Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Mama Lus Dumpling House in Monterey Park

4.2 (199) 501 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754, United States

Categories

Chinese restaurant
Dumpling restaurant
Taiwanese restaurant

Location on the map

Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, California, US

Phone: +1 626-282-2256
Site: https://mamalusdumplinghousetogo...

Opening hours

Monday:10 AM–9:30 PM
Tuesday:10 AM–9:30 PM
Wednesday:10 AM–9:30 PM
Thursday:10 AM–9:30 PM
Friday:10 AM–10 PM
Saturday:10 AM–10 PM
Sunday:10 AM–10 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.2

199 Reviews for Mama Lus Dumpling House 2024:

Review №1

2024-04-04 20:13:25

Solid dumpling and Chinese cuisine spot in the Monterey Park area. It has an extremely unique interior design, and has lots of seating. We came very late so it wasn’t too busy and we were seating immediately. We ordered a wide variety of options and they were all pretty good. Nothing mind blowing, but extremely filling, and ordering is best done family style. Some fun unique options like the juicy dumplings (soup dumplings), and an amazing beef wrap. Kind of pricey for Chinese food but the portions are good. Wish that I could have tried their duck, but the options I had were still plentiful. Overall a good place to take a family or have an outing with friends.

Review №2

2024-02-23 05:02:21

The food is good. We ordered pan fried pork bun (also called shengjian mantou), chicken wing, spicy wonton, signature fried fish, and Mongolian beef. Food came with large quantities, we three people couldn’t finish the food and had some take home.I came for pan fried pork bun, it’s really not that authentic, but still good. My favorite was spicy wonton, but still, the filling was not that amazing. The rest of dishes, I’d say, is good, but kinda Americanized.The restaurant was crowded, (maybe always :), 10min wait at least. so recommend come early, or join the waitlist online.

Review №3

2024-04-08 04:30:02

Pretty good roast duck, crispy skin and very flavorful at least for the dark meat sections. The accompanying sweet soy and duck drippings compliment the white meat. The green beans were flash fried, giving them a slightly bubbly skin. While the soup dumplings were ok, they werent nearly as thin skinned and delicate as Dan Modern Chinese.Service was fast. The atmosphere was casual.

Review №4

2024-03-25 21:07:14

We ordered pork dumplings, chow mien with chicken and pork with Mongolian Beef. It was so good and had lots of flavors. It was just enough for the both of us. Hope my review helps, Enjoy!

Review №5

2024-03-26 15:33:05

Hit the XLB/spicy wonton/beef roll/noodle soup itch! The beef roll had great flavor... Cant have to much cilantro! Our waitress was very friendly and helpful

Review №6

2024-05-27 21:15:02

The service wasn’t the best. They don’t really check up on you if you need anything. Food was pretty good. Big portions for the price.

Review №7

2024-07-01 02:00:43

We had a fantastic dining experience at Mama Lu Dumpling House! Food is great. We ordered the juicy pork dumplings, beef wrap, and calamari and more, and each dish was fantastic. The flavors were on point, and everything was cooked to perfection. Portions are generous, ensuring you leave satisfied after enjoying authentic flavors.Be prepared for a wait during peak hours as theres often a long line, but its definitely worth it. If youre a fan of dumplings, good food and looking for a mice spot for authentic and tasty Chinese cuisine, Mama Lu Dumpling House is a must-visit!

Review №8

2024-06-18 06:01:05

Im normally not one to leave negative reviews or pull the race card ever but my last experience with my partner here was upsetting. We had been here once before and really liked it so decided to come back but our experience was completely different the second time. We were seated and our server kept ignoring us like we were invisible and took forever to even take our order. He was going to take the order of 2 other people first who sat down AFTER we did until we politely let him know we had already been waiting for almost 15 minutes. He takes our order and then brings us our drinks. Then starts quickly taking the order of another large party of at least 8 people. Then we start noticing the 2 tables who sat down after we did and order AFTER we did start getting their food before we do - one of them being the large party. We continue waiting until my partner asked where our food was and they just apologized and kept saying our food was coming. But other people were still getting their food before us despite us sitting and ordering before they did and we had already been waiting for nearly 30 minutes. We got so fed up we decided to just pay for our drinks and leave. Its very disappointing because we did like the food here but definitely dont feel like dining in here anymore. Theres better Chinese food places in Monterey Park so its fine but just was very uncomfortable and couldnt help but think that maybe its because we were the only non-Asians there at the time. Sorry to pull the race card but it seems if you arent Asian, or are just Hispanic/Latino they treat you with less respect.

Review №9

2023-10-28 22:19:57

Average Chinese food. Came for the dumplings which are pretty average. Theres a beef egg drop soup which is pretty good. Good thing they provide plenty of vinegar to help with the grease that comes with soup dumplings. They can definitely cut back on the grease used in the special pancakes (have no idea what theyre called in English).For the price point, this is a decent place. However, if youre from China and have eaten plenty of Chinese food already theres nothing special here that will seem better than authentic Chinese food. But its good enough to get a good preview of soup dumplings. Just wish it didnt taste like literally every other soup dumpling place Ive been to.This place probably gets full as well during busy hours - was almost full on a Sunday night so plan ahead.

Review №10

2023-08-21 20:55:34

There are two locations on the same street so super convenient and easy to get the table. This place is a dupe for DTF 😉 and worth every penny. Sweet and efficient staff, our foods served real fast 💨 . Its not even pricey if you see the portion size 😳. We were so full and still lots of leftover food.

Review №11

2022-11-30 05:05:49

First time eating here again in over 2 years and it felt nostalgic af. I remember my parents used to come here all the time pre-pandemic because it was one of our fav Morita restaurant. Their food was always a hit and never a miss. However, I do feel like their quality has gone down a little bit and didn’t taste like how I remembered…

Review №12

2024-06-16 05:24:51

My first time eating dumplings and pan cakes from a restaurant in the U.S. The food was delicious and it reminds me of my time eating these dishes in Guangzhou; China ☺️

Review №13

2023-04-19 23:03:24

Looking for something simple, I got the yang chow fried rice, which was pretty good, and the crispy fried coconut bread. Compared to the other location, this restaurant put little effort into presentation. See my before and after photos 😂.I haven’t been to this location in a while and it’s definitely less busy than it used to be. I came on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was nearly empty. There’s a lot of tables here and there is parking outside and underground.

Review №14

2022-08-09 02:31:16

The deep fried pork chops were amazing, well seasoned, crispy. The fried seaweed fish was a little bland. The juicy pork dumplings looked a little dry but were indeed very juicy and delicious.I usually go to the other location but this place was really good as well. Much more seating, the service was alright, not the best.

Review №15

2024-05-18 01:23:43

I have been eating here and the other location for ten years and this location has only gone down hill.There was a large black hair wrapped around my dumpling a few weeks ago, the servers were rude, and now they are up charging beef on the Shanghai noodles. The Shanghai noodles used to already come with beef but now they want $3 extra. I’m not paying extra for the same beef just because they’re greedy.I used to recommend this spot to everyone but the quality and service suck now. It was much better back when they gave complimentary peanuts and tea.I should have taken a picture of the hairy dumpling but the waiter quickly took it away after we pointed it out

Review №16

2022-12-15 15:23:36

A safe option if youre craving for reliable and quality Chinese food. The huge menu is flooded with items, so we gambled a bit with what to order. We ordered seaweed fish, egg white and dried scallop stir-fried rice, beef wrap, house stir-fried udon, west lake beef soup, and French style tenderloin. All of them came in pretty decent portions.The best item and also a must try is the seaweed fish. Its incredible technique to be able to craft such crispy and large fish pieces. The lemon salt and pepper dipping goes compliment it so well.I really like the beef wrap and tenderloin. A tad salty but well seasoned. The tenderloin is tender and full of flavors.The egg white and scallop stir fried rice is awesome. The egg white is silky. A little more dried scallop would be nice, but its a pricey ingredient so I get it.I tried the truffle soup dumpling. It was soupy, meat was soft, and tasted great. I tasted the subtle hint of truffle. The only caveat is the price, you only get 6 pieces for 15 bucks.

Review №17

2021-10-20 07:00:05

Never disappoints and always hits the spot when I’m craving authentic Cantonese food. Brought my parents here and they loved it! Menus with pictures also help 🥰 we ordered the pan fried noodles, snow peas shoots (bean seedlings), salt pepper calamari, seaweed fish, and pork soup dumplings! There’s a small parking lot in the back that offers free 30/60 min. This place can also accommodate large groups!!

