San Dong Noodle &amp; Dumpling House

The Best Affordable Restaurants in Houston

"Located in the Bellaire Chinatown Center shopping mall, this no-frills counter-service mainstay is a favorite for quick, flavorful Chinese food. Make a feast out of its variety of dumplings, coming in varieties like pan-fried pork and beef soup, for just under $10 for a dozen. Locals swear by San Dong’s bean sauce noodles, but the chicken steak and roast beef noodles are equally worth a try." - Brianna Griff, Brittany Britto Garley

The 12 Best Chinese Restaurants In Houston

"San Dong Noodle House serves one of the best roast beef noodle soups in town. And while the dining room doesn’t have much going on—except plastic lawn furniture and a self-serve plastic to-go silverware station—after that first hit of noodle or pan-fried dumpling, none of it matters. The silky soup, with large cuts of tender beef and fresh greens, makes you want to live in a movie nostalgia montage to replay the first bites over again. Plus, a meal here for two will only set you back about $20 (just know it’s cash-only). " - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

The 21 Best Restaurants In Houston's Chinatown

"Even though San Dong Noodle House feels specifically designed for utility and carry-out purposes—all dine in utensils are of the to-go variety, for example—the comforting menu of Taiwanese noodle soups and pan-fried or steamed dumplings erase any cramped-quarters seating discomfort. A fulfilling meal for two here totals up to less than $20, meaning you can save your coins for dessert or a couple of extra rounds of karaoke. Bring cash, tip the cashier, and don’t bother asking for any takeout container: just grab what you need from the shelf. What to order: 牛肉麵 (roast beef noodle), 鍋貼 (pan fried pork dumplings)" - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

San Dong Noodle House Review - Chinatown - Houston - The Infatuation

"San Dong Noodle House in Chinatown is a takeout powerhouse. The cash-only Taiwanese spot exports mountains of dumplings and gallons of fresh noodle soup daily. Everything here is utilitarian: from the crammed shelves full of pre-made food, to the cramped-quarter seating of plastic furniture, to the shelf of do-it-yourself to-go packaging staples so diners don’t have to bother the staff if they have leftovers. Even the cost appears designed for quick and easy decision making, because a meal for two consisting of a plate of pan fried dumplings and a thick bowl of roast beef noodle soup totals less than $20. Meaning you can save your coins for dessert or a couple of extra rounds of karaoke. " - Chelsea Thomas

The Best Takeout Meals Houston Chefs Ate in 2020 - Eater Houston

"Mai Pham, Eater contributor: San Dong Noodle House and Golden Dumpling House for dumplings." - Amy McCarthy

Victoria Le

Google

My absolute favorite restaurant in all of Houston!!! The most delicious roast beef soup you will EVER have you in your life. Service is fast and price is very affordable. Massive portion sizes! The dumplings are divine as well. Highly recommend coming here!!!

Miguel Galvez

Google

I highly recommend coming here if you're in the mood for some Chinese food! Their food is delicious and in BIG portions. My wife and I underestimated their portions, and we had to take the rest to go, but it was so good. 😋🤤 Their pork fried dumplings and pork buns were 🔥 🤤🤌 Their popular beef roast noodles were also very good. Just be mindful that it comes in a pretty BIG bowl. On top of all this the staff is very nice. The elderly lady who brings out the food is a sweetheart, btw. We'll definitely come back. Worth ever penny for the quality of food and generous portions 🍜🍱

Emily Callegan

Google

We came here on whim and it was a good choice. I’ve seen this place a few times getting a tea next door but never tried it. I forgot to take more pictures bc I was busy shoveling food in my face but we got the bean sauce noodles, the dumplings in beef broth and the pork & chives baozi and chives baozi that’s pan fried. Everything was SO good, flavorful and HUGE portions. My husband and I could have split one order of the buns and 1 entree. The prices were crazy good and the portion sizes are astronomically huge. Everything was fresh and each dish had a different taste profile. I will def be back. So so good 🥰🥰 Also, everything is self serve—water, condiments, cutlery and to go containers

Emmy Lou

Google

This place was yummy, standard Chinese flavor with a cozy atmosphere. Everything I ate was good but nothing blew me away. It was really busy when I went so I know that they probably have some really delicious dishes. I’d go back another day to try some different things on the menu! I asked the owner what was most popular and she recommended the beef noodle soup and the shrimp and pork siu mai (these are probably the most popular amongst American patrons but next time I’ll try more unique dishes/flavors that they offer).

