Joe's Shanghai

Let me first say this place is literally the best Chinese food that I have ever had. On a Thursday night you can anticipate a half an hour wait. The location in Flushing is very popular I've had to RSVP upon arrival and wait on a line going all the way out the door! But it is well worth the wait. Upon entering you'll find that the decor is less than impressive. However, the menu and the great service compensates for to rather well. The seating arrangement is family style, condensed but neat (probably to fit more people). This is also an ideal spot to chow down with a group of friends on a small budget when you don't feel like dressing up. I brought 5 friends with me and we had 4 trays of steamed dumplings (Arguably the best dish), noodles, brown rice, and a large pot of tea. We all felt pretty good about the bill too. If you are looking for a lot a really good without spending a lot of money Joe's Shanghai would be at the top of my list. more

You see I'm not from NY and I have to say that NY has some decent Chinese foods. I'm from LA and there are a few Chinese Restaurants that are quite comparable to the ones from Asia. Went I visited NY several months ago, a from took me to Joe's Shanghai and I was impressed. I can't say that they were the best dumplings that I've eaten but it was certainly exceeded my expectations. You see travel extensively to HK, China, & Taiwan.. so I've had my share of authentic dumplings... JOE SHANGHAI 5 STARS!!!! the trip to Flushing was well worth it because I was introduced to JOE SHANGHAI! AWESOME! more

My family and I have frequented Joe's Shanghai in Flushing for years. We were willing to put up with the frequent 30 minute or longer wait to be seated because the food was consistently excellent. However, 2 weeks ago we went there for dinner after not having been there in a few months and we were very disappointed because the quality of the food just wasn't as good as it had been. Upon entering the restaurant we didn't recognize anyone working at the cash register and there seemed to be quite a few new staff faces scattered about the restaurant as well. We were promptly greeted and given a number by a staff person we didn't recognize and we waited approximately 20 minutes to be seated. Once seated I saw posted on the table a notice stating that there would be a 15% gratuity surcharge tacked onto our check. Hmmm, that's new i thought but I had no problem with that because we often left considerably more than 15% as a tip because we enjoy eating here so much. The menus were all familiar and we ordered our favorite dishes - one order of hot and sour soup, one order of pork dumplings, one order of crab dumplings, one order of scallion pancakes and one order of pan fried noodles with seafood which is my favorite dish here and which I consider one of Joe's signature dishes. The food began arriving and looked fresh and well presented. However, except for the soup and the scallion pancakes none of the dishes tasted the same as they had in the past. It was as if their recipes had changed. For instance, the assortment of fish in the pan fried noodles was not the same as in the past and there was more filler such as onions and faux crab meat as well as the addition of sesame seeds. Between the new faces, the 15% gratuity and the changed recipes my suspicion grew that there had been a change in chefs or worse, that there had been a change in ownership of the restaurant. So I asked our waiter who had served us many times in the past and he acknowledged that there the restaurant was under new management. I expressed our disappointment in our experience that evening and how we believed the food wasn't as good as it had been under the previous management and he offered to relay our conversation to the new management and chef. My wife, daughter and I were very disappointed. We all felt like we lost a good friend because we always looked forward to eating at Joe's.What was once a great restaurant was now just so so and we vowed never to return. For the same money spent at Joe's we could have enjoyed our selves much more elsewhere. Pros: Atentive and Friendly Staff Cons: Mandatory 15% Gratuity more

I have to admit I was not a believer that this place had the best soup dumplings. For those of you who do not know what soup dumplings are, they are little morsels of heaven. A celebration of the senses of you will. Each pork dumpling is encased with a layer of wrap. The best part is the soup though. Each dumpling is moist because the dumpling skin also holds a little bit of soup inside. Don't bite into the dumpling outright. You will burn the inside of your mouth. Poke a hole into the dumpling and drain it into your spoon and sip the soup then dip the dumpling into the soy sauce - vinegar mix then enjoy. I have ordered other dishes but I always come back to this one. Pros: Soup Dumplings. Enough Said. Cons: Huge Crowds and Long Waits. Parking. No frills. more

Last Friday around 6:15pm, we had a party of 10 adults w/out reservation but since it was early, we were willing to wait. Waited 30 minutes for large table. Table finally free but was given to party of 4 adults and 2 children because all my party was not present! (we had 5 adults in our party waiting with the other 5 adults walking from the municipal parking lot 1 minute away) This was explained to the so called manager . Without explanation or apology, the table was given to the other party. As this restaurant have only 2 large tables and the other large table was just ordering, this means that we will not be seated for at least another hour! All this after coming in early and waiting for over 30 minutes!! By the way, the second occupied large table had only 4 adults seated and while we were waiting, other members of their party drifted in one after another. I have eaten at this restaurant many times and noticed they treat Westerners better than Asians, but have never experienced it firsthand. Being Chinese-American, I am distressed to be treated this way. (The other parties at the large tables were Westerners) I have always enjoyed the food at this restaurant and will miss it. But I will not spend my money where it is not appreciated. (We went to Imperial Seafood down the street and spend $300 for our party of 10). It has taken over a week to decide if I should post this review. I have spoken to numerous friends and was surprised to find that I was not only Asian-American who was treated in this manner by this restaurant. Shame on Joe Shanghai for a terrible experience. I hope they read this and change their ways. Cons: Racism against Asians? more

