Dim Sum Charlie’s

Is this even open? I work in napa and have been emailing them, calling and driving over there and it is not open,… hmm? wish they would just either update their website or reply to email inquiries.

Very crowded however what would one expect being new year eve. The dim sum was the best i ever had. If I didn’t know I was in Napa I swear I was in Asia, it was that authentic. The waiters were quick and very polite. The dim sum was a little pricey but well worth the extra money. Well this review will be short because I mean after all, it New Year Eve. HAPPY NE YEAR TO ALL MY FRIENDS

We read the comments and were really excited to go and try it, but apparently it’s closed for a couple of months

I loved you long time!

— Very good and relatively healthy (less oily) dim sum!
— For dim sum it is pricey, but hey, you are a tourist in Napa so get used to it
— Some of the dish names and slogans have negative associations which resulted in negative Unilocal and probably lost business. In fact, I almost turned away! Names matter, ask Don Imus, he believes!
I had been wanting to try this place ever since the owner of the lot where the trailer sits told me he was going to set up a dim sum lunch truck because he loves dim sum. I finally had the chance to stop by, almost two years after they opened. We only wanted a snack to try because we had dinner plans already, so I ordered their dim sum sampler called the «Ten Dolla Make You Holla» where the owner, Tom, gives you his choice of 4 dim sum and two buns. He steams the food to order so it took a few minutes. No problem, there is plenty of bench seating with a sun shade and we took the time to help ourselves to some plates and soy sauce for dipping.
Tom brought us our food in bamboo steamers and my wife and I loved each and every piece! Tom’s selection this night included two char siu bao (pork buns, one in steamed rice flour and one in wheat flour), a chive dumpling, and different meat-​veggie dumplings. I took pics of them while holding them up with my chopsticks to show off how talented I am:
Some of you may notice that there were actually five dim sum instead of four. I chatted with Tom a bit when placing my order and we hit it off so he gave me an extra goody. Minus the bonus piece the pricing works out to $ 1.50+ per item which I thought was OK for a treat, but I would hesitate to make it a regular dining option. Dim Sum Charlie’s also serves noodle soup, which the table next door seemed to enjoy very much. I think Dim Sum Charlie’s is a cool idea. Where else can you get dim sum from a truck? 4 Stars, I’d rate it higher if the pricing was 20% lower. FYI Tom used to make his own dim sum but now sources it from a popular restaurant in SF.
SIDE NOTE:
When I chatted with Tom I asked him if his place had been Unilocaled and that’s when he told me about the review shit-​storm. Little did I know that I was walking into a heated controversy over his choice of slogan (Love you long time) and the name for his sampler dish (Ten dolla make you holla). These phrases originated from the movie Full Metal Jacket where the soldiers spent their days either killing Vietnamese or paying them for sex. I saw the movie decades ago and found it to be very disturbing and had put it out of my mind so I didn’t make the association right away until Tom pointed it out.
I could tell he sincerely did not mean to cause anyone offense and was simply paying homage to a movie which he really liked while serving a food which he is passionate about. I ate there and enjoyed the food and the concept, however as an Asian did feel somewhat put-​off by the negative associations which the names evoked and I am sure many others of Asian descent would also feel the same (just read all the rants!) In fact, I almost turned away when I saw the slogan on his sign. Considering that probably 98% of dim-​sum is eaten by Asians I am not sure Tom has made a good business decision with his marketing. If you read this Tom, maybe you could use quotes from Bruce Lee movies instead? You might get more business that way!

Very over priced and just not good Dim Sum.
Most good reviews are from people who have never eve n had Dim Sum before.

I first heard about Dim Sum Charlie’s shortly after I moved out here. A co-​worker at my first job mentioned it and after my first visit I became a fan. It’s one of my go-​to places for something quick and filling to eat. My favorite dishes are the pork shu mai and the roasted pork noodle bowl. I also love the honey bbq pork buns, so fluffy with a sweet tang to them! The outdoor area is really nice at night with the lights and fire pit~
Yes, the prices might seem a little on the higher side, but this is Napa. I usually don’t spend more here than I do at some other places near by and the quality is great, so to me the price seems just right.
For those who mentioned they had trouble with the hours, they do have their regular hours posted on the info tab of their facebook page. If they happen to be going off-​site they usually post about it a couple of days in advance, and at least the morning of, so I always just do a quick check before I head out. It’s also fun to check out the facebook because they sometimes post special deals they’re doing so you can save a little $$$.

