Dumpling Story

I didn't know this until I got to the restaurant, but this location is actually the sister restaurant of the widely popular Dumpling Home. Dumpling Home/Story is the best Chinese restaurant in the Bay and this is coming from a someone who has grown up eating chinese food all her life!

What we ordered:

Numb & Spicy Pork XLB: 5/5
* best soup dumplings i've ever had!
* very unique flavor & mildly spicy
* super juicy
* dumpling wrapper was the perfect texture (thin and soft)

Pan-Fried Pork Buns: 5/5
* exploding with juice
* great savory flavor
* very hot so be careful!

Zha Jiang Noodles: 4.5/5
* simple ingredients but delicious
* very saucy and packed with flavor

Dan Dan Noodles: 3/5
* taste was average but still tasty
* would order the zha jiang noodles over this

The food is great. Thanks. Ambiance is friendly.
Only place like it on the block.
Great service.

all the food we ordered was so good. the best soup dumplings my family has ever tried. appetizers did disappoint a little bit but could've been our picks. the service was great although they kept adding time to our wait time. the restaurant is very small and cute but i believe they said they don't do parties larger than 6 (they were able to accommodate our party of 7). i would recommend bringing a jacket lol because the wait outside was very cold.

Enjoyed the dumplings and vegetables. Dan dan noodles are average. Drink prices are very reasonable

Absolutely loved this place. Great food, super authentic, great service. Overall gem.

I lived in Beijing, China for 2 years growing up, so I am a little picky when it comes to Chinese food, especially dumplings. Was my absolute favorite meal to get while living in China. Back in the States, Din Tai Fung is usually my go to if I am craving Xiao Long Bao. Ha ha yea ok make fun of the white boy for thinking DTF is super authentic, but it was one of the first restaurants we tried in China, so it hits a little different still.

This might be my new favorite spot I have tried though, especially in the Bay Area.

Xiao Long Bao (Pork) - 5/5 - These are the soupiest soup dumplings I've had. When I poked a hole in one to let the soup cool in my bowl/spoon thingy they gave me, it almost overflowed the thing. AMAZING flavor. Would wait a few minutes to eat it after it comes out tho, I burnt my face off.
Dan Dan Noodles - 4.5/5 - Delicious, only thing is I would've preferred it to be a little spicier. Was a 5/5 once we added some of the fried chili oil from the table in and mixed it up
Pork Wonton in Sesame Sauce and Chili Oil - 4/5 - These were honestly really good, the sesame sauce was just a bit more overpowering than I expected it to be. Super juicy and perfectly cooked though.

Sigh, won't be back in the bay for a bit... back to Trader Joe's soup dumplings for me.... Can't wait to come back!

Very busy spot, there was a nonstop stream of people waiting to eat here when we went on Saturday afternoon.

Menu is extensive and has most if not all the types of different dumplings you could want. My favorite was kind of randomly the cabbage and pork boiled dumplings. The dough for these were super thick and chewy, but the thickness actually worked well with the savory meaty filling.

Wasn't a fan of the xlbs, they're on the larger side which made it hard to keep the soup from leaking out and made them kind of hard to eat. Also the flavor was slightly sweet. Def have had better xlbs elsewhere but would want to try some other dumplings next time.

Servers were really nice though everyone was super busy.

Worth the try: crab pork XLB, juicy pork bao

Jelly Fish Salad: served with green onion dressing, perfectly soft and chewy, not too firm or hard to bite into as it can be at some other places. I usually don't order this but I'm glad we did, I kept reaching for more!

Crab Pork XLB: steamed soup dumplings with crab and pork inside. The crab flavor was prominent but not overpowering!

Shiitake Mushroom Chicken Dumpling: boiled dumplings, these were also juice and flavorful.

Juicy Pork Bao: pan fried pork bao, and when they say juicy they mean JUICY. These are some of the best pork baos I've had, and I've had my fair share. They're fried well, not too greasy, and have TONS of flavor.

Dry Shrimp Egg Chives Pockets: fried pockets with shrimp, egg, chives inside. These were large and stuffffed with fillings. Has a perfect crisp to it for such a big, stuffed piece.

Dan Dan Noodles: your typical spicy noodle, had a nice mala kick to it.

Dry Cooked Green Bean: standard green beans, cooked well without being too greasy.

PARKING: Metered street parking available in front of the store as well as nearby.

SERVICE: We were quickly seated on a Wednesday @ 6 PM. Waiters were quick to get our order, serve our food, fill our waters, and clean the table!

ATMOSPHERE: Decent-sized restaurant in a cute, bustling neighborhood in Pac Heights. Ample indoor seating but the place does get filled. We saw a few people waiting outside by the time we left.

My girlfriends and I have been wanting to try this dumpling spot and came for a casual weekday dinner. There are so many "Dumpling _____" restaurants it's hard to hit them all and know which ones are good and deserve going back to. I've got to say though, Dumpling Story is one Dumpling _______ restaurant in the city I'd recommend going to and keep going back to. Everything we ordered was delicious, service was great, and I love the neighborhood that it's in. So glad we came here, can't wait to come back for more!

Dumpling Story is a chain I can get behind, full of pan fried soup dumplings (juicy pork bao) traditional XLBs (soup dumplings) and garlicky cucumbers, with quick service. This location is on Fillmore Street, which has become the home for high-end retail, so you won't be surprised that the decor is attractive and the prices comparably higher than you might pay on Clement or in the Richmond.

Excellent stop at lunchtime for coworkers and friends who like dim sum.

Dumpling Story is definitely a place worth trying, but it might not be for everyone. The restaurant is on the pricier side, although the portions are generous. The atmosphere is okay, but it can get quite loud due to the number of people.
On the positive side, the service is fast, and the food comes out quickly. However, flavor-wise, it's nothing extraordinary--just your standard dumplings. Additionally, the menu lacks variety and doesn't offer any full meals.

I'm in love with a dumpling. Actually many dumplings. And they are all from Dumpling Story on Fillmore! Thank you Kyra K for bring me to find my most favorite xiaolingbao now.

They don't just have one xlb but they have many! Playing it conservative and wanting to sample everything, the four of us ordered two 8 piece trays of xlb, one of traditional pork and one with pork and crab. There are tons and tons of other varieties including vegetarian options. We also ordered the also super popular pan fried dumplings. Rounding off the meal with pickled cucumbers, broiled okra, and dandan noodles. Everything was delicious. The stars are definitely the xlb and pan fried juicy buns!

...In fact, on the way out we were impressed to see the couple next to us order THREE orders of the pan fried buns and TWO large trays of xiaolongbao. They obviously knew what they liked!

My new favorite place for juicy dumplings. Looking for another opportunity to return! Tho, just found out restaurant affiliated with the many Dumpling Hours and the Michelin mentioned Dumpling Home... may have to do a sampling..!

Came to Dumpling story over the weekend with my friend who recommended the place - we ordered the fresh cucumber w garlic sauce, the vegetable dumplings, the vegetable bao, dry cooked green beans with chili peppers, and the tsing tao beer. The cucumber & green beans were sooo good, a great start to the meal. The dumpling and bao were flavorful, the bao crisped to perfection on the bottom. I liked veggies inside both - they weren't soggy and had a mix of different things. 9/10 would go again.

Service was also super quick, the staff was friendly; we got there 10 minutes after it opened without a reservation but there were some tables already taken.