Amazing food and service! I highly recommend coming here. The staff are friendly and the food is delicious.

Stephanie was a great server and explained everything to us, very helpfu. The food was fresh( you can see them making the dumplings through a glass window) and lots of flavo. Our first visit but we will be back. read more

Got curious after seeing Ugly Dumpling pop up at the Arboretum and figured it was worth trying. Austin has been getting more dumpling spots lately, so naturally I had to see where this one lands. Atmosphere: Casual and easy. It's more fast-casual than sit-down banquet hall, which honestly works for this kind of meal. Clean space, quick flow, and a good option if you're up north and want something better than the usual lunch rotation. It's located at 10000 Research Blvd in the Arboretum area, so parking is pretty painless. Food: The obvious move here is the soup dumplings. I'd start with the sampler if you're new, since it lets you try a few different versions instead of committing to one flavor. The pork truffle XLB is the safe classic. They come in that perfectly instagrammable steam baskets The dumplings were satisfying--good broth, nice flavor, and exactly the kind of thing you want to eat carefully unless you enjoy burning your mouth for sport. I'd also throw in scallion pancakes or chili oil wontons for the table if you want something with a little more punch. Not everything needs to be complicated; sometimes warm dumplings and a solid dipping sauce do the job. Service: Pretty straightforward. Order, wait a bit, and food comes out at a reasonable pace. Staff was friendly enough and the setup keeps things moving. It's not a place where I'd expect a long, guided dining experience, but for a casual dumpling stop it works. Wrap-up: Ugly Dumpling is a solid add to the Arboretum area. Casual, comforting, and a nice change of pace from the usual chain-heavy options around there. I'd come back when the dumpling craving hits, especially for soup dumplings and a couple of shareable sides. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Pork truffle - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

THE BIG: Soup dumpling spot in the Arboretum area of Austin! Dark gray exterior but very vibey and modern interior. Plenty of parking outside in the lot. THE BLACK AND WHITE: Came here with the wife and son because we've been driving past it on our way home from Trader Joe's. The place isn't too busy but very pretty inside. For food we got the ugly dumpling sampler, string beans with garlic, orange chicken, and ugly bao bun. The ugly dumpling sampler was actually really pretty with the different colored soup dumplings. The taste was another thing. All had a different flavor inside but it was missing that extra kick, maybe a bit more salt to get the umami out. I think my favorite was the pork & truffle since you could really get the truffle flavor (I think it was the black one). The other dishes were just alright, a run of the mill chinese takeout produces the same quality. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the damage done here was around $85 for everything. Good service, however the food was lacking in my opinion. read more

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Ugly dumpling is a newly opened restaurant in the Arboretum. We went for lunch at midday mid week and it was a fantastic experience. Because they are new, they are not fully staffed yet and we did wait a few minutes for a table, which was not a big deal. We appreciated them spacing the seating out to not overwhelm the waitstaff. The soup dumplings were delicious and we tried the variety sampler. The potstickers were also very tasty. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and offered suggestions. It's a great addition to the neighborhood and we will definitely be back. read more

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Amazing service, okay dumplings. My husband and I tried this place on a Thursday afternoon. The space is large with high ceiling and modern decor. The steam baskets around reminded me of DinTaiFung. Service is exceptional with someone always checking in at our table. We got the mix of soup dumplings, green beans, orange chicken and baos. Overall, food was okay. It was bad, but it wasn't out of this world. I think the soup dumplings and baos could use more flavor. read more

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Came here during a weekday with lunch, and the restaurant wasn't too packed. The inside is definitely fancier than the outside. The restaurant is pretty big inside. The building is in the shape of a U. There is a small window where you can see them making the dumplings on the right side once you enter. Got the wontons in chili oil, chicken dumplings, ribs, pork and fried rice (ugly version), and Mongolian beef. The wonton was great. The sauce is great, and the wrapper is thin and had a nice stuffing. The ribs' flavor is on point but could be a little bit more tender. Pork and fried rice is a little bit salty; the ugly edition is just a spicy version of the dish. Mongolian beef had good flavor, and the beef was tender. Overall, the place is pretty, and I would come back. I would like to try some of the noodle dishes next time. read more

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Absolutely enjoyed our dinner service at Ugly Dumpling's day 1 dining service. We had come across their soft open and the crowds were phenomenal at dinner hours but the staff were so welcoming, our service by Michelle was even more welcoming. Michelle took the time to address and introduce us to all that Ugly Dumpling had on the menu and made some good recommendations! I absolutely loved the XLB sampler and our noodles were very tasty, spicy wontons were seasoned well and seeing the staff hand making dumplings in the window were so fun to see. The bubble tea drinks were refreshing and we loved the beautifully decorated interior, can't wait to return and love their offering of an assortment of Chinese comforts in Austin. Will be back soon! read more

