Fat Bao

If you love bao, this restaurant is a must-visit! The menu offers a fantastic variety, from classic pork belly and crispy chicken to delicious tofu option. Each one is packed with flavor, with soft, pillowy buns with perfectly complementing fillings. Beyond the baos, there are plenty of appetizers. Our favorite is Avocado chips. The atmosphere is casual and inviting, making it a great spot for a quick bite or a relaxed meal with friends. Highly recommend!

I've been coming here for years and it still holds up as one of the best Bao places in Houston! A personal favorite of mine is the Yummy Byrd, which I frequently crave from here- it has a lightly cooked outer coat that slightly crunches when you bite into it, giving way to a soft interior. The description doesn't tell you this, but it is incredibly yummy and one of the only baos here whose exterior is lightly crunchy like this! Most of the rest have the typical soft bao breading (which is still very yummy and very good). My second favorite is the Pork Belly, which tastes like your standard pork belly found in many dishes, with the added bonus of having lightly crunchy cucumbers with it and a yummy hoisin sauce. Other notable flavors for me are Chicken Masala, Beef Bulgogi, and Pork Katsu. With that being said, you truthfully can't go wrong with any of the options as they're all very well-made. The meat on all the different choices is always cooked excellently, from the pork to the chicken to the curry to the fish; I've yet to try the duck though! The fries are very good here, and are extremely crunchy and satisfying to bite into. Don't be fooled by my photo, we had eaten well over half at that point. For 6 baos and fries, we spent almost $50, so do be aware that the price does stack up rather fast here. Luckily, the baos are very filling and most people can fully eat between 2-4 before feeling full. Overall, a very good place and I highly recommend trying at least once!

I recently had an amazing meal here and I can't recommend it enough! From the moment I walked in, the service was exceptional, especially thanks to a wonderful staff member named Junior. He was incredibly friendly and honest with his recommendations, which truly enhanced my dining experience. In fact, he's the reason I ended up getting desserts to enjoy later! Speaking of the food, the chicken masala bao was absolutely divine – a definite highlight and my favorite dish. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the bao itself was so soft and fluffy. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to try more of their delicious offerings and, of course, to finally dig into those desserts Junior convinced me to get! If you're looking for something new and interesting to try, Fat Bao is the place to go.

Fat Bao is a great place to stop for a quick bite to eat. There is a good variety of menu items, including fish, tofu, beef, chicken, and pork. There are also interesting appetizers like fried avocado, which is my favorite! Service is kind and timely. The facility is clean. The atmosphere is cozy like a coffee shop.

I’ve been coming to Fat Bao since 2016. In the past, the food has always hit just right, and I have always been satisfied. Today, I was disappointed with both the food and the restaurant. I’m not sure when Fat Bao stopped having menus on hand for customers to peruse, but the lack thereof is honestly irritating. Luckily there wasn’t a line today, but it’s still a bit awkward contemplating the menu at the ordering stand (and if there had been a line, we would have held everyone up..). When I asked for a menu to look at while sitting, the (very nice) cashier told me they didn’t have any, but that I could take a picture of the menu or look online. When I asked about wifi, she said Fat Bao didn’t have wifi for guests. As a restaurant, if you’ve decided to switch to online menu only for guests, you need to have a guest wifi. When it comes to the food, I had the pork belly bao and the curry beef bao. The pork belly was strangely dry, but the flavors were decent. The curry beef was pretty good (though still had dryer beef than it used to). We got the thai tea tres leches to finish, and while it wasn’t bad, it didn’t have as much flavor as I expected. Just overall less quality than a few years ago.

Love it, Great location close to the medical center. Boa’s were awsome! My favorite was the softshell crab 🦀. Fries 🍟 was awsome as well.

Very mid coming from an Asian who loves bao Ambiance was quiet and nice with a good clean environment and friendly waiter. Bulgogi -3/10 : texture soft like baby food, too sweet, too salty. Very disappointing and doesn’t taste like real bulgogi too little meat. Spicy Thai - 5/10 : not crispy soggy , over powering mayo, fish was a little too tough. Katsu- 7/10: pretty good, needs more avocado and better quality katsu sauce Chips-9/10 : super good and fresh

Highly Recommend! All of their baos taste home made and from scratch. My favorite was the salmon one that had cream cheese and reminded me of a Philadelphia roll. Highly recommend their cauliflower appetizer too, there’s a lot of different spices in there that make it good. A must to try if stopping in Houston!