Nick Fu

Google

My god the food is SO GOOD and SO CHEAP compared to Austin. Was in town visiting family and I stopped here before leaving town. I got the beef noodle soup and it was AMAZING. The beef was so tender, the noodles so bouncy and the broth sooo rich and flavorful. All for under $10 after tax

Riya Santra

Google

Got the chicken steak noodle, braised pork rice, shrimp pork siu mai, mustard pork noodle, pan fried chicken dumplings, and sesame sauce noodles. The braised pork rice was a standout favorite. The mustard greens were delicious too. Good portion sizes and filling noodles in every dish

Gia M

Google

One of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown. Can’t beat their friendly workers, authenticity, taste, and pricing. What more could you ask for? In love with their #6 which is their Fried Fish. For three people it was $30.15 excluding tip.

Maria Slater

Google

Delicious, delicious, delicious !!! I ordered the chicken pan fried dumplings and the roast beef noodle soup. Delicious! The broth in the soup tasted like strong roast beef very flavorful with a ramen like noodle. The dumplings were so hot like so fresh the whole time. They would not stop burning my tongue or maybe I was super hungry LOL. But this food was really good. To dine in - I would suggest looking at the menu online first so you know what to order. But you order at the front and pay, they give you a number and you wait till the food is ready. Mine came out fast even with a lot of people in here. You also get the silverware and chopsticks at the front as well. Overall 10/10 loved it here. You can also buy frozen dumplings and buns from them!!

Tracy L.

Yelp

Been coming here for years. You order at the counter, bring cash; 3% charge for using credit card. They will deliver the food to your table. Get bowls, utensils, napkins, cup of water yourself. We like to order pan fried pork dumplings (鍋貼) with chive, bean sauce noodle (炸醬麵), pork rib/pork chop with rice, braised pork with rice, and hot and sour soup. It all tastes great and the food comes out quickly. :)

Hoonie K.

Yelp

My family had dinner here last night. Located in a very busy (H-mart anchored) plaza so parking can be a bit tough. The interior decor is pretty dated and very plain (cafeteria) furniture to boot. You order at the counter, and the food came out pretty fast. I think people come here for the value. Very inexpensive and big portions. Food was okay. We had: Roast Beef Noodle Soup (3.5/5) - This was pretty good but did not taste like your typical spicy braised beef noodle soup. The broth tasted more like an instant ramen soup base. Again not bad, just different. The beef was a bit tough. Pork & Shrimp Shumai (3.5/5) - Decent version of this common dish, big portion for the price. Fried Pork & Chive Dumplings (3.5/5) - Probably the best dish of the night, good but not great. Fried Pork Chop (2.5/5) - Not the typical battered, salted fried pork chop. Pan fried, and a bit too sweet for my taste. Overall an okay meal, but with so many dining choices in the City, I can't imagine going back.

Eryana S.

Yelp

I like San Dong for a couple of reasons. The service is not one of them. Maybe it's due to the language barrier, but they're usually not nice and pretty short with you. So don't expect the average American service. But once you get past that, you have a solid place to get your beef noodle soup and your dumplings. The soup has a depth of flavor that's very rich. It's darker than most beef noodle soups I've had. But you can see why this place has stood the test of time with the consistency of their flavors. The dumplings are a great price too. I came in starving one time and I ordered dumplings. I would say this was just the right amount. Sometimes huge servings are a curse, and I'm often the one leaving with leftovers or sharing my plate with a friend. I left full after one order of dumplings. Most times I get the soup. Your utensils and water are off to the side, you have to get them yourself jsyk! I recommend this place if you're an introvert like me. You order, you eat, you go. :)

thienly n.

Yelp

Amazing food!!! Highly recommend going here! I only got a picture of the beef soup but we also got the fried chicken, dumpling soup, pan fried pork dumplings, and siu mai and everything was so flavorful, fresh, and comforting! Service was quick and it was a great price for the quality and quantity you get!

