Harbor City Tacoma Restaurant

Everything was perfect. The food being delicious is one thing, but they also add tons upon tons more amount of food on your plate. You would think the food would be expensive with the quality and quantity of the dish, though it’s super duper cheap for how it is. $100 worth of food was enough to feed me and my family for dinner, tomorrow’s lunch, tomorrow’s dinner, and maybe the next next day’s lunch again. It’s incredible of the amount they give you. It’s such a steal. Customer service was amazing too. They’re super nice, helpful, and even funny lol. The atmosphere just felt as if everyone is enjoying their meal and it’s such a positive feeling being inside the restaurant. Please, give this restaurant a try, and enjoy !!

Great dimsum. No carts just order from menu. Old converted Mexican restaurant, medium small space. One big round table probably to seat 7. About 8 or 9 4-chair square tables. Love their dimsum, got the pork, fish and tofu pot good too. Salt pepper squid tasty.

I came solo and wanted to try out a local dim sum place in Tacoma. Let's see how it compares to others. I didn't order much because I was by myself and had to go to a Korean BBQ place in Federal Way for lunch shortly. The BBQ pork buns were ok, nothing bad and nothing outstanding. The deep fried pork crescents could use a bit more filling. The dough was a slight crisp on the outside while chewy inside. The chicken feet was a meh because couple of them had a weird texture and taste to them. The pan fried eggplants with shrimp was ok. All in all, the food quality was average at best. The pricing is comparable to Jade Garden in Seattle. BUT you definitely get better quality of dim sum at Jade Garden. For the size of Harbor City, it does give a very good selection of dim sum. That's kind of a surprise.

First time trying this place bcs a family member recommended it. Food times were efficient, customer service was friendly and food was excellent. Amongst many other things, we ordered: Shrimp dim, Pork & shrimp dim, S&P Prawns, Chicken chow mein, Chinese broccoli w oyster, Chicken feet, Soup dumplings, Tofu, Chicken fried rice. Everything was so yummy! My only con during our experience was the S&P Prawns; the batter had delicious seasoning, but its small prawns, so not a lot of meat. It was nice to try, but wouldn’t order again. This place is a tad pricier but that’s normal inflation. We’ll definitely be back!

Don’t be fooled by the exterior. Dim Sum is delicious. Very efficient ordering system. Just scan the QR code at your table and order. No need to wait for the cart to come around. Best part of this is I don’t need to talk to anyone (an introvert’s dream)!

Hands down the best Chinese food I've had in years. It was my first time there. We ordered 5 different things to share between 3 of us, and it was enough food to fill us up and still have some leftover in the end. It seems to be mom and pop owned, and the staff was really nice. There was a good flow of customers that continued to come in while we were there. I'll be back soon for sure.

Wonder HK food and dim sum 😋 👋(　ﾟ_ゝﾟ)🤌 好味 "🍜" The HK Sampan Congee is fantastic. Packed full of shrimp, peanuts, and I believe flounder or some type of fish. Massive portion to share too. Fast service, friendly staff, good amount of parking in the lot.

This is a homey place! Obviously family run and had plenty of guests on a Sunday afternoon. Ordering is by phone menu, which worked just fine. We came for dim sum and, when it arrived, it looked so good I forgot to take any food pics. The portions were huge. The shumai and shrimp balls were twice as large as what we get in most restaurants. The order of tendon was also huge and almost overflowed the dish. We also got the taro balls and some honey-walnut prawns. Everything was very tasty and all the other customers seemed to enjoy the food. We stopped here on our way back from Bremerton. But even though it's out of the way for us, I'm sure we'll be back to see what else they have to offer. But, one caveat: if you're fussy about the physical premises, this place isn't for you. The owners clearly are devoted to providing delicious food and excellent service, and not spending money to keep up appearances.

They've certainly renovated since the last time I reviewed this place. It's no longer the interior of a Mexican restaurant. Their dims sum has remained delicious, especially their chicken feet. My husband and I also ordered the dry chow fun. A good choice as this is the chow fun we are used to and not the saucy chow fun. Dim sum, at this day and age, is definitely not wallet friendly but it hits that craving. Thankfully, these cravings don't come too often.