Review №18

2024-03-31 23:56:11

We got the table right away, no need to wait for it. We ordered sweet and sour pork spareribs, seaweed fish, egg tofu and white rice. Food was delicious, big portion. Recommend Mongolian beef, seaweed fish and egg tofu.

Review №19

2024-02-04 04:25:51

Update: I cant believe this place is only a 4.2!!!! Should be a 5.2!!!!! Still the best!!One of the best Chinese places around in Monterey Park and thats a statement! Great food, cheap prices, and lots of parking!!

Review №20

2023-01-16 20:48:37

Waited 5-10 min before seated, we ordered Juicy Pork Dumplings, Sauteed String Beans, And Spicy Salt Pork Chop. Food came out from the kitchen surprisingly very quick. Great dinning experience, just one thing, the crystalized flakes on the pork chop (Aka: Msg) were a little too much, it looks good, indeed, but wish they could put less. Maybe Pork chop with Peking Sauce would be better, next time will try.

Review №21

2023-08-15 08:10:42

Drove 2 hrs to try this spot and it did not disappoint. Everything we had was delicious 😋 10/10 amazing job. Strongly recommend try this spot out you will not be disappointed. I will drive back and crush this menu 😋 🤣 for sure.

Review №22

2021-12-07 06:52:33

We went on a Saturday afternoon for lunch in late November 2021. We were seated right away. Good service and great food!We had spicy wonton, French style beef tenderloin, roasted red noodle soup, and spicy clams in chili oil.

Review №23

2021-12-12 04:02:14

Food was good, chicken fried dumplings, pork fried dumplings, scallion pancake, chicken and broccoli entree.Service was frustrating, it required effort to get attention from the staff from the get go. From placing the order, to ordering more food, getting the check etc.Service was peculiar and slow, with the entree arriving a good 10-15 minutes before the appetizers. From many experiences in other restaurants, the server will alert you to that and offer an options to hold the entree until after appetizers are served.Finally, the bathrooms (men’s) looks like after demolition. Not only it was filthy, it was falling apart and disgusting. I felt lucky I did not have guests over, that would have been embarrassing..- when you couple this with the rule of thumb: Imagine how the kitchen looks, check the bathroom first. SCARYA business cannot possibly respect its patrons if it keeps its bathrooms in such a horrible state. .

Review №24

2023-07-05 00:53:58

Great food and atmosphere, the pork dumplings are divine! If you’re ordering online pay attention to the address, they have another Mama Lu’s less than half a mile away. Decent amount of seats, laid back atmosphere and quick/friendly service. Tried the orange chicken and pork dumplings this time, as well as the sautéed vegetables. Veggies were not worth the price but the other two dishes were great. Other location had good quality too. Definitely recommend!

Review №25

2017-03-11 19:19:14

This is my first time here and I like it very much! Everything we ordered were good! The wait was pretty long but once we ordered the dishes came up really fast almost too fast! This is a good sign of a well run restaurant!The beef roll is best to be eaten when they first came out while they are still warm!

Review №26

2024-06-03 03:01:28

The service was great, very attentive and helpful in English and Mandarin. The food was also very good, though I think it could use a bit more salt/flavor actually. We had shengjian bao and beef chow fun, and they just needed a little more flavor to be perfect.

Review №27

2021-04-14 20:56:51

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Monterey Park. They have finally opened for indoor dining. Although the restaurant is at 50% capacity, we were seated right away when we got there.People are friendly here. They were so glad to see us and got us a good table. Even though this place is known for their Cantonese food, but we normally come here for their northern cuisines. Our favorite food here has to be their scallion pan cake. With thin layers and crispy bites with great scallion flavor, this is the best onion pan cake I’ve ever had. Believe or not, my second favorite is their hot and sour soup. The taste of this soup is very close to Din Tai Fung.The typical fried noodles and sweat and sour pork and ribs are very good as too. The portions here are big. So go with a big group to enjoy and sample a few different variety of dishes.During the pandemic shutdown, we had been coming here to order their frozen Xiao Long boa, pot sticker and shrimp wonton. These frozen items are good price and great tasty food. They have two locations on Garvey Ave. In Monterrey Park. Parking is in the back of the restaurant.

Review №28

2023-10-04 04:32:19

On our way from Universal..we were craving Dumplings so ended up yelping this place .the looks can be deceptive but nice flavourful Chinese sit down place..chicken Dumplings..pork and coconut bread was my fav.

Review №29

2024-02-11 05:47:49

Went during Lunar New Year. Service was pretty bad. We entered the restaurant 10 seconds after receiving the text that our table was ready only to see them giving our table away immediately. This was after over 40 minutes of waiting on the waitlist.Servers were polite beyond that incident, so I had no problem with them. However, the food was very mediocre, especially given the price. They managed to make scallion pancakes rock hard even after they came after all our other orders. Pork soup dumplings had very little meat and didnt have much taste. I will say maybe it was due to their business during the Lunar New Year, however, when spending around $30 per person, this place wasnt really worth it.

Review №30

2021-10-23 21:52:01

A very tasty Chinese restaurant on Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park. I love the bean curd tofu with enoki mushroom, Chinese broccoli, ong choi with spicy preserved tofu, and any of their veggie dishes. My parents enjoy their xiao long bao. I wouldn’t recommend the coconut buns though, they come out a bit burnt and hard. Their scallion pancakes are just okay. They have two locations, I’ve only dined at the one located on Garvey and Ynez.

Review №31

2023-05-31 03:21:22

I have always liked Mama Lus xiao long baos, Shanghai rice cakes, beef rolls, beef Chow Fun, spicy Won Tons, hot and sour soup and Yangzhou fried rice.

Review №32

2021-10-26 13:16:55

Very good seaweed fish and crispy pan fried noodles. The garlic bean seedlings was fresh and tasty. However, the salt and pepper Calamari was overcooked and dried.

Review №33

2024-03-17 18:25:38

The food was really fresh. The udons were very filling. My favorite was the beef stew. I liked how the restroom had the rubber hollow mat so any spilled liquid doesnt become slippery.

Review №34

2022-01-10 22:01:19

Mama Lus is an amazing mom and pop. Soup dumplings and seaweed fish are my favorites. Use a tempura like batter on the fish with a side of salt and lemon. Serve it family style and bring to table as its prepared, so might not get things all st once but you get it fresh right from the kitchen which I prefer!! So good!

Review №35

2021-09-23 03:53:02

Ordered the juicy truffle dumplings, the juicy pho dumplings, the pan fried curry chicken dumplings, and the coconut pan fried bread. The pan fried curry chicken dumplings were my favorite. The juicy dumplings were disappointing because the soup had leaked out of all of them before I got a single bite. The pho dumplings definitely reminiscent of pho broth but heavy on the anise. We got there just before the dinner rush and it ended ui being completely full before we left.

Review №36

2016-12-05 19:17:17

The dumplings here are pretty good. The other dishes (non-dumplings) are solid. So combined with good dumplings and you got a great find. Theres typically a wait here so its good they now have 3 locations. If Im craving dumplings I usually go elsewhere, but this is good if youre craving dumplings plus regular dishes.

Review №37

2018-02-26 01:16:47

This is my second review for Mama Lus restaurant. However, this time, I went to their other location. This place was so much bigger than the first location. The line was shorter and the wait took about 5 min. We tried some new dishes, spicywontons, spicysalt pork chops, shanghai rice cake, and some dumplings. As my previous experience, all of our orders tasted great. I really like this place. So far, soooo gooood. Thats the end of my report for now.

Review №38

2017-05-07 06:51:22

Love their food here! Great prices and big portions! Average price per plate was $8-10. We always try to make a stop at one of their locations when we are in the area. Cant really go wrong with any of their dishes.

Review №39

2024-05-24 23:41:27

Love the hot and sour soup here - it’s the best!!! They have really good soup dumplings - I’ve tried the chicken and pork ones - and their spicy wontons are great too!

Review №40

2023-12-07 04:20:38

Definitely a hidden gem. The food was amazing. Best orange chicken I’ve ever had and the juicy pork dumplings were amazing. We also had beef noodles and they were delicious. It was so good, we ate it again tonight. We are visiting and don’t have one in Florida. A must try if you’re in the area!

