Joe's Ginger

I’m not sure why everyone gives this place such a bad rating. The food is great. The soup dumplings are truly delicious. It is NOT expensive compared to other restaurants, but might be considered pricey for Chinatown. But I don’t think $5-$12 for a meal is pricey. I don’t find the service to be rude. It’s very distant, which is customary in most places outside of the states. They don’t coddle you, they just take your order and bring you food. Nothing wrong with that. There’s an ATM upstairs if you forget cash. Literally a delicious, must stop spot in Chinatown. This is my second visit and I’m just as satisfied.

I’ve visited this establishment before and enjoyed bringing friends here, but unfortunately, my recent experience was a major disappointment. The service was consistently unprofessional; our server was visibly impatient and dismissive, even becoming argumentative when a simple drink order mistake was pointed out. Most concerning, however, was the food quality. We were served a pork dish that was still frozen/raw in the center. When we decided to leave a modest tip reflecting the poor service and food safety issues, the server confronted us publicly at the table to demand more. As a New Yorker, I have a high bar for efficiency and don't mind a 'no-frills' attitude, but there is a line between being direct and being outright disrespectful.

Went on a dumpling crawl and this place was second best. Soup dumplings couldn’t have been more perfect though! Super crowded spot

Such a good atmosphere ruined by the server (older Asian women) The food was great up until the final order. To top off the rude service we got served raw pork, which I found out it was raw after eating one. The service was very rushed and passive aggressive since the beginning. Regardless of everything we tipped, all though it was the minimum, I thought it was fair due to the service and raw food experience. We ordered egg rolls and they were laughable small, it was 99% roll dough. They had virtually no filling. The older server counted the money infront of us and decided to call us out infront of the establishment for the light tip. The audacity. I should have left nothing. So many better choices around. Skip it

Very frustrating as this place used to be great and now the food is super expensive and it doesn’t even taste good! I’d been okay if the food is decent but it’s not. The scallion pancake is dry and flakey. The soup dumplings have a weird taste. The dumplings are small and it’s not like the ones you’d seen at a proper dim sum restaurant. Portion is bad and the taste is off. I really don’t want to be critical to local business but this place needs a complete rethink of their model otherwise it’ll wash up on the shore of closed business Really hoping for this place to come back!

The elderly owner of this restaurant clearly doesn’t care about the quality of the food that comes out of her kitchen. While the wait staff were polite and professional, she herself was an absolute nightmare to deal with. The food was truly disappointing. The oil used tasted old and rancid — I immediately had to spit it out. My toddler was hungry, but there was no way I could feed him that food. We ordered a Shanghai-style dish that should have included shrimp and mushrooms, but instead it was made with cheap meat and vegetables. The cutbacks were obvious, and the scallion pancakes tasted frozen and flavorless. When we politely gave feedback about the quality of the dish, the owner became defensive and tried to bully us, insisting that nothing was wrong. She claimed they “only use new oil” because they have “so many customers,” yet the restaurant was completely empty on a Saturday night — we only ended up here because our favorite Shanghai spot nearby had a 40-minute wait. She even demanded we pay for the dish despite our concerns. The experience was unpleasant from start to finish. I will never visit this place again, and it’s a shame to see such a poorly run restaurant misrepresenting the neighborhood’s dining scene.

Randomly walked into this restaurant on a Friday night around 8:30pm and we were able to get seated right away. The vibe was casual and the prices are reasonable. My favorite dish were the pork soup dumplings. I highly recommend getting them. We also got the scallion pancakes and fried rice with shrimp and they were good, but I wouldn’t call them exceptional.

We ordered the tiny pan fried pork buns and the pan friend dumplings. They came out way too doughy and just straight flavorless. In the end when we weren’t even finished with the dishes meaning the plates weren’t empty and we didn’t give any indication to imply that we were ready for the check, the waiter comes by, quickly says “all set?” and drops the check without us having even a chance to process what he said much less respond. The place didn’t seem welcoming at all and the lady at the desk kept staring. The prices are also unjust for the portion size they serve.