Jando S.

Yelp

As one of the most popular places in Chinatown, it's not hard to see why San Dong has become a beloved institution. Their take on Chinese comfort food in the form of rice bowls, noodle soups, and fluffy buns have made it a wonderful option in the neighborhood. There have been numerous changes over the years, yet it has somehow kept up with the growing demand as their plaza has become more crowded with neighboring businesses. Many folks over the years have incorrectly dubbed this place as a Taiwanese establishment, when it's more Taiwan-ish. There are some Taiwanese items, such as their "bento" style rice with meat fillets, braised pork rice (滷肉飯) and beef noodle soup (牛肉麵 - dubbed "roast beef noodle"). The rest of the menu is a mishmosh of Wenzhou, central, and northern Chinese dishes. If the name (San Dong) is indicative of the region, then it should really be "Shan" Dong (山東). Given how all over the place the menu is, I'm going to just readily assume the semi-new Fujianese ownership is banking on the reputation above everything else. There are some definite gems here, but it all starts with the pork. Their pork buns fluffy, juicy, and make for an excellent option on the go. There are a number of steamed items that are brought out to the baker's rack, which include boxes of vegetable buns, siu mai, rice balls, chive buns etc. Their pork dumplings (especially the grilled 鍋貼 with cabbage) are addicting. I order them by the bundles and bring them to wherever I'm going. While the "roast beef noodle" is decent, I think the zhajiang noodles ("bean sause noodle") are super mediocre. The minced bits are not as flavorful as I liked and it doesn't particularly mesh well with the noodle or shredded veg. Mustard green pork noodle is marginally better but the soup base is a bit too salty. Overall, I think the service is very adequate and the staff speaks a number of Chinese dialects, including Cantonese, Mandarin, and Fujianese. The prices are still affordable in today's foodflation era and parking is still achievable despite the growing presence of other bizes in their plaza. I'll still be ordering heaps of their buns and dumplings for potluck gatherings or here just looking for my next food coma. __________ My photos: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-dong-noodle-house-%E5%B1%B1%E6%9D%B1%E9%BA%B5%E9%A4%A8-houston?userid=ysCBsXWPB-LAiewVS3jZfQ

Henry Y.

Yelp

Very solid dumplings and noodles spot in Chinatown. They have another location in the 99 Ranch off of I-10. Lots of folks came in to buy buns and frozen buns. The GF and I got dumplings to share. I ordered the mustard green pork noodle, which is a staple and a comfort food I crave. One of the better ones in the city. And VERY affordable. There is a small charge if you use card, so cash is best. I promise you won't spend more than $15-20 per person! The manager (owner?) is friendly. Highly recommend!

Alex S.

Yelp

The first time I tried this noodle dish with my close friend, he introduced me to this noodle shop, although it was small but always crowded, it was true, when I arrived I had to line up to order food at the counter, and my friend chose a specialty noodle dish at this shop, the taste was a bit strange to me but it was delicious .

Ashley W.

Yelp

We got the beef noodle soup, black bean noodles, and pan fried dumplings. The pan fried dumplings were amazing! So crispy and flavorful. I thought the beef noodle soup tasted okay. The portion sizes are very generous, and I think the prices are average/lower than average for Houston Chinatown. The employee was very friendly, and we got our food within 10 minutes! Tables are clean. We showed up around closing time and when we left, the employee gave us some hot and sour soup! That was very kind of her.

Marie N.

Yelp

Really affordable restaurant if you are looking for a bang for your buck. The staff is very nice and you do have to get all your utensils after you order and find a place to sit. The place is super clean though. We ordered the roast beef noodles and I really liked the chewy noodles but the broth was a little bit too aromatic for me. My friend really enjoyed his braised pork rice bento. We also ordered the pan fried dumplings, siu mai, and boiled chive pork dumplings. My favorite was the boiled dumplings by far. The quantity you get for the price is top tier. If you're super hungry this place would definitely hit the spot!

Tracey Z.

