Baohaus Reviews

Last week was our first time in this place. But It is no doubt not the last time. We enjoyed the evening very much with the excellent service, with the superb food and booze and with the decent charge. We will surely return there again.

Not over hype. The baos at baohuas are freaking awesome. You cannot go wrong with any of the baos. I order all five and wish I had more place to hold for the manager special. A must go and try. Credit card only

Ignore the whack one star reviews from non-Taiwanese people who haven't the faintest idea what a gua bao is, where Eddie Huang came from, or what he's doing for Taiwanese food culture in NY. They don't understand the art form. Taiwanese street food has its own lineage of masters and Eddie's food is in conversation with a melody you've never heard. Any Taiwanese eater worth their can see this before they even take a bite, from the nutty caramelized skin, to the glistening fat with even brownness showing penetration, to the pile of fresh peanut snow on top...Eddie done right. This is the one that redeems Chang's bastardization. It makes bao that white bloggers rave about something that doesn't make Taiwanese Americans want to scream into a pillow. Even if it's still gotta be delivered on a soft white pillow for Americans to mess with it. #theycanthandlethebloodricecake

It pisses me off the type of eaters who will whine about $6 bao (or for that matter, tacos, arepas, lumpia, pho) but probably pay $40 for a steak, pasta, or sushi. Just like they want to box certain types of food into Chinatown. No shade to kaiseki or carbonara - but other "cheap" cuisines are arguably just as complex (if not more). They're often labor intensive, traditionally prepped by people whose labor was unpaid, with rich and deep culinary traditions that span generations. There is just as much complexity to regional Taiwanese street food as there is to terroir of French wine - literally on a street by street level. The fact that these foods have often found their place on the margins, watered-down versions of American takeout, speaks more to our society's structural displacement of migrant culture, ignorance, and assimilation to white tastes, rather than the actual value of food made by the hands of grandmas.

What's it worth to experience a bite that literally takes hours to braise and prepare, using spices imprinted in the collective memory of a people, tasted thousands of times over each person's childhood, that speaks to a diaspora from a small island that spans literally the entire world? Hella more than $6, and I'll gladly pay that and more. Take your culturally tone-deaf misconceptions, take that box where you want to put our food, our history, our actual bodies, that circumscribed district where you would prefer to experience all of it, and burn it down. We are not here for your convenience. Leave the money. We'll take your six dollars but not your disrespect.

Keep holding it down Baohaus. Much love.

This place is amazing. We visited BaoHaus while on our family vacation to New York and we definitely will be back. I tried all of the Baos but my absolute favorites are the Chairman and the Birdhaus baos. They also have a delicious jasmine flavored tea they bottle here. I highly recommend everyone visit this spot if they are in the area.

I had to wait 20mn for my food , and they give me an attitude because I didn't leave the 15% that pops in the screen after you swipe your card. I did not appreciate the tip menu that starts at 15% , it feels like you are obligated or you are put in a position where you have to pay that , these people play on psychological behaviors.

Perfect for the Taiwanese American millennial craving some comfort food. The space is small and grungy but the food is delicious and relatively cheap. The house made drinks are the perfect accompaniment to the fatty baos.

Cool retro Asian bun place...had the pork belly and fried chicken bao! Would go back when in the area for a quick snack. Get the chili sauce!

The fish bao is heavenly. Nice white flaky fish with a tangy sauce. The other boas were very good as well. Uncomfortable, cramped seating though.

Great customer service and I liked their fries and sandwich.

Good baos, certainly, but not as good as I'd have hoped given the hype. Took off a star for having very minimal vegetarian options (my partner is veg)

REALLY good bao. Had the fried chicken and the pork belly and it tasted amazing. Bad part is the price on them. ~$5 for each and they're pretty small.

Food is delicious and very convenient compared to NY standard prices.

Best Taiwanese in The East Village. The steamed Taiwanese buns are amazing as a lunch or a quick bite. This is by far the most authentic taiwanese restaurant in NYC.

Very interesting concept with a fun vibe and good food. Perfect for quick bites.

