China Bistro

Really underrated place with great dumplings. Probably the best dumplings I've had in the DMV area. Surprised that I had never been.

Authentic northern style freshly made dumplings 🥟 a must-return place every time since we left the area ( after living here for 20 years). Forgot to take photos of the food except for the menu…

Delicious dumplings...we tried the Mama's and the Shrimp dumplings...loved the Mama's. Also tried Scallion Pancakes and Black Pepper Beef, both were good. Service was friendly. Both orders of Dumplings were huge...I think 10 dumplings each...

I read a number of reviews of China Bistro. The main reactions seem to be from dumpling lovers. Other menu options do not seem to be reviewed much. I did not order dumplings. I ordered the Crispy Beef and Hot and Sour soup. The soup was tasty. For $2.50, I expected a little more. The Crispy Beef was good, but the portion seemed small for $14.95 as compared to other local places for the same dish.

If you like dumplings then this place is a must try! The variety is incredible from classic pork and chive to more adventurous fillings like fish and cilantro (my favorite!). Each dumpling is perfectly steamed with a chewy wrapper that holds a burst of flavorful filling inside. The skin is just the right thickness, not too thick not too thin, and the fillings are juicy and flavorful without being too greasy. The dipping sauces are also the perfect accompaniment - I usually mix vinegar, soy sauce and add the chili oil (spicy so add cautiously!). The perfect spot for a quick lunch or a leisurely dinner with friends. Honestly this is the kind of place you’ll crave long after you leave. I always have to come here when I’m in the area! Cannot recommend enough!!

This place is going down hill. They make sloppy dumplings now. First the dumpling are in a weird huge shape. They are big, but that’s not how traditional dumpling looks like. Second they got lazy on the chopping of the food. I ordered a shrimp chive dumpling, the shrimp aren’t even chopped, they are just very small. And they didn’t even mixed in with the chives. This place used to have really good dumpling but not anymore.

I got tired of eating a few dumplings. The most important thing is the very bad attitude. They also forced me to tip more for only one person. I will never come again.

Ordered mama special dumplings, sesame chicken, and chicken lo mein. Special dumplings were great which is why I gave an additional star. The chicken lo mein had nothing in it - No chicken or veggies. Sesame chicken was mostly breading. Those two items tasted just ok.

Best place for dumplings in the area, wow. Mama's special dumpling is a classic must-try, and the ji cai wonton soup is nice if you prefer wontons instead. Some appetizers I like here are the five flavors peanuts, the green onion pancake, and the tofu skin. Inside it feels casual yet cozy, with lots of tables. The staff are extremely nice, and our food came out very fast.

Great spot for dumplings. They are perfect, and you can even get them frozen to go and cook at home. The ambiance and service is fine. Reasonable prices, about $15 per plate of 12 dumplings- and leaves you feeling full. I enjoy the pork Napa, and pork/green bean. The black vinegar and chili oil is a great flavor companion. I also enjoy their plates of veg- green beans and bok choy. We always stop by when passing through. It's never crowded and is consistently good every time we go. I would highly recommend this location, as some of the best dumplings around the DMV. It's located in a nice strip of other food shops as well for baked goods and bubble tea.

Great food and quick service. I've only been twice but I love the food. I'm sad I'm moving away. I'll definitely come back here when I visit.

I have been going to China Bistro for over a decade now. I can confidently say that this place has some of the best comfort dishes and soups. A few of my favorites are their egg-tomato noodle soup, tofu dishes, sesame chicken, and of course, their famous pork Napa dumplings! I recommend this place to all my friends looking for quality chinese cuisine, and will vouch for this place to anyone. Check it out!

Faaaavorite spot in our little Rockville Chinatown for dumplings!!! Authentic Chinese food. Perfect for dine in or to go! Sadly since covid prices have gone up, but I still think it's a delicious treat!

When you're too lazy to make dinner and are craving some homemade dumplings, come here. The dumplings here feel like they are made with the love of an Asian mother that has not seen her children since the beginning of the pandemic. My wife has come here since she was in high school and has stayed loyal. Each order comes with 12 dumplings, and you can pick whether you want your dumps steamed or pan-fried. I like my dumps pan-friend. We usually get the mama's special dumplings and the pork sour cabbage dumplings. Both are yummy and the juices do not leak. Although the dumpling wrappers are strong to prevent leakage, they're not too thicc. The meat-wrapper ratio is solid. All good though. Not all good things have to be thicc :) Last thing to note: their chili oil is homemade! Dank!

