Man, I love this place, but I just got rice with a bug in it... a gnat maybe? Off putting to say the least :( so sad! read more

Chinatown North - A gnat in my food? - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

It's really all about the dim sum here. It's a little pricey, but well worth it. Gorged myself silly the first time I went. Second time, I insisted that my family try this amazingness that I lived so closely to. [Literally, lived across the street.] Third time, took even more family. All those dishes that people have mentioned, I've tried. Maybe even the entire menu, if not then really close to it. The sea bass, coffee-glazed ribs and the PEKING DUCK! All amazing!! No food cart is safe! No worries, the familiar steamed buns and dumplings are in abundant supply as well. There will be a wait, but call ahead and make reservations! read more

This review is only for the dim sum. I think a lot of other reviewers have wrote about the wait, which is common, so do expect that. The pro's are very typical. It's decent food. It wont compare to Houston or other cities with larger chinese populations, but for Austin, its' not bad. Their is a lot of "fusion" food that's not typical dim sum, but it ain't bad, though I only tried the coffee rubbed ribs. The wait staff, though, seems to be largely inconsistent. I really only wanted two dishes, the shrimp in rice roll thing (i dont know the right english name), and dan tats. They said they were out of the former, and the latter would be ready in 8 minutes. I was fine with waiting a few minutes for it. About 5 minutes later another waitress came by and asked if we wanted anything. When told about the dan tats she went away, and then came back and said they were out. When asked immediately again if she was sure, the said they would be ready in 25-30 minutes. Which is it? There's a big difference between running out and having it ready in 25-30 minutes. Regardless we paid and left. Which brings me to my last gripe. There is no way that anyone should every pay $10 for a pot of tea unless it's going to cure cancer (immediately). At most chinese restaurants the tea is either complimentary or very cheap. Do not get suckered into thinking it will be cheap when you order their tea, and then get stuck with a bill for $20 tea ($10 is just the starting point). It's almost like asking for water and getting charged for it. Good tea can get expensive, but this is ridiculous. The place is also VERY cramped. If I have to go eat dim sum in austin again, i'd probably just go to Shanghai, or wait till I visit Houston again. Overall it was a very "western" dim sum place. Will PF Chang's start serving dim sum too? read more

i wasn't feeling their lunch special. The soup was okay but that's about all I liked, the general tso's chicken was horrid, I almost wanted to give up eating meat for a week. The eggroll is gross and the tiny chicken wing was dry, and looked like an afterthought. The saving grace was good service and a funk-free interior. read more

We ordered with UberEats and the driver left a bag at the restaurant. He told us it was "not his problem". We called and talked to Martin (we think he's the manager) and he was incredibly apologetic (it wasn't their fault) and he took a new order for us. We asked about delivery and he said they don't deliver, but that he would PERSONALLY drive the food to our house. What?! 20 minutes later, he was at our house with the replacement food and then some. The food is great and while we've loved other Chinese restaurants in town, we will only patronize this one from now on. What amazing customer service and caring. Thanks guys! read more

As most people said, the food is kind of pricey, but you're paying for the service and the presentation. Most dishes came with a flower, a cherry, or slice of orange for garnish. My friends and I were seated near the bar area. Not a lot of cart action so we ordered most of our dishes. The owner/manager came by at least 3 times to see how we were doing - instructed people to get our water filled on a constant basis. The staff had some younger people - high school maybe? So bang for the buck? Maybe not the best, but if you're trying to show a non-Asian some staples of dim sum and great service, this is your place. The coffee glazed ribs were an interesting surprise. They call the soup dumplings -"Shanghai dumplings." There were out of a few things that I typically order at a dim sum place. Overall, the food was par the service was pretty impressive - but that's on the scale of your typical Asian restaurant read more

Dim sum YUM! We visited Chinatown this afternoon and it was delicious. Went around 1pm (on Sunday) and it was super packed with tons of people waiting for tables, but since we were a two-top we were seated immediately. It was quite the experience. The minute we sat down it was cart after cart of options. Chicken and basil dumplings, shrimp stuffed jalapenos, shrimp egg rolls, shrimp stuffed mushrooms, sea bass...I could have easily left this place in a food coma if everything had been free. My only complaint would be that you're a little bombarded with everything, and it's hard to know what to get and what to pass up so by the end you're full and realize you didn't get to try some of the things you wanted. The service was great, and it's nice to have a more upscale Chinese meal since I've always equated Chinese food with small, shady restaurants and sub-par service. I've also been there for dinner with a large group, and the food was superb at night as well. read more

