Love the people in this place, the dumplings and the chow mein! It's an amazing hole-in-the-wall with a great experience. The staff are warm and welcoming, and the service always feels personal, like they genuinely appreciate having you there. The dumplings are clearly the star of the show, perfectly chewy wrappers with juicy, flavorful fillings that taste homemade. The chow mein is another must-order, cooked just right with that balance of smoky wok flavor and comfort food satisfaction. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the vibe is unpretentious in the best way. It's the kind of spot you can come to for a casual lunch, a comforting dinner, or just when you're craving authentic dumplings done right. Highly recommend if you're in South San Francisco and want great food in a relaxed, welcoming setting. read more

Love the food here. It's legit. Service was really fast. Cozy small hole in the wall place but I came here to meet up with some old high school friends. Food remind me of my mom side of the family that originated from Shan Tong China and spent also many years in Shanghai before leaving to Taiwan. If you're into that style of food this is the place. I'll be back with my mom once we get a chance. I would highly recommend it but I also want to be able to get a table next time I show up. read more

Dumpling Empire is located in South San Francisco on Cypress Ave, 1/2 block from busy Broadway. Metered street parking only at this restaurant which also sells various frozen dumplings to take home. Interesting that this restaurant has paper plates, paper cups, and take-out wooden chop sticks: All green bin disposable. There are numerous items listed on the menu which will pique your interest. We had: - Shanghai Soup Dumplings (6 to an order), that were small and not really bursting with soup. The skin was thick enough so that the dumpling did not break when putting on your small disposable plastic spoons. Yes, really small disposable spoons which were shallow and likely would not be able to catch any leaking soup. Comes out in a bamboo steamer. - Stir Fried Green Beans, a large order that comes in half of a compostable take-out box, imagine cutting a take-out container in half at the hinge section and using either top or bottom as a serving platter!?! - Chive Pancake (2 cut in half buns, lots of chive in this part bun, part pancake, worth ordering, served on half of a disposable take-out container - Pork and Corn Boiled Dumpling, interesting dumpling... this was okay. - Pan Fried Soup Dumpling (4), small, not juicy with soup like other places Food was bland, inexpensive, and service was poor - they delivered our food to a table that came in after us and the diner at the table brought the food over to us as the waiter and waitress disappeared into the back. How can you mess up a delivery on just two occupied tables in the restaurant? Place sits 20 at the most. Final yuck, warm day, plastic strips that you would find at a butcher shop hanging over the front door to try and keep the gnats out. Obviously not working as the place had numerous gnats bothering us as we ate. The place needs a bug zapper. If you have to eat here - go when it's cold and rainy and the gnats might not be as abundant. Honestly, just get take-out or frozen dumplings to go..... read more

Dumpling Empire - Menu - October 2024 - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I love this dumpling place. It is straight up, no frills just great dumplings. They are fresh, so fresh that you'll see the little lady sitting in the side room making them. Small space and can get busy. read more

Dumpling Empire is a great spot for fresh, tasty food at a very good price. They make their dumplings in house and you can really taste the difference. We had their wonton soup which came with all the good stuff like wood ear mushrooms and other vegetables. It was warm, comforting, and full of flavor. The dumplings come in sets of twelve and are a good size. The prices are low which makes everything feel like a great value. I also really like their orange hot sauce. It mixes perfectly with soy sauce for dipping. The dining area is small and the decor is plain, but the space is clean and the staff is helpful. There is street parking nearby though the area is busy with new construction. Overall, this is a solid place for a quick and delicious meal. read more

Another Dumpling ____ contender always has me intrigued! It had all the options that all the places have, like sheng jian bao, different pancakes, noodles/noodle soups, wings, of course a huge list of dumplings. We tried (this is based on takeout!): - sheng jian bao - actually made me so sad because they had no soup in them :( - spicy pork and shrimp wontons - pretty good - cucumber salad - crisp and garlicky! - zhajiang mian - looked SUPER promising and the sauce was heavily loaded, but the flavor was just too mild/watery for me - chive pancakes (in actuality chive pockets) - again lacking flavor I was a bit let down but I would go back to try again for dine-in if I'm back in the area! read more

Love this spot. Been here a few times now and the food is consistently on point. Don't come here for glitz or glamour, come here if you want authentic, flavorful and delicious food. Their pork and shrimp wonton soup is sooo good! The broth is light yet full of flavor, honestly the star of the show for me. Pick a dumpling, any dumpling they are all good. The veggies are also delicious and filling. The sesame balls are perfectly sweet, crispy and satisfying. I highly recommend them. The portions are great for the price. The restaurant is clean with simple decor and the people are nice. read more