If you're looking for really good dumplings and Chinese food, come here. I wouldn't have thought to stop by if I hadn't heard good things about their dumplings. It's located in a small shopping center on Rockville Pike, but it's easy to miss. I went here with my husband for dinner on a Saturday around 5 pm. Luckily, we found a parking spot right away (the shopping center gets pretty packed). While the restaurant was busy with takeout orders, we were the first ones there for dinner. We tried the egg drop soup, Mama's special dumplings and crispy beef: - Egg drop soup ($2.95): Simple but delicious. Great appetizer to start your meal. - Mama's special dumplings (pork, shrimp, chive, napa) ($12.95): Must have! You get 12 dumplings and they are huge. They are juicy and packed with flavorful. They come out fresh, but be careful with your first bite because it's pretty hot. - Crispy beef ($16.95) - Delicious! The beef was crunchy and tossed in a sweet and sticky sauce with some green onions and carrots. Very flavorful and comes with a side of rice. While some of the other reviews say that they didn't have great customer service, our experience was quite the opposite. Our servers were nice, filled up our waters when we needed more and were quick to clear plates. No complaints from us. All in all, this place was great. Looking forward to trying out more of their dumplings.

This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside so I passed by it for years never knowing the tremendous food served within. Inside, the restaurant has few tables and the decor is equally unassuming but you will see a steady stream of customers who appreciate the food. The servers are friendly enough but will not spend a whole lot of time explaining the menu to you. It's fine. Just order. It is all delicious. I have been here half a dozen times and everything we have tried has been tasty and many flavors have been memorable enough to keep bringing me back. Each dish is flavorful in its own way and perfectly cooked. I find this is especially true for the fish dishes which are cooked just enough so they are moist and light. My favorite is the hot pepper fish fillet. Mama's fish fillet is also a winner. Both the black pepper beef and mongolian beef are excellent. If you like dumplings you're in luck as they are a specialty. Mama's special dumplings are objectively delicious, and I also love the bok choy with garlic. I highly recommend this eatery. It's cozy and comforting, the kind of place you go to with family to eat food food and relax.

You are not going to find many places like this that offers so much variety of Chinese dumplings like China Bistro! The different types from Shrimp, meat, fish and veggies are overwhelming for a first time guest, there are that many choices. You can't really go wrong here since they all are different and tasty. You may want to try the Mama's special dumpling, it is a safe choice with a combination of pork and shrimp. I like the different textures of the steamed and the pan fried, so I usually order a bot of both. China Bistro also offers many other traditional plates to complement your dumpling fix too! It is located in a small unassuming strip mall next to the Thai restaurant and a Philippine market, so it may be easy to miss if just driving by on the pike. Look for the flagship carwash sign or 7 Eleven sign in the same parking lot. I would recommend trying more than one variety of dumplings, I think both the chive and pumpkin combinations are quite delicious.

I had no idea this place existed for the last decade Ive lived in Rockville. Despite coming to this area almost every week for groceries or pho, Ive never known this restaurant existed!! So glad my friend told me about this place though. Their dumplings taste authentic and homey. Also comes in large portions. Don't expect the BEST customer service. They aren't the most hospitable which may come off as rude but they get the work done and the food is good (in my opinion). Complimentary jasmine green tea during your stay. Very fragrant and tasty!! Mama's special dumplings were my favorite:) Cant wait to try more! The green onion pancake was also very delicious and not salty which is good. I def wanna come back and try more dishes. Cant wait!!

Awesome dumplings once again. Usually get them pan fried but since I knew they would probably be sitting out for a while, I just had them steamed. Pan fried gets too hard and chewy after a while. Should have ordered some frozen ones too, so I can make later, but forgot about it.

