Dumpling Inn – Shanghai Saloon

I went in to this place not knowing what to expect.
It was definitely more hip than I thought a dumpling house would have been, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A large sports bar is featured in the middle of the venue, with a good amount of screens. Also unexpected.
The eating area is a but small, but we didn’t have any issues getting seated on a busy day (party of 4, mothers day at noon).
We ordered the book pork and chive dumplings as well as the sea bass with black bean sauce. Both were decent. The dumplings were tasty enough, and the fish was moist and flavorful.
Their selection of craft beers is also worth mentioning, and something that always makes me happy.
I’m giving this place a 4 for a great first impression. The food is probably closer to a 3, but I’ll have to try it again before making further judgement. The craft beer selection is enough to elevate the experience, and I can imagine watching a game here being a pleasant experience.

Must try: xiao long baos
XLB: flavorful broth, but dumpling dough is a little too thick for my liking. Tender juicy dumplings for $ 8 not too shabby.
Do not try: pork dumplings pan fried and boiled. Pan fried dumplings tasted bland, meat stuffing was way too small for the size of dough. To be honest they tasted like Costco Ling Lings… Boiled pork dumplings, way too thick dumpling dough and also extremely bland. Was anything seasoned? Mainly tasted the dough than anything, probably one of the worst dumplings I’ve tasted.
Ambience: modern, spacious, has a bar section with multiple tvs, and lighting provided a cozy atmosphere.
Service: great customer service, poured water without having to ask, was accessible and checked on us a few times.
Overall, if you had Din Tai Fung or SF XLBs, you’ll understand why this place is mediocre. I wouldn’t come back because their dough/​dumpling shell is way too thick in comparison to the meat ratio.

I just sat down and I’ll be updating my review, but so far this is what I have observed :
The place is busy which means customers like it. Waiters don’t smile at ALL! Service fast. Prices reasonable. Hard to find parking. Has TVs if you like to watch games. You get 50%off your first drink if you check in on Unilocal.
This is my review update:
The food came, we ordered the Orange Chicken and Shrimp Chow Mein. I really liked the shrimp chow mien and thought it was really good. The orange checking was okay. The food is clean. Fast service. However, the waiters DO NOT SMILE at you or come check to see if you need anything. The Happy Hour is only on Tuesday‘s from 4pm to close.

For San Diego it wasn’t too bad I guess, but compared to Chinatown dumplings. they were a disappointment. The XLB had skin that was too think, not enough broth on the inside, and not steaming hot like it’s supposed to. The noodles were good tho!
This place is very packed and has a good ambiance but next time I may just stick with their noodles

Came in for a few drinks after dessert with friends and service was solid, considering it was a busy Saturday night.
I ordered a Tsingtao and three of my buddies asked for Vegas Car Bombs but had to sub out one flavored liquor because of availability. Another of us tried to order a Mother Earth but that was out to; can’t blame them for running out of the good stuff but I can’t help but be disappointed.
Bartenders did the best to accommodate us though, suggesting pretty good substitutes.
This place is huge! Not surprising since it doubles as a restaurant. Even on a busy night 5 of us had no problem finding room at the bar to sit & sip a while. Bonus points for keeping the MMA and MLB broadcasts on tap.
Overall, great service and a good option for a 2-​in-​1 dinner/​drinks package.

I think… This place can trick a non Chinese… Came here to see what’s the hype is all about.
Ordered soup dumpling, Chinese sausage fried rice and a plate of vegetable. Not much flavor in any of the dishes.
The fried rice was underwhelming. The vegetable is too salty. The soup dumpling barely has any soup. I think this place isn’t as good at their dumplings as their noodles that I tried a few months ago. Blah!

Dumpling Inn is my favorite place to get those extremely delicious soup dumplings (xiao long bao). If you haven’t yet tried them, consider it a must that you do! These little dumplings are filled with seasoned pork and contain a small amount of soup inside. They remind me of a savory version of those gushers candies I ate as a kid. Unlike the resilient outer covering of the gushers, the xiao long baos have a more fragile outer covering so be careful to not poke or rip a hole into it when you’re picking them up. Otherwise, you’ll have yourself a dry dumpling.
Other menu items I would recommend are the steamed pork dumplings and the shrimp & chive dumplings. All the dumplings look and taste homemade. Also, you won’t be disappointed if you order the entrée items. I’ve tried the cashew chicken, deluxe fried rice, and shrimp chow mein. They all weren’t greasy and not too salty. Just simply fresh and very enjoyable.
This establishment has remodeled and I love what they did to the place. There’s a lot more seating and there’s a full bar (with a great selection of beer and spirits) with several televisions in the middle of the restaurant. It doesn’t have the authentic Chinese restaurant feel that I’m used to but all the extra space between tables and improved ventilation sure works for me. Also, the staff have always been courteous, friendly, and accommodating on every occasion I’ve dined in here.
The only concern to be aware of is the parking. It’s on Convoy so parking is scarce anywhere you go. I’m not blessed with a parking fairy so I never take my chances to drive up to the parking lot of the plaza. I go straight to the neighborhood area and park there. I like to go on a leisurely walk after stuffing my face so there’s no need to summon your fairy if you are ever in a car with me. Although, please feel free to rub it in and gloat about how many times your parking fairy has come through for you =)

