Chen’s Dumpling House

Noodles good, a little bland. Lots of add on spices on the side help a bit. Minced meats good. Relatively inexpensive, good portion size. Fast friendly service. Recommended.

Chicken sticky rice and Crab Rangoon are the best in Madison hands down

i got the veggie dumplings, buns, and soup. all three were amazing. buns soak up sauce super well and the veggies inside were super good. good portions, decent price, and the soup broth was incredible and veggies super fresh. also all of it was very stomach friendly for takeout/delivery style food you know. felt fueled and not sluggish. will order again for sure. maybe go sit down too(: VEGAN friendly aswell 🫶🏼

Just about everything was perfect. The hand pulled noodles were thick and filling. The price was amazingly cheap for the quality of food. They have a sauce bar with legitimately spicy peppers. The highlight was pork chive dumplings. Some of the juiciest I've had with handmade wrappers. I could go there just for that. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a street vendor, but with plenty of table space on the second floor. The pictures don't do the taro buns' color justice, they are a pretty purple. The Xiao long bao were good, but not usual soup dumplings. They were yeasted buns instead of dumplings with the meat in a small amount of stew gravy instead. I will have to go back to try everything else!

Nice place. First floor is a little bit lack of space but second floor has big area for seating. Dumplings are very good, hand pulled noodles are great too. Their soy bean milk is fresh made and tasty, not too sweet.

Absolute horrible food. Pasta was over cooked, and they put zero meat into the actual bowl. What was there was extremely sharp bones that any unassuming person would accidentally hurt themselves eating. Watched to cooks actually work and saw them do disgusting behavior as well, I wouldn’t recommend this food for a death row inmate

I recently visited the Chens Dumpling house with high expectations, as I’m a big fan of dumplings and Asian cuisine, but sadly, the experience fell far short. We ordered the pork dumplings, pork steamed buns, and chicken udon soup, and none of the dishes met our expectations. The pork dumplings were a letdown with a gooey, almost undercooked texture that made them unappetizing. The pork steamed buns were equally disappointing, lacking flavor and freshness. Worst of all, the chicken udon soup had an off-putting smell, reminiscent of soap or hot water, which made it impossible to enjoy. We couldn’t finish any of the dishes, which is rare for us given how much we usually love this type of food. The service was average, but the poor food quality overshadowed the entire visit. I hope this was an off day for the shop, as I’d love to give them another chance in the future, but based on this experience, I wouldn’t recommend it. Rating: 1.5/5

I ordered the crab&pork soup dumpling. The dumplings must be steamed from frozen ones that had been stored in the freezer for a long time because all wraps are hard and broken, no soup at all. Also, the cooking time seems not enough as the flour is somewhat not fully cooked. Taste awful. Zero star if possible.

We went there for lunch and tried the noodle soup with brisket and some of the dumplings. The noodles in the soup were perfect and the brisket meat was delicious and very tender. The dumplings were pork and chive and were also very good. We will be back!

We got a delivery, which was on time. 1. The Won Ton soup was a disaster with the wontons falling apart and congealing into a mush in the very bland broth. 2. The vegetable buns were undistinguished with bland filling and in hindsight we should have gotten the pan-fried ones. 3. The Pork Buns were just OK and not freshly filled.

Authentic Chinese dumplings. Sauce is fire. Fresh hot and juicy! Nice upstairs room upstairs with some seating on first floor. Pretty quick, seemed like a go to spot for takeout in the area.

I stopped by to have a quick lunch. The time I stopped it was not too busy. Chive and pork dumpling was my favorite here. It came very hot. I also went for a Scallion pancake beef roll. It was a decent roll to try, with some good flavors. I also ordered a side of fried egg. It was a simple fried egg, exactly as the name suggests. Yolk was soft.