I'll start of by saying the tofu is 9/10. It's very crispy and salted perfectly with a touch of spiciness. However, the dumpling was nothing to write home about. I'd expect a-bit more since this place is supposedly known for their dumplings. The wrap is pretty thick even for northern dumplings and the filling is very scarce. I got the pumpkin & pork dumpling but I can't really taste the pumpkin (the bits tasted more like carrot). The service is good though, the waitress was really friendly. I'd come back but likely to skip the dumplings and just get other dishes since the tofu was pretty good.

My wife and I came in for dinner around 5-6PM over the weekend, which was about perfect because we were easily seated. The restaurant was a bit dark but the decorations were nice! The tables were clean and were well spaced our. The servers were very polite and very quick as well. They were patient and asked us if we had any questions while ordering, but it was still fast. They refilled our water consistently and the food came out quickly. We ordered egg drop soup, mama's special dumpling, and the crispy beef. Food was fresh and hot. Egg drop soup never fails in my opinion and it was delicious. The dumplings were made extremely well, more on the doughy side, but still completely filled. The crispy beef was amazing and definitely crispy and flavorful. Definitely going to come back again!

I've been supporting this establishment for some time. Great dumplings, fried or steamed and the chinese food is very solid as well. Great cheap eats, and fast service. Fanstastic hot and sour soup. My only warning, eat the dumplings as soon as they are served. If you choose take out, I hope you live nearby. They are decent as leftovers but not nearly as good fresh.

I love the Vegetable Dumplings! They are vegan, so filling, and very comforting. I use up all the sauce on the side and enjoy every bite of this meal. China Bistro has other vegan items on their menu. I have heard they make the best dumplings in Rockville so I have not tried their other menu items.

Pros: Delicious dumplings - they live up to their hype; we got them fried Delicious fried rice Taiwanese noodles were flavorful Loved the Mama house special soup Reasonable prices Cons: Parking can be a challenge Very unclean interior Decor is a bit lacking and can use an update Service could be a bit better Pro tip: Go for the food only and close your eyes to the rest. Maybe carryout?

So this place is a hole in a wall. Small place. Small parking lot. A single bathroom. Not the clean place you had hoped for, but the food here is unparalleled in some dishes. Their creme de La creme is the dumplings which are freshly made and made to order. The flavor always shows that. The owners are from Beijing so their flavor profile is closer to that style and they even have black vinegar on the table because that is what is usually served in Beijing. Authenticity at its core. The tofu dish though... that is what I really love from this place. I don't know how they do it, but it's crispy on the outside and the tofu is soft and intact on the inside. There is a bit of air between the breading and the tofu and fried together with chili peppers. It isn't overly spicy, but with the right about of kick, I really love this dish. There are a lot of dumpling options, but I don't think you can go wrong with the original Mama Dumplings. My advice is to expect a hole in the wall. It's not fine dining. It is in the same center as Pho 75 and Yifang and my routine is to eat here and get some bubble tea from Yifang. Parking is hectic on weekends, but I do find myself here a lot because when I can't think of a place to eat, my stomach ends up facing this place.

Best spot for dumplings in Maryland ! They also sell frozen dumplings that you can pre order and cook at home

The last time I visited was for takeout. Their homemade dumplings remain authentic and delicious but I would be careful about ordering other dishes. The mapo tofu didn't resemble anything one could reasonably call by that name, and the dried-sautéed string beans were not cooked tender. Best to stick to their strong suit, which encompasses many times of dumplings.

Food is fantastic! I really enjoyed the pan fried Mama's dumplings and the pan fried fish & cilantro Dumplings . Service has been friendly snd quick. Ambience is not fancy. Casual but very clean.

