Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Mama Lus Dumpling House in Monterey Park

4.3 (199) 153 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91755, United States

Categories

Dumpling restaurant
Chinese restaurant
Family restaurant
Restaurant

Location on the map

Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, California, US

Phone: +1 626-307-5700
Site: http://mamalutogo.com/

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–9:30 PM
Saturday:10 AM–9:30 PM
Sunday:10 AM–9:30 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.3

199 Reviews for Mama Lus Dumpling House 2024:

Review №1

2023-11-15 01:54:28

Mama Lus Dumpling House is a must-visit for anyone who loves dumplings. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The menu offers a variety of dumpling options, including vegetarian and vegan options, which is great for those with dietary restrictions. The dumplings themselves are delicious, with a perfect balance of flavors and textures.However, the downside to Mama Lus is that it can get quite crowded during peak hours, which can make it difficult to find a seat. The wait times for food can also be a bit longer than expected. Additionally, the prices for some of the items on the menu are a bit on the higher side.Overall, Mama Lus Dumpling House is definitely worth a visit for anyone looking for delicious dumplings and a cozy atmosphere. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait and higher prices for some items.

Review №2

2023-09-04 22:05:28

If you are looking for excellent and authentic Chinese food, then this is your place. We came on Saturday at 5:30pm, which I’m glad we did because we got seated in 5-10 mins for the two of us. Later in the evening, there were lines of people waiting get in. Although “dumpling” is in the name of this restaurant, I would say their main meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes are extraordinary in taste /flavor/seasoning, and cooking techniques. Don’t get me wrong, their soup dumplings are good too, but my favorites were everything else. You must come here when visiting L.A.

Review №3

2023-07-15 07:39:25

I saved this restaurant a while back on my maps as restaurants I want to try. Good thing when our friends happen to be visiting from Dubai this restaurant is close to the hotel we booked.Im glad my wife called ahead of time to pick up food. Especially its a Friday, dinnertime the place is packed. While some people are also in and out to pick up food To-Go. Ordered roasted beef noodle soup, spicy pork and shrimp wonton, shrimp fried rice, hot steamed chicken with ginger and scallions, and mushroom tofu. We are happy with our food selection. I enjoyed the steamed chicken. Good amount of food that can be shared with family.

Review №4

2023-10-03 19:15:23

Authentic food and great service. I ordered way too much but the food was still great the next day. This place is amazing, service is perfect. Available for sit down, parking is easy, but I imagine it would be difficult on the weekend since the parking lot is small. They serve green tea the moment you sit down with the menu. I had 2 different dumplings and green onion pancake, both were absolutely delicious. It was enough for 3 people and the prices are more than reasonable. Definitely recommend and would go back

Review №5

2023-10-07 04:36:39

After many times dining at this place, tonight I ordered delivery from here. This review is strictly for my delivery order:Food items, quality, and taste: I ordered the Yang Chow Fried Rice (pictured), Beef Udon Noodles with XO Sauce (pictured), and Beef Noodle Soup (not pictured). All tasted delicious with great flavor profile and depth, and great texture.Service: N/A - ordered delivery through Postmates. Delivery did come 15 minutes faster than anticipated.Ambiance: N/APrice: Delivery Prices ($$) -Roasted Beef Noodle Soup (紅烧牛肉麵)$13.99Yang Chow Fried Rice (揚州炒飯)$15.99BEEF UDON W/ XO SAUCE (XO醬牛肉炒烏冬)$16.99Even though I always prefer to dine in because the food is more fresh, the food was still 5/5.

Review №6

2023-09-04 05:36:46

Great prices and even better food. We ordered the pan fried baozi, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes and all of them were great. Pan fried baozi was crispy and had a good amount of meat to dough ratio. Soup dumplings was amazing-- very flavourful. But the best had to be the scallion pancakes, which was thin and shattering flakiness of dough.Incredible price. Would highly recommend!

Review №7

2023-07-28 22:04:32

This was a highly recommend spot with a funny story to tell about the 3 different Mama Lu so I went in for a quick order of dumplings but my son immediately thought we were eating here and marched in a took a table lol. He was happy with the rice and pancake and honestly thats a win for me. Didnt care for the dumplings.

Review №8

2023-08-22 06:28:54

Would definitely come back for the xiao long baos and spicy wontons. The corn & egg drop soup, shrimp fried rice and mapo tofu were also all delicious. The fish dumplings by itself could’ve used more flavor, it was good in the spicy wonton sauce though. The pan fried dumplings were also okay.

Review №9

2023-10-01 19:01:54

Wait is long but the staff works hard to be efficient! Highly recommend stir fried rice cakes and the house special fish fillet. Everything is balanced in flavor and portions are big. You don’t find prices like this anymore!

Review №10

2023-06-11 03:58:19

First time here. Food was plentiful. Dishes were not very favorable. It has a B rating. Place is not clean. Walls and ceiling were very dirty. Staff was very nice and efficient.

Review №11

2023-09-18 00:36:48

Great food and huge portions. Be prepared to wait a bit if going on a Sunday at lunch time

Review №12

2023-05-16 15:54:28

Great discovery in SGV. We loved in Shanghai for 4 years and the atmosphere here comes close to that authentic Shanghainese experience. Food was good. Ingredients fresh. Xia Long Bao is decent. Not sure I would rank it higher than DTF. Milk tea was a little too sweet. Can’t wait to come back to try the garlic honey pork chops and fried dumplings which is what everyone seems to have ordered. Overall price / quality / value of the food is great. Two locations. We’ll try the other one down the street next time. But liked the high ceilings of this one.

Review №13

2023-05-21 21:45:10

A small but very busy place but you can sign in on Yelp and be added to the waiting list before showing up. We could even see our place in line. The food was excellent. I had the Juicy Pork dumplings, the Shanghai noodles and the beef wrap which was wrapped in a scallion pancake. All were exceptional. We also got the green beans, sweet and sour chicken, vermicelli, scallion pancakes and hot and sour soup. Yeah we ordered too much.

Review №14

2023-04-25 07:15:50

The check in as soon as you get there is very informal, but it’s part of the experience. the waiters are constantly on GO TIME because of how busy this place gets. the good is honestly so delicious, I’d say the only thing out of everything that had a bit of a potent taste (not too big of a fan) was the sweet & sour soup. the fried dumplings & wonton soup were absolutely perfect.

Review №15

2022-05-12 17:20:33

Very good to excellent food! Service was good and the portion sizes were great. Everything we ordered was really great and I just wish we could have tried more of the dishes on the menu. As it was, we took home enough for another meal. The honey garlic pork chops were awesome, as were the juicy pork and chive dumplings. Everything was great! We will definitely be returning for more, and I would highly recommend this place!

Review №16

2023-03-14 08:36:29

This was a nice place, honestly a huge menu to chose with all protein options and everything from dumplings to dishes. The interior is nice and modern. The dumplings were great, as was my chicken and beans, but I did try the Chinese broccoli and chicken and it was not flavorful at all. Like, maybe less than food court level food. I do recommend the dumplings though.

Review №17

2023-05-08 23:58:05

Popular Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park specializing in dumplings. Friend is on keto so we got only meat and veggie dishes, sadly no dumplings. Hopefully next time! Order wasn’t cheap but each dish was generously sized and we made multiple meals out of them. We tried the house special sautéed vegetables, kung pao beef, minced meat and green beans with eggplant, and sweet and sour chicken.Everything was good but we really liked the last two dishes, the meat/eggplant had little shrimp and was very umami, the sweet/sour chicken was savory and tangy, less sweet than the typical American Chinese food. Very tasty. Online ordering system is a breeze. Staff is friendly and prompt. Plenty of street parking nearby. Will definitely be back!

Review №18

2023-11-15 23:22:38

Whats great about this place is that Chinese people seem to like it & so its packed by local even in the morning hour.For myself and my wife who dont eat pork or beef, this place has little to offer in terms of dumplings or dim sum. No chicken, no vegetable options. Couple of shrimp options where not tasty or delicious at all, seemed poorly made. We left thinking that locals appreciate for a reason only they know.