Review №41

2023-02-26 06:32:20

This dumpling house is the perfect cold weather meal for this rainy season, at the time of writing we had some amazing rainfall in LA. The atmosphere isnt anything to write home about but the food was pretty good. The juicy chicken and crispy chicken dumplings were made to order with great skin texture and a pleasant flavor. The service was pretty slow even though the dining room wasnt particularity full. I recommend their chow mein as well. The noodle texture was on point with very thin noodles.

Review №42

2018-12-02 05:59:12

Mama Lu at this location makes good authentic Chinese food. Eating here almost feels like home, and the prices are very reasonable. I live in San Diego and always make the trip over when I’m in the area. The food never disappoints. I love the noodle dishes, the xiao long baos, and all the dumpling/wonton/potsticker variations. We tried some shellfish options today for the first time. Those are decent too if you need to cut down on starch like us (to make the drive home safely without going in a food coma).

Review №43

2023-02-26 00:46:31

Tasty dishes. My favorite probably the Indonesian fried rice and the crispy bao. Stir fry eggplants was pretty good considering Im not much of a fan of eggplants. While the steam juicy dumplings (soup dumplings) and spicy wontons was just ok and was my least fave part. Definitely need to come back for more tries cus they got alot of items on the menu lol.

Review №44

2019-04-04 05:35:16

Two words...beef wrap. The food here is delicious but customer service is not the best. Its understandable because the place is always full and busy. The good thing you can add your name on the waiting list on Yelp. The table is nicely set up with plates, chopsticks, and theres a kettle with hot tea.My friends and I ordered various menu items and the plates are huge to be shared among people. We ordered the beef wrap, beef fried rice, green onion pancake, spicy wontons, and juicy pork dumplings. The food arrived quickly so we were able to indulge in the good eats. The beef wrap is always delicious like a fried burrito with cucumbers. The dumplings were hot on the inside and not warm or mushy. My friend introduced me to the green onion pancake which now became my second favorite item from here. Its crunchy and it doesnt taste salty.Theres parking available in the back or in the underground garage. As I mentioned that customer service is not the greatest as the servers are always in a rush and dont seem patient. You come here for the food which is good.

Review №45

2017-09-05 04:25:59

Yessss! Everything was delicious! Efficient quick service. Juicy xlb, tender beef slices in the wrap. Spicy wonton and pot stickers were not as good but still good. The thai seafood pan fried rice noodle was really good. They also have frozen food you can take home to cook yourself! Definitely coming back again.

Review №46

2022-12-12 05:02:29

Its always been our go to Chinese Restaurant.Servings are a good portion. Prices are reasonable. And everything tastes good.

Review №47

2017-07-24 05:09:44

Spicy wontons are a must!! Soooooo good!! Soup Dumplings wrapper was a little thicker than the ones you get at Din Tai Fung and there was less soup inside

Review №48

2018-12-15 22:38:48

Phenomenal dishes full of flavor paired with tea. I had the #1 Juicy Pork Dumplings and #57 Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Stir Fried Udon. Super delicious and filling! Will have to come back with friends to try more dishes and make it a family style meal.

Review №49

2019-07-28 00:03:51

I am not a Chinese food guy but we came here with my wife over a friend’s recommendation. I loved this place for three reasons: 1- The food is very tasty, 2- portions are big, 3- the value/price is very high compared to LA restaurants. It’s not a super fancy place but everything about their food was beyond my expectation.

Review №50

2023-07-03 02:10:39

Great place for authentic Chinese food, all the dishes had the right flavors.

Review №51

2019-06-09 14:00:33

Best variety of Chinese cuisine plus dumplings in the area! Love love their customer service. Love their serving portions! A must try! Definitely returning!

Review №52

2020-01-27 02:40:08

Dont understand the hype. This place is decent but you can probably find better variants of the same dishes elsewhere. I was super excited to try this place but everything just kind of missed the mark! Disappointed.

Review №53

2019-03-17 15:49:42

Soup dumplings were delicious! Tea is complementary and the service was great. There wasn’t much of a wait on a weekday evening. We also got the beef roll and it was small in size for the price. Also it was more cucumbers than beef and some delicious hoisin and bbq sauce. I definitely would come back to try other menu items.

Review №54

2023-01-22 02:25:17

Good is good. Prices are great.Beverages are too sweet for my taste but a water glass and ice fixed the issueDumpling soup noodle is infinite. It was good. Fried rice is good

Review №55

2022-08-29 00:57:35

Great food, never disappointed. The Black pepper beef 🍜 noodle, xiaolongbao and beef rolls are so tasty.

Review №56

2017-08-18 06:46:25

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. This place was packed when we came in but we didnt have to wait too long to get a table. Food was very tasty! Our order came very quickly. Good portions for the cheap price.

Review №57

2023-02-05 22:11:52

The spoon and chopsticks are not cleaned well. They are sticky. The quality of foods are so so. I will try somewhere else next time.

Review №58

2021-01-15 12:12:10

Delicious Juicy Dumplings...and most definitely try the garlic string beans,Their Beef fried rice has a delicious flavor,very tasty and also try the sweet and spicy short ribs... Mamas Lu is awesome and delicious...$$$ Pricy but worth it!

Review №59

2018-01-02 02:44:35

Huge portions and good prices. TVs with sports and local programs. Very busy during normal dining times so go early. Parking lot underground available that is two levels deep. The name of thebrestaurant means a mouth of blessing in Chinese.

Review №60

2023-11-05 16:14:31

Food is amazing! Nice atmosphere too... the ceilings are super high and there is a really cool print on the west wall. Besides their dumplings, try the scrambled eggs with shrimp and sauteed green beans. Tasty 😋Only bummer: no beer 🤪🍻

Review №61

2019-02-07 01:39:41

I got off to a bad start with the manager. I asked him if the beef wraps were supposed to be served cold. He insisted that the beef wraps were hot and he tested it with his finger. Anyway, I loved the wraps so much that I asked them to replace with hot wraps and he finally agreed. Other than that (and he did make it right) the food was fantastic!!!

Review №62

2019-03-20 06:03:16

Cant beat Mama Lus dumpling house for cheap but yummy Chinese food! Ive been here 3 times and it has never disappointed me. Dishes cost around $8-12 and the serving is huge. I recomment the beef wrap, juicy pork dumplings, yang chow fried rice, beef chow fun, Steamed chicken (similar to hainanese chicken), golden fried shrimp, seaweed fish, garlic flavored bean seedlings. Some of these dishes can be oily though, but it is a chinese restaurant after all.

Review №63

2018-06-20 23:26:11

Decent pork dumplings for its price point. There are many other dishes beside dumplings that you can also enjoy here. Every meal, you are served a small dish of peanuts and a small pot of tea, i.e. tea bags.Overall enjoyed my meal, but I think that they could do a better job cleaning their condiment containers.

Review №64

2024-04-01 00:39:52

Waiters with bad attitude, THEY DONT EVEN GIVE US TIME TO CONSIDER, but kept hurrying us to be quicker and something, no smiling, no asking for forgiving, just with their annoying faces and tones from entering till leaving, and the reason for all these crazy service is just because that they claimed that they are too popular so we have to finish our meal fast to save spot for their next costumers, even though they are VERY SLOWWWWW for the meal😅bro Im here to pay for my meal not for receiving your anger for no reasons😅the taste doesnt even matter at this point, very bad experience, never recommend

Review №65

2019-03-13 16:07:26

Not as good as the original but still amazing. The salted seaweed fish & hot & sour soup are a must. The dumplings are a hit or miss at this location but still good if they are done right. You can buy fresh ones to go and cook at home or freeze them. The pancakes & beef wrap are amazing as well.

Review №66

2024-01-28 23:23:29

Recommend it 100%! The food is amazing!!! The servers are terrific and hard-working. I always leave a good tip in appreciation of their service and attentiveness.

Review №67

2018-04-29 05:34:57

Delicious food! Great prices. But very busy. This place is very popular for very good reasons!! Stop in if your in town. It is worth the wait and the money!!!

Review №68

2023-01-02 03:46:23

The beef wraps (bottom left in the picture) are to die for. Soup dumplings are awesome too

Review №69

2018-07-23 00:25:15

The soup dumplings and shanghai rice cakes were delicious but their spicy wonton was not as good as I hoped. I personally liked Din Tai Fung’s spicy wonton more as it has a more meaty flavor while this one had a more cilantro flavor. I don’t mind the cilantro flavor but it lacked deep rich flavor. I do like that it is more spicy than the Din Tai fung one though.It is a really affordable restaurant so for it’s price point, the food is good!