First time having Dim Sum and this place was really amazing in my opinion. Charlie was really friendly and helpful. The food came very quick and it was delicious. My favorite part is the relax ambient of the outdoor seating and specially the bone fire… We seated next to the fire while waiting for out order while having some of the free black tea.
The taste and presentation was outstanding… We ended up making a second order after we were done with the sampler. The price is very good and you will end up with a very satisfied belly and a happy wallet :-)
We had the shrimp and vegetables dumplings; they were really tasty and fresh.
This place is going to be one of my favorite places in Napa from now on; I can’t wait to go back and try more of their food.

Looking for inexpensive dining option in Napa, we came across Dim Sum Charlie’s as we were walking towards the Oxbow Public Market. I like the look of the truck — a silver, old-​fashioned airstream trailer — and like the covered picnic tables that serve as the dining area. It’s probably the most comfortable dining situation of any food truck around. An added plus is the cute black lab (Ruby, I think is the dog’s name) that was wandering around serving as host.
We got the «Ten Dolla Make You Holla!» sampler ($ 10) which was an assortment of 4 dumplings, 1 honey baked pork bun, 1 white fluffy. The two pork buns were great, while the 4 dumplings were ok. The flavors were all subtle and textures all pretty much the same that I had trouble discerning what I was eating.
One sampler is enough for one person, however the two of us split one, leaving more room to get some grub at Oxbow.

Dear Dim Sum Charlie:
I am Asian and I HATE that you put «10 Dollah Make You Holla» and «Me Love You Long Time» ANYWHERE around in or around your business.
Your «food» is also disgusting and a rip off. Putting bbq pork and slicing it into pre-​packaged grocery store dinner rolls is what I call a scam.
YOU ARE OFFENSIVE.
BEWARE OF THIS ASIAN GIRL.

While walking around Downtown Napa, we stumbled across Dim Sum Charlie’s in a small and dusty parking lot.
«A dim sum food truck??? We have to try this!»
I’m a Cantonese girl who grew up on dim sum every Sunday morning with my family. So I may know a thing or two about good dim sum. :) And for a food truck, Dim Sum Charlie’s isn’t bad. We only tried the «Trio» dumplings — tasty, but definitely not as fresh as it can get. Prices are decent for food truck fare, and the presentation of the dumplings were cute in their little plastic steam boxes.
I don’t think I’d go back, but it’s a cute place to drop by for novelty’s sake.

This location can be pretty hard to find. It’s situated right behind a house in a trailer. So drive slow if you’re looking for this location.
We got here at about 5:00PM after a full day of wine tasting at a few wineries. Their website says the location is open from 11:30AM to 9:00PM. When we were about to order, they said they weren’t even ready and to give them about 30 minutes as they had to set everything up. So yeah… okay???
We came back and 45 minutes later and they were open! My friends ordered the Chef Selection (Ten Dollah Make You Hollah) and I ordered the pork ramen. Yes, I know. Dim Sum place and I ordered ramen…
The chef came out and told me that he ran out of pulled pork and asked if I would like to substitute it with Sui Mai, I asked if he had something else and he suggested the pork dumplings; so I went with that.
The ramen broth was spicy, which was good, but the noodles were way too soft. The snow peas were hard and I could’ve swore I scraped my throat one of them. The shiitake mushrooms were nice and soft. The dumplings tasted almost store brought from the froze food aisle. Overall, decent dish.
My friends said their food was decent. It wasn’t up to par with an actual Chinese dim sum restaurant.