This place never disappoints. I've been going here for years and am always happy when I leave. From quick service to consistently delicious meals, Fat Bao comes through. There's plenty of seating and nice high tables with stools that I like. My go-to is the spicy Thai bao with the fat fries. There's something magical in the sauce on the spicy Thai. The chicken is so succulent and pairs so well with the soft bao. The fries also tows the line between western and eastern flavors perfectly. And if you're in the mood for dessert, you can't go wrong with the ice cream bao or Nutella bao!

Haven't been to a Fat Bao since their Sugar Land location. I've been wanting to go back bc I love the fluffy white bao buns, same baos are they use for Peking duck. My boyfriend and I shared 4 baos (Memphis, duck, crab daddy and panko fish) and onion rings. All the baos were delicious and they do not skimp out on the proteins. Onion rings were delicious but I wish they gave more dipping sauce. Plenty of parking available and the restaurant was clean and tidy.

My friends and I came here for dinner and had a bunch of baos. We also had some fries and fried avocado. The fried avocado and the fat fries were really good. I would pass on the Parmesan fries. They were kind of soggy. New York raw salmon and they tell you that when you order it it's kind of confusing that in the description it's smoked salmon so keep that in mind. Three baos is enough for one person. We didn't wait long for the food. It is self serve so you order at the front, take a table, and get your own water/drinks like a regular fast food joint. The staff were nice. The food is good and the bao/bread is very fluffy. The place is clean and the tables were not sticky. Parking is free and out front. But the parking spots at the door is kind of on a hill. So we parked a row away. Theres also a few exit points in the lot if you want to avoid having to make weird u turns. (One is hidden behind the Pickering mark/khyber grill) .

Oh my word! This is some of the best food I've ever had in my life! That softshell crab sandwich is going to knock your socks off! I just could not stop eating it. I literally left and came back to get another one. The flavor on the sandwich is incredible. The customer service is splendid and the price points are wonderful. They recommended the chicken wings and Lord have mercy!!! I was shocked at the amount of flavor and the size of the wings. Do not skip this place in Houston, check it out.

Traveled 17 hours to try these baos, and total worth it. Would travel again, the tastes were fit for royalty aka me.

Baos were tasty and made within 10 mins. I liked the crab bao and ork katsu the best- likely bc they were crunchy! One person serving size could be about 3 baos

So this isn't my first visit but it's been at least 2 maybe 3 years. Everything pretty much seems the same. Prices didn't go up and it was clean and inviting. I was just needing a lite snack for to go while on break, so I didn't opt for baos. Instead I got one of my old favs the tuna tacos with avocado sauce. Let me tell you they did not skimp on the tuna and it was nice and spicy. However, if spice isn't your thing then the avocado sauce that comes with it cools it right on down. Tacos were ready within 5 min and were chilled perfectly. Shout out to them for remaining consistent and not price gouging guest.

Came here for the first time! I had two tofu bao and one banana Nutella bao. The foods were good and price was good but I wish they increase more variation for vegetarian and that would be awesome! Nice chill environment! Will drop by sometimes again.

This place was legit! The buns were super flavorful and a good amount of food. The onion rings were okay, a little too greasy for me but a nice crunch. I loved the soft shell crab bun. Yum. Lightly fried with a nice crunch. Everyone was friendly and attentive. It's counter service so there aren't any servers. The restaurant was clean. I had to remind the staff to stock the bathroom with tp but they got on it as soon as I said something. Definitely going back!

A muuuust try for bao lovers in the Houston area! This cozy fast casual restaurant has a large variety of bao buns and snacks that you are sure to find something you like. The baos are a great size, I was so full after having 2, and the ingredients were fresh and flavorful. The duck bao is my favorite! The staff is so helpful and can answer any question you may have a give you recs if you are in between a few. Service is fast and we got our food way quicker than we thought!

Bao Yao Shi all boarded up. No surprise there tbh. Where to go? Fat Bao just down the street did not disappoint. The Crab Daddy. Always a fan favorite in our house. Crunchy. Spicy. Creamy. Nom nom nom.

