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Wow Bao

2.9 (353 reviews)
ModerateChinese
Closed 5:00 am - 9:00 pm

Wow Bao Photos

WOW BAO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Chicken Teriyaki
Shara P.

The food looked very unappetizing. I didn't even eat it. I didn't even ask for a refund. I just tossed it in the trash and bought something else. This was at the Regan airport location, American airlines terminal.

Teriyaki Chicken, 2 bun combo
Doug B.

"Wow," what a surprise for an airport meal, really delicious. I had the combo with Teriyaki Chicken and 2 buns. It was a lot and I probably could have done with just one bun. However, since I'd never been, I wanted to try the two main options with the combo. Great flavors in the Teriyaki Chicken. Was nice to have a bun to "sop" up the juices afterwards. I mixed with the 2 buns having one pork and one beef. They were both tasty and had plenty of meat in the bun. I think I liked the pork better. Really great service, I usually get the name. They don't have table side service but do have plenty of theor own seating. The person who took my order was really helpful in helping me navigate the process and even make solid recommendations. Kudos there! Definitely check them out if you are near gate 38 with American as I was.

2023 prices
Michael L.

Formerly my favorite snack but the 2023 prices have diminished the value factor. Settled for 2 pack chicken teriyaki baos for $8. Pricey for even Honolulu Chinatown. Heading to Dunkin with my continued persistent unsatisfied hunger cravings.

terriyaki chicken bao  chicken dumpling fried rice
Ben F.

I got off the plane and saw someone eating a bao so I wanted to try it... mistake. It was my first ever bao so idk if i don't like bao or they aren't good at making it. The outside was almost spongy.(3 stars). The chicken dumplings were alright for airport food. The rice was wet almost like it was made in microwave. The staff was very short with me and seemed annoyed to take my order. Not worth the price at all, Try five guys next door.

egg, spinach & mushroom and spicy mongolian beef
Katherine G.

Honestly, I liked this spot a lot more than I thought I would. I needed something quick and easy before my flight since I was cutting it really close on time. They were out of the bbq pork bao which I was sad about, but I opted for the egg, spinach, and mushroom as well as a spicy mongolian beef instead. Definitely not flavors I'm used to seeing in bao, but they sounded delicious anyways. The bao themselves were quite small, but actually quite good. The egg, spinach, and mushroom one was just as you'd expect -- classic breakfast flavors. The spicy mongolian beef was really interesting. It was certainly quite spicy, and there was a nice mix of meat and veggies inside. For both bao the bread was nicely soft and fluffy, and overall a solid place for a quick bite.

Bowl
Rachel G.

The dumplings were DELICIOUS! The teriyaki bowl was good! A bit greasy, but overall very good for airport fast food. Bao looked and smelled good. My co worker liked them!

$20 for a fairly small meal.
Mark K.

Among a cluster of decent food places at the end of Terminal C, this stood out to me. Rice bowls, bao dumplings, and potstickers, mmm. I had a combo with a bowl and 2 bao. Curry chicken bowl was tiny, and that plus 2 bao plus a canned Thai coffee was $20. But, airport prices are always silly, and I wanted something light anyway. The bowl was tasty, with perfect rice, plenty of chicken, and some veggies. I got coconut custard bao. They were fair sized, with dense dough and a nice filling. The iced coffee was good, but almost warm, so I asked for a cup of ice. All in all a good meal. Plus there are plenty of places to sit, and most have changing spots. Service was friendly and fast.

Green Vegetable Dumplings
Steve A.

Wow Bad. It's hard to find good airport food. Prices also are never in line with quality. Here is an example of each. The good thing is that portions are small so less food will get tossed. I had the Green Vegetable Dumplings. It's about $5 for the small portion. This is indeed quite a small portion. In the box were only a couple of modestly sized dumplings. The dumplings amazingly weren't so terrible. It was okay thanks to the side of sauce. This is where most of the flavor was. Inside of the dumplings were not much. There appeared to be tiny pieces of tofu but mostly some minced unidentifiable assorted vegetables. Outside the dumplings were dry and hard. The sauce helped kind of. This still wasn't as bad as it could be. It did have a bit of flavor. There's also places to plug in your phone and sit.

Vegetable dumplings falling apart
Onvara A.

I didn't have the best impression at Wow Bao so I'm not sure I'll return next time I'm in DCA. I got their 8 piece vegetable dumplings which were around $8-9. They were literally falling apart when I got them, so it was hard to take a bite without all the filling getting out. It also did not taste great. The tables and chairs were also really dirty and not well maintained, with crumbs and crusty sauce everywhere so I ended up eating at my gate. Worst of all, I was still hungry after the dumplings so I grabbed more food elsewhere later.

