, the insides weren't adequately seasoned or flavorful. I wish they made a version that was more comparable to the meat version since I was disappointed by this and would not recommend it. Salt and pepper veggie: It does taste like salt and pepper tofu in flavor profile, but with battered vegetables, kind of like tempura. Pretty good. I liked the kabocha, there's also mushrooms, green beans. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
On a Saturday night, our group of 4 waited 30 minutes before being seated on the farthest inside table. Shanghai Xiao Long Bao: Broth was delicious and bao wrapper was tasty and not sticky! Steamed BBQ Pork Bun: soft, fluffy bun with good pork savory filling. Steamed Shrimp Har Gow: nothing too special, but juicy shrimp Spicy Wontons: This was one of my personal favorites since the chili oil was not too spicy, but it complemented the silky texture of the wontons. Stir-fried String Beans: Good & garlicky Pan-Fried Pork Pot Stickers: The pot stickers were slightly difficult to separate since the crispy skin stuck together, but they were deliciously crispy Chicken Fried Rice: We ordered this later into the night as we felt there wasn't enough food, and the fried rice hit the spot for filling up our stomachs! Steamed Egg Custard Bao: Pillowy, cute decoration on the outside and sweet (but not too sweet) egg taste on the inside!
The sweet buns are so CUTE and heavenly tasting. We had some of these catered to a company event. I tried the sesame bun (black swirl) and the lava bun (panda shaped). So I suppose this review is based off those two flavors only. They are fluffy and fresh and I 100% approve of the filling to bun ratio.
Wanted to get some dumplings today so I came back to Bao. The food was good, but I found the Singapore noodles to be a bit salty this time.. I ordered a shao long bao,pork and shrimp shims in, Singapore noodles, pepper beef. See photos. I came around 2 pm on Sunday and they close lunch at 2:30 pm. I didn't have to wait for a table. You order by writing in a menu piece of paper. I ordered a bit much. Sinnpire Noodles came first. (Odd because I thought dumpling would come out first) I also got pepper beef, shao long bao, and shunning with pork and shrimp. No complaints except the Singapore noodles was a bit salty. Service was good. As for ambiance, they have outside seating as well inside.
Visited Bao with some work friends. Great selections of dim sum. Tasty and very cutesy. I love the panda face baos, the coconut bunnies and the corn shaped pudding is just adorable. Besides being cute, all the dim sum tasted delicious. I also like the xLB. On par with another restaurant that's known for xLBs. Service was courteous. And the ambiance is lovely. Friends and I had a great time. Located on Valencia and 17th St.
I had a really great experience here! The service was fast and efficient!! I barely had to wait, and everyone I spoke with was friendly and attentive. It's nice to see a place that actually delivers on both quality and speed. Everything was clean and well-organized, which made the whole visit even better. They also have a ton of options, so whether you're in the mood for something classic or want to try something new, you'll definitely find it here. The menu makes it easy to mix things up each time you go. Overall, a solid spot that I'd happily come back to again.
We arrived about an hour before closing. They were preparing to close. There was one other party there wrapping up their dinner. It took the staff a while to take our order. The wonton soup dumplings were average. The pot stickers greasy not my favorite. The sesame donuts were the highlight. The decor was standard. I probably will not return. Not good, not bad.
An excellent spot to enjoy authentic Chinese food. The space is small but pleasant, the food is exquisite, and they also offer a great menu at very reasonable prices. Always a good place to come back to.
Good vegetarian and vegan options. I appreciate that the menu was clearly labeled with what's vegan, but I wish there would've been a symbol for vegetarian too (I initially overlooked some yummy bites that contain egg, but no meet). The service was fast and friendly and the space felt busy, but not too crowded or overwhelming when we dined in on a Saturday evening.
Loved everything we ordered. The ambiance here screams comfort Asian food restaurant. Service is pretty quick too. I love the shrimp roast at dumpling time but the one here may have topped that. Custard buns were just okay.