First time eating here about a week ago and got the spicy cold chicken noodles. We came about an hour before closing and I'm not sure if it was the water they were using to mop but it was quite an odd smell throughout the restaurant, kind of turned my appetite off a little bit but aside from that the noodles were really good and lots of nice seating options here. I wish I just would've taken it to go because it kind of just smelled like mildewy chemical water in the restaurant but I'm sure if I were to come earlier in the day that would not be the case.

There is definitely a reason why this store has been on business over long time! First time I had menus from here were are 5 years ago, but they did not disappoint. Tastes are not too salty or sweet. The dumpling skins / wrappers were pretty thick which helped me to enjoy them with adequate sauces as well. The prices are considered cheap and decent compared to the amount they provide. They have lots of menu options for not only dumplings and noodles. I personally would recommend for ones who are finding quick to-go light meals. Orders came out fast around 6-7 minutes after I ordered. The only thing that I believe that could be better is cleanliness inside the store. There weren't napkins or cold water provided directly when ordered for dine-in. Overall, I believe this store is greatly priced with good quality and taste of food! One of the must-go on state street to stop by in my opinion

Food is pretty authentic, like all the flavors. Naming is very confusing. Most things are bun, not dumpling. Got tricked by just looking at names. Also why the same bun has 2 different names. Thought were different things but ended up the same. Recommend looking at the photos before ordering

I went to Chen's before a night out on state street one night and have been going back ever since. Classic late night comfort food. Highly recommend the Shu Mai and Steamed Buns for decent price per portion. The downstairs area appears to be a small dining space, but there's additional seating in the spacious upstairs dining area that overlooks State Street! Some other pros are they're open late and they bring out your food pretty quickly :)

Service and ambiance were fine. We walked in and thought it would be authentic but it was very bland and underwhelming. Food wasn't very good and didn't taste freshly made. You'll have a better time buying frozen food from an Asian market and reheating at home. We got the scallion pancake, crab soup dumplings, shrimp tempura, and bbq bao.

Worst dumplings ever! I ordered the pork with bok choy and paid extra to have them pan fried. No bok choy, just corn. Corn!! Yuk. Not just not fried, a little dirty oil on the bottom is not fried, but mushy. The shrimp tempura was over cooked and came without tempura dipping sauce. Glad I decided not to order anything else.

The kitchen staff allowed a beggar they know to come in and beg the customers for money. Multiple people felt obliged to give her money. There was also hair in my food.

Amazing hole in the wall dumpling house. I always make a stop here when I visit Madison because it has the most flavorful dumplings. Order to go for faster service, otherwise eat in. It is a no frills shop so don't expect table service, but all the staff are friendly. Best dumplings in the state in my opinion.

Small hole in the wall dumpling and soup house by university campus. Food- I don't know too much about authentic Chinese food but the food tastes savory and fair. The portion size is good/great for the price. Specifically - Chinese chive and port dumpling is filling, has reasonable juice (considering that it's not a soup dumpling), generous filling, thick but not overwhelming dough Additionally, the roast duck noodle soup has chewy noodles, reasonable amount of duck (careful with the bone), and slightly gamey (from the duck) milky broth that goes well with chili oil. Ambience - limited seatings downstairs (4 tables total) but there is a sign for upstairs seating, 10-20 min wait (reasonable), many people seem to get it to go. Would come if a colleague wants to come at least once more

I was excited that there was a beef noodle soup place in Madison, but the authentic flavor is just missing at this restaurant. My mom and I came here for lunch and we both didn't finish our bowls of noodles. The soup is bland and needs chili sauce and green onion to make it tolerable. The beef is over cooked and not tender. The portions are a decent size for the price. Service was efficient and friendly and the food came out within 5 minutes. I would recommend going to Taigu in Middleton for noodles instead.

These dumplings were SO good. We ordered Chen's as delivery to a brewery and I swear nothing goes better with an IPA than a dumpling. Both items we tried (pork dumplings and bbq buns) were perfection. I can't wait to try more of the menu!

