Pantry on Magnolia Fort Worth's Original Dumpling House — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Full disclosure about the misleading rating - I have two serious problems with this place, and I feel I need to address those first: 1) there are way too many delicious options to try in one visit - the inability to decide what I want without ordering everything is a legitimate concern you need to know up front. Problem 2) there doesn't seem to be an option to rate 6 Stars - I put a petition into Google, but it was denied with no explanation; currently awaiting the status of my appeal.

With that out of the way, I have nothing but positive comments from here on. Service started before we even arrived when we asked if they could accommodate a party of 20 - to my surprise, the owner/executive chef Natasha (she's a g.d. national treasure, fwiw) happily reserved the whole outdoor patio for us. She came out to give us a full tour of the menu, and even let us sample some "prototype" dumplings she was working on. She recommended just ordering a "family style" selection of dumplings, rice, and noodles so everyone could sample a wide variety - did not disappoint. While all of the dumplings were delicious, my favorite was easily the Elote dumpling. Tried 3 types of fried rice, and 3 different bao buns (get the mix - chef's kiss), as well as the stir fry beef noodles. My hands down favorite that will probably trump all other orders on future visits was the okonomiyaki - Asian waffle stuffed with Texas brisket - yall, I cried a little.

If it wasn't clear from the descriptions, this is not "traditional" Asian cuisine - it is a brilliant Asian FUSION restaurant that blends traditional cuisine with a down home Texas twist; let's be honest, everything is better with brisket. Keep this in mind - dumplings/boa buns aren't your meal here - they're a great appetizer to have before your rice / noodles / oko / bahn mi (which are all definitely meal-size portions). Know the difference between shareables and fill-me-ups before you go in, and you'll have a great time.

If you want some gourmet southern charm, be sure to leave room for dessert. If you have ever enjoyed any form of banana pudding, put them aside to make room for your new favorite - I was legitimately angry at how good it was, because now anything I make at home will just taste like failure. If banana isn't your thing (or they run out), the cinnamon roll peach cobbler is one hell of a consolation prize. Note that in both cases, these are Texas-sized desserts, and are not suitable for a single person, especially after having eaten the food (unless you're having "one of THOSE days", then you do you - no judgement here).

Vibe is very cozy, the kind of space you'd expect in a trendy down town joint. Drink selection is modest (well stocked drink cooler), and the staff was all VERY friendly and helpful - everything you'd expect from Southern Hospitality. Cannot recommend this place enough, will be a "must visit" every time we are in town. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience! 6...

Saddle up because I have a lot of fantastic things to say about this wonderful place 😍🥰

12/13: I was visiting from out of town and walked by Pantry (this restaurant) to check out a pizza joint nearby. The wait at pizza was 30+ mins, so I decided to explore around on foot while my table was ready and came across Pantry. This restaurant looked very welcoming, cozy, authentic, and had a good crowd of customers inside. I love supporting local. Without hesitation, I walked right in. The staff is extremely nice and welcoming. Jose greeted me with kindness and a smile and explained the menu perfectly. I wanted something small, and that could be eaten quickly. I tried the bao flight, which was out of this world. So delicious. If I could eat their bao every day, I would. The menu has so many food items that make you want to try one of each. Jose highly recommended the banana pudding for dessert. I promised I would be back for dessert after I was done at the other spot. I returned to Pantry after dinner and tried the banana pudding. It was AMAZING.

12/14: I returned to try the short rib pho for lunch. They had sold out the day before, which to me means it must be fantastic. The pho was indeed delicious. I also had the beef stew dumplings, which were very yummy as well. For dessert, I had the cinnamon roll. Muy bueno. The weather this second time coming to visit was pleasant enough to sit outside, so I ate outside. While I was sitting outside, a bee landed on my napkin. I didn't panic, but I stood up to carefully move the napkin away from my table. Jose went above and beyond and noticed I either a.) spilled my food or b.) was dealing with a bee. Without hesitation, he came outside and offered to take my napkin with the bee and carefully let it fly away from the table. This sweet gentleman walked to the corner of the street and released the bee. I really admire this establishment. Every single employee is kind, dedicated, and goes above and beyond to welcome you and make you feel as comfortable as possible. They also have the cutest merchandise, especially the stickers! I will definitely be back to try the noodles and will definitely recommend this to my friends and family. Thank you for a great experience. My best wishes to your establishment...

BANANA PUDDING!!!!

Okay, the pantry is a place you absolutely have to try if you are a foodie. The owners here have a real passion for food. Everything here is made from scratch and has a different twist that I assure you have not experienced before.

The menu rotates and new ideas are always being added. These owners are always brain storming new ideas.

To start, get the flight of dumplings… this will take your taste buds on a journey around the world. The dumplings have everything from a baked potato filling (my fav), to an Indian butter chicken filling, garlic beef, and even barbacoa!! These were just wonderful.

To finish.. you HAVE to try this banana pudding if it is available. They make this stuff from scratch. They use a vanilla sugar to brûlée the bananas adding a tasty caramelized and smoky flavor on top of your pudding. I apologize for not taking a picture of this thing. I have never had a banana pudding as good as this one.

The peach cobbler was also to die for.. you can just taste the passion of the cooks. They smoke the peaches and pack flavor into this thing just beautifully. Want to add ice cream? They even make their own ice cream…

We sat in the back in front of the kitchen. At first it seemed like we would be back in the lonely corner, but it turned out that we had the best seat in the house. The owner treated us to such a wonderful experience. He explained the menu to us in detail and made us feel so comfortable and appreciated.

I think this business is going to continue to boom. You must give this...