I love going here for the dumplings! The potstickers are some of the best I’ve had; pan fried perfection! I’ve also had the Steam Xiao Long Bao, shrimp & chive, and pork & chive dumplings. I’d recommend them all. I’ve also had the kung pao chicken since others I’ve been with like it; it’s not that spicy and they’ve mentioned they’ve had it better at other places. But, I didn’t go to Dumpling Inn for the chicken, so I didn’t expect it to be awesome.
The service has been pretty fast. I’ve been during lunchtime and although parking is a mess, inside, it is never crowded. The dumplings are brought out as soon as they are made and it really doesn’t take too long after you order. You could easily be in and out in under an hour if you ordered dumplings only.
Dinner gets busy, so there may be a wait, but at least they have a huge bar and happy hour specials. The saloon is really large and there are a number of TVs throughout, so it’s a great spot for large parties. I’m really glad that they moved into this larger location!
If you’re looking for amazing potstickers, I’d recommend Dumpling Inn. Their happy hour (starts at 4PM) looks pretty good too. The parking can be horrible, so be prepared!

My friend chose this location for her birthday dinner. I’m from the LA area, so I had no expectations whatsoever. Since there were 7 of us present, we decided to order the family special and some extra dumplings and squid for the birthday girl and her kid.
There was so much food… we couldn’t finish it all! It ended up being a really great deal, seeing that we were all more than full and many people took containers to go for lunch the next day.
The space is large and can accommodate big groups, so if you have a party that likes Chinese food and dumplings, it’s the place to be!

Tearface emoji.
No joke, we were kind of motivated to dine here for lunch from reading a bad pickup line on Tinder:
«Are you a dumpling? ‘Cuz I’d love to put some meat inside you!» (groan)
…we probably should’ve taken that as a sign of things to come.
But but… Who doesn’t love themselves some dumplings?! The luscious photos… and the heaps of Unilocaler praise was enough to lure us into becoming unwitting thralls to the quagmire in the parking lot (2pm on a weekday).
The experience unfortunately didn’t live up to the hype.
We ordered 4 different types of dumplings (pork, fish+chive, & beef curry) and most of it tasted rather plain (curry ftw). The majority of the dumplings felt like someone boiled some ground pork and wrapped it in the thickest ravioli wrap without the slightest hint of seasoning. I feel like you shouldn’t rely 100% on dips to give your dumplings some flavor. Some hot grease also blasted into my shirt as I bit my first one. Dead sexy. Watch out for projectiles.
The lunch entrees didn’t fare much better. Our salt & pepper calamari tasted like calamari without the salt & pepper. The spicy eggplant w/​garlic sauce was the only item that tasted like it actually had some… taste.
There’s dumpling you should know… this place doesn’t have fillings for you. =(
I’d swipe left on this one.
P. S. I love that the picture for this place involves boobs and dumplings. Fits well with the Tinder theme!

We were looking for a place to stop by for dinner on the way back from Mexico and we found this highly-​reviews and –rated gem. 5 stars!!!
The service was attentive and quick. The food came out really quick and it was delicious!
We ordered:
Pork and chives dumplings.
Xiao long bao (2)
Beef curry dumplings (deep-​fried)
Pork dumplings (fried)
Deluxe chow mein.
We devoured everything. The fried dumplings were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Came out blistering hot (my tongue can vouch for that).
The xiao long bao were intact and didn’t come caked with dried blood curds on the outside (aka the gummy looking tan stuff). They were juicy and also blistering hot).
The chow mein wasn’t that I pictured. I though it was come out with homemade thick noodles like the Unilocal pictures I saw but I guess I ordered it wrong. I think it had pork, chicken and shrimp (aka deluxe).
TLDR:
Xiao long bao,
Pork-​and-​chive.
Beef curry dumplings.
Order those 3 and you’ll be a happy camper.

BF and I were craving dumplings and figured we should give this place a try. Parking sucked as usual, but it’s expected around the area. When we walked up, the place was packed and 45 min wait. She recommended the bar was open and we both took that opportunity being it a Friday evening we both needed a drink:) Bonus we arrive and it was still HH. We had a few very strong Jack and Coke.
Ordered Xiao Long Bao as everyone recommended and I have to say this is by far the best dumpling I’ve had in a long while. It’s so juicy. Also had Kung Pao Seafood and Deluxe Chow Mein. Both were also tasty. Will definitely be back, and won’t mind sitting at the bar again. They had games going on and great choices of beer on tap as well.