It was a literal dark and stormy night so between squalls I geared up and headed down Guerrero toward 17th Street and swung down to Valencia for another perfect simple dining experience at Bao. I walked into the restaurant about 45 minutes before closing time at 9:30 PM and several other diners came in after I was seated. The unsettled weather made the people hungry for dumplings. Bao is warm and woody and serene on the inside, a great counterpoint to the bustle of Valencia at every hour. Upon entering there is a large window looking on to the kitchen prep area where culinary experts are often at work constructing the food diners later enjoy on their plates. Tonight a couple of wizards were in the process of making chicken potstickers. Even being vegetarian, just seeing how the dumplings and other items are made is like seeing secrets being shared. I love it and it sets the vibe for the restaurant. My order consisted of the steamed vegetarian buns and sautéed string beans. The buns come out beautifully presented and taste even better: the bun itself is just slightly sweet and that sweetness adds an amazing dimension to the chopped fresh vegetables inside. Can't tell you what any of these veggies are individually and I don't care, they are so good. Next came the sautéed string beans and the sear on the beans themselves was perfect and smoky and delicious. The crispness of the sautee makes the string beans a lovely pairing with the soft yummy of the steamed buns. Last came the sesame balls as a sweet meal ending. I love donuts and fresh-made sesame balls are similar to a donut hole just with a filling that is actually food and so sweetly tasty. The outer fry was crisp and the insides absolutely perfect. Three dishes, all fantastic, and I walk home happy and thankful to Bao for a great simple meal!
I've given Bao two chances to win me over; the first time, shortly after they opened, was completely forgettable, hence my giving them a second shot via delivery. This order jogged my memory & now I'm documenting it so I don't inadvertently give them a third chance to disappoint me. I vaguely remember trying their XLB & Steamed Chicken Bao & not enjoying the flavors, but thinking perhaps I need to try more items to give them a fair assessment. Years passed & just recently I placed an order of overpriced Honey Black Pepper Beef; bland Pan Fried Chives & Shrimp Dumplings; Steamed Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaves that didn't taste the way I'm used to this dish tasting; & a Steamed Bao Special containing four different fillings, none of which I liked with the worst being the vegetarian. I'm always searching for what's familiar to me in every restaurant I try. I've been to enough dim sum spots to know that not every place's way of cooking is for me & that's ok; it might be someone else's cup o' tea.
The food was spectacular! My second time here and the menu is dim sum style and has great descriptions if you are not familiar with dim sum specialties. The coconut bunny's were amazing and not what I expected. Definitely would recommend the Shanghai veggie noodles and any of the baos. The pot stickers were beautifully presented and the crispy edges were scrumptious! read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
Quick overview: Bao was delicious, but not somewhere I'll come back again because I'll be craving it. I recommend people to try it for the first time, but it's not really a "You have to go" or "it's a must try". My favorite items we ate that night were: Baked Wasabi Sticky Rice Steamed sweet egg custard bao Fried Curry Taro Puffs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More detailed review: 7/10 for Environment: I met with two other friends and sat outside on the curbside Patio. It has a heated lamps, so that kept us warm. Without a surprise, sitting outside can be noisy with the street, but it didn't bother us too much. We didn't have to wait on a Thursday at 6 pm. 6/10 for Customer service: Even though we sat outside, all the parties outside were taken care of. The waiters/ waitresses will come out often to check on us. I'm not a fan of their menu. Scanning and navigating through the whole thing takes a lot of work. It took us a while to review everything and decide what to eat. I do like that we can mark the menu directly, so we don't need to repeat it to the waiter/waitress. 7/10 for Food: The food portion was definitely easy to share, especially for 3 people. (Majority of the food came in 3 pieces). It also tells you on the menu when you are ordering, how many pieces does each dish comes with. That is helpful when making a decision of what to get and how much food to order. Here are all the food we ordered (from favorite to least): *Baked Wasabi Sticky Rice: This is very similar to the dim sum dish, Lotus sticky rice. Surprisingly, we like this one the most. Although, we didn't taste the wasabi, which was the main reason why we ordered it. But it was still delicious, and I would recommend it. *Steamed Sweet Egg Custard Bao: This was comfort food! They nailed the egg custard bao. Nothing extraordinary, but it tastes like how you would expect an egg custard bao to taste. Love it when it's fresh and warm too. *Fried Curry Taro Puffs: Same as the egg custard bao. This is was I expected it to taste like. The presentation of a swan was cute. The head and neck parts were edible, but they didn't taste good, so we discarded them. Also, the curry flavor wasn't that strong. *Stirred Fried String Beans: We also really like this one. The flavors were there, and it hit the spot. *Steamed Scallop & Shrimp dumplings: I had higher expectations for this since it has scallops. But nothing special for me with this one. *Crab Xiao Long Bao: Same with this one. I had better xiao long bao. I didn't really taste the crab. *Coconut Bunny: To be honest, I got this because it looks cute. It was okay. I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to take pictures of it. Overall, it's alright, but not the best bao and dim sum I had. I'll return if a friend wants to come here or if it's convenient for me. read more