The dry one... couldn't even finish it.
Erin O.

I'm so sorry to leave this review yall. I really wanted to give the place a chance. I ordered a bowl/bao combo several months ago, and was disappointed to discover I had not received the Bao. that was the whole point... the combo was simply ordered to satiate me if I didn't like the soup dumpling. honestly, I was drinking upon eating my first order so I do not actually remember the quality of the king pao dish at the first go. what I can tell you is that today I have it another go. And to my delight I did receive the two bao with my order this time. unfortunately they forgot the entire order of potstickers. as for the bso--I ordered two fillings. I got the Mongolian beef and the teriyaki chicken. The beef one was hard on the outside and dry on the inside. The teriyaki was pretty good, but the crust was a bit soggy. Seems like you have two options: too wet or too dry. The king pao chicken was edible. I added some sweet and sour and soy sauce to make the flavor somewhat worth my time. Sorry to sound pretentious but it was just that bad. I didn't see any of the typical king pao ceggies and the flavor was off. Yes it was spicy but it somehow lacked the robustness of a savory flavor and the complement of a sweet ingredient. I ate it. I'm full, and I'll die another day. But hot damn, this food is pretty bad.

two plastic containers of food with rice and meat
Chun A.

Aside from the lack of flavor, the portion size does not equate to the price. Rather spend 8.99 for a frozen meal at grocery store.

Marisela K.

With my flight being delayed 4 times and being here for a while at the dca airport I got hungry and decided to give this place a shot. I ordered the combo with 3 dumplings which came out to be $16.49. I got the orange chicken with rice and the chicken dumplings, the dumplings were so delicious! But the orange chicken was not great... wasn't my cup of tea and well I ended up throwing out basically half because it just made my stomach more upset. I always read reviews on Yelp before going to a place but I decided to ignore and go ahead and try it out. Yea I've learned my lesson.

Orange Chicken
Sarah S.

I normally don't write bad reviews but I can't believe I paid $16 for this "Orange chicken" ... not even sure what the meat is because it's super dark brown, the sauce is not orange sauce, it's more like a slimy chicken noodle soup... just gross :( Staff was so nice but this food is YUCK !!!!

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Bowls are generous and delicious as are the steamed buns. Try them all!!!

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Page 4 of 9

Ask the Community - Wow Bao

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Tiger Dumplings

Tiger Dumplings

4.3
(566 reviews)
3.5 mi
$$$

I though hard on this, and it's tough to justify anything less than 5 stars, especially for the…read moreprice point for the all you can eat brunch option. I visited with 4 friends, and we had a private booth. The food kept coming...and coming...and coming! I was genuinely surprised how fast the turn-around between ordering a dish and it arrived at our table. We visited on a Sunday so they had $1 mimosas. Yes-please-thank you! All the dishes were good-to-great. I don't recall a single one of us complaining about anything we tried. And if you don't like something - order something else!

Was walking with family and we're looking for somewhere to eat for dinner. We stumbled upon Tiger…read moreDumplings and was able to get seated immediately. Not too busy inside but a good amount of people for a Saturday at 7PM. We ordered a Thai Tea, Passionfruit Iced Tea, Scallion Pancakes, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Shrimp Shu Mai, Cucumber Salad, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, Tiger Signature Dumplings, and Pork Chive Dumplings. Food came out as it was ready. The teas were ok, the Passionfruit was the best. The soup dumplings were disappointing. You can't avoid them breaking but there was hardly any meat, was lukewarm, and mostly fat. The Tiger Signature and Pork Chive dumplings were better, but not too much flavor. The amount of filling in there were ok. The Shu Mai and the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings were solid, not too bad at all. The Cucumber were refreshing and also a little spicy. The Scallion Pancakes were fine, nothing special. Food was ok overall. The staff is nice but it seems that they were a little slammed despite the restaurant not being too full. Hard to get the server's attention at times. I wouldn't go out of my way but I might come back if I'm in the Clarendon area again.

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Hawkers Asian Street Food

Hawkers Asian Street Food

4.4
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Catering service

My girlfriends and I had dinner at Hawkers Asian Street Food last night and it was absolutely…read moredelicious and perfect. The decor is fun, playful, and really creates a great atmosphere. The food all comes as small plates so it's perfect for a crowd that likes to order many dishes and share everything. Our server was very friendly and even brought us a complimentary espresso martini which was so good!