Review №70

2022-02-05 00:53:01

The place is big, it has a big parking, the food is good. The fried dumplings and the peaking pork chops were my favorite. But beware they serve you a lot of food. I was not prepared for that. Overall I recommend.

Review №71

2018-07-23 22:44:55

Most good soup stocks are made with meat, chicken or fish bones - you know flavor. My spinach and pork wonton soup broth was really weak; nothing like flavor jumped out from the wontons either. So I doctored it a bit from the condiment tray on my table. First with vinegar, then some chili sauce, it helped but not very satisfying. The place was very clean, fast cheerful service.

Review №72

2020-12-06 18:55:12

I was already so full but I had to go get some delicious dumplings. Their normal food is excellent as well so I would highly recommended you go try out all the other delicious dishes. These soup dumplings are flavorful and hot, dip it in some soy sauce vinegar and just chow down!!

Review №73

2023-12-25 21:50:15

Food was average, service was not good. The place was pretty empty upon arrival but had to ask for water after sitting down for 10 minutes and took more than 30 minutes for the food to arrive.

Review №74

2023-10-08 05:11:49

Love the food here. Obviously, not a vegan place. However, there is vegan options.I personally had their veggies and definitely forgot to take photos here because of the amazing food I was enjoying. I’ve been coming here for a while and even before I became vegan this has always been a wonderful go to place around the Alhambra area.Everything is made fresh, which is important, of course.If you are expecting to come in and out of a place, this is not the place for you to go to. Most of the time you may need to wait and get a number for you to be seated and seen.If you have time, this place is worth checking out. As you know aside from dumplings, they are known for their noodle dishes the rice dishes, and they also have fresh, veggie dishes, etc. etc..There is another Mama Lu’s dumpling house, but I actually prefer this one, as the atmosphere is bigger with higher ceilings, and also more seating compared to the other place.Long story short, if you like Chinese family style food and enjoying dumplings, that’s not typically over rated like it Din Tai Fung come through.

Review №75

2023-05-06 04:23:54

One of the best options to have a good dumpling, lots of different noodles options and other dishes.

Review №76

2023-12-06 07:12:03

Not as good AT ALL as the East Garvey location. People who came in after us were served before us. We were ignored until we said something. Food was definitely not as good as the other location. Are they even the same owner?? Wont go back.

Review №77

2021-11-15 17:40:05

Indonesian Fried Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️was phenomenal!! Sweet and Sour Soup and Chicken soup dumplings were so tasty! Speedy service 🏃🏻and fantastic food.👍🏻👍🏻🌈✨✨✨

Review №78

2023-06-12 00:52:39

This was our first time at the restaurant and hands down the worst experience. I can’t say anything about the food because after waiting for 25 minutes we lost our appetite and still decided to order. I had to wave someone down to take our order and ended up trying their Beef wrap, black pepper beef noodles, chicken dumplings and beef fried rice. Hands down besides the beef wrap everything else was full of flavor just don’t forget to use chili oil and the rest is history.Pros: Great foodCons: weak customer service

Review №79

2018-04-16 05:42:56

Very nice place to enjoy Chinese foods. My favorites are the dumplings, fried fish and the pork chops.

Review №80

2024-05-20 21:18:09

Not a big fancy place, but fast service, great food and parking on site

Review №81

2023-06-30 01:03:20

This dim sum place has affordable prices and delicious food. perfectly seasoned and fresh, with fast service too. this place has free parking right next to the building. although no music played in the restaurant, the place was lively and full with chatter and customers. i would DEFINITELY come back for their yummy food! overall, 5/5 stars!!

Review №82

2023-08-29 23:06:14

Bathrooms are super dirty. Food was subpar. Steamed chicken was raw and bloody. Dumplings were falling apart when they got to the table. Beef wrap wasnt bad. Spicy wontons were edible. Pork and veggie buns tasted spongey. Im sure this place was great a few years ago, but this is my second bad experience. Service was decent but at the end of the day, it doesnt make up for the bad food. Skip this place and go to pine and crane.

Review №83

2019-03-19 00:28:50

Not sure what the hype is about the soup dumplings here is... got a batch of 10, 8 of which were broken already and leaked out all their soup before getting to me. The meat inside was a bit dry and not that tasty, and the actual skin itself wasnt that thin.

Review №84

2021-05-19 06:09:48

Very nice place with a great selection of food. Ordered quite a few dishes and the food came out fast. Portions are big!!! Very good customer service and in a nice location. Parking in the back was convenient.

Review №85

2020-01-01 00:42:58

Good food, the service not so much, food quality is great.

Review №86

2023-12-19 19:38:59

Very mid/low quality food. what annoyed me most was this forcibly gave us a tea that costed $7 even though we didn’t ask for it. that’s scam.

Review №87

2023-05-25 04:23:55

Yummy dumplings restaurant, I wasnt disappointed, all very tasty!!

Review №88

2024-05-26 12:17:46

Such friendly service and great food in big portions.

Review №89

2017-10-26 18:50:13

Delicious! Food is tasty and better than many other restaurants in the area. Service staff are mostly very very nice, but this place gets so busy during rush times that it might effect the service. I would give it five stars if the service was near 100%

Review №90

2017-10-05 03:53:41

What can you say - authentic, extremely good food. I would say Wontons served in broth are fantastic, the fried fish is beyond good, and various dishes my Asian coworkers order and that I cannot pronounce were all delicious.

Review №91

2023-04-02 03:12:05

Honest three stars, this place need a few important improvements. The food is acceptable, but the dishes are not very clean. The cup has a thick layer of grease, very sticky to your fingers. I had to use hot tea and napkins to clean it. The hot water smell like a lot of bleach. I cant drink it. I hope the management will improve these points.

Review №92

2020-01-05 17:27:40

Came here since it was one of the only places open on Thanksgiving. Xlbs were lackluster and the skin was too thick. Also got the beef noodle soup that had too much of the earthy spices. It was a little cloying. But if you like northern style chinese lamb dishes, you might like this flavor. The garlic green beans were pretty good though.I still prefer din tai fung for their delicate xlbs, noodle soups, and veggie dishes.

Review №93

2022-12-07 23:33:23

Chicken Laksa n Xiao long bao are what I ordered today. The portion of Laksa is big but Xiao long bao is not that juicy.

Review №94

2017-01-31 01:49:08

This place is good, but the original Mama Lus thats a few blocks down is better in the end. I will say that there usually is a much shorter wait than the original, though

Review №95

2016-12-07 06:15:57

Good choices of Chinese comfort food. Hong Kong style cafe. Large servings.

Review №96

2019-12-18 16:51:03

Good quality Chinese food that comes in extra large portions, making it a great value option for groups (a bit difficult if you are dining alone...)

Review №97

2017-10-05 19:33:02

My go-to dumpling house. Mama Lus never fails to leave me satisfied if I just want dumplings! This is my Chinese comfort food, theres large portions at a reasonable price. Everything comes out quick so you dont have to worry about being hungry. The Xiao long baos are juicy and oh so good! Sometimes I buy their freezer XLBs to cook at home!This place is great whenever you have a large group or just want to bring your family to celebrate the little things in life.

Review №98

2018-05-11 13:51:48

Good for dumplings, try to avoid ordering normal dishes here though

Review №99

2018-10-07 03:42:43

Soup dumplings are amazing!! It’s cheaper and more delicious than Din Tai Fung.

Review №100

2023-03-06 21:39:58

Amazing food!!! And great customer service!!! Definitely coming back !!

Review №101

2024-03-30 23:17:56

Good food but I thought it a bit pricey.

Review №102

2022-11-14 06:55:08

Incredible! I have been coming here for years, this place doesn’t miss! Everything from their pan fried dumplings, fried rice, and Mongolian beef (fav) is a hit! Oh oh, also the spicy wontons are sooo delicious! Their servers are quick and attentive, and the price is fair, for the family style food you’re getting.Thank you a being a staple, you’re definitely in my rotation Mama Lu. ☺️

Review №103

2023-10-02 15:06:59

Food was only okay, good service but this older worker kept staring at us, atmosphere was dead. Overall just fine, guess the other one is the good one.