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We tried several of their dishes and all were really good. We ordered Miso Ramen, Green Beans with Garlic, XLBs, Pork BBQ (a bit dry), and a couple others. Ambiance was casual with modern design. There were a few parties with large groups and they didn't seem to have any issues. Service from our server was spotty as they are still short on personnel. It seemed they had enough runners, but were short on servers. They just opened two weeks ago according to our server. He managed to forget our Hot and Sour soup despite that we asked about it twice. Ironically, he recommended it since that appetizer typically comes out faster. Not so for us today. Be that as it may, the service we received was not atrocious. Price points were what we expected from a new and trendy dim sum venue. Great food, just not quite on par with DTF. Give them a try when you're in the area! read more

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Grand opening day was not as busy as I thought it would be and we were seated within 10 minutes. The restaurant is spacious with two entrances and plenty of parking. We started off with green beans and they were a hit. The popcorn chicken had flavor, but could use some Kewpie mayo for more of an oomph. The skin on the soup dumplings was a little too thick for me, but otherwise decent enough. Not the best, but not the worst. Beware: the Szechuan one is spicy! I wish the beef noodle soup had a kick to it, but the meat was tender and the broth had a slight sweetness to it. The prices here are pretty decent compared to comparable places around Austin so that's a huge plus. If the craving strikes, this place hits the mark. read more

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I'm not sure if it was because the restaurant has just opened recently and they were still working out some kinks, but we were unfortunately not impressed by this place. The moment we walked in, a sewer smell enveloped the whole place, which was very unpleasant. The food felt overpriced for what you got, but maybe that's just fancy dimsum nowadays? We had the xiao long bao sampler which my husband liked but was a bit underwhelmed by - the unique flavors weren't for him. I had the veggie wontons which were fine, nothing special. I wish drinks didn't come in plastic cups. Maybe not so good for vegetarians? There were some other things that the server recommended - maybe those are better. Anyway, I don't think I would go again - a dimsum place in a Chinese grocery store is probably more worth it for me. read more

I encountered a very off-putting odor at this establishment . Due to the pervasive, unpleasant smell, I cannot suggest this place to others . This business has a really unpleasant smell and for that reason I do not recommend it. Too bad the food looks good on pictures. read more

I've never heard of this restaurant before but I did hear it was similar to Din Tai Fung. I went here for dinner with a friend and we got the pork xiao long bao, spicy noodles, and shrimp and pork wontons in spicy sauce. The pork xlb were unfortunately not that great. The soup wasn't that flavorful and my friend said the pork was kinda gamey. The wrapping on them was kinda thick too. The spicy noodles were yummy. They aren't really spicy at all, but we wished there were minced pork with it. The wontons were okay too, nothing stood out to me on those. We got pork baos too and they were ok. It was pretty loud where we sat and we did ask them to turn the music down which they did. It is also very echoey, so it's hard to hear each other. It's awesome there are new Asian restaurants popping up, but this one was just alright for me. read more

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I love a good pun and a good dumpling even more. You'd better believe I pretty much ran to Ugly Dumpling the day it was confirmed open. Come ready to eat because they pretty much start throwing food at you immediately, and in no particular order. Appetizers came last, drinks after the first dish, and hardly a minute to breathe in between. Vegan options are mercifully marked with a green leaf. All the vegan wontons and dumplings feature the same spinach wrapping to easily identify the veggie contents, which seem to be a mixture of cabbage, bok choy, mushroom, and tofu. My favorite of these were the spicy wontons, adding a mala-umami one-two punch that really brightens up the overall flavor. The cucumber salad is another must-order. Deceptively simple, the crispy rounds sing with garlic and a touch of black vinegar. Happy hour pricing makes them an absolute steal, too. Will I come back? Oh hell yeah. The space itself is bright, modern, and surprisingly accommodating to diners of all stripes. Families, first dates, solo eaters; all in attendance, even in these early days. The restaurant is also HUGE, with plenty of parking, making it an unusually stress-free outing for a busy weekend evening. read more

Went the day before official grand opening. They did a very good job with the build out. For the first day of service I can say they did a very good job with training. Staff was very knowledgeable and attentive. Ordered: Pork soup dumpling Pork and crab soup dumpling Spicy wonton Hot n sour soup Shrimp stir fried noodles I have tried soup dumplings from a lot of places including a few countries in Asia. I must say these are in my top tier and for sure better than most places in Austin. Definitely coming back again. read more

