Came here on a random Tuesday. Service was really fast, food came out pretty quickly as well. I saw on here that someone said that the inside of the restaurant gave old school gyro spot vibes and I couldn't agree more lol. My favorite was actually the garlic bokchoy. Not too salty or saucy, cooked to perfection with that perfect leafy crunch. All the dumplings were really tasty as well the must try is definitely the spicy pork wontons. The sauce paired perfectly with white rice . Soup was very warming and wontons were also super soupy and flavorful. We waited for our check for a minute but I think you have to pay at the front. Overall pretty decent ! read more

Northern Cafe - Mixed Meat Shumai.Sauteed Bok Choy.Shrimp Wonton Soup-Crystal Shrimp DumplingPork Wontons In Spicy Sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We have eaten at other Northern Cafe locations before, and this is definitely one of the best ones. The interior is a bit smaller than most, but the service is good and quick. We loved the beef noodle soup with its very healthy portion and perfect balance of flavor without being overly salty. They also give a very good amount of sliced beef. It was thoroughly marinated and extremely tender. The green onion pancake was thin and crispy, fried to perfection without it being too oily. The juicy pork dumplings as well as the spicy wontons were also a fan favorite amongst the entire family. While the dumpling skins were a bit thicker than I would have preferred, it was very meaty and the sauces were tasty. This is a perfect spot for a quick bite to eat right before (or after) watching a performance at the Pantages Theatre. Will definitely be back! read more

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A quick spot to sit down and have some delicious dumplings and dim sum. Right on the path of Hollywood Walk of Fame, stop by after a long walk of exploring. The service was quick, lots of seating and no waiting. Overall, the food was delicious, especially the Beef Roll Pancake, so yummy. The Kung Pao Chicken needs some improvement though. Over sauce and need more pepper. The spice needs a little more kick to it. The inside was clean. The restroom is accessed with a key that is attached to a large utensil. read more

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My wife and I happened into Northern Cafe for a snack before an event, and I'm very glad to have found this little place with a menu full of big flavors. It's a chain, but the food prep is first rate, and it's definitely several notches above fast food, though this location has retained the furnishings of a Greek gyro spot that was much more of a grab and go type of place. That said, the decor is a bit rundown, but in this neighborhood that's not unexpected. They keep things clean and I had no reservations about settling into a seat. Portions are generous, especially for the modest prices. Pan fried chicken dumplings come 8 to an order, and they're very plump pouches to be sure. Freshly made and piping hot, the filling was very tasty and very much on par with some of the fancy dumpling places so popular around town right now. Dan Dan Noodles were also a hefty portion, served in a large ramen style bowl, and reaching close to the rim. The chewy noodles had an appealing flavor of their own, but the star here is the minced pork that's simmered in a sauce distinctly different than most iterations of the dish. Rather than the typical sesame sauce, this was dark and thinner (almost but not quite like a broth), deeply and richly flavored with 5-spice. It had some spiciness to it, but not too much, and I actually added some of the house-made chili crisp to dial up the heat. As I said, this was only meant to be a snack, and we took home half the food, so we didn't get to sample any of the other very appealing items in the menu -- but folks at neighboring tables were having a very good time sharing a wide variety of dishes, all of which were generously portioned and looked very tasty. Our only complaint: the restrooms were in very bad condition and really needed some work. Aside from that, we were very happy, and we'll be back soon to try more of the menu. read more

Northern Cafe - Dan Dan Noodles - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Another show, another visit to Northern Cafe! All of the stuff I said 8n my previous review, still stands. Its a great place to grab some good food quickly before a show at the Pantages or a nearby theatre. read more

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I feel like the quality of the food could've been better! They were fast to seat us but I feel like the food was not fresh and tasted poor quality. The soup just tasted instant and the beef tasted old. The noodles were too soft and soaking up all the broth leaving us with no broth at the end. It also was not as pictured with cubed beef instead of sliced. Additionally for the soup we ordered, they threw in random junk like spam and sausage which did not match well with the beef and the beef tasted old. The portions were also not generous. People like to say it's a din tai fung dupe, but I don't think it compares since the xiao long bao from din tai fung always hits and tastes fresh and real while these ones are worse than the Trader Joe's steamed ones that I make myself. read more