Review №104

2021-07-27 10:45:34

I love the place, price is good, the quantity huge, and quality is good.

Review №105

2022-07-31 02:44:08

The place is amazing. The food is delicious and the staff is friendly. We ordered and received our food very quickly. We ordered a variety of dumplings, a soup to share and an entree to share as well. The food came out hot. We will definitely be going back.

Review №106

2021-12-31 22:09:14

The staff are attentive and friendly. The food was flavorful and consistent. Always a great experience.

Review №107

2022-11-19 20:13:22

The foods is aright, not the best. However, the service is terrible . I dont understand whats the hype? I noticed that the noodles portion are huge maybe thats why so many people come to get their moneys worth. I felt rushed and uncomfortable the ladies running the store could use some customers service training. This is my first and last time going to this dumplings joint!

Review №108

2022-02-05 04:29:22

Went in on a Thursday afternoon during lunch. We were seated quickly and food came out in good time. Soup dumplings were delicious, soy sauce noodles and mango black tea with Boba. All good. Also tried the fish and pork dumplings which were not my favorite. But everything else....Yum! Will definitely visit again.

Review №109

2019-02-11 22:31:53

Wonderful on a Monday afternoon - fast service, no wait. Amazing juicy pork soup dumplings (two orders!), scallion pancake and veggie and meat fried buns... Huge serving of broccoli that was nice and crunchy rounded out lunch for four. Super recommended and inexpensive! Probably wouldnt want to wait in a line for an hour, but as a casual lunch it was perfect 😍

Review №110

2020-08-22 19:27:27

So delicious!!!! The dumplings and beef noodle wrap were amazing, hot and sour soup was so yummy. The veggie dishes, and chicken dishes were also delicious! We called in our order ahead of time, and it was a fast, easy, and sanitary pick up. Will definitely be ordering from there again!!

Review №111

2024-01-11 15:48:22

Food was great bathrooms were dirty but still a good place

Review №112

2022-06-16 05:21:27

This is a great place for a large group to gather and enjoy a Chinese dinner. They have plenty of dumpling options, meat or veggie. They have an abundance of menu items and have several vegetarian options. The best thing to do is to order different dishes to share as the portions are “family-style.”

Review №113

2023-11-10 19:16:55

Friendly and attentive service.

Review №114

2021-09-21 23:06:35

Really good dumplings. Great service

Review №115

2022-09-26 01:15:44

The food is really good. It is a good place to go as a group and each person gets something different. We really enjoyed it. The shrimp fried rice, fried fish... staff is friendly also. I will be coming back again.

Review №116

2017-09-16 19:04:47

Im a regular here, been here often for a few years now. The food is great, portions are amazing compared to price, and prices are same all throughout the day. The restaurant is really small though, so if you come in during peak hours youll have to wait. Customer service is standard for a typical Chinese restaurant. They arent rude, so thats good enough. Just be ready to pack leftovers home, unless youre a BIG eater.

Review №117

2023-06-30 04:33:53

This is place is not only making money to sell foods but also charging ppl on using credit card.they wanted to charge $1.00 credit card fee on $6.00 bills.. that 16% surcharge while credit card company charge only 3%.too greedy

Review №118

2022-09-02 21:26:40

It’s a good place for some dumplings them thangs was really good here. This place is better than most Dumpling spots. The food was great you should try it out come through in a big group too they do very well with that.

Review №119

2021-07-25 01:52:37

Went with Authentic Chinese friends. They ordered the most delicious dishes. The green onion omlette was delicious, as well as the dumplings (better than that other well known dumpling restaurant, but much less). The others at the table ate the chow main. I was too slow, so I didnt get any. Went as soon as the restaurant opened, so there were no other people waiting. We stayed for an hour and a half, did not feel rushed.

Review №120

2021-08-30 00:09:32

This is for 501 W. Garvey location. Great food and reasonable price. Love the Singaporean noodles, French beef and pork chop. Indoor dining is now open. Great service from Alex, manager. Pick up orders are ready usually in 15 to 30 minutes.

Review №121

2022-07-16 04:19:55

Do not order online. I ordered two noodle dishes online and when I showed up she said there wasnt any more beef chow fun..If theres no more.... then go make it. she offered to make something else but I decided to just take whatever of my order was ready because I was in a hurry. but turned out none of it was ready and they had to make everything. so what was the point of ordering online? there was none

Review №122

2019-05-13 23:51:02

The food here is wonderful and quite authentic. We had the juicy pork and crab dumplings, the beef rap, the salt and pepper prawns, and a noodle dish. It is delivered quickly to your table and all of it is delicious. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the weight is atrocious! We put our names, Via mobile phone, on the waitlist 15 minutes before we arrived and we still had to wait 45 minutes. If you are hungry and you dont want to wait an hour for dumplings this will not be your restaurant of choice.

Review №123

2023-03-06 05:05:07

This place has been highly reviewed but the juicy dumplings distinctly lacked juice, and our wontons were over-boiled to the point of being mushy. Flavors were nice.

Review №124

2017-12-27 03:19:56

I was visiting relatives down in Monterey Park, and for dinner we stopped here at Mama Lus. My aunt was running late, and what was really annoying was that they only seated full parties. The employees had threatened to take away our reservation if she didnt come in the next 5 minutes, but thankfully she got there fast.The food was mediocre. Reading the reviews I expected to be impressed but I wasnt. It all tasted... Pasty and dry somehow. The only thing that was really good was the vegetables.All in all, I wont come here again by my own preferences. But, the tea brick next door was AMAZING....??

Review №125

2021-09-23 02:09:27

Hi again. So today I was invited by a regular who always go to Mama Lus. For those of you who love tasty food and great service then this is the place for you. Large portions of food, tea and water. I was handed chopsticks and a fork just in case I couldnt handle the chopsticks by themselves. How thoughtful is that? Anyways Enjoy and eat up. 😋

Review №126

2023-09-19 18:29:36

Great food, bit be careful with the seafood the metal brushes used to remove the scales can get lodged in the meat and then your gums.

Review №127

2022-02-21 04:33:32

Food was pretty good. Customer Service was just okay. Pretty busy so they hardly checked up on us. My friend called for them a few times and was ignored. We left without giving a tip. I left my phone there and went back to get it just for one of the lady’s to give me a hard time about why I didn’t tip and was still holding on to my phone. She walked away without giving me tip and some other guy came to ask me the same thing. I ended tipping them a $1 and explained that I didn’t have much on my card and he finally gave me my phone. So overall, only go to the place if you can tip and don’t leave any of your belongings behind.

Review №128

2020-03-10 03:34:46

Okay, we came here thinking that we were at the original Mama Lus. The famous juicy dumplings were just not quite the same. There were other items that were pretty good that I have not had at the original but I am left wondering if those might taste better at the other location. On a more positive note, this location is much nicer and easier to get seated at.

Review №129

2017-09-11 21:01:54

The portion sizes are huge. Definitely would recommend the seaweed fish and ask for extra lemons

Review №130

2022-07-16 03:47:30

This is my 9th year visiting this restaurant. If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is the spot for you. They have had the same awesome staff for years and if they could open other locations in west LA, I wouldnt have to drive an hour to get here but its worth it. I celebrate anniversaries here.

Review №131

2017-09-26 03:49:32

4.5 Stars, dedicated video on Buzzfeed, cant go wrong right? Yeah, I was disappointed.Parking: 3/5Free parking in the back and also in the basement. There are only two lower levels and it gets filled up fast. There is also street parkingWait: 3/5We came on a Sunday about an hour after they opened and waited about 15 minutes. They only seat complete partiesAmbiance: 1/5-Loud. and humid. and hot. Very uncomfortable and decreased the dining experienceService: 1/5- They say the worse the service, the more genuine the food is. We had to actively hunt down servers for water and soup spoonsFood: 1.5/5-#1 Juicy Pork Soup dumplings were a let down. Ive had numerous soup dumplings and Mama Lus takes the spot at the bottom of the list. I regret ordering 2-#4 Chive Fried Pancake - I was expecting this to be round but it was already cut up and had noodles inside. Would not recommend.-#5 Beef Wrap was the only dish that redeemed this dining experience. Beef was tender, flavorful and not dry.

Review №132

2022-05-14 20:32:23

I am extremely disappointed! I made a special trip to try food at this Mama Lu location. After I have paid for my meal as I was leaving, by the exit front door, I was told by a female waitress not to come back because I did not leave the tip she wanted. I was outside and I realized that I had left my to-go Thai ice tea on the table and I went inside again to retrieve it and I was told that I couldnt get it anymore. So in my experience their customer service it is really the worse I have experienced in my travels.