Yelp

The staff here are friendly but a little bit all over the place. The real winner here food wise is the beef noodle soup! Highly recommended and delicious! I got the fish plate. The fish itself was very oily but tender on the inside. The broccoli was cold. The tofu mix on the side was delicious but kind of oily as well. The tea egg I wish was a bit stronger in flavor. The vegetable dumplings were hot and very fresh. I thought that they could have used so more seasoning but otherwise pretty tasty.

Cindy W.

Yelp

Was recommended this place by a few family friends. Food is very good and flavorful. I love that they also have premade food ready for take out and frozen dumplings. Ive even gotten my coworkers hooked on their dumplings. I would recommend to anyone for their quick service and great food.

Daphne L.

Yelp

Stopped by at a friend's suggestion to get some frozen home made dumplings to take home! In addition to being a cute clean restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, they also sell freshly made grab and go food and lots of frozen dumplings pan fried or boiled. A bag of 25 is $9.50. Also purchase some pearl meatballs with sticky rice. The staff were very friendly and helpful! The pork and chive boiled dumplings tasted incredible when boiled at home- the wrapper held together and the flavor was authentic.

Mike N.

Yelp

Right off the beltway and bellaire San Dong has been around for quite some time. The menu is extremely affordable. You order at the register and they will bring out your food to the table. There is a station for togo containers and ice and water. I usually get the fried chicken and rice. Food 4/5 Ambiance 3/5 Price 5/5

David W.

Yelp

If there is one word to describe this place, it would be value. I used to come here almost a decade ago for their beef noodle soup. Maybe it was just too long ago, but I don't remember it being this delicious. For $8.95, you can still get a bowl that meets the criteria for both savoriness and size. Glad to see some things haven't changed.

Sandra S.

Yelp

Self service, order at the counter staple restaurant in Houston Chinatown. I have been eating here since I was a child and it's still a go to delicious spot with decent prices. If you want any of their buns that they have laid out on the side warmed up or to eat at the restaurant, you can ask them to heat it up for you if get you fresh ones from the back. I like the pork bun! The one thing I always order is their beef noodle soup. Probably one of my favorite in Chinatown. Today's noodles were also the perfect qq. Will continue coming back here. Would not suggest for a large group as they have smaller tables on

Linda T.

Yelp

Great place for quick meals at decent prices. Clean ambiance and usually their lines go by quickly. You can even grab bao, fresh noodles, shu mai, and other fridge/frozen dumplings to go. Braised rib noodle soup, wonton noodle soup, and their pan fried pork dumplings are my-to-go. Their pork bao are delicious as well. Be careful if your eating it in the car as there's soup inside. Bao is always nice and fluffy. Shu mai are great as grab and go. I ate everything on their menu for years and the food is delicious and quick as always. Did I mention their hot, chili oil is amazing? It's made in the house. Have a short lunch break? This is the place. If you see a girl with her hair in a bun or ponytail with paint all over her clothes, that's probably me coming here for a quick break from my many Chinatown home projects. What you do... there's a section where you can grab anything that are ready to eat, stay in line and pay at the register. Want to dine in? Stay in line and order at the register. They will give you a number and you pick your table. Don't forget to grab complimentary water, your utensils, and bowl(s). There's a station to the right of the register. Someone will bring your food to your table when it's ready. When you're done, you can leave your stuff at the table and a staff will quickly clean up your table so other customers will have a seat. Sadly, there's no more window seats besides the front since the building owner decided to add another space for lease so no more side, outdoor dining area or a view of the outside.

Michelle S.

Yelp

San Dong pork chive dumplings are absolutely delicious especially with the sauce. Done to perfection easy to eat six and one sitting. Dumplings were made out of love. I've never had one inconsistent and burned or even overly done. They do them so well they are fabulous. I ate a whole order and just talking about it right now. I want more. I normally go to the one in Katy Freeway but today was the first time to have some from the Bellaire restaurant. The consistency is wonderful. Service is consistent as well. They're very busy but they take your order with respect. Sometimes you walk into restaurants and they just have an attitude. I've never had that happen here. Ambience is more fast food. Good homemade food made with Care that served quickly is perfect for me at lunch for work. I'm sorry I don't have a picture I ate them! Lol.

Thy H.