Came here for a quick dinner. Place is nothing fancy, is small, uses disposable tableware for main service, seats about 20, and is clean. Was served quickly even between the many take out orders. Servers were polite. Dumplings are freshly handmade in the next room. They offer many dumpling variations. The little guy loved the chicken and corn. We also tried the soup dumplings; and the pork and chives which was my favorite. We also had the green beans which were delicious. Good place for a nice hot yummy meal (even to bring guests) when you want dumplings and you don't really care about the ambiance. read more

Dumpling Empire - Our Little guy enjoying his chicken and corn dumplings. - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

We ordered 6 dishes to go: beef stew soup noodle, pork dumplings, soup dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, and garlic string beans. Both Dan Dan noodle and the string beans were way too salty! Soup dumplings, and pork dumplings were just okay. The service was definitely very fast! For the price, I would go somewhere else. We had high expectations based on high number of reviews but was somewhat disappointed. read more

Delighted I gave Dumpling Empire a try - the flavors were delightful. They offer a wide variety of dumplings to choose from, and the portions are generous. We had a bunch of leftovers which was great. Keep in mind, it's downtown, so you might find yourself parking a block away. read more

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Dumplings were good! We also ordered chowmein and the green beans. Green beans were cooked perfectly and the chowmein was plentiful that we had some leftover to take home. read more

Wow, this place is fantastic! You get such great value for your money. It's amazing how affordable the food is around here, especially considering the huge portions! read more

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Dumpling Empire is your quintessential hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It's the most basic restaurant: tables, chairs, dingy white walls, and the essential workers. There are even handwritten special menu items written on lined paper posted on the wall. It's located on a one-way cross street of Grand Ave in downtown South San Francisco. You'll have to seek metered street parking or a city parking lot. I did not love the restaurant the first time I went, but as I explored the menu, I eventually found several authentic, hard-to-find, fun Chinese dishes that I crave. If you don't love it at first, it just means you didn't find the right items for yourself yet. Here are my favorites and the special menu items I most appreciate: *** Wonton Soup with Pork & Shrimp Wontons (skip the noodles) *** Green Chives Pancake *** Shanghai Soup Dumplings (a.k.a. Xiao Long Bao, xiaolongbao, XLB) *** Marinated Pork Elbow *** Sesame Pancake with Marinated Beef *** Five Spice Marinated Beef * Pig Ears * Garlic String Beans * Garlic Tong Hao * Cold Wide Bean Noodle * Fresh Cilantro Salad with Bean Stick * Fresh Cilantro Bean Noodle I cannot afford to order everything I want to eat, so I usually pick a subset of the 3-star items. I don't usually order dumplings because I love the thin skin of the wontons or XLB so much, but here are ones I'd choose: - Lamb Dumpling with Chinese Vegetables or with Radish - Pork and Shrimp Dumpling with Green Chives - Chicken or Pork Dumpling with Chinese Spinach - Chicken or Pork Dumpling with Corn - Green Chive Dumpling with Egg - Fish Dumpling To the Emperor of Dumpling Empire, please accept my sincerest, humblest and deepest apologies for not having more photos and for not reviewing your restaurant many, many moons ago! read more

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This restaurant has a very homey feel to it. Ordered pork and chinese spinach dumplings, shrimp and chives dumplings, and a green onion pancake. Each order of dumplings came with 12 dumplings and were a good size. Green onion pancake was pretty standard, shrimp and chives dumplings were good, but I thought the pork and chinese spinach dumplings were lacking flavor. I think the two dumplings we got could've used more salt/seasoning, so I ended up using a bunch of soy sauce. Parking wasn't bad imo, if you park a few blocks away in the residential area (instead of busy Grand Ave) and walk. All metered parking, but free after 6pm. read more

Came to SF for the weekend... stayed in south San Francisco and stumbled upon Dumpling Empire. It was so good, w returned for a second dinner and are planning a return trip soon. Overall the place is special ... it's like eating with family. Go and enjoy this special place! read more

