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A bowl of ground meat, a soft-boiled egg, and rice.
The ground pork and rice dish from Coco’s Cafe.
Coco’s Cafe

Where to Find Great Chinese Food in Austin

Dumplings, roasted duck, mapo tofu, and more

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The ground pork and rice dish from Coco’s Cafe.
| Coco’s Cafe

Austin's Chinese scene might not be as robust as the city's more well-known cuisines (hello, barbecue and tacos). Despite that, the regional cuisine has grown stronger in the past few years. It’s easy to find noodles, dumplings, mapo tofu, Americanized Chinese options, and go-to delivery spots.

Here are Eater’s top Chinese restaurant recommendations, highlighting the best of the best, covering all of Austin, spread out from far north to way south. Downtown modern Chinese hot spot Wu Chow, Sichuan delights from China’s Family Restaurant, Chinese barbecue with Din Ho and First Chinese, South Austin spicy savior Sichuan River, many dumplings and noodle slingers, and much more.

For related fare, check out Eater’s guide to the best versions of Chinese dishes in the city, dim sum, dumplings, and beef noodle soup, and for something hot, Austin’s spiciest dishes. For other nearby regional cuisines, scope out Eater's guides to Southeast Asian, Thai, and South Asian food in Austin, as well as sushi.

This map was originally written by Frani Chung.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Noodle Alley

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The Cedar Park Taiwanese restaurant offers a plethora of, well, noodles ranging from braised beef soup to stir-fry to dan dan. Takeout orders can be placed online, there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Fat Dragon

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The Barrington Oaks Chinese restaurant focuses mostly on juicy dumplings, from soup dumplings to steamed pork and chive dumplings to fried vegetable dumplings. Other items include fried rice and lo mein and Chinese-American plates like General Tso’s chicken. The menu also ventures into Japanese dishes like ramen and udon. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service and offers takeout orders.

Rice Bowl Cafe

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Rice and noodles are the heroes at Cantonese North Austin restaurant Rice Bowl Café with huge portions and fast delivery. The pork noodle soup is a standout dish: spicy and crunchy with fresh, handmade noodles. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services and takeout orders can be placed online.

Taste of Home Handmade Dumplings

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Find all the dumplings from pork/shrimp/chives to cuttlefish at the North Lamar restaurant, alongside a strong offering of non-dumpling dishes like noodles and offal. Pickup orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in areas.

First Chinese BBQ

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A Chinatown Center staple, First Chinese BBQ’s wide Cantonese-style menu includes everything from noodle soups, hot pot, to barbecue. Online ordering is available for takeout, there are indoor dine-in services.

Hanging roasted ducks.
Ducks at First Chinese BBQ.
First Chinese BBQ

Seven Spice

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The Spicewood Springs Chinese restaurant offers a great menu full of classics like eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, shredded pork with bean curd, and chopped fish served with pickled mustard. Takeout orders can be placed online and there are indoor dine-in services.

House of Three Gorges

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This North Austin Chinese restaurant focuses on Sichuan fare, from pepper jumping fish to spicy boiled beef to mala fish with soft tofu. Pickup orders can be placed online, there are third-party deliveries (Uber Eats, DoorDash), and there are indoor dine-in services.

Din Ho Chinese BBQ

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The North Austin restaurant never disappoints, with Beijing duck, Chinese barbecue, and marinated meats like chicken baked in rock salt. The restaurant is open for pickups, Favor deliveries, and indoor dine-in services.

Julie's Noodles

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The North Austin Chinese restaurant has lots of dumplings and hand-made noodles. Order online or in person or dine indoors.

CoCo's Cafe

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The Taiwanese restaurant with two locations (the other just south of campus) serves up bubble teas, noodles, rice, and meat-/vegetable-centric entrees, and more. It’s open for pickup orders and third-party deliveries, and it’s open for indoor dine-in services.

Bamboo House Austin

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The mega-popular Houston Chinese restaurant opened in Austin, bringing along its much-touted roast duck, among other dishes. Be prepared for lines. There are indoor dine-in services, and takeout orders can be placed online.

China Family Restaurant

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The Highland Chinese restaurant features plenty of great Sichuan specialties, from fish fillets drenched in chili oil to spicy Chongqing chicken to double-cooked pork belly to a particularly great vinegar napa cabbage. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in or order online for pickups. There are two other locations: one by the University of Texas and another by Northcross Mall.

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

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The family-run establishment serves up a classic variety of dim sum and Chinese entrees. Pickup orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Xian Sushi and Noodle

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For hearty Chinese hand-pulled noodles and noodle soup dishes, Xian is the answer, especially those red-braised beef noodles. Both the Mueller and Domain locations of the Chinese noodle restaurant are open for pickups and deliveries placed online, and the restaurants are open for indoor dine-in services.