Review №133

2017-01-03 04:45:39

I never used to care for beef rolls but this place was amazing!!!!! Must get!!! Its nice and fluffy and savory. Just the right amount! We also got their soup dumplings and string beans. Cant complain about their food!! Theres probably usually a wait but they have 3 stores nearby so make your way around!

Review №134

2020-11-11 16:13:39

Been here a few times, close to my place whenever I visit from NY. Foods pretty good and tastes like whats familiar to me in NY Chinatown. The crab pork dumplings were not as good ( in my opinion) as the ones I get in Joe Shanghai in Chinatown but the rest of the things I got were delicious. Will def.get from there a few times while Im still here.

Review №135

2023-09-11 10:31:03

The food is always 👌 delicious.Family style restaurant with a good enough portion to feed everyone.

Review №136

2016-04-03 21:36:31

The dumplings are really great! But you really have to point and be clear with what you are ordering. I placed a phone order for two sets of dumplings, a soup, and vegetables. For whatever reason they made the soup and vegetables I wanted, but assumed I wanted the gallon bags of frozen dumplings instead of the cooked dumplings. When we finally got things sorted, I decided I would buy a bag of the frozen dumplings too---because why not? They sounded so good. We asked for juicy pork and only after we got home did we see that the bag said chives and shrimp. The chive and shrimp still are very good, but not what I ordered. Oh well. I will definitely be back, I just need to double check things next time!

Review №137

2020-08-01 13:52:36

I think there a bit of the pricey side of what you get. I love the dumplings and the beef noodle wrap, but their spicy wontons are very, very salty. They are very mask conscious and have a system going for pick up (dont expect to p/u based on name alone, they will want your order #). The dumplings are also available to order frozen.

Review №138

2019-08-05 05:17:44

Very great food, for a good price.

Review №139

2019-09-22 02:58:24

Delicious dumplings at good prices but dishes heavy on msg - totally skip if you have issues. They use cheap cuts of meat to get you those good prices but those can sometimes be unappetizing. Service is mostly attentive. Good dessert places next door. Parking free.

Review №140

2018-11-12 05:45:51

Worth every mile of the drive from Huntington Beach! Good service, best Pork Soup Dumplings outside of Shanghai. The Seafood Rice was tasty, had lots of squid bits and though not enough shrimp. Very good prices, including tip we paid about $60 for 3 diners with plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.

Review №141

2024-03-12 06:53:34

Best Chinese food Ive ever had.

Review №142

2019-09-30 20:53:31

Classic and extensive authentic Chinese cuisine, with a multiple page menu that includes just about anything you might desire. They are well-known for their variety of dumplings, including chicken, pork, beef, and fish. Try the juicy chicken dumplings. Spacious setting with many tables set up for groups. Ample parking in a structure under the restaurant. Friendly, attentive wait staff. An overall good experience.

Review №143

2018-07-21 23:26:28

For SGV, I expected a higher quality. Service was fast and parking plentiful (uncovered and underground lot) but the poor air-conditioning made it hell in the Summer. Ordered a soup that tasted like it was made from a powered packet from the supermarket and the dumplings were sloppily made. There werent that many customers at the time! Green pancakes were good. Wont return; plenty of other places that are higher quality, more creative at the same price point.

Review №144

2022-06-22 04:51:26

Came here for dinner. The pork dumplings were ok. The sea bass tasted very old and undercooked. The Hainan chicken rice was disgusting, rice was tasteless. The chicken was bland and very cold like it was left out for a long time. I asked the waitress if its supposed to be that cold, she snapped back yes as if she just pretended to hear me, then walked away. My stomach hurts from eating here, making me feel suspicious about how fresh the food really is. Only go here if your brave or desperate for dumplings.

Review №145

2018-09-28 20:54:30

Some of the food is good, some are ok. 2 menu for 3 person. Gave us a wrong order of dumplings, insist its the right one. Forgot my friends drink. Gave my credit card to a different customer. Server disappeared most of the time, hard to find them. Almost forgot my to go order if I didnt remind him. To sum it up, there are better dumplings restaurant in the same area.

Review №146

2019-12-29 17:44:36

The food was OK, service was horrible especially for the length of wait time plus food is not cheap. Waiters would ignore us, when one finally came he said “are you ordering or what?” We had no menus. Once we started to place order, we were told once order is in you can’t add anything else. They need you to eat and leave for more customers to sit. What??? I waited or this long for this? Wow.....when good started to come in, was a plate at a time not all at once. Some dishes had good flavor and others didn’t. Not impressed. Oh and by the way, when paying bill. They added a tip automatically without my consent (15 bucks). Never going back, not worth the money with such an unpleasant experience. And to think, wanted my mom to have a good dinner which turned out to be a bad experience.

Review №147

2014-04-25 22:16:08

I was told that this place was a hole in the wall with great dumplings, ugh..NO!One, the Juicy Pork Dumpling was too sweet, not enough juice, but had decent skin.Two, Shrimp Chive Pork Dumpling was overcooked = soggy.Three, Pan Friend Dumpling was skinny and stale, how does anything fried taste stale?! I repeat...ugh, NO!What was actually decent? I would say their green onion fried pan cake. Its thicker than my preference, but its standard.What really disappointed me was that they did not have any sesame oil per request. How can any Chinese restaurant NOT have sesame oil?! Minus, minus Star!PS. this place closes from 3-5pm on regular days, restaurant is dark on Wednesday.If you want to use your credit card, the minimum charge is $20.

Review №148

2018-02-26 06:37:49

This place is solid. They actually have three locations fairly nearby so be careful when you place a phone order because you might end up going to a wrong one for pick up. That happened to me.Pretty much everything is good on the menu. Of course their specialty are the dumplings. They are some of the best I have ever had. These places get packed Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Review №149

2018-07-20 04:12:56

Stir fried shanghai noodles were pretty good. Dumplings were not very good. The meat in the dumplings, especially the soup dumplings tasted bad. The pan fried dumplings weren’t hot enough. The fried mantou was pretty good too. Wouldn’t get dumplings here. Currently they give u a free drink if you rate them on yelp so that was nice. Service was nice though.

Review №150

2022-09-29 18:00:05

The food is great, yummy & lot of choises!.😗

Review №151

2021-10-02 18:42:10

The food was great, but I detest their shady billing practice. Automatically added an 18% tip to bill, even though it was only 2 of us and was not busy. Do not disclose the practice on the menu. Fine I guess their service was ok, although they should disclose it BUT on top of that they auto generate a tip suggestion again on the final bill for a potential of double tipping. THAT IS WRONG! SHAME on this establishment! This is why some people stereotype ethnic groups. Shame!

Review №152

2019-10-30 04:28:53

Normally pretty good food and low price, but was there on a Tue evening and ordered sea bass with black bean. The sea bass tasted very old and not good.We ended up not eating it after a few bites. We told the waitress. She took it in and told the manager. I overheard they he said in Chinese that its the way it is.We paid for it. Very disappointed with the restaurant.

Review №153

2019-11-06 02:22:44

Service was great but the food not so good. Half the chicken costs $10.99 was too small. The beef egg white soup was too watery. The tofu casserole was just warm n they served frozen mixed vegetables.

Review №154

2015-12-16 20:20:59

The food is amazing and its really affordable. We ordered a bunch of food for just $33. Their dumplings are amazing and so is the golden shrimp. Indonesia fried rice is also delicious. Basically everything we ordered was amazingly delicious. Heard this place from buzzfeed. Lol I guess the only downside is that they need to have like assigned server for the tables because one of our order got mixed up.

Review №155

2022-12-24 11:49:48

It used to be better. The sauteed green beans were delish, but the pan fried pork dumplings were meh. And the spicy dumplings were gross. Sad.

Review №156

2019-06-27 05:18:03

Okay, I dont get the hype about this place. we got their XLB and I thought the skin is a little.too thick (its fine, there are different kinds for different regions). But we got an assortment of other plates including a stir fry noodle dish and garlic green beans and the both felt too mushy. If you like soft foods, I guess this is your jam.Also, beware that there are two locations on the same street. Im horrible at directions so I got totally confused 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Review №157

2018-11-24 22:23:11

Great price for delicious food! The wait can be long so come between 8pm to 9pm is best. Weekend is the worst time to visit. Food plate does not come with free white rice so you have to order a bowl for .50 cent each.