So I have to preface this review... I am extremely picky and biased when it comes to Dim Sum. After living in LA and Seattle and eating some of the best Dim Sum ever I can only give Chinatown a "meh." A couple of things drove me down to two stars. The taste and quality were good but that can get overshadowed by the details. 1. Most of the wait staff didn't know any Chinese. My friends and i were ordering by the correct Chinese name for the dishes and we kept getting blank stares until we asked for the American descriptions. "Can we get Char Siu Hum Bao? What's that? Pork Hum Bao. What? You know the white steamed buns with sweet pork in the middle! Oh, we got those i think.." 2. We were at first sitting -- right at 11:00 am -- and they didn't have any steamed pork Hum bao. WTF! after waiting 30 mins we see a group two table over eating hum bao. Not only that but we had to ask six times to get any. Guess what we get one tray right when we were done eating. Ugh! 3. Bamboo steamers. Yuck! That's all i'm gonna say on that. 4. Some of the wait staff were sweating and wiping their brow with their hands. Uber yuck! Most servers either have towels clipped to their belt or wear linen sweatbands on the west coast. I'm not saying this is a bad place to get Dim Sum; it's actually tasty. It's just that it didn't live up to my standards of what I consider normal Dim Sum like in LA and Seattle. read more

Yummy food and good service. Michael and Martin made my group's experience really enjoyable, we'll be back soon!

So I had an amazing time at Chinatown last night and it wasn't just the wonderful company that I had. The Sashimi was perfect and the rolls were just right with enough rice, not overbearing The waiter was absolutely amazing with the explanation of the food and presentation. I was also very excited about the ambiancef the restaurant. read more

I've been looking for a good dim-sum restaurant. Finally I found it! I've been to many dim-sum restaurant so far. I think this restaurant is the best dim-sum in Austin. I was here with my 2friend's family with the kids. Kids also enjoyed the meal very much. Nice view, inexpensive, delisious, good for groups, good for the kids. I will go back there again soon. read more

I came here for dim sum on New Years day. While I understand that is a hectic day for Chinese restaurants, most places have handled themselves better than Chinatown. Here's some advice Chinatown: don't hire inexperienced waiters or waitresses for busy holidays. They will only slow the rest of your staff down (i.e. they don't even know what is on your menu or common dim sum items). The fact that your place is way too crowded with tables doesn't help your staff get to where they need to be. To the waiter who rearranged our table because we had one more person coming: thanks for seating two of us facing the wall instead of our friends. I got to stare at your bottles of wine more than people (Hello St. Francis, what's that? You're a wine bottle? How lovely.) The food is...weird but its saving grace is that it's not all that bad. Half the items are traditional dim sum items, while the other half are some Asian fusion experiments. Some work, some fail miserably. Calamari, I'm shaking my head at you. And it's kinda pricey to top it off. Do yourself a favor and go to Shanghai restaurant instead. read more

My dim sum experience is minimal as I've only had dim sum a couple times before my trip to Chinatown Restaurant; those times were both in Chinatown in NYC and were no frills $2 a plate dim sum. I went to Chinatown Restaurant with my fiance and her sister on a Saturday morning. As soon as we sat down steaming carts filled with dim sum began to come to our table. Each plate we got was better than the next and the first plate we got was really good. The only things I could have done without were the pork buns and the fried shrimp with toasted almonds, even though the latter did taste pretty good. Flavor of the food is king and everything else, ie service, presentation, etc. takes a seat at the back of the bus that flavor is driving. That being said, the food here was awesome. Mind you it was dim sum, so the tastes were not highly refined, but it was easily the best dim sum I've ever had. So, the food was really good. The service was great. The carts were wielded by a bunch of helpful, pleasant college students. The waiter who we primarily were served by was attentive, nice and had made a great suggestion for the type of tea we should get . Plus there were a bunch of cute kids running around the place. It really was a great overall experience and I'll definitely be back. And they're opening a new location near Kenichi downtown, that will have dim sum during the week (Oh yeah, the Greystone location only has dim sum on the weekends). read more