Bao'd Up

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Xian’s sibling shop Bao’d Up is dedicated to handmade Chinese steamed buns, with fillings from meaty and juicy (pork, brisket) to vegetarian and sweet (veggie, red bean, egg cream). There are multiple locations that are open for indoor dine-in and accept online orders for pickups and deliveries.

A steamer basket of bao.
Bao’d Up’s bao.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Tso Chinese Delivery

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Tso focuses on delivery and pickup Chinese-American food, with items like fried rice, pan-fried noodles, and tofu lettuce cups with three locations.

Chef Hong

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The campus truck offers excellent, familiar, comforting Chinese dishes, from Chinese hamburgers (aka roujiamo, a more flattened version of a burger with chewy bread and pork) to cold-skin noodles to dumplings. Place pickup orders in person.

Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

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The founding dim sum chef of Wu Chow, Ling Qi Wu, opened her own Clarksville restaurant featuring plenty of her hit dumplings (including soup dumplings), alongside other noodle and rice dishes, plus meat and veggie entrees. There’s also Sunday dim sum. The Clarksville restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in and pickup orders placed online.

Chinatown

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With two locations in Austin, Chinatown is a blend of American and classic Chinese, dim sum, and even sushi. Chef specialties like the special beef are the stars. Chinatown is open for indoor dine-in services, and online ordering for pickup or delivery is available.

An array of basket steamers with dim sum foods.
Dim sum at Chinatown.
Chinatown

Old Thousand

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Old Thousand offers Chinese-American fare like mala fried chicken, mapo eggplant, brisket fried rice, and dumplings. If you're dining in, take advantage of the solid cocktails. It’s open for pickups and deliveries placed online, and both locations (the other on Burnet Road) are open for indoor dine-in services.

A bowl of fried chicken bits.
Old Thousand’s mala fried chicken.
Nicolai McCrary

Wu Chow

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Wu Chow boasts some of the best soup dumplings in Austin housed in a buzzy downtown destination. The cocktails are seriously good, as are the wide variety of menu items from braised eggplant to beef-hugging scallions to Sunday dim sum. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services, or order online for takeout.

Chen Z Noodle House

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Chen Z is all about Chinese noodles, naturally, from spicy beef noodle soup to fried rice noodles, paired with excellent scallion pancakes. (Look for and sibling restaurant Chen’s Noodle House up in Spicewood too.) The Oak Hill restaurant is open for takeout orders, and indoor dine-in services.

Sichuan River

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Find great Sichuan food in South Austin with Sichuan River, full of hot and dry pots, noodles, excellent mapo tofu, and more. The South Austin Chinese restaurant is open for pickups and deliveries (within a three-mile radius), and orders can be placed online, over the phone, or via third-party apps. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

1st Wok

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First Wok continues to reign as a classic Austin favorite with big reliable plates of American Chinese food dining in or carrying out. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone and the restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

Song La

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The Taiwanese food truck at the Thicket is open for walk-up orders or advanced pickup orders placed through the phone, text messages, or its website. On deck are a variety of bento boxes and meals, featuring pork belly, pork chops, and chicken.

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Noodle Alley

The Cedar Park Taiwanese restaurant offers a plethora of, well, noodles ranging from braised beef soup to stir-fry to dan dan. Takeout orders can be placed online, there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Fat Dragon

The Barrington Oaks Chinese restaurant focuses mostly on juicy dumplings, from soup dumplings to steamed pork and chive dumplings to fried vegetable dumplings. Other items include fried rice and lo mein and Chinese-American plates like General Tso’s chicken. The menu also ventures into Japanese dishes like ramen and udon. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service and offers takeout orders.

Rice Bowl Cafe

Rice and noodles are the heroes at Cantonese North Austin restaurant Rice Bowl Café with huge portions and fast delivery. The pork noodle soup is a standout dish: spicy and crunchy with fresh, handmade noodles. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services and takeout orders can be placed online.

Taste of Home Handmade Dumplings

Find all the dumplings from pork/shrimp/chives to cuttlefish at the North Lamar restaurant, alongside a strong offering of non-dumpling dishes like noodles and offal. Pickup orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in areas.

First Chinese BBQ

A Chinatown Center staple, First Chinese BBQ’s wide Cantonese-style menu includes everything from noodle soups, hot pot, to barbecue. Online ordering is available for takeout, there are indoor dine-in services.

Hanging roasted ducks.
Ducks at First Chinese BBQ.
First Chinese BBQ

Seven Spice

The Spicewood Springs Chinese restaurant offers a great menu full of classics like eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, shredded pork with bean curd, and chopped fish served with pickled mustard. Takeout orders can be placed online and there are indoor dine-in services.