This was a random find scrolling thru Yelp. I love me some Bao some I had to stop in. Menu is displayed on a chalk board with some specials printed on the counter. I've only ever had savory bao so I was excited to see dessert options. I will agree with other Yelpers in that I also experienced the lack of energy from the staff. But the food! Yum! The Crab Daddy was definitely my favorite. I did swap out the spicy mayo for a less spicy sauce (I think it was the sweet chili sauce) soooooo good!! The duck was ok but could have used some more accompaniment. There was some sauce but that's all. On to dessert! I chose the s'mores bao and I don't want s'mores any other way now. It was so good! The chocolate perfectly melted, the softness of the bao with the crunch of the graham - Mmm!

The food was pretty good here! I had a few different baos from pork belly to chicken katsu. The pork belly could have been a little saltier but the chicken katsu did hit the spot. I also got the beef one but it was okay... It was too soft for my liking. The thing that did stand out for the people who loves to eat spicy. They have a home made mango habanero sauce you can ask for. All sauces you have to ask on the sides and no available on the tables. No combos really, ordered by the bao. Service was good, it's only one cashier and made some recommendations hence why we got these. I would recommend trying!

The name grabbed my eye, the Yelp reviews got me in the door. Amazing! Quick service, great food, relaxed atmosphere, super reasonable prices. We had: Bulgogi fat fries Pepper tuna bao Bulgogi bao Crab daddy Chicken Masala bao Highly recommend!!

I have been twice and enjoyed it. The Bulgogi Fat Fries are very, very good. I had the pork katsu and soft shell crab baos were solid but the pork belly bao was very bland. Nice beer selection, clean, friendly staff with fast service. Apparently there's wings on select days that are very popular but I haven't had a chance to catch them yet.

This place was pretty good! they do have several selection of bao to choose from however nothing really sounded tasty aside from bulgogi and pork katsu. I did love the warm and soft bao and how 2 made me pretty full. Good service. Clean and spacious layout! Will be back fot sure.

My wife stopped here for lunch after we landed in HTX. These Bao's definitely did not disappoint. We ended up ordering seconds! The fat fries were okay. I probably wouldn't order it again. I would have been just okay with the regular fries. The fat fries just weren't hitting for me the way that I thought they would. The soft shell crab bao was pretty good, juicy yet crispy & the crab was huge!. I wasn't a fan of the duck bao. The duck was okay. It wasn't the best I've ever had. Our favorite bao out of everything that we got was definitely the Thai Spicy chicken bao! It has such good flavor, it's all about that sauce!

I had high hopes, but unfortunately everything was pretty mediocre. I tried the duck bao and the memphis (pork belly). Both meats were dry. The duck was shredded and if you are expecting anything similar to the peking duck with hoisin sauce at Chinese dinners, this does not satisfy. The skin was more like roasted pork skin than duck skin. The memphis bao was SO saucy. Too saucy. It tasted good, but the proportion of sauce to asian slaw was off. The buns were nice and soft and was probably the best part imo.

I've bookmarked this place for awhile now and finallyyyyy had the chance to try it. Definitely what bao bun dreams are made of. Let me get "the ugly" out of the way first. The reason why it didn't get 5 stars is because the employee assisting us was lacking enthusiasm and energy. It's fine, not all of us love what we do buttttttttt it didn't make me excited to order my food. In addition, the avocado chips recommendation was blah. I love avocados, but literally, it's just fried avocados. No real wow factor or stand-out seasoning on them. The good: Bulgogi Bao and Crab Daddy Bao. The Pork Belly Bao is okay. Mediocre. Perhaps the pork belly could have benefited from a touch more seasoning, to my taste buds at least. Overall, I enjoyed all the baos. The steamed bao bun itself is airy and not too dense. Interior is kept tidy and has large communal tables. I like the larger than life black board that serves as their ordering menu. I'll have to come back and try the other baos!

Tried this spot on a random Tuesday afternoon. Nothing to write home about but not terrible either. The lady at the counter had a great attitude and was patient with us while we figured out what we wanted. The price is reasonable. 2 baos is probably a nice size meal for one person. Of the 6 baos we tried, our favorite was the panko fish bao with the slaw. I like that there are a variety of different baos here. Having said that... I've had better baos elsewhere.

