88 Bao Bao

New place for me. Ordered a ramen. The meat was good but didn't seem fresh at point. The corn and garlic was cold inside within the soup. The broth was pretty good. Self service for certain situations.

I've been looking for a great Asian restaurant in the Central Valley.. I found one. The Shrimp Chow Mein was 🔥. The beef roll was good. Dumplings in Chiili Oil hot sauce beautiful. Pork Bao was good.. Soy Sauce beef Sirloin was 🔥. Crab and Pork Dumplings 🔥. My daughter had the Black Garlic Ramen 🔥. An ,why do Asian restaurants have the best water ever? Fast service and very friendly people.

This was a really awesome visit. We got to order and the food came out quick. They were quick to greet and the food came out quick. I got the Tonkotsu Ramen and shared an order of lumpia and bbq pork buns. It was hot and fresh and the lumpia was crispy and full of flavor. First time having a restaurant ramen so I was super pleased. Will be going back again!

Updated September 2025… A welcome addition to Merced but a little low on the quality. You can definitely tell it’s a chain restaurant… the ramen is more of a light soup and not anything close to a rich ramen flavor and the pork was super chewy and low on flavor. I’m pretty sure that at least 50% of the items probably come from frozen 😪 The soup dumplings were ok but the skin was way too thick for a top notch xlb. The veggie chow mein was tasty but it’s pretty hard to screw that up 😹 Cleaning products in the dining area and a shoddy self serve “to go box” area that let you know you are definitely still dining in Merced 😹 Given all this I will still return and try some more stuff **Updated September 2025** Returned and the chicken fried rice and the noodle dish were really poorly seasoned. The chicken seemed barely cooked. The leek and pork dumplings had a super thick skin and were rock hard after 5 minutes. Still cleaning products all over the dining room and really tacky hand written signs all over the store. Sorry, won’t be returning 😑

Very nice restaurant first time coming and the atmosphere was great! Good food to I got ramen and the bbq pork buns both good 10/10

The food here is great, especially the ramen—it’s full of flavor and really hits the spot. The interior design is modern and comfortable, adding to the overall dining experience. However, on my first visit, the line was quite long, and there wasn’t much space to wait, which made it a bit crowded.

The Garlic Ramen Spicy is super yummy. Best Ramen I've had in Merced. Nice rich flavor and comes out hot. Only down fall I noticed is the Noodle dishes and Ramen come out fast but the buns and anything steamed takes a super long time. You think they forgot but it's just still being worked on.

I was kinda surprised by how fast they served me my food i really didn't wait that long which was cool considering it was already halfway full with people lol I ordered a spicy chicken ramen it was pretty good I'd would forsure come back again the setting here in a bit lively and calm 🙂‍↕️👌

After a long day at a conference, my business partner and I stopped into 88 BaoBao, and it hit the spot. I ordered the pork Xiao Long Bao and the tonkatsu ramen, and both were on point. The dumplings were rich and flavorful, and the ramen broth was fantastic -- warm, comforting, and exactly what I needed after a full day on my feet. I didn't grab any photos of the food because we were wiped, but the food genuinely impressed us. Nice little cozy spot. Great service, great flavors, and a place I'll definitely come back to.

We've been wanting to try 88 Bao Bao since they opened a location in Manteca so we were excited to see it while visiting Merced over the weekend. This particular location is located in a shopping center. We were created upon entering and you order at the counter then are given a number for them to bring your food as it's ready. The restaurant itself is very spacious and the decor features the dishes they offer. We ordered cucumber salad, pork lumpia, pork xialongbao, shrimp dumplings and pork and shrimp shaomai. The cucumber salad came first and it was just meh as far as flavor and freshness I would definitely skip it if I were to go back, the pork lumpia was very crispy and delicious I prefer my filling to be on the lesser side so if you don't be aware these are the thinner lumpia's. The next dish to come out was the pork and shrimp shaomai and this is where our dining experience went a bit south upon removing the top of the steamer basket we realized that there was a long black hair across the top of the dumplings. We alerted the waitress/manager and she asked if we wanted a refund or remake an we informed her we would like a remake. We watched her alert her staff as well as the cook and ultimately throw them away. We were given two complimentary drinks for the mishap and the rest of the meal was ok. Overall 88 bao bao was ok. It's not a place I would crave or go out of the way for but wouldn't object if someone in my party wanted to go. There are definitely better options but this would work in a pinch.