Xiao Long Bao (Juicy pork Dumplings)
This place is big and beautiful now. Definately come here for the food. The food is great and the prices are very reasonable. The Xiao Long Bao are yummy but the other entrees are alse good.
The bar scene is is also great too.
Parking is so tough, don’t like it

Craving some MORE Xiao Long Baos after eating at Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles so this would have to do it. Pulled up into a crowded parking lot and into this spot. There was maybe like a 5 minute wait before we got seated but the place was pretty big for a Chinese restaurant. It had a more western ambiance to it with a bar in the center of the whole restaurant. A wild wild west theme to it may I suggest.
Ordered the Xiao Long Baos, Black Bean Sea bass and Sichuan Pork.
Xiao Long Baos– This actually had me craving for more. Despite previously eating one of the top XLB around California… the ones here made a close comparison. The dough here was thicker but the soup base was more flavorful. Din Tai Fung still wins it in terms of overall XLB experience.
Black Bean Sea Bass– these were just okay… something that I could have even made. Basic black bean sauce of fish fillet and some veggies.
Sichuan pork– Not your typical authentic sichuan. More of like a panda express type. Flavorful and decent.
Overall a good experience but if i had to recommend something on the menu, then it will have to be Xiao Long Baos.

What a great place to meet up with your friends! The back ‘saloon’ has plenty of comfy seating and communal tables. And the happy hour menu is very reasonable. Chicken wings were my fav. But there were other choices like ahi tuna tacos, crispy pig ear or egg rolls. And there were drink specials too!
Btw, the bathrooms were okay.

Such a great find! I love the feel that the restaurant gives off. Because I kept hearing good things about the food I was really anticipating a super Asian restaurant, small, smoky and not so fun. I was really wrong.
Found a really cool spot towards the back of the restaurant with couches and lounge chairs that accommodated my party of 6 perfectly and comfortably! There were even big screen flat tvs that were playing the basketball games which the guys loved! The great restaurant feel and set up was amazing and still did not compare to how amazing the food is!
The dumplings which they are known for are Ofcourse a must try but the peppered fried chicken wings were the real star of our meal! The fried calamari was also really tasty and the tuna tostada’s are a great choice! *dont forgot to ask for extra ginger for when making your chili oil dipping sauce*
To top everything off, they have a great happy hour! I will definitely come here every time I am in San Diego! :)

Delicious dumplings!
I’ve been going to this place since it was a hole-​in-​the-​wall eatery and they recently renovated and moved next door to a bigger restaurant combined with Shanghai Saloon (Bar). Food quality is still great and now the wait isn’t ridiculously long since they have way more seating.
I always think of this place when I am in the mood for some dumplings. Their pork & chive dumplings and pork curry dumplings are my favorite! The dumpling coating is thick and chewy and always on point! Pork Curry dumplings are always super fresh and crispy.
They are famous for their xiao long bao (soup dumplings), but I have found that these are sometimes hit or miss. Sometimes, some of them don’t have soup in it, sometimes they do. Sometimes theres a small amount of soup and sometimes theres a lot. I think I prefer Tasty Noodle House’s xiao long bao due to consistency. The flavor of all their dumplings is really good and goes well with the sauce (sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce combination).
I also always get their beef shank noodle soup — probably the best beef noodle soup that I have had in SD. The noodles are SO good and taste homemade, the beef shank is always perfectly soft and chewy, and the soup broth is sweet and has that beef flavoring that really stands out!
The service is good, they are always fast to taking your order and making sure to check up on you during the meals.
It is located in the same plaza as Kula and Iceskimo so prepare to park far or fight for parking at peak times!

2^nd time here. Great ambiance here. Large tables to accommodate large parties. kid friendly. Had no problems with service (on point). Amazing selection of craft beers on tap as well as a nice bar accommodating with TV’s.
Not much selection of dumplings but everyone we tried with my group came out excellent. The fried pig ears are a hit. Their other Chinese food options were good too. I did like the wonton soup (broth was flavorful and seasoned perfectly. that warm comforting feel) however it is quite pricey for $ 4
My party had called ahead for our large party of 15 and we were sat within 10 minutes of arrival. Wish they had more different kinds of dumplings but will definitely come back for good food and drinks.
Note: parking can be a mad house but you have options to park on the street or in their main lot if you are lucky or in their back-​lot.