Had the pork belly and spicier chicken option (can't recall the name) both were awesome and priced fairly for the portions given. Staff was very friendly and service was quick.

Delicious! Not a big menu but every so often they switch it up. Still this place is worth the trip

I've been following Eddie on Vice since he started his video blogs. While in the city I had to checkout BaoHaus and try the pork belly baos.

Inside there is limited seating since the space is small. There is a long community table with bar stools. Along the wall is a counter top with around 8 bar stools. They have a compact unisex restroom which is a plus.

I ordered the chairman and the birdhaus. These are both open faced baos. The chairman comes with a fatty braised pork belly, crushed peanuts, Taiwanese red sugar, and cilantro. The birdhaus comes with a piece of fried chicken which has been brined in special seasoning, Taiwanese red sugar, and cilantro. The chairman bao was my favorite. The thick fatty cut of pork belly melted in my mouth. I initially ordered 3, but went back for another 3.

At $5 a pop BoaHaus can be pricey, but worth a visit.

Delicious bao.. the pork belly melts in your mouth!!

The food here is delicious. Friendly service. A little cramped though.

Tasty pork bun and fried chicken bun. Great little hang out.

The food is delicious. Porkbelly was on point! But the ambience is dreadful. They play music full of obscenities... there are obscene writings and graffiti everywhere. So definitely not a place to take the kiddos. I don't care how good the food is - I just don't want to be cursed at while eating it. Made me sick. Not returning.

Been here twice. First time it was awesome (the African American cashier was nice). Second time, got horrible service from an Asian female cashier. Mind you, I tipped both times. Food is good, though. Eddie huang is my hero. I love you dude!

Delicious bao served fast. Narrow grungy style restaurant with limited seating. Chicken and tofu standouts. Taro fries a addicting, a little oily, although good to share among ~4.

Not a fan of the yucca fries, but the fried chicken and pork buns are tasty.

Amazing, all buns are so good, especially the chicken, and make sure to get the taro fries!

Insanly tasty pork, chicken, and fish buns...great spot for late night food. The chics behind the counter are the bomb too. Definitely worth going if you have not been.

Didn't live up to my expectations, but pretty dope place overall

The quantity is pretty small and it's pretty dingy inside.

Awesome Thai inspired taco like buns! Get the pork belly

Love this place. Never had a bad meal from this place. Super fun.

I d rather eat dirt. RUN far away from this place is possible. Terrible food and service.

There's nothing quite like Baohaus. I ordered the Coffin Bao with Fried Chicken and, while cumbersome to eat, it was delicious. They really know how to combine savory and sweet flavors in a way that rivals the best soul food. If you're looking to try something that tastes both different and familiar, try Baohaus.

I got mad respect for Eddie, which is why I even tried multiple attempts to come here. But man their staff and operations are just terrible.
Everytime I tried to eat here they always have some shenanigans going on and are not serving food. These are all during their said business hours. And Everytime the staff would be rude and cold about it.
I give up trying to come here.

I thought as a famous tv series original place, this would be cleaner place and nice, I was wrong!
The guy that works (the only employee!) here just cold and busy playing games.
The place looks dirty and uninviting.
The smell of oil streams was really strong. yuk!
I think Eddy Huang has left the ownership and pursue other business... Eddy, I hope you read this and make some improvement, otherwise it's just going downhill.

It doesn't exist anymore, don't waste your time looking for it !!!

Had one pork and one fried chicken bun. Both were good but I would stick with the original pork and order a few of those if I went back. Quick service, reasonable prices.

One of my favorite places in the city!

Auch yummy fresh bao options. Really good tarro fries. Sometimes no seating but if you wait for a bit people leave quickly.

Birdhaus is my favorite or thier new spicy chicken option.

Really delicious (if small) menu. Tiny spot and often busy, for a reason.

Really delicious, we tried most on the menu. The fried fish bao was amazing! Sticky sauce with one of them seeped everywhere which wasn't great. Cosy hipster place bringing Asian food to life.