What's up foodie peeps! Today I got the chance to dine in at a yummy dumpling place in Rockville, MD called China Bistro, that I usually got to go. So much better eating dine-in (of course it is!)! Was greeted with staff friendly courtesy and complimentary hot tea. How about we skip the pleasantries and talk num nums! For appetizer, ordered the Mama special dumplings. The combination of seasoned pork, shrimp, chives, and napa cabbage paired with a side of soy sauce, black vinegar, and hot chili oil dipping condiment was a delightful start. The dumplings were juicy, savory, and happy to make our acquaintance . There are many dumplings left to try! For main entrees, ordered the Hot Pot with Tofu and Special Salt and Pepper Chicken. The hot pot with tofu was a great choice for the cooler weather now. It's more of a savory soup of smiles. The ingredients consisted of soft tender tofu, tofu-fish mix, shitake mushroom, glutton, and dried tofu skin that has very nicely absorbed the flavorful herbal-esque soup. Mix the soup with rice, you won't regret it! Saving this for last I want to highlight the special salt and pepper chicken. This was a dish that pleasantly surprised me. The chicken was slightly fried and saturated (in a good way ) with special seasoning. Pretty sure there was salt, pepper, an appropriate amount of cumin, and other seasoning that are secret. The stir fry mixed together with onion, cilantro, and red chili peppers are wonderfully tasty and aesthetically colorful too! This is a must try when you visit here! Also don't let the peppers fool you. Not spicy at all (to me at least ) So folks, hopefully everyone stays warm and healthy and gets the chance to come try this amazing place in Rockville, MD. Until next time, peace out peeps! Super NOMZ!!

When you find a cockroach in your food and they don't even apologize!! I should have contacted the health department! It was an awful experience!

Unbelievable. They processed an online order, we went to pick it up, and they said they "don't do online orders..."????????? Lady says "we'll just have to figure it out" after we got charged. Wtf. Do NOT mess with online orders with this place. Evidently, they don't even try to remedy the situation.

Fresh dumplings are just delicious. But the service here is deplorable. The front desk lady is mean on the phone and in person. I didn't even bother to tell her because it seems to be that's how she spoke to everyone in Chinese...

To be honest, I can make dumpling myself and I am too lazy to do it. The dumpling in this restaurant is freshly made and the flavor is pretty classic. Every time I eat there I feel like eating at home. However, at one time I saw a mice out side the restaurant, I pretty annoyed by that...

The mama special dumplings taste very delicious. The service is pretty decent also. The atmosphere is relaxing.

We've been visit this dumplings house for years, and they always good as we can remember. But the last order was a lil bit disappointing, the wrappers are too thick and hard and the fillings are less than usual. Our orders were 3 fish and cilantro dumplings and 1 Mama's dumplings. Maybe we ordered too many of the same item and they couldn't keep up the same standard for the same orders? We should try again next time and see if that last time was the only bad experience we had.

We lucked out as they had just opened for dine-in yesterday. There was only one other couple when we came in. By the time we sat down, it was just us. Lots of people coming in for takeout. We ordered, tofu skin, green onion pancake, pork with pickle cabbage soup, and mama's special dumpling. All the food came out fresh and piping hot. Pancake was nicely fried and not greasy at all. Tofu skin was interesting, cold, layered with a slight sweetness. There were 12 dumplings in an order -hot and delicious. Cabbage with pork and noodle soup was decent , savory but not strong taste, was even better after I put the spicy oil and vinegar-soy sauce condiments. Hands down favorite for us was the soup dumpling, flavorful, freshly steamed, scalding hot. Would definitely go back!

Our go to for the best dumplings! You can't go wrong with the house dumplings! We have been going to China Bistro for more than a decade & it never disappoints!!

FIVE STARS!!!! Out of this world. BEST DUMPLINGS IN THE DC AREA BEST GENERAL TSOS IN THE DC AREA (Dine in!) Seriously this place is AMAZING! Consistently good food. I will say though if you really want the general tsos done RIGHT you need to get it dine in. The container ends up steaming the general tsos and the crispiness that makes it so good is not halfway there. I've eaten it to go in the parking lot in my car and it was definitely not as crispy as when I've gotten it dine in. Same with the pan fried dumplings but less so.

Yea yea they got good dumplings. But their service really doesn't reflect their dumplings. Came in, sat down and got rushed to finish and pack the leftovers 45 minutes before close. Seeing our displeasure they include an 18% tip after we gave them our credit card. Yea they're pretty sneaky fuckers. Pay cash if u wanna tip them accordingly.

We've been coming here for at least 22 years. It's only gotten better. All the dumplings are still the best it town, as is the chicken corn soup. The spicy fish dish is exceptional and I'm almost addicted to their version of Singapore rice noodles. Contrary to some reviews, we've found the staff welcoming and most helpful - one or two waitresses handling a packed restaurant with efficiency and skill.