Located across the street from the Ballston Mall…read more We came late morning on a Sunday and the restaurant, both inside and outside, was pretty much empty of customers. I wasn't happy when the hostess tried that stupid restaurant trick where they try to seat you at the worst and smallest table (which did not have an umbrella) when most of the other tables are available. But I insisted on, and received, a better table. For a starter we ordered the Pok Pok wings, hoping that they were like the amazing and wonderful Pok Pok wings that were at the now long-gone Andy Ricker Pok Pok restaurants in Portland, OR. Hawker's Pok Pok chicken wings were not like the Portland Pok Pok wings but nonetheless, Hawker's Pok Pok (party) wings were excellent. We loved the flavors and the crispy battered texture. We also ordered the Crispy Wontons. These gingery babies were pleasantly plump. For an entrée, JP ordered the lamb udon and thought it was delicious. I ordered the chicken and shrimp Phad Thai. It also was tasty, perhaps a little on the spicy hot side. Lastly, I ordered a pork belly bun (the order comes with two steamed buns). These came with mustard greens. I thought the buns were just okay. The steamed buns should've been more fluffy and the five spice seasoning on the pork was pretty overwhelming. But yet, considering that service was decent and there's enough good stuff on the menu, we will be back.

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Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House

Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House

4.3
(700 reviews)
0.8 mi
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Been a few times prior to reviewing, so I generally had a good opinion, but finally decided to…read morescrutinize them a bit more. Stopped in for dinner, and was warmly greeted and seated. Always appreciate the minimalist yet still eloquently-decorated aesthetic of the restaurants, complete with a window to view the kitchen, which itself seemed relatively clean and well-kempt. Ordered the Woodear Mushroom and Mint Salad, and the Mogu Shiitake Mixian Ramen. The mushrooms were light and chewy, yet savory with citric and garlicky elements, and overall very refreshing. The ramen was solid in most respects, with a decent variety of vegetables and multiple proteins, including tofu, shiitakes, soybeans and marinated egg (which I enjoyed despite typically not liking hard-boiled egg too much). The noodles were a little bland, however, and didn't taste like they absorbed much of the broth. Overall, I'd say 4.5 stars are more accurate; YbP Noodle House is a regular haunt for me because the quality is there in most respects.

Was really looking forward to hitting this spot given hype and local coverage on PBS. Wait staff…read morewas friendly albeit the place aseemed to lack any sort of management. Staff kinda doing their own thing. Our waiter/manager (?) was also having to make drinks which took a while. (We finished our first apps before drinks even arrived.) Food was creative albeit kinda all over the place. Some items unvailable as well. The Mixian noodles were tasty but we thought too many for the soups or bowls. Apps were good but still nothing over the top. Net net is not sure if worth hitting this spot again for a drive into Pentagon with other better Chinese options in the area.

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NiHao

NiHao

4.2
(155 reviews)
0.6 mi

Popped in for dinner after an event nearby. No reservation but we were able to be seated right…read moreaway. The restaurant had a back section that looked like it could be used as a separate party room and more booths and table in the front. Our server was good. He checked in with us frequently and made sure to keep us informed on our food status after taking our order. We tried the scallion bubble pancake, walnut shrimp, Mr Zhangs red braised pork belly, and beef chow fun. The bubble pancake was fun and had a good crunch and served with like a curry dip sauce. I would say if you get this, you should eat it first/soonest since i enjoyed it more at first bite while it was hot. The walnut shrimp was good, the shrimps were the smaller ones that were an easy way to snack. The braised pork belly was so tender. It reminded me of char siu, flavor wise, as long as you're ok with the pork belly (aka fatty pieces). Beef chow fun was good. They used nice wide noodles that were cooked well, not too soft, and had good onions, bean sprouts, and other veggies. I would come back try other things!

This is just weekend brunch experience. If you're looking for traditional dim sum, this may not be…read morethe place for you. The menu features many deep-fried items, and some dishes did not seem freshly made. While there are several types of dumplings, a closer look at the menu shows that many share similar fillings or wrappers, offering limited variety. We appreciated our server's honesty. We were interested in ordering the bento box, but he explained that it would take much longer because the kitchen was focused on brunch service and the chef would need to stop other tasks to prepare it. Overall, the prices seem to reflect the location more than the food, and the restaurant feels more like an Asian fusion spot. Most like for typical American.

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TNR Cafe

TNR Cafe

3.8
(894 reviews)
3.4 mi
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As a huge fan of crispy beef, I've often turned to TNR Café for my fix. Months ago, my friends and…read moreI decided to order from there on a Friday, enjoying delicious Chinese food while watching a movie. We've since ordered multiple times, but the quality of the crispy beef has been inconsistent. Sometimes it scores a five, while other times it dips to a three, likely due to different chefs preparing the dish. I noticed this firsthand during my last visit when I picked up my order. Though I was excited to indulge in the crispy beef again, it turned out a bit tougher than usual. No service issues. Restaurant is clean and inviting. I'd love for TNR to refine this dish so it maintains its deliciousness consistently, as I truly enjoy it and will definitely be back for more.