Review №19

2023-02-07 01:24:41

The best place to eat juicy dumplings is here on Chinese new year. It’s always pack with flavor and they don’t skimp out on ingredients. It’s a tradition to get beef roll and the juicy dumplings whenever I come here. Highly recommended.

Review №20

2022-10-18 19:47:17

Loved their foods and service so much. really fast and tasty. I highly recommand their beef noodles, beef rolls and stir-fried bean sting with chicken! Ill be back for them.+ just please dont order cucumber salad. it was way below than we expected. it looks like din tai fengs on the menu, but totally different; too sweet and not spicy at all. so I put so many chile oil on top before eating it.* sorry, I forgot taking pictures before eating. lol

Review №21

2023-03-08 22:09:33

After a two year hiatus, I finally returned to Mama Lu’s for some Chinese food. I ordered pork dumplings, spicy wontons, egg tofu topped with mushrooms, and fried coconut buns for a party of two.First, the dumplings (3.5/5). Right when we uncovered the dumplings, we noticed pink meat oozing out of two of them, which reminded me of McDonald’s mystery pink slime. The dumpling wrap seemed undercooked and the meat tasted alright.Spicy wontons (3/5) weren’t really spicy at all. I couldn’t really taste the chili even though it was smothered in it. How they managed to do this?—I don’t know.The egg tofu (3/5) was noticeably lacking in enoki mushrooms—probably because they’re so expensive now. Instead, they swapped most of them out with regular mushrooms and that overpowered the dish.The fried coconut buns (5/5) though—definitely order this for dessert. It was the best part of the meal!

Review №22

2022-09-06 21:34:30

Ill make this quick and simple because youre hungry af. 🤙🏼Big parking lot ✅Good for a gathering (friends or family, or even a date) ✅Great tasting food ✅Inexpensive ✅Dont forget to bring your appetite, and most of all, your wallet 😂Feel free to follow for more short but accurate reviews 😎🤙🏼Enjoy!

Review №23

2023-11-27 15:14:04

Great food. Excellent pork and crab dumplings. Sweet and sour chicken is amazing, and the fried prawns are delicious. Long wait, expect to wait for about 50 mins.

Review №24

2023-05-04 04:15:06

The last time I was here visiting home several years ago and it tastes just as great as I remembered. Best of the locations. Didnt take great pictures because I was so hungry!--Table Wait--Was maybe 20 minutes. You need to stay nearby to hear them call the number (you put down the number of your party and take the number on the line that you wrote on). We did walk out for a few minutes and then decided to come back. There are a bunch of chairs lined against the hallway for this. You will miss out otherwise!!--Service--Was very nice, especially considering how busy they were. They were prompt with ordering, water, and happily took care of other requests we had. We didnt feel rushed. Very considerate!--Food--I gave a couple of recs but let my friend choose because it was his first time.When I came with another friend in the past he was so ashamed to get the ~tang cu ji / sweet and sour pork~ but it was unexpectedly a highlight of the meal. I told my friend that story and he was curious about it, so we got it this time too. It was the perfect amount of crisp+batter : chicken ratio, which I was a little embarrassed for how much of it I ate. I think it was actually better than I remembered it. Guilty pleasure!The ~niu rou juan bing / beef roll pancakes~ are always a highlight, where the wrapper is slightly sweet, flakey-puffed, and crispy versus the more savory pancakes you might find in street fare. The beef slices are tender and separate easily. I remembered that they garnished more sauce in the past but it still hit home for me. Its nice with the cucumber touch too, which balances out the flavors. Get a firm grip or it will fall apart!Do I need to talk about the ~xiao long bao / soup dumplings~ ? Pretty solid. Wrapper is the right QQ texture requiring minimal teeth/ shearing force yet strong enough to hold ALL. THE. LIQUID. Id say it doesnt have as much soup as Ive seen in others but the filling has the optimal bundle of flavor and texture that Im expecting, where its soft to the bite with the different levels of umami that come with the collagen and minced pork combinations. I took too long to eat and even when they were cold it was still very enjoyable and pleasant to slurp. My friend didnt even eat them with the sauces; just had them straight.~Side note: This is higher value, authentic alternative to Din Tai Fung. The comparison I will make is the the XLB here is much better than DTFs. However, with regards to the underdog at DTF: ~hong you chao shou~/spicy wontons~ my sweet tooth does prefer the DTF ones because the thicker, full-bodied sauce comes from the additional sugar (but hey, sugar serves many culinary purposes!). The spicy wontons at Mamas is good too (closer to the original preparation) but I found myself adding some vinegar and chili to it last time to match that mouthfeel + sour flavor I wanted. So I didnt get it this time.~Yang chow fried rice~ and ~beef chow fun~ were good too. Fried rice was fluffy and light. Chow fun had a good bite/spring to the noodles. I didnt pay as much attention because those were for my friend to take home to his roommate, and they were starch fillers, which I was trying to avoid ☺️Im so full.-- Price --My friend couldnt stop raving at the total amount. Upon leaving I took a sneak at the bill (lol my bad)~$80 for 5 dishes including tip. He ordered the extra dishes to take home but we could barely fit them (they almost exploded) within the 3.5 boxes we had to ask for. So it was maybe.. 5 meals total? Especially in these times, it felt like a steal!Always love coming back to SGV. This is one of those spots that hits the nummy and nostalgia chords. Thanks for the good memories!

Review №25

2023-05-18 21:12:09

We had an early lunch in Mama Lu’s. The Xiaolong dumpling are very juicy and authentic. The waitress is also very nice. Highly recommend in terms of the food and service.

Review №26

2023-02-26 19:53:42

The line can be long, but the food was amazing.There were two of us, and we were able to get seated somewhat quickly by joining another party on one of the big tables.We ordered xiao long bao (juicy pork dumplings) and pea sprouts.The dumplings were juicy and delicious. Not as much soup as other places, but that didnt take away from the taste.

Review №27

2021-11-09 06:43:53

Went with a friend for lunch and were not disappointed. They have excellent pork dumplings and the shrimp was to die for. The food was very affordable, but the service was painfully slow. Their barely tea and sugared peanuts were top-noth and was something nice to munch on. Personally, this is a staple for me and I will be a returning customer.

Review №28

2021-11-10 13:34:32

We came here based on a friends recommendation while visiting LA. Its pretty crowded, so Id recommend coming earlier if you can.Our order:- Green Onion Pancake- Beef Wrap- Shanghai Rice Cake- Spicy Wontons- Juicy Pork Dumplings- Fried Pork BunsI absolutely loved the Beef Wrap and the Shanghai Rice Cake. The Beef Wrap reminded me a lot of Vietnamese flavors. The Rice Cake was like a savory mochi.I wasnt super impressed with the dumplings. Ive had better versions of all of them. The Juicy Pork Dumplings were the best ones, but I expected them to be soup dumplings and there was almost no liquid in them.The food was good and I would try more of the non-dumpling part of the menu next time.

Review №29

2022-04-27 00:16:37

This is my kind of comfort food. The taste was delicious and the flavors were amazing. We went on a thursday around 7 pm and there was no line. We were seated right away. I think the staff could be a little bit friendlier but I understand that some people work in a fast pace mode and don’t have time for that. Also, I am an emotional person.😝😝Here I am just rating the food. I will def return.

Review №30

2023-09-30 00:50:54

Great flavors. A bit small so there will most likely a wait but definitely worth it. If you going for the 1st time, every dish that passes you by will leave wanting to the it the next time, when you get your own order you know that there definitely will be a next time. Try all the dumplings!

Review №31

2023-10-23 05:41:41

Great place to bring the family and big portions worth the money. And they brought out our food fast. Only thing this place gets packed so there is a wait time other than totally recommend

Review №32

2022-05-31 13:06:21

Only been here 1 time so far, but our experience was very good.We arrived about 40 minutes before closing on a Sunday, and was seated, but was told to hurry and order as they closed soon.(There we other who came in a little later, who were turned away.)We had the Napa Pork Dumplings, Spicy Wontons & Chive Fried Pancake.Everything was very good, however the “spicy” Wontons were not spicy at all.The prices were pretty much average for the other places nearby.The service, even as late as it was, was very good.Can’t wait to try again.