As Napan locals we TRULY, TRULY want to support locally-​owned businesses. So, another local friend & I met with 1 of the DSC owners to hopefully get enlightened behind the «Me love you long time» biz slogan and possibly give his business another chance b/​c DSC does have a cool set-​up and idea. He let us know that he dropped the «Ten Dollah Make you Hollah» name for one of his dishes (whew). But the «Me love you…» phrase isn’t budging b/​c it’s not meant to be offensive. Instead, it’s considered a positive one in Vietnam b/​c that’s what he hears when he’s at high-​end hotels, restaurants while there in Vietnam. Uh, o. k… little does he know that these Vietnamese service people potentially say this phrase w/​a smirk to western tourists like him who don’t have a clue when it comes to the Asian & Asian-​Am. culture since he IS a white man (sorry dude).
What I got from this discussion is that this guy does not intend to be an outright racist, but instead is clearly a businessman whose forethought & deep thinking on business word choice and multicultural issues has a lot to be desired. [Case in point– He claims that I’m not Asian enough b/​c my ancestry is Filipino and thus I shouldn’t feel offended. But then a few sentences later claims that we (including himself) are all Asian— WTF?! ]
As potential customers, you’ll need to decide if you want to support someone like him (and his Kipling ways a la «White Man’s Burden») and his business decisions, which are unfortunately offensive to anyone w/​a modern-​day clue and/​or drop of Asian blood.
P. S., To all those customers who find DSC dim sum as «Amazing», etc.– sorry to take the wool off your eyes but perhaps you should cross the Bay Bridge and buy it at the source where it’s fresher and cheaper. You’ll then understand why DSC sells out … they don’t make it in the airstream!!! They just reheat it! But if this cooking process HAS changed, I will gladly retract that previous comment!

Yeah baby, a dim sum truck in Napa? I couldn’t have asked for more. You get a cool atmosphere of picnic tables, cool people and a firepit.
I’m gonna glaze over all the hate they’re getting for their «slogan» cause it has nothing to do with the quality of their food, atmosphere or service. If there was an asian guy/​gal in the truck (and there probably would be back on the east coast cause we’re funny), then nobody would bat an eye.
Anyway… the dim sum was good. I’m not a dumplings type of girl, so I wished they had more options than rice wraps, noodles and dumplings, but it was still good. Made even better after a day of wine tasting when you need a snack before dinner.
The BBQ pork buns were deeeeeelish, I coulda ate a few boxes of those for sure.
The food is made with love and I’m a total sucker for a firepit, so I’ll eat anything they give me so long as I can eat it infront of that awesomeness.

I’m going to overlook the fact that I’m mildly offended by DSC’s slogan «We love you long time» and let the food speak for itself…
The food tastes like what you’d typically eat at a dim sum restaurant. Nothing extraordinary, but still good and properly steamed. It’s pricier than what you might be used to, but I figure it comes with the territory when a food truck doesn’t produce mass quantities like a restaurant with a gazillion dim sum diners.
The «ten dolla make you holla» special is a good place to start if you want to try a variety of what DSC has to offer. I’m not a huge fan of the BBQ pork used to fill their baked and steamed buns… The taste is slightly off. The veggie and seafood dumplings are tasty, though. The dumplings seem to made with love because they’re meticulously hand-​folded at the seams.
In addition to dim sum, DSC also serves ramen noodles. It’s a jump from Chinese to Japanese food, but I guess that’s okay because if all Asians look alike, their food must taste alike, too. Too bad DSC doesn’t offer fortune cookies. Real bummer.
Okay, so I overlooked their offensive slogan long enough. I’m sure DSC just wanted to be tongue-​in-​cheek with the Stanley Kubrick reference, even though «Full Metal Jacket» didn’t have anything to do with Chinese food (or did it?!). But at least DSC didn’t overkill it by blasting 2 Live Crew’s «Me So Horny» and opted for a soundtrack with the likes of 10,000 Maniacs and Violent Femmes instead. Oh, and no one talked to me with a fake broken English accent or said, «Ching chong, ling long, ting tong.»
Three stars for the food. One extra star for the outdoor ambiance with the wooden picnic tables, large shade structure, potted landscaping, and even a heat lamp for chilly evenings.