I was so excited to come try their soup dumplings because they have vegetarian ones! It was so yummy, and I'm glad Ive finally had the experience of eating soup dumplings. They were flavorful too, and had a very comforting feel to them. We also tried the vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian potstickers and red bean bao (because they look so cute, we just had to order them). I loved the spring rolls and the red bean bao, and thought that the potstickers had a pretty unique flavor to them. I definitely recommend this place if you want some good vegetarian dumplings and spring rolls. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Variety of vegetarian options: 5/5 For a bao spot, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of vegetarian items on the menu. Also this is one of the few spots in the city that has veg soup dumplings which I really enjoyed (they're extremely hot so just be careful). Baos were of course delicious and the pan fried pot stickers were an interesting shape and flavor. The only item I probably wouldn't order again are the Shanghai Veg Noodles - wasn't a fan of the flavor. Also enjoyed the assorted dessert buns as I'm a huge fan of red bean and the way the baos were decorated was really cute. read more
Found this place on Google and we wanted to try them! They have nice outdoor seating with heat lamps and some indoor seating. We came early on a Wednesday and we're seated immediately. Menus are in English and easy to make down what you want. The crab xlb was my favorite and the pandas were so cute!! The service was fast and the plates were quickly cleared to make room for more! Will be back again:) read more
I never compare dim sum places to Din Tai Fung but I will admittedly say that this place is just as good!!! They don't take reservations and have a clipboard hanging out front. I came with my family of four on a Saturday night and we only waited for 20 minutes until being seated. This restaurant is by no means fancy or in the best area of the city but the bathroom is clean and the water tastes good too. Everything we ordered was a hit and also demolished within minutes. I cannot explain how fresh every dish was and nothing was lacking flavor or too salty. I highly recommend their BBQ pork buns! My whole family orders them at any dim sum place we go to and these have been the best ones we've ever had! We ordered some to go to take home because they were that good!!! Check out Bao on Valencia St for some very yummy dim sum!!!! This is my new go-to spot and I swear by that read more
2 years ago
The food tasted averaged. They did have some unique dim sum items you wouldn't find at most dim sum restaurants, such as their cute sweet bao desserts & taro curry puffs. The price was higher than average and for food that tasted average, that is the reason I gave 3 stars. A worthwhile experience but wouldn't go back again. read more
4 years ago
Happened to be hungry and noticed this spot with my favorite word on their sign, Bao. They have lots of seating inside and outside. Ordering was easy you mark the menu with the amount of orders you want. Staff was friendly and attentive. What I ordered and rating per item: Pan Fried Shrimp and Chives dumplings 5.0 Highly highly recommend ordering this one. The shrimp were cooked to perfection, you could really taste the chives. The crispy texture of the dough. Chefs kiss definitely will order again. Baked BBQ Pork Bun 4.5 Happy accident with ordering this one. I typically order the steamed BBQ pork buns but the crispy outer dough, plus the added sweetness was a happy surprise for me. Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (soup dumpling) 4.0 Great texture of the wrap, good chew, flavor was good but not phenomenal, came out already room temp. Steamed Kimchi Beef Bun 3.0 This was a last minute add on but I wanted to try something outside of my usual basic orders. Flavor wise it's good, it has a slight kick to it but I didn't find it all that spicy. The flavor, color, and texture reminded me a lot of chorizo. Texture wise it was ok, but a little mushy specifically the filling. Glad I tried it but it wasn't for me. Overall, I would go again and try new baos next time and order the shrimp and chives again. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
I loveeeee dim sum so this was a perfect end to our day in the city. Busy spot but service was excellent. Constantly refilling our waters and being mindful of us. The noodles and beef kimchi bao were probably my favorites! The spicy soup dumplings were not spicy in a traditional sense-more like a ginger spice. I probably would have gotten the regular ones if I had known that. We ordered 5 different plates to share and it was a lot of food for 2 people. read more