My 2nd time here. Had the dumplings again. As well as many other patrons. This time I also had the cold chix noodles with a peanut sauce n fresh cucumbers I love the condiments station with chopped green onions and cilantro and peanut, and hot chili sauces. Nothing fancy about this place but people come here for the good fresh food

My wife and I came up to Wisconsin for the weekend and decided to try this gem while visiting Madison for the day. I had never had steamed dumplings before and this place did not disappoint. The only complaint I have is they did not give enough juice for them. They were a little dry. I am surprised because the man at the register gave us the wrong item but he noticed the way I was looking at the food and asked if everything was okay? Thankfully he replaced the food and gave us what we did ask for no additional charge. My favorite thing we ordered were the taro dumplings. So good! I actually regret not buying a second order we loved them so much! We will definitely be back Atleast to get the taro dumplings. They were the best! The only complaint is that it was hard to find parking and there were spots that were 15 mins only. That was kind of confusing but food made up for the hassle

Chen's Dumpling House is more like Chen's Dumpling Home. I wish Chen could make me noodle soup everyday. I got the noodle soup with beef and it hits the spot. The broth is so good and rich and the noodles really bounce off the teeth. This meal sustained me for like 16 hours NGL. I've gotten the dumplings and baos before too and those are equally yummy. Get the dumplings pan fried (my fave) and it's a 1 dollar upcharge. The baos are so supple and tasty and go well with anything else you could want to get. TLDR: Look no further if you want some real deal Chinese noodle soup or just looking for easily scarfable dumpling and baos.

Decent spot with a variety of items. Some were good and others would pass, but everything is homemade which is a great. The only thing I would pass on next time is the kimchi -- stick to a Korean spot for that. You can't stop here without getting some dumplings. Their dumplings have a thicker outer layer which is a taste preference. I prefer a little thinner but they were steamed well and the outer layer was nice and smooth, not soggy. The pork filling was tender -- loved it! Unfortunately, the soup seeped out of the dumpling before we could take a bite, which can happen but defeats the purpose. Dip with vinegar and chili oil -- yum! Next time I will come back to try their regular dumplings. We also ordered the traditional Beijing Noodle with Soy Bean which was really good! The noodles were delicious and the soy bean paste had a nice level of savory sweet. The green onions added that freshness and a nice crunch to each bite. We also ordered the wings were were solid. Nothing to gush about, but the chicken was moist and the skin had a slight crisp to it. Overall, this is a solid spot for takeout and delivery and the staff were friendly!

Dumplings are really good. A little pricey though. Kimchi is pretty good. Would recommend.

Was pretty excited for the food, but wasn't impressed. I read reviews though and maybe I should've ordered something else. The tomato and egg noodles are a personal favorite of mine (sentimental, used to eat it growing up), but this was pretty bland, with not enough tomato to go throughout all the noodles. The noodles themselves though were pretty good, handmade! The dumplings were okay, but the pork had a lot of flavor, and the dumpling sauce wasn't super great either. I'll probably try ordering again something different, but overall was kinda disappointed. My family makes dumplings four times a year, and I was looking for a good dumpling place.

you will never. EVER. taste food this bad from a restaurant. weaved around boxes to get to the bathroom and service was terrible. oh also ambiance was horrific

If you're looking for some home cooked, traditional Chinese food, this is the place! The wonton soup is the best I've ever had! The flavor and quality is incredible. I came for the Xiaolongbao but I prefer it with liquid inside (Shanghai style) and they do not offer it that way. They were still good but I prefer the liquid inside. I still highly recommend giving this place a try. The soup is perfect for a cold day!

Classic hole in the wall. We ordered 20 dumplings and a scallion pancake. The food came out fairly quickly and were piping hot. The triple delight tasted like a combo of pork, chicken, and pork and had a slight peanuty taste to it. The veggie dumplings were full of herbs and mushrooms with little noodle slivers. The dumplings were each substantial, and each order of 10 was big enough to be a standalone meal. Vinegar was provided in little plastic cups. The space was small and the whole experience felt very authentic and no-frills. Next time, I'd like to try having the dumplings pan-fried for $1 more, since the dumplings fell apart easily and were somewhat hard to eat with chopsticks for that reason. This would be a good place to pick up 40 dumplings and some small plates and share a meal with friends at home.

