Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe and wow, classic taste done right. Noodles were chewy, broth super rich, portions big. Service was fast and friendly, food came out piping hot. Amazing! Definitely coming back :) read more

Really good food that satisfies cravings! Would highly recommend to USC students for whenever they want to eat out

Friend lives nearby and dragged me here, and wow, awesome place for a quick bite! Fast service, super time-saving, great for takeout on a busy workday. Classic taste, portions are solid, definitely good value. In, out, happily fed :) read more

First time trying out Northern Cafe and I did it through Uber Eats. And was I in for a great surprise! I got the spicy shrimp Wonton: they were well made and had plenty shrimp. The sauce was garlicky and spicy , I loved this dish. I got the Mabo tofu with rice and I requested it spicy. They threw in some sautéed Serranos in it which I appreciated. Not spicy enough but nonetheless the dish was tasty. I was really happy with my order. Thank you guys! read more

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Yummy food excellent service... hot foods.... classic taste... fast order.... great value.... honest workers... friendly workers...... clean tables.... healthy food read more

Northern Cafe - Northern cafe #1 - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe after work and wow, Love the food here, fast and quick service :) Dumplings came out piping hot, super juicy, and the noodles were chewy in the best way. Staff is on it, no fuss, no long wait, just eat and go. Totally adding this to my regular spots! read more

Friend dragged me here after work and wow, Northern Cafe did not disappoint. Fast service, food came out in minutes, great for takeout too. Portions are big, good value for what you pay. Always great service and clean atmosphere, super chill vibe :) read more

Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe before a game and wow, fast service and super time-saving. Ordered dumplings and noodles for takeout - classic taste, good value, big portions. Great for takeout, in and out in minutes. Honestly, the best place to eat great quality food for a great price :) read more

I like Northern Cafe. At least I like the one closer to home. Not sure why but I wasn't as enamored by this location as though. Maybe because the other location is newer. Full table service. Not sure. Anyway, ran away from work and came here for lunch with a coworker. Walking in - ordered from electronically via the kiosk stand. Automation is popping up more and more ... grabbed my number and found a seat. My order came out at different times. Maybe that's something else that caught me off guard. Missing is a pic of Chicken. I had already polished off the appetizer and noodles that I didn't even think to grab the last shot. Food was ok. As usual, I enjoyed the mushrooms. The noodle dish was really greasy. I don't mind greasy but this serving was more than I'm accustomed to. The Chicken was standard. No service to speak of other than the order being brought to the table. Self service. Water. Utensils and even the to go containers. Well, I did interact with one staff member to get a bag to carry my to go - as I didn't finish it all. Can't speak for parking as I walked over. But this location is on Fig so unless there's a parking lot out back, you'll have to park on the side streets or in one of the other lots in the area. This location is close to work. But I'll probably stick to the location closer to home. read more

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October 29, 2025 | Downtown LA | It was fun meeting up w/my friend & his daughter for lunch! He discovered Northern Cafe Chinese Dumpling House while in the area today, as well as ordered for us! What a flavorful find! Shrimp Fried Rice | Shared by 3 | Absolutely delicious! I enjoyed every mouthwatering bite! Plump, juicy shrimp with flavorful rice! I highly recommend this dish! Huge portion as well! Sweet of my friend's daughter(Who calls me auntie) to volunteer to change from chicken fried rice in order to share w/me before I even arrived, because she knows that I like shrimp! Scallion Pancakes | Shared by 4 | Yes, please! Another dish that I highly recommend! Each one was crispy at the crust & flavorful with every bite! Delicious on its own, as well as with soy sauce and vinegar!! Veggie Dumplings | Shared by 3 | Yummy, filled with plenty of veggies and flavor! My friends also ordered the meat soup dumplings, which they enjoyed! Green Beans | Shared by 4 |Tasty with every garlicky & onion flavorful bite! Yum! Parking | Free, a few spaces behind the restaurant! Overall | Yes, I would easily try this restaurant again, as well as try other items on the menu! I would also order some of the same items, as they were definitely memorable! read more