Pretty surprised to find a new Asian restaurant in the mission district. Even more surprised that this place serves dim sum at night! All the popular traditional dishes such as siu mai and har gao tasted authentic. Really liked Sichuan xiao long baos as it tasted exactly like the Sichuan hotpot broth. The sweet lava bun comes with a cute panda design which was a nice surprise as well. The only complaint I have about the place is that all the menu items were slightly expensive; however, that's understandable given the fact that the restaurant is located in the Mission. read more
Here's what we got: Sichuan XLB $11.50 Crab XLB $11.50 Baked BBQ Pork Bao $8.50, never tried before but well worth it This restaurant has SO many options. As someone that loves XLB, this was the place to be. We were just walking around Mission and found this gem. They also have veg XLB , which I haven't seen before! Service was good and it was really cute and vibey. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the XLBs were a bit big, wish they were smaller so it's easier to eat. read more
4 years ago
A great spot in the Mission that's super walkable to other fun little shops and bars. I still haven't found my go-to dim sum spot but this one is both reliable and yummy. I enjoyed the pork xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and the baked bbq pork buns which have a delicious sugary and savory crust. I also got my friend a mango jello shaped like a corn for dessert which we still joke about to this day. I give this place 4/5 stars because the price is pretty high for the amount of dumplings you get in each order. read more
I have come to realize I have never had quality bao before. The baos here are hand made and the chefs can be seen working through a glass window at the front. My sister and I arrived at opening and showed up a little unprepared and underdressed as I'd only looked for a bao place in the area because I knew my sister enjoys bao. Regardless of our shoddy presentation, the hostess was very gracious in receiving us and sat us by a window with a lovely view of the street. The lighting within the restaurant is clear and the music they play is gentle and relaxing. The menu was a straightforward piece of paper much like those at any dim sun restaurant where you write in the numbers for what you'd like to order. You can scan a QR code on the paper to access a beautiful online menu with pictures of every item. My sister and I ordered the Bao Special, Sweet Bao Special, Steamed Pork and Shrimp Shumai, and the Swan Puffs. When the dishes were brought out, the waiter was very clear in telling us what each dim sum contained after correcting our plate settings. Of the Bao Special, I ate the kimchi filled bao and the vegetable bao. They both had a nice balance of perfectly slightly sweet and fluffy bao with their savory insides. Of the Sweet Bao Special, I ate the sesame bao (grey swirl) and found it to be as filling and fluffy as the savory baos. The pork and shrimp shumai were delicious as well. My sister and I probably should have only ordered those three items, as we were relatively full. As a result, we didn't manage to finish off the Swan Puffs. The Swan Puffs are lightly deep fried with a center of soft mango bits and custards. It is richer than the baos, and I think in the future, as delicious as they are, I would probably only eat half of one instead of one and a half. Overall, a beautiful setting with beautiful food. I am bringing my girlfriend here the next time I'm in the area because it is fitting to bring a beautiful person to a beautiful restaurant :) read more
So happy there's a dim sum place in The Mission since I work there a lot! I tried all the specials so I could get a little taste of everything! First of all, with the sweet ones...that lava bun is so insanely good!!! Gooey and sweet with a fluffy bun. They were all good but that one hands down was the winner! With the savory buns, it's very hard to choose...I alway love veggie options and who doesn't love a good bbq bun? But the chicken one stood out a bit to me! But again that one is hard to choose because they were all so good! Same goes with the steamed special! The scallop dumpling had big chunks of scallops in it! All in all, I don't think you can go wrong from any of the buns or dumplings! Also I love that they have that big window in the front where you can watch the dumplings being made! read more
4 years ago
I wasn't sure what to expect for a dimsum spot in the heart of the Mission. The price definitely reflects the location, but I genuinely think the food is worth it. The Chinese broccoli came out first, the broccoli was so tender and I think is steamed rather than boiled. The pieces were also cut in more manageable pieces. Next came the Taro puffs, which came out piping hot and crispy to perfection. The Xiao long bao came out fresh and the dough was impressively thin. Crab and pork are definitely the way to go. My husband really liked the Sichuan XLB, but it wasn't for me. Finally the steam baos came out and I wasn't expecting how light the buns would be. Might have been an underdog favorite tbh. Definitely elevated and on the pricier side, but I am a proponent for good service, good ambiance, and good quality food for higher prices. You can definitely get cheaper dimsum but the experience is wholly different. Cheers! read more