Local joint that serves an interesting concept of different dishes inside Peking duck bao. I've heard good things about the spicy thai and tried it when I went. It's tasty and a good concept, but the price does not necessarily justify the portion. The interior is somewhat unremarkable, with a good mix of bar and table seating. Not much to say about service, except that the ordering process was fine and food came out quick enough in 5-10 minutes. As a fusion joint, I'm sure this place is very competitive for the area, but I can't seem to get over charging five dollars for peking duck bao, a chicken nugget, lettuce, and sauce. The only time I've returned, is with friends that were craving fat bao.

Went on a Saturday afternoon and was surprised at how empty it was with so many reviews. Was suggested the big Byrd by cashier, and was the least favorite out of all that we got. The pork katsu I believe on the other hand was delicious. I enjoyed more than my husband did. Rounding up from 3.5 stars overall.

This place is delicious. We got two chicken ones which were great. We also got a beef one and it was great

We just wanted a little snack, so fat bao sounded perfect. They recommend 2-3 baos for a meal, and we each got one. Fish bao - I didn't like the pickled apple. It didn't pair well with the fish imo. The fish was cooked perfectly though Memphis bao - pork was a bit dry, could use more sauce to compensate for that. Service is fast. Overall, 3 stars.

always delicious. bulgogi and smores bao are a must-try. the flavors of all the baos are always perfectly balanced. meat is cooked perfectly. the fat fries were okay - way spicier than i thought they'd be, but also i'm a major wimp when it comes to any spice. 4 baos and fat fries were $30.

If you've been to Jinya and had their pork belly Jinya Bun, you would think this one is okay. But if you haven't had it from there before this would be good. The soft shell crab was good but had a strong fishy flavor as you ate towards the center of it. The slaw in the crab bun didn't have much flavor-it was more for texture than taste. The bulgogi fries were good. The food was pretty quick, and they brought our food to the table we sat at. But when I initially walked up to the counter the dude just looked at me and waited for me to order versus actually greeting me or even asking what I wanted. If you want short and to the point service, that's pretty much it. The bathroom hallway reeked pretty badly and I covered up my nose as I walked to the women's restroom. The restroom wasn't dirty but it didn't have soap so that kinda sucked too. The set up is like a café when you enter, there's a menu on the window in the front and the menu on the wall behind the cashier doesn't show prices. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't a place that really sticks out for it's amazing food or service. It's more of a place you go to for lunch and you don't want something super expensive. The prices were pretty fair and 2 baos filled me up.

Small baos for high prices? Typically I would shy away, but we decided to come here for a late night dinner and I can definitely see the hype. We asked our awesome cashier Allen what his favorites were and he recommended the Spicy Thai, Crab Daddy, Pork Katsu and Bulgogi. Spicy Thai (4/5): a fried chicken tender doused in sweet chili sauce topped with greens, this was flavorful and had a good amount of spice. Crab Daddy (3/5): soft shell crab with an Asian slaw and spicy Mayo, this was probably my least favorite, though a crowd favorite. The soft shell crab didn't have enough flavor for my tastebuds. I wouldn't get this one again. Pork Katsu (5/5): a fried pork belly with Asian slaw, avocado and tonkatsu sauce. This was hands down my favorite. Perfect bites the entire way. The slaw with the sauce and avocado paired perfectly with the fried cutlet. Bulgogi (5/5): bulgogi beef with kimchi. Flavor explosion. My tastebuds went crazy after the first bite. Highly recommend this one. I would definitely have liked the baos to be bigger, especially given the high prices, but Fat Bal really has won me over with their flavor profiles. I would recommend getting 3 per person for a meal, or maybe 2 baos and an order of fries to share.

I spent nearly a week in Austin, Dallas, and Houston and I can easily say this was my favorite restaurant of the trip. I was served within 5-10 minutes after ordering. The Crab Daddy tasted like an exotic calamari, while the Yummy Bird reminded me of garlic parmesan wings. I got the Big Byrd, Duck, and New Yorker, as well. As for dessert, the S'mores bao was ridiculously good. All six baos were top notch. Even if this is out of your comfort zone, I highly recommend Fat Bao.