Came here with a girl friend and I kept reading about how it was the best hole in the wall. So we decided to give it a shot. Parking is all street parking and that was a bit difficult but once I found it you walk in and you can see the traditional set up. Green beans on the main table getting cleaned, and another table with all the take out orders. We followed the recommendations of the previous yelpers and ordered what they did. All the food was delicious but it did get a bit packed so we had to go up to the waiter and ask about some of our food. There are about 8 tables in the restaurant. As soon as we got our food I knew it was going be amazing and it was the only down side is that as soon as we got our food there was so many fruit flies that I felt like we were more focused on not eating them then talking. at one point we decided to leave a dish of bones so that could collect the fruit flies but then that got picked up quickly so we decided to leave. This isn't a instagram vibe place it's really a hole in the wall so just keep that in mind. The wings I would pass on next time but the rest of the food was great read more

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The salt and pepper fish was bussin! Nice crisp with soft meat inside, flavors were on point. I always get the shrimp and chive dumplings, and still do to this day. Prices are affordable too. read more

Dumpling Empire - Twelve Shrimp Dumpling with Green Chives, Salt Pepper Fish Fillet, Wonton Soupwonton - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

My husband and I usually order the frozen dumplings here but decided to try it in person today. We ordered the fresh cilantro salad with bean sticks, fish dumplings, pork and Napa cabbage dumplings, and fried pork dumpling buns. Their dumplings are flavorful and juicy. The pork ones have more flavor but the fish ones are sweeter. The fresh cilantro salad with bean sticks is a healthy choice- not my cup of tea but my husband wanted to eat it. We liked the fried dumpling buns but it is not the best maybe because we have high standards after trying the ones in Shanghai. Everything is served on paper plates and paper cup. It is a bit strange since the pandemic is "technically over" but it is ok... cleaner this way. The sauces they have on the table are self-served. The orange hot sauce is quite spicy but their vinegar is tasty and not too sour. The restaurant is small and can get quite loud when the workers are speaking in both Mandarin and Cantonese. The workers are attentive to their customers though and food comes out pretty fast. There are flies so it makes this place seem less clean. Next time, we will just order for pick up. Note: It is more than $1+ cheaper per bag of dumplings and they give more quantity. read more

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Good tasty not pricy food and fresh. Worth the try and you won't be disappointed eating there.

I live in San Francisco but I drive all the way to Dumplings Empire. Why? SF has numerous dumpling restaurants with new ones opening every day but the XLB dumplings are the best beyond compare. Thin wrapper, no little metal support to keep it together and they are filled with a tasty broth without any sweetener in it like so many other places do. I always order the pan fried dumplings too. It is a true hole in the wall kinda place and I usually order to go but I tend to eat half of my order on the way home. People are really nice no matter how busy. read more

I can't believe I have not rated or reviewed this place yet! As my absolute regular go to whether it's for a hot meal or frozen dumplings to go, Dumpling Empire is THE place! I've tried so many other places for dumplings/frozen dumplings and the flavor is just not there. Sure you can find a lot of places that serve them, but it really comes down to the filling. It's about the perfect ratio of the meat/filling and the skin. The perfect thickness of the skin, since these are dumplings and not XLB or other things, the skin has to stand up to boiling and be thick enough to hold in the flavor. And the filling has to be just chunky enough, but just cohesive enough, to taste the flavor and some of the juices (even though these are not juicy dumplings), as well as the specific flavor of the filling whether it'd be shrimp and chives or pork and napa! I mean, I love this place so definitely come give it a try. read more

The take out food was HORRIBLE. 3 min walk to pick up. It was cold, overcooked and dry. Rice was supposed to be fried rice. It was cold undercooked rice with scrambled egg thrown on top. Absolutely unacceptable. DO NOT EAT HERE. it's also filthy read more

This review is based off food alone. We order take out from here for the office and they always get us right each time. Today, because we had a bigger order than usual they gave us some fresh and warm sesame balls. They were soooooo good, not too sweet either. I ordered the sesame and seasoned beef pancake, hot and sour soup, and the grilled chicken fried rice. Starting with the hot and sour soup, this thing was definitely hefty, thick pieces of tofu , lots of mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Had a good kick to it, was a little too sour for my taste. But good nonetheless. The fried rice, loaded with veggies(which I absolutely love!) personally I feel like they could season it a little more. The thick cracked pepper is a nice touch and the grilled chicken is ok. The best I've had so far, the sesame and seasoned beef pancake was DELICIOUS! Tender beef, seasoned oh so nicely, a nice sauce (I'm thinking some oyster sauce but doctored up) and grilled green onions. The outside was covered in sesame seeds, nice and crunchy. I added some chili oil because I like things spicy. This did not disappoint, definitely recommend. read more

