Went here with low expectations and realized it was pretty good! You walk in, order at the front, menu is written on the chalk board to the left or there's a menu at the counter and we seated ourselves. My cousin and I did a mix of 10 steamed (tell them if you want steamed or fried) dumplings - pork/celery, pork/shrimp, bulgogi, & Peking duck and an order of the XLB/Soup Dumplings 8/$10. A lot of the reviews say they all tasted the same so we made sure to take our sweet time trying each one and guessing which was which. We both agreed that the pork dumplings were the better tasting ones, bulgogi was simple tasting/needed more flavor?meat? or something, and the Peking duck had flavor but it just didn't seem to work as a dumpling to us. The XLB's, which is why we came in the first place, needed a little more soup but they were good enough to satisfy our cravings. Our order took about 15-20 min to make which seems pretty long but they were made fresh so it was worth the wait. The staff is very friendly but also small. They even gave us a complimentary noodle dish which was nothing too special but very much appreciated :) Overall it's worth a try! I know I'll be back! read more

Satisfying fast food dumplings. If you're veggie, get the Buddha's choice -- they were by far the best; I found the edamame dumplings a little strange and too heavy. Their COVID procedures felt very safe, everyone was masked and it was very clean. Friendly staff and quick service. read more

I love dumplings, especially growing up in a chinese family, where your mom cooks and make dumplings from scratch. I was excited to try District Dumpling, especially reading the amazing reviews. My family and I tried the Pork and Shrimp Dumpling (steam and fried), Basil Chicken (steam) Dumpling, Peking Duck Dumpling (fried), Bulgogi dumpling (fried), and the pork shumai. The soup dumplings were sold out (my primary reason wanting to try the place). The dumplings were okay. nothing spectacular about them. The restaurant used thin dumpling skin to wrap the meat, which unfortunately stick together and break all the dumplings apart. The dumpling skin is not homemade, only the dumpling fillings were homemade, which I had better from my mom's and frozen dumplings from asian grocery stores. They serve the dumplings in a paper plate when its fried and in a steam basket for the steam dumplings or shumai. They don't provide plates unless you ask for them. And the dipping sauce was placed in these tiny paper cup where it will leak and spill all over the table. The dipping sauce was said to have a spicy flavor, but it just tasted sweet to me. It lacked the vinergar and spice. The restaurant does not provide any hot pepper/ hot oil. The pork shumai was disappointing. It was filled with sticky rice in a wonton skin wrap mixed with tiny bits of ground pork. It just tasted like rice. They also did not provide chicken shumai- claimed they don't have it anymore. Shumai is usually filled with ground pork with shrimp or little veggies- like the type of shumai you would order at a dim sum restaurant. Also, we noticed some of the food were made outside of the restaurant because there was someone dropping off soup dumplings to the staff. BTW. they stopped serving noodles and sandwiches, looking at their old yelp pictures. There are better restaurants that provide dumplings. I was not impressed. read more

Hand made dumplings. They were tasty!! My favorite were the duck and pork ones. I did NOT like the veggie one, but it may not taste right after the meat dumplings because of the different flavor. If you get the mix, start with that one otherwise it will taste funny. read more

District Dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Place is aite, hyped for what it really is. Can get that quality dumpling from the Asian grocery market. Overall the service was good and the staff was nice but the food was just ok. read more

I was visiting the area for the day and I Yelped this ahead of time. I wasn't disappointed at all. Each dumpling we ordered was filled with flavor and tasty. We ordered the bulgogi beef, basil chicken, and Peking duck ones (pan fried). Each was amazing! There is only one cook so I couldn't be mad that a few of the dumplings were overcooked. We shared our dumplings between three people. So I suggest that if you are going to share, order more than I did. We only ordered 15 and wanted more afterwards. read more

With an owner as passionate as is here, it was almost a given that the food was going to be wonderful. We ordered an Asadilla which was awesome. Location is everything, so we both hope that the somewhat not ideal location of this place does not impact its survival in the cut-throat Mosaic District. Traditional dumplings made to order for a decent price read more