Better than Panda Express, better than what I had since Hunan Restaurant. . plus top service in town. Shrimp Fried rice my go to. Service Girls HOT Con: Doesn't offer Kimlan soy sauce.

Decent Chinese food for this area that satisfied my parents. This fast casual place is efficient with friendly staff that take your order and bring out the food quickly. The vibe is a bit reminiscent of a chick fil a in terms of how casual the setting is yet the food is brought out to your table. Prices are higher than expected for such a casual place but the portions are big and worth it. As for the food, it was all tasty and the portion sizes were large but all could use some improvement in flavor. We ordered the cucumber salad, pork xlb, potstickers, pan fried pork buns, and vegetable spring rolls. - cucumber salad - refreshing starter and balance to the rest of the meal. I'm not the biggest fan of this overly saucy version and prefer to have a little kick from either garlic or red pepper added - pork xlb - good job on the soup. Filling a little too sweet for my tastes. Wish they had fresh ginger for the dipping sauce. Skin on the thick side especially at the top - potstickers - good flavor but no crisp at all so just greasy on the outside - pan fried pork buns - good amount of soup on the inside and nicely crisped on the bottom. Filling is also a little too sweet and breading too thick - vegetable spring rolls - nice and crisp. A little on the greasy side All in all, I'd go back here for a quick meal but keep my expectations at the level of a fast casual restaurant.

We found this place en route to Yosemite National Park. You can order to-go or from your table when you arrive. The place was busy which speaks to the yummy food and friendly staff. Our meal came quickly, which was perfect since it was a quick pit stop. Flavorful ramen and robust dumplings!

We were in town and wanted to try this spot. I was surprised they offered vegetarian options! We were hungry and ordered the Vegetarian ramen, vegetarian dumplings, vegetable chow mein, and popcorn chicken. Our favorite was the vegetable chow mein - you can taste the char from the wok. Overall, it was okay. I wasn't a fan of their dipping sauce or the dumplings. They seem pretty busy and it's a nice option in town.

My team stopped for lunch here on the way from Sacramento to Ahwahnee, CA. I was craving Chinese food, and was only able to persuade half the team to eat here. The others went to Five Guys (lame)... They have a varied menu, but I was limited budget-wise. Ramen always tastes good, so I got one with wontons. Dim-sum is always a necessity too, so this time I chose char siu buns. They had just the amount of sweetness I was looking for!

The bao buns, cucumber salad, gyoza, and beef rolls were all absolutely delicious and so satisfying. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Service was quick and efficient, making the whole experience even better. Highly recommend!

Great food limited seating, always packed. Best Ramen in the Merced Area Favorites: Tonkatsu Ramen, Black Garlic Ramen, popcorn Chicken, pork and shrimp dumplings Large portions! I wrote a song about this place, listen on the link below 88 Bao Bao song: https://suno.com/song/3b45f62d-0ad4-43c0-a168-a50b477046bd?sh=TY1cerV6f9bHS2GO

Service is horrible. Came in was told we needed to order at our table. Couldn't find orange chicken option. Servers couldn't find it either told me to come back to the counter to order. I ordered our food including the orange chicken. Apparently never added to my order and waited 30 minutes to never receive it.

After a few days at Autocamp cooking ourselves, this is a godsend. It's about 5-10 minutes off 140, but if you're tired of American food this is probably the most authentic Chinese you'll find in these parts. Quick summary: + Order at the counter, get your own water and choose your own table makes this a no frills type of restaurant which means tipping not necessary just like in Asia. (5 stars) + XLB here is top notch outside of the bay. The skin is a little thicker than Ding Tai Fung but the soup and meat is very hearty. My 10yo daughter ate 7 of these bad boys! (4 stars) + Shrimp egg fried rice is the simplest dish and you can't go wrong which is why this is one of our regular orders when we long home cooking. (4 stars) + String beans with garlic here has that lightly fried sear and compliments the rest of our order. It's standard fare for us too. (4 stars) - Tonkatsu ramen here lacks the deep pork flavors of Japanese style cooking. Their char su also has a bit of ham like flavors. However it is a complete meal with bamboo shoots and mushrooms though I'd skip it next time. (2.5 stars) I'll keep this place in mind for our next Yosemite trip. By the way, their air conditioner here is very cold. I'm sitting right below a much needed cool breeze so be sure you pick a spot that's comfortable for you.