Review №33

2021-06-09 21:19:22

Great authentic Chinese food with very reasonable price! The dining room is packed, but it definitely worth visiting for their delicious food. The French diced steak is so delicious! The Sautéed sting bean is crispy and tender. Their dumplings may need a little more salt, but for the price I paid I don’t want to complain anything. Overall their food is very good which is much above my expectations. I cannot wait to visit again!

Review №34

2022-10-18 14:27:48

My absolute favorite for soup dumplings!!Definitely not my absolute favorite Chinese restaurant for sautéed dishes.My family loves it here and they are good with quality and service.Pic is Fish with Vegetable and Beef Noodle Soup. Both good dishes. I would prefer more variety of vegetables in the Fish with Vegetables

Review №35

2023-11-14 04:21:13

I LOVE GETTING DIM SUM FROM HERE!!..Dumplings and potstickers from here are too good!! 🔥👍

Review №36

2017-12-31 00:14:53

Worth the hour wait! The staff is so fast and efficient... it could have taken double that time since there were 20+ parties ahead of us. The juicy pork dumplings were superb, the beef wrap was full of flavor, the egg green onion cake was a tasty additional item, and the sweet and sour chicken was the lightest and most crispy weve ever had! Best part was that our whole check was $26!

Review №37

2019-08-13 02:39:18

The sweet and sour chicken is so crispy! I love this place for its affordable and delicious Chinese food. Plus they have dumplings!!!! Its so good. The fried rice has no added dye like panda express and other places. Everything is so fresh. For all the dishes we got it was 56.86 so after tip about 64 dollars.

Review №38

2023-11-16 05:10:45

Service was horrible! We had to call someone to take our order, request for napkins more than once, asked for water refill (which they only refilled one cup)When we got the bill, we chose not to leave a tip. The waitress refused to leave our table, and was literally demanding something. She had the nerve to tell us that if we do not want to leave a tip then order to go. Who does that?!I wouldnt recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Review №39

2022-07-10 04:09:31

You can always tell if a place is good by the long line of diners waiting to be seated. It did take a while to be seated but it was worth it. Juicy Dumplings...dumplings with a bit of broth inside... AMAZING! Will definitely go back again.

Review №40

2023-10-15 02:29:15

I have no idea why this place has so many reviews. The food is gross, we got pork and crab meat dumplings(the dough was too thick and the filling did not taste good), spicy wontons (soaked in chili oil and flakes), fried rice (with previously frozen and soggy vegetables), and sweet & sour chick (insanely breaded and triple fried). Overhyped.

Review №41

2023-07-23 19:56:33

Great food. Huge portions as compared to other restaurants Ive been to (its family style). I had the Peking porkchops and they were yummy! Also the homemade rice noodle with spinach and sauteed green beans. Not a bad taste in the bunch.

Review №42

2023-02-01 23:26:03

Two people we spend $57+tips and have another two meals for tomorrow. Great food, although expecting wait time could up to 30 minutes + when business1 soup1 noodle2 buns1 roll

Review №43

2021-11-27 17:57:11

Decent chinese takeout but nothing special.Minus one star for the sharp pieces of acrylic / plastic that were found all throughout the eggplant with garlic sauce. Not a fun Thanksgiving dinner when two of your guests get their mouths cut open with the tiny hard pieces of broken cutlery (just guessing) in your food.

Review №44

2023-08-15 02:41:04

Went to the spot across the street w a party of 15(company outing) the lady was extremely rude(we had called in advance by 4hrs to let them know what to expect they failed) so we left n came here. They sat us immediately the staff was super friendly and helpful explaining the dishes. Portions are family size we had a great meal.

Review №45

2022-03-02 04:53:59

Food is very much not impressive and I live in Texas. Staff is also rude. At the end of our meal, we were trying to figure out what we were doing next. A worker came by and muttered something about a lot of people waiting to get in. Why this place is so popular, Ill never know.Notes:-Host will not seat you if your party is not completely there.-Servers are careless-- they leave plates on the edge of the table close to them without regard to the space, hitting anything taking space near the space they want including my hand.-The server only lets you order food once (so you cant add onto your order)-The food is overly greasy and all dough/flour-based things are overcooked. Even with all the excess, food is surprisingly bland.-We got juicy pork dumplings, beef roll, hot oil dumplings, hot sour soup, and sesame pork buns

Review №46

2023-09-07 23:08:18

It’s good. It’s affordable. It seems authentic. I recommend it! Order what the other tables are ordering and you’ll be good. The service was pretty good for an authentic Chinese/dim sum restaurant. Don’t let that deter you, it’s pretty legit food.

Review №47

2020-12-07 05:47:32

Centrally located in Monterey Park, ample parking in back and street. very extensive menu and lots of dishes to choose from. Not usually busy but steady traffic pick up orders, better if you order in advance. While portions are very large we did find the food to be slightly greasyfor our liking. Bao and dumplings, do not come with dipping sauce, be sure to ask for. Good value for your money.

Review №48

2021-08-31 04:10:15

My friend tells me this location is the original one. We came for lunch at about 1230 and luckily there was no line, on a Monday!They have a vast menu of yummy sounding choices but we narrowed it down to 4 entrees. The green onion pancake was light and crispy, although fried. The sated fish and chicken vermicelli was delicious! The spicy wontons were yummy and the juicy pork dumplings (XLB) had awesome favor but some of them lacking the juice.This is one of the tastiest Chinese restaurants I’ve ever eaten at and glad my friend recommended this place!

Review №49

2021-05-14 20:55:26

This is the place to go if you want delicious and flavorful dishes. Price was good and service is always quick and efficient. Since place is small, its always packed. Its ideal to check in on Yelp for shorter wait time. I highly recommend Mamas Lu at 153 E. Garvey.

Review №50

2023-03-17 19:18:37

We ordered takeaway on a sunday night and the food was delicious. The portions were also massive - we (2) definitely had enough for 3/4 meals.Would highly recommend the enoki mushroom with bean curd cube - it was super soft and silky and would pair really well with a big bowl of rice (craving it as i type this).The yangzhou fried rice was also not overly salty which was pleasantly surprising. The shanghai style rice cake was also delicious and chewy.Unfortunately the soup dumplings were dry - maybe because it was via delivery.Overall, would recommend!

Review №51

2023-07-15 21:43:45

I so love this place. Its definitely a popular spot for locals, but dont let that deter you away from this hidden gem. The food is spectacular, and while some may say its strong in flavor, I enjoy my food like that, flavorFUL. I would highly recommend, I doubt that you would leave displeased with anything. Though, do be aware of the long wait, it can take a while to get seating, but thats expected with such a small location.

Review №52

2016-12-10 22:33:02

Small restaurant, but their dumplings are OH SO GOOD! I couldnt talk for a few seconds because I was so engrossed in enjoying the festival of flavor in my mouth. Theyre also extremely fast in service!

Review №53

2022-06-03 01:30:04

Went to celebrate birthdays and it was just so delicious, steam dumplings fried dumplings, noodles, green beans everything was so delicious. Worth the wait and price

Review №54

2022-01-08 03:45:18

I ordered the sweet and sour chicken, juicy pork dumplings and Beef wrap. The food was delicious. I called for my order on a busy Friday night. I arrived 25 min after it was placed and it was ready. The dining room is very small and gets busy so if you are worry about covid do not dine in. The prices are reasonable $10-13.

Review №55

2019-12-27 03:24:36

First time going here but definitely wont be my last. This place is worth the wait no matter the weather. Every dish I ordered was amazing. So much to try I definitely have to go back soon.

Review №56

2023-08-22 08:03:40

This place use to be very good years ago but went downhill. The only thing that was good is the Shanghai rice cake. The juicy pork dumplings do not have any soup in them. The pan fried dumplings were deep fried and dry. The pan fried buns was also dry…

Review №57

2019-06-21 02:51:48

Food it’s self was great! Doesn’t need any sauce, doesn’t need anything extra. Was great as it came(I was hungry though so maybe I’m being a bit extra 😂).15 min wait for takeout. Packed dinning place.I Generously deducted 1 star for 2 reasons.1) I found this place on Google and went to their website to check the prices and food. I found something that seemed interesting and decided to order. When I went to the location and ordered the lady at the register told me a different higher price. The rice I wanted was listed at 8.99 on the site, she charged me 9.99 even though I showed her the price on the website.2) The lady the the register was not so nice. She was not mean, she just didn’t seem to be overly focused on customer service/satisfaction. The whole staff seemed to be rushing a lot.It was not the most welcoming environment for an American 🙃(not everything written in Chinese was translated to English).*Update the website pricing, be more customer service centric, and always greet customers when they walk in the door and you can always get 5 stars because the food is good!