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Easy self-service spot with pretty good Chinese food and plenty of seating inside. Tried the dandan noodles, spicy crispy fish, and spicy wontons. My favorite was definitely the wontons! The others were a bit heavy and oily but still tasty. read more

Northern Cafe - Dan Dan Noodles, Spicy Crispy Fish Fillet, Spicy Pork Wontons - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Hey... Sometimes you gotta drive waaaay South to get to the Northern Cafe...so that's what we did... In a few min and having left Los Angeles ... we were able to reach this place on a Saturday afternoon in less than 30 min...just shot straight down the 110 going South... straight south... It's not often we have a Chinese Co Production with American and Chinese filmmakers showing at the San Pedro Starlight Terrace Cinemas... That's right... Swallowtail and Dragonfly directed by Julia Jay Pierrepont is screening across the street from this wonderful Chinese Restaurant so we thought we'd stop here for a bit and gorge ourselves with some delicious dumplings... Boy are we glad we did... Now we're full and satisfied and ready to undergo some epic Shanghai history...the true story of artist and painter Xiao Lianxia... Hand made shrimp cabbage dumplings; scallion cakes; beef rolls; and pork won ton soup please... you can taste the freshness of the pasta... the ingredients are different yet delicious... more Northern.... Perhaps I hear a falcon squeaking in the distance ... or a yak mooing... ok maybe we're not THAT far North...but I can taste the art of this place.. the colors are all in my mouth... But if you don't come and see for yourself you won't know exactly how North we went! And how great an artist dumpling maker we have here in the heart of San Pedro! We'll be back ! And so should you..!! read more

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Clean and many tables, easy to find a seat. You order on a self service kiosk in English or Chinese with pictures, take a number, and they bring the food out to you. I ordered beef roll pancake, juicy pork dumplings, and spicy beef noodle soup for $43. read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Northern Cafe is really a nice and decently priced Chinese restaurant, and I was looking forward to trying it. The limited parking was a drag but thankfully, I was able to find parking in the area after some time. I thought the food options were really yummy, mainly the fried rice and the orange chicken, and I would definitely try out others in the area! read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food is spicy and authentic, very good for my taste. But the rice a bit hard. I will come again read more

Northern Cafe - Mapo Tofu, dumplings - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Service was amazing and very quick! Additionally the food tasted amazing!! A great go-to spot for a quick and filling meal. read more

Northern Cafe - Inside - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe and wow, fast service and super time-saving. Ordered dumplings and noodles to-go--food came out hot and delicious in like 10 mins, great for takeout. Classic taste, big portions, good value. Very amazing service and fast and delicious food, I'm definitely swinging by again :) read more

You walk in-- no type of greeting. We ordered self service, we received our dishes. One was missing. We ended up getting that towards the end, and that was ONLY because I asked for it. Mid way through eating, I find this disgusting bug in the plate. I got told "it happens because of the outside" . Didn't even get offered a refund--just a re make. At that point we didn't even want to finish the food we just took it to go. There was even a plate that was just very off taste, I asked for a substitute of a same price dish and got told "sorry the manager said we can't do anything about it". Do not recommend this place at all, for what we ordered it was so not worth it. read more

Northern Cafe - Bug. - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Good food near usc Good service and space Always come here from usc Would recommend the beef role read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love this location the best. Food always tastes fresh, the service is always quick, and this place is always packed with students. Great ambiance. read more

Northern Cafe - Orange chicken and pork chow mien. Yummy cucumbers . - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wow, I am so disappointed to write this, as I frequently enjoy eating here. But I ordered from this restaurant yesterday for a delivery and ordered the wonton noodle soup. And there was not one... but TWO bugs in the dish. Absolutely unacceptable and disgusting. I don't even know how they can miss something like this. Do better. read more

