Bamboo House Austin

"The mega-popular Houston Chinese restaurant came to Austin, bringing along its much-touted Beijing roast duck, among other dishes. Be prepared for lines. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury

"Coming in at the opposite end of the plate-size spectrum, Bamboo House in Crestview is a spot where most of the entrees are too big for a single meal, meaning you’ll typically order less than one entree per person. That includes Bamboo House’s signature peking duck that comes with limits on how many you’re allowed to order based on the size of your party. Grab a half or full order—depending on your party size—then fill up any remaining table space with fried lobster, mapo tofu, mala chicken, and other Sichuan classics.  " - nicolai mccrary

"The Austin location of the Houston Chinese restaurant in Crestview roasts an excellent Beijing duck, and it’s open until 8:30 p.m. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services." - Polly Anna Rocha, Darcie Duttweiler

"There’s a reason why people line up right before Bamboo House in Crestview opens for lunch and dinner: their specialty peking duck. It’s the best version we’ve had in town, with crispy, brittle skin draped over incredibly tender meat. And each order comes served on a duck-shaped plate to remind you what you’re eating—in case those first few bites really take you out of it—and the side of thin flour pancakes really allows you to feel the texture of the brittle skin. The dining room is large, but feels pretty cozy—probably due, in part, to how packed it always is, and the loud “oohs” and “ahhs” of everyone who managed to secure a duck. Grab a six-pack from the corner store next door (it’s BYOB) and show up with a group so that you can secure a full duck of your own." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion

"For a recent-ish friends dinner, we went to the popular Austin location of the also-popular Houston Chinese restaurant to partake in its famous Beijing duck. We ordered the half portion because it was just the three of us (full duck orders are only available for larger parties), among other dishes (spicy and crispy chicken, bok choy). The duck was fantastically prepared — cut into easy-to-manage portions with such tender meat and crispy-sweet skin. It comes with accouterments like very thin spring pancakes, sliced crunchy vegetables, sauces, and the such. There’s also the very rich giant bowl of duck broth soup which comes with bits of tofu and duck meat, which I wanted to sip like a drink because it was that good. We got there early, too — 5 p.m. — to make sure duck was still available, and soon after we were seated, the restaurant filled up fast. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services. —Nadia Chaudhury" - Nadia Chaudhury, Erin Russell