Wow Bao
| Address: | 175 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, USA |
| Phone: | +1 312-334-6395 |
| Site: | wowbao.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 7AM–5:30PM 7AM–5:30PM 7AM–5:30PM 7AM–5:30PM 7AM–5:30PM Closed Closed |
Location
Photos 64
Reviews 7
AN
Anthony Martorina
I asked the cashier what was better the buns or pot stickers and he said, "This place is called Boa and not Pot Sticker for a reason!" So I ordered the pot stickers. No Im just kidding I ordered the Bao, which are the hot Asian Buns. Now this cashier guy was putting a lot of pressure on these hot Asian buns to be delicious. In fact, Ive been to Asia and Ive had the real deal. So lets see how these buns stand up at an American Fast Food joint. I ordered two Bao: a spicy Mongolian beef & a BBQ pork! According to the worker behind the counter I picked his first & third favorite. So that made me excited. One thing I didnt like was that my hot Asian buns were in the same basket & I didnt know which one was which flavor. So I bit in and had no idea what I was eating. The flavor did not pop at me. I had no idea what it was. So I decided to take a bite out of the second one. Again it wasnt a flavor explosion but I could sense a little BBQ taste, so this had to be the BBQ pork. It was not good that I couldnt tell what the two different meats were. I will say that the Bao were a 1 Star experience. I would never order these again. What I was really excited about was the bowl of spicy kung pao chicken over lo mein noodles. The flavor of the chicken was really good. I also liked that the chicken seemed to be ground instead of the traditional chunks. This had the right amount of spicy. One thing I didnt like was when I mixed up my bowl there wasnt enough of the Kung Pao Chicken to cover my noodles. I kind of like my noodles coated in sauce. I got the feeling that this place measures out portions & servings. I would give the flavor 5 stars and 2 stars on the amount of sauce. Also the bowl was very tiny for the amount paid. It was not a good value. This place had add-ons too. With a bowl you are able to add on 2 Bao or 3 Pot Stickers for $2.75 I do know that if I ever come back here then Im going pot stickers instead of buns. And if the pot stickers are good, then I will call this place WOW POT. The more I think about this place it makes me want to never come back. For example, I paid $10 for food here and I left hungry but for $7.75 I can get a giant bowl at Chipolte and make two meals out of it. So when at look at value & portions this place is not a good deal. Also the address on Yelp says 175 W Jackson but its actually located on the other side of the building by Jefferson. If you walk in off of Jackson then be prepared to walk across the building to find this place. I did not have much staff interaction. The cashier who took my order was nice and helpful. I would give him 5 stars for customer service. The guy I picked my food up from seemed grumpy and he didnt really talk except for calling out my pickup number. So would I come back? Probably not. There signature hot buns were not that great. Unfortunately for this place Ive had the real deal in Asia, so I had something to compare them too. The bowls were small with limited sauce topping. The flavors were good but it wasnt filling. I really didnt feel like I got my moneys worth. It seems like a great business but it is not for me.
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D Pham
This is the place to go when I want just a snack or light lunch. 2 baos can seriously fill my hunger. Theyre very cheap yet tasty. There isnt a bao there that I dont like. I usually go for the savory ones like Mongolian beef or bbq pork, but every now and then the sweet bao hit the sweet tooth spot. Both the coconut custard and the chocolate are great, but if you go during fall, get the pumpkin. The broth really warms you up on a cold day. Ive tried the rice bowls and salads - which are slightly mediocre, and Id rather stick to the bao. Plus, youd get your order faster if you order just bao. You can order at the register, but during lunch, that can be crowded. Thankfully, they have kiosks where you can order and get your meal in a jiffy. The downsides here are the fact that they dont serve breakfast baos here, and they dont serve the froyos either. You can only get the froyos at the water location, and their froyos are the bomb! Dont forget to come during secret word wednesdays, where if you whisper the secret word of the week, youd get one free bao! They post that word on their facebook weekly.
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Stuart Conover
Asian fast food is always a bit iffy (Im sorry Panda Express lovers I just cant enjoy that anymore.) So when I saw these Wow Baos popping up it took me awhile to stop at one. In fact it wasnt until I was downtown with some friends who wanted to try it that I actually ended up in one of its doors. Im a huge fan of the style of dumplings that they sell (Ive had them homemade from 2 different friends in the past) and tend to be picky on them. Dont get me wrong. You can easily score better tasting buns in Chinatown but if you are in the loop this is probably your best bet for cheap(ish) and tasty buns. Ive tried the Mongolian beef and an order of noodles as well in different trips - honestly its the buns that have me (and probably you) sold as well! (Ive heard if you arent going through one of these at a peak dining times the buns arent always fresh though Ive never had that experience myself.)
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Marc-Louis Paprzyca
I love the buns from Wow Bao. Seriously though, the Baos are great in any flavor. There are savory, spicy and even sweet options depending on your mood. Personally, I enjoy the Spicy Mongolian Beef the best but I havent had any that I didnt like. The bowls are also very good and you can customize them anyway you want. Wow Bao is best for lunch or breakfast and wont put a big dent in your wallet like a lot of places in Chicago. The meals are filling and it will only cost you roughly $8.
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Laurel Miltner
Review for food only: Ive heard nothing but amazing things about Wow Bao, and I get it. That said, I just think Im not a huge fan of the buns. They are definitely standard Asian buns compared to what Ive had before, but for me theyre just too doughy and sweet, even for the savory fillings. BUT, the fillings are tasty and texture is great. And the bowls are tasty.
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Rebecca Pandit
So delicious! Great for lunch or breakfast (eggs & spicy sausage, egg/bacon/cheddar, etc). Easy ordering online, at the kiosk, or at the counter. Always a quick turn around. Ive also used them for catering events and their delivery and customer service were wonderful! Always a big hit - would highly recommend.
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Bianca Raices
Great for breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack! their bacon, egg and cheese Bao is the perfect start to your day. They also have a quinoa bowl with bacon cheese and egg which really helps to cut the carbs. For lunch you can either get the delicious Bbq Bao or the spicy Kung Pao Chicken over jasmine rice.