Northern Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food 4/5: food came out very fast and fried rice was pretty good. I think it was a bit salty but honestly for this price, it beats any Panda express lol Service 4/5: busy but was very friendly. Ambiance 3/5: just casual dine-in experience. I recommend it if you want Chinese that's way better than Panda Express. read more

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aside from the terrible service over the phone, the food was ready in time to pick up and i was in & out of the restaurant within a few minutes. i ordered the dan dan noodles and the beef roll. they gave a very generous portion and the food was still quite good despite the long drive home. parking is not ideal so prepare to search for street parking in the depths of LA read more

Good service, good food, different options than the northridge location. This spot gets busy so make sure you grab a table. Food came out pretty quickly. Good portion size. I got the beef noodle soup and thought it was great. Would go again for a reasonably priced, authentic Chinese spot before a show at pantages read more

Northern Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Excellent service--helpful and polite. The food was outstanding. Great for vegetarians. We got vegetable fried noodles, Ma Po Tofu, and vegetable dumplings. Everything was delicious, and we will definitely return. Decent pricing as wellRecommended read more

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I'm in the area a lot for Pantages and my friend lives a couple blocks from here. We love the food here! I like it more than the Monterey Park location. Scallion Pancake - so crispy and great flavor! Juicy Pork and Crab Dumplings (XLB) - this was a ok, not the greatest I've had. The skin was a bit thick. Sauteed String Beans - one of my fave dishes here. They make it the perfect texture but still keeps the crunch. The seasoning is perfect! Popcorn Chicken - this was good. Shrimp Chow Mein - this was good, the shrimp were a bit small, there was a LOT of cabbage, and the noodles had a good texture. The portion seems smaller compared to the other dishes. Potstickers - these were pretty good, but the reason why I get dumplings is their sauce!! OMG I dunk everything in it!! Soooo delish! I need to figure out the recipe! It's a cute place for take out or sit down. We noticed the delivery robot where one of the workers dropped food inside and it rolled away. Service was quick and friendly. They speak good English. Parking is always a hassle in Hollywood. Definitely recommended! read more

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We like to come into LA early and have lunch before our matinee shows at the Pantages. We have our favorites, but decided to try something new. Based on YELP reviews, we decided to try this place. Well done, YELPers! We three ordered a Hot Pot, Potstickers, Sautéed String Beans, and Chicken Fried Noodles. Everything was delicious, and our bill, with tax but before tip, was under $70! We were happy and full, and our wallets were too! We will be back! read more

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Had no idea what this little restaurant was like... It was fabulous. Everything had incredible flavors. The green beans were outstanding. The chicken chow mein was The potstickers were great The service was wonderful. And we had some sort of beef pot, not spicy. read more

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I love northern cafe!! It's my goto Chinese cuisine. My go to orders are orange chicken with a side of white rice, the egg rolls and green beans! The portions are all so big and it's perfect for sharing. The service is fast and the workers are very kind. read more

Came for a quick meal before a show at the Pantages. It took a little bit to get our order taken, but we were in and out in about 35 minutes, which is pretty good considering it was packed! We ordered the fennel and pork dumplings (pan fried) and Mongolian beef to share. The Mongolian beef is a little light on meat, but the dumplings were hot and delicious. A great and convenient spot for a quick meal, and there's plenty more things I want to try next time. read more

Northern Cafe - Mongolian beef - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I dont even want to give them one star. I just picked up my food haven't tried the food yet but we'll see how it is. Based on customer service some of the worst I've ever experienced. The food wasn't ready when I got there and they acted as if it was an inconvenience for them to have my food ready when it said it was ready. The cashier was so rude and being very dismissive about my order. I waited about 20 minutes when it said jt was ready on uber eats. When it was ready he just called my name out and didn't even apologize for my order not being ready. I'll never go here again. Much better service at the DTLA location. Hopefully the food is at least good. read more

Came here for dinner before a pantages show. We didn't have a reservation but that wasn't a problem. Seems like a good place for groups too and they move you through fast so we made the show no problem. highly recommend the shrimp wontons in spicy sauce! read more

Northern Cafe - H6. Shrimp Wontons in Spicy Sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Good selection of items, food is pretty decent. Sautéed string beans and juicy pork dumplings were very good. Beef roll pancake was mediocre. Fair price for beer. Services pretty much nonexistent. Conveniently located across from the Pantages theater. Works in a pinch! read more