After the Harbor City located in International District in Seattle closed down, I wanted to support their Tacoma location. I have never been to the Tacoma location before. There isn't any other dim sum restaurants in Tacoma (that I can think of). We came in as a group of 4. It was fairly busy inside the restaurant with people dining in and waiting for to-go orders. It was less than 10 minutes of waiting until a table was ready for us. Ordering the food was made easy. There was a QR code on the table for us to scan and submit what we wanted. However, it took FOREVER for our food to come out. It took around 30-45 minutes for our order to come out. This isn't normal for dim sum, so I hope it was just a one off problem with our table. Every thing we ordered came out at the same time at least.

I came solo and wanted to try out a local dim sum place in Tacoma. Let's see how it compares to others. I didn't order much because I was by myself and had to go to a Korean BBQ place in Federal Way for lunch shortly. The BBQ pork buns were ok, nothing bad and nothing outstanding. The deep fried pork crescents could use a bit more filling. The dough was a slight crisp on the outside while chewy inside. The chicken feet was a meh because couple of them had a weird texture and taste to them. The pan fried eggplants with shrimp was ok. All in all, the food quality was average at best. The pricing is comparable to Jade Garden in Seattle. BUT you definitely get better quality of dim sum at Jade Garden. For the size of Harbor City, it does give a very good selection of dim sum. That's kind of a surprise.

This is their second location. The parking lot is not that big. It's in an old outdated Mexican restaurant. The menu is through a QR code located on the table. Dim sum menu was limited. For the most part, they had our usual except for bbq flat rice rolls. They offer full dinner items Iike rice, noodles, soup. But we stuck with dim sum. -Chicken feet -Har gaw -Shu mai -Tendon -BBQ bun Service was quick. Out of the above items, the chicken feet and shu mai were on point. Chicken feet just fell off the bones. The tendon was to too tough that we didn't finish the rest and the wrapper on the har gaw was so gelatinous and sticky chewy. I only ate the shrimp inside and discard the wrapper. The bbq bun dough was soft, bouncy and moist. Had a lot of bbq filling.

Drove by this place and thought it looked sad, so we kept driving to Harvest Buffet. While there we read the reviews for Harbor City and realized we screwed up. So drove up from Olympia the next day to take Mom here. Loved the succulent fried shrimp in mayo sauce. My other favorites were the fried mochi balls filled with sweet and savory pork filling and the black bean spareribs is one of the best I've ever had. Can't wait to come back and try some other dishes because this place is legit.

I come to Tacoma for at least a couple visits each year, and I always make time for a trip to Harbor City when I'm in town. An offshoot of a popular dim sum destination in Seattle's International District, Harbor City opened here in 2022. They've almost all the dim sum staples, and you can order standard fare as well. I especially like the balls of the balls of fried shrimp paste, Har Gow, the pan fried bean curd and shrimp rolls, the salt and pepper squid and sautéed pea vine tips. However, I do miss that they don't have cheong fun rice noodle rolls. The place is not huge, but even on busy Sundays at brunch time, the waits aren't bad. The restaurant's location itself is old (they didn't spend a ton on decoration or modernization), but it's clean and the staff are prompt and efficient. It's not even close to fine dining, but the dining tastes fine. Just as with the Seattle location, ordering here is done over your phone. You lose the fun of cart service, but the advantage is that you can order exactly what you want, when you want it, and the food comes directly to you hot from the kitchen instead of after taking a lap around the dining hall. Also, you needn't order everything at once. Get a few menu items, eat them, order a few more, until your appetite is sated. A printed menu is available for the smartphoneless.

The dim sum is legit. The neighborhood doesn't look great but I promise you the food is fantastic. I loved all the dishes I received. I really loved the deep fried shrimp balls with cheese. It's not really cheese- more like a mayo. And the shrimp balls are generous - they don't skimp here!

This was not a good experience. No problem with using the QR codes menu, but we had a question about one of the items and nobody to ask. We had shrimp dumplings, which came all stuck together in the container. We had to wrestle them with chopsticks to separate them, and they completely fell apart! I've been eating dim sum for many years and have never experienced that. The shrimp was tasty, but it's not enjoyable to eat gummy rice wrapper by itself. Same thing with eggplant and shrimp-stuck together and fell apart. Very oily and not flavorful. The best dish was the eggrolls, with big chunks of shrimp and the y couldn't stick together! Really delicious!