Really disappointed with the size of the overpriced dishes. The chicken broccoli was $19 but the serving size was small. We have never main course/entrees served on appetizer plates. We ordered two different noodles and when they came, we were shocked. The size was half of what Chinese restaurants usually serve and the price was the same. APPETIZER PLATES. We were 4 people and we were all hungry even with 2 noodle, 2 orders of soup dumplings and a chicken broccoli entree. Just look at the size of our beef chow fun next to our soup dumplings. That's wild. Service was ok. Nothing extraordinary. We are glad we tried the soup dumplings here but we will not be coming back.

I used to frequent this restaurant as a little girl, so coming back was a bit nostalgic for me. We popped in for a quick order of pork soup dumplings which with tax were around $15. The service is far from warm, with us getting greated with no smiles and being told it's cash only. However, we didn't come for a warm welcome or friendly service. We came to enjoy some great soup dumplings... and that we did. I love love these little dumplings. They come out piping hot, so be careful when biting into them. We weren't crazy about the dipping sauce as it was very vinegary. Would definitely return for the dumplings.

I rarely leave review. It was rainy today and I was hungry and other restaurants i know were packed with people so I just came to this restaurant ( not many people inside). One piece of dumpling in my soup is not cooked yet. I don't know if other pieces cooked. Let pray I don't have food poisoning later!

A decent dish. I felt that these pork ones were extremely ready. It felt like eating complementary bread given at the beginning of reveal Italian restaurant. It wasn't really the soft slimy buns that I expect from an Asian restaurant. The service is extremely to the point. I know there's probably cultural differences, but it comes across as pretty rude. I wasn't offended, but someone else surely could be. $10 for these to go. Wouldn't go back.

Stumbled upon this restaurant in Chinatown after seeing a bunch of flyers that rated them best soup dumplings in the area. Cash only spot with a lot of menu options. We don't eat pork so the soup dumplings were out of the question, but we enjoyed everything else. We had never heard of a duck filled dumpling but my partner LOVED it. He also enjoyed the fried beef dumplings, but said he liked another spot more. Har gows (steamed shrimp dumplings) are my go-to choice so you can't mess those up. Would visit again!

Cash ONLY. They have top rated crab and pork soup dumplings, which were delicious. There are eight of them so if you come in with a group, there are enough to share. There are only about eight tables in the restaurant so come here not during prime hours.

I would do dangerous things to have one of these soup dumplings again!!! They were SO good. The service is quick and attentive, also to the point. Located in the heart of Chinatown, this is as authentic as it gets. This is a must stop!

I absolutely love Joes Ginger!! Whenever I'm in NYC I make a point to go and eat here. The soup dumplings are the die for! I base how good other places dumplings taste based off of Joes Ginger. It's probably best that I don't live close to NYC or I would be there at least once a month!

So, this might be my first 1 star review and typically I reframe from writing these type of reviews but I was so disappointed in this place. Let's start with the service, as soon as we walked in we were barely greeted and was directed to our table by the pointing of the servers finger. The place was not fully crowded but I could see that people that came before us were still waiting to place their orders. When observing other interactions between customers and the staff, they were also rude to them. Two young girls came in after us and the server started yelling to them "CASH ONLY!". I was already turned off by this place but I was starving so we ordered their pork soup dumplings which were a 2 out of 5. Their shrimp pork shu mai, which was over cooked, dry and less desirable, and their bbq pork steam buns, which tasted terrible. I will not be coming back to this place.

Do not come here... first off, our server was very rude which made us have an unpleasant experience. Second, we ordered the sesame cold noodles and the noodles were mushy and soggy. We couldn't even mix in the sauce since the noodles were just mush. Worst noodles I have ever had. We talked to our server to try and send it back since the dish wasn't consumable but our server said "that's how the dish is made". Third, He made us pay for it still!! Very unprofessional and not a great way to run a business. Very disappointed that I wasted my money here.