Yelp

Houston institution for handmade noodles and dumplings. Sesame buns are always a good idea. Bean sauce noodles and leeks and chive dumplings are the best in town.

Sasha G.

Yelp

All hype to me. I don't get it. Small establishment, sweet couple in the front helping but the rest is downhill. I didn't like the smell walking in, almost like sewage. We ordered 2 soups and 3 sides and I wasn't impressed with anything. The meat in the soup was tough, noodles were chewy and tough, broth was just eh. Dumplings were nothing special, average. The shumai tasted old. Barely ate anything. The pictures look much better than the food actually tastes. Won't be back. Baffled about the ratings here.

Tiffany H.

Yelp

Small restaurant where you order before taking a seat. There's a water station and you grab your own utensils/napkins. The food came out pretty quick. The highlight of the dinner was the chicken steak (hot/crispy) and the pan fried pork dumplings; both super delicious. Everything else was pretty average. If I ever revisit this place, I would pick the rice option with the chicken steak instead of a bowl of noodles (super bland, wished it was more savory). Also got to try a bowl of the roast beef noodle; the broth was good but I've had better elsewhere before. Overall a nice place to catch up with a group of friends.

Phuong N.

Yelp

Been wanting to come here and finally I did. You basically place your order at the counter and they will hand you your #stick to bring to your table. You also get your own water and utensils at the small station they set up. My first time and I was kind of rushed to order. I got the pan fried dumplings and the dumplings soup and my sister got the beef noodle soup. My food took a bit longer to come out and it was piping hot! It didn't help with the metal bowl. My dumplings were perfect and the broth was well flavored and had a kick to it. My sister thinks it's too spicy for her but for me , it was perfect.

Rachel S.

Yelp

This place is a great spot for some traditional Taiwanese food. The restaurant interior is pretty humble and no-frills. There's self service water and takeout boxes. I tried the braised pork rice and chicken steak rice, both very good and had authentic taste. The chicken steak rice came with mapo tofu. The tea egg was excellent. The only dish I did not enjoy as much was the beef noodle soup. Their version is very watered down and the beef is flavorless. However, their dumpling beef soup is amazing. The dumplings are great and the soup is so flavorful. This place also sells mantou dough, bao, and frozen dumplings. I wouldn't recommend buying the dim sum rice that they have out on the side, it looks kinda like its been out for a long time, but everything else was amazing. I took home a bag of frozen dumplings for a few days worth of meals!

Timmy L.

Yelp

This is my go to comfort food. They have the best beef noodle soup that I've tasted around and there dumplings are also great!! The pork baos they have there is made fresh daily and tastes good. The prices are very reasonable considering the inflation in prices over the years. This is a must try place if you haven't been before, you wont be disappointed.

Shannon T.

Yelp

San dong noodle house is a very affordable place to get food! Came on a week night, and it wasn't too busy. You order first at the counter, grab a number, and then they bring you the food. You grab your own utensils, napkins, etc. I brought cash as I read there's a credit card fee. The beef noodle soup came out to basically $10 with tip. I shared the pork and chives dumplings with 2 friends, so spent about $13 on dinner, which is crazy!! Sadly, the were out of the chive buns as I had wanted to get some togo. The beef noodle soup came as a pretty good sized portion. It had a good amount of beef as well as the mustard greens and bok choy. I added some chili oil for a little bit of spice. Overall, the flavor was pretty good! Not the best that I've ever had but it was definitely still enjoyable and super worth the price! I was excited to be to have the option to get chives in the dumplings, and they were DELICIOUS!! I'd definitely get these again!! Overall, I had a great experience and great food for the price!! You really cannot beat the price point! I cannot wait to come back to get the chive buns and more of the items on the menu! :-)

Lotus H.

Yelp

Came here to order takeout and to bring home some ready made goodies. The SiuMai was delicious! The Chicken Bao's were a bit bland but good texture. Brought home a bag of frozen dumplings- haven't tried them yet but will update this review when I do

Aaron M.

Yelp

Kinda chaotic if you're not prepared for it but it is very self service centered which is nice for a change. Food was delicious and came out pretty quickly. For the price you get a lot of food.

Emerald D.