Review №58

2023-08-06 22:04:56

Amazing food, huge portions and great price. Will come again

Review №59

2019-08-12 21:53:07

My GF brought me here, and by al means yours should too. MAMA lus will not disappoint. Great and amazing food. Our waiter or the waiters were a little more focused on other tables l. Other than that Food was Great. Had a plate of choy sum I believe, sweet and sour chicken with rice, their green onion pancake, and Dumplings, bao bun I believe (sorry if I got it wrong) but nonetheless great food. Also have coca cola drinks and house made Jasmine Tea.

Review №60

2019-08-19 04:58:41

This was my first time here at Mama Lu’s Dumpling house . The food was so fresh and well prepared.The dumplings were the best ones I’ve had. The fishsteamed Chilean bass was so tender and tasted so fresh. The snow peas was very fresh with garlic sauce. The price was very reasonable.

Review №61

2017-12-03 00:01:35

Big portions. Quick service. Place a bit tight to mover around. Soup dumplings were ok. The dumplings didn’t have any soup in it but they weren’t dry or overly fat. They left out the gelatin soup that is supposed to melt once the dumplings are steamed. The pepper salt pork chops were thou. They fries the gobs of fat along with the chops so the dish appeared much larger than it actually is. The egg tofu with mushrooms were fine in the brown sauce. The outer skin has the fried tofu texture while the inside was creamy. It was the best dish. The beef rolls had cucumbers and scallions along with tender chunks of beef. That was good too. The other branch down the street also has huge portions.

Review №62

2023-11-22 02:26:54

Combo dumplings platter was epic. Try every flavour in the menu. The meats were an explosion of flavour.

Review №63

2023-06-29 08:07:24

We were in the mood for their food, that is, until we checked the menu prices ahead of time.Good thing we did cuz we did a 180 for another cheaper place nearby with just as good food.Mamas food prices have gotten way out of hand.This place used to be great before the Pandemic with good food and prices.Lines used to go out the door.Now they have become just plain GREEDY !No food is so good that they should charge average of $18.When we drove by we saw inside of the restaurant was EMPTY.Geez, I wonder why......

Review №64

2023-10-15 08:07:18

A lot of food and prices are reasonable. The food was just not that great. Very busy and dumpling where Unser cooked. Me and my friend both agree that the food was less than average.

Review №65

2022-07-12 22:14:41

The best place around!!!!! This one is the original and the food tastes better here in my opinion. The are both great but this one definitely tastes different.

Review №66

2023-11-25 17:19:59

Always a fantastic meal here with great service.

Review №67

2021-05-01 22:02:20

Prices are very reasonable and the portions decent. But the food is just ok. The beef rolls arent as flaky as 101 express nor the beef as flavorful. The mystery chow mein was mediocre - semi spicy udon noodles with some beef but the beef with mushrooms was above average.

Review №68

2017-08-21 05:39:43

Soooooo many items!!! What the heck do you choose?Menus like that give me anxiety sometimes man lol.The good thing was the items are served family style so you can share!Sharing is caring isnt it hahahaAll the dishes were delicious. I didnt care for the pork dumpling thoughWe ended up picked the fried noodles with shrimp.I also picked the garlic Pea sprouts which were sooo.My friend ordered shrimp, I wanna say it was just fried but also great.The only thing I would personally skip on next time would be the pork dumpling. Not because they were bad, they were juicy and flavorful but I just wasnt in the mood.We got lucky so we only waited maybe like 10 minutes to be seated.I cant wait to go back again this place was great.The prices are ridiculously cheap for what you get.The venue isnt that big and its usually packed

Review №69

2023-08-17 02:59:25

This place is awesome! Food is great! Portions are huge! It was packed the entire time I was there. Get here early! No alcohol but thats alright, the food is awesome.

Review №70

2019-04-08 06:52:33

Its crazy how many places around this area have similar names to Mama Lus but you must go to this one! There is another Mama Lus Dumpling House about 5 minutes away and although their name and their menu are the same, THEY ARE NOT. Dont be mistaken, go to this location (it has better tasting food)!The restaurant isnt too big, so if you have a party bigger than 8+ its going to be hard to get a table. Take advantage of the yelp waitlist. During dinner time theres about at least 15-20 people on the waitlist! The wait isnt terribly long, I had about 22 people ahead of me and I got seated in less than an hour.Havent gotten anything that disappointed me yet. Food comes out hot and fast and portions are ENORMOUS!! You really get good value when you go to this place. Every meal starts off with some complimentary peanuts and cucumbers.Their dumplings have thick skin, so if thats to your liking then these dumplings are for you! Their juicy and flavorful, but Im more of a potsticker person so I usually get the potstickers instead. Spicy wontons are also a good option! I love getting their chow mein with soy sauce noodles, beef chow fun, indonesian fried rice, and seaweed fish. Menu is really extensive, best part is you can really get anything and it wont disappoint!

Review №71

2019-07-27 18:11:50

We heard about Mama Lus on an episode of Buzzfeeds Worth It, and man, it was. For less than $30 we got way too much food, including soup dumplings, shrimp and pork dumplings (so much shrimp!) and beef rolls. And a scallion pancake. An incredible meal, incredible price.

Review №72

2023-03-06 02:25:14

Good food at a low price. Only down side is how small the place is. Due to it size and popularity there always a long wait.Update 4/7/22:. Looks the might be starting some upgrade. They got new chairs. The old one now in the waiting area in the hall. They add two house special fried whole chicken and calamari. If you lovd meat avoid dish with veggies. They load them up with too much veggies. I would say a 4 to 1 ratio. Our Mongolian Beef was mostly onion.

Review №73

2023-02-04 23:57:51

Amazing small fried buns. Perfectly crispy on the outside and incredibly pillowy soft inside

Review №74

2018-07-21 02:49:18

Very good selection of noodles and dumplings. Also a large menu of main dishes. Some are quite good and some are slight misses as compared to authentic fare found in China. Price is right but there might be line when you get there.

Review №75

2021-10-30 03:13:50

Recommended by a friend and we have not been disappointed. Second time dining in and the food was great again! Good healthy portions and definitely shareable. Cant wait to come again.

Review №76

2019-06-16 08:11:34

Came weekday 11am, no lines. Great food, big servings and fast service. Green onion pancake is so good, thin and crispy. Seafood crispy noodle is great too. Xiao Long Bao is so filling! Nice soup inside.

Review №77

2023-12-01 22:04:34

Good Cantonese cuisine food. Casual and service is fast. Prices are affordable

Review №78

2021-12-08 23:20:15

Sat down in Mama Lus restaurant for the first time, I did nothing but takeout/delivery before. It was delicious and there wasnt a bad entree. The fried fish with seaweed is a must.

Review №79

2023-07-11 23:22:46

Good food and portions. Usually busiest on weekend and dinner time. I always enjoy eating here. Garlic honey pork chop my recommendation.

Review №80

2023-08-22 01:02:14

The food was great, but the place needs a little fixture upper. The price was great, service was prompt, professional, and neat.Recommend... enjoy

Review №81

2018-12-30 07:27:16

Waiting**Came here at 5:45 on Saturday and got the table at 6:40. This place have to expect at less an hour for waiting.Food****I love their XLB. Juicy dumpling with good thickness skin. But, the pork bun was disappointed. No juice inside the bun and too soft on the bottom of the bun. Veggie too oily. Green onion pancake taste really good but too thin.Sevice***Nice staff and fast.

Review №82

2018-10-21 05:49:37

Rsvp via yelp before you go to Shortern the wait.The line is long but goes by fast. The food was served very quickly. The portions are huge. Go hungry and enjoy!

