Dumpling Cafe

Kelly Cambridgeport

Good food, poor service. Servers are often sitting down, on their cell phones or speaking with one another. I usually tipped 20% even though the service was below expectations. There was one waitress who was helpful, but one server was especially terrible. In 2021. Dumpling Cafe implemented a mandatory gratuity of either 18% or 20%, and the service declined even further. I inadvertently found out about the mandatory tip when I asked for a receipt and the server told me that I'm all set. I had paid with credit card and the restaurant had returned the card without a receipt. I replied that I was not all set, that I needed the receipt. The server said she couldn't print it out, to speak with the cashier. I then spoke to the cashier and he said there was no way to print out the receipt, that I had to talk to someone named Michael. I asked where is Michael and the cashier told me Michael wasn't there at the moment, to come back in an hour. I asked if I come back in an hour, how would Michael know which receipt is mine. After I took a picture of the cashier, he miraculously printed out my final receipt and that is when I discovered the mandatory tip. I asked the cashier about the tip and he said this was something they felt they deserved. I asked the cashier what if I had paid in cash, would there have been a mandatory tip and he replied no.

Ghazi Bilbeisi

This place has good food. It’s a very casual and quick resolution to settling hunger. Staff is minimum with the work they do, not personable, which doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If your looking to get food on your plate and eat, this can be a place for you, food tastes fine. The place seems a bit old, so in comparison to other places, ambiance wise, your probably going to favor something else. I’d recommend this place really only if you are only looking to experience getting your meal quick. It’s an in and out type of experience. I prefer other restaurants to this just because it’s smells interesting in here sometimes, the staff always seem like they are trying to get rid of whoever is seated at the table. I just feel rushed and don’t love feeling rushed while enjoying the best creation of all, food. The food however does come out relatively quickly, which calls into question how fresh it is or if it’s been made prior and just heated.

Shanelle S

Late night Taiwanese restaurant with plentiful dumpling options. Came here with family on a Saturday evening for an early dinner around 6pm and got seated immediately. Indoor dining only, no outdoor option. Takeout is also available. Masks required. They do serve alcohol (there’s Tsingtao). Credit cards are accepted. We got four dishes for the four of us, and that was a good amount of food. My mom particularly loved the pork fried rice, and since she is a fried rice fiend, that’s high praise coming from her. The xiao long bao had a really thick skin and not a ton of broth inside, but they were very large. The fried dumplings were good. The Taiwanese beef noodle soup was alright as well; you can customize the noodle so for those who are picky about noodle thickness, you’re good there. It’s a small space so it may be harder to get a table during standard dining times, but we were in and out of there within an hour. Overall, a good option to eat at if you’re in Chinatown.

Jacob Doucette

I’ve never been dissatisfied with the food here. I love the pork soup dumplings! (I get them every time). For some reason they seem averted to refilling my water like every time I go.