Came here for lunch as I was craving something Asian. Found 88 Bao Bao as one of the newest spots to open up in Merced and immediately knew to take the SO here to try it out. Located off of Yosemite in the same plaza as Em-Tea and Raley's, 88 Bao Bao is a fast-casual dim sum restaurant serving various dumplings and ramen. The day we went, the line to order was out the door in which we stood for a good 15 minutes before making it to the register. Whether you order to-go or dine-in, patrons will have to stand in line. If you dine-in, you place your order and receive a number placard so the servers know what to give each table. We ordered: Wonton in chili oil - pretty silky wrapping and the chili oil isn't too spicy. The meat inside had a "rougher" texture. It was very much Italian meatball vs. smooth meat paste filling feel, which I'm not sure is the norm. Still tasty Pan fried pork buns - one of my favorite dishes in general. The ones here had the same "rough" meat but still super tasty. The wrapping also wasn't too thick and the bottoms were perfectly crispy. Pork XiaoLongBao - these had thicker skins than preferred, but tasted great with the vinegar and garlic soy that is provided on every table. Black garlic ramen - the SO loved this and actually demolished the whole thing. The broth was so rich and comforting. Service was quick and the people placing dishes at our table were nice, too! Definitely a great lunch, and wouldn't mind coming back.

Disclaimer- 2 stars for the food mainly Ambience is nice, good decor. Customer service good but a bit confusing on decisions that you order at the counter first or you sit down at a table then when your ready - you go back up and order food at the Counter. This is confusing or usually is a lack of restaurant experience from the owners. Usually you do one or the other so it is streamlined and more efficient. Food: We order an array of food: Pork xionglao Bao- Looks good but flavor is okay- wouldn't mind but it needs to be more juicy. When you bite into it- not enough broth liquid to squirt like how a good xionglao bao should be. Beef ramen- very good and typical. Can't go wrong with it but broth is more or less not traditional. Not your typical Japanese flavor but it was a good flavor. Stir fry rice noodles with vegetables only- Very good. Good simple flavor - would order this dish again . Cucumber salad- warning to all my Asians whole love this typical style Chinese salad- do not order it if you know ow what I'm talking about. Flavor is very bland, the sauce it is is very sweet and not enough soy sauce. Not good if you know this dishes already. Just overall not the right flavor and seasoning- just sweet and bland. Only thing good part is that the cucumbers is still very crispy and they use Persian cucumber instead of your typical cucumber where you buy at any grocery. Would not order this again- wrong flavor - not well excited for a beloved Chinese cucumber salad. Season beef with special soy sauce - The beef is flavor from the broth is cooked in. Nicely sliced but overall bland . The most disappointing part is the special sauce. Nothing special about it. It's primarily the same sauce they use for the cucumber salad. Just sweet and bland. Didn't enhance the beef or anything. The beef by itself taste better. Overall disappointing if your Asian and know how this type of cuisine should taste like. Maybe they are catering to the demographic around it but overall if you know the flavors- you'll be very disappointed at the price your paying for and how it taste like. 2 stars due to the price value for the execution of a certain type of Chinese cuisine - the baos are so so, the Xiong Lao bao needs to be more juicy- the flavor could be improve. The Ramen which is probably your safest bet as of right now. Wouldn't return for the Chinese food but for the ramen only.

Had the Wonton soup. Holy cow. Extremely flavorful. Just the right amount of heat (spice). Must have had at least ten Wonton. Definitely will be going back.

Came to Merced after our Yosemite hike, we wanted to some dinner that was close by so we seen this on Yelp. Looked promising. The chicken chowmein and rice was very bland, the chicken was gooey texture not sure if it was boiled or out of a can. Ordered a cucumber salad for $7 which was legit just a whole cucumber cut up that tasted like nothing other than cucumber not seasonings or oils as other places normally put. The pan fried pork buns were so hard at the bottom. The lumpia was probably the best thing we ordered. The dumplings tasted frozen out of a bag for sure. Service was quick. There was no wait time. The shop was empty. Prices were too much for the quality. Would not go back.

