San Dong Noodle House

Yummy yummy in my tummy!
San Dong is the perfect place to go for a dumpling fix. For about $ 7, you can get about 15 cabbage or leek pork dumplings either fried or steamed. You can also buy these bad boys frozen to enjoy in the privacy of your own home.
Their beef noodle soup is also a great remedy for a cold/​sick/​hungover day!

If you are looking for the taste of Taiwan, this is probably as close as it gets in Houston. Having been to Taiwan personally, I can’t say the noodles here can truly compare to what you can find in Taipei, but I think these are the best beef noodles here in Houston, and this place also serves a number of other tasty dishes at a reasonable price. The atmosphere here is also somewhat similar to what you might find in Taiwan, do don’t come here expecting amazing tableside service and remember to bring your cash. Restaurants in Chinatown focus on what they do best: serving delicuous food.
While this place is called a noodle house, I usually tend to order some of the other items on the menu. Not to say the noodles aren’t good; the noodles are made in house and have a decent texture and the broth is decently flavorful. I would recommend trying the fried pork dumplings, which are crisp and juicy, although sometimes inconsistent. I personally like the braised pork rice, which comes in a generous portion with a few side vegetables. The buns displayed next to the cash register are also good, and a nice snack to take home for lunch the next day. While the waiters may not be excellent at explaining their dishes in English, if it’s your first time and you aren’t sure what to order, go for the beef noodles and fried pork dumplings to have a taste of what this place is about.
I have seen a number of reviews criticize the service here and the English speaking skills of the waiters. And while some of them could stand to be a bit more patient, the people that run their restaurant focus on serving food that fills many of the locals in Chinatown, whose primary language is still Chinese, and who don’t care about slightly less attentive service. It helps to be able to speak Chinese when coming here, but if you understand not to expect the same level of service here as a fancy, overpriced steakhouse, you’ll be enjoy some good food at a decent value.

This is, by far, my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Excellent, authentic Taiwanese meals and snacks that taste just like what you can get in Taipei. My personal favorites, beef noodle soup — of course — and chive buns. Cash only, so don’t forget that, but very affordable and good value.

Bring cash, but not much. When you are done you can walk across the parking lot for some Vietnamese coffee and the best Beignets I have had in a long time. The dumplings are what people come here for and the Leek ones are the best.

Pan fried pork and leek dumplings were delicious. Beef soup dumpling broth was rich and comforting. Our favorite dish was the pork cutlet with rice. Sooooo good!

I got the number one, beef noodle soup. Only $ 6 bucks for the small and $ 7 for the large. Super cheap! Super quick service. It comes with bachoy hand pulled noodles and tender beef cubes all in a dark beef broth. Also try their dumplings you can get either pan fried or steamed or both. Want more? They sell frozen dumplings to go as well. Remember to bring cash because this place is Cash only. Not the cleanest restaurant but hey, you’re in Chinatown. Plenty of parking, easy to find. It’s right of the beltway.

Ok so this place was really good. My husband and I ordered the beef noodle soup and an order of pan fried dumplings. The soup was good I don’t think I’d come back for it but my husband loved it. As far as the dumplings go they were the best I’ve had. They didn’t even need sauce they could stand on their own. This place is in Chinatown and there are so many delicious restaurants to choose from its hard to be one of the ones that stands out. But I will say this one stood out to me. With only 8 or 9 things on the menu everything is bound to be good. The prices were cheap for the amount of food we got. We ordered one order of dumplings and they bring you like 15. Don’t over order because you will not be able to finish. Happy eating.