Amazing soup dumplings. Friendly service. Very clean. Very attentive. Stop in and give it a try! read more

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We enjoyed our meal there before going to a show at the Pantages last year. We have tickets for another show and that's where we'll be having dinner. Good service and tasty food served hot. Perfect! read more

We stopped by here to eat before we see a play at the Pantages theater as it is conveniently located right in front. Staff greeted us promptly to seat us and we ordered orange chicken (came with a cup of rice) spicy shrimp wontons (deelish!) sautéed garlic green beans, shrimp wonton soup , pork dumplings, xia long bao and buchi for snacks (sesame seed balls with red beans) All the food were really tasty and good and prices were very reasonable for the Hollywood area. It's your typical Chinese restaurant so ambiance is ok for a quick dine in dine out to go the theater. We parked near the area for $30 for the play. read more

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This is a long overdue review(s). I have eaten here about 10 times at this point, and have taken a few different people (pre theatre meal when attending the Pantages). It's unsuspecting because from outside it's pretty simple and no frills ... but, the food is so good!!! We never leave anything behind as it's so good and we can't stop eating. The portions are large for sharing, delicious and well priced! My only tip: allow time for your dining experience. They are definitely busy with pre theatre guests and many to-go orders, but for the overall experience, it is well worth the wait!! I have yet to take a guest who did not LOVE it or to try a dish that we did not like. read more

Very yummy wontons in spicy sauce. The portions are very large and prices reasonable. There is not much ambiance and the air conditioning could be colder. The food took a bit of time but it was delicious. read more

Northern Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I ordered for pick up so can't speak on the dine in experience, but pick up experience was okay. The person working the front had poor customer service skills. We ordered the bean spouts, scallion pancakes, and shrimp fried rice. The scallion pancakes were delicious!! Other two dishes were fine. read more

Northern Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Glad to have stumbled on this place before we went to see Some Like it Hot. I needed food and did not want a burger. This place was just fine. We shared a beef dish that was perfect to last us through the show to where we werent overstuffed but still satisfied. We also got some dumplings that were good. My only complaint is both of our teeth felt absolutely disgusting the rest of the night. I dont know what the "blame" that on for lack of better words but we eat out a lot and both of us were like eww what is happening and we had to sit through a whole show like that. We even tried to get some mints from the Pantages lol but all they had were junior mints. We both were itching to brush our teeth. The staff was very friendly and it wasnt crowded at all. We both said we would return next time we saw a show. read more

Northern Cafe - Beef - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Northern cafe was absolutely delicious. A hidden gem for sure. The bill with tea and 3 of these dishes was only 42 bucks before tip and tax. Great deal compared to DTF. The portions are 50%+ larger and taste isn't the same but super delicious. DTF would've easily been $100. I would get the same 3 dishes again. Service was really good, restaurant was clean but parking can be a challenge. I highly recommend. read more

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Very tasty dumplings and wow, the crispy chicken!! Came here for a quick, warm, and tasty meal before going to a show at the Pantages. They were very speedy and got us our receipt fast knowing we were probably heading over to a show. Simple and laid back place great for a quick bite! read more

Northern Cafe - Fried chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My third time coming here. It's not great and a little dirty but that's Hollywood blvd. I was happy to find it as the prices are decent. Arrived at 8:25pm there's 2 people sitting, not finishing up but fresh plates in front of them. Very rude employee says only take out at this time bc they're closing. You close at 9pm but can't take a customer at 8:25pm? I'll never go back. read more

Food is good for the price you pay. The soup dumpling is good. The noodle dish is flavorful but didn't have enough noodles. The kung-po chicken is very spicy, it nearly burnt my mouth off. The service is poor, they are not attentive and youll constantly have to ask them to refill your drink. The ambiance is poor. Why are they playing nothing but Mexican music in a Japanese resturant? read more

Location: access the street from the Pantageous theater ***** Service: The staff was friendly and provided good customer service.***** Food: The orange chicken (not pictured) was good and served with steamed rice. **** Beef noodle soup with cabbage was a tad spicy with a sweet flavor. ** Lobster rolls- tasted fishy * A desired flavor palette, just not my cup of tea. All food is cooked to order***** read more