Freshly homemade dumplings. I am pleased that they have a couple of vegetarian and one vegan options. The price is reasonable. We've only had takeout so far and therefore cannot speak about their service. It's a hole in the wall kind of place but that's okay with me. My husband loves their homemade hot chilly sauce and you can actually purchase it if you ask.

Just the best ever. Always reliable, always delicious! Dumplings are mouth watering. We always get the Mamma's dumplings. Kids get sweet and sour chicken. I get Garlic Eggplant and spouse gets orange chicken. We order about once week. Love it!

CHINA BISTRO DOES NOT DELIVER! Despite Yelp listing them as #6 under "delivery options" they do not deliver. If you order through Yelp it says "Fulfilled by Grubhub" but if you call Grubhub they will tell you that China Bistro does not deliver, they are carry out only. The food is good, the customer service inside the restaurant for carryout is fine. They need to work with Yelp to correct their listing to avoid more unhappy customers.

We absolutely love the dumplings and doodle dishes here. They are some of the best in the area and the service is always nice to. We get take out from here to and it completely holds up to the trip. Get the beef and celery - you won't be sad. The beef chow Mein is also a must. We like the flaky scallion pancakes as well. Go here - you won't be sad.

We had mama's special dumplings, Mama's Noodle Soup, scallion pancake, and orange peel chicken. Service was decent. The food is not bad, it depends on what you order.

This review is for to-go ordering on mostly just the dumplings. I had the dumplings here once at an event and thought they were so delicious that I now frequent the restaurant. I have tried the mama's, pork and chive, pork and dill, beef and onion, beef and celery, and shrimp and chive. My favorite is the pork and dill and the mama's (which is pork and shrimp mixed together). I recommend them being steamed. I tried the pan-fried, but each time I try to pan-fried it is never crispy and just very dough-y. I highly recommend any new comers get the steamed mama's dumplings. They are huge dumplings and each order comes with 12. We have also had the general tso dinner, which tastes great. I also love that you can pick your spiciness level as I have never seen that before at other restaurants.

Decent food. Tons of free parking in front of restaurant. Good customer service. Takes both cash and credit card. Came here on the weekend and ordered their Kung pao fish. The fish was lightly battered with a sweet / spicy sauce. Their Beijing noodles was okay, but very hearty. Their dumplings were the star dish and would order more if I have the space for it. The sitting area is a bit cramped, but it gets the job done. Can be noisy at times, but this is common for many restaurants. Worth giving this place a try if you are in the area.

These five stars are for my TOFU! Yes, I said my but you can try it too. A couple months back, I have went out for lunch with staff and remembered this dish. I ordered it and it was horrible. Came out looking and tasting disgusting and nothing like how it was supposed to. China Bistro is a dumpling place so I knew I couldn't go there by myself and a group would be best especially if I wanted to try some additional dumplings. So I gathered some friends and we finally met up here on Sunday afternoon. The day before was already perfect weathe. One of the first things I ordered was my tofu. None of my friends had tried it before but I'm happy they were open. I was so giddy when she brought the food out I couldn't contain myself. I couldn't believe that I would once again have this amazing spicy and tasty tofu. The tofu is fried crispy and the perfect companion to the salty fried cilantro with crunchy peanuts. I do not like peanuts in my food and this is the only dish I actually eat them in. You know how sometimes you just can't say enough about a dish but you also can't say much either LOL. That's this dish. It is so great. If it wasn't so far, I would be there more often. But 45 minutes for this tasty spicy tofu is way more than worth it. Now about the rest: Yes, our waitress wasn't friendly at all and seemed extremely impatient. I found myself engaging her in conversation so my friends weren't offended. I have no idea what her problem was, I really don't. The dumplings were diversely flavored. Each having their own distinguished flavors. We ordered the Mama's Special & Shrimp w/ chive-fried. I do agree the fried are a lot better but if I know I'm not going to eat all of that dough on the outside and save room in my belly, I'm going to order them steamed. We also tried the Pumpkin and the Squash w/pork dumplings. I was surprised at the flavor I got from the pumpkin. I'm not typically a pumpkin person but I'll do it in my dumplings now lol. The Squash had it's own unique flavor but I wasn't a big fan. All were very juicy. I know I don't have to say this, but for those of you who do not know, make sure you order the soup dumplings! If you can stand steamy dripping hot food, make sure you enjoy these soup dumplings! Xiaolongbao are awesome! We also ordered the Green Onion pancake but besides the crispiness, not much else to mention.