Watch out for that scorpion drink it will knock you on your butt ;) but had a great time meet up with friends here the food was good but the alcoholic beverages were even better :) read more

Chinatown North - Scorpion drink sooo good - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place just keeps getting worse. Personally, I would never order from this rubbish establishment if it wasn't for my wife. Last week I ordered pick up food from here and I asked for a chicken lomein. Once I got home I realized they had given me a side of plain lomein. I called and the person I spoke to said they made it a mistake and they would make it right and comp my chicken lomein next time. I just called to order now and placed a new order for my wife and my chicken lomein. The manager, a completely unprofessional and rude person named MARTIN, called me back and said that they would only comp a side of lomein, not a chicken lomein order. I explained to him that I was told last time I would get a chicken lomein comp because it was their mistake. I spent 30 mins of my time and gas cost to drive over there, get home, and realize I didn't have my dinner, just a side of noodles. The imbecile named MARTIN said he doesn't care, he will only comp a side of noodles. I asked to cancel my whole order and he immediately said okay and hung up. If I were the owner of this business, I would fire this individual immediately. Complete lack of professionalism or customer service. He just be a family member of the owner because I don't see how any sane business owner would keep someone of this low caliber working for them and damaging their business. read more

Prices are too high for what you get. Asked for them to substitute my steamed rice for fried rice on my $15 dinner, and they said no. I would have to get a separate side of it. Also doesn't come with soup or egg roll. Small portions. read more

We dined at Chinatown this past weekend for the first time in years, but this the first visit upstairs. After reading other reviews we were a little skeptical but we figured we'd give it a go anyway. Pros: Entree were delicious, we seasoned and served hot and quickly. Beer was cold and served with a cold glass. Service was prompt and server was polite and fun. Prices were reasonable for the quality of entrees. Cons: Decor is tired and furniture and carpet is in dire need of being cleaned or replaced. The menus were sticky (plastic covered pages). The place just felt dirty which made the experience uncomfortable. Steamed pot stickers were chewy and tasted like they had been sitting a while. Prices were high based on the general feel and the lackluster pot stickers. I am really on the fence giving Chinatown 3 stars. I think this place could warrant 4 stars with some cleaning and an overall re-upholstering. On the other hand this could easily fall to a 2 star restaurant if something doesn't change soon. read more

Dim sum is awesome but a little expensive. What I like most about the food here is no MSG!!! They have the best chicken feet. The deserts are good. The Dim Sum on cart is pretty good, the best you can find in Austin. One thing I noticed price wise, the standard dim sum in the cart is moderately priced, any dish they bring out in a tray that looks like not traditional dim sum dish is more expensive. Some little dish on a tray can cost $15 - $20. So if you are on a budget for lunch don't order the food from the tray. read more

Husband had the cashew chicken with fried rice and hot and sour soup. I had the Imperial Shrimp (shrimp and veggies in brown sauce) with steamed rice and hot and sour soup. Bill came out to $20. On the higher end price of Chinese lunch specials. Decent portions. The food was okay...not fantastic, but like the 3-star rating I'm giving it...A-OK. Comes with a random chicken drumstick. Also a-ok. Probably would prefer Hao Q just because the lady there is nice and the food isn't as expensive. read more

I hear all about the dim sum, but the night we went we partook of different fare. The basics: - Egg Drop Soup - California Roll with seeds - Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Mongolian Beef Except for individual soups, the gf and I grazed the rest together. The egg drop soup was one of the best I've had - not too thick, no additions (such as corn or carrots or onions). It was a chilly night so the soup helped warm us up. We got the roll and lettuce wraps around the same time, and gorged ourselves on them. A Cali roll is pretty much the same anywhere when it's good, and this one was. The lettuce for the wraps was fresh, no brown edges and was cool and crisp. The chicken was just the right consistency, with a sweet, spicy taste that didn't burn your mouth. The Mongolian beef was also near perfect, with a good tangy taste and enough vegetables to not be overwhelming of the meat. Service was excellent and prompt, and we never went without drinks. The only tiny complaint I had was that we were under a vent, so we felt small drafts at times. It's hard to believe in my 12 years living here that this was my first visit. It won't be the last. read more