Everything about this place leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Walked past 40 Chinese joints looking for Joe Shanghai, which was around the corner on Bowery, but settled for this place. Vegetables dumplings came out cold. Peking duck was $65 for a dried out piece of poultry. Waiter was unfriendly, unhelpful and cold. Had to ask for condiments for fried rice dishes. Then, he questioned our token $10 tip for 5 minutes of his time. Never again, you shouldn't either. Cash only places in Chinatown are a complete turn off.

So disappointing. There are a TON of better options in Chinatown. Bland food. Sub-par service (I was the only person in the restaurant (not like it was in any way busy) and the server couldn't even be bothered to clear my plates. Uninspiring ambience. Tired business all around. What a shame.

First off- CASH ONLY. Im not saying that's a bad thing, just be prepared. There's a sketchy looking ATM outside... if you want to use that. Inside, it's a no frills eatery with very brusque service. However, the speed of the food is quite speedy- it was impressive how quickly they flipped tables. The food is generally good and the menu is quite extensive. However, there isn't a dish that I would specifically call out to encourage a return visit... unless time is of the essence.

The service was not great and neither was the food. We were really excited to try dumplings, ordered the steamed dumplings and they did not taste fresh at all. It appeared as though they were probably frozen, they were cold and lacked flavor. The waiter was also not friendly at all, very aggressive in nature. Not sure if this is the culture or what, but I would not recommend this restaurant. They do have an upstairs and can accommodate larger parties. The ambiance is pretty standard for a restaurant in china town. 0/10.

Been coming to Chinatown every weekend for 20+ years for great food and groceries. Never have I tried Joes Ginger (Joe's Shanghai yes but not Ginger). Figured it is a sister store and it couldn't be too far from the original. No way in hell I would line up for Joes Shanghai's overhyped and over priced tourist trap food. Ginger is a small shop with rude waiters and really dirty tables and utensils. I eat in Chinatown weekly so there is no cleanliness expectations but even for Chinatown standards.... Sheesh. The place is gross. We sat down and was dropped 3 menus for 4 ppl. Fine. No big deal. Had to clean a sticky lump of goo the size of a penny ourselves. Fine. No big deal. No water or tea until half way through the meal and we still had to ask. No big deal. Was given the check before all the food even came. Fine. No big deal. $9 for hot and sour soup that is half filled... Mess with the food or price/portions. Starting to be a big deal. Soup dumplings were just meh.... The skin is thicker and chewy so definitely a no-no for soup dumplings The rice cake had decent flavor but it was SO greasy and oily. (See puddle of oil in picture). Chicken pot stickers had absolutely no flavor -- maybe our fault for ordering chicken instead of pork but still if it's on the menu, you should have seasoned it. Soup was a waste of money. Just like any other hot and sour soup that comes free from the cheap take out places. Waiters are impatient and rude which adds insult to injury of poor food. Avoid at all cost. Might be the worst review I ever gave!

Everything seemed to be good here. It is a cash only business, the soup dumplings were good, pork and soup inside $13. We also had wonton soup for $8 that was tasty with many wontons. Ordered tea but certainly seemed quite weak as there was only one teabag in the whole large pot of water, service was prompt and pleasant. Restaurant was clean no ambiance noted. So not amazing but not bad either.

Came on Christmas to have dinner. Left with food poisoning lasting the next day. Not sure from which dumplings. Some seemed under cooked. Not happy since we dropped over a hundred dollars on the bill and left a hefty tip because it was Christmas. Don't recommend. There are so many other places to choose from. Only went there for the dim sum and extensive menu.