This place is cheap (meals average $ 6 — $ 7 — will definitely fill you up. CASH ONLY. Service was terrible.
The young lady at the front was rude as heck!!! At one point, our group of 3 paid separately and she mumbled, «same seat?» but we couldn’t understand her. She was mumbling under her breath and the restaurant was kinda loud. We gave her a confused look and she proceeded to raise her voice and rudely exclaimed, «SAME TABLE RIGHT?» Calm yoself pls.
We saw pictures of Fried Bread and Sticky Rice Pork Dumplings and wished to order these here. We asked her if they sell it. She said, «Yes.» followed by a 10-​second silence. I thought she would have followed up with something more but she never did, so I said, «Yes, we would like those two please.» THEN and only then she said «We are sold out.» I felt like I was back in middle school again, pressured to ask the right questions to get the right answers lol.
She never asked us if we wanted to order or made suggestions as to what things on the items were. Service was seriously lacking here but I guess considering how cheap this place was and how no frills it is, it’s to be expected unfortunately.
I also heard her hollered in Chinese to her mom (the cook?) around 8:30 PM that «people are still coming in!!» in an incredulous expression, as if she was annoyed by the restaurant having a booming business.
They also ran out of forks /​spoons. We asked for them and they never refilled them.
The bok choy in the meals sucked a lot. It was so bland and gross. My boyfriend, who eats everything without complaints, actually passed the vegetables to me because he didn’t want to eat them.
The pan fried dumplings were very greasy, although good.
The only good thing was the portion you get for the price.
I would honestly pass because there are other better restaurants around the Chinatown area.

Given the current positive reviews for San Dong Noodle House, I had high expectations for the food.
You order your food and pay at the front, and sit at any table you choose. It’s self-​serve for the utensils, water, etc which I enjoyed since it gives me the freedom to collect what I need and ditch the rest.
Take note: This restaurant is CASH ONLY and if you want a drink other than water, it is something you grab some an adjacent fridge.
We ordered the #1, Beef Noodle Soup, #10 Wonton Noodle Soup, and #20 Pan-​fried Pork and Leek dumplings. The prices were fair, but more expensive than surrounding restaurants in Chinatown ($ 7 – 8 each).
Portions were of a moderate size, we were a party of three and felt that we were satisfied appropriately. No leftovers.
Taste-​wise, I was disappointed. My mother, an immigrant from Taiwan immediately detected that the food was not authentic from the San Dong region.
The noodles in both soups were identical, and there was no option for a different variety of noodles. Having «Noodle house» in your title led me to the expectation that there would be some variety. The taste of the beef noodle was sweeter than expected, and there was little savory flavor. It was just bland.
I preferred the Wonton soup over the beef noodle, but that’s not saying too much. It was still pretty bland and did not meet my expectations.
The pan-​fried dumplings were of good quality, and I enjoyed them. If anything, I would return for them, but I am more than confident that I can find better gyoza elsewhere.
Overall, it was an okay experience. Food was appetizing enough, but compared to the high quality of restaurants in Chinatown, there are better places to go.

I read a list: 50 best places to try in Houston before you die and this was number 37.
First impression: in Chinatown so it must be good and cheap. Cheap eh, just regular priced. But the taste was really good. I ordered the steamed pork and cabbage dumplings and the roast beef noodle. Roast beef noodle was satisfying and salty… Almost as satisfying as watching my boyfriend try to eat it with chopsticks (unsuccessfully).
Please do not forget your cash though, I did not realize this place was cash only and had to go to the shell next door for their ATM.

Parking: The parking lot the restaurant is in is medium size. But it is connected to the nearby shopping plaza so if the parking lot is full, you can drive to the next parking lot to park over there.
Time and Day: Came on a Saturday evening at 7:00 PM and the restaurant was 10% full. It was to find a table and order food.
Food: The food selection here is very small (only 20 items to select from). I ordered the large Roast Beef Noodle ($ 7.00) and I can say it was above average. The broth is very strong (which is okay) the beef was soft and tender, but I only wish for more meat and less noodles. I am guessing ordering a large means they add a lot more noodles and not that much meat. Overall, this dish wasn’t terrible but not good enough to make me want to come back and try it again. Food gets a 3.5÷5.
Service: At this restaurant, you order at the front, get a number, and then pick your table. They will deliver the food when it is ready. You will have to get water and utensils on your own. As for the actual service, there is no much to comment on. I ordered at the front without any issues and they just delivered the food in a timely manner. Service is minimum and basic here so it gets a ³⁄₅.
Price: All of the items are under $ 10. If you are looking for a cheap lunch/​dinner, then this is a good location.
Overall: This place is great for a cheap, quick meal. Food is slightly above average and service is very basic. Overall, this place gets a ³⁄₅.