So finally made it out to this place as my wife had a craving…
It was great being able to come out and find a parking spot in front of this place during peak dinner time!
Got in and was seated immediately. We had a choice of sitting at the bar or in the dining area. Glad we chose the dining area.
The ambiance is pretty cool considering they tried to make you feel as if you’re sitting outside in a patio.
Service was excellent and the food tasted very fresh. Just wish our black pepper beef came out sooner. I found myself filling up on the xio long bao (dumplings) and Chinese sausage fried rice with egg as I was super hungry. When it did come out I pretty much inhaled it. The portion seemed small compared to other restaurants within driving distance.
The bar looks welcoming and has huge TVs. The accent lighting that surrounds the bar and dining area really looks nice.
If you’re hungry and craving Chinese food, this is a great place to visit.
I’ll probably be back again as its not too far from Rancho Bernardo.

My reviews usually use three criteria for the rating… service and ambiance/​cleanliness count for 30% each, and if a restaurant, the food is 40%.
Parking at this location at 11:15 am was easily accomplished.
We were seated promptly and our server was helpful. That said, she didn’t know that Capt. Morgan (and coke, $ 8.00) was a rum, and did not check back with us often for refills/​water/​did we want more food… Service-​3 stars
Restaurant was clean and interesting to look at. We were seated by a rickshaw. Ambiance/​cleanliness– 4 stars.
The food was a problem. We started with fried beef curry dumplings ($ 6.00 for 6) which were insanely good, and it went downhill from there. We also got fried pork potstickers ($ 8.00 for 8), and the dough was so thick, chewy and flavorless I took to just eating the pork meatball inside, which was delicious. Then, to finish off the dumpling part of our meal we had the steamed xiao long bao ($ 8.00 for 10), which to mirror pretty much everyone else on Unilocal’s review, were kinda dry and definitely too thick in the dough. The one’s over at Ranch99 are WAY better.
My friend ordered the 3 ingredients spicy soup ($ 10.95)…NOT spicy, the shrimp was rank and the chicken was like leather. It sucked! I got the orange chicken lunch special at $ 8.95. Crunchy and light were the plus, minus was the lack of flavor. I must have used a tablespoon of chili oil on the food at Dumpling Inn… food-​2 stars.
There you have it, hope your experiences were better, and don’t forget to Unilocal!it!

Came for the dumplings and I was very satisfied with it… Great food and drinks. cute little place for a nice dinner

I sat at the bar and ordered three things when I came in for a late lunch:
Shrimp and chive dumplings
Seaweed tofu soup
Honey glazed shrimp
They all tasted amazing. The honey glazed shrimp was slightly spicy (just the right amount). The real standout was the soup though.
I expected to get a small cup of soup, but what came out was a large bowl… literally, a really large bowl! After I ate my soup, I ended up having the other items doggy bagged because I couldn’t eat more. Even the dumplings come in large order sizes (of 10 per order).
If I were to go again, I’d order the soup and nothing else because it’s delicious, filling, and a large portion.

Ordered the deluxe chow mein with homemade noodles, the pork dumplings, and the shrimp with chive dumplings. The chow mein was great! The thick homemade noodles definitely made the meal and overall very flavorful. Received 10 dumplings for each order. The pork dumplings were good but nothing particularly special. I didn’t like the taste of the shrimp and chive dumplings. Felt the chives was a little overpowering. Received our food quickly and the wait staff was pleasant.

Best Soup Dumplings in San Diego!
Make sure you look up the hours and
possibly give a call ahead to see how long the wait is.
Visited this place twice since the merger,
once with a big group of close relatives and
a second time as a date.
Located off Convoy, Across the way from Min Sok Chon.
You wanted to be headed north on Convoy,
for easiest access to the second drive way which is one way entry.
When heading south, you may get stuck in the median for quite some time.
Good dishes to order:
Ahi Poke Salad.
Soup Dumplings.
Honey Glazed Shrimp.
Salt & Pepper Calamari.
Fried Pig Ears.
The Bar has specials and Happy Hour Specials.
The beers on tap change frequently,
all go well with the food.
Good for big groups, date nights or just a night out with some friends.