Joe's Ginger is the smaller, more casual cousin of Joe's Shanghai! We went there simply because there were open tables inside without a reservation! When we sat down, we found out that the ambiance and hospitality were something from an SNL skit of the '70s, with no menus, silverware or chopsticks given or nary a glass of water!! However, once our orders were placed, the food came out promptly, sizzling hot, and was so delicious, we literally realized it was half gone before we realized we needed a picture!! Sorry for the mess, but I would have kicked the plate if I could!! We had a chef's special mix with shrimp and beef and a spicy brown sauce, and a chicken with eggplant and garlic sauce that was SO, SO GOOD! Plus or minus star for the fun Mad TV vibe of the joint!!

1. TERRIBLE SERVICE 2. ROTTEN FOOD 3. GAVE US THE WRONG BILL $50+ EXTRA I never left no tip before in my life. However, the service was so incredibly bad, it would hurt me to give them anything more. Yes, I'm Asian and I understand the no-frills aspect of Chinatown. But this was absurd - we had to wave and holler to get the waiters attention, and the waiters would make eye contact, and completely ignore you. SEVERAL TIMES. Not only that, when they do respond, it is with the worst attitude. Food wasn't even good. Don't bother coming.

So being in New York, I was very excited to come to Chinatown and try some good food. My cousin found this place and thought prices were decent and looked good so wanted to give it a try. The place is a cash only place too so be aware. It is a tight squeeze to sit inside and was very crowded. The place seemed nice and liked the style so had some hope this was good. it wasn't as great as I thought it would be unfortunately. It did take some time to get the waiter to come take our order. Once they did get there I think we kept misunderstanding each other as I did have to repeat a few time and make sure she had what I wanted. She kept telling my cousin no on certain things too and was very rude to us. Think part of it is culture difference but didn't like the attitude we had. I ordered a lavender tea but she brought me another one instead and they slammed our cups to the table (thought they broke them honestly). The tea wasn't favorable and was really just hot water. When the food came out, I really only like the pork soup dumplings they were decent and had a good flavor. Even then though I had better. We were fine with the chicken dumplings too but not much flavor and soy sauce only did so much. We also had some duck dumplings too and they were decent as well just a bit greasy really. It did take a while to get our waitress to come back again the whole time and wasn't impressed with service. We left the money/tip and as we were about to leave, the lady stops us to ask for more tip which never happened to me before. I ended up walking away at the end as I didn't feel like arguing. It definitely was not my best experience and would definitely eat somewhere else if I come back in the area.

If I could give this place a 0 I would, these are the worst dumplings I have ever tasted. I should have known the food was horrible when I walked in there was not 1 customer on top of that customer service is horrible. The dumplings are the size of gum balls, when I say DO NOT go here please save your money.

Poor customer service. Rude staff, yelling CASH ONLY ! They rush you to order and it is obvious they didn't want us there. Avoid this restaurant!

Wait staff are not friendly but I didn't care. Soup dumplings were excellent. Service was fast, place is clean. Cash only and we were not rushed out.

Worth all the hype! A very no-frills experience in Chinatown, Joe's Ginger will satisfy your soup dumpling craving. I came for one reason only: pork soup dumplings. The dumplings were hot with a rich pork broth inside. The chili oil was on the table so you could cover your dumpling in as much as you'd like. The dipping sauce had long pieces of fresh ginger which was a nice reprieve from the richness of the dumplings. Check out Joe's on your next dumpling crawl in Chinatown!

Horrible. We entered the restaurant and weren't even greeted. You could tell they didn't want to sit us. The waiter was super rude. We asked a question about the menu and he yelled at us. They slammed the food on the table and we didn't even get the chance to take a bite before he threw the check on the table. We didn't leave any tip - and the waiter had the audacity to come and ask for one. The food was good though.

worst chinese restaurant ever, an insult to chinatown. all food bland and service was awful. we had dumplings, noodles, fish, and pork noodle soup. nothing was good and they didn't even put spoons, rice, tea, or soy sauce on the table. wait the 40 minutes and go to wo hop is my suggestion. and no fortune cookies with the check-you guys are clowns!