Pork and chive dumplings- great! Mongolian Beef- great, but sweeter than I'm used to. Salt and pepper chicken- excellent. And the simple cucumber dish is just great!

Ordered their dumplings today. They were all with holes so all the soup dripped out all over inside the bag. Looks like they reheated it instead of making it fresh. Very disappointed and very rude person who took my order and when I came to pick up, she was just as rude. After paying, told me there is your food on the table. Fetch it yourself!

I love love love their dumplings. But on the last visit I had the hot and sour soup ... simple and perfect (not the glop elsewhere).

Someone tell me if it's supposed to taste like this.. but ordered the Mama Noodle Soup from here. Not what I was expecting. No real robust flavor and strong vegetable taste. They didn't even give me a spoon with the order (takeout). I'm not sure I'd come back unless it was for the dumplings (which people are saying is good). I never do this, but I'm just going to throw this whole soup away and find food elsewhere.

Dumplings are like little soft plump pillows of lightly flavored deliciousness. Seriously. They are FABULOUS. I ordered fish & cilantro dumplings & mama Special dumpling. BOTH steamed. The fish is a very light super mild flavored fish with a fresh cilantro. The pork has a deeper flavor but still very light. I think you get a dozen per order so definitely can split one order & split another entree. I only finished about 5 each of the dumplings & I was full. I ordered the spicy tofu for take away. That looks to be yummy also. On the side note. The atmosphere is typical unassuming Chinese casual restaurant. Formica 2,4, & 6 tops with tile floor. It's a smaller place situated in a small strip mall across from the Asian grocery store. Parking is challenging which is a drag. Overall it's a fabulous little dumpling palace of deliciousness. Definitely recommended!

The dumplings are absolutely fantastic! Highly recommend. The Szechuan green beans are also definitely worth ordering.

Worst service I've ever experienced. I wish Yelp has 0 star because I don't even want rate 1 star for China Bistro! The waitress are the rudest people and I really don't want anyone else experiencing what my friends and I did. The dumplings taste salty and some are not fully cooked. When we were ready to pay the bill, I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED!!! One waitress has already wrote the tips on checks for us!? She wrote the tips on our receipts without any permission!! I was so mad but there were still others dining in and we didn't want to argue anything with her. I crossed out the tips she wrote and tipped a different price. GUESS WHAT!? Before we left, she grabbed our receipts and asked very seriously why we changed the tips? I will NEVER eat here again!!!

This review is for takeout during Covid restrictions in October 2020. We came here for takeout on recommendation from a local friend, who claimed they had the best dumplings in the area. Skeptical at first, I was quickly blown away by the authentic taste of these dumplings. Let's just say my friend was not wrong. If you're craving dumplings, this is THE PLACE to go. One thing I will note is that I could not find the soup dumplings on the online ordering form. I instead called the restaurant directly, and placed my order over the phone. Also, I incidentally ordered a noodle dish online that was not available at the time. I didn't find out until I got to the store, at which point the store offered to replace the noodles with a comparable menu item. I misinterpreted the servers, and instead had to get a refund for the item through Grubhub. The customer service by the restaurant was still excellent in my mind, though some might be inconvenienced by finding out an item isn't available only after arriving at the store.

This is our go-to spot for dumplings. After trying many dumpling places across the country, we still think this place has the best Ji Cai dumplings. Every time we come back to visit Rockville, we will definitely try Ji Cai dumplings at China Bistro.

Whether you dine in or decide to order take out, the dumplings at China Bistro are legit. My go to is Mama's Special Dumpling (pork, shrimp, chive, and napa), but I also enjoy the pork+ napa and shrimp + chive dumplings. The dough isn't too thick and it comes stuffed with meat and veggies. Whether they are steamed or pan fried ($1 extra), they are always perfectly cooked and are very tasty. At ~$10/12 dumplings, this is a pretty filling meal. I've also tried the hot & sour soup (pretty good) and crispy beef (not bad). When you come to China Bistro, definitely come for the dumplings. Parking can be a pain the super small lot, especially during peak dining hours. Don't let the strip mall scare you from coming here!