You get what you pay for, it's FAST food and in a very small portion. I wouldn't come here for a meal but if you're on the go, you can get a good snack. But I will say - their ginger ale is great! read more

Wow Bao - Thai chicken noodle soup and pomegranate ginger ale - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoyed my meal but the ordering could be a bit more streamlined. I wasn't able to used my emailed coupon. The POS kiosk system simply doesn't allow for characters to be added as a coupon. This was frustrating. read more

I ordered 2 bowls of chicken combo and Kimberly the server forgot to put 1 bowl of orange chicken and 2 baos into our bag. Their chicken bowl sucks I can't even take another bite taste like microwave food read more

Ordered at 6:30 pm for 7:00 to 7:10 delivery. Extended to 7:24 to 7:34. Restaurant closed at 6:45, no updates. Text to GrubHub reveals the restaurant canceled my order because they can't fulfill it. They may have the best bao in town but I don't think I will ever be able to confirm this. On a Tuesday? read more

I've been interested in checking out Wow Bao for ages! It took the Elemental Yelp event at Castle to introduce me. I tried Teriyaki Chicken Bao and Spicy Mongolian Beef Bao. And check me out. I've been craving it ever since. I woke up talking to M about it. I was like "I'm going to eat Bao Wow for lunch today!!!" (yeah, I had it backwards but I was absolutely stoked this rainy day). I looked it up online and scouted out the locations. I was STOKED to see that the Jewel down the street carries them in the frozen section. And then M pointed out that the building next to her work has a Wow Bao location that's open for breakfast! So, I joined M for her commute to work and we stopped in to get some Wow Bao together. She got some oatmeal (she said it hit the spot) and I got a box of six baos: two Coconut Custard Baos and four BBQ Pork Baos. I brought them back to M's place and have been eating them while watching my shows (I think this may be the PERFECT way to spend my day off!). The guy at Wow Bao was super friendly. He seemed genuine and happy. What made him skyrocket awesome to me is that he explained that I could give them five minutes and they could steam any bao I wanted (such as a lunch time bao for breakfast). That's just amazing because I'm not the biggest fan of eggs and I was crazy about the flavors I had at the Yelp event. The actual location of this Wow Bao was pretty tiny. It did have a few places to sit, but it was pretty obvious that it's the type of place where you grab your food and go. That's cool for me! read more

Wow Bao - Wow Bao is located under the red awning. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overpriced and the food is just average. Also, definitely stay away from the burger bao bun, it tastes weird...

You're kidding right? People LIKE this place? I'm calling it "Wow, Bao-ring!" Popped in here for some soup today for a snack. Hot n' Sour soup, one of my favorite things, and the barometer by which all Asian restaurants are judged, IMNERHO*. If you've got a good hot n' sour soup, you've got me at "hot" and you've got me for life. I'll come back for more and shamelessly beg for it. Ordered said sour soup, and due to their needlessly complicated ordering procedure, almost ended up with a cup of broth. No. Hot n' Sour soup is supposed to be fillled with goodness, lots of tangy vegetables, weird mushrooms, maybe pork or chicken. Savory, tangy HOT. This was neither (spicy) hot NOR sour. Their version is a virtually tasteless broth, which is served searing (temperature) hot, immediately burning my tender mouth. Minus points. Undercooked vegetables sprinkled on top. Lettuce?! Really!? Onions . . . okay, maybe, but the ultimate sin was the dearth of mushrooms or that weird yet strangely delicious Chinese "fungus" ingredient that is in ALL hot n' sour soup. A couple of limp bean sprouts, and a smattering of noodles. Humpf. Underwhelming. The guys behind the counter were charming enough, and seemed apologetic about their strangely complicated ordering procedure. I don't want to have to be the crazy lady that gets up to the cashier and then has to figure out how to order what I want. The tables - up two flights of escalators was out of the way, and not good for people watching. They need to put a stand up hot dog joint in this space. Wow Bao-ring is just not doing it. I think I live too close to Argyle - and a not so far L ride from Chinatown - to be impressed with this place, 'cos this gringo girl knows the real Asian deal, and it's not the WB. This place wasn't nearly dirty or dingy enough to be good. * In My Never Even Remotely Humble Opinion read more