Yelp

I rarely say 5/5 stars for places but it was easy for me to leave it for this place! Flavors were perfect!! My new fav dumpling place, easily. The pan fried dumplings were perfect, loved mixing my own sauce with the chili oil, vinegar, sriracha, etc at the table. We also tried the #17 (chicken dumplings in beef broth) and that was SO GOOD. Maybe as good as or better than the pan fried pork dumplings. Either one was so good!!! Also had the roast beef noodle soup, so yum. The beef was tender, the broth so good, book choy and pickled veggies were a good compliment too. I will definitely be back.

Shayla J.

Yelp

Get the dumplings!!! OMG, they were fresh, hot and extremely tasty. We tried the soup dumplings, and a few different pan fried and steamed and they were all tasty. They are cooked to order, but it didn't take an extreme amount of time. They also prepare buns that are sold every day, frozen noodles, buns and dumplings. Great lunch or dinner. The place is small and always busy but well worth it!

Kristina W.

Yelp

We ordered 2 menu items to go, which were ready packed & still warm at time of pick up. The fillet fish noodle soup & pork dumpling beef soup. Both cost about $10. The portions are pretty generous. The fish fillet was crispy & tasty but the noodles & the broth that came with it were bland. The dumplings in beef broth are YUMMY!! The dumplings are so good to eat by themselves. The beef broth was definitely better than the clear broth for the noodle soup. Our total was $21. As far as ambience, it's a small simple venue, nothing fancy. Ordering by phone in English was a bit challenging, bc of some language barrier.

David P.

Yelp

The dishes I ordered (#1, #17) were nut allergy friendly. This is the golden standard of fast, delicious Asian food. Counter-service order, get a number, pick up some utensils and a Styrofoam cup for water, and try to find a table during the very busy dinner rush (if you get there around 7PM). Orders came out incredibly quickly. I think it was less than 10 minutes for our three orders of the #1 Roast Beef Noodle to come out, and another 10-15 minutes for our #17 Dumplings with Beef Soup to come out. Everything was delicious. The soup was flavorful and not greasy at all with baby bok choy, pickled greens, green onion. The beef was amazingly tender and I got more of it here than places that cost 3x as much. I got enough noodles to leave me satisfied, and I usually order an extra order of noodles when I go out for ramen. The soup dumplings were massive with plenty of meat inside of them. They are not perfect soup dumplings in that you may not get soup with every bite, but since it is served in a beef soup you can easily remedy that by simply using a large spoon and slurping up some soup with your dumpling. You can't beat the price of ~$9 for 12 dumplings. For the taste and value, San Dong Noodle House is the gold standard to benchmark other places against.

Yasmine N.

Yelp

I absolutely adore the dumpling at this spot in Bellaire! Not only are they delectably delicious, but the prices are unbeatably affordable too. It's a rare gem where you can enjoy such quality at low costs. Fair warning though, it tends to get crowded, so I highly recommend opting for takeout. A definite must-try for dumpling lovers!

Nina T.

Yelp

Craved for noodles and dumplings and established businesses. Ordered the below : -Beef Noodle Soup: 3 chunks of beef, bok choy, a heck lot of noodles and soup. First dish coming out of the kitchen in less than 2 min after ordering. Beef chunks were very tender. I wished there were more meat! Soup was a oily. Noodles were good tho! -Chicken Steak Rice: I wonder whether they make a non fried steak version. Bento style, rice was generous and delicious, gave a lot of soy meat too, a little boy choy, one soy egg, and two big pieces of fried chicken steak. I think it was too oily. Tasted close to popcorn chicken. -Pan dried chicken dumplings : last dish to come out so served ultra hot. Recipe is too oily to my taste unfortunately. All the dishes were a bit too salty as well. Order process consists of ordering and pay at the counter first. The menu has pictures so that helps! Note to prefer a cash payment as they add a 3.5% fee to credit card transactions. Self seating. Self serve for plastic ware or to go boxes. It's the good ol mom's and pop's shop for food. Come and go, order and sit and eat and go, there is no service to care for, so don't expect for attention. Parking is ample since it's located near the big HMart plaza. This is a 3.75 star place. Sometimes old is good.

