Dim Sum Restaurants in San Francisco, CA

“Wow. This place is delicious. The food was incredible and the service was amazing. If you are in San Fran you must come here to eat. Green beans. Are the bomb. Pork buns. Fabulous. All the food was amazing.
This is just one of the best little spots. Everyone recommended and we are so glad we came here. We had a group of 8. Reservations recommended.“

“I popped in for a quick lunch on a Monday, there was only one other table seated so no wait. I thought about going for one of the lunch specials, but dumplings aren't on there (think traditional US Chinese dishes like General Tso's). I ordered the Shanghai Dumplings and the Wontons in Peanut Chili oil, for a whole $14. The shanghai dumplings were nothing special, but a great price point. The wontons were great, the sauce had good texture.
For a drink, he just set down hot tea in a disposable coffee cup which I found odd considering I was dining in.

All in all, super fast, super cheap, and solid food.“

“Great dim sum. Friendly service. Great location in the fisherman’s wharf area where locals and tourists can enjoy the food and the scenary“

“Always great dim sum and dumplings.“

“The Peking duck at Z&Y Restaurant is amazing! The skin is super crispy, the meat is juicy, and everything is served with fresh pancakes, cucumber, scallions, and that perfect hoisin sauce. The staff is friendly, and the whole vibe feels authentic. If you’re craving top-notch Peking duck, this is the spot!“

“Came in with a local for what she touted as her favorite, best dim sum place in SF - cash only and counter service (look out for the little pink order forms by the entrance and fill it out while you're in line!) - super fast, delicious, and SO affordable - it's hard to find a good steamed chicken bun but this was so good - well seasoned and filled with lots of juicy chicken and also spring onions. Custard tart was a little loose but delicious all the same“

“Delicious food, great ambiance and friendly service!“

“great dishes. They tasted authentic Shanghai cuisines to me. The only issue was that the restaurant was highly understaffed for some reason. I could see the lady just rushing all through to get bills, place orders, and even get take-out boxes for us. Watching her at work was like watching a highly skilled “overcook” gameplay.“

“Everything is just great!!! From your time waiting till you’re served, is wonderful.“

“Came here with a friend and had a reservation and got seated immediately.

Good:
- The ordering experience was all digital so it was easy to place and order and get the food to your table
- I liked the beef noodle soup a lot, the noodles were very chewy and also the flavor of the soup was good and not too salty
- The XLB assorted variety was so fun - I liked each one including the spicy one, it wasn't too spicy
- The mapo tofu was a surprise hit! I liked how we paired it with rice and how savory it was.
- The inside is like a nightclub mixed with a casual diner, it's pretty unique

Bad:
- Hard to get the servers to come to you, we had to flag them each time to get us something

Overall this was a fun casual Chinese dimsum experience, but overall felt like I wouldn't come again since it's pretty far from my stomping grounds and a bit of a journey and trek to get normal food.“

“What a great experience! I especially love the chicken Goyza, pork dim sum and the Xiao Long Bao. I can’t wait to go back! Chef Suz ATX“

“This is one of the best restaurants, that I have eaten on six continents. And nearly 150 countries - Chef Tran is currently The Bear. The simplicity of steamed pork dumplings- for a tear to my eye -for I marveled in their delicately deliciousness The pancake with Beef牛肉捲餅; Sliced Pork with Spicy Garlic Sauce蒜泥自肉 are sumptuous and complex - their structure amazing - their lingering, mint, cucumber, parsley - unforgettable. I fell in love with Chef's Nuleigu This restaurant is a charm and should be cherished.“

“This was the second dim sum restaurant of our visit and it did not disappoint. Vincent was our server and he guided us to the best of the best. Every dish was more spectacular than the previous and then he capped it off with the custard buns. The flavors were memorable and we cannot wait to return. This is a must visit restaurant!!!!!“

“Came to see Motley Crue concert and stopped for lunch to spend time with my Wife. The dim sum and shumau were very delicate and wonderfully prepared. Every bite of our meal was delicious and perfectly prepared.“

“This place is such a hidden gem. The food was amazing, comparable / better than other “dumpling X” restaurants in the city. Highly recommend!