Northern Cafe - Big bug 2, beetle or something - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food: I order the orange chicken, beef noodles, and white rice. I love the orange chicken. It's zesty and flavorful. The noodles are also very tasty. White is ok. Food is consistent and l keep coming back. Service: quick and easy. You order on the electronic screen yourself. Ambiance: sometimes very busy and loud. Otherwise quiet and not a lot of people. Depends on when you come. Plus size friendly- the tables move at the booths. They also have chairs with tables that look sturdy. Parking: very bad. There is a small lot behind the restaurant but it is unlikely to find a spot there. I have parked across the street on the lot by pasta Roma and have not had my car towed. read more

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The food was mostly delicious with only a few items that I did not like. The golden soup was sour and lacked flavor and the pork a s shrimp buns were mostly all bun. The shrimp fried rice was probably the best I have ever had. The beef roll is a MUST order. The flavor is amazing. The broccoli was also good. The restaurant is mostly self serve. You order from a screen and your food is brought to you when it's ready. All of your silverware, bowls, water etc are available for you to grab. The ambiance is family style and casual. Parking is seldom available on the street but is provided in the back of the restaurant. read more

Shredded Chicken Fried Noodles - flavorful with an amazing aroma. Noodles are cooked to perfection! Serving is for 2-3 people. Beef and broccoli the best!!!! Flavorful, good amount of sauce, and the serving is for 2-4 people. A must try! read more

Northern Cafe - Shredded Chicken Fried Noodles - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Ordered at 10:12 pm and by 11:15 our order wasn't ready. The guy expediting was sending out many orders that came in after us and kept saying "still not ready". He was not doing them in order. Terrible service. read more

Food Quality: *** (Decent, filling, but not spectacular) Service: *** (Efficient, but minimal interaction) Setting: *** (Crowded, not ideal for dining in) Cost: *** (Fair for portion size) Overall: *** (A good option if you're in the area, but not exceptional)** Northern Cafe is a solid choice if you're looking for a filling meal near USC--nothing extraordinary, but it gets the job done. The dumplings and noodles are decent--fresh and satisfying, though lacking in bold flavors. Service is quick and efficient, but you don't get much interaction with the staff, as it's more of a self-serve, counter-order type of place. The atmosphere is small and often crowded, not ideal for a long sit-down meal, but it works for a quick stop if you're in a rush. Overall, a decent place but don't expect anything special. It's fine if you're hungry and close by, but not somewhere I'd go out of my way to visit. read more

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Friend dragged me here after work and wow, noodle and lamb so good. Hand-pulled vibe, super chewy noodles, lamb tender and juicy, little bit spicy, super comforting. Portions solid, prices fair, service fast. Totally coming back :) read more

Come with family and we ordered Beaf meat pie is must try -- super tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Good, comforting Cantonese-y food open until 11pm. You order at a kiosk and the food is brought to your table. The prices are okay and the portion sizes are much bigger than I expected; I went with another person and we came home with enough leftovers for another full meal the next day. The food is a bit salty for my tastes but I would come back again. read more

Ultimate Chinese comfort food can be found at Northern Cafe in Los Angeles near USC They maintain a similar menu like other locations that offers a broad range of Chinese dishes, from well-known classics to regional specialties. variations might include a selection of small, bite-sized portions like dumplings, buns, and rolls, perfect for sharing. Dishes featuring a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables, often cooked with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other aromatic. From fried rice to lo mein and chow mein, these staples are often customized with different ingredients. Our favorite has got to be the mapo tofu and the shrimp fried rice! This is self service concept so you order at the kiosk or with the cashier. Then you will grab your own utensil and plates and drinks. The prices are very affordable especially for students. The staff is personable and attentive. They really cares about your dinning experience. Overall, the restaurant offers a unique dining experience that combines the comfort and familiarity of a casual dinning with the rich, diverse flavors of Chinese cuisine. read more

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fast service and very very very friendly staff that are very helpful the food came out fast and hot

Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe after work and wow, solid spot. Fast service, food hit the table in like minutes. Dumplings came out piping hot, super juicy inside, and portions were no joke. Chill vibe, easy for a quick bite or casual catch-up :) read more

Friend who works nearby dragged me here for a quick bite--super time-saving spot. Fast service, in and out in like 10 mins, great for takeout after work. Portions are big, classic taste, and honestly really good value for LA :) read more

Friend dragged me to Northern Cafe after work and wow, time-saving and delicious. Classic taste, nothing fancy, but super satisfying noodles and dumplings, and portions are big -- really good value for the price :) read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great food. Can't beat it around the USC area. Delicious noodle soups and their pig ear is the best.