David C.

Yelp

San Dong Noodle House is my go to spot when I'm craving comforting Taiwanese noodles and dumplings. Family owned, quick counter service, and consistently tasty food, what else could you ask for? This is a no frills, nothing fancy type of noodle and dumpling restaurant, but I think that's what makes the place feel so homey and comforting. The menu is simple with a variation of rice plates, noodle soup bowls, and a few different kinds of dumplings. You can either dine in, order hot food to go, or they have a variety of buns and dumplings in their fridge ready to take home as well. My go to order is either their roast beef noodle soup or chicken steak rice bento depending on my mood, and a MANDATORY order of their pan fried pork dumplings. Perfection. Pro tip, use cash if possible. They accept credit card, but there's a slight service fee if you do. Also toss your pan fried pork dumplings in their chili oil, thank me later. Enjoy!

Jessica C.

Yelp

I was underwhelmed with the food here. We had watched many rave reviews about the dumplings and noodles here but our experience was lacking. We arrived around 12:45pm on a Saturday and there was a line to order. We were given a number to bring to our table but all the tables were full. We waited about 10 minutes and a table opened up. The aisleways were tight but you are able to squeeze in a stroller if needed. There is a self-service area for utensils and sauces. We got the Roast Beef Noodle Soup (#1), Cabbage Pork Dumplings (#18), and Pan Fried Pork Dumplings (#20). Our friend also got a beef dish with an egg and rice in a bento box. The Roast Beef Noodle soup was decent, and the dumplings were ok. The veggies in the dumpling took over most of the flavor so I couldn't really taste much of the pork. The amount of food you get for the price is awesome - $7 for about 12-15 dumplings is unheard of nowadays. I think the food here is ok, I have had better food along Belllaire.

Jennifer W.

Yelp

I have heard about this place for a long time and finally made a visit yesterday. As expected on a Saturday, the place was crowded, but the speed of table turnover was good. However, I chose to get food to go. I ordered the pan-fried chives bun as well as the sesame scallion pancake as I was mainly looking for some food padding before my next meal. Within a minute of the order, I was able to gather all my food and get out the door. The service was quick and smooth, and the food remained fresh despite being pre-prepped and shelved. When I was able to bite into the food, the taste also met my expectations and there was a good amount of ingredients within the buns; however, the reason for my three stars is the fact that I had a mouthful of eggshells toward the middle of the bun. For a reputable restaurant with long standing praise for quality, I was thoroughly disappointed by this experience. I hope that the restaurant focus more on the input and quality rather than the rush to meet customer demands.

Ryan C.

Yelp

I got the roast beef noodles here because the pictures looked pleasant. I also got the potstickers. Everything was pretty alright, I think I should have ordered something else. Maybe it's a personal problem but I don't really get noodle bowls, like the broth is good usually but the noodles don't have a flavor like they would if they were in sauce. Idk. Anyway the service was fine and the vibe was nice. Best thing here is probably the prices, but I'll probably go elsewhere.

Esmond C.

Yelp

Chicken steak rice. It is my favorite meal, that is all. Oh, I need more characters in this review. Hope this is enough.

Mel N.

Yelp

The price is good for the portion! Big plus in today's economy. It's fast casual. Order at the counter and they bring you the food. They bus the table for you though. I'm not 100% sure on the credit card situation because I read in other reviews that they charge extra. There is a SMALL paper taped by the cashier that says $3 or $4 credit card processing fee. When they gave me the price, they didn't ask if I was paying with credit card or not, so not sure if they just add the fee on top of it when you pay.. Anyway I used cash to avoid all of this. Got the roast beef noodle soup (#1) for $8.95. Came out relatively quick. I liked the dish. I am not a beef noodle soup expert, but it had good flavor and no complaints on the beef to noodles ratio. I would come back again to try other noodle dishes.

Nina T.

Yelp

I got takeout here, and it did not disappoint! We loved the leek and pork dumplings, the pork noodle soup, and the dumpling soup. We also got the braised pork and rice, and it was amazing!! My mom had the sesame noodles and the soybean paste noodles. She said they were a little bland, but still good. We might not order these two dishes again, but we will definitely be back for the rest!