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I'm a fan of giving every small business I visit the benefit of the doubt - that being said, Dumpling Empire was just not it. My family and I decided to try something new on Grand Avenue and we stumbled upon Dumpling Empire on the south end of Grand Avenue and decided to try it out. The decor is simple, if not a bit run down. Simple chairs and tables and well worn everything else. Its a far cry from 5-star service but I found it quite home-y. The biggest problem I had with Dumpling Empire was with....its Dumplings. We ordered several steamed dumplings and were provided paper plates that I saw at Target just a few hours ago. I dont know about you, but wet food and paper plates dont necessarily mix well. Additionally, there was a fly in the soup of one of the dumplings that I was going to eat. read more

Great Chinese food that reminds me of homecooking. The food is delicious and homemade. Asian mom approved. read more

Dumpling Empire - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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Hole in the wall spots are some of the best spots with the most authentic flavors. There's tons of other eateries near by but craved dumplings and this spot looks pretty good from the yelp photos. The restaurant is small and not many people dined in but looks like to go orders were coming in hot so the food must be that good. Beef Chow Fun - thick noodles are my favorite. There wasn't much beef though. Pork and shrimp with chives dumplings - good! Fish dumplings - good LOVE thick chewy dumplings wrappers. Spicy Wontons - pork and shrimp filling, chili oil were delicious but needed more chili oil though. they had hot sauce as a condiment but nothing beats a good chili oil. Potstickers and Pan fried soup dumplings - these were okay. a bit oily. had better XLB (xiao long bao) aka soup dumplings - star of the entire meal. pork filling, good amount of soup inside with great flavors. Had to order another round. Each bite was memorable. Side note, parking was more on the main street but could be difficult to find if it's during busy hours. The only downfall is that they do not use anything reusable. Everything is served on half container to go boxes, to go container lids, disposable cups and plates. Seems a bit wasteful for those who are dining in. read more

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Wonton noodle soup was good, noodles fresh. The Shanghai pan fried soup dumplings were fresh, good flavor, but not stellar, and the mapo tofu noodles were meatless and spicy for a light dish. read more

This spot offers a variety of dumplings, from classic pork and chive to unique veggie and shrimp options. The dumplings are freshly made and steamed. The service is quick, making it ideal for a fast meal, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and portion size. Place isn't the cleanest but no complaints when I was there. Space is limited, I'd recommend pickup from here. read more

There's not a reason not to give 4 or 5 stars to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant. There's some seating inside sufficient for a meal and plenty of options that taste great. Noodle soup is definitely worth the price and the place reminds me of Chinatown NY - Manhattan. Pan-fried soup dumplings were crispy and had a rich pork filling. Our noodle soup broths were similarly tasty and had a good mix of wood-ear mushroom, bok choy, and thick fresh noodle. The chili flakes and chili oil were a bit overbearing in my spicy noodle broth, but still very tasty. read more

Dumpling Empire - Four Shanghai Pan Fried Soup Dumpling - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

If you want authentic, this is the spot. My wife and I have been going here for years and we always make sure to drop by when we're in the area for some pork and chive dumplings, beef roll, and minced pork with black bean sauce over noodles read more

Dumpling Empire - Fresh Cucumber with Straw Mushroom, Twelve Pork Dumpling with Green Chives, One Green Onion Cake, Four Shanghai Pan Fried Soup Dumpling - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I always come here to buy their frozen dumplings because I think it is just so convenient to have them in my freezer : ) leek and pork is your quintessential dumpling flavor, and each one is so flavorful and juicy. You just boil them for 8-10 minutes - I like the traditional method of 1) Put in boiling water, 2) Wait to boil again to put room temp water in (to allow it to continue to cook without bursting), 3) Wait for boil again to put water in again, 4) Wait for boil again and it is done cooking. They also have a variety of home-cooked simple Chinese dishes that have saved me on a sick day. read more

Dumpling Empire - Tomato Egg Flower Soup - Dim Sum Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Dumpling Empire has become our go-to spot for a dumpling fix for years now. Despite the lack of a parking lot, we've always managed to snag a street spot nearby which is a small victory in itself. This place consistently wins us over with its delicious green onion pancake which is simply unmatched. Crispy, well-seasoned, and perfectly paired with their orange spicy sauce, it's the stuff of legends. My wife and I have yet to find a rival for this pancake perfection. Our usual order? Beef dumplings with carrots, green onion pancakes (naturally), and the chicken fried rice. The beef dumplings are always juicy and flavorful, while the chicken fried rice is absolutely delicious, hitting the spot every time. The service is good, fast, straight forward they are always attentive to the customer. Food arrives pretty quick and the place itself it's small but cozy. We will keep coming back to this place as long as they keep serving up these mouthwatering delights. If you haven't been, do yourself a favor and give them a try. read more