I don’t understand! I was expecting so much more because so many Unilocalers recommended this place and wrote really high reviews; so I had high standards for this place. What happened? Did I go to the wrong place?
The girl at the counter was rude, she didn’t help us at all. Sorry that I can’t read chinese and had to ask what everything was. No need to be sassy about it! We were already put off by her attitude and should’ve left, but we wanted to see what the hype was all about.
ROAST BEEF NOODLE
The soup was very mild in flavor. The beef to noodle ratio was way off. They gave us 3 cuts of meat and a whole lot of noodles. The noodles didn’t soak in the flavor and just tasted of flour. I was really disappointed because I was told this is their most popular dish.
WENCHOU WON TON NOODLE
This was by far the worst won ton noodle soup I’ve ever had! It was so bland and boring. I understand simple, but this had no flavor. The won ton tasted fresh, but didn’t have much going on because I couldn’t taste anything.
BEEF SOUP DUMPLINGS
I preferred this soup than the others. The dumplings were fresh and very flavorful. The soup had more flavor and it soaked into the dumplings so every time you took a bite it was juicy and savory.
PAN FRIED PORK CABBAGE DUMPLINGS
I liked these dumplings. They were simple, but carried a lot of flavor. I also liked the crisp exterior, which added a nice crunch to the dumplings. The pork was seasoned perfectly and tasted great and I liked that it wasn’t overly greasy or oily.
PIG EAR
I’ve had better pig ears, but these aren’t too bad. They had a nice crunch to them and a bit of heat, but not too much.
I wouldn’t say that I would come back because service wasn’t friendly and the food was either okay or sub-​par. If I’m really craving for some dumplings I might stop by, but even then I’m not sure. I’m so disappointed.

Really great sour mustard noodles, dumplings, and pork buns to-​go. The sour mustard greens are perfectly pickled, and the broth is savory and just ever so slightly sweet. The slack season danzai noodles are good if you’re looking for something a bit on the lighter side. It’s a very clear broth with lots of green onions, veggies, and a tea egg.
Grab a pack of pork buns (6 for $ 8) to-​go! Heat them up, and you have a perfect breakfast/​snack! The pork is minced and shaped into a ball with other ground veggies.
Knocked off two stars for the service. The ladies at the counter did not smile at all when they took my order, and in fact, didn’t say a single word except how much I needed to pay. Later, when I asked them questions about the different types of buns they had, they sighed audibly, as if it tired them to even open their mouths to talk, even when I inquired in Chinese (so it wasn’t like they couldn’t understand me). Please. With fierce Chinatown competition, like Xiong’s Café across the plaza, San Dong needs to step up its service if it wants to continue to draw a diverse clientele.

We visited San Dong Noodle House on 4÷6÷16 afternoon around 3pm, there were still lots of people dining in. I had a #16 Braised Pork Rice $ 5.5, #15 Won ton Soup $ 6.00 for the first meal of my day. OMG! The pork rice was amazing! It looks a little bit oily but when you put those meat on the rice and slightly stir it, the best tasty bite definitely make your day! When you have couple oily bites, then get some hot & fresh won ton soup will remove those fatty tasting to help you get the meal done without any leftover~! End up before we leaving, I ordered another Pork rice for to-​go. lol
As the picture showing, the to go pork rice stays as good as flavor from the Noodle House. Simply microwave it around 3 mins. then done!
p. s. The only thing you need to be noticed is this store is CASH ONLY.

I can only review on all my to go orders! Best best dumplings here! I buy the frozen dumplings to make at home, 25 dumplings for $ 7. We always take a box of the Lion Head Pearls to go! Its piping hot and fresh. It’s soo soft inside. I like to freeze the extras and then steam it when I take it directly out of the freezer.
This place has been around for a while… I have yet to eat here. I always just buy to go. But one day I will spend some time here and eat their piping fresh hot pan fried dumplings.

Came here to meet a friend on a weekday night. I was pretty frustrated by the horrible traffic in Chinatown… And I was even more frustrated when I found out that they only take cash. Luckily, my friend had enough cash to cover for both of us.
We were excited to get some warm soup because it was a pretty chilly day. My friend ordered the Roast Beef Noodle and I ordered the Beef Soup Dumplings. We both had a pretty high expectations after reading through other Unilocal reviews. We didn’t think it was that impressive. We both preferred the dumpling soup over the noodle soup. The soup was a bit too salty for me. I did like the cabbage dumplings in my soup. Maybe I will try another dish next time.