Review №83

2023-06-06 19:03:08

I was disappointed. Some of the dishes we ordered were a bit bland and relied on the addition of chili oil or soy sauce. The chow mien came in a soup bowl, and the noodles were more soup than crispy. Dumplings were OK, still needed sauce. Beef rolls were the best thing (but a bit sweet for me), they had a bit of cucumber in there which was nice.

Review №84

2021-05-18 02:14:44

The food was INCREDIBLE and the service was very friendly. For this area, you better have great food if you want to survive... They do!!!

Review №85

2022-03-20 22:57:28

They were busy and the food took long to come out, but I dont mind as long as the food comes out right. The beef wrap was deliciously flakey but the fried rice was soggy, lacked wok hei and was especially lacking in color (definitely didnt add any soy sauce for the extra aroma, flavor and coloring). Their signature Juicy Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) was the most disappointing thing. It was overcooked/steamed to the point that the dumplings were dried out without any soup remaining inside (soup dumplings without the soup, lol). When I politely told the waitress about it, she seemed to be annoyed with me and came at me with an attitude as she didnt believe me. I even showed her by poking open one of the dumplings in front of her and she said Ok... what do you want then? Make another one or cancel order?. I told her to take it away and just cancel my order. Service is really lacking... No apology and an attitude for their mistake.

Review №86

2023-05-06 23:14:54

Good amount of food with reasonable price!

Review №87

2023-05-25 20:33:20

If I could rate these people at a 0, I would! They are completely unethical and tried to steal $64 from me. I placed an order online for City of Industry, but the order was placed in Monterey Parked. After calling to cancel, they said they would NOT refund me and I had to pick up the food. I could not pick up from that location because I was working from home. But they stated they would not refund and I wasnt given a credit. So, what? They were just going to take my money for nothing?!? Just steal my money? Yes, it was a mistake, but now I dont want to do business with any of your restaurants ever again! I had to call my bank to stop the charge, and they did agree that this was not okay! This place is greedy and unethical!

Review №88

2023-08-01 21:51:13

Food is good, but he service is really fast and hard to ask for help. The place is very noisy and people are constantly rushing. Cheap food though so that is expected.

Review №89

2018-11-05 03:06:41

Where else can you feed six hungry people for under 90 bucks? Chinese broccoli, veggie egg rolls, pan-fried dumplings, beef rap, chive Pizza, sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, German style beef with mushrooms, honey garlic pork chops . The food was delicious and the portions were phenomenal. So why only four stars out of five you ask? It is because I felt rushed throughout the whole experience. I understand that the place is busy but I felt like I couldnt really enjoy this delicious food and take my time eating it. I shall return!

Review №90

2019-03-05 13:18:18

Awesome food, long wait is totally worth it. Soup dumplings are delicious and all the veggies are excellent. Shove a beef roll your mouth fosho.

Review №91

2017-06-08 03:36:34

My wife and I been coming to Mama Lus Dumpling house many times to enjoying the Chinese cuisine. Our favorite dish is the beef roll is amazing good and also the pork dumplings were pretty good.

Review №92

2023-09-11 23:58:39

The most delicious from other Mama Lu restaurants and fast. Love this restaurant. Come early used to so many people get line on lunch and dinner time.

Review №93

2023-07-19 18:58:54

The food was okay. I wouldnt say terrible but I also wouldnt say fantastic either. The service was not that great. No one came over to take our order. We kept having to flag servers down to order.

Review №94

2021-05-18 20:24:44

Heard this place was the bees knees for Chinese food so my boyfriend and I went. Hes been here a few times. The food was so good and I was so hungry I forgot to take photos of the actual food, so ya get empty dish photos. Thats how good it was, we finished everything. Their chicken corn soup was sooo tasty as well as their mushroom lamb. Their garlic lettuce I think is actually bok choy...But all was tasty. I cant wait to come back here. They have dine-in and we waited about 15 minutes. They also give tasty green tea. Servers were attentive and accommodating.

Review №95

2020-03-22 06:31:58

A must visit when in the 626.I haven’t had much traditional Chinese food growing up, so I’ve been looking out for any prime examples of Chinese restaurants to visit. I’ve seen this place often compared to Din Tai Fung, and I think it’s quite comparable!The Zhajiangmian is unlike any other Chinese/Korean variation I’ve had so far. The noodles are as thick as udon noodles but not quite springy or chewy like Korean jjajangmyeon, and the sauce is very meaty and hearty. The spicy wontons were fantastic but could use more heat and vinegar, DTF definitely wins in this spot. The beef wrap is like most other beef wraps, which is more than enough. Fried rice and mapo tofu are my favourite, most comforting dishes here though and I could eat them forever. I think the most underrated dish though is the juicy pork dumplings. Cheaper than xiao long baos, juicier, larger, and more flavourful! It’s worth noting that it’s very easy to order too much food, as the portions are rather large and the pricing is very reasonable!I honestly love every single dish I’ve ever had here and always miss this restaurant even after shovelling several entrees down my mouth. I just wish it was a bit closer to home.

Review №96

2016-10-09 05:13:38

Great selection of Chinese foods! I recommend starting with the dumplings and soups, then working up towards a variety of dishes, and finally having the fried coconut bread for dessert. As you should expect in a dumpling restaurant in Monterey Park, expect a wait, and expect to pay $15 to $20 per person (actually a great deal out here).

Review №97

2023-07-06 19:46:29

Place is old school traditional. Food is yummy and a bit slow on the weekends when theyre packed as expected. Tables are greasy and sticky.

Review №98

2023-10-25 15:43:24

Almost everything I get here has ended up tasting great.Wait time can be pretty long and it can get tight with space.

Review №99

2023-08-24 05:12:27

Food is good but did not deliver the wok hey smell, also use red onion all the time instead of Spanish onion for the stir fry

Review №100

2022-03-31 23:42:34

Definitely food was great. Big portion and the cost was reasonable. Compared to San Francisco.

Review №101

2019-05-31 01:43:29

Food was all right. Long wait and rushed dining. They were ready to kick us out midway through the meal.

Review №102

2023-09-04 03:48:38

Awesome food. The line is long during rush hour so I would opt for to-go. Order online ahead of time.

Review №103

2019-03-07 06:32:12

Amazing !!!!! Can’t describe it’s something you have to experience . All the food is amazing and mouth watering

Review №104

2023-06-12 23:08:03

Great food and descent prices. It may look like a long wait but it actually isnt. Lots of tables and servers. Will continue to go again.

Review №105

2021-10-03 00:29:54

Really tasty food and good service. Beware it can be very crowded during lunchtime.

Review №106

2023-02-21 18:29:58

This is one of our go to places for family lunches and had always been reliable in taste/flavor. Food/Taste/Flavor: 2/5 - the wall promotional dishes were terrible and would not try again2/5 - Taiwanese Flaky Pancake (wall promotion) was fairly oily and not very flaky at all. The pancake was pretty solid and chewy3/5 - Shanghai Rice Cake (23) was pretty good but had very little other ingredients in the dish other than rice cake1/5 - Pepper Calamari (wall promotion) had to be returned. The outside was fried well but the inside was extremely chewy and had a slight sour taste. They couldnt confirm if there was lemon/lime on it to make it slightly sour so we ask for it to be returned1/5 - House special fried chicken (wall promotion) was so ridiculously dry even with the crispy skin. The seasoning was just salt to make it even drier. The chicken itself doesnt taste of anything3/5 - French style beef tenderloin (69) is really tender but still has a nice bite. However, it seemed like it was softened for too long that it doesnt have much of any bite nor taste of meat. It just tasted of the marinade and we couldnt really tell it was even beef4/5 - Juicy pork dumplings (1) were no longer hot by the time it arrived on our table. It was good with a nice soup baseAmbience: 3/5 - fairly loud in the restaurant. While its clean, it feels messy due to the amount of decorations and advertisementsService: 4/5 - 20-30 minute wait at 11:30 AM on a weekend. Once you sit, its a fairly quick response. Slight language barrier and they are a lot more helpful or willing to help if you speak their languageValue for price: 2/5 - based on this visit only, the food wasnt good so not a good value. Extremely disappointing visit

Review №107

2018-12-28 21:53:09

There was a wait-list by the time time we showed up, but because were were a deuce, we were sat within 10 minutes. Incredibly fresh noodles and dumplings. The portion sizes were so large I would recommend going with a group. The service was really friendly a quick. We were surprised how cheap the bill was given how much food we ate. I cant wait to go back here.

