I walked by this place a billion times, always wanting to pop in. I finally did, and it was...a disappointment. The pot stickers were pretty decent, but nothing I couldn't buy frozen for 1/10 of the price and cook at home. The buns were decent, too, but nothing to write home about. In fact, for a better cha siu, try any dimsum restaurant, or even frozen stuff from Chinatown Market (steam at home). Kudos to them for the creativity, though: I think I saw a bacon-and-egg bao (or something similar). In short: eat here when you're super hungry and in the area. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and eat somewhere else. read more

For cheap, fast food of the Asian persuasion, I can't complain. Plus, any restaurant that proclaims, "Hot Asian Buns" in giant letters on its wall is a winner in my eyes. The buns: tender, chewy and filled with all kinds of delciousness. I got a six pack of different flavors (among them: kung pao chicken, edamame and curry) and experienced the East! My gripe: This place was dirty. Yes, it had an intriguing modern design and airiness to it, yet there was trash all over the floor, dirty tables everywhere and a big mess of a condiment bar. I guess I can't complain for good eats on a budget. read more

The day Wow Bao saved my life. A very windy, cold chill walking along Michigan Ave. April -- a sudden cold day that caught me by surprise. Two days before, it was 80! Ah, love Chicago. Walking along, I really wanted some nice, quick, healthy, affordable Asian food. Enter Wow Bao. The broth was so delicious and just the right thing to warm me up! I also got a bowl of food to go for eating later. If you're ever cold on Michigan Ave. and want a quick pick up, Wow Bao's broth will hit just the spot. read more

Chinese food in a bun... interesting concept... I've been to this location now 3x and the food is very tasty but I will say I can only handle 2-3 Baos. I've noticed I get a dough overload with any more. Having said that, it's great (healthy? steam cooked, not fried) Chinese food. Everything in the cooking area is Stainless Steel and appears very clean. Definitely try the spicy peanut noodles, salad is good too! Pass on the authentic Ginger Ale unless that's something you're into. I was thinking it would be more like Schwepps Ginger Ale... read more

I just returned to this place after several years. I tried the original Water Tower one a long time ago and liked it, so decided to stop here. It was pretty busy when we arrived on Saturday afternoon. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bao, the chicken curry bao, one chocolate bao, and one coconut bao. The chicken teriyaki bao was my favorite. I also liked the chicken curry one. The chocolate one was just ok, and the coconut one was delicious. The service here was just so-so. They weren't very friendly, but not really rude either. On a good note though, the bathroom was surprisingly clean, and the restaurant was pretty clean also. The baos are like $1.50 each, and if you check in on Foursquare you get a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you factor in the price, this place is a good value for the money, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return here. read more

Who doesn't love a hot bun snack while shopping? It's not your typical mall munchie - it's even better! My husband and I had the Mongolian beef bao which was outstanding, and the kung pao chicken bao - also good but not as good as the beef. Next time, I'd opt for the dessert bao buns! read more

I was walking around Chicago, and the name intrigued me, so I stopped in. This place gets four stars for service. Hands down, it's one of the fastest I've ever experienced. I LOVE the electronic ordering kiosks outside the restaurant. You can still order at the counter if you have questions, but at the kiosk, you pick your items (as an Asian, I didn't really have any questions, even my first time visiting), swipe your credit card, and within 3 minutes, your number is called. FYI if you get a drink at the kiosk, just take it from the drinks area (to the left of the counter). I give two stars for the food, for an average of a three star rating. The pau (as we call it in my family) is a white dough on the outside. I prefer the brown buns, which are typically sweet and sticky on the outside. Oh well. I tried a few different kinds. The Thai curry did not appeal to me at all (but hey, I tried). The BBQ pork bun was okay, but I've had better in Houston. It had an odd texture inside. I also ordered the gyoza. They were ok, but I can make better ones at home. I would've prefered they were pan-fried more. I paid less than $15 for three buns, gyoza, and a drink. I suppose that's not too bad for Chicago downtown. I'm sure there are better places to eat elsewhere, but if you want fast service, this is the place! read more

