Great quick food
Cute little place for lunch. A group of ten of us came in for a quick snack. Service was friendly and the food came out quick. We had one of each bao, most were delicious, some were just ok. Bbq pork was tasty, curry baos were interesting. Baos were light, fluffy, and not bland. Overall, we were pretty impressed.
Not exactly my type of place but overall, there were a lot of pluses.
First, I like that you can place your order via a touchscreen.
Second, it's nice to have the option to get no receipt, a paper receipt or an email receipt.
Third, my order was ready before I even typed in my email address!
Again, the food isn't quite my type. I ordered things which I'm experienced with since I don't like spiciness, however my stuff was still spicy. Probably just their style though. If it's your type of food then it's a great place to go.
I love buns (bao zi) and Wow Bao does them very nicely. I had the BBQ pork buns with some pork and cabbage dumplings. Both items were delicious. Next time I go, I'll have to try a different bao along with a rice or quinoa bowl and report my findings. Customer service was pretty good, especially if you're undecided and the cooks are pretty quick at getting the food out. Give it a try if you haven't yet.
Review Source:I visited a second time. I ordered the bowl combo with two BBQ pork bao. The bao were wet to the point that it was almost dripping. The damp dough easily overpowered what little meat I found inside the bao. It felt like I was eating a kitchen sponge.
Remembering the Teryaki Chicken bowl packed some cilantro, I asked the clerk taking my order to hold the cilantro. He assured me there would be no cilantro. Surprise of surprises, there was cilantro.
And just like that, Wow Bao drops to two stars and blandly elbows its way onto my "last resort" list.
Modern concept on bao, laid back place to hang out and grab a bite! Â Had the following:
Homemade original ginger ale: Â this drink is so awesome, and refreshing, do they sell this by the gallon?
Pork and cabbage potstickers with soy-ginger sauce: Â these were delicious, but nothing special
Six pack bao consisted of: Teriyaki chicken, Spicy kung pao chicken, Whole wheat edamame, Thai curry chicken, Spicy mongolian beef, and BBQ pork.
My favorites has to be BBQ pork, teriyaki chicken and spicy mongolian beef. Â The others are also delicious, but I prefer the others.
Count me in on the next visit!
I had a hard time finding it, not knowing it was so small and inside another larger building. The soup was okay, the baos (buns) were very, very good. I can't imagine they are too good for you, though - I stopped at 4. The salad was okay. Giving it 4 stars for great bargain, fast service (cafeteria style service - grab a tray and walk down the line and pay). I would go back.
Review Source:Since I'm Chinese, I did not like Wow Bao. Â Believe me, I was excited to try it, but severely disappointed... Â we tried the panang curry bao and the pork/veggie potstickers. Â The bun itself is OK, but the flavor balance of the innards is just wrong =[ Â As for the potstickers, you'll be a lot happier with Linglings from Costco!
Review Source:They are ok. For a pretty small bun that is not absolutely delish, merely slightly below average, I probably wouldn't return. But if you're not an asian food purist like me (I like my cha siu baos!) then you shouldn't run away from this place. The bbq pork bun is an americanized pork bun. Same delicious, poofy outside, but they might actually be using american bbq sauce for the pork.
A solid meh.
The night we arrived in Chicago, my husband and I were lost going to dinner and we walked by Wow Bow. Â As a interior designer I was quite impressed by their exterior as well as their interior design. Â Today I decide to go back and try this place out. Â I really love their hip and modern interior! Â The self ordering machines outside are great for those paying with a credit card. Â I ordered the pork and cabbage potstickers with ginger dressing and a Thai curry chicken bun. Â Both were very hot which was nice since its 30F degrees outside. Â The Thai Curry bun was pretty good. Â I've never had it before, in CA we usually see BBQ pork and some other ones but def. not Thai Curry. Â The potstickers were tasty but slightly over cooked for my taste. Â I would go back and try other items as a mid afternoon snack, probably not for a main meal.
Review Source:I was surprised that I had never heard of Wow Bao in the 3+ years that I lived in Chicago.  I met some friends here for lunch about  a month ago while visiting.
