Bao'd Up - Mueller Aldrich

We came here for dinner and ordered the crispy chicken taco, crispy chicken basket, and custard baos. Since we were really hungry, these filled us up. Beware that the pictures on the menu make the items look much smaller than they actually are. So portion sizes are pretty good. The crispy chicken tacos were good, but I wish they came with a sauce to add extra flavor. The crispy chicken basket had a generous portion, and my husband really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend the custard baos--they were very plain and lacked flavor. I was expecting something more dessert-like. Overall, I'd still recommend this place for when you are super hungry and need food fast. The food was good, the service was good, and they have a few tables inside for seating.

Food 2/5 and here is why: my friend and I have had Bao’s in Taipei, Hong Kong AND in the Bay Area so we were looking forward GOOD baos. We also wanted to explore a “Texanese” mix. So we had spicy brisket, chicken teriyaki and juicy pork! 🤤 The dough was really good and steamy! The stuffing however… It was disappointing. Yes, it was tasty but the amount of it was very little and it wasn’t as juicy or 💦 MOIST 💦. We were so excited to eat them and when we took a bite it was extremely anticlimactic. 😅Maybe we DIDNT catch them in a good day? But hey, I’d come back to try other items in the menu. I give places to eat grace. Y’all get two more chances from us! 🤪😙🤌🏼

I just loved their food! We tried the tofu and brisket baos, and both were great.

The soup dumplings weren't made to order; they were cold. It was disappointing that they were steamed yet served with aluminum cups. So much for being healthier. Was not greeted when arrived and had to put my order in the computer. Very likely won’t be returning

The staff were helpful and friendly. The food was OK, nothing to write home about. We tried the veggie, pulled pork, chicken, and some other bao I can't recall. It just tasted a little bland, and the chicken bao barely had anything in it, just 3 tiny pieces of chicken. We tried the Thai tea with boba as well, and the boba was really tasty. The drink itself tasted too milky compared to other Thai teas I've had. It was so pale.

Fast comfort Asian food. Get a four pack for decent deal. Spicy Brisket, Juicy Pork, Pork Belly and Crispy Chicken were our choices. They were good enough we got the same four twice. The soup dumplings were a little small but decent for fast food. The counter service was helpful and patient. We ate there so they were nice and hot.

We were hopeful because pictures looked good, but Unfortunately, we were super disappointed. Mushy, bland food- we’ve had muuuuuuccchhhh better bao buns, bao “tacos” and soup dumplings. We wondered if everything is frozen and just reheated. 👎🏾 Bummer.

The food was as bland as a 2 year old would like it!!! I went with my teens and husband, and not one of us were happy with the quality, flavor, and textures of the food. Being an Asian American woman, maybe my standards are just too high for good quality Bao, Buns, Soup Dumplings, and Ramen. I expected so much better, I've had so much better. Just over $100 for the following. It's not worth a single penny.... everything is frozen and thrown into a steamer. Not one fresh bao, and this is so disappointing, especially for this to be your specialty! Juicy Pork Bao: Bland and mushy towards the inside. Terriayki Bao: Slight sweet flavor but again overall bland and mushy inside. The texture was off-putting, to say the least. Crispy Chicken Bun: The chicken was cooked well but flavorless along with the coleslaw. Soup Dumpings: The filling and soup again had no flavor! Ramen: This left so much to be desired! Everything was completely flavorless. The only good thing was that the noodles were not overcooked. Fries: My teens actually said that the Fries were the only decent thing and only because they liked the with them with the slightly spiced dipping sauce. These are just your frozen crinkle cut fries. Don't waste your time or money stopping here. The service was mediocre at best. Also, the water dispenser was as slow as molasses... WTH! 🤦🏻‍♀️

First time trying but I thought it was so good! The ordering process was so simple and an order of 2 pork baos was so cheap! The server was very friendly as well. The baos came out fast and they came out fresh! And they were so so filling! I am a big fan of the dough, it was so fluffy and airy. I definitely want to come back to try more of the menu, it all looked so good! The milk tea was very good as well and came in a decent size for the price. Just the right amount of sweetness. It was nice to sit outside and enjoy this food in the nice weather, definitely would come back.

Stopped by this fast casual spot on my most recent trip to Mueller. I way impressed by how reasonable their prices are and got the Juicy Pork Bao Basket that came with 2 pork bao and fries for under 6 including tax. The fries were crispy and reminiscent of the Korean BBQ Fries that Shake Shack had for a limited time. The pork bao were pillowy and while I wish the filling was a bit more stuffed, it was good nonetheless. The ordering process on the tablets and text when your order is ready make it a seamless experience. Looking forward to trying some of their boba teas and other combos in future!

