Dim sum—literally “touch the heart”— is the Cantonese tradition of small, shareable plates: steamed dumplings, buns, rice rolls, and more, accompanied by tea, traditionally served via wheeled tableside carts so you can point and choose as you go. It’s brunch, but with some negotiating skills required.
These days, “dim sum restaurant” covers more ground than it used to. Atlanta’s scene still showcases the classics—banquet halls with rolling carts and Sunday crowds—but it also has fast-casual kiosks, food-court stalls, and even a few Shanghai-style dumpling houses that don’t serve traditional dim sum, but scratch the same itch. The latter may not be authentic, but we believe a good soup dumpling deserves a seat at the table regardless of what cart it did (or didn’t) arrive on.
Here’s where you’ll find the best of Atlanta’s dim sum landscape, from cart-rolling institutions to dumplings served by robots.
Royal China
Don’t let the beige suburban setting and Costco-adjacent location put you off. Inside, Royal China’s soaring ceilings, gilded latticework, and contemporary chandeliers set the scene for classic cart service; standouts include shrimp rice rolls, ginger scallion tripe, beancurd skin rolls, and egg custard tarts so good you’ll want to order extras to go. Arrive early to get your pick of the cart. 3960 Venture Dr., Duluth royalchina.kwickmenu.com
Oriental Pearl Seafood Restaurant
Tucked inside the Atlanta Chinatown Mall, Oriental Pearl is a longtime staple for dim sum lovers. Unlike most cart-service spots, the carts here roll daily, not just on weekends. Regulars order the shrimp and chive dumplings, soup dumplings, and chicken feet, with an off-menu option after 3 p.m. Seafood is the other specialty, from live tanks to whole fish. 5399 New Peachtree Rd., Chamblee, orientalpearlrestaurantga.com
Canton Kitchen
Canton Kitchen makes a bold first impression with a museum-worthy dining room: swirling marble-toned murals, red lanterns, and gold pendant lighting over dark wood-and-leather seating. The all-day dim sum menu covers the classics, including crystal shrimp dumplings, shrimp shumai, turnip cake, salted egg lava buns, and egg custard tarts, plus rarer finds like ginger beef tripe and water chestnut cake. 1357 Clairmont Rd., Decatur
Hong Kong Bakery & Dim Sum
Fast-casual dim sum with a modern twist: skip the cart and head to the kiosk instead. The flaky egg custard tarts and char siu-stuffed bolo bao are the draw (as is the all-day Hong Kong bakery case), plus silky shrimp and beef cheung fun. The Pleasant Hill Road location is the larger hangout; the Peachtree Industrial spot, closer to Johns Creek, is newer, smaller, and less crowded. Multiple locations
Canton House
A Buford Highway fixture for more than three decades, Canton House keeps dim sum old-school with steaming carts wheeled tableside instead of order-sheet service. Regulars point to the congee, taro puffs, shrimp-and-tofu-skin rolls, and honeycomb tripe as the plates worth flagging down. The dining room is massive and banquet-ready, chandeliers included. Go early on weekends—carts run freshest before the Sunday rush hits. Multiple locations, cantonhouserestaurant.com
Dumpling Master
More Shanghai-style dumpling house than classic dim sum, Dumpling Master earns its place for its sheng jian bao—pan-fried, soup-filled dumplings made fresh in the front window. Steamed soup dumplings, pork wontons in chili sauce, and Peking duck bao round out the QR-code menu. Decor is bare-bones fast-casual, prices are low, and a robot server delivers your food. This local mini-chain spans 11 metro Atlanta and North Georgia locations from Peachtree City to Buford with more in the works. Multiple locations, dumplingmaster.us
Happy Valley Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine
Open since 1997 (on Jimmy Carter Boulevard since 2008), Happy Valley draws a lower-key crowd than some other local favorites, especially on weekends. Sundays are when you’ll find carts rumbling through the dining room during Hong Kong-style “Yum Cha” service. The jumbo-sized har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) is the standout, though you can’t go wrong with any of the more than three dozen dumplings on offer. 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, happyvalley-ga.com
AYCE Dim Sum
This is where you come for a deal on dim sum. The all-you-can-eat spread runs $25.99 (plus $2 if you pay by card, $2 more on weekends) with a 90-minute clock and a charge for anything left uneaten. Dozens of options roll through—shrimp cheung fun, pork and shrimp siu mai—but the pork soup dumplings are not to be missed, tightly pleated and packed with broth. Best suited to big groups and birthday blowouts. 1600 Pleasant Hill Rd., Duluth
Best BBQ
This Chamblee food-court counter inside Ba Hue Market (formerly Asian Supermarket) is a dim sum powerhouse, no cart required. Order by number off the wall-mounted photos—highlights include quarter roast duck, honey barbecue pork, and oversized har gow with shrimp the size of golf balls. Portions run noticeably larger than standard dim sum fare, so bring a friend or two to split your plates with. A second Duluth location offers similar fare and an equally lively street-stall atmosphere. 5000 Buford Hwy., Ste. 108, Chamblee
East Pearl Seafood
Nothing is quite what it seems at this Duluth dim sum staple. The former steakhouse space retains its Alpine theming, albeit now with live eels swimming around in tanks, and the highlight of a seafood-heavy menu is the braised chicken feet—don’t knock it ‘till you try it. You’ll find all the standards here, too, but you’ll want to save room for the finale. Wave over a server for silky tofu pudding crowned with ginger syrup. 1810 Liddell Ln., Duluth
Dumpling Garden
Consider this your handy East Cobb alternative to the Buford Highway/Duluth dim sum corridor. An unlikely find in a standard Sandy Plains strip mall, Dumpling Garden is a surprising fusion spot serving solid xiao long bao, har gow, and siu mai, the latter delicately topped with a single shrimp. The Sichuan menu is worth exploring too—smoky cumin lamb and sauteed string beans with eggplant are a few regular go-tos. 2731 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta, dgmarietta.com