First and foremost, I’m not sure how this place is getting qualified as Taiwanese, since dumplings and buns are eaten everyone in China, especially in the northern part.
I was skeptical when I first heard about this place, because I had a fair share of disappoint when it comes to restaurants claiming to make good dumpling and bun styled food. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the leek and chive dumplings here when I had my first try here. If you grew up in the northern part of China, you probably had a ton of leek and chive based dumplings when you are young. So for me this is also quite personal when it comes to judging the taste of these dishes.
There isn’t really much to say about the food, all I can and will say is these are simple dishes executed perfectly. Overall I am pleased with the products here, tastes both great and like home.
For people who doesn’t know what I’m talking about at all, I will just say I recommend the leek and chives dumplings, the pan fried pork dumplings, all the buns, and avoid the rice dishes and maybe the noodle dishes since I haven’t had them yet. Also bring cash.
For the owner of this place, if you can add these two combination of dumpling fillings to the menu, I will give this place 10 out of 5.
1. Pork, shrimp and chives
2. Pork, mushrooms and corn

This place you order at the counter, give you a number, and they bring you your food to the table. In true Asian fashion, all your food out comes out in different times.
Pan fried dumplings (⁵⁄₅) — everything you would want from a pan fried dumpling. Nice char and crispyness on the outside, but still very moist in the inside. Loved it, would come back just for this
Beef soup dumplings (³⁄₅): this was huge and I could not finish it. The pickled cabbage or whatever gave the soup a sour taste which I wasn’t a fan so thats why I bring it down to 3 stars. Very filling and flavorful though.
Won ton noodle soup (³⁄₅): I admit, I may be giving this a lower rating just bc I’m not use to it. I’m so use to the Vietnamese style, that this was bland and not satisfactory.

Our first time at a true dumpling house. We had three different selections and I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember the names, only descriptions. First one was a dumpling soup with green onions & leeks. The pork dumplings were so incredibly soft and flavorful. I’m a white Texas girl so the soup part was slightly bland to me. However I added a little soy sauce and red pepper oil and was very pleased.
Our second selection was pork pan-​fried dumplings. They were absolutely incredible! Good amount of filling and were so flavorful that no sauce or condiment was needed. We will be dreaming of these for many nights to come.
Third selection was a beef stew with flat noodles. Again, I’m a spicy kind of person so I added a little Siracha sauce to it and then I couldn’t get enough. I literally ate every piece of noodle in the soup bowl.
It’s very reasonably priced. We will definitely be back!

BEST PORK BUNS I HAVE EVER HAD. And I have had many pork buns, because I love pork buns. Ugh. Soft, fluffy bread, with a flavorful and soupy filling (was gonna say «juicy», but «juicy meat» doesn’t sound very appetizing). After I ate them at the restaurant, I took them home and ate them for breakfast and lunch the next day, and then I had a dream about them that night.
I would eat them every day for every meal if I could, and I would dream about them every night if I could. Could this be love?

On the many recommendations from my friends, I went to San Dong Noodle House to try their famous beef noodle soup. When I walked in, I found it pretty crowded despite barely opening for 20 minutes, and it was very spacious. It was sparsely decorated and there were many tables.
I ordered the roast beef noodle soup and found that it was only alright. While meat was tender, I wish there was more of it, though the portion size of noodles was large. Also, the broth was good, but wasn’t anything spectacular.
As far as noodle places go, San Dong is pretty average for taste, but gives good portion sizes. I found it slightly strange that customers were expected to get their own drinks at a noodle place, and as such, I didn’t have much interaction service wise. If I was in the area and craving something different, I’d probably return.
Ambiance ³⁄₅
Food 3.5÷5
Service 2.5÷5
P. S. I’ve heard good things about their dumplings, but have yet to try them.