Bao Bao! Hello and welcome to Merced. We are sorely lacking Asian options so we were so pumped when we saw you were coming. The Xiao Long Bao was on point. Decent size. Decent price. Taste great. Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) is standard fare which is great. It was good. Pork & Chives was good though whether someone likes it will depend on the purpose. Lava Bun was good but probably not something I'd order again mainly because it's expensive and little too sweet for my taste. I'm sure those who love sweet things will love it though. All in all, it was a good experience and I have a feeling we will come back many times over. Partially bc the food is good. Partially bc well what other Asian choices do we have! See you soon!

This is my third time at 88 Bao Bao and it was amazing as always! I tried the Wonton Ramen this time and wow. It had wontons, ramen noodles, bok choy, and egg. I definitely recommend it! Also, I always get sesame balls 10/10. The service is great, the food is quick.

A must try in Merced! It has only been open a few months and it is always busy! The ramen is creamy and delicious. The chili oil that they have at the table is also great.

A welcome addition to Merced but a little low on the quality. You can definitely tell it's a chain restaurant... the ramen is more of a light soup and not anything close to a rich ramen flavor and the pork was super chewy and low on flavor. The soup dumplings were ok but the skin was way too thick for a top notch xlb. The veggie chow mein was tasty but it's pretty hard to screw that up Cleaning products in the dining area and a shoddy self serve "to go box" area that let you know you are definitely still dining in Merced Service was very friendly. Given all this I will still return and try some more stuff

This place was great. The place was busy and the staff took care of everyone quickly and with such poise. I'd loved it! The food was great! Lots of flavor! Pipping hot! And super quick! The place was clean and well stocked. I'd love to come back!

I love this place! The bbq bao buns are amazing and the ramen is great! Always bursting with flavor and the food is always consistent. The last time I went i ordered family style with my friends and we got the chili oil wonton, black garlic ramen, bbq pork buns, pork dumplings and 2 beef ramen. Overall the experience was nice and the workers were friendly and attentive, and the ambiance was nice! Would definitely recommend.

I have been waiting for a place like this for a very long time. You can get the best of all worlds here well, at least when it comes to Asian food, it lives up to the name Asian fusion. Of course I had to start off with the bao. It's the first one on the menu and these dumplings are made with love. Then I got some Shanghai noodles along with the Takatsu Ramen I get it with the whole kick and it was delicious. Don't skip out on the lychee drink. You won't regret it. Apart from the food, the service is fantastic. I even had person come up to me and ask how I like the food and you can tell they take care of there customers. Very lively you're lucky if you get a seat.

Must try!! Went here for the first time with a group of 4. Ordered at the register. It was really busy but we were still able to get seated right away. The food was absolutely delicious! We shared everything as a group as the portion sizes were large enough to do so. Very kind people. I will definitely be going back.

This place has been very popular since they open so we decided to check out. The place was packed, but we were attended quickly, and the staff went out of their way to make sure everyone had a place to sit. We ended up taking our food to go just because we didn't want to take up a table. The portions are generous, and the food was hot.