Came here because it was not packed on Chinese new years. Took the waiter a few minutes to come get our order. The food came out really fast. However the dumplings was not steaming hot like other tables. I ate half of a pork dumplings, and it was pink inside. I ask the waiter and they said its fine to eat. My stomach felt weird afterwards. I had to ask them to heat it up. The service here isn't as friendly as other spots in Chinatown. Would not recommend this to other people.

Amazing appetizer's! Try the soup dumplings it's a must. FYI cash only Service was fast Ambiance eclectic

Wow, stopped by here as part of a dumpling-hop, to try several places that I had seen on TikTok -and I have to say this place is so overrated, just as I remember from years ago. The soup dumplings are passable, but at $14 they should be far more than passable. Just stop in Trader Joe's and get their pork and chive soup dumplings, which are far far better than Joe Ginger. Save your cash, so not worth it. btw, want to try a different kink of dumpling (not a soul dumpling), try Super Taste on Eldridge St on the Lower East Side for their fried pork and chive dumplings. Spectacular and just $5.95. Sometimes you get far more than you pay for

First time definitely trying this restaurant. The service was terrible. The food was cold. Overpriced food like $20 for some small dumplings. I definitely think they're only famous for their soup.the utensils cleaned thoroughly.

The food is delicious here. The service is blunt which is normal for an old school establishment like this. The servers aren't rude but they don't come across as warm. The soup dumplings are delicious here. This is going to be my go-to soup dumpling spot going forward.

We sat outside to order a quick snack- specifically soup dumplings. The menus were on the tables. No one ever came to wait on us?? It was an odd experience. We left. No idea if the food was good or not. But 3 stars for service.

This is my second time coming here loved their soup dumplings will definitely recommend. Come early to avoid waiting for too long. Service is good as well they only accept CASH.

Heard this is the smaller and more accessible version of Joe's Shanghai, which I had many years ago before they remodeled and remember as AMAZING. I didn't even realize Joe's Shanghai was famous at the time (maybe it wasn't as famous yet) but when I put 2 and 2 together that it was the place I loved from NYC Chinatown, I had to try the more accessible for walk-in, Joe's Ginger, upon returning. It was busy inside so we sat outside. Service was absolutely horrendous. The waiter looked at us probably 10 times while serving other people and never walked over until the third time we tried to flag him down. Then he said "I'm done serving. I'm finishing up these tables." Ok...? Is anyone else coming? "I don't know." I was ready to get up and leave. But then he got another server to come to us and we stuck around. We only had like $25 cash (it's cash only) so we got the famous soup dumplings plus some regular pork dumplings. They were good, but honestly nothing super special. Pretty fair for the price and a nice bite to stop by, but not worth the crappy service. I wouldn't come back unless it was to the real Joe's, which probably requires a reservation.

The food was Okaaay!. However, the price that I paid was not worth the serving size I got, which is surprising since other places in the neighborhood serve more for the same price. The waiter was kind of rude and not caring enough. Also, make sure to keep count of you ordered. They might add something or two when giving the receipt.

I haven't been to Joe's Ginger in years but came here with a group of 3 people for dinner on a Sunday night mostly because every place in Chinatown was crowded. We were seated on the second floor. We ordered the 8 pork soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), Shanghai noodles with chicken, and the string beans with pork. The best dish was the string beans with pork even though I prefer the string beans to be sauteed longer. I did like that they put preserved vegetable in it to give it more flavor. The pork soup dumplings were large but not much soup in them. The noodles were very oily. I do feel like the portions here were smaller than other Shanghainese places. Service was slow probably because we were on the second floor. It was difficult to get any service. I would probably not come back anytime soon or ever. FYI - this place is cash only just like the rest of Chinatown.

i've gone here a couple times in the past with no issues and i dont like leaving bad reviews but getting food poisoning on christmas changes things. i am almost certain that it was the shrimp in the chow mai fun bc the whole dish itself smelled spoiled. on top of that, they 100% tried to short-change me. i had every intention of leaving at least a 20% tip so i just gave all the cash i had on hand. as i was about to leave they gave me change anyway, which should have been at least $8 but they gave only $2.50 back. i let it slide bc it was christmas, but 2 days of fighting for my life on the porcelain throne makes me wish i didnt. avoid this place.

