Joe’s Shanghai

I came here with my boyfriend’s family around New Years Eve last year because they loved the soup dumplings here — and I ended up loving them too!
We got two different kinds — a pork soup dumpling and a crab meat soup dumpling. The crab meat ones were pretty damn good but the pork ones were absolutely amazing! The pork and soup were delicious and the dumpling was cooked perfectly. The dumplings were sturdy enough to make it into a spoon but if you weren’t careful with them they would tear open draining soup everywhere. But mmm delicious. Best soup dumplings I’ve ever had — though disclaimer: I’ve only ever had them from three places.
Although the soup dumplings were the star of the show, the other food was really good as well! In addition to the soup dumplings we also got the shanghai noodles, sauteed peapod greens, and beef with scallions. Surprisingly of those three things the peabod greens were my favorite. They were seasoned really well, had a great texture and was perfect to cut the oiliness of the other dishes. The shanghai noodles had a good texture but they were really really oily. The beef was good too but nothing to rave about.
Overall I would definitely come back for the soup dumplings and get some greens on the side!

The food is 3stars, and the service was even worse than one star…
When we just had a seat, the waiter came to us and tried to rush us to order.
We ordered one crab meat dumpling, two appetizers and one main dish, but two appetizers never served to us till we almost finished eating. I asked a waiter if they charged that unserved two appetizers, and the waiter just let me hold on and went to another waiter who took our order earlier. And they started laughing and talking about us, then the waiter went to kitchen and got two appetizers to us and said” here is your appetizers, enjoy” and just left… OMG… R U really serious !!! This is ridiculous… I didn’t even know how I should react to the situation
also they automatically charged me 15% service fee after tax, and don’t take credit card. Y should I give them 15%of tips to thanks them for this horrible service? … ok… I will never coming back again.

My favorite place to get soup dumplings when I get the sudden cravings! Both the pork and the crabmeat + pork are good! They were definitely generous with the amount of crabmeat in each bun! (I still find it weird that these buns are called soup dumplings).
I also tried a noodle dish which was pretty solid, though nothing spectacular.
Service is your average Chinese restaurant service (none) and it’s automatically added onto your bill. Make it what you will but I’m there for the soup dumplings

The Queens location was mentioned to me as a favorite of some people in know. I had heard about their legendary Xiao Long Bao.
When you go during the day, you get a different restaurant experience than at night. There were many tables empty but I know that during busy times, the wait can be out the door.
The first thing our server asked was if we wanted soup dumplings. I was caught off guard but seeing as how this is their specially I can understand why.
The soup dumplings here are very plump compared to other places. You will not be disappointed.
For some dessert, I had ordered the red bean paste. It was okay. Maybe I will skip that next time.
There is quite the variety of Shanghai style dishes and certain ones that you might be familiar with if you order out a lot.
Overall not a bad experience. Service is abrupt but not rude like other spots. If is definitely a place to try if you get the opportunity.
Someone I know had gone here before me a humorous story. They were at a smaller table and the food they ordered had taken up all the space. It was all well and good because they were planning to take some dishes home as well.

What use to be a staple and pironeer for authentic Shanghainese food and especially for their juicy soup dumplings, is now nothing short of a great disappointment. I’ve grown up with Joe Shanghai, and have seen the lines out the door to be seated because the food was just spectacular. Sadly, now I wouldn’t think twice about coming back.
I ordered Shanghainese rice cakes, crab soup dumplings and a spicy beef noodle soup.
The Shanghainese rice cakes are suppose to come with pork and shrimp, but instead I got overly burnt and oil-​drenched rice cakes with NO SHRIMP. The flavor was tasteless and the dish completely masked by the overflowing grease. The beef in the noodle soup, was tough and stiff and completely inedible. Disgusting. And their once famous crab soup dumpling tasted like the rotten innards of a crab’s disgestive tract.
I’m so saddened to write such a bad review, but I’ve been going to this place for a decade and I’m more than heartbroken to say that I won’t ever be returning.

All the stars for the soup dumplings here.
I’ve tried a few things in the menus from my previous visits and honestly, it’s not much different from getting the same dish from another Chinese location. But the soup dumplings are the reason why my boyfriend and I travel from Virginia to NY every 6 months. The service is fast and although you can mistake it for them trying to get you to leave, but they are also trying to get people waiting seated as soon as possible. I never had problems with the service from here and the location makes it easy to shop around the area after a good meal too!
& Cash only!

I had really high expectations of Joe Shanghai, however it was good but not as good as everyone made it seem. I had the soup dumplings of course, which is what the restaurant is known for, but it wasn’t amazing. The soup was delicious and so was the dough that was made to wrap the dumplings. The thing that knocked off two stars for me was the meat inside. I ordered pork, but the meat didn’t seem to be of good quality meat but rather some store bought meat. I expected it to be that hearty pork taste but it tasted like the meat you would find in dumplings from a store bought one. So I wasn’t impressed.
I loved the soup and the dough wrap but the quality of the meat needs an upgrade. The fat contents from the meat was falling into the soup and you can see all the fat swimming around the soup, it turned me off and wasnt pleasing to see while I’m eating.