The digital ordering system is great technology, but somewhat confusing. I ended up ordering the meal with an entree and two baos. The entree was pretty good, but the baos are defintely an acquired taste.
Wow Bao is one of my greatest finds during my trip to Chicago! There's no doubt that my mom makes the best bao zi. But you can't compare Wow Bao to real Asian bao--that's not the point and because in that regard, Wow Bao is a fail. But in a world of the corner of cookies and cream rice pudding and birdhaus buns, Wow Bao is a real success.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from the dough, but it definitely wasn't the soft and slightly sweet goodness that I found. I had the Mongolian Beef, whole wheat edamame, and pumpkin with cinnamon. I think the edamame is my favorite. I was initially extremely skeptical of the pumpkin, bu surprisingly t it bought a little bit of holiday cheer to a culture that doesn't traditionally celebrate Christmas or Thanksgivings. It had strong pumpkin flavors, wasn't overly sweet, and worked really well with the dough.
During my 2 day trip in downtown Chicago, I must of visited Wow Bao three times. Why doesn't this place exist in NYC or California?
Tip: If you check-in on Foursquare you get a free bao with your order!
Wow Bao is another place I wish existed in So Cal where I live. Â As a "fast food" joint, it would serve as a much better, healthier option than most of the other fast food restaurants here. Â Wouldn't mind ordering from a place like this especially for lunch during the week at work. Â Of course, this place would fail in Chinese-dominated areas of Los Angeles County, but I believe it would do really well in certain areas of L.A. and also in Orange County, CA.
I visited a friend in Chicago and she suggested Wow Bao for lunch after we had visited a nearby museum. Â I was curious to try their bao because of their unique offerings. Â The only place I've ever seen or heard of Thai curry chicken bao or panang duck curry bao was in Hawai'i -- never in CA. Â I tried both at Wow Bao and really enjoyed them. Â The bao were nicely steamed, and the duck and chicken were cooked really well, and not dry at all. Â The flavors were impressive, although nothing like the kind of curry I'm used to ordering from my favorite Thai restaurants. Â I imagined myself back home and thought that if Wow Bao existed in several areas or strip malls in CA, I'd much rather pay $1.69 for one bao instead of a hamburger from the dollar menu from an American fast food joint. Â I'd also much rather pay $1 more for a Thai chicken curry bowl with jasmine rice (which was just as impressive as the bao) instead of $5 for a bowl of anything from Panda Express! Â Would I choose their bao over bao from a dim sum restaurant in CA? Â Probably not, but I also wouldn't have time to dine at a dim sum restaurant for lunch during the week on my lunch break. Â
Nice, modern decor, unique offerings, clean restaurant, and an awesome, fun slogan! Bring Wow Bao to CA!
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but the buns were highlighted on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fseriouseats.com&s=3b052088318b4efbe6387034d6573c7062e3c7b2df89a7a3deb7620f31acda09" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://seriouseats.com</a> for a good and cheap eats spot in the loop. Â Naturally I was intrigued and gave it a try. Â I guess since I've had amazingly delicious and authentic chinese buns before, these just couldn't compete.
Review Source:If you're from the West Coast and you miss having a semi-healthy Asian food choice at a decent price, this is the place. Â 3 item combos for $5. Â Bowls for $5.99. Â Good pot stickers. Â The peanut noodles are tasty. Â Service is very fast. Â I've been looking for this type of place for 5 years.
Review Source:Positively OK fast buns, dumplings and noodles.
I totally walked right past this place while looking for food downtown. Look up and you'll see the sign, the doors are through the arches near the entrance to the office building. Someone invited me here for a lunch and I found it the 2nd time. Sweet.
When you walk in you'll see these nifty little ordering machines. I was unfamiliar with them and made a couple of ordering errors, which more than annoyed the on the go lunch crowd. Oops. You can order inside if you please, which I didn't realize until I'd played with the machines for a while.
The food came out super fast, the counter guy wasn't too miffed when I asked after the fact to have some of my order boxed up to-go, and there are outdoor tables where you can sit and enjoy your meal.
