Hao Bao Dumplings — Restaurant in Sacramento

Unfortunately, this place wasn’t it. Coming out of the area, missing Asian food like back in my hometown, I was craving good food.

Food — I ordered the steamed pork dumplings. The dough was too thick and gummy. The meat was not flavorful and was a similar texture to the dough. It was a mouthful to chew through.

I also ordered the Beijing Noodles. The noodles were just as bad as the dough. They were thick, slimy, and gummy. The pork sauce was too chunky and didn’t coat the noodles. So eating the noodles was a nightmare.

The only positive is that it’s a lot of food for each serving. Unfortunately, that alongside the taste, I only ate 30% of my food.

Service — They forgot a part of my friend’s order. Another one of our friends wasn’t given a spoon for her soup. Trying to ask someone for utensils was unfortunately impossible. They came to the table, dropped off the food without saying anything, then immediately left. Understandably, it was busy, but a simple “enjoy” would alleviate the issue.

Atmosphere — Trust me, a sign of a good Asian restaurant is that it looks like a hole in the wall. I took that as a hopeful good sign for this place. But when the food and service is terrible, it flips the meaning of “a whole in a wall” type of atmosphere. It was just adding salt to the wound at this point. The tables were sticky and decor is lackluster.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this place. I feel awful for my friends for since I wanted to come here. We didn’t have a good experience whatsoever. It wasn’t worth the $30...

This dumpling place has always caught my attention from the start. It was slightly hidden on the opposite route I always take and I made it my goal to try it out the next time I pass this area.

After a tiring day at work, I finally went inside this place. First off, it’s an introverts dream. I absolutely loved how I was able to self-order and seclude myself a bit, until they brought my order. There was no talking at all and if you needed help with something, there was a bell near the front. This was my favorite part since I loved being able to eat in peace without facing everyone as it makes me nervous. It was just a small place with separate areas if you wanted to sit away from others. Absolutely loved this.

The food on the other hand was so delicious! I never scarfed down something so fast before. I ordered the spicy veggie soup dumplings and it did not disappoint. It was very flavorful and the spice was really good, not too overpowering, but I may order extra next time haha. I also had the spring rolls!! The sauce they put on top is to die for.

I am super happy I found this dream restaurant and I will more than likely become a regular. Thanks for the lovely service, you guys had made my day and I usually never leave reviews, but you guys are so deserving of it.

Please come to this place! It’s literally a safe haven for all introverts or for those eating by themselves. It feels so safe and comfy.

P.S.

It’s usually the restaurants with small menus that have...

I was at the Crest Theater for an event and didn't want popcorn or candy. Searching for what was nearby, I decided to go to Hao Bao. I walked in and was greeted with a touch screen ordering system. Call me old fashioned, but it's a little weird to have zero human interaction when ordering from a restaurant. Usually you have the option of talking to the employees, but it seemed to me like my only option was touch screen or ring the bell for help. I placed my order, struggled with inserting my debit card the correct way (I really am getting old!) and then sat down to wait for my order. I wondered to myself, what if I wanted to pay cash? How will I know when my order is ready? What if it were really crowded and lots of people ordered the same thing, how would they know who gets what?? After about 7 minutes, a man came out holding a bag and either said my name, or said "12 pork dumplings" (I don't remember which). When I looked at the receipt, it had my name printed on it, it must have been pulled from my debit card. The dumplings were fantastic, delicious, and piping hot. The house sauce was a little bit tangy, also delicious. If I lived in Sacramento I'm sure I would be going here all the time; but the futuristic no-contact ordering is still a little...