I was pleasantly surprised by District Dumplings. I love dumplings but as there aren't many authentic Chinese restaurants in the area, I usually am weary to try the overpriced, white-washed dumplings I see on restaurant menus in NoVa. District Dumplings is run by Chinese people (all Mandarin-speaking!), which I loved, being half-Chinese. Their dumplings are made fresh in house (definitely not just frozen store bought, fried crap that many places around here overcharge for). They have a large variety of daily flavors to choose from (my favorites were the traditional pork & shrimp). They even offer up some vegan and vegetarian dumping flavors and some unique ones like chicken basil. I also tried the soup dumplings (Xiao long bao) and was shocked that they were pretty good!! The skin was thin and not super doughey, they were filled with flavorful soup, and served with black vinegar. They're actually the best soup dumplings I've had in the area (not counting Rockville). They also have some dessert pastries - we tried the flakey red bean filled ones, and they were quite good. This is a super casual place with only a handful of tables. They have a small kitchen visible from the dining area, . THe size of the kitchen may have contributed to the wait.... they were fairly busy, but I will say we waited a bit long for our food to come out. As far as prices, a bit much for dumplings ($9 for 10 dumplings) but such is life in the yuppie Mosaic District! read more

The soup dumplings are actually pretty decent, I would order those again. But pass on shumai dumplings. If you're expecting the dim sum style shumai, you're in for a surprise (there's rice inside!). Also, heads up if you go steamed, it'll take 15-20 mins. read more

District Dumplings - shumai - but there's rice in the shumai ?? - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Might be a bit harsh of a rating based upon the premise, but DD does do a decent job of delivering up dumplings cooked to order. The space is cafe-style and there is an moderate mount of seating. Expect to stay 30mins tops - this is not an all-day hangout spot. Their menu is on a large wall right by the ordering counter - at first it was a bit overwhelming, but it basically boils down to ordering in sets of 10 dumplings from their selection of 10-12 flavors on any given day. They have anything from the more traditional pork and leek to bulgogi to vegetarian to an interesting edamame filling. I had a wide selection of flavors, but the ones that really stuck out to me were the more traditional flavors (they just seem right) and the vegetarian Buddha's Choice (probably because it's close to the traditional flavors as well, with it's shredded carrot, rice noodles, and mushrooms). I tried the edamame one, and it wasn't really my style - it was on the sweeter side and had a weird crumbly texture that comes with crushed edamame. The dumplings are pan fried by default (a good thing), but you can ask for steamed if you like. Nothing fancy to the frying, and the dumplings themselves are of a decent two-bite size. You will want to liven them up with some soy sauce and vinegar (wish they had shredded ginger and chili sauce as well). Overall, it's a solid fast-dumpling shop that will satisfy you (and better than Marco & Luca), but I'd like to see a bit more excitement in the menu and/or presentation. read more

I have been to District Dumplings twice now. The first time I was in a rush and looking for a quick snack. I was disappointed because the dumplings took longer than I had anticipated (15-20 minutes for 10 dumplings). It was also not terribly busy at this time. I did appreciate the service, and the free hot tea or water while you wait. They also offer a free noodle dish, although it's cold and I wouldn't recommend. I went back to give it another try and despite the many flavor options offered, and the ability to mix and match, I found that many of the dumplings tasted very similar to each other and were lacking in flavor. The Bulgogi tasted different in that it was sweeter, however it was my least favorite. I've had many dumplings from other places that were much better, so this was a bit disappointing. read more

Right in the corner of Mosaic District, you'll find this cute little dumpling shop. It's quiet whenever I end up coming here, very casual, and the prices reasonable for what you get. I usually come here only for the soup dumplings because they aren't common in this area. However they only have them available 3 out of 5 times I've visited, so call in beforehand if you really are craving the soup dumplings. Otherwise there are 10 other dumpling flavors, shumai, sandwiches and salad. The soup dumplings aren't the best but they do satisfy my craving for them, and they do come out hot and fresh. As for the regular house made dumplings with various flavors, I've ordered "one of each" my last visit. You have to try yourself to see the diverse range of flavors. They even have squash and cheese flavored and curry beef dumplings. Worth a try if you're in to being adventurous with your dumplings. read more