House of Three Gorges

This North Austin Chinese restaurant focuses on Sichuan fare, from pepper jumping fish to spicy boiled beef to mala fish with soft tofu. Pickup orders can be placed online, there are third-party deliveries (Uber Eats, DoorDash), and there are indoor dine-in services.

Din Ho Chinese BBQ

The North Austin restaurant never disappoints, with Beijing duck, Chinese barbecue, and marinated meats like chicken baked in rock salt. The restaurant is open for pickups, Favor deliveries, and indoor dine-in services.

Julie's Noodles

The North Austin Chinese restaurant has lots of dumplings and hand-made noodles. Order online or in person or dine indoors.

CoCo's Cafe

The Taiwanese restaurant with two locations (the other just south of campus) serves up bubble teas, noodles, rice, and meat-/vegetable-centric entrees, and more. It’s open for pickup orders and third-party deliveries, and it’s open for indoor dine-in services.

Bamboo House Austin

The mega-popular Houston Chinese restaurant opened in Austin, bringing along its much-touted roast duck, among other dishes. Be prepared for lines. There are indoor dine-in services, and takeout orders can be placed online.

China Family Restaurant

The Highland Chinese restaurant features plenty of great Sichuan specialties, from fish fillets drenched in chili oil to spicy Chongqing chicken to double-cooked pork belly to a particularly great vinegar napa cabbage. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in or order online for pickups. There are two other locations: one by the University of Texas and another by Northcross Mall.

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

The family-run establishment serves up a classic variety of dim sum and Chinese entrees. Pickup orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

Xian Sushi and Noodle

For hearty Chinese hand-pulled noodles and noodle soup dishes, Xian is the answer, especially those red-braised beef noodles. Both the Mueller and Domain locations of the Chinese noodle restaurant are open for pickups and deliveries placed online, and the restaurants are open for indoor dine-in services.

Bao'd Up

Xian’s sibling shop Bao’d Up is dedicated to handmade Chinese steamed buns, with fillings from meaty and juicy (pork, brisket) to vegetarian and sweet (veggie, red bean, egg cream). There are multiple locations that are open for indoor dine-in and accept online orders for pickups and deliveries.

A steamer basket of bao.
Bao’d Up’s bao.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

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Tso Chinese Delivery

Tso focuses on delivery and pickup Chinese-American food, with items like fried rice, pan-fried noodles, and tofu lettuce cups with three locations.

Chef Hong

The campus truck offers excellent, familiar, comforting Chinese dishes, from Chinese hamburgers (aka roujiamo, a more flattened version of a burger with chewy bread and pork) to cold-skin noodles to dumplings. Place pickup orders in person.

Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

The founding dim sum chef of Wu Chow, Ling Qi Wu, opened her own Clarksville restaurant featuring plenty of her hit dumplings (including soup dumplings), alongside other noodle and rice dishes, plus meat and veggie entrees. There’s also Sunday dim sum. The Clarksville restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in and pickup orders placed online.

Chinatown

With two locations in Austin, Chinatown is a blend of American and classic Chinese, dim sum, and even sushi. Chef specialties like the special beef are the stars. Chinatown is open for indoor dine-in services, and online ordering for pickup or delivery is available.

An array of basket steamers with dim sum foods.
Dim sum at Chinatown.
Chinatown

Old Thousand

Old Thousand offers Chinese-American fare like mala fried chicken, mapo eggplant, brisket fried rice, and dumplings. If you're dining in, take advantage of the solid cocktails. It’s open for pickups and deliveries placed online, and both locations (the other on Burnet Road) are open for indoor dine-in services.

A bowl of fried chicken bits.
Old Thousand’s mala fried chicken.
Nicolai McCrary

Wu Chow

Wu Chow boasts some of the best soup dumplings in Austin housed in a buzzy downtown destination. The cocktails are seriously good, as are the wide variety of menu items from braised eggplant to beef-hugging scallions to Sunday dim sum. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services, or order online for takeout.

Chen Z Noodle House

Chen Z is all about Chinese noodles, naturally, from spicy beef noodle soup to fried rice noodles, paired with excellent scallion pancakes. (Look for and sibling restaurant Chen’s Noodle House up in Spicewood too.) The Oak Hill restaurant is open for takeout orders, and indoor dine-in services.

Sichuan River

Find great Sichuan food in South Austin with Sichuan River, full of hot and dry pots, noodles, excellent mapo tofu, and more. The South Austin Chinese restaurant is open for pickups and deliveries (within a three-mile radius), and orders can be placed online, over the phone, or via third-party apps. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in services.

1st Wok

First Wok continues to reign as a classic Austin favorite with big reliable plates of American Chinese food dining in or carrying out. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone and the restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

Song La

The Taiwanese food truck at the Thicket is open for walk-up orders or advanced pickup orders placed through the phone, text messages, or its website. On deck are a variety of bento boxes and meals, featuring pork belly, pork chops, and chicken.

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