Super tasty food, staff is amazing, especially the pretty Asian man who is smiling all the time and happy who brings the mimosas. Super authentic. Great place to try if you haven't already.
Kristin B.
Love this place! Can't wait for them to open again. Food is so flavorful. It brought me back to meals awesome meals I've had in Hong Kong. Menu choices is just right, not too many that it takes you forever to decide what to eat. Their meal bundles are just perfect. Service is friendly without being over the top.
Emma M.
I've had a long day of traveling back to the cities and I'm drained and behind on a lot and told myself "it's going to be ok. You're getting Pagoda for dinner" all damn day to get through. I got home to realize Pagoda is temporarily closed because of construction in Dinkytown and I'm actually distraught. I'd give anything for some crispy fried tofu. I miss you Pagoda. Please come back soon.
Sarah G.
I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai & cream cheese puffs. I LOVE chicken pad thai, but this is the worst ive evrrrr had. It was red, slimy and room temp, overall just not good. The cream cheese puffs were cold and bland. I literally felt like i was eating cream cheese out of the tub because it was so cold and bland. I would not recommend either of these items. Im unsure id go back after this meal.
Nicole E.
Some of the best food I've had! The soup dumplings are phenomenal as well as the green beans! I could eat a whole order of them. I also really enjoyed their steamed rice
Wok A.
First things first, we got a lot of food. Two solid meals worth of food. Except we were all excited for a cream cheese wontons, and they just ghosted us like the girl of my dreams. We had to go back for the wontons and they were kind of a*** They wasted so much sesame space with plain a** steamed broccoli, am I 85 years old? I don't need no vitamin supplements just give me my goddamn sesame. Also it was pretty expensive. 6.7/10 I am a lone monk walking the world with a leaky umbrella. mao tse-tung
Kedar D.
Pagoda serves all-around good Chinese food with large portions and numerous vegan options. We got the vegetable samosa ($7) just for the curiosity of never having had a samosa made by a Chinese restaurant before. These were good. The steamed vegetable dumplings ($5) are solid and same for the vegetable egg rolls ($4). The pea tips with garlic ($16) was delicious and I'm glad they have this dish as it's true Szechuan. The salt & pepper tofu ($13) doesn't travel well, as it's deep-fried, but it still tasted fine, albeit soggy, by the time I got home. I think they actually gave me the deep fried spicy tofu dish instead, but I'm sure they're both similar. The vegetable lo mein ($11) was fine. I thought the curry mixed vegetables ($13) had a nice, deep umami Japanese-curry flavor, but I wish they'd put tofu in the dish instead of potatoes. All in all, Pagoda is a great spot for Chinese food in Dinkytown.
Fall Beez
The hot pot is a must try. Love the All You Can Eat option for $19.99 per person.
Angelique H.
Great food great service great prices.. i genuinely have no complaints.. i can't wait to come back
Fatima C.
Despite the pandemic they were still able to operate and serve safely. The food were really good and worth the price point for their eat-all-you-can for the hot pot and dimsum. Will definitely recommend this.
House made fantastic food. Delicious Sweet & Sour Soup. Light and crispy egg roll. Kung Pao Shrimp with big fresh tasting shrimp Green Tea ice cream. So yummy. Best we’ve had in a long time if not best ever. Highly recommended.
Dale Moore
Delish food and very good staff.
Heather K.
TLDR: I won't be back for hotpot... maybe back to try their regular dishes though, but iffy. Pagoda is currently doing dine in with limited seating. They are social distancing, limiting capacity, and staff are wearing masks. Pagoda has AYCE hotpot for $19.99 or AYCE plus unlimited sake for $29.99. We opted for the AYCE hotpot. We were told portions were big, unfortunately I should've listen as I ordered TWO orders of beef. Now here's where it's so meh. I read both the Chinese and the English on the menu. I understand that you have to pay extra for that fatty beef brisket style meat so of course, we go for the regular beef. I expected it to be similar to round eye beef that you'd get in your pho - the kind that's not too much marbling and will get tough when overcooked. Well, that's not what you get. You get their starch slurried meat that they probably use to cook your beef with broccoli. It wasn't terrible, but also just wasn't what I was expecting. Yes, it doesn't overcook and you can continue to let it boil but... it just wasn't enjoyable. The vegetable selection is also limited to what they use in the kitchen - things like Chinese broccoli or the Shanghai bok choy are not typically cooked in hot pot - again, things used to make your entree. Soooooo... that about sums up why I wouldn't be back for their hotpot as they are not built to serve hotpot. OH, and the sauce... the limited sauces, ugh. I got a bowl of garlic in sesame oil, literally, and satay sauce. Sauce should be, but not limited to, SOY SAUCE, cilantro, green onions, jalapeños, sesame seeds, peanut sauce, sesame oil, satay sauce, chili oil, etc. It should be a range but at minimum... soy sauce... but alas, the sauce here is more limited than my fiancé's pantry. If you don't really know what it is or just want to eat a lot, then sure, this could be for you. If you know what hotpot is, you typically eat it, etc, then pay extra instead.