I have tried all 5 flavors of their bao. I would rank them as follows. I like the taste of the Teriyaki Chicken, so that would be my favorite. The Kung Pao Veggie's flavor is awful and is my least favorite of the bunch. 1) Teriyaki Chicken 2) Juicy Pork 3) Egg Custard 4) Spicy Brisket 5) Kung Pao Veggie The food is average, and I find any buns over $2 way overpriced.

Utilized this location for catering and when needing a quick bite before catching a movie at Alamo Drafthouse. They have a menu featuring quick and easy bites to enjoy yet all are very filling. They have Szechuan fries, regular fries, baos, guaboas, and hand breaded chicken strips to name a few. There's a few tables to enjoy if you want to dine inside as well. Service can take a quick moment depending on staff but it's worth the wait.

It's been really cool to watch this place flourish in the years it's been in Mueller. It is a real contribution to the area, both to its nightlife and its daytime buzz. In the evening, you can pop in for a quick bite if you're on your way to a movie but don't have much time. They have snacks and whole meals. If you're on your way to Alamo, park in the garage and get your parking validated at the Alamo's front desk. That will give you free parking while you eat too! Saturdays and market days, Mueller becomes a mobbed frenzy. The crowds around the whole park are incredible, and getting a full restaurant meal requires a really long wait. But Bao'd Up is a lifesaver on those days. Their ordering and check out procedures are fully automated so you can get in and out. You can get your icy boba tea is a real treat when it's hot outside. And when it's cold, a hot bowl of DanDan is pure comfort. When my kiddo has friends over, they like to walk over and have boba and a snack. It has a major cool factor going for it. We recently saw the surprise closing of nearby Halcyon--surprise because they were packed day and night. Business owners say this is a hard neighborhood to operate in. So everyone should give Bao'd Up some love. We can't lose them too.

The baos were okay. The dough was nice but thought the fillings tasted ok. Surprisingly, i enjoyed the soup dumplings more. Fast service and easy to order on their app.

We came to have their 2 for $2 pork baos back to school special which was a great deal. The baos were juicy and flavorful and served in steaming baskets. I got an Asian sesame salad as a side which was tasty and the croutons were delightfully crispy. The restaurant was clean and pleasant and overall a great place to grab a casual, reasonably priced meal.

Bao'd Up is far from what you would expect from your Chinese ancestors. Our small family of 2 and 3 pups were craving baos (we're Chinese, of course our pups eat baos). I was in the mood for something more traditional-- BBQ pork or Roasted Duck-- but upon looking at the menu, found a more Americanized take on the baos. We opted for the Juicy Pork Bao, the Pork Belly Guabao, and Soup Dumplings. My notes: - The Baos: The steamed buns were tender - The Soup Dumplings: The dough was chewy and the bottoms were burnt - The fillings: tasted one-dimensional and lacked balanced flavor profiles To cap off our meal, we ordered milk teas. Unfortunately, the teas were not steeped long enough, resulting in a bland and diluted taste, exacerbated with the addition of ice.

We had takeout from Bao'd Up Mueller the other day. I ordered online and it was a breeze. Parking was easy too; I snagged a spot just outside the entrance. When I arrived, my order was ready and waiting for me. Now, let's talk about the food. I was craving some baos, so I got the xiao long bao and a Texas trio. These baos were not your typical ones - they were Texan-inspired with fun colors! The xiao long bao was decent, not the best I've had but definitely not shabby. The only thing I missed was the matchsticks of ginger in the dipping sauce, but overall, it was a good alternative when I was craving some hot soup dumplings. I'll definitely be ordering from Bao'd Up Mueller again!

This place is DELICIOUS!! My husband and I lived in Japan for a year and had bao often, and Bao'ed up is almost as good as that! The bao buns are PERFECT!! The filling is flavorful and juicy. Highly recommend!

Dropped by this place after trying their Baos at an event and they were fantastic! We got the veggie bao the chicken and the custard and all of them were flavorful and delicious especially with the spicy mayo sauce! The combo deal of buy 5 get 6 is honestly plenty for two people and we even had left overs. I can't wait to try their boba some day! They're conveniently located next Alamo movies so it's a cute date night. I also loved the decor inside especially the gallery wall with hidden baos!