Review №158

2014-10-17 23:05:42

3 stars is me being generous. I am a huge fan of theirs, but this location is very lacking. Its great if you just want something quick and fast to eat. But 4 out of the last 6 times I went, their XLB tasted frozen, so I asked them to please cook it more, or make me another one. Service is sub-par, as most of the workers all have attitude. During one of my visits, I was in the middle of eating and still using their sauces, but a waiter came by our table and took it all away. 🙅 I would suggest ordering something other than the dumplings or XLB, or if that really is what you want, go to another location.

Review №159

2017-08-02 23:59:33

Not too many tables so usually there is usually a wait. The menu is quite extensive so a group of four or more is recommended to order a great variety of food. I think for such a large menu the taste and quality is quite okay with some slight misses. Also the price and portion sizes are a good deal.

Review №160

2019-05-14 05:37:50

Placed a to go order on mothers day. Very crowded but cashier was efficient and friendly. Best steamed pork dumplings. House udon noodles with bean paste was new to me. It was a great choice.

Review №161

2020-07-27 00:08:40

Beware, if you order through yelp on Grub Hub even just for pick-up of your food, you will pay MUCH more!! We learned this the hard way today when we were parked in their parking lot and decided to order online to get the order in and go in to pickup when it’s ready. We ordered “Juicy Pork Dumplings” which is $8.99 currently on their menu in the restaurant, we were charged $12.99 through the Grub Hub that is on the restaurants’s Yelp page!!!! That’s $4 more, and such a highway robbery. It should be stated clearly on the page when you order that you are going to pay this much more. It was very deceiving and price gouging on their part.

Review №162

2019-09-20 07:19:04

Fresh and delicious! Customer service was impressive and the dishes reasonably priced. If in the area again Mama Lus will be a go to for lunch or dinner. Parking is a little tough but the food made up for the parking.

Review №163

2018-01-16 22:13:21

People flock here during lunchtime. We met around 12 and luckily it wasnt too crowded yet but by 1pm there were no tables. Beef wraps are normally my favorite but I wasnt too thrilled with these. The size was small and there was hardly any beef or flavoring to it. The soup dumplings were good but not spectacular and also really tiny, as in, I can fit a whole one in my mouth and I have a TINY mouth (just ask... my dentist). What saved the day though, was a stir-fry vegetable dish (duo miao) and that was very well-done. I normally dont love veggies but ate the whole thing with gusto.

Review №164

2016-05-09 15:32:43

Tons of cheap chinese food. Best thing here is the juicy pork dumplings. Dont over order. About 3 things will be plenty for 2 people and will cost about 15-20 dollars.This past visit, I ended up waiting an hour for an item (the other 3 were served) so I ended up cancelling. This is not usually a problem. Just a heads up, Saturday afternoons may be understaffed

Review №165

2016-08-11 17:02:08

The juicy pork dumplings are delicious! The service is quick not too friendly but I come here for the food! Food comes out in a flash! A few other things on the menu you should try are the Shanghai style chow mein, green onion pancakes, and the green beans with garlic.

Review №166

2022-01-29 23:46:30

This place was amazing! I will definitely visit again and bring friends. The service was quick, food was Delicious and the price was low. Oh, and they serve family style portions.

Review №167

2020-01-04 17:39:25

Ordered the beef wrap and pork and cabbage dumplings, I highly recommend the beef roll as it was simply amazing. Very very delicious, dumplings were also pretty spot on. Definitely coming back soon!

Review №168

2020-01-14 02:46:26

Dumblings are better than before and comparable to Tingtaifung. Fried beef flat noodles are worse than before with plain noodles and almost no beef. Shanghai style fried noodles a bit better than beef flat noodles.Egg plants and green beans so so. I guess people love this place because of price and quantity. For me, it is not worth the waiting time, and you have to be prepared to wrap up with your food and leave after 45 minutes because they will give you the bill. I eat out with friends and family for enjoyment. This place is not fit for my purpose.

Review №169

2021-12-03 03:27:11

There was a black moth flying around inside the building, graffiti on the window, and a shopping cart beside the entrance. The food tasted pretty good though, and this is a restraint review. Make sure to get the thick noodles!

Review №170

2022-04-21 01:28:08

Handmade Taiwanese soup dumplings plus a variety of Chinese dishes from classic to obscure in a bustling atmosphere. It was quieter on a Sunday night than I remembered, pre-Covid. Dumplings are always delicious; hot-and-sour soup was loaded with beef. Dont skip the beef and mushrooms dish and the chow mein...yum!

Review №171

2022-01-11 13:23:23

One of the waiter probably didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom. I was waiting at the bathroom while he was in there, I heard the flush but not the sink, and he probably took a dump because the bathroom smelled really bad.The food has very strong MSG taste.

Review №172

2021-09-21 02:41:17

I really like their dumplings. Spicy Wonton, Shanghai dumplings(aka juicy dumplings on their menu), and pork and napa dumplings.I go so far as to buy their frozen ones(not sure its still available after dine-in reopened) to bring home. It costs more than Costco LingLings, sure, but they do they hit the spot way better than LingLings. If you buy some, just make sure to boil/steam twice as long you normally would for LingLings cause the filling inside is frozen and raw. The wrap is a champ, it wont disintegrate in the boiling water if you leave it a but longer.I also usually get the salt and pepper pork chops any some other rice/noodle entree which is always solid. Just a bit pricey though, each of the dumplings were $10 and same for the entree. Expect to pay about eating at a Japanese restaurant prices... youre going to want to try at least one appetizer and a couple entrees.

Review №173

2019-08-04 21:35:01

We usually visit to older location but the wait is too long! This newer location has better ambiance n service. Their appetizers here didnt come with the cucumbers. Put your party in the waiting list!!! Works well. Or else, it could be a long wait too.

Review №174

2020-08-13 07:41:13

Authentic food, staff is extremely friendly. First time we came we had a huge group and managed to try a lot of the menu, it’s ALL so good!! We recently ordered take out via app and the food was right on time and they called us to make sure we had our order right and when our food was ready to go.

Review №175

2018-12-01 20:50:01

I can’t believe how terrible the food was at this place. Words can’t even describe the horrible food that they serve, if you can even call it “food”. Don’t even get me started with the atrocious service, words can seem to describe this place as a whole. The servers were extremely rude didn’t care about the customers and they keep giving an attitude to anyone who ask for an extra napkin. I truly can’t comprehend how any restaurant can possibly stoop this low. I have never in my life time given a 1 star to any restaurant, and to be honest this place doesn’t even deserve a one star rating. If it can go any lower it’ll be at a negative score. I was trying my best to be polite but they had the audacity to stop me and ask me why I didn’t tip them. The server gave me a mean look asking me to put a tip in a forceful manner. Overall I don’t recommend this place at all I rather starve to DEATH.

Review №176

2022-10-06 13:37:29

After like 10 visits, I’ll finally review this spot…IT RULES! Think of this as a dupe for that one place that rhymes with Bing Bai Bung. The food is always amazing, service is QUICK and it’s rarely ever crowded.

Review №177

2020-01-04 00:32:29

So yummy. Your dumplings are true to its name -- super juicy! Will come again.

Review №178

2021-06-13 17:29:16

Mama Lus Dumpling House is the reason why I drive 10 miles from Southeast LA to Alhambra/Monterey Park. Its really one of the best places to eat authentic Chinese food. I definitely recommend the spicy wontons, pork dumplings, and the black pepper stir fry udon noodles. The food is so savory and satisfying you wont regret dining here.

Review №179

2019-12-17 05:38:10

Great food. They can get very busy though. Sometimes the service can be lacking and 1 time we were there, our waitress was downright rude, ignoring us or straight up walking away as we were talking to her about the food. But you cant beat how delicious the food is.

Review №180

2019-09-23 07:16:11

Good food, kinda loud with the open air atmosphere. Sort of feels like a highschool cafeteria. Yelp wait times dont sync often so you may wait a little longer than whats stated in Yelp. Free parking beneath building.. be careful of the dingy greasy steps leading to the ground floor. I slipped a little but luckily there were handrails to hold on to.