This place was good. Really good. I stopped in with my family (to include one infant and a toddler) and my wife and I felt comfortable being there with the two. Going out to eat with two kids can be a nightmare but this place and the staff made it easy for us. They made recommendations on what the toddler might like too which was helpful. My wife and I ordered a variety of different dumplings and opted for fried instead of steamed due to time constraints. All of the dumplings were great, especially the peking duck and bulgolgi. I highly recommend this place. read more

Staying in the Mosaic District. We'd been scoping this out for lunch and I'm so glad we stopped in. Pretty easy menu, 10 dumplings for 9.99$ and they had Peking duck dumplings for 2$ each. They had many different types of dumplings to choose from. We got 10 assorted and 10 Peking. They were fabulous. Everyone was super nice, and while we were waiting, they brought us some jasmine tea and noodle salad. I would definitely recommend and we will certainly be returning whenever we're down this way Nice Job! read more

poor version of soup dumplings as they have no soup, but the pork is pretty decent and flavored well. the other five we tried ranged from bad to mediocre. i'm just not a big fan of these flavors and they all kind of tasted the same. read more

District Dumplings - one of each of the first five - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Great little place for a quick dumpling fix! I got the edamame, kale, and Buddha's choice dumplings (all vegan) and my favorite was the Buddha's choice for sure! They have complimentary water and jasmine tea and service is very quick! This is a great place to get your no frills dumpling fix read more

District Dumplings - Pan fried dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

The tea is really good I had the ginger one. The dumpling flavors are awesome but don't get them steamed. They kind of fall apart steamed. I'm coming back read more

Please just do yourself a favor and go to Bobs Shanghai in Maryland. The potstickers were good but soup dumplings and "pork" (more like rice and two tiny pieces of pork) Shumai were not good and that's being nice. Very disappointing. read more

District Dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

I really want this place to last!! The dumplings & shumai are very good, but they need more menu offerings. The selection of dumplings is great & I especially enjoyed the duck special dumplings for an additional $2/piece. However, the variety of shumai that was offered was lacking & I was very disappointed to know they had gotten rid of any other menu items such as the tacos/buns I had read about on here previously. I was excited to try this place, but considering the prices for just dumplings & shumai, I needed more. My children really enjoyed it here though, simple & fun to eat for them. My 1 year old loved the side of complimentary glass noodles, that was nice:) read more

This is my favorite place to eat Dumplings, the service is amazing!!! The owner is always so friendly her name is Linda she is always ready to answer questions and give suggestions. read more

District Dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Excellent. My search for perfect dumplings in DC Metropolitan are over. We tried three types ( and you can mix and match). all were very good. read more

I came here yesterday with my husband. We noticed mosaic expanded so we wanted to check out the new shops they had and we managed to find this place and it's such a cute place. The decor and size of the shop is very cozy. And pretty simple honestly. They have different varieties of dumplings, and of course their soup dumplings. The flavors were good, and nothing to complain about but I don't think it's worth the amount of money to be honest. I was still hungry after eating an order of the soup dumplings (8 pcs/$10) and some of my husbands dumplings. (10/$9.99) They give you complimentary water, and noodles if you're dining in. The noodles were okay, wasn't a big fan. I'm not sure if they have seasonal items, because on other reviews I noticed some sandwiches but when we came there were none listed on the menu and they didn't seem to be serving any. I honestly feel like this place was just a moderate/average place. Nothings wrong with it but I was honestly kind of expecting more from this place. On another note - I would probably go there for their mango soy milk though. It was pretty dang good! read more