Wow Bao was recommended to me by Aruna P and the friend I was visiting said it's worth having. We never planned a day to visit a location but came across it as we strolled along State Street towards dinner at Purple Pig  - clearly, it was fate!
The place is modern and sleek with high top tables. At $1.59 each, they're affordable and tasty. Both their Mongolian Spicy Beef and Thai Curry Chicken were delicious! Both fillings were full of flavor and the beef was indeed spicy. My friend, who is a vegetarian raves, about their Whole Wheat Edamame so she went for that. I didn't get to have a bite of hers but from her joyful face, I could tell it's as good as she remembers it.
When I visit Chicago again, I'll give their Coconut Custard and Chocolate sweet baos a try!
I am one of those lazy guys that only review things that are worth (good or bad) reviewing. I have to saw that I was impressed with my first time here. Everything is self served. There are 2 machines outside where you can order you own food with a credit card. Big pictures and everything. They also have nice cups and a soda machine with H20. Their food was also at a good size so I got the combo for around 6$.
The bad thing about this place is that it can draw a line, since there is only 2 ordering machines during lunch hour. they probably have their own audio jack to plug in their own Ipod. Why am I listening to Rap and Mexican music at a "Asian" dine in? The SEATS are my biggest complaint. Standing at 5'10 1/2, my legs were not comfortably positioned on the floor. I can only imagine how childlike the 5'5 and under people would feel with both feet, sitting with both feet off the ground eating lunch. If seats are the biggest complaint, you have done a good job for fast food.
I know Chicago isn't known for Asian food, but damn, this place sucks!
I had the 3/4/5 which gives you a little taste of everything they make., and The Mongolian Beef was like a sickly sweet form of Mabo Tofu, the BBQ pork bun wasnt all that bad (but its nothing to write home about), and the peanut noddles tasted like cold spaghetti without the peanut sauce (because they forgot to give it to me). Â Once I got the sauce they were tolerable, but nothing I'd recommend to a fellow Yelper.
I was surprised that this place had such great reviews, considering how horrible my pallet experience was. Â I hope they read this and make some changes pretty quick, because I think Panda Express does Asian better, and that's not something to brag about.....
No one likes cold bao. We ran the risk anyway.
As the last stop of our "made in Chicago/located in the Loop" dinner menu for Chicago In White, we had high hopes that the bao would keep their temperature for the duration of our walk to the Harmonization Point ... assembly time ... and transport to the final destination. They were wrapped in napkins, boxed, and bagged and guess what! Steamy bao for the win!!
Featured duck flavor and curry flavors were delicious :)
Had an order of potstickers and 2 bao at Wow Bao the other day, and of the orderonly one Bao was worth eating.  The pork pot stickers were clearly of mass produced  freezer variety.  The skin was dry and tough and the filling was just ok.  Potstickers are one of my favorite foods, and I was not at all impressed.
The BBQ pork Bao was pretty good, nice flavor, bun was well steamed. Â The panang duck bun (a special) was not very good, not spicy enough for panang, and the filling was quite dry. Â
I was so excited to see a bao restaurant downtown, but left very disappointed.
a.k.a.
overpriced shitty food that white people like to eat
the bowls are bland.
the dumplings are bland.
the bao is so-so.
the iced tea is so-so.
how this manages to come across as remotely american-chinese food, i will never know. even panda express can boast to be tastier. and that's just embarrassing.
I love Wow Bao!
What a cute idea, right? Baozi are my favorite snack when I go to Asia, and I was so tickled to see all the different fillings they had! Â I got a 6-pack, one of each meat filling. Â So good! Â I loved the Thai Curry bao. Â
My only complaint is that the girl at the cashier wasn't too sharp and charged me for and gave me 7 bao instead of 6 (after a prolonged discussion where I thought I made my order clear)... but more bao isn't that bad of a problem I guess!
Open a Wow Bao in Ann Arbor please!
