Soup dumplings are officially marching into Allen. Ugly Dumpling, the Shanghai-style soup-dumpling chain, is opening its first Dallas–Fort Worth restaurant at 213 N. Central Expressway in early fall, bringing hand-made xiao long bao and bubble teas to the busy McDermott Road corridor and adding a national name to North Texas’ growing Asian dining scene.
As reported by CultureMap Dallas, the Allen franchise will be run by Grace Zhao, a familiar name to many local diners from her previous spot, Zhao Star Chinese Bistro in Frisco. Zhao told the outlet the team is “hoping to open more than one location, but Allen comes first,” with the report also noting the Allen address and the early-fall target.
What to expect from the menu
Ugly Dumpling builds its lineup around hand-crafted xiao long bao, backed by Shanghai-influenced dim sum, wok dishes and bubble tea, according to Ugly Dumpling. The chain spotlights an on-site “bao lab” where staff prepare soup dumplings fresh each day, and the brand’s Ugly Dumpling locations list tags Allen as a “coming soon” market. Diners can expect sampler baskets, small plates and tea-based drinks geared to both dine-in and carryout.
Brand background and expansion
Ugly Dumpling launched in 2023 under Vertex Hospitality Group, which opened the concept’s first location in Edison, New Jersey and promoted a grand-opening celebration for that debut. Vertex’s marketing team pitched the brand as a modern spin on Shanghai street food built to travel well across suburban shopping centers and malls, according to a launch announcement from BusinessWire.
How this fits into North Texas dining
North Texas already has a lively dim-sum and soup-dumpling scene, so Ugly Dumpling is stepping into a competitive xiao long bao market, as ongoing coverage in the Dallas Observer makes clear. The chain’s Texas push also includes a near-term Arboretum location in Austin, reported earlier when the brand crashes Austin party at the Arboretum, so the Allen shop is one piece of a broader statewide expansion…