Amazing qualities overall, both dine in and takeout. Servers were super nice and helpful when deciding on menu recommendations. Food was great for all the items I've tried. Serving size were perfect and all the food tasted either unique or authentic. I've gotten a takeout from them too and you could tell they care about their food and restaurant even if it's a takeout. I ordered a noodle dish and it was great packaging. They had a the broth is a tightly closed container and the noodles in a special bowl for noodles. Both the containers are reusable too which is a plus. The food tasted just as good as it was when I dined in. I would highly recommend going here because it's a hidden gem of a restaurant.

A home run, broth was so rich vegetables were so fresh and the flavor profile was amazing, tofu was a touch cold... but I fricken scarfed it down and it was incredible!!

Since this was my first trip down State Street, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted but Chen's Dumpling House looked good. I was wandering up and down the street just looking for a hole in the wall place with greasy walls along with a home kitchen feel. This is the place! While service with a smile and any hospitality are non-existent, they just want customers to say what they want to order and pay. Really can't complain about being straight to the point but sometimes a simple smile or small talk goes a long way. I ordered two items: 小笼包 (xiaolongbao) and another dish that resembled a 手抓饼 (hand rolled scallion pancake) but with braised beef inside with a dipping sauce. My only suggestion would be to reference the pictures I post! It was amazing! Nice, hot, flavorful and good with or without the sauce. The 小笼包 (xiaolongbao) on the other hand was ok but I probably wouldn't order it again. Overall a good experience with many familiar flavors I grew up with so I'm thankful for that. I'm curious to see how the other dishes turn out. Totally affordable even on a college student budget or tired traveller. Just expect to order, sit down, eat and leave.

I will drive hours for food. GOOD food. We drove 1.5 hours to eat here and it wasnt worth it. I REALLY wanted to like this place. I'm from NY and miss really good authentic Chinese dumplings. These aren't it, sadly. The filling wasn't good and gave me untasty after-burps. Each one had a hole in the wrapper so when they steamed it, it was very watery inside. The scallion pancakes were too thin, barely any scallion and really, really greasy, like an oil slick. Just yuck. I have no idea how this place has the amount of positive reviews as it does, it makes no sense. It was a really sad drive home. My search for good, authentic Chinese dumplings in WI continues...

Nice little hole in the wall, I felt that the vegetable dumplings were maybe not my taste. Good serving size. The scallion pancakes were delicious. I would like to try the other things too, customer service was great!

Food is OK. Not the best thing i've ever had. Opted to go here because the other place was closed today. Cold noodle dish was flavorless, noodles were undercooked, and whatever seasoning used was disgusting. The Xiao Long Bao is NOT the soup dumplings that everyone knows. They're more of a steamed bun than the dumpling. Wonton soup was the best thing, out of all of them- and that's me being optimistic. Was not a fan, kind of disappointing.

By the time we arrived there, they only allowed takeaway, as they were closing for the night. We got the vegetarian dumplings and the house made vegetable noodles. Not the best I've had and definitely not worth the rave reviews that peppered this site. Maybe the meat dumplings are phenomenal, but the vegetarian dumplings are very underwhelming.

We got the beef and celery dumplings and they were delicious. Not super busy and pretty clean even though the place is small. Service was good and it didn't take too long to get out food!

Ordered through UberEats and was pleasantly surprised. The Asian food scene in Madison has caught me off guard. I've come across a ton of places offering authentic dishes. What surprises me most is that there are so many good places. Stumbled across Chen's via UberEats and ordered the following; Tomato & Egg Noodles - noodles are standard thick noodle like you'd see in lo mein but the sauce from the tomato is the star here. I drank it like it was soup once I finished everything else. Pork & Chive dumpling - great value here for the amount you receive. You don't need the sauce that comes with it. It is delicious all by itself. Wonton Soup - fantastic broth. I think it's seaweed as the garnish vegetable but not sure. The broth thooooo This is a must try if you're looking for some down home cooking. Don't be scared...