Holy sweet mother of bao. Â I was so excited when Wow Bao opened, then I stopped working downtown for awhile, then I left town entirely for awhile. Â I've been working in the Loop for a year at this point... what took me so long?
Wow Bao is everything I have ever wanted in "fast casual" dining. Â I'm actually composing poetry.
How do I love thee? Â Let me count the ways.
I love thy soft and squishy buns
Spicy, warm that set my mouth ablaze
(Especially the kung pao chicken ones)
I love thee for thy iced tea of hibiscus
No sugar, carbs, or caffeine to be found
Bright purple, fresh-brewed and delicious
So quickly disappeared the cup I downed
I love thee with a passion put to use
In ravenously eating bao-shaped sweets
I ordered both; for I could not but choose
Twixt coconut -or cho-co-late-filled treats
And once my banquet has been all devoured
I love the way I stay sated for hours.
Even the hiccups at this location (when I went, they had no pot-stickers, so I couldn't try them, and it made me sad, and also, the staff could have definitely been more friendly and less hipster-surly) aren't worth a demerit. Â Normally I would drop one star, at least. Â But after consuming a bao heavy with what tasted exactly like uncooked brownie batter, I just didn't care. Â I left Wow Bao feeling that all was right with the world, full of love for my fellow man, even that creepy guy on the train who sits a little too close so he keeps "accidentally" touching your leg.
The Thai chicken was amazing, the kung pao also great (and yes, there are peanuts). Â The only thing I would say is to not bother with the cold-noodle-salad combos. Â The Pad Thai salad has almost nothing in common with Pad Thai, and why use up precious tummy-space and cash when you could use both for MORE BAO?
ALWAYS MORE BAO.
I work a few blocks away from Wow Bao-- nut sure why I hadn't tried it earlier. Â The prices are pretty decent and for a quick lunch it isn't too greasy or heavy. Â The bao are really good and come in a variety of fillings. Â You only need a couple to be totally full. Â And their steamed dumplings are delicious. Â I'm a huge fan of the veggie dumpling/Asian salad combo.
Oh, and LEYE frequent diner points. Â Awesome!
For fast food at lunch, I've never come across anything as good as Wow Bao. It is absolutely optimal in (1) speed (2) healthy, fresh ingredients (3) great flavor (4) tons of options. What more could you want? My five-star rating doesn't come from comparing it to "authentic" Chinese, but rather as a dream-option for a hungry, health conscious person looking to grab a quick lunch in a limited timeframe.
Ordering is fast, and you have one of several options. Order at the counter, at the kiosk in the hall, or online. A little cruising around on Yelp, and you will discover that every Wednesday they have a secret password that is released via their Facebook page (like it on FB for access), and you can receive a free bao. Of course, for this freebie you must order at the counter.
The variety is huge. I'm sad I'm not in Chicago long enough to try everything on the menu. My favorite part is that you can order from lower calorie options, divvied up by calorie counts. Unlike some lighter menus, there are tons of options for these types of combos. My order was under 400 calories: curry chicken in lettuce cups with a chicken kung pao bao. The lettuce wraps came with a little cup of fresh chopped cilantro and green onions to add on top-- so fresh and tasty! Both the wraps and the bao were spicy enough that it made my nose run a little, but the heat wasn't too intense at all.
The crowds are hefty for good reason. Luckily, Wow Bao is connected to my hotel (this time), so I just took it back to my room to enjoy a little break from work. Open one downtown in Columbus, Ohio, PLEASE!
Uh...horrible "Chinese food. Wow Bao is NOT Chinese or Asian! Chicago's Chinatown barely seems sufficient and Wow Bao is not even on par with places in Chinatown.
- kiosk located outside for fast ordering
- pot sticker and rice combo is a good deal but the quality of food is BELOW AVERAGE
- free water cups next to soda machine
- bathrooms are locked, request a token to unlock from the cashier
Would NEVER go back. Would NEVER recommend.