My first visit to Dumpling Inn was three years ago when it was a tiny hole in the wall restaurant before they expanded next door. Happy to see that they’ve expanded because it was always crowded with a wait time of 30 plus minutes. I dined-​in at their new suite on a Thursday evening at 4:30 pm and was properly greeted by the hostess and seated without waiting. Scored! Parking can be a pain in the rears, but don”t feel discourage there’s additional parking on the southside-​in front of Jasmine Restaurant.
This is the best dumpling I’ve eaten in San Diego. An old Chinese Chef at a dim sum restaurant I was a hostess for once told me the secret of having a good-​high quality dumpling is by counting the creases. The folds/​creased has to be between 12 – 14 creases are considered good dumplings. I ordered the vegetarian dumplings (steamed and served in the metal tray). Best to believe I counted the folds, all had 12 creases — Winner! The rice flour was on point, it was silky and translucent dough texture perfectly steamed. Those who knows good quality dumplings, can taste it Dumplings Inn. Get a side of their house dipping sauce. It’s $ 1 extra, perfect pair for the dumplings.
For my entrée I had the Vegetable Chow Mein prepared with their home made which noodles. There is a $ 2 up-​charge for their home made noodles, but its worth the bucks. www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dumpling-inn-shanghai-saloon-san-diego?reviewid=ZvjpwsjlyuwWFPC­e6f5adw&select=jcp1co3Q8dbZzAd8zPTQpQ&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) It was like the traditional Northern Chinese noodles dancing in my mouth. Ahhhhhhh-​mazing! Compliments to chef! I love that they put bamboo shoots in their noodles. It was crunchy and cooked with so much love. I tasted in every bite! Overall, 5 stars for the great service and delicious dinner experience at the NEW & Improved Dumping Inn.

Left completely underwhelmed and slightly confused as to how I spent $ 50 in 30 minutes. Shrimp Dumplings were juicy but bland.
They did have my favorite Pilsner* Decent draft beer list* Would go back to the bar just to drink.

Went to this spot for the first time, sat at the bar and was NOT disappointed at all.
Food was good and fast, promptly service and friendly staff, didn’t stay for dinner, just stayed for happy hour and drinks
The bartender was very nice. Such a helpful friendly guy (wish I’d known his name)
We had dumplings, seared tuna, pork bun all the food was great! And the beer selection is very nice as well.
Will definitely be back and if I love dinner as much as I did happy hour you’ll get 5 stars

The décor and ambiance is way better after they moved to the new location. This is pretty much the place to get Xiao Long Bao (XLB) in San Diego. The meat filled dumplings with soup in them always hits the spot. I’ve also had their Beef Noodle soup and it was flavorful. A bar favorite of mine are the salt and pepper wings.
Happy hour ends at 6 but its half off appetizers and discounted select beers. They do have a full bar with craft beer too, so also a nice place to grab a drink and catch the game.
Service is good for a chinese restaurant. It’s more Americanized style service where they’re actually more attentive and not rude to you.
The parking lot here is tiny and you might end up having to park on the street. There’s also a wait here during busy hours, so be prepared.

Beware to test your patience for parking during dinner hours and the weekends :) Truly a great place to learn to build patience, learn how to parallel and back it up.
Other than that, this once tiny little hole in the wall transformed to what we know today as Dumpling Inn– Shanghai Saloon. Chinese restaurant, with just about any Chinese dish you can think of and a bar with TVs (the «saloon» part). They only take reservations for 8 people or more, so be prepared to wait during the weekend later hours if coming for dinner.
If it’s your first time, they are best known for their «Xia Long Bao» or Soup Dumplings. It’s exactly what it sounds like. soup dumplings! They are moist, soft, and juicy. Consistency lacks a bit in this area as they are high volume now so getting here and there a broken soup dumpling is the norm. When you get them, my tip for you newbies is to pick them up with a chopstick…(or shoot if you can’t use chopsticks just pick them up slowly with your hand .ever so delicately) and then place them on the Chinese spoon. Take a mini bite at the end to let the hot juice air out and suck the soup up just a bit. Some of the soup will leak out a bit, but guess what it’s time to eat it, so eat the dumpling now as it should be good to eat.
The other thing I recommend is Pork Dumplings (Pan Fried). You won’t find something like this anywhere else… the wrapper is THICK and the bottom is nicely pan fried. We are all used to the thin type of dumplings, but give this a try. it is quite tasty.
Hot & Sour soup is absolutely perfect, served in a giant bowl to share.
I like the Beef Chow Lo Mein as well. Their House noodles for a bit extra is good, if you like the thick, chewy kind of noodles, other wise their Lo Mein noodles are just as good (if not… better).
Service is pretty quick and sometimes a bit pushy. Expect it. Would you rather have a slow server? Sometimes you have multiple people come ask you if you are reader, water poured when you don’t want no more, and the bill ready before you are even done eating… but they service in large volume so it is expected.

Nice, big space inside with good Chinese food. Cool décor. Dumplings, Salt and pepper calamari, and sea bass with green beans were flavorful. The dumplings were stuffed and skin was thin, so it was well made — nothing doughy about it! The cocktails looked good also. Check-​in for 50% off your first drink!
Every table has a spice rack of soy sauce, hot oil, vinegar, etc… service here was decent. Our waiter was very friendly. There are also Several flat screen TVs surrounding the bar, and throughout the restaurant, so you can watch a game also. Can get really spirited in here during a good game!
Yeah, parking is a drag when it’s busy.
I enjoyed the ambience, the friendly wait staff, and the decent food served here. I’ll be back.