Review №108

2023-09-05 01:21:39

The service here is absolutely terrible. The food is good but the service makes me not want to come back. Do not come here if you are short tempered

Review №109

2018-07-20 14:35:04

My first time here but Im fallen for this place. Love their beef roll. Ive tried other places but nothing compares. Always craving for this place. Dont mind driving over 30 miles.

Review №110

2022-08-16 21:49:46

Love this place. Reasonable price. Big portion, great service as always.

Review №111

2022-07-29 21:14:19

Great late night snacks, fantastic variety, fast service, definitely hit the spot

Review №112

2023-05-15 17:36:09

Crowded, very average food, and just OK service. The portions, however, are pretty large. There are better restaurants in Monterey Park and surrounding areas. I dont get the hype.

Review №113

2017-12-27 02:28:11

This place is bomb AF. Huge portions and incredibly affordable. Come early and bring a lot of people

Review №114

2019-08-24 21:37:51

The food here is outstanding. For traditional Chinese cooking with many options for vegetarians as well as dumpling lovers.

Review №115

2023-09-12 06:21:20

Great food! Beef tenderloin with mushrooms is my favorite. So tender!!! The coconut bread buns are to die for also. I would travel for hours just to get these two dishes. The crunchy prawns were slathered in mayo. Kinda gross. I wouldnt suggest that. The whole fried chicken tasted a lil gamey too. But this is my favorite place to come for Chinese food. Good prices too. Six in our party for $125. I give it 5 stars for food and quick service. Only 1 star for Customer service. You just have to realize you arent here for the service. They barely even greet you and dont want you to stay long. Food is worth it tho.

Review №116

2023-08-10 22:05:12

The food is amazing!! The service is pretty okay, but I dont really care because the food is good and thats all that I care about!!

Review №117

2023-02-04 21:56:54

Eight of us shared a delicious lunch and didnt have to wait very long to be seated at 2p on a Saturday afternoon. There are only a handful of tables for seating with more than 6 people so we were lucky. Food was flavorful and service was good.

Review №118

2023-08-16 21:29:14

Great food fresh and delicious, large quantities,worth 10-15 min wait anytime of the week.

Review №119

2018-07-19 20:11:48

Scrambled egg with shrimp, spicy shrimp (and pork) dumpling, green onion pancake, steamed coconut bun (fried) with condensed milk, and beef wraps. everything was delicious and we had 3 waitress on our beck and call. pitfalls: $15 cc minimum and gets super long wait lines after 11:30 am.

Review №120

2023-01-26 02:35:03

It’s almost gratuitous at this point to write a review on spot that pretty much everyone else has. But what the Hell, what’s one more?!The food is delicious. Can’t deny it. We basically closed our eyes and pointed to the menu. And while it may seem like a few pieces here and there are not enough, they really add up! And soon enough you end up leaving a dumpling yourself.Both steamed, pan fried and souped, they all tasted so soooo good.The tea, the sugared peanuts all do a great job to appease your hunger without completely filling you up.I was disappointed that the crispy fried coconut bread was a bit tasteless and also I was told it was pan fried but clearly deep fried. I took a bite and decided not to waste valuable stomach space on them.Lastly, it can get a bit hectic. I’d say if you have anxiety, don’t go during the busy hours😂 if you do, push through all the impatient people to get your little paper number before they realize they needed to get one.But service is great. Tip well because they go through so many people and never leave you hanging!Now I’m hungry again…

Review №121

2018-06-23 14:19:43

Quick service and very decent Chinese food. Portions are huge! Didn’t manage to take photos of the dumplings because we were too hungry.

Review №122

2023-03-03 02:34:57

The food is very delicious and you get a huge amount for the price. The only issue is that its always packed so the servers are very busy so the service is not good and you get ignored and no one comes to check on you. We also got chased out the door for only leaving a $10 tip on an order of $70 which kinda bothered me because we still left a tip even though no-one bothered to check if we needed anything else throughout the whole time we ate there.

Review №123

2023-01-27 00:14:59

The food is very good. We went in for lunch on Monday and the very small restaurant was almost full. A CBS news team was there covering the Monterey Park shooting.Most disappointing was the ladies bathroom which was disgustingly filthy. Wont go into details here, Ill just say dont use the bathroom.

Review №124

2022-09-24 15:19:17

I went in the afternoon. This little place is very good. My friend ordered as I was running late. When the orders came in, they were all so good. I enjoyed the spicy wonton dumplings, complete with peanuts sprinkled on top. The sauce was so good. The other two dishes: beef wrap and pork dumplings were just a as tasty! I cant wait to come back and try more. They were friendly and quick with our order. Its worth the trip. :)

Review №125

2017-09-06 08:56:46

Delicious food at great prices! XLB super tasty!

Review №126

2023-04-10 21:45:36

Delicious food, kind service and more than reasonable pricing! Came across this place after looking for a local alternative to a a major dumpling chain and this has not become my go to. Would definitely recommend.

Review №127

2022-09-17 05:37:39

Amazing. Highly recommend the beef wrap. I will be back

Review №128

2023-06-18 02:50:21

The food was so good 😊 the sweet and sour and garlic string beans was super bomb. Alit of food and good price range.

Review №129

2023-11-08 03:33:38

Dinner was excellent. Food is mixed asian. Service is quick.

Review №130

2023-01-24 07:15:43

The food was excellent & the service was great. Very authentic Chinese food w/ a variety of choices. There are also uncooked dumpling bags (to cook at home) they sell for a great price and is really juicy and tasty. Everyone should try at least one, won’t be disappointed

Review №131

2021-08-12 03:51:00

Food is ok. But they fry everything.. too much oil

Review №132

2023-03-14 12:03:08

Looked this place up on Yelp and going off the reviews we decided to give this place a try. Overall the food was good, the beef wrap appetizers, we thought were really good. If you do come, come with an appetite because the portions are really big and you could definitely share and be satisfied. The reason for the 3 star rating is because the broth for the soup was bland, had no flavor and when we asked for a refill of the tea, they used the samee tea bags because all we got was hot water. I would try this place again though, maybe it was a bad day for somebody 🤔😕Update as of 3/11/23Well I guess someone was having a bad day on our previous visit because this time we got tea that actually tasted like tea. Nothing special about the tea, we just like tea. Anyhow this time we didnt order any soup so I cant comment on that but, like I said previously the rest of the food was great and this time around was no different, and remember to come with an appetite because of the portions. I would say my only complaint was the service was so-so. Dont get me wrong theyre very polite but, they need to be a little more attentive to the customer. I get that theyre busy but I shouldnt have to flag them down whenever we need something. Overall though I would highly recommend this place to come and enjoy, in my opinion, some tasty food.

Review №133

2023-11-20 03:54:28

Great place, excellent food. Will definitely be coming back.

Review №134

2023-06-02 00:52:46

Great soup dumplings and fried pumpkin. You can pick up bags of frozen dumplings at the counter to take home but bring cash for those.

Review №135

2022-07-20 16:15:33

SO delicious! Very generous with their portions. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the food, we were too excited to get started. There is usually a wait because its so packed most of the time, and it doesnt help that its a fairly small space. But the food comes out quick! The spicy wontons and juicy pork dumplings are always my go-to.

Review №136

2023-03-23 04:18:50

Really enjoyed the fact we were served tea immediately when we sat down.We ordered the Mongolian beef, and 2 different type of dumplings.I really enjoyed my spicy pork and shrimp dumplings

Review №137

2022-01-12 19:31:04

We travel far for these dumplings! I would say best xiao long bao of the west coast by far. If anyone says otherwise, you’re wrong.

Review №138

2022-10-14 20:54:12

Dont be intimidated by the menu. Point to a few things - it will all be delicious. Theres always a line but it moves quickly - just sign your name in the check in list at the door. Portions are generous. Staff will leave you alone to enjoy your meal - just flag them down when you need something.