Justin M.
The dim sum is very good here and there's such a plethora to choose from. You can pay for individual plates or all you can eat (which is best) when you're hungry or with a group. I've been a patron for over 10 years here (I'm not affiliated with the U of M at all). The quality of food is always exceptional! It never changes for the amount of times I've eaten here. The entrees are great and are large portions. This is meant to be eaten with a couple/several people at the table. Justin (owner) has been very accommodating and is such a lovely human. Vicen (manager) is a humble and kind person. The rest of the staff work incredibly hard and are trained very well. Such a great place to experience several regional Asian cuisines from the menu. For the "Faint of Heart", there are Americanized versions of food as well. But please, try and explore new food here!
Alex G.
(Pandemic Era Review) This place is amazing! I stopped by because I saw they had mapo tofu on the menu, and I was extremely pleased with my experience. The restaurant is a classy number right by the University, but don't be fooled by it appearances. This place is great food at reasonable prices. I ordered mapo tofu and beef chow fun for takeout--limited indoor seating to comply with distancing. It took about 10 min for my food to be ready, which was pretty fast for a walk in order. It was enough time for me to wander over to the connected tea shop, Feng Cha (but more on that in a review for them). All the staff were incredibly polite and helpful, wore masks and gloves. Great customer service and good cleanliness standards. My food was handed to me bagged and contained. Now, when I got to where I was eating, I was shocked. The amount of food was enormous! For what I paid, I was expecting probably a third of what I actually got. I've got enough leftovers for days of meals. The mapo was great! Super spiced, with Chinese five spice and cinnamon coming through really strongly. They used a softer tofu than what I was expecting, but it balanced really nicely with the ground pork for an unexpected mouthfeel. It also came with rice, so I didn't miss out on any of the sauce. Loved the beef chow fun! Smooth noodles, tons of beef and onions too! Breakdown: Cleanliness-4/5, Service-5/5, Food Flavor-5/5, Food Size-5/5, Price-5/5. Overall, this place gets a 5/5 for me! I'll definitely be back. If you're looking for good pan-Asian fare that won't break your wallet, this place is a must! For big portions on a budget, Pagoda is a home run.
Super tasty food, staff is amazing, especially the pretty Asian man who is smiling all the time and happy who brings the mimosas. Super authentic. Great place to try if you haven't already.
Love this place! Can't wait for them to open again. Food is so flavorful. It brought me back to meals awesome meals I've had in Hong Kong. Menu choices is just right, not too many that it takes you forever to decide what to eat. Their meal bundles are just perfect. Service is friendly without being over the top.
I've had a long day of traveling back to the cities and I'm drained and behind on a lot and told myself "it's going to be ok. You're getting Pagoda for dinner" all damn day to get through. I got home to realize Pagoda is temporarily closed because of construction in Dinkytown and I'm actually distraught. I'd give anything for some crispy fried tofu. I miss you Pagoda. Please come back soon.
I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai & cream cheese puffs. I LOVE chicken pad thai, but this is the worst ive evrrrr had. It was red, slimy and room temp, overall just not good. The cream cheese puffs were cold and bland. I literally felt like i was eating cream cheese out of the tub because it was so cold and bland. I would not recommend either of these items. Im unsure id go back after this meal.
Some of the best food I've had! The soup dumplings are phenomenal as well as the green beans! I could eat a whole order of them. I also really enjoyed their steamed rice
First things first, we got a lot of food. Two solid meals worth of food. Except we were all excited for a cream cheese wontons, and they just ghosted us like the girl of my dreams. We had to go back for the wontons and they were kind of a*** They wasted so much sesame space with plain a** steamed broccoli, am I 85 years old? I don't need no vitamin supplements just give me my goddamn sesame. Also it was pretty expensive. 6.7/10 I am a lone monk walking the world with a leaky umbrella. mao tse-tung
Pagoda serves all-around good Chinese food with large portions and numerous vegan options. We got the vegetable samosa ($7) just for the curiosity of never having had a samosa made by a Chinese restaurant before. These were good. The steamed vegetable dumplings ($5) are solid and same for the vegetable egg rolls ($4). The pea tips with garlic ($16) was delicious and I'm glad they have this dish as it's true Szechuan. The salt & pepper tofu ($13) doesn't travel well, as it's deep-fried, but it still tasted fine, albeit soggy, by the time I got home. I think they actually gave me the deep fried spicy tofu dish instead, but I'm sure they're both similar. The vegetable lo mein ($11) was fine. I thought the curry mixed vegetables ($13) had a nice, deep umami Japanese-curry flavor, but I wish they'd put tofu in the dish instead of potatoes. All in all, Pagoda is a great spot for Chinese food in Dinkytown.