I’ve had better xiao long bao (soup dumplings) than the ones here. They aren’t bad. I’ve just had better and don’t find the ones here to be worth the incredibly long wait for a seat. However some of the other food is pretty great.
Their scallion pancakes are delicious. Super oily but so tasty
The sesame noodles were unexpectedly awesome. Very flavorful.
Ja jiang Mien — you get a solid amount of meat in the bean sauce. Tastes pretty good.
This place is popular and gets quite crowded so be prepared to come early or be hangry. Service is soso as they’re busy so it make take time to get their attention and more time for them to come back with whatever you requested.

Sadly, I don’t live in flushing anymore but when I do, I always go to Joe’s because it doesn’t get as authentic as this. The service is very friendly and very helpful with selections. When you go, you have to get the pork steamed buns as that is a staple item I always get. To be honest, it’s hard to recommend one dish because everything I have tasted here is fantastic.
For those of you who don’t live or understand queens, this is cash only.

Came here for lunch because the 2 restaurants that we went was packed. When we got there we don’t have to wait. We sat & the waiter ask us if were getting the soup dumplings. I guess thats their specialty since most of the picture on their Unilocal page is soup dumplings. We got the pork & crab soup dumplings. While waiting for our dumplings I check their menu. I observed that most food are served in big portion. Its good for family style meal and its just me & my bf so we don’t want those big plate serving. I can’t pick any dish & just stick to soup dumplings & hot & sour soup. The soup dumplings is okay while the hot and sour soup is too thick. I didn’t like it. Not really impressive.

I have been here so many times! I especially like red bean pancake and Xiao long bao! Service seems better than last year!

Been here about three times already but it was mainly for the soup dumplings. My friends and I usually get the pork soup dumpling and the pork with crab soup dumpling. Personally, I prefer the pork soup dumpling tho since I just enjoyed it more than the crab one. I also got to try the chicken pan fried noodles one time and it was amazing! Loved the crispy egg noodles with the chicken and mixed vegetables on top.
The service is fine and I haven’t had any problems yet. But, my family friend said that they could be shady with the bill sometimes so check your bill carefully just in case.

First time I came here was when I was thirteen. Nine years later I still can’t get away from this place. The food has stayed true to its roots and has remain tasty after all of these years.
The restaurant is pretty big so it’s great for group meals. Warning: The staff aren’t the friendliest of bunch, hence the diminished rating. I’ve been given attitude and grilled a couple of times during my entire tenure here, all while asking questions about their menu/​help on what to order. To be fair not all of their waiters are angry/​rude, but it is quite alarming.
That being said the food is very good here, Compared to other soup dumpling restaurants, the wrap for these dumplings are a little more firm but the fillings are by far the most savory. The crab and pork soup dumplings are so flavorsome and the soup is muy bueno. Other dishes that I recommend you get:
— Beef pan fried noodles
— Yang chow fried rice
— Vegetable spring roll
— All of their rice cake dishes
The wait is much shorter here and there’s more space than the one in Chinatown. Despite the wack service at times, I will continue to come here out of the sheer love for the food.

Food: 4.0÷5.0
Service: 2.0÷5.0
Value: 3.5÷5.0
Décor: 2.0÷5.0
Overall: 3.5÷5.0
Top notch soup dumplings that come with a side of bleh service. Initial soup dumpling order that was taken as we sat down was never entered into the system, and it look a while to get the rest of (really, all of) our order put in. There’s a fixed 15% tip added to the bill… so… yeah.
I usually go for the standard pork filling but the crab version here is good enough to warrant paying up. I wouldn’t waste your time with too much non-​dumpling food. Manageable wait time.

Two words that define Joe Shanghai’s = SOUP DUMPLINGS.
Don’t get me wrong this place has amazing, and I mean amazing, Chinese food BUT the soup dumplings are like nothing you have ever had before.
When we first sit down we immediately order pork soup dumplings and drinks. About 2 minutes later the steamed soup dumplings are brought to the table. These things are not easy to eat it is an art of you ask me but once you get it down you will be greatly rewarded. Make sure to add some of the delicious, strong sauce to the dumplings to really give them an extra boost of flavor.
After the dumplings are done we usually order pork fried rice and chicken and broccoli. You will not be disappointed. Some of the best pork fried rice I have ever had. Sometimes we switch it up order general tso’s chicken or sesame chicken. Last time I went I ordered the orange beef. Citrus flavor is not something that appeals to me but this battered fried beef was on a whole new level. The sauce it was in had the perfect amount of spice.
I will definitely be back. If you live in Queens and you haven’t been here get here ASAP.
PS — Cash only. Leave the credit cards at home