The food was very tasty and served timely. I love the QR code to order food. The dim sum menu was short but very tasty. The honey walnut shrimp is a must, green beans was super tasty, the honey short ribs was recommended on IG, but honestly the Korean BBQ style is better.

We arrived for lunch around 2:00pm. Not too busy, not too slow. The young folks in the front were pleasant and doing a great job holding it down. Small parking lot. Would not recommend for a large party. This place is a scan to order so no need to interact with waiters much for ordering food. You'll get tea and water upon arrival. The food came out fast. We ordered: From their main menu: - Peking duck - 4/5 because it didn't come with green onions; wasn't the best we've had but more fresh than other places we've had it - Chow fun - 5/5 fresh noodles, good ratio of noodles to veggies, good flavor, we have this dish enough to know when a restaurant isn't skimping on the noodles and we're happy to report this place was generous - Salt and pepper pork spareribs - 3.5/5 good crunch and flavor but for my preferences it was unexpectedly sweet, husband wasn't a fan of the bone in because some were chipped bones From their dim sum menu: - Beef Tendon - 5/5 our favorite!! Was a great texture and flavor. Great portions and would recommend tendon fans to try.

Came here on a Sunday right before they open at 10am. One of the tables to be seated, not much service involved since you order via the app and they only bring the food out to you. Ordered the usual items such as shrimp dumpling, daikon cake, sesame balls etc and they were pretty good hit the spot especially after an early morning hike! This time, we went for the Seafood Chow Mein (Oriental style). The problem I have is the gravy wasn't enough and it's also not flavorful enough. Can use a little more seafood imo, but at the price, I think it's expected. It has fish, shrimp and squid and some vegetables cooked in the gravy. Obviously this location isn't as crowded as the one in Chinatown @ Seattle, but does the job at the south side of Washington about 30miles away. Recommend it here if you are craving for dimsum or Chinese but in the Tacoma region.

We came here last year and decided to turn it into a Christmas Day tradition. Fairly certain we are not alone in this. It was again packed, with a very diverse crowd, speaking at least three languages. Some changes we noted happily from last year: the front of house staff was even more "on it" and very pleasant; the dishes came a touch faster (we believe the chef still completes one table at a time, more like a line chef, so you will get everything at once, fyi - which is fine!); nice attention to presentation this year, the sesame balls came out looking like a lotus flower, the shrimp and tofu appetizers were very attractive and intriguing. Chef comes out himself sometimes, maybe he had help in the kitchen this year? It was hard to tell. Funny that they still keep all the Mexican themed decorations from the prior business. It's a good spot.

First time here and not disappointed.The place itself looks a bit run down and one dining area is used for storage.Ignoring that,the food was top notch.Steamed dumplings were great.A small bowl of hot and sour with pork was a meal in itself.And then the egg foo young arrived.The two of us couldn't get through this extremely tasty dish.Amazing value and the staff were very helpful,patient and understanding.Will definitely return.

4 stars because needs major remodeling . This used to be a Mexican restaurant and needs updating for a Chinese restaurant , Food I say depending on the cooks mood. There's times will be salty or bland taste. But sometimes taste like the one in Chinatown. Service , always great and friendly. Ambiance massive renovation to make it looks like your entering a legit Chinese authentic restaurant .

We are excited that we found this place. It's certainly not in the best neighborhood but it's well worth it. Every time we have been there, it has been busy but we usually get seated fairly quickly. Staff are fine and attentive. The food is excellent! We have tried quite a few of the items on the menu and each time we have enjoyed them. There are a few that we won't order again, but I highly suggest you try them all so you can determine if you like them or not.