The hot pot is a must try. Love the All You Can Eat option for $19.99 per person.
Great food great service great prices.. i genuinely have no complaints.. i can't wait to come back
Despite the pandemic they were still able to operate and serve safely. The food were really good and worth the price point for their eat-all-you-can for the hot pot and dimsum. Will definitely recommend this.
Restaurantji Recommends
House made fantastic food. Delicious Sweet & Sour Soup. Light and crispy egg roll. Kung Pao Shrimp with big fresh tasting shrimp Green Tea ice cream. So yummy. Best we’ve had in a long time if not best ever. Highly recommended.
Delish food and very good staff.
TLDR: I won't be back for hotpot... maybe back to try their regular dishes though, but iffy. Pagoda is currently doing dine in with limited seating. They are social distancing, limiting capacity, and staff are wearing masks. Pagoda has AYCE hotpot for $19.99 or AYCE plus unlimited sake for $29.99. We opted for the AYCE hotpot. We were told portions were big, unfortunately I should've listen as I ordered TWO orders of beef. Now here's where it's so meh. I read both the Chinese and the English on the menu. I understand that you have to pay extra for that fatty beef brisket style meat so of course, we go for the regular beef. I expected it to be similar to round eye beef that you'd get in your pho - the kind that's not too much marbling and will get tough when overcooked. Well, that's not what you get. You get their starch slurried meat that they probably use to cook your beef with broccoli. It wasn't terrible, but also just wasn't what I was expecting. Yes, it doesn't overcook and you can continue to let it boil but... it just wasn't enjoyable. The vegetable selection is also limited to what they use in the kitchen - things like Chinese broccoli or the Shanghai bok choy are not typically cooked in hot pot - again, things used to make your entree. Soooooo... that about sums up why I wouldn't be back for their hotpot as they are not built to serve hotpot. OH, and the sauce... the limited sauces, ugh. I got a bowl of garlic in sesame oil, literally, and satay sauce. Sauce should be, but not limited to, SOY SAUCE, cilantro, green onions, jalapeños, sesame seeds, peanut sauce, sesame oil, satay sauce, chili oil, etc. It should be a range but at minimum... soy sauce... but alas, the sauce here is more limited than my fiancé's pantry. If you don't really know what it is or just want to eat a lot, then sure, this could be for you. If you know what hotpot is, you typically eat it, etc, then pay extra instead.
The dim sum is very good here and there's such a plethora to choose from. You can pay for individual plates or all you can eat (which is best) when you're hungry or with a group. I've been a patron for over 10 years here (I'm not affiliated with the U of M at all). The quality of food is always exceptional! It never changes for the amount of times I've eaten here. The entrees are great and are large portions. This is meant to be eaten with a couple/several people at the table. Justin (owner) has been very accommodating and is such a lovely human. Vicen (manager) is a humble and kind person. The rest of the staff work incredibly hard and are trained very well. Such a great place to experience several regional Asian cuisines from the menu. For the "Faint of Heart", there are Americanized versions of food as well. But please, try and explore new food here!
(Pandemic Era Review) This place is amazing! I stopped by because I saw they had mapo tofu on the menu, and I was extremely pleased with my experience. The restaurant is a classy number right by the University, but don't be fooled by it appearances. This place is great food at reasonable prices. I ordered mapo tofu and beef chow fun for takeout--limited indoor seating to comply with distancing. It took about 10 min for my food to be ready, which was pretty fast for a walk in order. It was enough time for me to wander over to the connected tea shop, Feng Cha (but more on that in a review for them). All the staff were incredibly polite and helpful, wore masks and gloves. Great customer service and good cleanliness standards. My food was handed to me bagged and contained. Now, when I got to where I was eating, I was shocked. The amount of food was enormous! For what I paid, I was expecting probably a third of what I actually got. I've got enough leftovers for days of meals. The mapo was great! Super spiced, with Chinese five spice and cinnamon coming through really strongly. They used a softer tofu than what I was expecting, but it balanced really nicely with the ground pork for an unexpected mouthfeel. It also came with rice, so I didn't miss out on any of the sauce. Loved the beef chow fun! Smooth noodles, tons of beef and onions too! Breakdown: Cleanliness-4/5, Service-5/5, Food Flavor-5/5, Food Size-5/5, Price-5/5. Overall, this place gets a 5/5 for me! I'll definitely be back. If you're looking for good pan-Asian fare that won't break your wallet, this place is a must! For big portions on a budget, Pagoda is a home run.