The Bay Pastry

Sometimes, the best food can be found in hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants, like my favorite Mexican place in San Diego. This place actually represents itself quite well: WYSIWYG. I was initially impressed with the low prices, but after taking a bite, I quickly realized why. The food was unpalatable. Worse still, it took up precious stomach real estate from better foods, like the soup dumplings down the street. How have I not learned to read the Unilocal reviews first???

MEOW! *hiss!*
I am a reasonable cat, and I understand differences of opinion, but I must say that I am downright surprised by how many people had a bad experience here at bay pastry? I have been going here often and everytime my experience has been wonderful.
Bay pastry is a tiny little family run business and the owners have always been very nice to me.
I always buy their joong here as it is the best tasting I have had out of the many many dim sum places I have gone to around the city. Their other numerous selections are always fresh when I get them, and the owners are always nice and toss is a little something extra each time.
I have brought many friends here over the years to have them try the different items they make and all I have brought have told me that they really enjoyed it.
I supose others have not been so fortunate to have the same experience I had which makes me sad, but I understand things happen, I just wish more were able to experience what I have, and what keeps this cat a loyal customer for a long time ^ ^
*chirp!*

I’ve only had the pork buns but they offer a baked bbq pork bun that is delicious, nice change from the steamed pork bun. 80 cents each or 2/​$ 1.50, 3/​$ 2.00

This place is disgusting. Shrimp dumpling, pork dumpling, vegetable dumpling, BBQ pork bun, and sticky rice; all gross. Tasted like mushy garbage. Don’t usually write reviews, but people need to be warned.

Came back to San Francisco to visit some friends, and had to make the rounds to my favorite resturants and eateries in the Sunset. Like always Bay Pastry is right at the top of that list along with: Kingdom of Dumpling, Toyosi, Marco Polo, Kevin’s Noodle House, and of course Izakaya Sozai. And again this place did not disappoint! For 6 bucks I got MOUNDS of food and a drink, and let me tell you each bite was as heavenly as the next. Even though the menu couldn’t be simpler, the flavors in each bite reveal themselves more complex then the last. It’s as if the chef sneaks in under your nose and adds secret spices to your dish I’m between every bite. With the combination of decades of practice and love for what he does the owner/​chef provides an innvaluable service to his community as well as travelers lucky enough to stumble into this San Francisco staple.

I love beef siu mai and potstickers and this place has the best of both I’ve ever had. Even better than Good Luck Dimsum on Clement. The beef was so tender after tasting one I had to have an extra order. And the potstickers were plump with meat and the shell had that awesome crunch that only perfectly cooked potstickers have. The little old guy who I’m assuming is the owner was so nice! He gave me 2 pork buns and some egg pork thing that was pretty good for free!!! Love this place! It’s my new go to for dim sum!!! Support your local Mom and Pop shops People!!!

I use to live a block from Bay Pastry. I loved it. It is really cheap! I tried a lot of dim sum I had never heard of which was fun.

I love dim sum. Usually I can go to any dim sum place and it will satisfy my craving for it. Usually. This place was the exception, I never ever waste food but after eating one shrimp poison ball from here I had to toss out the rest of my meal and get lunch somewhere else.

food there is horrible. I will never, never go back again. They sell rotten food. I was excited to try one of their pastry, when I took a bit, I immediately spilled out. The filling was rotten, I felt like eating something from trash. I am surprised they are still in business. Health department should shut them down. It’s one thing when you don’t have tasty food, but when you are selling bad rotten food, it’s evil.

Last night, last time, never again. Yeah I’ve come here off and on for many years. Usually I’m in the area and desperate for a snack. The folks are nice here. Yes it is a hole in the wall but I don’t have any problems with that. Yes it is rather dirty but I can live with it. The dim sum has always hovered near the edible/​just edible barrier. But this time I’m putting this place on my DO NOT RETURN LIST.
Sometimes it’s all about the food and the Har Gow (Shrimp dumpling) I received last night was simply and utterly inedible. The skin was a thick goob of plastic-​like substance. The inside was some type of mystery meat, like a soggy, wet meat loaf. And I’m not sure there was even a little shrimp in there at all. It was simply disgusting. So even tho it was low on the pole to begin with, I’m now moving it down below the line.

2 Words: Fried Chicken
Juicy, Meaty, Yum!!!
80¢ a piece!!!

Omg this place is dirty as hell! When i was a freshman in high school, I used to come here for lunch ! One day i went there i saw that old man dropped the coin into the curry sauce ewww man i will not come to this place again!