So glad to see this come to Merced! There has been a huge need for a dumpling and ramen place! There's a long line out the door for a reason. When you get there, you might have to wait in line. If there's a line, they'll take down your info and call you when they're ready to take your order. Unfortunately you'll have to wait in line again just to place your order. I'm sure the team is figuring a way to streamline this process, going to give them a couple months to figure it out because it can be confusing. If you're not sure what you want to order, there are menus outside on a chair! Once you order and sit, food is served pretty quickly. Water is self-serve, which I LOVE. They also have garlic oil, vinegar, and chili oil on each table. My group ordered a couple dishes to try: - Black Garlic Ramen (5/5): the broth is pretty decent for what it is. Considering that this isn't necessarily a ramen joint, it's still a great bowl of flavor. - WonTons in Chili Oil (5/5): collectively, my group's favorite dish. It has great flavor and texture! - Pork XiaoLongBong (5/5): one of my top choices here. Beware! There's soup in the dumpling and it can be HOT! Poke a hole with your fork first to let the heat out and then use the red spoon they provide to slurp it all up! Great flavor! - Crab & Pork XiaoLongBong (3/5): the flavor is great and is pretty much a pork XiaoLongBong with a dash of crab on top (the orange stuff). For an extra $2 compared to the pork XiaoLongBong, I just don't think it's worth it because the added flavor is way too subtle. - Pan Fried Pork Bun (4/5): these are pretty good. It's almost like eating stuffed bread and the crisp on the bottom of the bun is *chef's kiss*. It was just a bit too much dough for me personally. - Grilled Squid (2/5): our group collectively agreed that this was our least favorite dish. The sauce is this weird sweet n sour flavor that kinda takes away from the flavors of the squid. My uncle did like the texture of the squid though. - Pork Potstickers (4/5): pretty good if you want it a little bit crispy. If not, just get the pork XiaoLongBong :) Overall (4.5/5). Would def come back and looking forward to the restaurant improving as it settles in.

When I heard this place was going to open in Merced I was skeptical. Ramen in Merced? HA- I was right. We placed an online order for lumpias and ramen. The ramen comes in two separate bowls for you to mix yourself. Makes me question how they prepare the bowls. The flavor itself was barely there; I ordered mild and it had little to no flavor. The lumpias were also so thin and small a little disappointing. If you want lumpias I highly recommend Jeffs Cuisine in Atwater. If you think this is good ramen, Im sorry for you-

Relax!!! They just recently opened literally a few days ago. They are still working on their kinks. The food is good for sure. We finally got to try this new restaurant in Merced. The way they seat people is a work in progress. All the tables have numbers on them (which isn't in order by the way) and you have to tell the person when ordering what table number you are so they can bring your order. Even with that, we see servers getting confused trying to find the table to give the order. We got here at around 130pm on a Saturday and waited less than 10 mins to get seated. We ordered: S1 Pork XiaoLong Bao, S8 Shrimp and Pork Siomai, F5 Wonton in Chili Oil and P2 Pan Fried Pork Bun. We also got 1 drink. All that cost $59 and some change. The prices are cheaper by a little bit compared to Din Tai Fung which we always go to when in LA area. Our order came out right away. All were good and very flavorful. The Wonton in Chili Oil is a winner!!! That is now our favorite. I'm glad that Merced has a dimsum, decent Chinese food now. We will definitely be back here again and try other things.

We have tried MANY things here and have loved them all. I highly recommend their wontons in chili oil, pork xiaolongbao, black garlic ramen and pan fried pork buns. Their shrimp chow mein is also delicious with so many shrimp. Most of their dishes are things you can split. When my daughter and I go, we get 2 dishes and finish them or if we order 3, we take home leftovers. The staff is very friendly. Some items (pan fried vs steamed) can take a little longer, but we never wait long.

I've gone to this location twice now. Once for dine in and once to go. The chain in northern CA was one of my favorite places to for wonton chili oil and the Merced location did not disappoint. When you first arrive you order from the counter and let them know if it's done in or take out. If there's a wait, check in for dine in is needed so you can get a table number. Dine in wait time is usually 15ish minutes, not too bad. The first time we went we got: - wontons in chili oil (5/5) -chicken & corn dumplings (3.5/5) -Beef roll (3/5) -cucumber salad(4/5) -black&gold lava bun(5/5) -beef ramen (2.5/5) The wonton in chili oil always hits and make sure to add some vinegar to each bite to take flavors to the next level Chicken and corn was good. Filling was a little bland but reminded me of chicken &corn soup. Added to the chili oil because why not. Also good dipping in the garlic ponzu sauce Beef roll- the pastry wasn't a green oil pancake and that made me sad. It was okay and the beef didn't have much seasoning. But like dipped in the chili oil, it was phenomenal. Do you see a trend here. Cucumber salad was fresh and refreshing. Black and gold lava bun is an egg yolk bun that gives you that sweet and salty dessert. Careful when eating it hot, the yolk does ooze out. Beef ramen was alright. The broth we got was super salty but noodles were good and veggies were cooked well. The second time I went for lunch: -wonton in chili oil (5/5) - steamed leek/pork/shrimp dumplings (5/5) -cucumber salad (5/5) All hit and best believe I just added the dumplings to my wonton in chili oil bowl The wait time for to go was pretty long. I saw those who got there at the same time as me for dine in, already sitting and eating their food by the time I got my food to go.