Being from Vancouver and Seattle, I used to eat alot of dim sum. I went here with some not so high expectations. But I love this place! The staff and service is amazing! The quality and tastiness of the food is great. It's not going to be as cheap as traditional old west coast places but it's ok because the quality of the food makes up for it. Be sure to get the duck and steamed buns! They are amazing. read more

Hmmm I am weary of any "Chinese" restaurant with the name "Chinatown Restaurant." I was assuming this was a Chinese food place for Americans (think cheap large Chinese buffet or Panda Express). Well I went here for dim sum and was quite surprised! I was happy to see Asian people eating here first of all. That is always a good sign. I had a variety of dim sum and was satisfied with everything I ate. I ordered 4 dishes and for myself and it was 23 dollars. I would say that is a little high in price, but then again I eat dim sum in Houston sometimes and everything Asian-food related in Houston is cheap (and delicious). Chinatown, I expected the worst, but was satisfied. read more

When I want dim sum, I literally have to drag my husband out of the house. Suffice to say, I was really looking forward to having dim sum on Sunday and decided to exert the energy for the drag. I didn't know what to expect. I have New York, Houston, and Dallas dim sum experiences in my pocket and this place just doesn't compare. Mediocre at best. I suppose someone was right when they told me "the best place to get dim sum in Austin is in Houston". Then again, it's not like we in Austin have many options so I'll take what I can get (a.k.a I'll be back here to eat because it was still decent enough to scratch the occasional dim sum itch). read more

Not sure why this place has horrible reviews. My family has been coming here for a long time, and I have never been disappointed. I love coming for Dim sum. While it is more expensive than the average dim sum place, the food is always delicious and creative. Plus if you ask for anything they will find it for you and bring it back. Some of my favorites are the BBQ pork buns, the walnut shrimp, and really anything shrimp related. For their actual food, I LOVE the sizzling beef. It is AMAZING. read more

Chinatown North - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I guess growing up on the West Coast I am used to very traditional Dim Sum. The Dim Sum here included something that looked similar to a hotdog in a bun as well ribs and other very "American" Style food. In addition, we were sitting in a bad area of restaurant, which meant most of the dishes on the carts did not come by our table. On a good note, the service is very good, the hot tea nice and hot and everyone was very friendly. read more

Had the dim sum there today for the second time. That place ROCKS! It is pricey, but I think it's worth it if you're in a dim sum mood. The service is excellent. There was a little wait, but not bad at all. They have these bbq ribs that are coffee-flavored. Really interesting taste, but not very tender. My favorites: shrimp and scallop steamed dumplings, sea bass, and Chinese broccoli. read more

I've been wanting to try this place because we've lived in Austin for 4 yrs and have not found a really good Chinese place yet. My husband and I went during the week at dinner time, so we did not have the dim-sum, we ordered off the menu. I agree with the other posters on here that the wait staff needs to be a lot friendlier, they act like you are bothering them if you come to eat. Also, they really need to scrub the place. Cleanliness goes a long way in a restaurant. The appatizers were not good, the ribs were really gross and greasy. I don't think that they were anywhere near fresh. My dinner was the Sizzling Triple Crown. Flavor was good, scallops very chewy. My hubby had something different (can't remember the name), but he said it was pretty good. I will try it again sometime to see if I happened to be on a bad night. read more

What happened to you, Chinatown? I used to count the days until the next time I could enjoy your dim sum. Spending a couple hours filling a ticket was fun, and the food was delicious. But the last time I went, I realized that you changed. Now I have to wait an hour to catch a glimpse of shumai and cha siu bao, but I see coffee-glazed ribs, salt & pepper prawns, and sugarcane shrimp - the big-ticket items - go around again and again. Sad. read more

Ugh. Order dinner for takeout and that was a very expensive, horrible mistake. My beef and green peppers was soggy and disgusting to the point that my dog didn't even want to eat it. It was soooo good the last time we ordered from there. I will never go back though. read more

Read the reviews and decided to try the DimSum. It was okay. The reviews were correct about getting there early, it does get full but the wait is not long. The food was okay but I feel that T&S is better. The wait staff were great and very helpful in asking if we wanted anything that we had not seen. The cost was a little high for the amount of each dish. read more

Our favorite for dim sum!! Traditional cart service. We get there early so haven't had issues on waiting or running out of food. Pros: quality of food - chicken basil dumplings, shrimp leek dumplings, shrimp balls, shiu mai, crab balls, desserts, etc read more