Erin L.

Yelp

Came here during a weekend trip to Houston and it did not disappoint! We ordered the beef noodle soup, fried pork cutlet rice, and potstickers. The beef noodle soup was super flavorful, and their noodles and flat and thin which I really like- reminds me of the ones I have back in Taiwan! The pork cutlets were perfectly fried, and comes with rice and I think chopped tofu in some sauce that you can mix it in with- super delicious and filling! The potstickers were super juicy and we made our own dipping sauce with soy sauce and vinegar. The prices were cheap- we got 12 potstickers for $9.50, beef soup for $8.95, and pork chops for $8.95. The portions were good for the price, we couldn't finish all the food so we had to take half the potstickers home! Even though there were a lot of people there the setup was super efficient so we only had to wait around 5 minutes despite the line going out the door. You order and pay at the front and they give you a number and you pick your seat and they bring the food out pretty quickly. They also sell frozen and take-home goods like buns and wontons. Very solid place, I will visit here whenever I come to Houston!

Grace Y.

Yelp

This is definitely a super affordable place in Chinatown with good portions. While I wouldn't say there was anything special about my Braised Pork Rice or the Sesame Scallion Cakes, it holds up for a quick meal. The only downside is that there seems to be barely any A/C, which made for a sweaty dining experience. I wouldn't visit here again, but it was good for the price.

Lois W.

Yelp

The appetizer, pan fried pork & cabbage dumplings were really tasty, it definitely is worth ordering every time. My friend ordered roast beef noodle soup, I think it's just okay, not my favorite dish because the soup is not flavorful enough for my liking. If the beef was cooked a little longer it could have been more tender. I ordered beef dumpling soup, beef dumplings were good too, but the soup again is too bland.

Yili X.

Yelp

Great food, very authentic and served it very fast once ordered. Nice environment too. My only advise would be to avoid rush hours during lunch time otherwise there will be long line.

Lisa R.

Yelp

Let's start off with the Fried chicken noodles=10/10 Fried chicken in served on side to prevent sogginess, noodles delicious and broth, can't put into words the amount of flavor! Pan pork fried dumplings = 10/10 In the middle of fried and soup dumplings. These were the best dumplings I've ever had!! This is a must try place! (Sorry no pictures everything went straight to my mouth)

Juliana C.

Yelp

I ordered a beef noodle and my dad ordered the tendon beef noodle. Both bowls were delicious. Located in the same plaza as Happy Lemon and R&B Tea. Service was fast and food came out hot. There is a little station where you grab your own water, napkins, and silverware. Food is affordable.

Sheyla C.

Yelp

We went to this place because it was trending online. I was very excited to try it! Their food was good, however the place is very small and it gets full SUPER quickly. You have to serve your drinks and utensils yourself, seat yourself and they just bring out the food, if you need to go boxes you get those yourself too. When we went it was in the middle of summer and their A/C was broken... even though the food was good we couldn't help but just take everything to go after eating and sitting for 15 minutes. I'm sure it wasn't their fault but it was very hard to eat in the heat and having people bump into you trying to find a seat.

Destinee R.

Yelp

This place is GREAT! This is my staple place to go to for a quick and cost efficient dinner. The roast beef noodle soup is amazing. The broth is super flavorful and the meat tender. The restaurant is intimate and gives a homey feel. You order at the window, take a number and food is brought to you.

Albert T.

Yelp

Always love a simple menu with soup and a side dumplings. Was craving some soup with a side of pan fried dumplings on a cold rainy day / San Dong always hits the spot! Ordered the pan fried dumpling with chives. Crispy skin with the dumpling inside - excellent with soy sauce dip. Wonton noodle soup - great broth, good portion of dumplings. Service is fast, can't get crowded at anytime within it being such a popular go-to place. Accepts credit card small upcharge / cash is king.

Daysi L.

Yelp

Delicious! very flavorful! everything was pretty cheap and filling. Soup had a lot of beef and non choy. I would definitely say u need to try the dumplings tho! they're super filling

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"Mai Pham, Eater contributor: San Dong Noodle House and Golden Dumpling House for dumplings." - Amy McCarthy