Wrong order given. I told guy at counter they made a mistake he said sorry and he said he fixed it and sent me away. He gave me items cheaper than what I had ordered and missed the main dish i had ordered. Kinda annoying. I returned and they apologized and made the missing item. Annoying to see the item I was missing going out piecemeal to other tables when they should just given me a ready one as I had to wait 50 minutes from when i originally ordered to get my food. Food is good but spot definitely has some growing pains. Hope they can improve

I got home & realized they got my order wrong. The manager or owner on duty offered a replacement right away. She was very sweet & the food is amazing. Will come back

I love the food every time I come here. Could never go wrong with it. Only thing I'd note is the Indian lady up at the front register has no clue on customer service and does not feel welcoming at all. All the other workers are nice though, she's the only miserable one :)

I am a Chinese student studying at UC Merced. I have went here twice now within 2 weeks, one time by myself and one time with my friends. Now I would start by saying this place is pretty authentic, the price is expensive for what it is, the portions are SUPER AWKWARD for a single diner. If you want to try everything you would really wish there's a half size option for all the dumplings. However, the quality and taste is certainly on par if not better than big chain restaurants like Ding Tai Feng. When I first went I ordered the red chili oil Wong ton and the pork xiaolongbao, I am going to start with the WongTon, the rich flavor of the chill oil PERFECTLY compliments the meat and the juiciness of the dumplings, I am certainly no spice eater but the spiciness and richness feeling of the dumplings is pretty much on the dot, there's no complaints besides the chili oil gets, well, too oily sometimes and it choke on it a little bit. (5/5) is my rating still The Pork XiaolongBao wasn't slacking either, there's so much juice/soup inside, although the soup isn't as rich and delicious as some of the better dumplings I've tasted, the meat inside certain makes up for it. There's a rich ginger scent while not having any ginger flakes in them which I hate. The skin of xiaolongbao is a little bit on the thin side, it brakes very easily and it gets stuck on the baking sheet, while that's common, the skin and soup will break lose when you try to pick it up. (4.5/5) I also tried the Pork Buns when I went there the second time. The pork buns follows the same characteristics as far as the meat goes compared to the XiaoLongbao, they don't taste exactly the same but the meat's seasoning and flavor is directly on the spot as you can easily over do a pork bun with too much soy inside or whatever you plan on to put in there. The skin is perfect, it reminds me of what my grandma used to make. (5/5) The service is alright. The staff are all very welcoming, the store is small, they did forget to put chopsticks or any utensils in my take out order. Not a big deal but I would prefer have some chopsticks inside. (4/5) Overall I recommend this restaurant on the premises that they don't mess up as some of my co-workers and friends says sometimes it's bad, also note I haven't tried any fried rice chaomian or any ramen yet

Haven't had anything i dont like. My 5 year old daughter loves going here also. Tried multiple dishes all are good.

Traveling North on Hwy 99 and 45 minutes out of Merced decided to YELP restaurant choices. -88 Bao Bao popped up first -menu looked good, so got off the freeway and made our way through town - very busy at 3pm -friendly - efficient ordering at counter -Shared Lumpia, pork dumplings and the best Mushroom and Bamboo sticky buns. Enjoyed all the dishes. - each dish came out quickly and were delivered to our table -plenty of condiment choices on table - well run quick service restaurant. -see this restaurant has multiple locations -enjoy

Finally! So glad to have a dim sum spot in Merced! And a great one too! Little order at the counter spot but fantastic! Service was great, the young lady was so patient. Ambiance is cute and cozy. Food 10/10! Put this place on your bookmark locations and come visit!

88 Bao Bao is my new go to place in Merced. The food is fresh and delicious. My favorite so far are the black garlic Pho and tempura shrimp. Epic !