Chalk this culinary experience up to being part of the covid community victims... After a wonderful Cirque du Soleil experience downtown, we sought out a quick din-din to satisfy before we took the long trek north, only to encounter the newly appointed lead Shonqua, 5 minutes before they closed. She was working with two other guys, and made it plain that she had a train to catch, and would not allow anyone to sit down to eat, and was the rudest frontline person you could imagine, as if she had answered the same question a thousand times that day. Mind you, this is an area where it is a hugely diverse tourist tract section of the city, the Russian couple in front of us suffered the worst. She was actually pacing and fidgeting, obviously impatient to get the heck outta Dodge. I was able to reach the regional manager, who profusely apologized, and promised to take care of the issue. We shall see, feel free to add to the commentary if you have the same experience with the same person read more

Before we started some shopping in the mall, we decided to get a snack at Wow Bao, which was located just past the entrance. The menu consisted of savory and sweet steamed baos, steam dumplings, rice and noodle bowls and salads. With Bao in its name, baos was what we were going to try. The savory filling choices included spicy kung pao chicken, whole wheat edaname, teriyaki chicken, Thai curry chicken, spicy Mongolian beef and bbq pork. Coconut custard and chocolate were the sweet options. We opted for the Thai curry chicken and bbq pork. After placing our order, we were told that there would be about a ten minute wait for the Thai curry chicken as they were being steamed. We opted to wait as this was an interesting filling for a bao. After getting our order, we took it up to second floor where Wow Bao has tables for its customers to enjoy their food. The Thai curry chicken filling was tasty and the BBQ pork was ok as I've had tastier ones. At $1.79 each and the size of the baos, I would say they are pricey considering BBQ pork buns that are larger can be had for $.75 each. I could have eaten two for a satisfying snack. Overall, friendly staff and unique choice for the bao filling. Just felt at $1.79 each, it was pricey for these small baos. read more

I had to check this place out, what with all the hype, but I have to say I don't get it. The main issue was that I found the dumpling dough to be heavy and gummy, which rather dragged down the whole experience. I tried the kung pao chicken, mongolian beef, bbq pork, and coconut custard bao. The kung pao chicken and mongolian beef were both spicy, and I found them to be barely discernable from one another. The bbq pork was sweet, and that was the flavor profile: sweet. That was the problem: no nuance, just one note to the flavors. (Also, the pork was not shredded, but ground or somehow formed into strange pellets; it just looked weird!) The saving grace was the coconut custard bao; I would come back for these! It was as if you'd boiled down a can of sweetened coconut milk into a pudding and stuffed it into a dumpling. Yum. I also tried the homemade ginger ale, but I didn't love it like so many people seem to. I just wasn't impressed: I could taste the ginger, but it still tasted too watery. Frankly, the homemade ginger ale I make is better, and so is my canned ginger ale of choice (Vernors). My dad was with me and the whole menu was too weird for him. He didn't dig the fresh ginger ale, and he spurned the bao in favor of a rice bowl, which he pronounced okay. Overall, I expected more; I've always had a better meal at other Lettuce Entertain You places, but on the whole, the Bao didn't Wow. read more

I'm really embarrassed but this was the perfect snack for me when I was shopping at the tower. It was really yummy and hot and fresh! They had such a huge selection for a fast food place in the mall I was surprised. They are cheap and for something that's probably not authentic, they have great flavor and soft buns which is the perfect consistency. You really can't go wrong here because it's small enough to be a snack but large enough to be a meal if you order multiple and even the bf thought it was pretty good. They do serve other things than Bao's but I only got the Baos. read more

I enjoyed my meal at Wow Bao. I had six baos (steamed dumplings) and a homemade ginger ale. The baos were great. I especially enjoyed the barbecue pork baos which were sweet. I found the Mongolian barbecue baos to be a little too spicy for me. I should have taken them seriously when they told me they were spicy! My only complaint about Wow Bao is the price. Six baos and a ginger ale cost almost $18! I understand prices are higher in the city, but $18 for lunch is way too much. I am glad I gave it a try. Eating at Wow Bao was a unique experience. read more

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Wow Bao, your "Hot Asian Buns," have impressed me. I was introduced to this place by a couple of the guys I was working with for the week. I am not a big McDonalds / Wendys fast food sort of person. So I was very happy we didn't end up going to one of those. Wow Bao was fast and much more tasty. I think cheaper also, each dumpling is only $1.29, and you can get a box of 6. Those 6 "Hot Asian Buns" filled me up. I was a big fan of the chicken curry one. Check this place out if you are looking for something fast in the area. read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was intrigued by the modern take to traditional baos and stopped here for a quick snack. My friends and I shared a terriyaki chicken bao, bbq pork bao, and chicken dumplings. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much grabbing a quick snack at a mall, but I was surprised how tasty the little baos and dumplings were. This is definitely a good place to stop if you're on the go or in search of a fulfilling snack. read more

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If i can negative zero to the chicago branch inside the mall i will! Tje guy is sl rude when he was the one who had a mistake with my orders read more