This is soooo good!! Pretty fast without waiting~ I ordered teriyaki chicken bowl for lunch~ yummy read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! I like the Wow Bao! I've had one or to bao buns at parties, but I'd never been to Wow Bao. I always thought it was some crazy bun place in Water Tower Place. To be clear: IT IS NOT! Met a friend for lunch today and had the 2 bun combo with noodles. Way more than enough food for me. I had the Mongolian Beef bun and curry chicken. Very spicy and yummy. I enjoyed the buns and the noodles very much. Great for a quick snack or a meal! read more

Good. Cheap. Fast. Easy. Potstickers weren't the best... dryyyyyyy, sad, and disappointing. I think they'd just been sitting around for hours. Baos... I tried 3 kinds and they were all good. I'll be back the next time I need a quick nip while I'm in the Loop. read more

Fun! Came upon this fast food joint while exiting my hotel and was immediately drawn in. My town has NO dim sum, so an opportunity to have fresh bao is an opportunity I will take full advantage of. The interior is bright and clean, with shiny silver urns puffing out steam. The queue is quick and efficient. My combination order plus an additional bao was ready perhaps a minute after I cleared the register. This was during the busy lunch hour, too. I ordered: 5 pot stickers - pork and cabbage 1 cha siu bao Spicy peanut noodle salad It cost just a smidge over $8 and was very filling. Wow Bao does brisk business with lots of customer turn over, so finding a spot for two to eat was a snap. My pot stickers weren't as good as the ones I make, a couple fell apart very quickly. Then again, I have OCD when folding my dumpling wrappers perfectly, and I know that won't cut it in a fast food situation. Lots of other bao and drink options are available, but I went with the old standards for my first time. Yay! I'm a fan. read more

I am a serious lover of dim sum foods, especially the pork bao. I have been known to go on missions in whatever city I'm in to find said bao if I realize I haven't had any in a while. So imagine my joy when I discovered this restaurant, which I don't think we have on the east coast, is cleverly attached to my weekly hotel in Chicago! Oh there IS a God! But, now, a few weeks later... meh. They are not my favorite pork buns. Don't get me wrong, the noodle dishes and pot stickers are tasty. And there are many kinds of interesting bao to try, which are all decent. Best of all, it's open pretty late for those long days in the office when I'm getting back late and just need something quick. But, for the price, I feel like I will now continue my search for excellent pork bao in Chicago. read more

Hot Asian Buns. Ok, so the slogan's pretty awesome. I'm surprised they haven't set up a permanent picture taking spot for the Asians (cough the boyfriend and I cough) who are so inclined to take pictures in front of the sign. Anyhow, we were both very skeptical about this place, as we're both pretty traditional when it comes to our food. He's Chinese and I'm Viet, so we've both grown up with lots of baos. We were both surprised about how tasty the actual bao was...our only problem was with the filling. It wasn't really bbq pork, in any way at all. I also ordered the rice bowl with chicken teriyaki. Seriously, that wasn't chicken teryiaki either. It tasted weird. The potstickers, however, were pretty tasty. Overall, it was just ok...but not somewhere I'd likely go again. read more

I'm a sucker for spicy food and for trying something different, and in that light, this place couldn't have been more different and more satisfying. This is a fast-food style Asian fusion place where you can order at the counter, then slide a tray down and wait for your food, or you can order on a computer screen outside the door and then go in an wait for your food--we chose the computer, the future of ordering food (or the past, if you've ever been to a Sheetz in Pennsylvania). As adverstised, we got a big, three-person order in about 3 minutes, hot and steaming. Aside from bowls, pretty popular at a lot of Asian places now, this place specializes in bao, or hot Asian buns, which are what they (kind of) sound like: buns. They're kind of spongy, but are different than most breads, and are filled with different things, mostly the same things you get in the bowls, e.g., kung pao, BBQ, or teriyaki. And they're great. They're easy to eat, warm, tasty, and provide the new and adventurous factor that I crave (though I had them once before in Chinatown in NYC). Everything, in general, was tasty, quicky, and spicy, which makes me overlook the slight priciness ($10, about, for a bowl-bun combo, not including a drink), and the fact one of our buns had the wrong filling. We will go back, and I highly recommend. read more

Wow Bao is another one of Lettuce Entertain You's establishment that I see as successful. If you are of Asian heritage, you will most probably think that except for the BBQ Pork bao offered by Wow Bao, all the other baos are far from authentic. Baos are traditionally filled with BBQ pork and sweet bean paste among others. But the baos offered at Wow Bao have fillings such as chicken teriyaki, Mongolian beef, and Kung pao chicken and these types of baos are totally unheard of in Asia (people eat these as dishes with rice, and not as bao fillings). And what Wow Bao does is to create fusion and innovative combinations of baos and fillings. Nothing wrong with "untraditional" food, IMHO, as long as it's executed correctly. And Wow Bao delivers. For those who complain that Wow Bao is not authentic, Wow Bao never claimed to be so. And hey, if they did, they'd be located in Chinatown. But they aren't. read more

The night we arrived in Chicago, my husband and I were lost going to dinner and we walked by Wow Bow. As a interior designer I was quite impressed by their exterior as well as their interior design. Today I decide to go back and try this place out. I really love their hip and modern interior! The self ordering machines outside are great for those paying with a credit card. I ordered the pork and cabbage potstickers with ginger dressing and a Thai curry chicken bun. Both were very hot which was nice since its 30F degrees outside. The Thai Curry bun was pretty good. I've never had it before, in CA we usually see BBQ pork and some other ones but def. not Thai Curry. The potstickers were tasty but slightly over cooked for my taste. I would go back and try other items as a mid afternoon snack, probably not for a main meal. read more

Wow Bao - Great concept, interior design and presentation! - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My first meal from Wow Bao was via GrubHub and it was amazing! My boyfriend and I ordered 6 bao (1 teriyaki chicken, 2 spicy Mongolian beef, 1 spicy kung pao chicken, and 2 BBQ pork). My favorite was the spicy kung pao chicken - It definitely has a decent kick. My least favorite was the BBQ pork as I thought it was a little too sweet. Overall, the bao bread was perfect - light and fluffy, not doughy and the filling was perfectly portioned. We also ordered the cold peanut noodle salad and the fried dumplings. The fried dumplings were crispy and came with a great (but standard) ginger soy dipping sauce. The cold peanut noodle salad was okay but could have been better. However, I did like that the peanut sauce came in a separate container so we could pour it on ourselves. I can't wait to go back and try the dessert baos! Tip: If you order take-out/delivery, make sure to check the wrappers underneath the bao to see what kind it is. We didn't figure this out until AFTER we ate all of our bao so we were playing the guessing game the whole time. You live and you learn, right? =] read more

"HOT ASIAN BUNS!" screamed the banner at the Old Town Fest (maybe? One of the fests). Ummm, heck yeah, gotta go check that out. Was impressed - tasty quick food without being fast food tasting. A very yummy offering with an Americanized twist. I really enjoy this place, it's a very good approximation of a bao, and seriously, I'm not going to be comparing a pick-up-food mini-chain to "authentic" offerings (even more magnanimous given that I'm Chinese and old-school about my dim sum). Makes a great snack or whole meal, and very convenient and cheap to boot. My favs were the Mongolian Beef and BBQ Pork ones. Least fav was the Thai curry one. When our company sprang for us to stay at the WIT for meetings, I went across the street to this location every day all week just to get a snack to take back, I enjoyed them so much. Very friendly service and remembered what I wanted by the second day. Nice. read more

Stopped in here for a quick bite before heading to o'hare... Never had anything remotely close to Bao. or asian buns. It was pretty delicious. It felt like eating a sandwich.. the bun was like a moist bread. stuffed with meats... I had the pork and curry chicken bao. super tasty. I am hoping to find something here in LA that comes close... I also had their spicy mongolian beef bowl.... i wasn't too crazy about it. It's spicy. It looked like ground beef. Reminded me of a sloppy joe on top of rice. eh. I would return for Bao... that $h!t is amazing. read more