5 stars for food, 5 stars for service.
Our waiter was the best. He constantly checked up on us, refilled our water without asking, and made sure our food was good.
We ordered the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and they were amazing. Also had the sweet and sour soup and deluxe fried rice which were both very flavorful.
I love the remodel of the restaurant, there is now a bar! Lots of drink and food options. Will definitely become a regular!

Food:
1) xiao lung bao: I really like the xiao lung bao here! The skin is thin, the soup inside the dumpling is flavorful which makes the meat so delicious!
2) large sample appetizer: It was ok, but I expected the portions to be bigger based on the price.
3) Stir fried green beans: A little too oily for my taste and the portions were quite small.
4) fish? dumplings: skin was thin, pretty flavorful, I liked these dumplings, but the xiao long bao just overshadowed it.
Service:
Decent, could have been a little more attentive in refilling our waters and when we wanted the check.
Ambiance:
It’s modeled to look like the 1920’s? shanghai parlor. I’m iffy about the time period, but let’s just say OLD Shanghai. It even has a rickshaw in the middle of the restaurant. The place is BIG, so they section off an area to be the bar, an area to be the restaurant, and a take out area too. It makes the place a little chaotic, and it doesn’t feel like you are eating at a restaurant. I felt like I was eating in a food court. But I still felt the old shanghai vibe they were giving off with the décor, which is nice. It’s dark inside so almost gives off that mysterious, romantic ambiance too.
Price:
Decent, I don’t remember being extremely alarmed at the price of everything, except at the smaller portions of green bean and sampler appetizer platter.
Overall:
I like this place! I think I’ll return for the xiao lung bao, the dumplings, and for that old shanghai ambiance.

My Shanghai roots mean I grew up eating XLB for breakfast or lunch on the daily. I’d eagerly await my grandpa to come home from the market, toting a fresh steaming batch of soup dumplings :)
So when I heard a friend mention Dumpling Inn, I was on it like flies on dung. Living in SD means I’m deprived of Asian food unless I actually cook. We were seated by the bar right away for an early Thursday dinner. Ambiance is trendy; dark and loud, almost like a nightclub where the party hasn’t quite started yet.
For a place with dumpling in the title, the XLB was disappointing. They lack the ever so desirable soup and they don’t have black vinegar. The sliced ginger is a nice touch but dumplings don’t taste quite right with white vinegar, which I had to ask the server for. Whatever you do please do not ruin your XLB with soy sauce.
The homemade soup noodles were considerably better. You get a hearty bowl with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, cabbage and a good amount of noodles. The broth was tasty enough for me to finish yet nothing to write home about.
I didn’t come expecting Din Tai Fung or anything but it seems like this place is mostly hype. Still on the hunt for my Chinese go-​to!

We used to go to the dumping inn before it changed. The atmosphere in the new place is fun and upbeat, the service is great, but the food is not the same. I was not impressed. When it was the little hole in the wall the line was always taking over the parking lot and the food was amazing! This time the orange chicken taste more like may ploy chicken with a hint of orange. There really wasn’t much spice either. I love that it was nice thick white meat chicken though. The pot stickers were a bit over done and underdone at the same time. They had a chewiness like uncooked pasta.
I’d love to give it another chance since the bar area looked like fun! The beef and scallion was really good. I’m thinking this may have been an off night.
Service was great thought. Our server was a cute little spunky chick with fun hair. She was very helpful and attentive.

This has been my go to Chinese restaurant in San Diego. I’ve been going here for a couple of years now. When I drove by here a few months ago, I saw that they upgraded the restaurant to a bigger space! It’s right next door to their old location. So last night I got a chance to go eat at the new spot.
Location and parking: Parking is still the same, it sucks, it has a tiny lot and they share it with other popular places like the rotating sushi spot. The new restaurant though is huge! If you frequented the old place, this new spot is like triple the size! Before the old place maybe had like 8 tables, this new place has like 3 different sections, and you can fit like 100 people. They’ve got the restaurant table section, the full bar section, and a bar lounge section. It’s huge.
Food: this is where they lost a star. I feel like the portions have gotten smaller and the prices have gone up. We ordered a ton of food last night, but we had to order more cuz we weren’t full yet. We ordered:
— 1 order of xiao long bao
— pot stickers
— peppered steak
— honey glazed shrimp
— pork with green beans
— kung pao chicken
— 4 beers
— rice
— our bill was around $ 100
(this was shared between 3 people, no leftovers. I did go with 2 guys who can put down a lot of food though, but still, we ordered a lot!)
It was happy hour, so the boys got their beer for $ 5.00/each. Tuesdays it said HH from 4 PM to close, which is pretty awesome. But before when I thought the portions were huge, last night I felt like they shrunk and the portions were unsatisfying. The food is still delicious though.
I asked the waitress how she liked the new spot, and she seemed bittersweet about it, saying how she was used to the old spot since they had been there for over 20 years. It’s not a mom and pop shop feel anymore, which is what I like. But awesome job that they did upgrade cuz the restaurant is so successful!