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I had a fantastic experience at this location. It was my first time there so I was quite apprehensive in deciding what to order but the gentleman working there- I believe his name was Albert was so incredibly helpful. He even threw in some spring rolls for free. He truly understands customer service and was a delight to converse with. read more

Such convenient and unconventional mall food! This quick serve traditional Chinese spot is located in the water tower palace. We got a Thai curry bun and a kung pao bun- SO DELICIOUS and the filling was truly impeccable. I would love to try their other bao, but this is a must try in the area and I wish they had more locations read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yummy! I've been waiting for something like this to come around! I'm hooked on the larger sho pao that I normally get from the filipino or chinese stores... Wow Bao provides a very quick and clean appetite fix! I've had all their flavors and loved them all. I also had this one cold drink that was very good. It was red and I think it had ginger in it. read more

Ah yes, Wow Bao. This is part of the reason why I keep visiting Water Tower Place after all these years. It's conveniently located on the first floor/foyer area, so it's easy to pop in and out. Not so convenient, their seating is up a staircase, so be prepared to carry your food up if you're dining in. Wow Bao is really reasonably priced. The bao (steamed dumplings) are only $1.89 a piece. How can that be beat? My girlfriend and I had lunch plans elsewhere, so we only got a quick bite here. I ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, and a coconut custard one ($1.89). She ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, a five-piece order of chicken potstickers with soy ginger sauce ($4.69), and a homemade pomegranate ginger ale ($2.69). The bao (baos?) were delicious. The outside is fluffy and soft, and the inside is full of flavor. The chicken teriyaki filling is sweet,with just the right amount of spice. The coconut custard one was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I'd order it again. The best thing we ordered was actually the potstickers. I've been to Wow Bao a number of times but had never tried them, until she ordered them. They were super flavorful and well cooked, the outside was just the right amount of soft and a little chewy. The dipping sauce complemented them perfectly. The pop was pretty delicious too. If you're torn between the original and pomegranate, definitely go for the pomegranate. This is a great little place for lunch on the go, that delivers great food and flavors for a tiny cost. read more

Wow Bao - Coconut custard bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I know. It's just like, wow! Bao! Sure, it's not super authentic, but it's good stuff. The general tso's bun was addictive. I was disappointed in myself for only ordering two. But the rice bowl was good too. Overall, a nice change of pace from the typical fast food. read more

I always visit wow bao whenever I come to Chicago. It's great whenever you want to eat something light. They had really great options to choose from. I always order Thai curry chicken bao, it's slightly spicy and tastes really good. This time, I ordered Thai curry chicken bao, vegetable and chicken dumplings, herbal broth and all vegetable noodle bowl. Loved vegetable and chicken dumplings, both were moist and flavorful, also the dipping sauce tasted great. I really like their herbal broth, it's great if you are feeling cold. The only thing which I did not like was all vegetable noodle bowl, it was bland. I mixed soy sauce with it but still it tasted bad. Did not like it at all. I will stick to bao, dumplings and broth. read more

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I know it's asian fusion bao buns. But I must say I liked it! HAhahahaha.... I liked the teriyaki ones, the bbq pork ones and the coconut custard one! I wasn't too much of a fan of the spicy mongolian beef one though. They are pretty cheap and the fill you up if you're looking to snack on something while you shop. I love it how when you get them they're piping hot and fresh! read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is on Michigan Ave street level just inside the main entrance and it's hard to find seating for more than one or two people when it's busy. The seating is actually located on the second level up the escalator. You get your food and go up the escalator or just get it to go. The pork bun is a little bland but everything else is flavorful and distinct. The chicken pad thai salad is also very good. The buns don't travel very well in my opinion and are best fresh on the spot. This would be true wherever you get "bao" buns however, so it would be ok by me if they started expanding around the city. I make it a point to eat here whenever I'm in Water Tower or upper Michigan Ave by myself or with a friend, not with a group. Because waiting in the entrance for everyone to order and then shuffling around for a table upstairs with a bunch of people would be a hassle, especially in Water Tower. But you might be able to grab a table for four or more people when it's slower during non peak hours if you're group is feeling adventurous. read more