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Finally tried out this new Asian spot for lunch today and although it was not bad, unfortunately none of the dishes over-exceeded my expectations. The soup dumplings (we tried the both the Pork & Truffle and Szechuan Pork) lacked flavor in my opinion and the outer wrapping was a bit too thick and doughy for my preferences. That being said, I will say that there was a good ratio of soup in the dumplings. My favorite dish was the Noodles w/ Spicy Sauce. I liked the tenderness of the noodles but there honestly wasn't any spice to the sauce. We had to add their chili oil to the dish in order to give it some kick haha. Their Signature Pork Chop Fried Rice was another top choice. The meat was fried well and the fried rice had a good amount of savory flavor without being too salty. The service was QUICK! All the food started coming out within 10 minutes but we did have a 45-minute wait around lunch time on a Sunday so plan accordingly. The inside construction was my favorite! It was modern and well lit, and they even used the steamer lids as decor -- it was a refreshing concept for an Asian establishment! read more

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1st and foremost, the place is beautiful. Majority of the food was great. We had braised beef noodles, bbq pork bun, soup dumplings, beef and broccoli, and crab rangoon. We also ordered cocktails which were pretty good. The cheesy (crab) rangoon was entirely too sweet and they served it with an even sweeter sauce. I wasn't a huge fan. Literally everything else was great As far as the service, the hostess had an attitude. She even spelled my name wrong on the wait list after I said it aloud and spelled it for her. We decided to remove ourselves from the wait-list and sit at the bar when seats became available. Overall, nice restaurant, I'll return again soon. read more

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We came here to eat ugly dumplings but we're very annoyed to see that they were not ugly at all. Rather they were quite beautiful, delectable, and unassumingly intrepid. I could taste the passion of the chefs on the chopsticks and it should be noted that the chefs are not ugly either. Just like their menu, they had nice buns. Unfortunately no numbers were exchanged, except for my credit card. They are all unavailable, unlike the tables. So it turned out that there was nothing ugly about this place at all. Perhaps it was once ugly, and like the story goes, it grew into a beautiful swan. So remember kids, don't judge a book by its title. read more

I was in the area for lunch and ordered the shrimp stir fry noodles for lunch. Found out that they just opened. When I went in to pick it up, there were a lot of people there and it's very spacious. The noodles were really good potion and I liked that they gave me chili sauce on the side. I will definitely come back and dine in and try their popular dumplings!! read more

Finally a place in Austin with decent soup dumplings. There's no competition in Austin. The pork chop fried rice is also excellent. If you like cucumber salad it's also the bomb. We tried the beef noodle soup, spicy wonton and the bbq pork bun as well. Those were good but not great. We only tried the pork soup dumplings this time. Will do the sample platter next time. Service and ambiance are also top notch read more

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I really wanted to love this new spot, but for now it was just... okay. The service, drinks, and most of the food were decent but nothing really stood out. The dumpling sampler was definitely the highlight of the meal and absolutely worth ordering. Since they're newly opened, I'm hoping they're just working through the usual growing pains. I'll definitely give them another try in a few months and hope they've ironed out the kinks, because I'd love to see this place succeed. read more

Very casual feel. Staff was friendly and the service was great. We were 1 of about 5 other parties waiting for a table when we arrived. We didn't have to wait long, maybe about 15 minutes. Everything is served family style. The menu offered a decent variety of comfort dishes that are very familiar for the average American (think fried rice, orange chicken, pork ribs, etc). They do have a few vegetarian/vegan options. We ordered the noodles in spicy sauce, ugly bao, soup dumpling sampler, and BBQ pork bao. Everything was good but there's definitely lots of room for improvement. The soup dumplings were by far the better of everything. They do offer some interesting combinations that are worth a try. With that being said, they would not be my first recommendation for someone who solely wants great soup dumplings. The only thing that I was really disappointed in was the level of spice in their spicy dishes/dumplings. There was just not nearly enough. Overall, I think this place is worth a try and a good crowd pleaser. read more

Vibe: good space, clean, new Items ordered: - Pork chop fried rice: 8/10, this was a pretty good din tai fung fried rice dupe read more

Food is delicious and service is great, but the wait time is too long. Overall the restaurant experience is very good

Went for opening day and it was great! Assiya was great! The dumplings were all fresh and delicious!

Not worth the hype. I thought it would be much better after reading the reviews. You will be better off going to a local restaurant.

Pleasant ambiance, the dumplings, noodles, and fried chicken was delicious considering this was their second day after opening. Flavorful teas and lemonade, but delivered half way through the meal. read more