After a drafthouse screening, we decided to walk the block and digest the movie. Shortly after walking out, we randomly stumbled upon Bao'd Up. There were benches for outdoor seating and people eating at one of the two tables. Without saying anything, we both agreed on stopping here. For whatever reason, we decided to try a little of everything. We shared a Tai Milk Tea, a Tonkotsu Ramen, Crispy Chicken, and a Spicy Brisket. We ordered and mentioned we would like to sit outside. They said they would deliver it to us. Perfect. Yes. First off, the ramen isn't going to win any awards, but it wasn't half bad. Would definitely order again, just not to sure if it was worth the 13$ amount. However, the crispy chicken was absolutely amazing. They gave us three, good sized tenders that tasted as if they were Tampora fried, which was the perfect pairing for the very creamy, thick broth. The Spicy Brisket didn't really give me 'spicy' more of a medium amount of seasoning in a Brisket mixture. Wasn't bad however wasn't not what I was expecting. Guess I was expecting more of a stringy texture than what was given. Maybe the spicyness was in the perfectly textured bao that just held everything tougher perfectly. The star of the show was the Crispy Chicken. Man. Good stuff. Now that I know this place exist and have sampled a good selection of their top categories of food served. I would always pick something up from there. While I know it's not going to be an Award Wining dining experience, it is good and worthy of repeated business. Tonkotsu Ramen Noodles served in a pork broth, garnished with our spring mix, and choice of crispy chicken or fried tofu.

Eh, food and boba tea is just ok. I wouldn't make another trip here. I'm disappointed... I really wanted Mueller to have a good boba spot.

i hadn't gone to bao'd up since my freshman year at ut, 4 years ago and i'm so glad i stopped by again! This is my first time at their Mueller location and it was great! The bao'd up location is a bit small but i went at an early time so there wasn't a lot of more people. i can't imagine how packed it could get on their busy lunch hours. I wanted to try a variety of of their bao'd so I had their pork belly, fried chicken, BBQ chicken and pulled pork. Wow, what a feast! The bao'd are perfectly soft and chewy. My favorite was the fried chicken! ITS A MUST!!! The pork belly was so tender and full of flavor. The bbq chicken was on the sweeter side but i loved it. I paired it with their mango tea and it was so refreshing! Need to coke here more often for lunch

Quick and does the trick! They have a small menu with curated quick bites and are reasonably priced. We tried the brisket bao and pork bao. The brisket was flavorful, the sauce it came with was a bit sweet for me. The pork one was good though! The soup dumplings were very flavorful and had perfect texture. I really enjoyed the Szechuan fries!! We also got boba. I got the Thai tea, it wasn't the best I've ever had, but my bf enjoyed his taro tea and really liked the flavor. We were confused because it was brown and not purple? Not sure if that's the normal color, but he liked it lol -- try them out!

This was our first time eating here so we didn't really know what to expect... had many Bao buns across the country so we are familiar. The restaurant is very clean inside and the employees all seem happy and are helpful. The 2 Bao combo is the way to go if you ask me...and get it with French fries as your side.. the salad wasn't as impressive as we thought it would be but the fries were even better than expected. The fried chicken Bao was good and worth ordering.. so was the teriyaki chicken. Wish they offered a combo meal with a boba drink as an option for a good price (just a suggestion)

Chain restaurant boo boo fusion mess with no soul. The kind of place where Asian food doesn't recognize itself anymore and begs for death as passionless staff place the food into the microwave Chicken is rubbery, sauce is commercial garbage, fried items are fried to hell in old oil

I've always wanted to try this place. I love the idea and the entire concept. I love that the owners tried to make their products super authentic with a modern feel. The customer service was good. The Szechuan fries were superb. The boba was surprisingly good. The bao were yummy, but they didn't taste super fresh, and they were greasier than I expected. It's a decent place to grab an affordable meal. I'm interested in trying their other bao.

First impressions are so important in this industry and we were pleasantly surprised with the offerings here. Fluffy and savory, the veggie Bao is creamy and satisfying! Love the sear for presentation and not extremely hot to bite into. Will be back for more of these pillowy masterpieces. The tea offering I think gave me too much to think about for the first time in. But it does live up to the "build your own tea" concept. Custom as you please, and now I'll know for next time! Folks are friendly and transaction was a snap. Eager to try the other varieties! Expect a nice walk when street parking is limited.

I want to start off by hyping up the people behind the counter. I got there with like 20 min before closing (I know, I'm a bad human), but they were still so cool and chill about helping me out. I didn't feel rushed or anything. I really appreciated that. The bun and boa were fantastic. Not the best I've ever had, but really dang good. The pork in the bun was so tender and juicy, and the bao was a fun bite too. The winner here though is the sauces. So many good sauces to choose from to add to the buns or fries. I recommend the Szechuan sauce for sure. But go wild while trying them! Definitely stop here, you won't regret it!

Love this place. Price and flavors are both great and I can't resist it every time I walk by!