Oh Wow Bao, why do have to keep breaking my heart? Why do keep acting like the boyfriend who forgets an important date and hurts my feelings? So, my beloved Wow Bao has been a go-to for me since getting pregnant. On days when my nausea overwhelmed me or I had no desire to eat anything, Wow Bao came to the rescue. Wow Bao makes tasty pan seared potstickers. These delicious potstickers have been a staple in my pregnancy diet. I can always trust a potsticker to fill me up and make me feel better when most foods wouldn't especially in the first trimester.
When I discovered that they offered 8 potstickers, I was thrilled. Yeah for my potsticker fix! Potstickers everywhere! However, every single time I order from here, I get less than 8. I wish this was a joke, but it's not. The first time I ordered it, I got 7 potstickers. I was alright with that because it was close enough to the original number not to go back and unleash some pregnancy hormones and maybe some uncontrollable tears on the staff. Today, I ordered my same 8 potstickers and got 5! Last I checked, 5 doesn't equal 8. Does the staff need to go back to elementary school for basic math skills? I just want my 8 potstickers to satisfy my craving. I can't help but feel like I wasted money as well. I received significantly less than what I paid for. Wow Bao, I love you and your potstickers. However, I'm so close to breaking up with you over your counting and math skills. I don't think I can stay in this relationship much longer as you keep abusing my pocketbook and my heart by giving me far less than what I ordered. Stop being a bad boyfriend and remember to give me 8 potstickers instead of 5 or 7.
Healthy and Tasty Bao's!
All my friends and family miss the Bao they tasted, when they visited us in Chicago...A Bao as an appetizer, Bowl of rice  and Coconut/Choclate  Bao as a dessert!! Full course meal under $9!!
One of the my fav places and must visit places in Downtown Chicago.. Can't complain about the location!! In water tower place!! Get tired shopping, get refreshed with a couple Bao's :)
I haven't eaten at a Wow Bao since I was in Chicago like a year and a half ago, but I STILL remember those things like I had them yesterday.
They're delicious. Specifically, the desert ones. I mean the actual food ones are alright, but what really stood out were like the chocolate and custard ones. Oh hell yeah. Very few restaurants just take me back the way this one does.
For those who may not know, baos are just like stuffed dumplings, about the size of a baseball or something. They have several different varieties, including ones stuffed with like chicken and shredded beef and pork and curry and whatnot. And then there's the desert ones, which also included coconut, I believe, and maybe one or two others.
I guess they'd be good for lunch, but really they're best if you just like stop in and grab a bag of sweet baos to go. They're so good.
What can I say, I love the bao's...seriously....love.
This location is slightly annoying though. Â The staff is mediocre at best. Â They mess up your order, dont give you spoons for soup, no sauce, etc...plus, its a very crowded seating area so to get up and get stuff is a pain. Â Not to mention the annoying bathroom with the tokens...literally I put in two tokens, two separate times and the door wouldnt open...ANNOYING!
Baos-I love them....teriyaki and kung pao are my favorites. Â Add a little chili spice and we are good to go. Â Also, the noodle soup is fantastic. Â A perfect mix of noodles, veggies and broth. Â I absolutely love it. Â Plus, pretty good portion for $3.
I first wandered into this Wow Bao location a few years ago during an all night art event. My friend and I were starving, and this was the only place nearby that was open, so we wandered in and figured we give it a try.
We split a large order of the potstickers. In my drunkeness, I was in love and remember them as being some of the best potstickers I've ever had.
Still, the Baos scared me a little bit, and I wasn't willing to try them.
Until I came across them at a Yelp event and decided to give them a whirl. I had the kung pao Bao, and I really enjoyed it! It was a weird little dumpling that was easy to eat and flavorful.
I would totally swing through here if I was shopping in the area and needed a quick snack. I don't think I'd go out of my way to get here for a full meal, though, but I'm happy to know this is out there.
You know the old saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover"?
If I were writing this review based on my initial reaction to opening my bowl of food, I would give Wow Bao one star. Â
I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki bowl (and an edemame bao b/c I'd had one before and they're SO GOOD), and was super excited for lunch. Â Quinoa! Â I love quinoa so much!