YUMMY SOUP DUMPLINGS. The other foods taste pretty much the same as other chinese foods.. more

YUMMY SOUP DUMPLINGS. The other foods taste pretty much the same as other chinese foods.. more

The soup dumplings here are hands down the best. Reasonable prices and service is usually good. Only... more

The soup dumplings here are hands down the best. Reasonable prices and service is usually good. Only downside is that it only takes cash and th... more

this place is known for their pork steam buns. and they're worth it! the crab is $2 more but i honestly don't taste a difference. the soup inside the buns is hot, and you have to order them when you're seated. they taste great and the staff is fast. \r they also make great shrimp & chicken with plum sauce and their noodle dishes are great also. But if you go you have to try the pork steam buns. Read the instructions on how to eat them before you toss the whole thing in your mouth. more

This place has the best Pork Steamed Buns. All the food is prepared fresh to order, so be prepared to wait a few minutes to eat. The other items on the menu are worth a try too. The Shanghai Fried Flat Noodles are delicious and the portions are large enough for sharing. I would suggest getting there early on weekends as the place is packed. If you don't mind going mid-week, you can get a table in just a few minutes. If you have a large group, definitely call before you go. Pros: Great food at great prices. Cons: Seating is limited. more

I've read the other reviews @ the Flushing Joe's Shanghai, and here's my 2 cents plain:\r I think this branch has the best crab&pork soup dumplings. The Shanghai Noodles are soothing.\r The Tofu with Crab is what I want to eat when I'm sick, and the Braised Pork is to die for.\r A secret: you can take the dumplings home frozen, to steam when you can't make the trip.\r \r The ride on the 7 from Manhattan to Flushing is a microcosm of NYC. At every station the nationalities change. At 74th Street it's India. Then it's every nation in Central & South America, ending with Korea & China in Flushing. Cheaper than an around-the-world-air ticket!\r \r Pros: Crab Soup Dumplings. City parking garage one half block away. Need quarters. Cons: Too crowded on weekends. more

I came to Joe Shaghais' of Flushing with family friends around 10 years ago and i was blown away. I've ate at all of the best chinese restaurants in Chinatown but Joe's Shanghai is the greatest Chinese Food in all of America. The Dumplings are there specialties and are to die for; juicy, meaty and the buns are so fresh. The cold noodles are fantastic, the Singapore Mei Hun will knock your socks off and the Crispy Jumbo Prawns never fail. \r \r Whenever friends visit out of town this is the place i always take them and they always leave blown away. Although the service is always iffy but thats acceptable in NY Chinese Restaurants and the 7 Local is a pain its worth going to the origianl Joes and not there sister restaurants in Manhattan. It's always a treat. \r \r Pros: Soup Dumplings, Chef Specials. Crispy Jumbo Prawns and all of the Food. Cons: Service and the 7 train. more

Like the title says this place has awesome dumplings. Heck even if they had awful service and atmosphere I would still come to this place for their dumplings, luckly that is not the case. While they might be famous for their soup dumplings make sure not to overlook the rest of their menu, I love their crispy pan fried noodles. Though the service is speedy be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes for the soup dumplings. Nice airy surroundings and a very affordably priced menu. Pros: SOUP DUMPLINGS!!!, Cheap prices Cons: Weekend crowding more

When you arrive at Joe's Shanghai at dinnertime on a weekend night be prepared for a massive throng of pushing and shoving suburbanites waiting, crushed as though they're on a rush-hour subway, in the cramped waiting area at the front of the restaurant. If you can deal with this test of patience, or better yet, if you can avoid the prime-time hours, you will enjoy the amazing soup-filled dumplings here. These are the main attractions. The other food isn't as spectacular, but still rates. The often unbearable crowds at Joe's now reminds us of Yogi's still-fresh aphorism: ""Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."" more

My friends and I went to the one in Flushing on 37th and we had a pleasant experience. The service was excellent. We had ""siao long bao"" - mini steamed buns - which is supposedly very tasty from this establishment. It wasn't bad, but it can be a bit too oily when they cooled down. I have to say that the scallion pancakes here is one of the best I've tasted. Pros: great service, good food, good deal more

Chinese people in NY know where to go when they want to eat steamed pork buns: Joe's Shanghai. There are several restaurants in the Joe's Shanghai chain, and the one in Flushing is average compared to the rest. The best Joe's is the one in the Manhattan Chinatown, but if you go there on a weekend evening, be prepared for a long wait. People come to Joe's Shanghai for its steamed soupy buns, but there is also a long menu for other chinese dishes that you would expect. If you eat here, order the steamed buns with crab filling. They cost more than the plain pork buns, but they are worth it! When you eat the buns, hold it up with your spoon, not chopsticks. When you bite into it, beware of the steaming hot juices inside. enjoy! Pros: steamed pork buns more