This is the second time I've had steamed buns and it was delicious. My only issue (has nothing to do with the establishment) is this place is very tiny, so if someone comes here and wants to sit and eat, I wouldn't recommend it. Its a dope place to go to during the nicer months since you can just grab your food and go outside and walk around and eat. The character of the place is dope. Classic NY train look.

I had the fried fish buns with fries and it was good. They served it with their mayo, chili paste sauce (dont remember the name right now). I would definitely go back, for sure.

Delicious pork buns, grungy atmosphere, cheap food, helpful service. Loved this place, can't wait to go back!

Woow this place is amazing. I am such a picky eater especially with sauces but the chicken bao was amazing. I will definitely will be returning to try the pork bao. The atmosphere is chill with the walls filled with graffiti

Good place to grab a quick bite, not a lot of seating. Coffin Bao is a must.

SIMPLY AMAZING ! IF YOUR IN THE AREA YOU MUST TRY !

It's a super tiny joint with just a couple tables. Order at the counter and sit down if there's space or stand and wait like we did. We ate outside on their bench. Service is ok. The staff seem to get along. The menu is simple but with good choices. We waited no longer than 5 mins for our plate.
The taro fries were amazing, the bao buns were fluffy and moist. The pork was so tender and juicy. And the tofu was so flavorful. Just enough sauce and condiments. Can't wait to visit NYC again and swing by Baohaus for another treat.

The pork belly melted in my mouth, the chicken was crispy, the fish is a little on the spicey side, but still awesome.

I don't really get the hype. The food is good, but not good enough to get past the cramped space and loud and bright environment. Nevertheless you'll still find a very hip crowd hanging out here on any given night, so I'm guessing it gets hype simply because there is hype.

very nice place although the prices are not very good

Awesome food for a good price. GOOD hip hop in the background, can't ask for much more.

Before Eddie Huang became a familiar face to anyone who regularly watches Vice, he and his brother were the brains behind Baohaus, which opened on New York s Lower East Side in 2009. Their restaurant has since moved up to 14th Street (a Los Angeles location is also open), and it s a narrow slip of a space with just a handful of stools sandwiched between two exposed brick walls. The brothers did a lot to bring gua bao (steamed buns folded and filled with, for example, pork belly, housemade relish, crushed peanuts, Taiwanese red sugar and cilantro) to the masses, and it s every bit as good as it s ever been

I went here late at night. They were blasting music REALLY loud and when I politely asked the girl at the counter to turn it down she said I can hear you fine. I couldn t communicate with her to place my order. She wouldn t turn it down, her coworker finally did. She just had bad vibes. Then she added a tip to my order without my permission. The bun was ok, but I won t be back unless I know she s fired.

All the food is good, yo. Stay a while and jam out. Favorite: Chairman Bao

BASED FOB. Eddie Haung's spot is dope. Good food, fun music and great staff. Go grab some buns.

We were excited to come here, all the way from Europe. We know this place through several YouTube channels, so this was on our NY bucket list. However, what a deceptive experience. We weren't greeted when we entered and the employee seems to be incredibly disinterested when taking our order. He "threw" our order on the table and just left to go outside. My coat got stains because of dirty tables... As an European, I loath giving tips because of this weird unspoken rule in the US. I wish I didn't in this case, undeserved.

Looked good, smelled good, but they don't take cash, so I'll never know...
~William~

Was great! Definitively made me miss Taiwan. Will come back for sure.

Tasty, and crunchy! The spicy chicken bun was sooo crispy and yummy. This place has it all, food, water, atmosphere. 10/10 would recommend.

The reason the baos are as expensive as they are is because Baohaus uses "all natural, antibiotic, & hormone-free meats." When you eat here, you're eating part of Eddie Huang's philosophy towards meat production and that is the explanation for why a single piece of pork belly in a white bun costs $4.05.

The pork belly in the Chairman Bao is cooked perfectly- it's tender but still toothsome. I appreciated the pickled greens on the bottom of the bao to give some textural and flavor contrast. However, the Bao was very taiwanese in style and by that, I mean SWEET. The meat was slightly sweet, the bun is slightly sweet, and then there's that ground up peanut and sugar mixture?