A suggestion from Momo B. prompted me to give this restaurant a try. I say mille grazie, Momo. We enjoyed a delicious meal.
We ordered the Roast Beef Noodle, the Beef Soup Dumpling and an order of the Pork Fried Dumpling with Leek. The food was delivered timely and hot.
Both the Roast Beef noodle and the Beef Soup dumpling had very flavorful broth. The bok choy was fresh tasting as was the almost relish like seasoning. I liked the texture of the noodles which was more al dente and my preferred doneness. The Beef Soup dumpling had a little more richness to the taste but both were excellent. Both dishes are very warming and filling. I ordered the small and it was actually a big serving!
The Pork Fried Dumpling with Leek was very savory and generously filled with the pork. They were fried perfectly with a great texture. We both agreed these were some of the best we have had. The leek added extra flavor and really complemented the pork. You can also order with cabbage instead of leek.
The service is decent. You place the order at the counter or you can take a menu, go sit at a table and choose from the 20 items offered and then go place your order. You will be give a metal stand with a number to take to your table. A server will bring your food to you.
Here are a few tips:
They only serve water here. They do not serve teas or sodas. That was okay since the food was what I came for so the water was fine by me. The water is to the right of the counter and around the corner from the water are the utensils, napkins and cups.
You can buy some food to go such as pork buns and meatballs. We didn’t purchase any food to go but I did take a look and the foods looked very good.
The restaurant is cash only so do remember to have cash on hand.
We enjoyed our meal and are very glad to have tried this place. We will definitely return to try some other items on the menu as well as some more of those fried pork dumplings.

If you are not used to a noodle house or have never been to one, here might be a great place to start out. The menu is small but not confusing and for the most part if you don’t like what you order then you’re not out a lot of money. I’d say $ 6 was the average price per bowl and if memory serves me right there were about 8 to 10 items on the menusito (ok. little menu if I may).
I had the sesame noodle which was a dry type bowl (not soupy) tossed around a dark sesame type paste or dressing. It was surprisingly good and something definitely worth venturing into if you’ve never tasted a sesame laden dish.
Another major item that about 8 people asked me about was the potato leek bun. I don’t think that is the exact name of it but if you go to the front and ask for it then that is probably what they will understand what you are asking about. They look like little white round buns with dark green and white ingredients inside. The price is addictive, $ 1.25, so you can’t go wrong if you do not like it but out of the table of about 10 people they all were in favor of the flavor.
Counter help was decent, you go up to the register and order. The utensils and water can be had towards the back right but just don’t expect for regular metal cutlery, it’s all plastic so it can be a little difficult to eat your food if something is heavy by density there.
There is not a fountain drink machine here so be prepared for the usual Asian theme «Pay by can/​bottle» moment, water is free at least and readily available to you up at the counter via machine.
It’s a little tricky trying to find this establishment but it’s flanked a few doors down from a bakery if that helps.
This is probably a 4 star place for me since I’m craving the noodle and leek bun while typing this review. See you all there!

Si tienes el antojo para albondigas chinos bien bien baratos, hay que ir a este restaurant barata y excelente por el crucero Bellaire & BW8.
Todo en la carta es entre $ 4 y $ 6. La carta tiene imagenes de cada platillo para pedir sin saber chino!
Las albondigas chinas y sopas son deliciosos!
Sandong Noodle House es sin adorno pero definitivamente vale la pena!
Todo los platos son caseros. Le recomiendo las albondigas del poro y los fideos de ajonjolí. Tiene varios productos horneados y especilidades en los estantes al lado de la caja. Hay una refrigeradora donde los refrescos y verduras preparadas están guardados. El kimchi es muy bueno (Además soy herencia coreana). Los pepinillos en vinagre y oídos de cerdo (una delicia chino) están sabrosos!
Todos los porciones son grandes y suficiente para dos adultos con hambre. Mi consejo es a pedir con medida (si no quieres restos para el día siguiente)!
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If you ever have a craving for dumplings at very reasonable prices, make your way to this plain jane gem off Bellaire & Beltway 8. Everything on the menu is priced between $ 4 and $ 6. The dumplings and soups are delicious!
No frills yet definitely worth the detour.
I have tried just about everything on the menu and recommend pan fried pork leek dumplings and the sesame noodles. They also have dumplings and other delights to go on shelves by the register. Sides are kept in an open cooler. The kimchi is legit (FYI I’m Korean American), the cucumbers in vinegar are tasty and the pig ears are delicious.
All menu portions are big enough to feed two reasonably hungry people so I suggest ordering with restraint unless you want leftovers.