THIS IS A SPOT! Initially saw a lot of people suggesting this on Reddit for a good dim sum spot and had to check it out. Was not disappointed! Tried mostly items from the dim sum menu and also the honey garlic spareribs that were beyond delightful - super tender and flavorful! Love that we automatically received tea upon sitting down. All of the food was so fresh but the egg rolls were really a game changer for me personally - filled with huge pieces of shrimp and the out wrapper was so light and crisp! The only initial challenge was the menu is fully digital but our cell service was spotty at best. They do have public WiFi to help avoid that issue though so as soon as we connected we were all set. You order through the digital menu and food comes out as it's ready. Also this is definitely more of a hole in the wall type of spot. The lack of decor however wasn't really a detriment in my opinion since the food was so good and service was so prompt. Plus the prices were extremely reasonable - easily fed two adults with plenty of leftovers for another full meal for $60. We will definitely be back again!

The food here was delicious and served quickly. The soft crab and green bean dish was particularly great and unique. It would have been nice if the dumplings came with sauce. The restaurant uses a system where you order from your phone. Whenever we needed something like extra utensils or napkins it was easy to flag someone down to get them.

Omg well it's Friday 5pm not to busy yet. Ordered like 8 items including the Asparagus (small). Soooo delish and crispy. It was loud cause some nice Asian ladies were having a get together behind us lol! They had aoooo much food they took with them. We only had two dim sum dumplings left and a bit of asparagus togo!! Not bad. Now to roll outta here and nap!

This spot hits. I love coming here for dim sum. Service is quick and food always comes out hot. Love their soups! Place seems to be pretty clean.

Every single dish was delicious! All the dishes were good portion sizes to share and were reasonably priced. It came out to about $100 for 6 people! We loved the variety of dishes as well. The staff were nice and quick with the dishes. The ambiance feels very warm :)

We got a steaming hot pot of green tea to start. A we code we could all scan made ordering as a table easy. The food didn't all come out at the same time, but it didn't matter. Wit was all delicious and we all shared. The atmosphere is interesting and unique, in a good way.

This restaurant was once a Mexican restaurant turned DimSum. The outside of the building did not change at all. When we entered, half the place was unused and dark. Lights left off. It's small and not a place that would be pleasing to the eye, honestly. I kept hearing a notification going off saying the freezer door was open. Another QR code ordering system. I am completely fine with that. Work smarter not harder. As the food slowly trickled out, it was very tasty. I love their chili oil on the table. That was amazing! I added it to everything. Presentation was nice. I liked the food, overall. Can't say it's the BEST I've ever tasted but definitely tasty. The Chinese broccoli was steamed to perfection and just the perfect drizzles of oyster sauce. Next time, I'd probably just order take out. There isn't any background music so you have to be mindful of your conversations. I could hear another table's ENTIRE conversation. Not by choice. Looking to pick up some dimsum. This is a nice gem in Tacoma. Just off pacific with decent parking.

Used to go here all the time. Especially good shrimp foo yong. Then the chef left and things changed. The shrimp were chopped in microscopic pieces (seriously) and when I complained I was told the chef doesn't know how to make it with whole shrimp. SERIOUSLY? Get a new chef. Also the staff didn't show any concern although they knew I had been a regular and had brought visitors here. Unless I hear there's a new chef or he's learned how to cook, BYE BYE HARBOR CITY

Best Dim Sum around! We've gone here 3 or 4 times now and travel from Kitsap just for their Dim Sum it's not fancy or Michelin star or anything, just delicious and consistently well done dim sum. It's worth the drive from wherever you are!

Great dim sum, quality food at a decent price. Parking can be tricky during peak hours, but worth the hassle. Service is prompt and attentive, ambiance is lacking but it's expected from this kind of restaurant.

I have lived in Olympia from Texas for 3 months. We discovered this restaurant and have come 5 times in the last two months. We love it so much and will keep coming back at least once a week or every other week. It's a 35 min drive for us, but extremely worth it. Price to food ratio is fantastic. The dim sum, the duck, sechuan chicken, chicken wings, salt and pepper squid....ALL OF IT!!!

Came here for dim sum with my parents. The Hong Kong style noodles were delicious, get them crunchy. The soup dumplings were delicious as well. Love that it is convenient to order via an app.

Food is great just like in Seattle. Service is okay. The ambience is friendly and family oriented. Clean and tidy except the non functional bar, there are boxes on the bar table, but it's still a great place to eat. I like the idea that you use the QR code instead of having menus.