The orange chicken was very delicious probably best one I have ever tried from Merced including panda you can tell it was well made and thought out and natural taste not all processed like panda . The ramen as well was delicious. I hope in the future they can get spring egg rolls that would be just perfect. Service was fast and quality of price is perfect

Finally, somewhere I can order some of my favorite dim sum dishes in Merced! I tried the beef roll, chili oil wontons, fried rice, and black garlic ramen. Chili oil wontons were the favorite - they had good texture and were very flavorful. I also really enjoyed the beef roll, the beef was tender and the flavor was on point. Fried rice was pretty standard. Ramen was solid for Merced and the pork was very good (the broth, however, does not compare to what you can get in LA or the Bay). I will definitely come back to try the XLB and red bean bao!

Very impressed with the quick service, hospitality, food, and the vibes of this spot!! We got our food within 7 mins! Every plate tasted great and fresh. Will definitely return :)

I was sooo excited to see this place about to open up, honestly thinking this would be my new favorite spot. The first day I could go in and order without a line out the door I did. The service was fast, I will give them that. The actual place is called 88 Bao Bao Ramen and dumplings I ordered Ramen, pork buns, lumpia, chow mein and fried rice so my husband and I could try a little bit of everything. The chow mein was barely a step above panda. The pork buns were highly disappointing once you got to the pork, the flavor was like BbQ sauce rather than the flavor should be. The Ramen broth lacked flavor, minus sodium...it really...really was disappointing. The lumpia wasn't bad so that at least was a snack but not worth going back for. The best thing we had was the rice, but they loaded the rice down with onions, I mean a whole onion was probably chopped up and put in it, half would have been perfect. We have not gone back due to the price vs. food.

Me and my boyfriend went to this place for the first time and everything was delicious! We got our food quickly, the portions were huge. Overall just a great atmosphere. The service was great as well. We will definitely be back! Would recommend to anyone.

I'm here in Merced California for work and thought this place looked interesting. I'm by myself so it was difficult to know how to order. I wish they had an assorted dim sum so I could have tried a few different things. Instead I ended up ordering way too much food. I got shaomai, buns and the black and gold buns because that was something I've never seen before. To be honest I felt like the things I ordered were just ok. Nothing wrong, but nothing special. (I did love the garlic dipping sauce for the shaomai). I see a lot of other dishes going to other tables that look better than what I had so perhaps I just didn't make the best choices. I thought the black and gold buns were smaller, like mochi size but they were huge. I also thought it would be more like a custard inside but the egg was liquidy and squirted all over my pants! They were also not as sweet as I expected. You have to order and pay first and then they bring the food to your table. I would have preferred to order a little at a time and pay at the end. It was hard to know how much to order. I will be back in Merced again next week so I may come back and try some different dishes. The noodles look really good!

I phoned in my order and when I got there to pick it up the restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly. That was the best part of my experience! Now to the food, I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen. Which is one of my favorite ramens. I did like that the broth came separately but that's it, the roasted pork was sliced so thin and was extremely dry and lacked flavor. The broth was very very light on flavor. For the price I was disappointed I tried to give the ramen to my kids and they also didn't want it. I also ordered the crab and pork dumplings and the pork dumplings. These are also some of my favorites they were juicy but the flavor was not there either. I was so excited to try this place but I was let down and my order total was a few bucks shy of $50.00 which in this economy was hard to give away and not enjoy.

Everything we had was great but the chow main was exceptional! Great fried shrimp and hand made wontons too! Try it! You'll love this place!

The service was fast, but it was our first time and we were sat and never told we had to go to the register to order. My chicken ramen had no actual meat it was all chicken fat and was gross. The broth had a good flavor aside from the nasty chicken fat. The rangoons were 10/10. The pork in the lumpia had a strange flavor, almost as if it was not fresh. The dumplings had good flavor, but had a lot of strange hard things within the meat.

Sadly since the employee change the food is going down hill and last two times I went they made my order wrong Before the food was awesome the service was great but now it's really falling short

Food was Fantastic, service was great. As far as I know this place is new to the 209 but definitely worth the visit. We will be back!

Finally Merced gets a ramen/dumpling place! The wait was long, but that's to be expected for a new place on opening day. The staff was friendly and it was easy to order online. The food had great flavor and great for vegetarians. I ordered for pickup, but next I'd like to eat at the establishment. I used 88baobao.menu11.com to order