This review is long overdue..was at Dells Children for an overnight stay with the kiddo and needed a quick bite . I'd had it years ago when it was in KitchenUnited and it was always decent not sure what happened but this was nothing like what I remembered. When I arrived the order wasn't ready but that was no biggie until I got it back to the room (which took 10 mins total) unbagged everything and realized it was all room temperature. The temperature may be why it was so unappetizing because I prefer my food steaming hot. The service was nothing to complain nor rave about it was a simple interaction. Personally this was

Im so glad i discovered this spot! Theres not really a good bao place in austin and this place is decent. I got the combo mix & match of 4 flavors including the egg custard, teriyaki chicken, the juicy pork and the spicy brisket with kimchi. We also got the xiao long bao and the scezhuan fries. The fries were honestly underwhelming and tasted frozen. My favorite was definitely the xiao long baos, egg custard (which isn't overly sweet) and the juicy pork/ spicy brisket! Overall this place is super quick- they have the baos pre- steamed and ready to go.

This place is so yummy. I've been many times & my favorite is the pork belly bao. I just love how colorful these Baos are & they're so aesthetically pleasing. This place is cute inside, very chill vibe. Always good & fast service.

I was skeptical to eat here because I've heard mixed reviews. My friend and I split a combo and I got the crispy chicken bao. The chicken was nice and crispy. Sauce had added a good component and the coleslaw wasn't too bad either. Fries were fine. They were advertised as Szechuan flavor but they didn't taste spicy to me at all. My friend got the brisket bao and commented on the combination of flavors (southern from the brisket and Asian flavors from the bao). The server was really friendly.

Was wandering around Mueller looking for a quick bite. Strolled into Bao'd up and thought I would give it a try. The menu board is a little deceiving. There is a plus sign after items on the menu. I ordered two items $3.99+. The juicy pork BAO and the crispy chicken BAO $5.49. The juicy pork was a meatball. I was expecting juicy pork roast slices. It was not great! The crispy chicken was good but IDK if it was $1.50 more good. Quick friendly service

The boba tea was delicious! It was definitely a cute little place. It wasn't my favorite place to go to for bao. The pork bao we got was just a patty inside the bao bread.

Definitely try the Szechuan fries! Solid fast casual place - my go to for a quick lunch or dinner in the area. I don't usually dine in, but the service is generally pretty quick and no frills. The crispy chicken bao is one of the best menu items. I also like the juicy pork when I'm craving something more traditional, although all the baos do tend to be on the oily/heavy side than I would prefer. The fries are bomb and a must try - the spices on them are incredible. They also had a year of the dragon themed meal which was cute and pretty good, and I hope they have more seasonal items in the future.

Really nice people that are willing to serve. Customer service hear is top notch. The food is kinda normal but the hospitality is where it's at that makes it a nice group place.

Not good. The noodles were all stuck together and the egg rolls were severely undercooked. I probably should have just gotten the baos. Do not recommend.

Tried this place with a friend and was blown away by how good these Baos are - so much so that I found myself craving them ever so often! The creamy veggie is my favorite(obviously!). Topped with their special sauce + chopped veggies it gets you pretttyy full pretty quick! They also have a sweet egg cream Bao that really hits the spot. They also have bubble tea and yum fries -- go check it out, you won't be disappointed!

I've come here before and it's always been good. The problem is that ordering for pick up is...not great. I tried to order online and it will not let me enter a credit card and received a persistent error message. I call and they tell me that they can't take orders on the phone and that I should try their app. No business should functionally have as their only option to customers ordering for take out to be downloading an app. And if a customer calls with this problem, the staff should have the option to take the order for the customer instead of cluttering their phone with an app.

Fast comfort Asian food. Get a four pack for decent deal. Spicy Brisket, Juicy Pork, Pork Belly and Crispy Chicken were our choices. They were good enough we got the same four twice. The soup dumplings were a little small but decent for fast food. The counter service was helpful and patient. We ate there so they were nice and hot.

Recently visited this restaurant, and it was an indescribable disappointment. The baos were not only bland and lacking in flavor, they also gave me food poisoning which ruined my entire experience. To make matters worse, the drinks were just as bad, tasteless, as if no effort went into them at all. I left wishing there was another spot open nearby. Definitely won't be coming back.