The inside is great it's giving very clean. The food tho was mid af if u want kinda authentic Chinese food that is VERY greasy sure. I will say last time I was here was about 6 months ago the service was fast & friendly especially considering we were a party of 8. they did sit us at a big table with a rotating middle table to make sure everyone got a lil of everything but the food was honestly a 6.5/10 the portions were good but I've had better else where for the same if not cheaper price.

Visiting Tacoma and my cousin told me about this quaint little place with delicious homemade dim sum! I'm so glad she brought me! My favorite and new obsession is their honey glazed beef short rib; truly addictive! My all time favorite is classic pork shumai which Harbor City does with amazing quality!

The food was OK, but not what I'm used to at Harbor City in Seattle's China Town, sadly. I miss the dim sum carts rolling past so you can pick what you want. Ordering dim sum off a menu is a little strange, and they didn't offer some of my Harbor City Seattle favorites, so it's one & done for me.

We' ve eaten here many times. Food was good but I did not know they started charging for tap water, there were only 2 of us at the table but they charged us for 4 tap water (& the tea that we did not ask for since we do not drink it). Had to let one of the staff know.

Thankful that this location is open after the closing of the Seattle location. It is very busy but moves quickly and dim sum is great, especially the lotus lead wrapped sticky rice. Peking duck with Bao buns is worth the $$

Food quality: Decent temperature went cold quickly and gelatinous appearance was off-setting Service: Quick... perhaps too quick leaving me to question if things were made to order or prepared in advance to quickly deliver Ambiance: Okay.... Last inspection posted was "Needs improvement" so my family & I accepted that it was an eat at your own risk choice. We were feeling adventurous and placing our faith in our immune systems. I give it a 3.5. Price point was not justified. However, still thankful for the experience.

okay dim sum.. a bit slow service. Small size of family owned restaurant. Pros: If u live in tacoma, short drive instead of going up north to Chinatown.

The food is so good here. Great portions, very tasty. Well priced. Great service, very efficient.

Food was great, need to update the interior though. This was our second time. Only issue I have is they only allow 2 orders per table and when you come with a party of eight with several couples and single individuals you have to consolidate orders and then have to figure who pays what.

We loved the Harbor City in Seattle and loved this one as well. The style is the same where you order from your phone and they bring it out to you. We ordered a huge variety, probably too much, and loved it all! My favorite was the friend pot stickers. They might honestly be the best I have ever had. The sticky rice was a close second. The decor is nothing to write home about, it is very clearly a converted Mexican restaurant, but I care more about the food.

Was the best !! Fried rice, walnut shrimp, pork spare ribs w/black bean sauce & chow mein. I'm going back I didn't have a chance to try their dim sum.

Best dim sum in area! This restaurant used to be a Mexican restaurant based on the decor. Oh well, at least the owners have brought some really tasty Chinese food to this neighborhood. To place your order, scan the QR code and order away! My favorites were shrimp dumplings with spice, shrimp with bean curd, deep fried ( never tried this but really enjoyed it!) and the beef chow fun. The string beans, har gow and Shui mai were excellent. I was really pleasantly surprised with the flavor of all the entrees. Highly recommend!

Great food! We loved everything. The egg rolls were a surprise. They were filled with shrimp and lots of flavor, super crispy too. The shoyu chow mein and pea shoots with garlic sauce was my favorite! We will be back!

I've heard good things so I stopped in for lunch. I know their specialty is dim sum, however I have two favorite things at Chinese restaurants that nobody seems to get right anymore. Hot & Sour soup and General Tso's Chicken. The hot and sour soup had a nice vinegary bite to it without being too much, just right. The tofu and veggies were firm and didn't taste like they've been in a bowl of wet soup for a week. The General Tso I am now proclaiming to be the best in Tacoma. It's a nice rich red color instead of the orange you find in most places. I don't know exactly what makes it that way, maybe better ingredients or more chilis or something. Anyway the red version always tastes better to me, and this was no exception. Meat was tender and perfectly cooked crisp but not hard, sauce was rich and tangy and sweet but not overly sugary. One and only complaint: Entrees apparently don't come with rice, you have to order it separately a la carte. I'm not mad about it, times are tough all over. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu.