Review №181

2019-02-04 08:33:58

Food was great, however... when we were paying the cashier asked us to leave a tip on our table, we had already left money as tip but she still asked us for tip to make sure. Not very professional but I guess she’s not embarrassed to asking for tip. Other minor issues but the food was great. I would try another location if you are looking for great service.

Review №182

2018-09-19 14:14:08

I really went for the soup dumplings. They were good although not the best Ive had. I would still go back and try other things on the menu. I was a tourist and was encouraged to see this restaurant full on a Monday night! Where Im from there are zero authentic Chinese restaurants, so this was a real treat. Ill be back.

Review №183

2016-11-15 05:48:29

Amazing pork & pork/crab xiao long bao and noodle dishes without the hassle of having to go to Din Tai Fung.

Review №184

2019-01-03 22:21:21

Came here for Christmas Day dinner. It was awesome that they had the Yelp Waitlist feature so we joined while driving over. I do wish that it was a little more accurate though, we still waited another 45 minutes before being seated. Plus for this location: free available underground parking.The interior was really nice, spacious, and clean and I loved the atmosphere. The servers were quick to come take my order (I had time to look at the menu while waiting and compiled a list of dishes to show to her from my phone).For 7 of us this is what we ordered:- 1. xiao Long Bao- 7. beef Wrap- 10. shrimp pork chive dumpling- 19. pan fried veggie with meat bun- 60. chow mien with soy sauce- 42. seafood udon with xo sauce*- 96. seaweed fish*- 95. salt and pepper calamari- 74. sweet and sour spare ribs*- 115. chinese broccoli with preserved fish*- 38. egg white scallops fried rice*Ive gone ahead and put an asterisk next to the standouts for your scanning pleasure. (:Everything was super tasty, not the best dumplings (at least for this location) in my opinion and the calamari was way too thick with the fried bits.Definitely try the seaweed fish and spare ribs! I honestly thought the spare ribs would be too typically sweet for my liking but it surprised me.The total was like $130-- such a good deal for all that food!Oh and the topper- we received a Quality calendar at the end of our meal. How awesome is that??

Review №185

2023-04-05 14:00:13

I think the other location is better. This ones still good but I liked the food better at the other location. Everyone was very nice and friendly. I ordered the pot stickers.

Review №186

2014-10-30 00:58:48

I actually come here quite a bit and Ive learned that to avoid the crowds and get better service come on weekdays! They do have the policy that they will only seat you if everyone in your party is there because they do get pretty busy. Lets start with the service, I cant say that I go to Mama Lu for their service because the service is just the typical chinese food restaurant service. You try to get someone attention and its like they dont see you about 50% of the time. But moving on to their food. The food there is very reasonable priced and pretty good which makes up for the service. Everything is under $15 and the food usually comes in heaping plates so be sure to bring a few people along to really enjoy the variety of food they offer. I recommend their Seaweed fish, probably my favorite dish there but they do have quite a bit of dishes to choose from like fried rice, chow fun, and of course dumplings. If youre in the mood for non-expensive chinese food this is the place to go!

Review №187

2019-02-11 05:35:27

We were seated fast and they took orders quickly too. I thought everything was just a bit bland, like I had to add salt to my hot and sour soup and sauteed greens. I prefer the other restaurants nearby that are cash only. Its just that today I was with non-adventurous friends so I had to go with a non hole-in-the-wall.

Review №188

2016-04-12 06:28:55

My favorite restaurant in the 626 area - the xiao long baos are amazing!I guess this restaurant doesnt have any noodle soup except for wonton noodle soup, so we were a bit disappointed. They do have more Asian dishes though. We ordered the crispy onion pancake again, xiao long bao, Shanghai style chow mein, the pan fried meat buns, and an order of the pork dumplings.Food came out quickly and I was very happily surprised that this location of Mama Lus had better and bigger XLB than the other location, like fellow Yelper John mentioned. It was juicier and even more flavorful! I also thought the onion pancake was better here than the other location. It was a lot thicker and had more substance and taste. We forwent the potstickers/fried dumplings as the ones from the other Mama Lus wasnt good.The dumplings were really good, too. There were only 8, but incredibly juicy. Mama Lus really knows their stuff on dumplings and XLB. Im not a fan of dumplings in general, but I really enjoyed the pork ones. The pan fried meat buns were okay, but too oily for me. Not enough bread in my opinion and I have had better. The Shanghai style chow mein was also good, but different than the other ones I have had. The noodles were more dry tasting and there were lots of other ingredients (mushroom, cabbage, onions, etc) that my picky sister did not enjoy. It wasnt too bad, though.And because this place is newer, it is more clean with a brighter atmosphere than the other location. I wasnt a fan of the chairs though. I couldnt get comfortable and kept trying to pull it up, but because it was more heavy and more of a bench, it didnt really move anywhere. We didnt visit this location at first because we had heard it was more expensive than the old location, but we found that it wasnt true (or if it was, it was just by a few cents).I am a big fan of this places XLB and green onion pancake! And definitely try the dumplings!

Review №189

2019-08-16 03:49:41

Liked this place very much. Very good food, fast service, and reasonable prices. We got seated in the VIP. Area quite and roomy loved it. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5... is because we had to ask for water constantly and our server never came back to asked if needed anything. But other then that, awesone resturant!

Review №190

2023-10-08 05:06:45

Good foods and services, but they need to pay attention to the restroom. The men restroom looks and smells unbearable.

Review №191

2019-09-02 03:02:29

We ordered our food 3 items arrived and we waited on the Dumplings. More and more time passed we watched 3 people that arrived up to 20mins after us get dumplings. We asked 3 times finally came and they were dry. My wife was very disappointed that was our main reason to go.

Review №192

2017-08-27 19:58:13

Food is not bad. The noodles and spare ribs were good but not the dumplings. They tasted the same as the frozen ones you get from the Asian market. Pricing is fair.

Review №193

2022-07-22 13:18:41

Make me stomach ache…foods or cooking oil not clean or healthy

Review №194

2021-08-08 03:48:49

The food is greasy and oily. Everything is fried..

Review №195

2018-02-06 21:40:53

Foods awesome but wait can get a little long. Go around 130-2 and the wait should lessen significantly. Theyre known for their Juicy Pork Dumplings. One of the few restaurants that have Shanghai Rice Cakes, which is definitely a plus. Green Onion Fried Pancakes always a plus. This is a great substitute for Dumpling Master (closed) without the even pricier and longer wait of Din Tai Fung.

Review №196

2017-04-17 16:31:37

Great authentic house made dumplings!

Review №197

2019-06-04 03:47:15

Their food was so savory, with the perfect amount of oils and ingredients, had me in food heaven! Had dumplings and noodles and it was enough for 2 and left over( the dumplings had no chance) It was very fast service and fresh and very busy but good experience 👍🏼

Review №198

2014-10-20 22:41:21

Crazy crowded, with a tons of Hangry customers always here it seems. Oh, they will not seat you down until everyone from the party is present.Im not totally sold here with the dumplings, I personally think there are plenty of other places that are better at it. However, the dishes here are usually around $8 and the portion size is nice for a family style dinner. Thats why I keep coming back here with the family.Whats a must get here?The Green Onion Pancakes -$2 . Crispy, light, not oily.The seaweed fish -$8. Ok, this one we always get and the last time the lady told me not so green like the picture. Turns out, I guess they were out of the seaweed but it was still great if you like fried fish and slightly on the underdone side.Beef Chowfun drystyle-$8. Sure, SAM WHO makes this also but quite honestly, I think this place does it with more beef and onions. That, I like.They do sell frozen dumplings by the bag here. You can kiss goodbye to your chances when you come on the weekends. The lady over the counter says the workers who makes it only does it on the weekdays. I was fortunate enough last time when I was here on a weekday and bought a couple of bags. Strangely enough the second bag they found last minute but it was stuck all together. So make sure you get a bag that doesnt look like it has been defrosted. They start at $12.50 per 50 pcs and I think goes up to around $17 with different fillings.The starter peanuts and pickled cucumbers are great. When you ask for a refill, they will tell you $2.Bunch of crock!Despite these problems and like all Chinese restaurants with mediocre service, I WILL BE BACK!

Review №199

2022-05-15 21:42:00

First time here and we were met with a very rude host. I could not believe how unaccommodating he was with our group. His tone was very strong as he told us to step back and wait, we could not understand his english. I don’t understand why he was so agitated. Never experienced this before. We had to leave shocked with his treatment of customers.