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All the United States California San Francisco Hang Ah Tea Room
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Hang Ah Tea Room

The oldest dim sum restaurant in the United States is a nostalgic jewel.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Diana Hubbell
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Hang Ah Tea Room is tucked away in an alley.   Anne Ewbank for Atlas Obscura
Hang Ah Tea Room is tucked away in an alley.   Anne Ewbank for Atlas Obscura
A sign outside Hang Ah Tea Room.   Anne Ewbank for Atlas Obscura
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The exterior of Hang Ah Tea Room.   Anne Ewbank for Atlas Obscura
Wontons with scallions.   Courtesy of @photoqq
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Best dim sum ever   IronQueen / Atlas Obscura User
Rabbit 🐰 shaped dumplings   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
A plate of stir-fried noodles.   Courtesy of photoqq
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About

Tucked away in a narrow alleyway, this San Francisco institution has been dishing up bamboo steamers of dim sum for more than a century. First opened in 1920, it bears the distinction of being the oldest dim sum restaurant in the United States. Although the prices have inched up ever so slightly—back in the 1930s, a basket of ha gow went for a mere $0.30—the menu of Cantonese stalwarts has remained largely the same for decades.

Customers today can still fuel up on crispy potstickers, char siu bao, chicken feet in savory black bean sauce, and shu mai. Their garlicky house-made chili oil is such a favorite that many regulars purchase jars to take home. Particularly popular are the molten custard buns shaped like piglets, along with equally cuddly bear-shaped buns filled with red bean paste.

While Hang Ah Tea Room is understandably popular with out-of-town visitors, it maintains an equally devoted local clientele. Many neighborhood regulars have been coming here for three or four decades, if not more. The current owners have tried to preserve as much of the old-time character the interior, which gives it something of a time warp feel.

Related Tags

Unique Restaurants & Bars Noodles Dumplings

Know Before You Go

Don't expect the trolleys of steamer trays often found at dim sum parlors. Ordering here is a decidedly more sedate affair, with menus.

Community Contributors

Added By

Diana Hubbell

Edited By

SEANETTA, IronQueen

  • SEANETTA
  • IronQueen

Published

March 18, 2022

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  • https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/san-francisco/hang-ah-dim-sum-tea-house
  • https://www.vice.com/en/article/ezkzwm/step-inside-96-year-old-hang-ah-tea-room-the-oldest-dim-sum-restaurant-in-america
Hang Ah Tea Room
1 Pagoda Place
San Francisco, California, 94108
United States
37.793393, -122.4075
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Showgirl Magic Museum

San Francisco, California

miles away

Chinese Historical Society of America

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miles away

The Tonga Room

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

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