I moved to Arlington and August and I've been looking for a go-to Chinese takeout place. Normally I…read moreDD from New Big Wong in DC but today I finally found a place in Arlington I love and glad it's not far from home. TNR Cafe is the ideal Chinese takeout in Arlington. Located in Courthouse near the Taco Bell Cantina and the Four Courts is TNR. I ordered beef and broccoli (came with white rice), pan-fried dumplings, and shrimp and chicken egg rolls. The beef and broccoli was great. Nice fresh slices of beef with the cooked perfectly broccoli and plenty of sauce to drizzle on my white rice. The dumpling were meh. The size and portion was good for the price but the filling was underseasoned. The egg rolls were great as well! Wish there was a little more meat but not terrible at all!

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Peter Chang

Peter Chang

3.6
(668 reviews)
5.7 mi
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Okay, I have to update my previous review. While I do still think the food is overall good, it is…read morequite strange that they use habenero peppers for a lot of the spice. The flavor profile doesn't quite work. Still, I do like the food as an easy filler. I recommend getting a fried rice with two 'small plates' which will be more than enough for two. Or... you will have to choose a single dish with a couple sides of rice.

To be honest, I was not impressed with Peter Chang's when we ordered takeout from the…read moreestablishment, but this is the Chinese restaurant closest to us, when we were ordering in, this had been the default. However, my opinion changed when my wife and I dined in the restaurant for the first time. It will not be our last. What drove me to dine in was the ambience I observed when I picked up a previous takeout order. It was a really nice place, with neat décor, plenty of seating, and a serving staff that was obviously attentive. This remained my impression when we came here for the first time recently. Contrary to our takeout orders, the food blew us away when it was fresh from the kitchen. Perhaps this was because we ordered different things, or perhaps because what we ordered to-go (e.g., fried eggplant, Szechuan chicken) did not travel well. Whatever the case, but this was some of the best Chinese food we have eaten in a long time. For appetizers we ordered the puffy scallion pancake, which was fun to tear and share, and came with some very nice curry sauce or dipping. We also ordered the pork soup dumplings, which were everything you could want in a soup dumpling - piping hot with a warm, soul-soothing broth inside (but which does not travel particularly well in takeout orders). For our entrees, my wife ordered the duck fried rice. I am not the biggest fan of fried rice, but this was some of the best I ever had. The duck favor was prominent but not overwhelming and the pineapple was the best integrated I have ever experienced in a savory dish. I had leftover for lunch today and it was still quite good. I ordered the fish in chili oil, a bubbling, soupy dish covered in peppers. This was phenomenal, an excellent balance of heat, numbing, and flavor. And there was plenty of fish in the dish, as well. I will be hard pressed not to order this every time we come here in the future. We split the fried green beans (solid - crisp and well spiced), which I ate for breakfast over rice with some of the leftover fish. Again, it was still good. As my previous comments imply, serving sizes are large.

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Peking Gourmet Inn

Peking Gourmet Inn

3.7
(2.8k reviews)
4.7 mi
$$$

We went together as a family. Peking Gourmet Inn is one of those classic unchanging constants in a…read morecommunity. Not constantly trying to revise their menu for trends. They do something excellently and they keep doing it excellently. If you don't have more than four people, just get the duck. There's no need to get anything else. It's iconic. It's perfection. It's a lot of food. Enjoy.

This is an institution for Peking Duck since the 80s. Sadly, it feels like time has caught up…read more The long lines to get in is no longer there except for couple of special days. Use to not be able to get a reservation on weekend but no longer the case anymore. What went wrong? I feel like ever since the pandemic, they started to go south. The price of the duck has reached a point that is no longer affordable. All other dishes prices continued to increase even though they are always just subpar. On this most recent trip, the duck was good, the Joe-yen shrimp portion is a bit less but the price has increased. The Shiitake with baby bok choy was good but not enough Shiitake. The usually dependable Shrimp fried rice was horrible. Not stir fried completely and no wok taste. Just bland like I can cook it at home. Sadly, that will be my last visit to this institution. Their answer to slower traffic seems to be raising the price and decreasing portions. 6 fried dumplings cost $16. Almost $3 a dumpling. That is price of an entree for 6 dumplings. One last note, I tried to eat my left over duck today and they did not even pack any hoisin sauce for me! How does one eat a Peking duck with no hoisin sauces?

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Wow Bao - chinese - Updated July 2026

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