Northern Cafe - Sour cabbage beef noodle soup - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped in before a play at Pantages. It's directly across the street from the theatre so it's super convenient. Place is small. Maybe 15 tables? Several of those only 2 seaters. One waiter managed the whole room and was great. We ordered the spicy pork wontons and potstickers with a side of white rice. Tip - pour the spicy sauce on the rice. Heck...pour it on everything. It's so good. I think our bill came out to $24ish? Good price for great food, especially in this area. We had to inhale our meal because we were meeting up with a group but next time I'm in the area will definitely be back and try more things. read more

Northern Cafe - H5. Pork Wonton in Spicy Sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Service is not working!!!! The order is always late for clients and for delivery drivers. Just a terrible place read more

Everything I've eaten here the past two times I've come has been delicious. This is the perfect pre-show meal when going to see something at the Pantages. The menu is extensive enough to satisfy everyone. You can either order online/at the register to go or order sit-down style. I've had multiple dumplings here and since it's made to order, they do take a little to get to you but they are fresh and hot, not to mention juicy. The rest of the entrees came out relatively quickly, including my beef noodle soup. It was delicious! I usually never drink my soup after I'm done but I did with this one because the broth was so delicious. Not that spicy on its own but you can add your own chili. Plenty of seating inside. Everyone at my table enjoyed what they got (including shrimp pan fried noodles, hot and sour soup, chicken wings and wonton noodles). Yum!! read more

Northern Cafe - Beef noodle soup--delicious!!! - Dim Sum Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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First time trying this location, ordered delivery and the food was horrible. Mapo tofu: basically they just doused tofu with spicy chili oil. One note dish, tongue numbing spicy and no depth in flavor. It was inedible. Fried beef noodles was a glob of mushy noodles, way overdone and way too greasy. Needed a bowl of rice to mix in to make it consumable. Beef and broccoli was the only thing that was edible but still super greasy and no depth in flavor. read more

I'm really disappointed and hangry because we ordered through Postmates and the restaurant gave the delivery guy the wrong order so here I am without any of the food I ordered that I was looking forward to. They couldn't remake the food either because the kitchen was apparently closed and the delivery guy, bless him, offered to go back to pick up the correct order but the restaurant already gave my order to someone else. And the food was okay. read more

The scallion pancakes and lamb dumplings are delicious. This is a great place to grab a quick bite before or after a show at the Pantages Theater right across the street. read more

We came here to grab a quick bite before a show at the Pantages. We thought it would be an expensive tourist trap seeing it's on the Hollywood strip, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised We ordered some dumplings, noodles and rice dishes. As well as the beef roll. All of them tasted delightful, especially the beef roll. The waitress were helpful and were prompt in refilling our drinks. I really enjoyed our visit and hope to return again soon. read more

The Hollywood food scene is constantly changing. Lot's of places have closed in the area but Northern Cafe has survived through the worst. They were only open for a month or two before the world shut down and they are still standing. Congrats. There are locations popping up all around LA and they have a solid product. Overall, the food is quite good, but I could use some more heat with the spice. Fortunately they have a house chili sauce and Sriracha on the table, so I was able to add my own heat. The Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce are good but Not spicy. The Braised Beef Noodles Soup, also good, but Not Spicy (even though I asked for it). The broth has some nice flavor but it is a bit thin and watery. The noodles tasted fine. The Juicy Pork Dumplings are very good; lots of juice. The Cucumber Salad is also good. All beverages are bottled canned and they don't serve hot tea. The service is competent and the prices are very reasonable. If you are in the neighborhood, Northern Cafe is a solid spot. read more

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I have always passed by several northern cafe locations and finally decided to give the Hollywood location a try. First off, parking is always going to be a challenge as expected. We parked a street down for meter parking and walked our way over, lucky. Cucumber salad - not worth it, it was just diced cucumber with sesame oil. We added chili oil for flavor and it didn't help much. Scallion pancake - always worth it. Beef wrap pancake - mostly scallion and onion, barely any beef and it came off really sweet instead of savory. Not good. Beef hot pot - spice was really good but overall, salty and had a strong cilantro after taste. I will say, you get a lot in there for the price so it might be worth it. Ambiance was pretty basic. It's a really small location. The service was... interesting. Some waiters were rude while others were nice but just in a rush all the time. Maybe I'll try a different location. read more

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Food was good portions were perfect and price was decent! Great spot for a meal before a show!