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Made a return visit to try the cold tendon appetizer which was fabulous, chewy thin-sliced meat in a mala but not intense chili sauce. Had to order the tofu skins with cilantro which I liked on my previous visit; they were great but very similar flavor to the the tendon. One cold appetizer and an order of dumplings is the thing to get if you dine in. There is zero atmosphere other than the chance to see the ladies making dumplings through the doorway to the next room, but the dining experience was fine with good and prompt service. I came on Caltrain which is something to consider (especially because parking is difficult with much construction in the area). My map app says Dumpling Empire is 600 feet from the Caltrain stop: go through the tunnel toward downtown, cross the busy main street, and the restaurant is on the next street over. Please note that South San Francisco is a local Caltrain stop; don't take the express. read more

My boyfriend and I have a favorite dumpling spot in the Bay Area. You know it's a great place when they use Costco paper plates and cups. It's definitely a hole-in-the-wall establishment, hidden away on a side street. This place serves the most authentic dumplings, and you can even watch them being made in the back room. We get takeout from here at least every other week. It's super easy to order, and parking isn't too bad either. You can even order their dumplings frozen and cook them at home. Our go-to order: -corn and pork dumplings -lamb dumplings -green onion pancakes -chili wontons #1. I will always recommend this spot to my friends and will continue to come here myself! read more

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I have been eating Chinese food in SF since 1982. This place is very, very good. Reminds me of 8 Immortals on Taraval street, way back. Anyway. Great food. Not a place to bring your first date. But your wife will understand. Definitely coming back. read more

Pork and Chinese Spinach Dumplings were juicy. Great value! The woman who helped me was nice.

We were looking for a late dinner take out and settled on dumpling empire. It was our first time ordering from here we were a little bit skeptical. Our order did take a little longer than expected but was well worth the wait. When you step in the door, it's one of those dim sum places that iykyk its gonna be really good. Good atmosphere and good employees. The food tasted great and would absolutely get again! read more

The BEST classic Chinese boiled dumplings in the Bay Area. No gimmicks, no lobster/crab type ingredients. It's a hole in the wall, mom and pop, with an auntie actually making dumplings by hand in the next room. This is where your Chinese locals have gone for years when they are craving dumplings. read more

Found Dumpling Empire on Yelp and decided to make a to go order via over the phone. As I made the order, my husband was driving towards the restaurant. There is only metered parking and a few Yelp members had mentioned that parking is enforced so you should put money in the meter. The items I ordered: Green Onion Cake, $7.95 prior to tax- Pretty oily, I had drain this on a few paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Was tasty after removing a lot of the extra oil. Garlic Bok Choy, $9.95 prior to tax- I was hoping it would be a bigger portion for the price. But I liked the bok choy. Pork Dumpling with Green Chives, $8.95 prior to tax- This order came with 12 dumplings. They were tasty and perfectly cooked. Beef Chow Fun, $9.95 prior to tax- Very oily, just like the green onion cake. I had to sautee this on the pan (without added oil) to get rid some of the extra oil because this dish was really swimming in a pool of oil. There was plenty of beef. The chow fun was tasty after I was able able to get rid some of the excess oil. ------------------------- (Total= $36.80 after tax) So when I had made the to go order, this woman answered the phone (who spoke English). When I had asked what was the total, she told me that she is not at the restaurant but that they will have the total when I arrive. So after my husband parked (I stayed in the car with our little girl dog), he walked over to pick up our order. Unfortunately the employees spoke broken English (my husband does not speak Mandarin or Cantonese... I should have been the one to come in the restaurant since I speak both, brokenly) and so he had a hard time trying to get our order. One employee called the manager on the phone and put the manager on speaker. My husband had said several times that he does not speak Chinese and wanted to pick up his order. Eventually the manager told the employee that the to go order on the counter was my husband's and then my husband paid and walked back to the car. I am not sure if non Chinese speaking customers will have any trouble upon their visit or with a to go order but wanted to at least give those a heads up in case. The food was good but most of what we ordered was very oily. I don't see myself coming back here again. read more

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I posted here about a concern regarding packaging about a week ago, and the owner responded, and I went back to the establishment today, and they've taken steps to fix the issue! I appreciate it. Before, the lid hadn't fit on and the sauce spilled in the bag. Now, the bag is tied around the bowl, and that bag is put into another paper bag! read more