What a cute place to stop and get some boba tea on a humid day! The spot is easy to find from the street view. They have set options for boba tea or you can crear your own. My kid tried the Sakura matcha and it was good with a mild sweet flavor. I got my the brown sugar boba from the menu-it comes w reg sugar, reg milk but it was very bland. The brown sugar was tasteless and it just tasted like milk w boba - very disappointed and dissatisfied. My friend had the milk boba and she had me tried it which tasted just like mine. So if you're gonna get the brown sugar boba tea get it w extra brown sugar (they put it on the sides of the plastic cup). We were going to try to bao but we just wanted a coke drink. I will go back to try the dim sum specifically the brisket one that I saw several people order.

Wow! I'm a Korean woman who has not been able to find authentic, decent kimchee since leaving Los Angeles almost a year ago. We found the cutest little hole in the wall after a visit to the Thinkery. This place is very reasonably priced, and my son loved the noodles mixed with brisket au jus. BTW, this area is very fun and cute for a lazy Sunday culture. Next Mueller lake, bands playing tunes, shops, and just a laid back ATX vibe.

The food is good provided you get to choose your options. Surprisingly, while I don't see this on the menu, I found the kung pao veggie bao really nice. By comparison, the chicken teriyaki bao is okay. Egg custard bao was a nice sweet option. The juicy pork got raving reviews. The store was busy, but has excellent service. A bit loud inside, but with a small space it's probably not unusual. Didn't think to take photos, but will be back to get my favorites.

The food was delicious! Soup dumplings so flavorful, especially with chili oil and soy sauce. Bao bun so fluffy and the pork was my favorite. Szechuan fries were yummy! The boba was average. Food 10/10!

The food is so delicious but also quite filling so order on an empty stomach! For veggie peeps, the Veggie Entree box is perfect. Two different kind of bao buns, crinkle cuts fries, and a spicy mayo. My sister and I took it over to the lake and had a nice early dinner while watching nature go by. Highly recommend if you are in North Austin and feeling East Asian fusion cuisine!

This place wasn't bad- I thought for the portion and taste of the food, the price was a tad pricey. However, that's probably due to the optimal location in Mueller where everything is a bit more expensive in general. I don't know if I'd make a special trip to revisit this place, but the service was kind and fast. Overall, if I was in the area and someone wanted to stop by here for some buns or boba, I wouldn't mind.

We tried the tacos and bao, they are steamed bread. You can choose the filling, pork, fried chicken... For me, the fried chicken is delicious, with the sauce on side. Pork and teriyaki chicken was ok. Thai milk, nobody liked, very sweet.

We tried 4 bao buns and all 4 were amazing. We tried a pork belly, chicken, brisket, and an egg custard one. They offer different sauces and toppings. Amazing combinations! The egg custard bao was delicious! I can't wait to visit again and try different flavors.

The spicy brisket meat buns and Szechuan fries are off the chain. Great customer service and packaging.

My husband was VERY hesitant to try out bao but after a year of hearing me talk about it and stumbling across the Mueller location while looking for a place to eat, he was finally convinced to try it out! Edgar was so friendly and gave some great recommendations! The crispy chicken bao was to die for! So delicious that my husband insisted on ordering 2 more to take home and eat later. Reheated at home they were STILL delicious! Even got the sweet dessert bao to try and it was very different but SO good. And we LOVED the French fries too! Great service and amazing food! Can't wait to go back!

Amazing food and drinks here, highly recommend the soup dumplings there are so flavorful and so tasty

The food was amazing! I enjoyed the teriyaki chicken bao and pork baos. The service was also 10/10, the server was so nice and offered me and my friend a drink on the house! The ambiance was also really nice too. The big mural on the side added to the environment.

The Bao was was pretty good! The customer service could've been a bit better but it's ok to have to have a bad day :) The chicken teriyaki was by far the best flavor. The brisket was very powerful in flavor, but it kind of overpowered the bao as a whole. I had very high hopes for the vegetable Bao and was a little disappointed. It kind of tasted like stale lettuce with umami flavor. Weird. I just feel they could've done so much better with the vegetable bao. The brisket was stuffed and had plenty of meat but he veggie was very minimal. Not sure if it's just hit or miss or this is the normal stuffing amounts. I think I would definitely go again though.

Love this place if I need a yummy meal fast after getting off work. It's in a great location, near a park if you want to have a picnic or their indoor/outdoor area is also a great option. Love to get their boba every time I go, and the Bao buns are amazing!!! Definitely have to get the fries with it to make it complete. Highly recommend!

Good quick snack. A little pricier if you're not getting a combo (I wasn't feeling fries) but in such a lovely location that I got it to go and ate by the lake. Bubble tea options are a bit limited but tasty all the same. I got a fruit mango bubble tea with tapioca and coconut jelly, pork belly guabao, and crispy chicken guabao. Flavors were on point, but I should've definitely ordered 2 more at least! Looking forward to going back and trying more things.