We got:
- XLB: dough was really great and very soupy
- chili wontons: so good, loved the sauce
- steamed shrimp / chive / pork dumplings: really good, very soupy
- green beans: a classic
- chocolate and banana XLB: loved this, imo on par with Ding Tai Fung
- big plate chicken: this was the weakest dish but this is a very difficult dish to make

Service was great also, and very affordable prices“

“A friendly welcoming dim sum shop. Fresh and frozen items. Fresh clean tasting dim sum. Excellent chicken feet: tender, rich flavor and just a hint of sweetness. Dine in tables separatee from the counter. A wide variety of dim sum. Hot and cold drinks available. A definite go to place for your next craving for dim sum.

Parking: Plenty of street parking but in the busy commerce part of Balboa Street.“

“We stopped here to pick up dim sum on our way to the San Francisco Airport. It was really good even though we visited at the end of the day. For those that don't know, dim sum is a breakfast/ brunch meal of various dumplings and Chinese pastries, and it is best fresh. Because it was late in the day, the proprietor piled food onto us so as to get rid of it. It is tricky ordering food unless you speak Mandarin or Cantonese, but pointy talky works well enough to get you fed. There is no esthetic to speak of as it is simply a shop that makes and sells dumplings. They are not interested in you staying to eat or hanging out. All in all very good. I especially liked their chive dumplings, which had more pork than I am used to in the dish. Also, the shu mai was especially tasty. For an added flair go to the shop next door and buy some char shiu, or duck.“

“A solid place for takeout dim sum. Do not expect fancy dim sum with a lot of meats/protein. There is a reason why it is cheap. Anyhow, despite some drawbacks, there are many variety of dim sum items you can get here and to be honest, who wants to be healthy by eating dim sum. Enjoy the carb, fat, and sugar in the delightful form like turnip cake or red bean bun. Just enjoy spending a few dollars for your craving.“

“We had an amazing 70th Birthday Dimsum Lunch!!! Thank you 🙏🏾 for making Ms. Cindy Birthday the best!!! That lobster was so sweet and delicious. Those numbers were everything. Fresh handmade noodles 🍜 😋💋“

“Very good vegetarian options and reasonable prices as well. I got the veg bao buns and the fried rice. The fried rice is really good and the bao buns are good with sauce.

Vegetarian options: There are a couple of vegetarian options on the menu.“

“I've come here for over two decades now. I love to come here for the har gow. The best I've had anywhere hands down. The other dumplings are also really good as well as the congee. I wouldn't say the sweet pastries are all that good though. The staff are very efficient but minimal on the charm as is common with these kinds of places. Finally they brought back seating after many many years without it due to covid. Cash only.“

“Very good food“

“Delicious and fast serving. Great accommodation.“

“This place has such a beautiful view and the food is absolutely Delicious!! Staff is welcoming and great service. We were able to enjoy a cocktail on the patio before our lunch reservations. The best Lychee martinis! We are visiting from Connecticut, but next time we are in San Fransisco, we will be back!!“

“It’s called Happy Bakery but it’s mostly Dim Sum and food to go. I don’t eat much veggies but they have the best string bean chicken with tofu. This is a must-try! Dim Sum on the other side is also good with their Siopao & Sesame Balls. An order of combination over rice was only $6 but I guess inflation got in the way. Still worth coming for those string bean! 😋😋“

“Came here two days in a row for a few items to have as breakfast, great pricing and the lady was very helpful. There is a bit of waiting in the morning on certain items but I believe it was worth waiting. Also there’s one medium size table to be able to dine in but other than that it’s mostly take out.“

“Good food. Good service.“

“Delicious food, great ambiance and friendly service!“

“Saturday 11/25/23 Lunch at Shanghai House in San Francisco with my cousin, niece, and nephew. Delicious Shanghai foods; pand fried dumplings, dry chicken wings, satay beef clay pot, and shedded beef & Napa.David YoungRestaurant Enthusiast“

“This place was soooo delicious. Service was exceptional, they were very attentive and answered all our questions. The dining atmosphere is quite beautiful. We will be coming back again!!