I am a man who avoids McDonald, Subway, Buger King and the like. I never get a philly cheesecake at the mall, nor do I buy one of those Chinese like dishes. I figure in this world my greatest enemy is calories, not money, so I want to blow my calories on good food. Wow Bao fits the bill exactly though. Its a unique restaurant owned by "Lettuce Entertain you." Kind of Ironic that Gale Gand's Tru is owned by the same company as this place. . . but they do have something in common, unique and good food. Have you ever eaten at a Chinese food restaurant and ordered the steamed pork buns? Or what about Dim Sum on a Sunday morning? If so you have come across a version of Wao Bao's fare. A selection of steamed buns stuffed with all kinds of goodness. Steaming the dumplings do make them look a little weird (all soft and smooth) but they taste great. I found some of the stuffings a little better than some of the other ones. I can't remember the choices off the top of my head (a Mongolian curry did pop to mind). I would put wow Bao up there with Kolache Factory as a great purveyor of fast hand held artisan food. read more

I'm a fan of Wow Bao - I'm a very crazy fan of Wow Bao - but I do prefer the one on State/Lake! Their whole wheat edamame bao is my absolute favorite!! read more

Food wasn't bad, but for the price kinda crazy. It was a super super large portion of white rice, with a very small amount of meat on top. So if you wanna pay top dollar for white rice, this is the spot. ​​​​​​If you want meat, you won't get it here !! Just Rice....​​ read more

For being in the entrance of a shopping mall, Wow Bao wowwed me. I came here with some friends with super low expectations. I ordered a few of the buns and a side salad, and was surprised with the flavor each bun had. Not very filling and pretty pricey for what you were getting, but given that I came in with low expectations, I thought Wow Bao was pretty good. That being said, the buns are pretty small and fairly expensive. I guess that comes with being so close to Michigan Ave/tourists? read more

Not great. For 10$ it was disappointing to get a glob of veggie dumplings that I couldn't even eat with a fork because they were completely destroyed. The bao wasn't awful but still pretty soggy, like they have all been steamed to death. Was my first and last time. read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried the teriyaki chicken , spicy kung Pao chicken and Thai curry Chicken Bao and they were amazing. Thai curry chicken bao was kind of Sweetish, but pleasant. Can't really compare it with other places that sell Bao's because this was my first time trying it out. For those who want to try a bao for the first time and have tasted a momo before, the stuffing is better than a momo but the outer wrap is like a bread. So , go for it. read more

Wow Bao - Teriyaki chicken , Thai curry chicken and spicy kung pao chicken bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

1. Taste is average to below average 2. Staff needs to wake up, they were all sleeping with their eyes open. 3. Both Bao and bowl is a disappointment. read more

I love Wow Bao. I'd already become a fan when I tried them at a couple Yelp Elite Events, and I've made it a point to stop in a few times when downtown for festivals, but they secured a special place in my heart since it's the last thing I ate with my Dad before he passed away. I recently found myself in the area again with some time to kill, so I walked on over to this grab-and-go location and got my grub on. These are great for snacking since you can order them individually. But since they remind me of my Dad, I usually give in and eat my feelings. My feelings taste like a six pack and most recently they could be categorized as Teriyaki Chicken (2), BBQ Pork (2), Thai Curry Chicken (1) and Coconut (1). I'm more than satisfied with all of them, but the BBQ Pork are my favorite. I'm sad they no longer have Chocolate Banana, but Coconut is creamy with a little bit of crunch and perfect for dessert. Half a dozen Bao will run you about $13. That's not exactly cheap, but they are filling and it's an occasional treat and trip down memory lane that I'm willing to splurge on. read more

Hot & Steamy Fresh & Tasty Quick & Cheap It may sound like I am describing a book featuring Christian Grey, but I assure you, I'm not! Who would have thought putting delicious Asian meat into a puff of dough would be delicious? Well, believe me friends, this is the real deal! In a random stop along Michigan Ave, I was told I HAD to try this, and it did not disappoint! Great snack for a girl on the go :) read more

This is one of those fastish food places with a very creative menu. Got the thai curry chicken bao and the spicy Kung Pao Bao - both were incredible but my favorite was the Kung Pao! The flavors in the Kung Pai Bao definitely tasted more authentic and had a nice spicy contrast to it which I loved, I'll definitely be back to try the other items on their menu read more

Wow Bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Conveniently located at the entrance of the Water Tower Plaza, this little fast food Chinese spot I'm sure gets a lot of traffic. I came here twice while I was on vacation in Chicago and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's fast and quick and easy to grab and go. The Thai curry chicken Bao and the BBQ pork Bao are the two I tried. They are a bit small for the price, but it is in the city in the Water Tower so I guess the price is to be expected. The steamed buns are just right. Not too thick on the bread and not too moist and light. The curry chicken was my favorite between the two. Also because it's in the front entrance, not too much seating area. You have to go upstairs if you want to have a seat while enjoying your Bao. I like the convenience of the location and the fast food style it provides, but I do wish it had better options for seating. I thought it was a bit over priced but to me it's still worth the try. read more