Love their buns! Maybe a bit overpriced for just buns, but they taste great! My favorites here are the 'bbq pork', 'spicy kung pao chicken', and 'thai curry chicken'. Make sure you ask for the spicy chili paste to go with the baos for an added experience. Can't eat my baos without it now. Also if you're a Foursquare user, check-in to any of their locations for a free bao with purchase! read more

Warm, tasty Asian buns. UM, YES? Hot and filling, the bao here are great on-the-go food for average prices. The pillow soft rice to flavorful filling ratio is pretty spot-on, and the insides are tasty without being greasy. The teriyaki chicken was definitely my favorite flavor, with the oh-so-sweet coconut custard coming in at a close second. I wasn't a huge fan of the bbq pork, which could have had more seasoning and fewer uncomfortably chewy pork bits (...fat?). The bbq pork also didn't taste like authentic bao that I've had before, but it has good flavor in its own right. Other fun facts: free wifi, great ginger beer, bicycle catering, and complete nutrition facts online Will def make it out here again to try the chocolate or chocolate banana bao. Yum read more

Love this place. Whenever I'm hungry, downtown, and in need of a quick bite, I usually save a few dollars and my appetite for a visit. The different baozi are great (tho, I haven't tried the dessert ones), and the potstickers are also tasty. My favorite is a cold noodle salad with a spicy peanut sauce. Hao chi! I have had better ( and chinatown is a good place for more authentic faire ) but for convenience to downtown, it's hard to beat Wow Bao read more

If I want something fast and filling in here at the kiosk Discovered this from a walk shopping Bought some bao for my parents and they are enjoying the flavors! I really enjoyed the hot broth tho the ginger ale was. Bit too sweet without the ginger bite read more

I was honestly impressed. My husband and I made a quick stop in here while visiting Chicago. We just needed something lighter as we had dinner plans later that evening. The food was very quick, very inexpensive, yet really yummy! There are no Wow Bao's near where I live, which is a real disappointment! read more

Baos are yummy (had bbq and teriyaki). I also got a Thai curry bowl and that was quite salty. The taste was good but as someone else pointed out, it's a rather thin layer over rice (perhaps the salty was to compensate for the rice ratio). At first I thought the bowl was sorta dinky, but portion was actually appropriate if having a side bao or two. We also got the dumpling soup; it's bland (or it appeared that way after the salty bowl)--paired nicely with everything. read more

Pretty good quick lunch option. I ordered via Ritual as I was walking in. I had never been here before and there was a special on the bowls for ordering through the app so I figured why not. I couldn't quite decide between the spicy kung pow chicken and the spicy mongolian beef and the staff was like why not go half and half. Sounds good. I had it over low mein. The portion seemed pretty darn small but once I finished eating I was fairly satisfied. I thought it was pretty cool that they also have ordering machines right outside of the restaurant which is pretty efficient. I haven't been back yet, but I wouldn't rule it out. read more

I like this Wow Bao waaaay better than the one at Water Tower. For one, the menu is much more extensive. I thought the potstickers were fine, though they're not so exciting as the Baos. I'd definitely be interested in trying the rice bowls, as I assume they are just the fillings from the Baos on top of rice. But my absolute favorite thing at this location are the sweet baos. Oh my god, I don't even LIKE coconut, and the coconut creme bao was awesome. Just awesome. I think my boyfriend thought he could have that one for himself--as I did--and I couldn't stop eating it. So good. Perfect for a quick cheap meal before a Chicago Theatre show too, if you're ok with fast food. read more

I am such a fan of wow bao. I tried the one at water tower place before I discovered this location right up the street from my school. I usually get the pot stickers or the beef bao.. I really haven't had the guts to try the homemade ginger ale although I love the ale! read more