Not too impressed with this place. High prices for what you get. People who work there don't seem to really care. Inside is a bit of a mess. Food quality is OK, but don't really think it's worth all the hype.

fat bao is my FAVORITE restaurant! i've come here so many times and the staff is always so friendly and the food is always on point. i'm a vegetarian and there's so many options for me, including the delicious tofu baos. i come here every time i'm in the area - 10/10 recommend!

Cute bao bun shop with a good menu selection. They offer a large number of different bun options, as well as appetizers, and dessert buns. As far as drinks go, they have a soda fountain (water is free, just ask for cups). They also serve bottled beer. The buns were pretty good overall but there were definitely some clear winners. RECOMMEND: Curry Beef (delicious flavor and great texture) as well as the Crab Daddy (tasty and unique). SKIP: Memphis. It had a good flavor but the pork belly was a bit on the dry side. Once you've had tender pork belly elsewhere, this will likely disappoint. I also tried their tempura-battered onion rings. They were pretty good, definitely unique. I also really enjoyed the ice cream bao (with cookies and cream ice cream). I do wish they offered more ice cream flavors (they only had vanilla and cookies and cream). Friendly service. Easy parking (large strip mall).

This restaurant is located in a strip mall located in a strip mall. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. They have a variety of bao which are thick, but small soft bread wraps with a choice of filling. This is a small place and not suitable for large gatherings. The service is very quick. Definitely make a trip here! The food is terrific

Place is small and I I wish they toast the Bao or at least have the option. But otherwise the place is good. Hits the spot on the Go and adventuring something different to you normal taste buds.

It's been a while since I've came here so I decided to pay a visit! The restaurant was super clean and the cashier provided excellent service while taking our order. I ordered a few items and overall was a good 4/5 stars for me -- 1.) Crab Daddy Bao : This time around the crab daddy bao wasn't my favorite. I felt like it lacked a lot of flavor than how I last remember it. The spicy mayo carried but I don't think enough to where I'll order it again, even though I have been ordering that for years. 2.) Bulgogi Bao: was the star of the meal and was amazingly delicious with so much flavor. 10/10 recommend this bao! 3.) Fries: were as crispy as how I remembered it except this time spicy mayo is additional charge /-: Overall, the portion was generous! 4.) S'mores Bao: the perfect way to wrap up the meal. Amazingly delicious. Overall, I recommend this gem to anyone in the area!

This place was sooo good! solid 5/5. very different combinations but they were tasty. the space was smaller than i assumed looking online but luckily we we're only a party of 3 so we fit well!

Whenever I'm in the Upper Kirby area and craving bao, this is the place for it. I love ordering their fries, bulgogi bao, and the crab daddy bao. As for the dessert, I like the smores bao (it is so delicious). The service is fast, and the ambiance is casual, like a cafeteria. Nothing too fancy, just a casual spot for bao.

This place is INCREDIBLE! I love finding cute little spots like these. Both bao's I tried were so different, but both tasted so fresh and like an explosion of flavors. Spicy thai was the perfect amount of spice - just enough to give it a kick. And the fried chicken? Omg perfectly crisp and has great flavor too!! Also tried the Fat fries and cashier recommended to get half and half protein- SO HAPPY I listened to him. Both the bulgogi and pork were good on their own, but together? *chefs kiss*. Prices are very fair for the quality of the food and the portions are filling. Definitely will be returning for lunch again!

I had the Spicy Thai and Crab Daddy from fat bao during my recent visit to Houston. The Spicy Thai was amazing and the spicy sauce was yum. Crab Daddy was good as well, would have tasted much better with more sauce. If you are a bao person you will love this place. If not, you should still try it. Will make you change your mind about bao. The place has a casual vibe to it and pretty easy to get to with lots of parking. The service was quick, and the hostess was very helpful. Would definitely recommend this place.

I love bao but I wasn't really a fan of the bao buns here. The sauces made the bao a bit too soggy. The side salad was good though. I may come back to try the dessert bao.