Wow Bao - Nom wow - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came here when I was seeking a neat but inexpensive meal before doing some tourism on my first night in Chicago. And while I may have ordered more food than I strictly needed, it was pretty good. My favourite bao was actually the salted caramel one, which surprised me as I expected to like the savoury ones more than the sweet ones (I had 6 different bao). I was disappointed that there was cilantro in some of the bao when cilantro wasn't listed as an ingredient in those specific bao. That said there was a nice seating area near this restaurant in this mall (up the escalator) and I had a great experience drinking my beverage and eating my food. I'd definitely return here in the future, especially for dessert, but I might ask more questions about cilantro as I hate cilantro. Ordering via screen was pretty convenient for me as well. read more

I had such high hopes trying Wow Bao for the first time. Whenever I visit Water Tower Place the line is always extensive. So, I finally decided to test the hype. Now, I am a huge lover of anything and everything Asian. I have never tasted more artificial / Americanized Asian food in my life. I was literally on the verge of tears (not really) because the food looked amazing but the tastes seemed like frozen Chinese food. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken bowl with BBQ pork and Mongolian Beef baos. The only thing I enjoyed was the rice. It was perfectly steamed. All I can say is if you really want to experience a real bao, visit Chinatown. You won't pay such high prices for low quality Chinese food. The reason why this review is not 1 star is because the cashier and cook were so pleasant in attitude. read more

Wow Bao - Kung Pao Chicken bowl, BBQ pork bao, Mongolian beef bao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would say its lower end asian food. They cant really decide if they wanna cater japanese, chinese or thai cuisine - all is a bit mixed up. For a mall food court its okay but not more. In the end its "Panda Express" quality and i am not a friend of them at all. I got a teriyaki chicken bowl with noodles. The noodles were horribly overcooked and precooked for a long time, what i could tell from their bite and also how quick my food was ready. The chicken teriyaki itself was not bad but also missing some kick and flavor, something that would make my mouth watering for more. The bowl was kinda small itself and left me hungry afterwards. I paid around 7,80$ with tax, which is for the amount and quality only okay on a very low end. I would say there are way better options for that money. Would i go back here? NO Authentic food? NO Tasty? Only "okay" Price? Barely okay - too much for what you get I value good food, love cooking and travel the world and get to taste a lot. That doesnt mean that i cant enjoy fast food or such, but it had to be good! Compare that with how you would describe yourself to see if my review comes out of the same perspective like you would see it. read more

Not bad for a fast food Asian fusion restaurant. Although not the dim sum quality at a real sit down Chinese restaurant but it's pretty close. Owned and operated by a big restaurant conglomerate, they do a good job at serving this specialty food at reasonable prices. Place is clean and well run. read more

I went to Wao Bao because I was hungry and craving a quick bite, and I was given some of the nastiest bao I have ever eaten in my life. Never before had I tasted such a vile combination of who even knows what they put in there. It also didn't help that they placed all of the bao into plastic bags that allowed for all of the steam to condense onto the dough of the bao resulting in a soggy mess. I normally post pictures of the food I get, however, I threw these bao away before I even got a chance to take my phone out. Nonetheless, these bao did satisfy my hunger in the sense that I quickly lost my appetite after a few bites of them. read more

I noticed that all of the Wow Bao's rank around 3.5 stars and that seems spot on. If Yelp allowed half stars (and they should) I would also give this location a 3.5. A strong 3.5. I rather enjoyed the food. It's fun. It's fast. It's affordable. It's mobile (well at least the bao buns). You can either order at the kiosk and get a number or order from the cashier and get a number. The big stackable steamers where the bao buns live kind of remind me of the whack-a-mole game, but instead of whacking moles the servers are grabbing buns. They have 6 packs of bao buns; you pick the flavors, for under $10. Combo of salad or different soup and 2 bao buns for $8. Absolutely delicious cold spicy noodles, sauce served on the side. Fresh ginger, ginger ale's. Well it clearly has fresh ginger in it, but it concerns me a little that it's coming from a tap, makes me feel like it might be mixed with something on the less than healthy side. Regardless it was refreshing and went well with the spiciness of the food. I ordered a chicken flavored bun and a bbq pork bun. To be honest, I couldn't tell you which was which, but I can tell you they both tasted good. I am definitely going to check out the other locations and eat my way through those hot Asian buns (that's their tagline, not mine). read more

Wow Bao - Lunch combo $7.07. Spicy peanut noodles. Edamame bao and a currry chicken. Edamame is fave so far. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois