Marco Polo Restaurant

07/25/2008 Posted by kitakat

This restaurant is not even open anymore Apparently they are trying to get customers from the old Marco Polo name in restaurant searches. I felt duped when we got there and Marco Polo wasn't even the name of the restaurant anymore. They have left the Marco Polo sign up probably to draw customers on it's (now old) reputation. And, CitySearch, you bite the big one for not having changed it yet...it's apparently been out of business for months! GRRR

Pros: same old sign outside

Cons: restaurant is not open

03/05/2008 Posted by adgjah

If you are interested in not only good food but also good service this is not the place for you. We went for dinner and the worst part of the meal was, amazingly enough, not the room temperature food but the hair on the side. When I complained to the server he seemd to think that I was over reacting so we asked for the manager. The lady who came to our table introduced herself as the owner and was anything but polite. She was over confident in her food and seemed to find our complaint trivial. I have had lunch here before and it was okay but after my dinner experience and finding out that a hair in the food in unimportant to staff i won't be returning and advise others to do the same....unless you like hairy Dim Sum!

01/06/2008 Posted by foodloverny1

New to Austin, I was spoiled by the many authentic asian restaurants in China Town, NYC. I was craving dim sum on a Saturday morning. After reading such great reviews about Marco Polo Restaurant I decided to give it a try. The decor was decent and service was average. Since I was one of the first guests to arrive, I expected the food to be fresh and hot. However the dim sum was not. The shrimp inside of the crispy tofu was RAW. I took one bite and removed it from my mouth right away worried that I was going to get sick. I asked if this dish was suppoesed to be raw and they said no and apologized. The shrimp and chive dumplings were luke warm, almost cold. One of my all time favorite asian side dishes, the chinese broccoli was COLD. I was dissapointed. The shrimp and shitake mushroom dish was pleasantly hot, but tasted like steamed egg yolks. The shrimp dumplings had this sandy and grindy texture to it. Which led me to believe that they were not cleaned properly. The only dishes worth talking about were the shrimp and cilantro dumplings which were tasty and the wonton soup, which was not too salty, as chinese restaurants can sometimes make it. The soup was not part of the dim sum options. My overall review is that I was dissapointed. I mostly likey will not return to Marco Polo. I will try T & S Seafood next.

12/07/2007 Posted by biskit

I'll admit I've only had food delivered from Marco Polo, I have never eaten in the restaurant, so I cannot comment on ambience or service. The food however I will say is excellent. It is a struggle to find good Chinese food in South Austin even though where I live there are about 5 Chinese restaurants in delivery range, none of them even come close to Marco Polo. The crab rangoons are the best I've had in Austin so far, and the pan-fried dumplings are delicious. The entrees (I've have many) are consistently good, and never too greasy which is usually an issue for me. True, the food is not as authentic as I would like it to be, but it is definitely less Americanized than anywhere else I have tried. If you're sick of the tired greasy bland Chinese food that seems to be prevalent in Austin, try Marco Polo.

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11/27/2007 Posted by macscruff

As Austin lacks in great authentic Asian foods, this place isnt too bad. Fresh enough and not overly American-ized - but they like to make up their own hours; closing early and such. Civil employees but not too friendly.

Cons: make sure theyre open before you go

09/18/2007 Posted by girl4967

Really great food, that's all there is to it. Their Malaysian dishes are wonderful. The best Chinese Restaurant you'll find in south austin.

Pros: Finally, a good Chinese place in south austin!

Cons: kind of drab on the inside

07/21/2007 Posted by emerald_volcano

Okay, all of you Hong Kongers get your butts over to Marco Polo. You will not be disappointed in the dim sum. All you folks wanting a little cultural experience, get your butts on over to Marco Polo for the dim sum. It is worth the cost!!! I recommend the custard pastry and shrimp rolls. The chicken feet and 100 year old egg soup aren't too bad either! The staff is stellar. Dim sum is on the weekends and during the week they offer Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. Awesome selection especially if you once lived there and are missing the food. You can also practice your Cantonese w/ the staff!

Pros: Parking, Price, People, Selection, Authenticity

Cons: N/A

11/20/2006 Posted by pinoyvlf

I have been to Marco Polo several times for Dim Sum, and I thought it was worth the 30min wait that they have on Sat/Sun. The place is relatively small compared to Tien Hong, but it still serves a decent Dim Sum. As for the Chinese buffet that they have on for lunch, I have to say I was not very impressed. The quality was better than other Chinese buffets, but I expect more variety when I go to a buffet. So i recommend this place for Dim Sum, but not so much for a Chinese buffet.

Pros: Great for Dim Sum

Cons: Long line for Dim Sum. Not so great for Chinese Buffet.

11/17/2006 Posted by kpp58

Amazing! Try everything you want- my favorites are the bbq pork buns, the turnip cakes, and the chinese brocoli. Any given dumpling is fabulous! Do not come here if you are a vegetarian, but if you are considering vegetarianism come here before you commit. Also, try to get a high-traffic table so your food comes hot! Enjoy!

Pros: great food, great service, great for large parties

Cons: they raised their prices, sometimes the food is cold

05/24/2006 Posted by pegacorn

I personally think this is the best restaurant for dim sum in Austin. Love their char shiu pau (steamed buns with bbq pork), shu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), turnip cake and tau foo fah (desert:bean curd jelly). The rest of the items are pretty decent as well. As the other reviewer mentioned, the waiters would get the dish for you personally if it was already gone from the cart. This restaurant also serves Chinese and Malaysian cuisine. I haven't really tried their Chinese dishes before so I can't comment. As for their Malaysian dishes, it is alright. Some of the ingredients have been substituted since you can't get certain ingredients here, so it is not quite as authentic.

Pros: dim sum, service

Cons: wait on Sat/Sun