The cashier was nice, and the food was ready in time for my pick up order, but I got the soup dumplings and they were TERRIBLE! The wrap was SO THICK I though they gave me the wrong item when I got home and opened the container. It looked like Bao buns instead of dumplings. It was a very doughy with the pork mix inside and not much soup at all. I would stick to the bibigo or trader joe microwave version over these to be honest! I only ate 2 of them and threw the other ones away. The other dumplings maybe are good? but pass on the soup dumplings!

I wanted to like this place more! Cute area on state street run by a hardworking group of people. Small space for seating in the front, but I heard there's also seating in the back. Tried the beef noodle soup, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), the special of the day (rainbow dumplings), and a small plate of pickled vegetables. Prices are affordable, but nothing standout. The best dish is by far the beef noodle soup. The broth was excellent. I liked that there was a slight kick to it and that you could add in chili and scallions to your heart's content on the side. The noodles were slightly overcooked (but I think handmade, which is nice), there were not too many vegetables and I wish the beef was a little more tender. Now as many have said before us, xiao long bao here is not what you expect. I heard that maybe this is the northern style dumpling. The skin is thicker and it is filled with meat/vegetables and no broth. So if you would like buns more than dumplings, this is your place (from what I observed with all dishes, the dumpling and bun "skins" seem pretty thick). The special of the day turned out to be frozen dumplings that were heated up. Again, slightly over-steamed. Overall, a decent fast and easy place to go to, and if you're a college student wanting to grab a quick meal, this would be it. P.S. they have a liquor license to if you're into that kind of thing.

Enjoyable experience, delicious dumplings, and disappointing decor... Visited Chen's twice now. If you come here for anything.... get the dumplings. Featured here are the Steamed Pork Dumplings - XiaoLongBao. I've ordered the Housemade Udon Noodles with brisket both times because it is so darn tasty. The broth has some heat to it and the brisket is extra tender, sometimes a little too fatty for my taste. We also ordered the Minced Noodles featured on the left, which reminded me of chicken noodles soup with small bites of pork and tofu. Nothing too special. The restaurant itself is relatively small with a shortage of tables and seating. Fear not, there is more seating upstairs; however, the atmosphere is bland with florescent lighting, bare walls with nicks from removed booth seating of the past. The dining areas could use an update and some heat for the chilly upstairs.

Wow, I was really excited to try this place and it still exceeded my expectations. Fish dumplings are the best I've ever had (even beat my grandma's... don't tell her), scallion pancakes were also killer. My friends ordered the roast duck noodle soup and chive/pork dumplings, they both enjoyed their food as well. Really excellent. Highly recommend. Prices are also very reasonable.

I did not get the namesake dumplings on this visit. The scallion pancake was nice and crisp. The hand pulled noodle soup with beef brisket was fairly average compared to other noodle shops I've been to. It tasted like five spice with a hint of chili, and a good bit of ginger. Be aware that you may not necessarily get all brisket, one of my beef chunks was mostly fat.

I really wanted to like it here more. We got the BBQ buns, chive and pork dumplings, xiaolongbao, and one of the traditional noodle dishes. I ordered different spice levels but there was zero difference. The xiaolongbao were a tad dry and the buns were short on filling. The noodles were tasty but oddly sweet. I had such high hopes because I've had their custard buns before and thought they were pretty good. I defintely wouldn't call it bad but I don't think it lived up to expectations.

Get the dumplings. It doesn't matter which kind or what flavor. They are all amazing.

I am not really sure what the hype is with this restaurant. I felt the steamed dumplings were overcooked and the items were separating each time I would try to pick up the dumpling with my chopsticks. They offer you quite a bit of food for the price that you are paying for, but I think the items can definitely be improved. For example, chilled cucumbers needs to be marinated overnight in order to allow the dish to have flavor and the dumplings needs to be served in a regular container without any additional paper at the bottom. When dumplings stick to the paper, it also breaks off the skin. The cashier and cooks were nice, which is definitely a plus.