As i entered bay pastries carrying my lemon tea drink, the owner greeted me by waving the tsingtao newspaper, saying: «did you read this?»
«no» i said. i noticed is was about quickly and bobba drinks.
«is it about additives?» i asked.
he nodded yes
«i’m not surprised» i answered
sampling:
–steamed pork bun (.65)
mostly bbq paste with some bbq meat bits. strange bitter taste also. bun soft.
–steamed chicken bun (, 65)
soft bun, solid chicken ball inside. tasteless
–har gow (3/1.50)
mushy skin, mushy shrimp meat, bland…
leftovers:
–hole in the wall. quality lacking
–cheap food.

Wow, how can this place’s average score be a measly 2 stars? When hovering the mouse over the stars I see that 2 stars means «Meh, I’ve experienced better,» I would agree. 3 stars means «A-​OK,» absolutely!!! But I have to give this gem a solid 4 stars.
I’ve been going here since 1995 and although the frequency of my patronage has decreased in recent years, I make it a point to stop by once every 4 – 6 months or so.
My favorites? Well, I’m glad you asked:
Shrimp dumplings
Shrimp and cilantro dumplings
Beef sui mai
Sticky rice (filled with chinese sausage and chicken)
Steamed pork buns
All of these are tasty! Especially the dumplings. I used to love the chow mein but I opt for the finger foods nowadays.
Plus, dude always recognizes me and hooks it up with an extra dumpling or several custard treats on the house. The lady doesn’t seem to know me though and neither does their daughter. Oh well.
Why not 5 stars? Admittedly, you can find higher quality food elsewhere. Plus the prices are a bit higher than they used to be — but I guess I can’t expect them to be the same as they were 15 years ago. And lastly, this hurts to say, but they have this pair of scissors they use to cut certain items into bite size pieces… unlike the prices, these scissors probably haven’t changed in 15 years. Nasty. But screw it, just tell the homie you’re gonna cut it yourself and it’s all good.

Shrimp dumplings were gross. Taste like they had been sitting in the steamer for a while. There were pigeons inside the restaurant. I don’t think I’ll ever go there again.

Wow, used to like this place back in high school. That all changed recently.
I walk in «3 beef balls please». An old woman with arm length industrial gloves yells out «hubby get him 1 order sui mai». I hear a toilet flush. An old guy comes out of the restroom tugging his pants all the while hands dripping wet. He grabs the plastic box with the water from his hands dripping into the container. I think to myself oh no he didn’t and mutter the words, «wait, err»… I’m in a trance like state. (in slo mo) I gaze at the 3 golf ball sized meat chunks splashing into the shit water filled tray. Too late, I pay.
*Tosses sui mai in trash bin*. I may be out $ 1.5 but at least I didn’t eat shit.

In high school I used to order the overly greasy $ 1 chow mein or get 4 shrimp dumplings for a buck. During my days at Abraham Lincoln, at around lunch time, this place was packed with people and the line went out the door. After my freshman year, I went home to eat instead (and I’d cut the rest of the day too, cuz I love nap time). xD
I passed by on my way to downtown and guess what? Nothing’s really changed. Same lady, same people sitting like zombies in the place and a few pigeons roaming around on the ground.
I took one look at the pigeons and then looked at my rice roll. The color of the meat was white. Pigeon meat is white. Sometimes on a not so busy high school packed day, you’d see 2 – 3 pigeons walking around, but they never seem to leave the way they would come in. Maybe their in the fried rice, chow mein or in the rice rolls? They are bits of colored meat afterall…

Oh god. This place. Seriously, when people say this is a hole in the wall, it literally is. Small ass place and well… not necessarily delightful. But hey! People come here for food right?
Well… kinda.
You come here because other places are all sold out of your favorite dim sum, and you’re forced to come here because you gotta have your shrimp dumpling fix. Let me tell you this. It’s not the place to go for dim sum.
Cash only, and expect to feel funny after eating a few bites of whatever it is you’re eating. There are tons of better places within a mile of here, so I’d rather go there. However, it is rather cheap, but you’ll start saying that after eating their stuff.

This is basically a place for the Lincoln kids to pick up a quick bite during lunch and after school. Their menu including buns to chow mein. The food here is loaded with MSG. And isn’t the cleanest place. I ate a few of their dim sum and it really did not taste right.

So here’s the deal about this place. It is indeed a hole in the wall. However, I am not a huge lover of pork and only eat the seafood. Every seafood item I have tried here has always been delicious, fresh, and hot. I even like the pork buns here — they’re great!
I think I can understand why the other reviewers may have given this place fewer starts, but perhaps coming in the morning when everything is fresh is the best way to go.
Best of all. this place is SUPER cheap!