Reasonably priced and delicious! All the baos are stuffed and oozing with every bite. They have some unique ones like the Smoked Salmon Bao that I didn't get to try but saw on their menu

Decent food. Crab daddy, walnut shrimp & breakfast bao decent to eat. Told the staff it's my first time here and I got some recommendations after probing. I'll go to get pizza or sushi next time when I'm in the area. On top of sticky tables that I had to wipe down myself, the staff wasn't really friendly. I can take my business elsewhere. The seatings here area good and plenty tho. Just bring your own packet of baby wipes to clean things down so your arms and butt don't get all sticky from whoever left their sticky sauces behind.

Hidden gem. Great food at reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Compiling all my thoughts together, I like Fat Bao overall, but I think your experience is deeply swayed depending on which Bao's you order. Crab Daddy - Must get (even if you don't like crab) Big Byrd - Great flavor, would order again Duck - Pretty good Bulgogi Bao - Solid Avocado Chips - Good, I would almost prefer an order half the size or recommend to share this at least 3 or 4 ways... it's just very heavy! Pork Katsu - Fine New Yorker - Okay Spring chicken - Tasted a little like a sandwich Yummy Bird - Kind of an odd flavor profile I thought Memphis - Would not order again

The wings are horrible, they are double battered or double fried which makes them too crunchy and hard to bite (not recommended for children). They didn't mention this while ordering. The sauce mentioned that's it is sweet and spicy which it's not spicy, the sauce smelt like something plastic which does not smell like food. Mentioned this issue with the cashier and said that there is nothing to be done. Used to come there a lot, with this experience never coming there again.

We came here for snacks. What a fun menu they have!! For starters, we had avocado chips which is battered deep fried avocado wedges. It was really creamy especially with the dipping sauce. For baos, we had the crab daddy, pork belly, bulgogi and roasted duck. There was plenty of meat in each bao. The soft shell crab a light battered and was huge! It was double the size of the bao. The roasted duck was moist and tasty.. I enjoyed the duck skin the most. It gave a crunch to each bite. The pork belly was good too but it was a little dry. The bulgogi was a little sweet for my liking. Overall, I would definitely come back again

Placed to go order over phone & very specific about the order. They stated over & over how they understood, repeated it back, & said they knew exactly what we were asking & would make sure it was done. Picked up the order & it was not right when we got home. They didn't include the items the way it was specified, didn't have enough of a lot of the needed ingredients, & completely missed an important ingredient. When your order a large quantity of walnut shrimp baos & there are no walnuts provided, that's a huge miss. In addition to not enough lettuce & sauce to go with the bulk. That was just 1 of the 3 different items in the order. The other items were multiple of each also & didnt have enough of some of the needed ingredients. Thing is, we've placed this same order a few times in person. Spend $50 to $100 per order, depending on how many of each we order. And they got it right about 90% of the times. Only 2x before this order, was the order for a bulk of walnut shrimp baos placed in person to-go that they didn't include the walnuts and not enough of the lettuce. Not sure why walnuts is missed in an order that literally has walnuts in the title? In any regards, this was the 1st time we placed the order over phone & it was a fail. Especially, since it was too late to call to let them know & drive back since they had closed by the time we got home. When your ordering a late dinner & go thru the details & they continously confirn they can do it & repeat it back to you & will do it correctly, & then when it's for a group of family & friends, & the place doesn't pay attention & you get food missing a lot of the main ingredients, it's hugely disappointment & a surefire miss. Not sure will do business with again.

These things are fantastic. I've only been to one of the restaurant that specialized in these and this blew it out the water. Service here is really good in the food matched as well. Bulgogi was my favorite and frying the bun made it even better. Dessert one was a bit of a let down, so I would probably avoid that next time.

No no no! These Sammies were smothered and covered in sauce wrapped in raw dough. I ordered 3, the pork belly, spicy Thai and panko fish. I took 1 bite of the spicy Thai... it was the sauciest sandwich I've ever eaten. And not in a racy way, in a sticky hands and messy mouth kind of way. I could tell the panko fish was even saucier, Austin Powers would love this!! I didn't even try that one and gave the pork belly to B. He ate it right up but didn't ask to try the others so I know it wasn't for him either. Deducting another star for the lack of cleanliness here... the floors were so sticky it felt like the scene from Nightmare on Elm Street where Nancy's feet get sucked into the stairs. Yuck, dude. The tables weren't cleaned either, like everything was sticky. Hard pass for me.

I love the baby-crab bao everyone must try and chip is really good Highly recommended!