I have to review this place. How can you pass on a place that sells awesome buns! They are soo good that they are called "hot asian buns"! Loved homemade freshly made ginger beer: either plain, with pomegranate or with green tea. Their buns (bao in Cantonese) are like the size of White Castle burgers so you can easily eat 3 or 4 in a sitting. Roast pork and coconut custard were not as yummy as Chinatown's but still good. The dumplings were small and even though they were not as good as those in a Chinese dim sum joint, they still are tasty with chopped cilantro and scallions. Gotta return for some noodles next time. Please please someone bring this franchise to CT!!! Either that or build a Chinatown. read more

Call me a grinch but i just tried this unit at Wacker based on the stars issued by Yelpers ... and i was disappointed at best. Frankly eating the two bao buns was like trying to cut, chew and swallow mildly sweet pie dough - unbaked! yuk. the fillings were spot on. their potstickers are well, potstickers. it is hard to improve on those.... they should have more than three choices ... there will be a next time as it is so near my office and it's quick and cheap (by Loop standards). perhaps i'll try the noodles .... read more

I stop by constantly since it's in the same building where I work. I grab 4 Bao for lunch, and I'm all set within 3 minutes. FAST food that's not gross! I highly recommend the Teriyaki Chicken and BBQ Beef bao. And fair warning: The chocolate bao was simply too much sweet/rich/overwhelming flavor for me. I'm not a huge fan of their limited menu, but since the bao are my favorite item anyway, I can't complain much. read more

Wish we had one in NYC :-( Pumpkin buns were ridiculous when they were in season. read more

Excellent pan fried pot stickers. Mongolian beef bao also excellent. Not so keen on rice noodles - still stuck together. Overall pretty authentic. read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hmm....not the best but okay for asian fusion. The size of the bao was so small... It took me like 2 bites and all of it was gone. Flavor was okay but I would honestly just go to Chinatown for bao. My hubby ordered the Mongolian beef bowl and it was basically ground beef stir fried with oyster sauce and some ground pepper served over rice. Flavor was lackluster and I wouldn't recommend anyone to get that bowl. If you really want a quick bite then I'd recommend this place to just help relieve those tummy growls until dinner. The only thing I really liked about this place was that there was a kiosk where you order first and then just go in and pick up your food. We didn't wait long for our food since we didn't have to wait in line to order at the register. read more

This place has a modern and simple decor. Bao is decent but definitely small than what I'm use too. The soup broth is okay but don't get the noodles. Just like the small Bao so is the noodles. I would come again for the Bao but not go out of my way. The service was okay and parking available but could be difficult. read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Decent place, but food was mediocre and uninspiring. Chicken in the Chicken Pad Thai had a weird lack of consistency, like it was nondescript shredded chicken parts. Meh. read more

Don't waste time horrible food. Tour buying dough and rice with little portions of actual food.

Taking the El and craving Potbelly (which is across the street) I came upon Wao's 3 for $5 combo deal. I've been there before and have paid a bit more (not complaining). So i tried the combo and it definitely hit the spot and NOT the wallet! The place in general is clean and friendly. Love the uniforms and overall style of the place. Music is appropriate too. Bathrooms are clean (yet hard to find and one at a time). But you leave feeling full and fullfilled. read more

I was a little worried when I showed up to Wow Bao with a coworker for lunch and the tiny place was packed. I figured we'd be waiting for an hour. Not so. The restaurant has these touch screen ordering machines, so you place your order, pay for it, and the machine pops out a number. Then you wait for your number to be called...which surprisingly only took about 5 minutes. I had the chicken teriyaki rice bowl and a bite of my coworkers bbq pork bao. Yum. I'll definitely be back. read more

Wow Bao is a very trendy restaurant with good food. I've had their rice bowls, salads, bao and pot stickers; all of which were delicious. My coworkers and I often eat lunch at Wow Bao. On one occasion there was construction/repairs being done on the ceiling, which required most of the seating area to be closed. We only go to Wow Bao because we want to eat there, and when the owner overheard our unhappiness about having to eat our food elsewhere, he promptly offered to move the "caution" tape away and set up a table for us. My favorite things about Wow Bao are the service and trendiness. My least favorite thing is that the price is a little higher than other options in the area. read more