4 years ago
As someone that grew up in Hong Kong, I was cautiously optimistic about a Cantonese restaurant serving dim sum dishes in the Mission. However, after visiting three times (and counting) I can safely say that this place is the baomb! The classic dim sum dishes - ex: shrimp har gao, shrimp + pork siu mai, bbq pork (char siu) bao - are very authentic and would fit in on a lazy Susan in a Hong Kong dim sum restaurant. The XLB is top-tier- thin wrapper, soupy, great flavor and chew. I liked the Sichuan XLB but some of my friends didn't. I expected some mala spice flavor, but it was missing that. The best thing here is the baked BBQ pork bun - it has an absolutely delicious, flakey glaze that, coupled with the perfectly balanced char siu filling, makes it my favorite BBQ pork bun in SF. Just like any good place for xiao long bao, you can peer into the open wrapping station to watch one or two chefs hand-wrapping dumplings. The man working there is super friendly and greeted us when he noticed us watching him. Bao is definitely an elevated dining experience, with modern Chinese decor and Valencia prices, but I think it's well worth it. I haven't had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table and service is great. I can't wait to come back and try all of Bao's baos. read more
A cute little fancy-ish dimsum in the Mission. My friends and I often go to a 'real' dimsum place, where you would see many Asian uncles and aunties pouring tea out of a hot tea pots while talking super loud in a heart of China Town. I was in a mood of walking and chatting the wind away. I felt like sitting in a chic place with a nice heater, sipping sleek cocktail especially in tonight leather skirt with a zipper right thigh slit. Anyhow, after 30 mins walking to find that chic place, everything was hella crowded. I saw this "Bao" sign, which was hella cute. That's it, I want so dumplings. My friend wasn't that hungry so she was cool with anything. The hot jasmine tea calmed our souls. The food...was average. Nothing great. Acceptable. My friend paid while I was going to the powder room. I had no idea if it was expensive or not The servers were great. We had a nice evening. Thanks. read more
4 years ago
You don't typically see a Chinese restaurant in the Mission but I think it's nice to have a contrast with the Mexican and other Latin cuisines. By far the best dish was the Kimchi fried rice. There is a slight lemon-y taste in the kimchi that I've never tried before! I hope to recreate this. Great atmosphere, a little over-priced for the food but I understand the markup because of the location. Overall, great experience and I would go back if I was in the area and wanted some dumplings and kimchi fried rice! read more
Came here last night for the first time and I thoroughly enjoyed the food! The restaurant does a good job of preparing the food, and everything I ate was hot, delicious, and had good textures. Service was also great - the waitress explained the different items (especially the baos) to us! However, I would say that it falls on the more expensive side, probably because of the aesthetic details they put on the food. If you want to go to a fancy dim sum place that looks good on the gram, this place is for you! read more
3 years ago
I've been here a handful of times for dinner and for desert only. Great portions, excellent vegetarian and meat options. Fantastic quality and price. The shapes of the boas and puddings are so fun and you can watch the chefs cook as you wait. The ambience is perfect for a date nice or you can sit out front for a nice summer night. Make a reservation for big groups! read more
5 years ago
Not the most authentic dimsum you'll ever have and a little overpriced but had a good time here regardless! We got the shrimp hargow, wasabi sticky rice, special sweet bao buns, special bao buns, shrimp shumai, and the crab XLB. All tasted fine but not exceptional. The tea was also $3 and just ok :/ Our favorite was the special sweet bao - def order that if u decide to try this place out! Plus its adorable and insta worthy ;) read more
Bao is a nice addition to the Mission, where there's only a few Chinese restaurants let alone dim sum. It's always packed, especially around dinner hours. Food was tasty and the sweet and savory bao samplers are a great way to try a variety of things for two people. Not as good as what you'll find in Chinatown, and also definitely pricier, but it's a solid choice if you're craving some dim sum and in the neighborhood. You can see them make it fresh through the window. There is plenty of outdoor seating, the indoor seating area also looks very nice. read more
Went here with a group of 6 on a Wednesday evening and we were seated immediately. Half the group was vegetarian so we ordered a bunch of things to share: the vegetarian fried rice, veggie XLB, veggie potstickers, steamed veggie bao, I think a custard bao, and mango jelly pudding in the shape of a corn. I have been looking for a vegetarian XLB forever so I was really excited about it, and I think they made a great version! My favorite was by far the veggie potstickers - the combination of mushrooms and black pepper was phenomenal and I will definitely be going back for them. The service was good and the ambiance was casual, making this a great spot for a weeknight dinner with a small group. I'll be returning for sure! read more
