Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
San Francisco dim sum is the longest-running Cantonese tea service in the United States, with carts at Hang Ah on Sacramento Street and bamboo-steamer counters citywide.
Cantonese tea houses arrived with the first wave of Chinese immigration during the 1850s Gold Rush. Hang Ah Tea Room, opened in 1920 on Pagoda Place, is the oldest dim sum house in the country still operating; Yank Sing opened on Stockton in 1958 and moved to its SoMa flagship in 2002. The Bay Area's Cantonese diaspora kept the tradition closer to Hong Kong than New York's, where Toisanese dialects dominated; that means more har gow, more cheong fun and less Americanised chop suey. The cart tradition is mostly gone (cost of waitstaff), but Hang Ah still serves a fixed steamer menu, and Good Mong Kok on Stockton runs the takeaway window the city actually eats at on weekends.
5 editor picks for Dim sum in San Francisco, ranked by editorial score. All San Francisco signature dishes · Dim sum across every city.
Also in: Hong Kong.
Hang Ah Tea Room in San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest dim sum house in the United States, opened 1920 on Pagoda Place, with a small fixed steamer menu.
TipNo carts; order the fixed steamer menu and ask for the off-menu turnip cake when in season.
Dragon Beaux in San Francisco is a 2015 Outer Richmond room from the Koi Palace family, with modern dim sum at lunch and Cantonese hot pot at dinner.
OrderThe Five Guys xiao long bao (five colours, five flavours) and the BBQ pork puff with apple.
TipDim sum is lunch-only; book ahead for weekend brunch or arrive before 11:30 for a walk-in seat.
Yank Sing in San Francisco is the Chan family's Cantonese dim sum institution since 1958, with a SoMa flagship and weekend lines that run to 90 minutes.
OrderShanghai dumplings: the kitchen's most-ordered cart item for decades.
TipThe Stevenson Street original is smaller and quieter; book the Spear Street flagship only if you want carts.
Good Mong Kok in San Francisco is the Stockton Street Cantonese takeaway window the city actually eats at on weekends, with hot trays out from 07:00-18:00.
OrderChar siu bao and a tray of har gow; ten items for under fifteen dollars.
TipCash only; bring a clear list of items because the line behind you moves at speed.
Z & Y Bistro in San Francisco is the contemporary sister to Chinatown's Z & Y on the same Jackson Street block, with yakitori, Lanzhou ramen and Sichuan.
OrderLanzhou hand-pulled beef noodle soup and a plate of cold sesame noodles.
TipClosed Tuesdays; the bistro books up earlier than the main Z & Y on weekends.
Dim sum makes more sense with someone from San Francisco explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore the history-rich restaurant scene of North Beach in San Francisco on a curated, multi-course food tour. Enjoy appetizers, an entree, and a dessert as you disco...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover San Francisco on our Secret Food Tour! Explore North Beach & Chinatown with 5+ tastings, from dim sum to Pacific-fresh pizza, plus hidden history, culture, an...
Guided tour · 10 hours
Leave San Francisco behind to immerse yourself in the peace and quiet of the Muir Woods. Join this guided tour to visit Sausalito and Sonoma, then enjoy two wine tasti...