I grew up on the Hawaiian Islands and it’s very diverse there. Pork buns are a specialty in Hawaii which we call it «MANAPUA». People buy them there by the dozen to boxes and boxes. I know what a good pork bun is! I will judge with what happened today. (03.05.2011)…The pork bun was moist and also doughy. I dont like that taste when it feels like you are eating the dough. The filling was okay. The dim sum I got was the scallop/​garlic which was good.
I wouldn’t say…“WOW THIS IS THE BEST.” But it’s a cute little bullet trailer off the railroad tracks with perhaps approximately 6 picnic benches under some shading. It’s really charming.
I have to say though that I didnt feel satisfied. The price is very expensive. But I figured… what do you expect? We’re in NAPA. It was a good snack for appoximately $ 14.00. 2 small pork buns, 4 dim sum scallop/​garlic and a hawaii ice tea. YEP that is how much I spent.
You may need to eat again in the next 30 minutes.

I was super pumped when Napa got a food truck, a dope one at that. But I hate to say I had a meh experience. I really like the whole feel of the outside seating and the free black tea! The people are super cool and I actually found out a friend from high school worked there (Shout out Brit!)
They talked us threw the little menu and helped us come to a conclusion (he also let me sip on the broth of the soup to help my indecisive brain). My gma, mom and little sis got the sampler and one of the white fluffy buns. I got the duck leg with the duck soup, served with foie gras and udon noodles. The soup broth was amazing as well as the udon noodles. The duck itself was greasy (duck has a fatty tendency but it was straight up greasy) and the foie gras was chewy :(. All bad. It was a little expensive for what we got too. I mean it was good quality food, but I felt left wanting more. We spend about 30 – 40 bucks and we basically got some snacks.
Maybe I will have a better experience next time or maybe I’ll open up a food truck myself! HA!

We’ve been here probably more than 20 times since they opened and it has never been less than amazing. Its an air streamer with a great hang out area with picnic benches and a fire pit. One of the highlights of this place is that its BYOB without corkage.
Andrew and Chef Chuck are always there with smiles on their faces and willing to do whatever they possibly can to accommodate their patrons.
Everything there is 100% handmade and organic. Everything but the buns are gluten free too. We’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu and its all great!
The ten dolla make you holla is a favorite cause you get to try a little bit of everything. The trio is also really good with lobster, sea bass and shrimp.
The BBQ snotty is a favorite of ours. As well as the BBQ pork bun and white fluffy.
Great place to meet up with friends and meet new friends!

Rating: 3.5
When we arrived we grabbed a pen and the menu and marked the items we wanted to order as you would in any typical dim sum establishment. We opted for the honey baked bbq pork buns, white fluffy pork buns, stiiiicky rice, pork sui mai dumplings and the ten dolla make you holla dumpling combo (7 different items). The staff was friendly and happy to serve and everything tasted as it should. My only gripe would be the price. It is really expensive. The average price is $ 6.85 for 4 dumplings. I thought Sino at Santana Row was the most high-​end dim sum at $ 3.25−4.25 but it’s dirt cheap in comparison.
Verdict: You gotta give it a try. It’s something different in Napa.

After a friend recommended Dim Sum Charlie’s to me I just had to go try it out! I finally went to tonight and I absolutely loved it! My boyfriend and I both got the «Ten Dolla Make You Holla!!» sampler which came with 1 Honey Baked Pork Bun, 1 White Fluffy (steamed pork bun), 1 Beef Sui Mai, 1 Chicken Shrimp Sui Mai, 1 Trio (lobster, shrimp, seabass), 1 Country style Shrimp Dumpling, and 1 Chicken and Chive Dumpling. All of that for $ 10 bucks was way worth it! I loved being able to try different items, that way next time I know what to get. Everything is 100% Organic, homemade, and uses high quality ingredients (from their menu). You can also bring your own beer and wine, you just need to pay $ 3.50 to purchase their glasses.
The atmosphere is great, you sit at a long community table of picnic benches, there’s a fire pit too for those cold nights. They’re open till 1:30am on weekends, definately great for those late night munchies and way healthier than going to get fast food. I’m wondering what they’re going to do when it starts raining though. I’ll definately be back here soon!