Quick, easy ordering using a qr code. Food came out fast. Dimsum was better than I expected for a random stop in the tacoma area.

Three part review: 1. Stuff that would make it better 2. The good 3. Needs work! 1. As others have stated, the building used to be a Mexican restaurant and it could use a fresh coat of paint, both inside and outside. Everything inside was "tired", wobbly chairs and tables, smeared windows, TV's not working 2. We both got soup, which was hot but... The fried pot stickers were huge! And had a good flavor but.... The steamed pork buns were tasty. The Long Bao were exactly what we expected. The shrimp dumplings The complimentary tea was hot and had a good flavor. 3. When we walked in the lady shouted "how many?" And then just pointed to the dining room; okay, we weren't expecting concierge service, but??? The scan menu, ugh! We both had issues getting it open and then there weren't any pictures and no descriptions. Now we know our dim sum but still..... As mentioned, we got the Hot N Sour and Egg Flower soups, both were BLAND! The fried pot stickers were just slightly overcooked and the wrapper on shrimp dumplings was gross!!! Once our food was dropped off we never saw a server again. I had to go to the counter and ask the person who was having a very LOUD phone conversation, for to go containers. And then again a few minutes later for our check. Not a single person we came into contact with said, Hello, Thank You, Have a Nice Day or even really made eye contact! So in short, the food was okay, but everything else will keep us from coming back

I did an online order of a seafood congee and a small prawns with honeyed pecans. The original email said pickup in 30 minutes, but a second email said it was ready about 10 minutes later. A better estimate would be helpful to ensure warm food. The food itself was well cooked with good flavor and sizes around what I'd expect for the price. Pickup service was good with the food ready as soon as I walked in.

Harbor City in Seattle is one of my go-to spots for dim sum. So I was excited to see one pop up in Tacoma which is so close to my work! The dishes tasted consistent with the Seattle location. There's not much of a "service" since you order with the QR code and then they bring you the food. Service is lacking but it's expected. Items we ordered: 5/5 Shrimp Damping in Spicy Sauce - unexpectedly really good! 2/5 Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce - I've had better at different dim sum places 4/5 Steamed Stick Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf - My personal must at a dim sum! 4/5 Shrimp Dumplings w/ Chives 5/5 Spicy shrimp dumplings

Finally in Tacoma (after Ming Palace for many years), now we have competitive typical Chinese Dim Sum (originally came from Southern China, e.g. Canton/Guangdong), full of variety, fresh and cooked into tasty and presented small dishes. By the way, its chilly sauce is very good. Other than China (including Taiwan), Dim Sum is popular in California and Vancouver BC. In Seattle there has been a few for a long time. But there is mostly Dough Zone like (more Taiwan style) restaurants in the east side, not even in Tacoma/Olympia. Having waited many years in Tacoma to get the best Dim Sum restaurant, Harbor City (Tacoma) serves such mini dishes all day long! Except for Engimono Ramen (in Federal Way), there used to be only 2 good Chinese restaurants here, Tacoma Szechuan and Ming Palace. Now Harbor City came to the top number one. Only complaint was the parking. Limited numbers of spots - probably the owner did not expect the crowd - so do the planning and park carefully in today's environment.

I don't see the hype for this place. My guess is it's new so everyone wants to try this place. I thought most of what we ate was okay but not great. Service was fast and attentive. Inside had plenty of seats for everyone to enjoy their Dim Sums. The pork spareribs were not what we were used to. If you have a craving for Dim Sum, come here to get it. The restaurant seems to fill up when they open so come an hour after it opens since it seems like it dies down for a short period. I did really enjoy their dipping sauce for the fried shrimp. QR code using for ordering food was different but you get used to it.

I dont have a ton of dim sum experience. The closest is the soup dumpling places up north. For my first real experience I enjoyed everything we ate. The service was good. The staff lovely. The food solid. At this point I feel comfortable giving it a 4 star. I definitely plan on visiting again. Echoing everyone on here. The parking is bad. There are just not enough spots, but there are neighborhoods around with plenty of parking. Not sure they appreciate that, but its kind of the only option. Especially for how much seating is available in that business I am shocked at how few spots they have.