Went here for dinner, good staff and relatively fast to get the food for a Friday night on state street. Food was just alright, not anything too special but not terrible. If you want something cheap and quick it's a good place to go. Seating is limited, and the building does have stairs to get to them if it concerns you. The vibe isn't particularly special it's just a place where college students go to grab a bite and study with quiet.

I did not expect to find decent and good tasting Chinese food in Wisconsin Madison according to past experience. I am happy that I went into Chen's Dumpling House on State street, and had a good lunch. We had beef noodles and chive dumplings, and steamed bao. Both of us did not love their beef noddles, but was good enough still. I would think the hot noodles soup would be very satisfying on a cold winter day in Wisconsin. As for the chive dumplings, they were really tasty! The flavors are pretty complex. They have a little tofu, mushroom and other veggies in the filling besides the chives. If you like to eat Chinese dumplings, I recommend this place!

Mushroom and chicken dumplings were excellent. Very fast service and an overall great value.

I was wrong. the problem I had with Chen's has been resolved to the satisfaction of all. please disregard my prior post. excellent food and good customer service.

Chen's Dumpling House is a terrific addition to the State Street dining scene. While I experienced some service bumps during my visit during their first week in operation, I was impressed by their effort to deliver a favorable experience. The menu featured five dumpling options, a noodle soup, a pair of noodle dishes, an omelets and scallion pancakes. My steamed pork dumplings came in a wonderfully soft wrapper and were generously portioned. The flavor of the pork filling was not as dominant as I would have hoped, but I still enjoyed the dish immensely. When ordering, the cheerful person at the counter informed me that each dish is made to order, so I should expect by food in 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes, someone from the kitchen came to my table to inform me that they were re-doing my order because they were not pleased with how it turned out. I was very impressed with the communication about the status of my order. When my food arrived, it came with no utensils or napkins, which required me to hunt those items down. During subsequent visits, the quality and speed of the service has improved markedly. The new owners put a lot of effort into breathing new life into the old Osaka space. I especially enjoyed the view of State Street from the second-floor dining space.

Sunday early afternoon and it was quite busy. There are no wait staff so we just placed our orsers at the counter and went upstairs to get a table. Menu was provided in both English and Chinese and they have noodles, dumplings, steamed bus and scallions pancakes. Most of their stuff are homemade but I couldn't tell if some of the buns (taro buns, for example) were store bought. There were also a few side dishes for you to choose from. The upstairs dining area was decorated nicely with some wall size Chinese paintings. It was spacious and bright. However, a pile of dirty dishes in bins on the cart by the entrance wasn't a pleasent scene to see. Maybe they need to hire more helping hands to keep the dishes clean and out of the way. Food was decent, especially their dumplings. I had a bowl of "seafood noodle" with only a few shrimp and some fishcakes inside. That was a bit disappointing. But if you are fancy with some authentic dumplings, give this place a try.

The chive omelettes? The scallion pancakes? The Beijing-style noodles with rich and savory soybean paste? The tender and perfectly steamed 小笼包 (xiaolongbao) with pork and shrimp and chives? All are soooooooo good and freshly made here, and the upstairs dining area is the perfect place to enjoy any or all of the above named dishes. (COVID has changed all that, though, and Chen's is perfectly set up for carry out orders as well. So feel free to call ahead.) Reasonable prices. Don't expect friendly, effusive service, though -- this is a no frills dining experience in which the restaurateurs themselves (always on site) just want you to fucking pay, fucking eat, and then fucking leave. ;) (No, really -- this place is all about the food and not the silly hats and stupid birthday songs and extra whipped cream on top, if you get my drift.) Just shut up and EAT.

Everything was cooked to perfection. The dumplings were fresh and the soup was to die for. What a great place and excellent service to boot!