Had the jalapeño beef with a milk tea. So good!! I like how they have their plates and utensils where you can grab what and how many you want. They also have lemon ice water and these nice metals cups you can drink it from. Overall a very good dining experience read more

Northern Cafe - Bold Chinese Flavors at USC Located right near the USC campus, Northern Cafe is a beloved spot among the large Asian student population around the University Park Campus. Known for its authentic Chinese cuisine, it's a go-to place for both quick solo meals and group dining. Unlike traditional sit-down restaurants, Northern Cafe follows a fast-casual format: customers order via self-serve kiosks, grab their own drinks, and food is brought to the table. Despite the efficient setup, the interior decor stays true to its roots, with traditional Chinese elements creating a cozy yet cultural vibe. Seating is a mix of small tables for individuals or pairs, and several spots can be pushed together to accommodate larger groups. It's flexible and welcoming for both solo diners and friend gatherings. The menu is loaded with flavorful options: * Beef Pancake Roll: A must-try. Crispy on the outside with juicy slices of beef, cucumber, and cilantro rolled inside. You get six generous pieces, perfect for sharing. * Braised Beef Noodle Soup: A classic. Soy sauce-based broth with tender beef and chewy noodles - comforting and satisfying. * Chongqing Crispy Chicken: Intensely crunchy, deep-fried chicken tossed with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Fiery and addictive. * Boiled Beef in Chili Sauce: For spice lovers. The beef is tender, swimming in a rich, spicy broth packed with numbing heat. * Boiled Fish Fillet in Chili Sauce: Another spicy favorite with delicate, flaky fish and a punchy chili-oil base. * Sautéed Bok Choy: A solid veggie side - simple, garlicky, and fresh. * Garlic Spare Ribs: Deep-fried pork ribs topped with garlic and scallion - rich and aromatic. While flavors are authentic and bold, be aware that many dishes are quite oily or heavily spiced, which may not suit those who prefer lighter or milder cuisine. Stick to vegetable dishes or non-spicy options if you're unsure. Service is minimal, as expected for a self-service model. Staff mainly bring food to the table and clear used dishes, but don't expect much additional assistance. Parking is available in the back, though the entrance can be easy to miss for first-timers. Look for a small back door that leads directly into the dining area. Verdict: Northern Cafe delivers hearty, flavorful Chinese dishes in a fast-casual setting perfect for USC students and visitors alike. It's not fine dining, but if you crave authentic mainland Chinese flavors at reasonable prices, this place hits the spot. Just come hungry--and maybe bring a group to share the spice and the variety. read more

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I phone ordered a pickup for my lunch break so it would be ready by the time I walked over. My shrimp fried rice was fresh and ready by the time I showed up. The place looked clean and inviting but I wasn't there too long because the cashier got me out fast. My shrimp fried rice was delicious and didn't taste too salty or make me feel too full afterwards. They even fully cleaned the shrimp! So the cooks win my seal of approval. Can't wait to come back, try more dishes and eat more shrimp fried rice. read more

Northern Cafe - Shrimp Fried Rice - Noodles Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We visited Northern Cafe for the first time. We had an amazing experience & fantastic ambiance. Maria, was extremely thorough, patient & sweet. What a pleasure to have. Again, thank you, for your "OUTSTANDING." service. read more

Northern Cafe's spicy beef soup is my favorite, its rich flavor and comforting heat is what I want for a cold and raining night. The menu features authentic Chinese comfort food, with the beef soup often highlighted as a must-try. I appreciated this place for its quick service and consistent quality, making it a reliable choice for a satisfying meal. My Fiancé love this spot not to far from USC.   Hard to find parking but it's possible! OKAY!! Love Y'all!! BYE!! and give me a like! Please! read more