Anyhow, I brought my food back to work, opened up the bowl and was pretty sure they'd gotten my order wrong. Â There was cilantro EVERYWHERE. Â I hate cilantro (I'm one of the "it tastes like soap!" people), and it was definitely the last thing I expected. Â Also, the Chicken looked like beef and had weird pepper-looking flakythings, which I assumed would make the food spicy, which I was just not in the mood for.
However, having paid for it and being hungry, I picked off the cilantro ate it. Â And then I freakin' inhaled it, because it was DELICIOUS.
Just to back up real quick: I went around lunch time (scary lunch rush), and while it was crazy busy, every who worked there was friendly AND everyone's orders were pretty prompt! Â
If you're a picky eater, just clarify what you don't want on your food. Â I've started doing that, rather than asking what stuff comes with and wasting people's time. Â
Also, of course, the whole wheat edemame bao was awesome. Â And, bowl of food + one bao, still less than ten dollars. Â Heck yes I'll be back!
Wow Bow was an addiction for a good three years. And then something changed. Their whole wheat edamame bows are no longer the same. They are more soggy than crispy and while I keep trying, now that they have a location in my office building, it's not too long before I give up..
But all said and done, I can't give it just 2 stars either because it is one of the best lunch options..
While wandering around downtown, my friend and I passed a Wow Bao shop. I'm a big fan of dumplings and buns, which are sadly all too hard to find back at home. Since my stomach was grumbling, I figured I'd pop in for a quick snack before we could sit down for a proper lunch later in the afternoon.
These are certainly an Americanized take on classic steamed buns, with more gourmet ingredients and unusual fillings--I doubt you'd find pumpkin bao over in Chinatown.
My friend and I ordered three steamed bao buns to share: the curry chicken, Kung pao chicken and the pumpkin dessert bun.
The buns were very light, steamed ever so gently. Steamed bao are surprisingly delicate and all too often turn gummy or sticky, especially under mass production, so I was impressed by the texture of the buns here.
The fillings were flavorful--the curry had a touch of sweet and savory, the kung pao chicken was sweet and spicy. There was a good ratio of meaty filling to the light bun.
I wasn't sold on the pumpkin bun--it was flavorful, with hints of cinnamon, but I'm not convinced the combination of pumpkin pie filling worked with the texture and flavor of the steamed bun.
Is this the most authentic Chinese street food? Not exactly, but it's a nicer option for a cheap and fast lunch--or snack--on the go.
I remember coming to Wow Bao the very first time I went to Chicago. I tried one of their rice bowls and was underwhelmed. A couple years later, I was eager to try it again because my mom brings home their bao almost every weekend and it tastes so good.
They have two kiosks outside where you can order your food to go or for dine-in. Great for convenience!
The workers are friendly and I like how clean it is inside. Also, their oatmeal is SO GOOD. It's hand-rolled oats with Chinese red dates, goji berries and brown sugar (you can opt out of any one of these add-ons). Seriously, I wish they had this available for delivery to Houston. And since it's only available in the morning, I wish they extended breakfast until 11 (breakfast stops at 10). Â They may or may not run out of oatmeal closer to the end of breakfast time, so it helps to call ahead of time to make sure they're in stock.
As for bao, I'm a fan of their BBQ Pork, Mongolian Beef and Edamame. Yum! I make my own chili sauce at home (vinegar, sombal and Maggi) to dip them in and it's really good. Wish they had a place like this in H-Town. It's convenient, quick and easy. Is it the best bao I've ever had in my life? Of course not. But I love places that provide hospitality and efficiency. It's an easy place for a quick lunch or to buy a couple boxes and keep in your freezer for future use.
Hot Asian buns. I'm a fan.
This Wow Bao, like it's sibling in the Water Tower, should be at 4 stars but I'm taking one away because of the hours. Â This location closes at 8 on the weekdays. In the summer! Â The baos are still very delicious but when you get there at 8:07 and stand outside wondering why the doors won't open you don't get to eat any of that deliciousness.
But if you happen to be around here when they are open, stop in for a cheap meal. Â Made even cheaper with a 4square check in, I only foursquare for the discounts!
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