You know those family dinner outings that is supposed to be adventurous and new but you all wind up eating dishes similar to what your mom can make? That’s kind of what it’s like here, BUT the food is definitely does not disappoint!
I actually ate here my freshmen year of college while Shanghai Saloon was still in it’s original spot. Now, it has expanded into a huge place right next door – even with a bar too! I LOVE the décor inside. I just want to sit on the palanquin!
I came here with 3 others on a Saturday evening around 7 PM. This was considered early for us already… but the wait list was just starting to get filled!
We finally got seated about 10 minutes later and quickly ordered:
–2 orders of steamed soup dumplings /​/​Plump, juicy PERFECTION. Just as good as Din Tai Feng (which is way overhyped) that I had in Arcadia and Taiwan. MUST GET! Never under-order…because these are gone with a snap!
–1 order of beef noodle soup /​/​Not sure why, but this broth was too artificial and too sweet for my liking. It felt like I was slurping a bowl of beef MSG. Regardless though, noodles are on point and so if the beef! Delicious chunks that kept me coming back for more!
–1 order of combination stir-​fry noodle /​/​It’s only a dollar more than the single meat ones… so why not get all the meat?! I liked that they toned down on the soy sauce, so it was not too salty. Meat was generous enough, but pieces were a bit too small. Good portion to share between 2 – 3 people!
–1 order of fish fillet with green beans /​/​A bit pricey, but the fish is definitely worth it! I like that it wasn’t too salty and the pieces of fillet were coated enough with batter but you can still bite in and visually see the fish meat. Bravo! Enough for 2 – 3 people to share!
Pros:
–Good service! They came over to check on us periodically. The server (seemed like the manager) was super nice in making sure we had everything and that everything was tasting well!
–Quick turn-​around! For what they have on the menu, it’s awesome to see how fast they whip out the food!
–Nice selection! Menu was pretty extensive! They have typical dishes in addition to some speciality ones.
Cons:
–Meh portion size. While it was the perfect amount for 4 people, but I feel like it will start to get pricey if you had a bigger party. So decent pricing for the amount they give you, but then again, Chinese food is always expensive at the end of the day for the simplicity of the dishes.
Tips/​Observations:
–Parking, like anywhere in Convoy, is nearly impossible. Don’t try parking by Jasmine Restaurant because they have a whole row of parking spots just for their consumers. Definitely have someone go down and put the name on the waiting list while the driver hunts for a parking space!
–SIt at the bar if you want to get your food faster! Not a lot of people sit there, since they mostly come with family. But this shouldn’t deter you if you want to eat some dumplings!
Probably hands down one of my favorite Chinese restaurants around San Diego! I still had room for dessert… which may or may not be a good thing.

So we’ve attempted to eat at this place several times. Both times we tried, the place was closed (it was their afternoon closing time). Finally made it a point to wait until the evening. We ended up making it in during happy hour.
First things I noticed was that the place is spacious and clean. Way bigger than their previous spot. I like the décor… they even have a rickshaw inside which was pretty cool. There is a large bar in the middle of the restaurant and a «lounge» area towards the back.
We were greeted and told for happy hour specials we’d have to sit at the bar or in the lounge. We decided to sit at the bar. We perused the menu and ended up ordering whatever sounded good: xiao long bao (xlb… aka soup dumplings), pork dumplings, calamari, chicken wings, and pork sliders.
Food was good, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t have ordered both (peppered) chicken wings and calamari. It ended up being a sodium overload.
Service was good. The young lady working at the bar was busy, but made the effort to make sure we had enough water and that our food was good. We would return here.
Parking is the greatest… but it’s like that for many places on Convoy.
Overall
Food: 3.5÷5
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Décor: ⁴⁄₅