Review №139

2023-03-29 15:22:07

Food was phenomenal, delicious, authentic, had 5 dishes for my family, steak and mushroom dish - fire🔥, pork with garlic dish - fire🔥, chowmein noodles - fire🔥, steak wraps - fire🔥, fried rice w/ shrimp - fire🔥, fried pork dumplings - fire🔥. My family definitely has a new Chinese food spot!!! Ill get pics next week when we go again and try some new dishes.

Review №140

2022-03-06 02:28:21

The beef noodle soup and green onion pancakes are amazing. Better than Din Tai Fung.

Review №141

2018-03-25 21:35:58

Solid Chinese comfort food at a great price point. Slightly cleaner than a typical greasy spoon joint, but not by much. Warm service, but can be spotty.

Review №142

2023-08-17 23:23:23

I had the beef wrap, xialongbao, Shang Hai niangao, and Shang Hai noodles and it was soooo good!!!!

Review №143

2019-12-11 06:20:05

Price is fair and big portion . We like their food .

Review №144

2017-01-31 19:24:16

I liked the meal we had. We ordered from left to right: seafood chow mein, shrimp & spinach soup, beef wrap and juicy pork dumpling. The soup and beef wrap were the best out of the four we ordered. I dont know if it was just the lunch rush but I was a bit disappointed. Ive hear so many good things about this place but it wasnt as good as I had imagined. The flavors were a bit bland and it lacked something lol maybe msg. I will be trying this place again since prices were fair and quality wasnt bad. Ill order different items next time and see what others dining there are ordering. Maybe I just missed out on the popular items that people usually order.

Review №145

2023-01-13 07:43:51

You want authentic Chinese food?? This is your to go place! The prices are incredibly good, the portions are massive which is just perfect, the taste of each plate is just wonderful!! The service is very good, super quick and attentive. Great quality restaurant!

Review №146

2023-06-30 17:43:18

I expected good fôod at the minimum or at least good dumplings since it has a lot of good reviews, but dont even bother. Who is reviewing?

Review №147

2023-01-03 07:42:32

Where do I start?First, there is so much controversy and scandals around the history of the restaurant that this alone probably drives constant popularity of the place. Look it up - its searchable on wiki!!We came here on a weekend and it was SUPER busy. We had to wait about 30 minutes although I am told by frequent diners that it is not unusual to wait anywhere from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours for a table.Once seated, we were given tea. They are so busy that when we ordered, and stated we may order more later, the server very matter-of-fact indicated she is too busy and we should order everything at once...Service was to the point, quick and reasonably approachable. Servers speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin so take your pick of how you want to communicate.What strikes me most are the portions for the prices. Its really, bang for your buck. The hot and sour soup tastes tangy; a bit sour IMO but you can adjust the taste with house hot sauce which is fantastic. My only criticism is that it is not thick enough of a soup. But wow, the bowl was huge for $9.95.We also ordered their signature soup dumplings or XLB - the original (pork only) and pork with crab. Personally, I think the pork is tastier and has more meat juice inside the dumpling. Pricing was great - I think the pork one for 12 was $10 and the combination one for 8 was $12.We liked vegetables with our meal so the dou miu with oyster mushrooms hit the spot. Only improvement is they can give more sauce to the dish. Otherwise, its not overly greasy like the way most restaurant drenched their dou miu in.We were quite satisfied and can appreciate what all the hype is about for Mama Lus. Think of it as a poorer (wo)mans version of Ding Tai Fung...which less of a wait.Will return, though dress casually. Bathroom isnt the cleanest and you go for the food, not for the ambiance for sure.

Review №148

2022-10-25 16:56:04

Can never go wrong whenever we visit Mama Lu’s! Our parents also love this place (they’re from Shanghai!) so that says a lot! The soup dumplings are always a must! We order 5 trays at the start of the meal.Everything they make is well rounded, seasoned perfectly and not overtly flavored. We enjoy Mama Lu’s for a cozy meal! Their garlic sauteed veggies are always SO good!

Review №149

2023-04-13 06:14:18

Ok so this place is one of those old school Chinese places that are dying out. Everything tastes amazing and portions are huge. It kinda dirty and staff are kinda rude but hey food is amazing. We got the beef wrap which was ok but their beef chow fun was one of the best as well as their dumplings and traditional dishes.

Review №150

2022-09-06 05:37:13

Should be a big ZERO STARS!! My boyfriend wanted to impress me and the first experience was horrible!! We decided to give them another chance since my son was visiting from NorCal! Wow!!! Talk about discrimination!! We were thinking service would be better since we got a table right away! Then we noticed how Asian people were being waited on before us although they arrived after we did! We placed our order and noticed how it took more than 45 minutes to get our first dish!! Other tables were checked on numerous times and they didn’t bother to check on us to find out my son got the incorrect dish!!! Too bad that my boyfriend wanted to show us around and enjoy a good dinner!!! They need to learn to never judge a book by its cover. Check was less than $60 and they missed out on what would’ve been a very generous tip! Sad the food is great but we are Never going back!

Review №151

2021-12-11 13:35:01

1st time!! Great food and service👍💯

Review №152

2019-05-01 04:56:21

The food is very good, the restaurant is very clean and every time there are so many customers

Review №153

2022-12-01 03:35:29

Amazing food. A little bit of a wait to get a seat. But once you order, everything come out very quickly. Everything we ordered was very tasty. The green beans are down right adicting. Would highly recommend visiting.

Review №154

2022-06-11 21:57:24

Great tasting wonton and Xiao Long Baos even when frozen. However they need to count their bags as we got shorted a few in some.

Review №155

2023-01-25 02:39:15

Excellent spicy dumpings. Egg Tofu is very tasty

Review №156

2023-05-13 03:07:24

Solid dumpling place. Tried various dishes, all of them were amazing. Price isnt bad either. Plenty of parking as well.

Review №157

2023-03-31 14:03:52

Excellent food with reasonable prices, juicy pork dumplings were very good, we ordered 8 dishes and they were all pretty good, flavour are just right, not salty or heavy flavour like other places, service was fast and polite, we will be back even with a long drive from OC.

Review №158

2022-07-23 17:05:47

As opposed to the take out at the other Mama Lus, the dine-in experience here was great. The food here was authentic and delicious. Definitely recommend dine in and not take out. Beef chow fun is my favorite dish and they did it well here. I liked the Hose Special Fish Filet as well.

Review №159

2022-12-28 03:42:14

Id be a level 20 guide by now if I could remember to take a damn picture. My friend and I went for a snack. There was no wait, Sunday around 4:30 pm. We got juicy pork and crab dumplings, which were indeed juicy. We got the pork buns which I thought lacked flavor, but the juicy dumplings were amazing.

Review №160

2022-03-01 16:06:56

It was okay. I went there with my family. Service was meh. I understand they are busy but I waved them down and the waiter didnt even acknowledge me. I think we just didnt order their best items too. The food did come out quickly and the portions were large. The soup dumplings were good. The beef chow fun was cooked well. We got chilled chicken that was on the salty side. While the pea sprouts were under seasoned.

Review №161

2018-08-12 21:40:54

A Chinese Restaurant loved by everyone surrounding 🤗🤗🤗 Crazy large portion and unbeatable price. Shanghai Rice Cake is my favorite. One thing: too crowded.

Review №162

2022-08-06 04:38:39

We have been here a few times. The portions are large and the food tastes great. Once you order the food it is at your table very fast and very hot. This has become one of our favorite Chinese food restaurants in Monterey Park.

Review №163

2019-09-01 03:30:12

Nice portions size and great tasting food.

Review №164

2016-08-05 11:51:44

The food was delicious. Family style food. Really good prices. Small place, so may need to wait for a table.

Review №165

2018-03-11 00:38:48

Good food. Came here with a friend and tried 4 dishes.

Review №166

2023-09-15 04:29:26

We drove from far to come eat here and they didn’t not take us. Time says close at 9:30 we got here at 9 and they said they are closed rudely.