The seating is terrible I got to spend my Mother's Day staring at a black closet and the kitchen. There are seats with good views. The food and a good but for the price the food and service and seating should be better. The appetizer was greasy and everything is completely over salted. Wow can't eat that. I feel like a kid that opened the salt container and dumped in the food. Our waiter was very nice and friendly. This place is not for me. read more

Chinatown North - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Okay, so we went to Dim Sum there this weekend and I have to say it may be the best Dim Sum in Austin. The selection is pretty diverse with some extravagant options (fried jalapenos, espresso glazed short ribs) and they also warm the pot stickers and taro cake at your table on a metal cart. The steamed dumplings come in a few varieties and are good, the BBQ pork buns are excellent, and the dessert selection is more extensive than most Dim Sum restaurants in Austin. Highly Recommended. read more

If finding a black cricket, yes the insect, in your food is your idea of a great meal, then this is the place for you. I've been here a few times in the past year because it's close to my workplace, and it's been hit or miss. I will never go again. Did I mention that my co-worker found a large horsefly looking bug in her water during the same meal? No apologies from the manager or owner who I know was close by, but they were gracious enough to comp our meal, hence where they earned the two stars. If you're in the area go to Suzi's Chinese Kitchen on Anderson, not this place! read more

I come here often, and I am *never* disappointed! The staff is friendly, and they genuinely seem excited to see us when we walk in. :) The food is always prepared quickly, displayed exquisitely, and absolutely delicious! The office dines in together, occasionally. More often, we all order our own meals online, and one person can pick up the whole batch. It is so easy, and even during their busy hours, there isn't a long wait. So accommodating, and so delicious! Their Hot & Sour soup has set the bar for me. I've never craved that soup after having it anywhere until having it in all of its glory at Chinatown. The rest of the menu is so extensive I still have tons of items I'm excited to try. I usually accent my meal with a bit of sushi from the kitchen downstairs, too, as an added bonus, and it is always fresh and scrumptious. It's just all so good! read more

I've had sushi in all corners of Austin over decades and Chinatown is hands down my go-to place for birthdays, anniversaries and just because days. I've been eating here for over 10 years and the service, especially Jimmy, is always on point and the food is spot on. The best apps are the avocado kama and the tuna lover....so fresh and flavorful, there's nothing like it. The rainbow roll or the sunset is always fantastic but honestly I have yet to try something I didn't love. If you care about consistency and standards as well as a warm , inviting atmosphere this is the place to be. read more

This is the best, by far, Chinese food I have ever, ever had. I love their crab puffs, their egg rolls, all of their fried rice, kung pao chicken, chef's special beef, dumplings. That's just for dinner... try their fried shrimp balls, or shrimp dumplings for dim sum- UNBELIEVABLE. AND their sushi is fantastic as well. So many people come to Musashinos downstairs and dont even know what Chinatown is, or what their sushi tastes like. It's soooo funny because Chinatown is excellent. Its not the kinda of food where you get full and then realize you were just hungry. No no, its the kind of food that you can't stop eating because it is so great. If you haven't tried it, it's your loss. read more

Lived in Austin all my life...Chinatown has always been my favorite spot for Chinese food here. Too many dishes too list that could count as a favorite: pork dumplings, chicken lo-mein, their ginger chicken is too die for, THREE CUP CHICKEN (can't be best), they have awesome duck, I could go on and on...and I haven't even mentioned their sushi or dim sum on the wknds! Classics are classic for a reason, also can't go wrong with their sesame chicken. Point being, their menu is great and you really can't go wrong. Awesome bar set up as well, very comfortable/friendly environment, just a good spot to go to. read more

Skip the weekdays and only come for dim sum on the weekends. Their regular menu is just average. Dim Sum is where it is at. A bit on the pricey side but all dishes are made fresh so they are usually hot. read more

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We went her on christmas day and it was good. we had good food and good company. There is a lot of different kind of dim sum to try and it gets overwhelming. The wonton soup was good and I tried some unusual food like duck that I did not care for. The servers were very goo as well , I felt. I do not think they had duck sauce, but the dumplings were very good. If you go on xmas day make a reservation and go early when they firt open as they get really crowded. I prefer the dim sum to their regular menu here which is just average, read more