Dietary restrictions: Vegan options available“

“This place has the best crispy bbq pork buns. It's not really a dim sum but that and the mochi buns were the best things they have in my opinion. They usually sell out by 10am or even earlier but you can call it in and it takes them 20-30 minutes to make it.“

“Whenever I visit San Francisco, I have to stop here. Where I live we don’t really have quality dim sum options, so visiting here is critical :) This place is well priced, quick for service, and delicious. For visitors, unfamiliar with dim sum places, you gotta always bring cash. It’s cash only. I’ll definitely return soon“

“Have been here a few times now and this is probably my favorite dumpling place in the city. The real star is the sheng jian bao (not sure what they call it in the english menu). This is the only place that I have that comes anything close to what it would taste like in Shanghai. The Hong Kong pan fried noodles here are also really great. I grew up eating this dish as a kid and it is still a favorite of mine as an adult. The mongolian beef here is also quite good.

The soup dumplings are good but not great. The meat is a bit bland and the proportions are a bit off. I would stay away from the scallion pancake as it isn't that great.

Food comes out fast and the prices are pretty reasonable. We spent about $20 per person.“

“This place is in the middle of Chinatown. You'll have to find parking somewhere around there. Which is very difficult. I parked approximately 4 to 5 blocks away just to eat at this place. I looked up on Google on the reviews and this seems to be one of the best places to eat dim sum. I went. I ordered the pork dumpling, the shrump, dumpling and sesame balls. It took a while for my dim sum to come out because it was fresh. The freshest dim sum I have ever had... steaming hot and fresh. I can't say enough good things about this place. Its a hole in the wall, so don't expect anything fancy. I definitely will be back for more.“

“Good food.

Good prices.

Good taste.

It's important not to eat here with the view of a western restaurant experience, because it's not what this is.

Be prepared to share your table, to have brisk but efficient service, but also have great food.

I would eat here again. All the qualms aside, it could be cleaner, the food could be slightly hotter, it tastes good and is popular with locals.

The ribs over rice were ordered by over half those who were eating, and we enjoyed them too.“

“Very rich snacks, the taste of the dishes is superb.“

“Best dim sum in SF. Shark fin dumpling and deep fried pork puff are the best items. Low prices. No seating. To go only. Closes early, at 4 pm.“

“It’s so delicious I came to Sanfan for a conference trip and lived in this community. What I look forward to most every morning is to go to his house for breakfast. It has a more authentic morning tea and has everything. It’s so happy for the treasures from the Midwest.“

“Y’all this place surprised me by how tasty it is and how close to my house it is!! Get here early!! The har gow had a deliciously tender and flavorful filling with a SUPER THIN WRAPPER 10/10 the thinly wrapped ones are hard to find and my favorite. I also tried some meat dumplings with a little bit of corn wrapped in wonton skin, very flavorful and juicy as well. Sesame balls were very crisp on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside, very tasty as well.It’s easier to order here if you know mandarin or Cantonese, but the folks here know enough English that it’s ok if you don’t.“

“I visited Koi Palace at SFO before my connecting flight and had the wonton noodle soup. It was served steaming hot, with a light and satisfying broth, perfect for anyone craving a comforting noodle dish. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the service was quick. For Korean travelers missing warm, hearty soups, I highly recommend stopping by here before your next flight!“

“I walked to this restaurant from my hotel based on their reviews I’ve read on Google. It is a small hole in the wall spot. There was a sweet older lady working in the front along with another gentleman in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what to order pretty much ordered based on visual. Prices are affordable.“

“This was a good experience from the moment we walked in the restaurant. The staff made us feel like old friends being hosted by extraordinary culinary experts. Loved every bite. In descending order of wonder for me:
WOW: Dan Dan noodles
1. Chili Oil Wonton
2. Shrimps. Woodear. Chives dumpling
3. BBQ Pork buns
4. Pork Sheng Jian bao
5. Pork Xiao Long bao.
For dessert, the Coconut Pudding. It was a mystical experience that brought me back to eating fresh tender coconut from Cayo Sombrero in Venezuela.
My heart left full as well as my stomach.“

“Great quality food. Reasonable prices. It's a bit tight in there but that's because it's normally busy.

Parking: Paid parking in front. Free street parking if willing to walk. Overall great place to stop for a bite to eat or a meal to take home.“

“This is very good dimsum. But the reason why it's so good is the affordability. It's quality food for good prices. The customer service was very friendly. We visited 2 times in the same day, that's how tasty and affordable it was. And the BBQ bun was heavenly good.“