Disappointing for sure. A lot of the seating is just outside on the street with no separation or designated area away from pedestrians. The staff were rude and our waiter was uncomfortably hovering over our table when he brought the bill (even though the place is cash only) while we tried to find the right bills. He then demanded more tip from us WHILE we were trying to figure out the cash, which was quite unnerving. The food itself was also terrible. The pan fried buns were way too thick, so I was only eating dough. The har gow was somehow dry and almost tasteless. The sui mai was ok but nothing amazing. And the flat noodles were absolutely tasteless.

DO NOT GIVE THIS PLACE YOUR MONEY. The food does not compare to many other local spots but the real problem is how nasty they are. They are the rudest people who ignore you but then stand over your shoulder when it's time to pay the bill. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

This is one of my happy places. I have not found a soup dumpling I like better. And honestly being able to sit outside in the spring or early fall and people watch on this street is just endless entertainment.

This is a no frills spot for Chinese cuisine, including dim sum. My mom and I came here on a rainy day. It was a nice, cozy place to take shelter from the inclement weather. My mom really wanted wonton soup, and I was craving spring rolls. So, we shared wonton soup, pan fried tiny pork buns, sticky rice with pork, pan fried shrimp dumplings, as well as Peking Duck spring roll. The wonton soup with pork and chives was served in clear broth with dried shrimp, seaweed, and green onion. The wonton was a decent size, cooked perfectly, and had plenty of tasty, well seasoned meat. The tiny pork dumplings were actually more medium in size, but pretty good with flavorful, juicy filling. The sticky rice was cooked just the right amount and had tender, succulent pork throughout. The dumplings had very delicious shrimp inside, but the the outer part was too thick and it wasn't that crispy. As for the Peking Duck spring roll, it was thin and crunchy, but very little duck and didn't taste like Peking duck at all. Service was decent. The waiter was friendly and on top of it. We always had plenty of hot tea and our order came out quickly. Overall, I thought the food was just okay and wasn't all that impressed. I'm not sure I would return because there are so many other great spots in Chinatown area.

Great food, warm and huge menu. Served fast and very flavorful. Wonderful soup dumplings and sweet buns. Would recommend the cold cucumber and garlic. 5/5!

service here is super quick and their chili oil is exceptional. i loved how they included cabbage under the dumplings. the dumplings itself were very juicy and there was no wait.

Haven't been to Joe's Shanghai, was told this is owned by the same people as Joe's Shanghai, the soup dumplings were ok, but did not impress. No wait, which is always a plus!

Never a bad time here. The soup dumplings are the same as Joe's Shanghai, except there's no waiting line. It's the same owner. This feels a bit more authentic. Cash only as a heads up. The Soup Dumplings are to die for.

Everything was alright. A little disappointed in general. Staff was rushing and not too attentive, potentially understaffed. The food was also just alright. The scallion pancake had little to no scallion. The dumplings felt a little undercooked and could probably use a few more minutes in the steamer. This restaurant is also cash only

The worst Peking duck I've ever seen and ordered. My boyfriend and I ordered half of a Peking Duck take out for our Chinese New Year dinner and this disgusting duck literally ruined our date. Covered in feather and burned into coal, this dish would scare anyone who try Chinese food for the first time. Can't imagine why this restaurant can be Chinatown's landmark. Anyone should report this terrifying crime to NYPD and write to NYC council members urging them to continue the Chinatown improvement project and banish this shame of Chinese food forever.

Delicious soup dumplings, veggie dishes, rice cake n fried dumplings. Such a broad menu of options. Perfect for everyone

Extremely rude servers, dishes are dirty,portions are small,expensive, NOT Recommend. We are definitely not coming back. These people should Not be in hospitality business. I am giving them a rating of NO star. Thumbs down.