Wow Bao – Theater District
Wow Bao – Theater District is a convenient downtown stop for hot bao buns, dumplings, and a standout homemade ginger ale, with regulars returning since college and visitors calling the bao among Chicago’s best. It suits a casual family meal or city date and offers a well-liked gluten-free option, though quality can vary: orange chicken and soup dumplings draw criticism, food may arrive cold, and the restaurant is cashless.
What 1,068 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“My husband and in decided to have a getaway weekend trip to Chicago from Pittsburgh!!! Today Chicago is amazing is understating it!!! The city is absolutely beautiful, vibrant and full of so many fantastic restaurants!!! These were the best bao we have ever had!!! It’s an absolute must if you’re in downtown Chicago!!!”
“They have a delicious gluten free option and staff was very friendly and helpful!!”
“We decided to try on our little city date at midday for lunch as a family and we were all very disappointed. Bao buns are the only thing worth trying - still very bland but better than everything else. Soup dumplings are overpriced and served in the same bibigo frozen plastic tray you can get from any grocery. Was expecting actual soup dumpling as pictured everywhere on menu and not just prepackaged microwaved dumplings. Orange Chicken and sauces were not good, sauce is bland and oddly sour in an expired orange chicken sauce kind of way. Chow mein tastes exactly like overcooked spaghetti and nothing like a chow mein. Potstickers were not fresh, the crispy side was very soggy like they had been sitting. Just really disappointing and not worth the money.”
“The food here is amazing! The food was out quick and hot and the homemade ginger ale was amazing. Always love coming here.”
“Just get the dumplings and you’re good, everything else was kinda meh tbh”
“Order via a touch screen which is ok but cramped because the 2 are right next to each other. Food and drinks were done almost immediately, probably within 1-3 minutes. Potstickers were ok, so was the bao. Good for a quick craving fulfillment but still lacking flavor.”
“Wow bao was not very wow. It was more of a Oh bao, just an Oh. Decent spices but a bit too stronger on the ginger and flaccid pot stickers”
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