That little dumpling shop in Montréal really set us on a path to find some great dumplings in our own hometown. Dumpling Inn is good — it’s very good — and may well be one of our new favorite stops.
To start, the service here is great. The wait staff is friendly and efficient, and take the time to answer whatever questions you might have.
The food comes out quickly — piping hot and delicious. Our first time there — me, hubs and my cousin — we ordered three different dumplings (well, one order of the potstickers, one order of the beef and curry fried dumplings and one order of the pork and chive dumplings); two orders of the pork belly bao (even though they weren’t technically on sale yet); one order of the pan-​fried noodles and one order of — what we thought was — the honey walnut shrimp.
The two pork belly bao came out first. We were thrilled to get these, since it was an hour before the menu said they’d be available. The meat was nice and tender, but a little fatty. My husband and I split one, just so that we could each get a taste. I think, in retrospect, these were my least favorite items of the day.
The potstickers came out next, and they were divine. They were expertly cooked and delectable, and before we could even clear off that plate, the plate of pork and chive dumplings appeared on our table, quickly followed by the noodles and the shrimp. The beef and curry fried dumplings came out last.
The noodles were also perfectly cooked, and the sauce was delicious. It was flavorful without being overpowering, and the vegetables were cooked to al dente. (Can you use an Italian term when describing Chinese food?) ;)
The not-​so-​much-​honey walnut shrimp was an unexpected surprise. We had all envisioned the usual shrimp dish — lots of mayo, super sweet breaded shrimp, walnuts. Instead, this dish was slightly spicy, not mayo-​based, with no walnuts to be found. Really, I’m not sure what we ordered, but it was fantastic. It took us all by surprise.
On our second trip here (just me and the hubs), we placed three orders of dumplings (again with the potstickers, the pork and chive dumplings, but this time adding the juicy pork buns), and started with the kimchee salad to share.
The salad was not what we had expected. When one says «kimchee», one expects fermented cabbage in a spicy sauce. What we got instead was cabbage dressed in vinegar, served with shaved carrots and herbs. It was good, but not what we expected or wanted.
The dumplings were every bit as good the second time around as the first, and the juicy pork dumplings (the steamed Xiao Long Bao) were excellent. We could have made a meal out of those alone.
Service was excellent on both visits, though on our last visit, their computer system went down right before we asked for the check. Our waitress came by to apologize and ask if we were in a hurry. We told her we could wait, but ten minutes later, with no fix in sight, she came back to verify our order with us before handing us a hand-​written check. Not a big deal, but they couldn’t offer us a drink refill or free dessert for the inconvenience? =)

Living for 29 years, I never had chinese dumplings before. I don’t have any other experiences to compare this restaurant with, but this outing was a satisfactory one at best. Called to see if they take reservations for 2 people, which they don’t. Part of the dining experience, well even before you even get into the restaurant is parking situation. Other reviewers mention that parking can be daunting to land a spot, so beware of the rush and you may have to stalk people to get a spot.
Arriving around 8:30 pm last Thursday, a parking spot was immediately found (what luck!) Observed that there were chairs for people to use while waiting in line to get seating. Again, we were able to sit down immediately by the hostess. I noted there were no booths for diners to sit, just tables and chairs. A bar area is situated in the middle of the restaurant, which had TVs that had the football game playing. Top 40 music was playing in the soundwaves. Cool artwork on the walls make the place very unique from other asian restaurants.
We ordered the orange chicken (11.95) and the pork and chive dumplings. (10/​$ 8) Food took about 45 mins to arrive. Orange chicken was not crispy and the chicken meat itself tasted bland and unremarkable. Pork and chives dumpling were okay, as there were more chives than pork. The chives overpowered the pork, and I could not continue eating it.
Service was a bit of a miss. I had to flag multiple staff to fill our water. It didn’t happen until after we got the check. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed with the service, as I know alot of other Unilocalers got good service from this place.
May try again when they have specials going on, but for now sayonara Shangai Saloon for now.

I been meaning to try this place when they moved to their new location for a while but the lines were almost always too long! I finally got my chance to try this place out when Kula Sushi was just WAY too ridiculous (it’s always ridiculous to be fair) and decided to eat here. We were glad to be seated quickly! The new place is definitely spacious and the interior decoration is very impressive! It is definitely night and day compared to the old place a few steps away.
Service — Like the other reviews, service isn’t all that great here. There are moments where it is fine and other instances where it is just impossible to get someone to serve us. Just keep this in mind when you come here.
XLB — this order took a very long time. So long in fact that we had to ask the waitress if they forgot our order. Turns out, they were still making it. I will say that the wait isn’t really worth it though. Each one is inconsistent, some have more soup/​juice than others and some break apart just by picking it up. It’s unfortunate :(
Seabass W/​Black Bean Sauce — This one is actually pretty good. I like that there is a bit of crunch to the generous portions of fish. There is enough sauce without making the plate feel greasy. It is definitely excellent with rice.
Szechuan Beef Shank Noodle Soup w/​thick noodles — this noodle soup doesn’t look spicy but it does have a bit of a kick to it. This is a really large portioned order so definitely be prepared! The beef was tender and the noodles were pretty good.
Overall I really like the new location there were definitely some pretty good items. However, there are some unfortunate things that still followed from the original place.