Review №167

2022-06-14 21:48:55

5/25/22, In town on business, near my hotel was mama Lus I had pork dumplings and a beef roll. Beef roll was good but dumplings were very delicious. So delicious later that night, I decided to invite my dear friends to join me back at Mama Lus. The restaurant hostess was happy to see me again however, at the end of the meal the waitress stood at the end of the table. My friend had already paid and assumed that circling the % of tip it would be at into the total. The waitress said, service is not free! Then she repeating it again. My friend in a firm but gentle Vietnamese accent said, I paid then pulled out his receipt and walked over to the register. The waitress marched behind him. Once at the register he realized the % was not automatically calculated in and graciously paid the gratuity initially intended.Attending a Cal State LA graduation the next morning a Vietnamese graduate student in our program explained the hierarchy of Asians which places Chinese at the top of social order. Explained or unexplained it looked and felt like prejudice.I felt bad for my friend and even worst because I had insisted on the restaurant. Keep cooking good food. Dont serve bias!

Review №168

2023-09-07 00:09:02

A classic dumpling house experience. The dumplings are delicious, as are the spare ribs.

Review №169

2019-09-04 06:35:15

Great food! Amazing prices!!:D

Review №170

2022-09-10 23:39:10

We were lusting for soup dumplings but didnt have a reservation for Din Tai Fung so we decided to try Mama Lus.The place was busy and actually the food looked great but every dish we had was disappointing. I think the main issue was everything was very greasy and that grease subdued the flavors.The soup dumplings were too big to pop into the mouth easily, were sloppy looking, and were just not that tasty.The fried dumplings were nicely browned on the outside but were lukewarm on the inside so I assume they just came out of the refrigerator.The onion pancake was greasy and tasteless.We did like the spicy greens beans. They were nicely stir-fried and slightly charred but were greasy (but still good.)The battered prawns were terrible. They had an odd taste to them and I couldnt decide if it was the seasoning in the batter or bad prawns. I ordered them because the table next to us had ordered them and they looked great. I should have changed the order when I saw them leave and all of their prawns were uneaten.The sauteed spinach and mushrooms was a miss. Again they were too greasy and their flavors did not mesh well. Not sure what was wrong there.As you can probably tell, we ordered a lot of food. Plus the servings are huge. The bill was only $85 with tax.Our experience at this Monterey Park Mama Lus was not good, but we had a great meal at the one in the City of Industry, so I am willing to say that maybe this time they were having a bad day.

Review №171

2023-04-10 22:44:53

Dirty old carpeted place. But if you can go past the ugliness. You are in for a surprise. Dumplings, noodles, and Mongolian Beef excellent. The tea kettle was dirty and although I told the waitress, she ignore me. But Ill go back.

Review №172

2023-06-15 22:08:17

This has become my one of favorite places to eat for Chinese food. Their frozen dumplings and meatballs are fantastic to take to go for home cooking. I highly recommend it. Beef wrap is popular and is pretty good.

Review №173

2022-12-20 07:40:38

Delicious food, good portions, great prices.

Review №174

2019-12-21 07:46:59

Besides the 45 minute wait with reservations. The waiter was rude on numerous occasions. My party wasnt allowed to order more food. The food was above average but it does not make up for the rest of cons.

Review №175

2022-03-26 00:12:41

Very tasty, big dishes and good price. Love it!

Review №176

2023-10-10 20:42:05

Mama Lus is always amazing for the food quality, quantity and extreme value for the money.

Review №177

2022-02-21 04:56:19

Best to give yourself some time to get it. Worth it,food is plentiful for the price, tasty, with a very good sweet and sour chicken which is crispy on the outside and very good.Noodle and thick and yummy, with a good fried riceWontons are very juicy and light.Will try more on another occasion.Service was as good as expected, as there are three servers taking care of a full house.

Review №178

2023-06-11 14:08:52

Throwback Chinese diner. Excellent food and service. This location is always poppin. Be prepared to wait.

Review №179

2022-06-28 08:47:17

Finally tried the beef wrap and it did not disappoint! Can’t wait to go back.

Review №180

2023-06-28 22:52:38

Crispy fried coconut bread (good)pork xlb (ok)spicy & salty pork chops (gooood)sauteed string beans (good)

Review №181

2022-11-04 03:56:37

Get the pork chops! Came for a bday and it was a solid meal for the cost.

Review №182

2023-06-06 22:23:32

Very good dumplings ! My favorite!

Review №183

2023-01-06 01:52:36

Xiao Long Bao is among the best Ive ever had. It may not look as pretty as the ones from DingTaiFung, but its also cheaper. The other food was quite good too, I would highly recommend the spicy wontons, though I was disappointed with the rice cakes...

Review №184

2022-11-23 00:49:41

Food was served fast.

Review №185

2018-12-12 02:01:15

Food great, service great, quality great, price amazing

Review №186

2021-10-09 11:55:07

I came here with my boyfriend and immediately one of the servers just asks us for how many and then points us to an available seat. The server was all the way in the back of the room and we were not greeted correctly. I normally do not care about being greeted and what not, but the same lady got angry at us for not leaving a tip for her! She immediately ran out the restaurant and caught us to force us to tip her. I would be fine leaving a tip for someone that greeted and seated us correctly, but the lady didnt even serve us our food or take our order. All she did was point to an available seat across the room and she expects to be tipped? I only tip those who are deserving, but she made a huge seen in front of the other customers so I tipped her anyway... just very unprofessional and rude.As for the food, the dumplings in my opinion were just average at best, but I did enjoy them. The best thing Ive eaten here was the Schezuan Shrimp, so if you do go here, order that! It was amazing!

Review №187

2023-07-11 23:22:31

10/10 love the food. My favorite Chinese restaurant in LA 👌🏼

Review №188

2018-12-03 03:27:05

Dont be scared away by the B rating or the long line. Mama Lus is definitely one of the few places where the B is for better tasting. The food is tasty and cheap.

Review №189

2021-05-30 05:21:29

Amazing food with a good selection of vegetarian options. Highly recommend the mushroom chow fun for any fellow mushroom lovers out there! Short wait on our first visit late on a Saturday night and fairly quick service given how much we ordered (too much). Very reasonably priced considering the quantity and quality. Looking forward to coming back with family and friends!

Review №190

2020-03-01 00:28:01

Good service, decent soup dumplings, and taking frozen ones home for later is a delightful option!

Review №191

2022-03-14 04:38:20

Super overrated and bad service. I tried to make reservations since I was going there with my family but they don’t take reservations. When my family and I were seated and the food was being served they moved us to a smaller table because a larger party came. If you’re not going to take reservations, then at least honor the first come first serve basis. We got a bunch of different food and we probably would’ve gotten more but the table was small and we didn’t have enough space for everything we ordered. The only dishes I kinda liked was the beef roll/wrap, chicken wings, and fish dumplings. The place also smells like weird, like a urinal. I really wanted to like this place since I usually prefer hole in the wall restaurants because I don’t care much for presentation but I’ll never go back here and I’d rather go to Lunasia in Pasadena.

Review №192

2023-11-03 03:00:31

Food ok, nothing special wouldnt go back.

Review №193

2021-03-15 03:26:54

Yes, I would return. This is a small hole in the wall eatery. Its a bit outdated. I didnt understand the writing on menu. But they had good pictures that displayed the food. We had the eggs rolls, fried shrimp, stir fried rice, and sweet and sour soup. Everything was very delicious. I ordered, they were fast, and I took food home. After a 30 min drive, the food was still warm. The servings were huge. We had left overs, enough for 2 meals. I cant really comment on service because we had takeout.

Review №194

2023-06-30 02:54:31

Really good food, very large portions too!

Review №195

2021-05-18 15:37:30

They are a great Chinese eatery. And if you are looking for great dumplings, they are very very hard to beat. Their price is just right and they give large portions, so bring friends to enjoy a good meal. They were so kind and seperated the tables well so they werent crowded. Indoor dining is available!!!

Review №196

2022-11-21 04:08:03

Theres usually a line and the service is a bit rushed and hectic but the food is so well worth it. Big portions and authentic flavour for a pretty reasonable price.

Review №197

2023-08-22 19:38:57

FYI, in older side of town & building, may have to wait a short bit BUT check in and get a number anyway (we did that and were called in shortly after).

Review №198

2023-07-19 02:39:43

All the plates were delicious. Rice and noodles were good.

Review №199

2023-06-21 04:22:32

Tried a few dished from here and they were pretty good. Hoping to go back and try some other things!