5 years ago
Picked up a to go order for a great impromptu lunch. The highlight was definitely the pork and shrimp siu mai! Super flavourful and juicy. Might be a new favourite in the city!! I also really enjoyed the egg yolk lava bun. The right balance of sweetness and the bun was so soft! The xiao long bao was pretty good. I did really like the delicate, slightly chewy wrapper but the filling was just okay for me. Prices are definitely higher than some other places in the city but if you're craving dim sum in the Mission and you don't want to leave the neighbourhood, Boa won't leave you disappointed! read more
3 years ago
ATMOSPHERE AND SERVICE: It's really fun to watch them fold the dumplings behind a glass window. You know it's fresh when you can see them making them right there. Indoor seating area was clean and well decorated, and outdoor seating had a nice parklet that was raised to sidewalk level (so you don't have to feel like you step down into the street). Was a nice warm SF evening to eat outside. Once you hand in your order sheet, food comes out really fast. Service was quite fast. FOOD: Xiao long bao (4 out of 5): Decently good but standard xiao long bao. I've had better that were softer and chewier, but still quite good. Baked BBQ pork bun (4.5 out of 5): I love bbq pork buns. Had a good BBQ pork flavor, and the outer bun had a slight sweet crust to it. Baked wasabi sticky rice (4 out of 5): Rice topped with a rich creamy sauce. I didn't taste too much wasabi, it was quite subtle. read more
Wow! What a great experience! I flew in from Colorado and my friend and I went straight to Bao. Such a great meal at a great price! First, the food was really delicious and hit the spot. We had a combination of dumplings, sweet buns and Chinese broccoli! All were so good! Second to the impressive food were the prices. We got so much value for what we paid. In Denver, for example, at a dumpling place, you will pay $14 for 3 dumplings while here we got 6 for $10.50! We ate outside so I cannot speak to the atmosphere indoors but it looked comfortable! If you're in the Mission area, def check this place out! Thanks, Bao! read more
5 years ago
This place is awesome. We are huge fans. They have a wonderfully built out dining in the front but I would recommend seating inside if you can get a table. (If you can't dine indoors in SF bc youre unvaccinated then you are missing out. Just get the shot.) Ambiance: Really beautiful but it gets BUSY on the weekends. It is cool that you can see people making the bao in the window but you are not a part of it when you're inside. Service: Always good in my opinion. They are pretty on top of everything even when it gets ridiculously busy on the weekends - which it does - so I am very impressed. Especially since they are running in and out to service the outdoor diners which means they regularly have to traverse busy thoroughfare of people walking down the sidewalk. They have a great system where you tick of the bao you want and leave a little ticket at your table, checking them off as they bring them. Food: Really incredible - I recommend the sweet bao special if you want the sweet. And probably in general getting the special which features one of each of some types is a good idea if you dont want to commit to 2-3 of the same thing. The baked BBQ pork bun is a must. Overall amazing spot. Bring your friends when they come to visit, they will love this place! read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
-friendly staff -glass window so you can see the masters at work - outside and inside seating - you can pencil in your order off the menu (plus) - clean restrooms -food was great -inexpensive - quick service Nothing bad to say about this place really enjoyed it. Would definitely go back again and try more of the menu. Good job. read more
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Ask the Community - Bao
Are the vegetarian dishes vegan? No dairy, egg, or oyster sauce.
Yes, all the dishes marked vegetarian on the menu were actually vegan. I asked about a noodle dish that sounded vegetarian from the description but was not marked, I was told it was not marked because noodles were made with eggs...so I think many…
Does this restaurant have outside dining with heaters ? Also do they accept service dogs?
They have outside dining, but they don't have heaters. The last time I was there, I was cold sitting outside! Bring an extra jacket! I don't know whether they accept service…
What is the little sour fruit in the egg tarts?
Yes, two tasty sour-ish raisin-like fruits were incorporated into (or atop) the tarts. There is no much of the flaky pastry, not enough of the (slightly overcooked) filling in this dish at Bao - not worth the price.
Are there any vegan options?
I think some of the vegetarian options are vegan, as they don't seem to contain dairy.
Is it safe for people with shellfish allergies to eat here? I see there are dishes that don't contain shellfish, but I worry about cross-contamination, or shellfish in the kimchi.
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Bao - chinese - Updated September 2026
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