We wanted to try something new and decided to give The Mosaic District a try. After checking out the various places to eat, we decided on District Dumplings as it fairly new and I mean, c'mon- dumplings. Look, I like tasty food that comes with great service. I used to work in the food industry so service holds more weight with me. It honestly makes or breaks my desire to ever come back (even if the food is incredible). Here, not only did I get food that tastes like heaven in a bite, but the service was top notch. My husband and I have a great time dining here. The atmosphere feels inviting and honestly, it's where we like to have date night whenever we can get out of the house. Everything is pleasantly low key and I appreciate how there is true care put in to the dumplings and experience there. So, 5 stars and we will absolutely be back. read more

This place is good, but nothing special. I needed to use the sauces to put more flavor in my dumplings, Overall my favorites were chicken basil dumplings and the duck ones. Slow service sometimes. read more

It's a neat little shop in Mosaic with probably one of the better soup dumplings in the area. We were like most skeptics that walked by the entrance to glance at the menu. There are Chinese cooks trained in the art of dumpling making in the kitchen making mostly everything from scratch. The dumplings are 10 for $10. Since there were 10 different flavors, I tried them all. One of the flavors is vegetarian (butternut squash - the only dumpling I wasn't a fan of) and three are vegan (kale, edamame, and Buddha's choice). The meat options were definitely more tasty. But I really like the creamy edamame one as well. My favorites were all the pork dumpling varieties, as this meat is a staple in Chinese dumplings. The chicken basil was also pretty tasty. To my surprise, the soup dumplings were pretty good, the meat inside is juicy and flavorful. There's an opening at the top of the dumplings that you can pierce to add the vinegar with the soup before you stuffed the whole thing in your mouth. read more

Let me first get this out of the way--I wouldn't consider the soup dumplings their standout menu item. Don't cry! Everything else was pretty good. The soup dumplings, though thin-skinned, had underseasoned fillings that left me wanting more. I know the idea is to top with slivers of ginger and sauce, but still, I wanted more salt. While there is room for improvement, the soup dumplings did show promise and give me hope that in time I wouldn't need to drive to Rockville for decent xiao long bao. The soup dumplings are only one in a long lineup of dumplings. They also offer potstickers in assorted flavors, both traditional and fusion, and shumai. The more original beef and curry, squash and cheese, and basil chicken were flavorful and satisfying. We also enjoyed the special of the day, smoky brisket. On display throughout the store are covers from the owner's cookbook, The Cultural Revolution Cookbook. At first I thought to myself, what? You're kidding, right? The cover shows a content woman surrounded by bountiful harvest. I did some Googling before flipping through the one book available and learned that this book actually satirizes the rhetoric of the Cultural Revolution and reveals the hardships endured by the Chinese people during this time period. The author and chef basically tells how she learned to cook by learning to make do with what was available then, that is to say not much. I was impressed and decided to quickly go through the cookbook, and her recipes seemed easy to follow and delicious. Anyway, how does this tie back to the restaurant and the quality of its food? The cookbook shows a cook who is confident and resourceful, which I like seeing in any restaurant chef, so it gave me greater confidence in her and the food she prepared. Plus, those dumplings spoke for themselves. We liked the casual format and quick service. Speaking of service, there's a bearded staff who is particularly quick on his feet and seemingly knows everything about the biz from A to Z. Kudos to him! He should get a promotion to manager or something... While we are just 15 minutes away from the well-known Dumpling Queen, my hubby and I both agree that we'd rather drive another extra 15 minutes for District Dumpling's delicate beauties. read more

It's hard to find soup dumplings around northern Virginia, so my friend and I were excited to try this place. It's a cute joint hidden in the Mosaic District and it definitely did not disappoint. We had to wait a good 30 minutes for the steamer to become available since they only have one, but it was worth it. I got the 10 dumplings (one of each flavor) and my friend ordered the soup dumplings. Hands down the best dumpling was definitely the duck. But all of them had great flavors, it was hard to tell which one was which. The soup dumplings were also very good but could have used more broth. All in all, the prices were fair and the service was good. I'd definitely come back to enjoy more dumplings and try more in the menu. read more

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Awesome place!! 10 dollars for 10 dumplings and a cup of tea with a small side of glass noodles!! Atmosphere is super cute and quaint with a very hipster vibe! Definitely recommend the bulgogi beef if you're into a sweeter tasting dumpling or the pork and celery if you like more "traditional" dumplings. You can also mix n match between a bunch of unique flavors! read more

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Dumplings are decently good. I got the soup dumplings and hargao. The honey citron tea is nice and warm. It's great for the wintertime.