Love love love Joe’s Shanghai and have for several years now. Once a coworker told me about this spot in Flushing, my family and I cannot stop coming — we are addicted!
Our favorites include:
–Pork steamed buns
–Just recently tried the spring rolls and they are delicious, crispy with a tasty center
–Scallion Pancake
–Pork Fried Rice
–Beef with broccoli or Orange Beef
–Shanghai Udon Noodles
–Prawn dish (but can’t think of the name)
–We just recently tried the pork shoulder which everyone loved!
Every time we come we enjoy. The food is always hot and fresh. We have never had a bad meal at Joe’s. No wonder why they are always highly rated! It is a must try!

My quest for delicious xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, in London still continues. Soup dumplings are my favourite Chinese dish by far — there’s something about the warm broth inside the juicy, succulent pork or crab dumplings that’s so satisfying and moreish.
In New York, Joe’s Shanghai are the undisputed kings of soup dumplings. My favourite location is the one in Flushing — same delicious product, with rarely any need to queue.
When I was back I tried having them twice, but the uptown Manhattan branch had such awful service (we waited 45 minutes, and when we asked were they were the utterly useless waiter had forgotten about our order). I’d definitely go to the one in Chinatown or this one, but not even shoddy service will keep me away from these soup dumplings — I am thoroughly addicted.

I will swear by this place for the rest of my life. At one point in my life, my family came here every weekend. And I just came again the other day for my birthday.
We always order the same two things:
1) Soup Dumplings
I’ve been to various parts of East Asia, including Shanghai, from which soup dumplings originate; and I can honestly say that I haven’t had soup dumplings better than the ones here. The dumpling is bigger and the skin is thicker than the soup dumplings I’ve had elsewhere. But that makes the dumplings perfectly proportionate ratio of meat to soup to skin.
I’m not a fan of seafood, so I feel indifferent towards the crab soup dumplings. You can tell the difference, because the crab dumplings have a yellow hue at the tip of each dumping. The bamboo steamer basket that they are served in are also marked with X’s. But it’s the type of food that I always have to try again every time my family orders it just to MAKE SURE I don’t like it.
2) Fried Rice Cakes
I’ve also tried this dish in various restaurants, but none have compared to Joe’s. The meat is always so tender. The rice cakes are cooked so perfectly that they seem to melt in your mouth, and they’re always packed with flavor.
Other things I’ve tried that I like are stir fried eggplant, the pan fried noodles, and the meat sauce noodles. (Sorry I can’t remember their specific names!)
They are cash only and they charge a service fee (so you don’t have to pay tip).
This place is always bustling on the weekends. If you live around the area, just come on a weeknight or an off-​peak time on the weekends.

Overall, their food is 3 stars, but the service knocked them down to 2.
Let’s start with the food:
Pork soup dumplings: decent, skin not as thin as other places and meat filling was a bit bland
Crabmeat & pork soup dumplings: OK, but couldn’t really taste the crabmeat
String beans with pork szechuan style: pretty good, slightly spicy, very flavorful
Drunken Crab: served raw! My first time trying raw crab. It was interesting and actually not bad at all! (and no tummy aches!) They marinade it in wine, and it’s sweet.
We ordered more soup dumplings after we finished our first batch. It was only 7PM, and the bus boy comes to our table and says «No more soup dumplings.» Are you serious? It’s 7PM. The restaurant opens until midnight on Saturdays. There’s no way there are no more soup dumplings. Apparently, this is their way to kick people out when there’s a line forming for other diners. Fortunately, a nicer waitress came to us and said our soup dumplings are coming. But, how rude is that?! Did you really think we would believe you when you said no more soup dumplings at 7PM!!! On a Saturday.

It’s almost a replica of the Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown, minus the plethora of tourists. There are some tourists that frequent this location, but there are more locals than not. As expected, the restaurant will get crowded on weekend nights so get here before or around 7pm.
As for the food, the soup dumplings were good and on par with what a soup dumpling should be —- soupy! Each order came with 8 dumplings. We also ordered a cold dish platter that included Jelly Fish, Vegetarian Duck and Braised Sliced Beef. The Braised Sliced Beef wasn’t bad, but it didn’t wow us either. It was a bit on the dry side, but edible. The Jelly Fish and Vegetarian Duck were VERY disappointing. The Jelly Fish was tasteless and bland. The Vegetarian Duck had an odd burnt taste to it. Unfortunately, the cold platter was huge, so we were stuck with ²⁄₃ of that plate loaded with food that we did not finish.
On the plus side, service was fast and excellent. We dropped a few of the chopsticks and the waiter brought us a new pair each time with no issues. However, the bottom line is the food quality was a bummer!