Honestly, the pork belly by itself would be savory and awesome (maybe just a smidge underseasoned) but in combination with the rest of the bao, in my opinion, the sweetness overwhelms the delicious porkiness of the Berkshire pork belly.

My friends and I were a bit skeptical to go in. We know Eddie Huang from his Vice channel show, so we were intrigued. To our surprise, the food was super delicious and served fast! There was not a lot of space to sit. This isn't a food spot to eat and chill - we didn't stay long as we felt guilty for the people that were waiting. You go, get your food, and leave. Fast-paced just like NYC. Fast-food vibe but with a super delicious and fresh menu. The only reason I took a star off is because the server was inpatient and appered bothered by us; granted we were asking many questions - our first time trying it. I recommend this place if you want a quick grab. And did I say super delicious?!

First time coming here and wow... The food was incredible! Love the grungy vibe that fits the amazing food.

Overpriced baos that don't have anything inside except for a piece of meat and some nuts.

cooll hip hop vibe and really good baos, but quite expensive

This is the new location since they moved from LES. It's less downtown and trendy and now more catered to students. My favorite Baohaus is the special baos that they make for the food festivals. I went to Googa Mooga and tried their chicken bao and it was a mixture of sweet and salty. So freakin delicious we bought quite a few.

Some things you should know before going in:
It's card only, there's limited seating, and usually old school rap is playing. But I loved it all. It's a chill spot with cool cashiers and
makes a great place to hide out from the rain. If If I lived here full time, I'd be here so much.

Great bao but they put my chairman in the same box as my husband's firehouse so the sauce leeched into my bun. It was extremely hot when there should have been no spice. The only reason why I'm not giving 5 stars is because of that.

I have to come here every time I'm in NYC. The pork belly is amazing!

The bao are delicious! They're a slightly unconventional spin on it. The space is small, and sometimes the music is loud, but it's become a favorite for a quick and tasty no-fuss meal (or snack) in the area.

$5.50 + 0.45 tax = $5.99 a tiny bun. Definitely not worth it. The menu online price are NOT as it is in store. Just so everyone knows, all bun is $5.00+. The taste is the chairman or chicken bun is just very ordinary. To me, Chinatown roast pork bun $1.10 taste much better about the same size. No idea why people will paid $6 for this tiny unfilling bun.

Food was good, but at the time we went there which was 7pm on a weekday they didnt have any chicken or taro fries available which kinda sucked. Especially since that was basically half the menu! If youre only gonna have like a dozen items on the menu total at least do a good job of keeping those ingredients stocked.

I had the szechuan chicken Bao and it was delicious. Can't wait to go back and try more.

Small place with stickers plastered on the walls and a few bar seating in the back. They have pork, chicken, and fish baos with various toppings on each. Get a few and share to try more!

The chairman was so delicious! The fat looked a little scary to me at first but it just melted in your mouth. Would definitely go back. FYI there is very limited seating.

I'd actually say this place deserves a 4 star rating it has. There's reviews out there on yelp that mention that highway robbery price for something that is street food in China. I agree the price is a bit steep at $4-5 per bun but that's comparing it to the street food sized portions relative to what little "street food" NYC has to offer.

The price also justifies the portion cuts and the quality of pork they sell here. My chairman bao was served with a beautifully sizable slice of fatty pork. The fat melted into a nice salty sweet buttery dream. BaoHaus makes this cheap easy Chinese street comfort food into a luxury experience snack. It takes the traditional pork bun and kicks it up a modern American Chinese notch with the added cilantro punch you get after the fat melts away on your tongue.

If you want to take small bites of heaven this is where it's at

I've loved baohaus since I first went 5 years ago. My favourite is the birdhaus (fried chicken) Bao, but all the other selections are very solid. The inside is a bit small, but that felt like part of the charm. Would recommend to anyone.

The baos here are good but I've bought better baos for cheaper prices so it's difficult for me to justify coming here too much.