Basically a dollar for every dumpling that is made (steamed or fried) to order. Lots a potential for a place like this but ultimately the dumplings are not more spectacular than average. I wish I loved this place more but three stars is about right. read more

Food was really good. Price was reasonable. Service was good and very quick. Would go here again. Parking was difficult

Best dumplings in dc area. I eat 30 years dumplings, DD changed all my view. MUST try their Peking duck dumpling and soup dumpling! I am a truly Peking duck fan and a dumpling foodie. Never taste a dumpling like this! Thanks for your great originality. read more

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3.5 stars I love the variety of dumplings they have here! I rarely find a vegan dumpling let alone three. I also love how you get tea and a side of noodles with your order. The only reason I'm not giving District Dumplings a higher rating is because I think the dumplings could use a little more flavor. They were kind of bland, and my friend told me how they were even more bland the last time she came here. I do like how the dumplings aren't super fried, making them easier on the stomach! I'd like to come back to try other menu items especially since it's located in Mosaic District. read more

They gave me the wrong number of dumplings, with a batch disproportionately allocated by flavor. In my cas instead of 4 cheese and squash dumplings I had received 7 of them, 1 kale, and 1 edamame. Which adds up to 9, and should have been 10. Meh. read more

Normally, I don't write reviews but I'm tremendously disappointed to the point where I have to write one. My boyfriend and I were looking forward to trying this place But we were quickly disappointed as soon as we walked in. Service is not the best or welcoming. For a restaurant that specializes in dumplings, it was not that great. Presentation is not ideal, you get the food in to-go boxes even if you dine in and because of that the dumplings quickly get cold and stick together. The dye that helps identify the type of dumpling was very unappealing and unappetizing. The soup dumplings did not have any soup. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience from beginning to end. read more

So I like the complementary tea and the decor. The soup dumplings are what I had and I thought they were good. You can taste the ginger so if you aren't a fan of ginger stuff, I'd order something else. I loved that the soup dumplings were made pre-vented (those that eat soup dumplings will understand), so it isn't like stuffing a fireball in your mouth. read more

I like this place. You can mismatch the dumplings. The kale dumpling tasted better than I thought. Quick and reasonable price. Will come back again. read more

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This place is solid for dumplings. Decently priced, the staff is always helpful, and they aren't jerks about mixing different kinds of dumplings (the cashier even said I could have one of each if I wanted!) At the time of writing, it's 10 for $10. I had the curry beef and bulgogi beef, though they have plenty of interesting choices like butternut squash, basil chicken, pork/eggplant/mushroom, etc. They also give you this little cold noodle salad and jasmine(?) tea with every order. Can't complain about free. Seating is adequate since they don't really have a large sit down appeal, and the place itself is clean and well kept. Parking up front is sparse but there's a retail parking garage in the back with plenty of spots. Overall a great stop for lunch, I definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

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We tried the shrimp/pork/chives, bulgogi beef, curry beef and garlic chicken... they all tasted mediocre. And honestly $1 per dumpling isn't worth it. Especially when it's mediocre. read more

Great bulgogi beef dumplings! I love dumplings, so I have had my fair share, and this was the first time I have eaten bulgogi dumplings. Delicious! My friends and I were very impressed. Only losing a star as I thought this was a little pricey. read more

District Dumplings - 10 Piece Bulgogi Beef Dumpling, chicken from Choong Man Chicken. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia