Shanghai Alley

3.9 ( 630 reviews )
Checking... 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM See Hours
$10–20
1148 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary, NC 27511, United States
+1 919-380-2900
Located in Cary, NC, Shanghai Alley offers a flavorful exploration of Chinese cuisine, drawing rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. This charming restaurant excels particularly in its dim sum offerings, with standout dishes like chili oil dumplings and soup dumplings that leave patrons craving more. Customer experiences convey a sense of authenticity, evident in the freshly prepared dim sum and home-style dishes. While some diners noted occasional service hiccups during busy weekends—especially during large celebrations—the overall sentiment leans towards delicious food and great value. Items like tea-smoked duck and crispy cucumber salad enhance the menu's appeal, balanced with generous portions at reasonable prices. Reviewers also highlighted dishes such as fried flat noodles and sweet and sour ribs, aligning with the flavors that make Chinese dining so comforting. The ambiance complements the dining experience, making it equally enjoyable for casual visits or special occasions. Despite brief service delays, the essence of Shanghai Alley lies in its capable kitchen and vibrant flavors, making it well worth a visit for both dim sum aficionados and those new to Chinese cuisine. If you seek authentic flavors paired with a homey atmosphere, Shanghai Alley should definitely be on your dining radar.

Amenities and More

  • Accessibility
    • Has wheelchair-accessible car park
    • Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
    • Has wheelchair-accessible seating
    • Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
  • Service options
    • Offers kerbside pickup
    • Has no-contact delivery
    • Offers delivery
    • Offers takeaway
    • Serves dine-in
  • Highlights
    • Has fast service
    • Has great tea selection
  • Popular for
    • Popular for lunch
    • Popular for dinner
    • Good for solo dining
  • Offerings
    • Serves alcohol
    • Serves beer
    • Serves cocktails
    • Serves comfort food
    • Serves small plates
    • Serves spirits
    • Serves vegetarian dishes
    • Serves wine
  • Dining options
    • Serves lunch
    • Serves dinner
    • Serves dessert
    • Has seating
  • Amenities
    • Has bar on site
    • Has toilet
    • Has Wi-Fi
    • Free Wi-Fi
  • Atmosphere
    • Casual
    • Cosy
    • Quiet
  • Crowd
    • Good for groups
  • Planning
    • Accepts reservations
  • Payments
    • Accepts credit cards
    • Accepts debit cards
    • Accepts NFC mobile payments
    • Credit cards
  • Children
    • Good for kids
    • High chairs available
  • Parking
    • Free of charge street parking
    • Free parking lot
    • Plenty of parking

Reviews For Shanghai Alley

Manisit Das
May 27,2025
We ordered delivery from this place in the past. The food is awesome— especially loved the chili oil dumplings and the tea smoked duck! It’s also a delight to eat in the restaurant. Great portions and selection of dim-sum and entrees. Also quite reasonable prices for this area!
Andrea Shirinzadeh
May 27,2025
Ignore the plates being half gone I forgot to grab photos we were extra excited to eat! We came for my birthday and they did disappoint! What didn’t we order. Definitely coming back. Soup dumplings, pork buns, & fried flat noodles w/meat of choice was by far our FAVORITE!
Yifan Li
May 22,2025
We came for their weekend cart dim sum and had a good meal although the service was definitely a bit iffy. The date we visited, the restaurant was hosting a huge birthday party and I think it really backed up the kitchen and affected the service. There weren't enough servers working to really keep up with all the tables and the large groups had a tendency to empty out the carts before they could make it to the smaller tables. We were also asked to not order some of the dim sum off the menu, and instead to wait for it to show up on the carts which weren't really coming very often. That being said, everything we had was delicious and I would visit again, but maybe just do a la carte dim sum on weekdays instead. They also did apologize for the slow service and let us know that they are almost never that busy so maybe others will have better luck on weekends than we did.
Christine Wei
Apr 28,2025
I came here for the first time yesterday and had such a great experience! Their dimsum is fairly authentic. I didn’t like my radish cakes as much as some others, but the stuffed eggplant and green pepper were so tasty! My boyfriend’s dad ordered sweet and sour ribs. Quite delicious!
Clark Neumany
Apr 12,2025
Good menu, a lot of options. Chinese-cantinise. Had the duck was very tender but the skin wasn't crispy. Pork spareribs were very good. Not over priced.
Sau Cheng
Mar 29,2025
Came on a Saturday morning and the place was pretty empty. No wait. Slight concern. This review is based on my personal background and experience. I was born in HK, lived in NYC and Southern California, I can say this place is pretty good. It’s definitely not as good as HK or NYC but way better than what you can find in LA/OC. Personally it’s a bit expensive for 5.95 per dim sum dish but the quality is there for the meat and the flavors. So worth it. One of the star of the show is their hot chili paste. Haha. It’s spicy and it tastes home-made. Means a lot when I like spice. I still give this place 5 stars for the fact it’s family owned and it’s in Cary. It’s nice that you can still find an authentic Chinese place to grab dim sum in the triangle area and not have to drive to Virginia or DC for it. Also, the carts is a nice touch for that authentic dim sum experience. That being said how quiet the place is for a Saturday early afternoon, I hope they stay busy and open because it would be tragic if they close. So if you are thinking about trying dim sum I would recommend to check them out. They also offer other Chinese dishes as well. We ordered tripe, chicken feet and pork ribs. Our personal favorites - but there are other options for not as authentic dishes.
Anna Kalika
Feb 16,2025
Beautiful authentic Chinese food with sushi. Chinese hot pot was absolutely delicious. String beans with perfect texture. Soup pork dim sum perfect. This was one of the best Chinese restaurants experience we have had in a long time since Szechuan Chinese closed down in Cary. Also don’t have pictures but the interior ambience was beautiful. I didn’t get the name of our waitress but she was so sweet and patient with us as we were not familiar with some of the dishes. She even stopped us from ordering too much. Thank you.
Jackie W
Feb 11,2025
Love this place. Dim sum during weekends and/or can order for dinner a la carte. Soup dumplings are cooked to order and arrive piping hot with plenty of juice. Dim sum: -Fresh shrimp dumplings have plump shrimp. -Bean curd rolls are juicy, tender and umami flavor. -Sticky rice is deeply flavorful and slightly smoky. -Radish cake: tender, with wonderful tiny bits of shrimp and Chinese sausage. -Shumai: slightly smoky and savory flavor -Pan-fried leek, shrimp and meat dumplings and herbaceous -BBQ pork buns: fluffy, tender bao dough with sweet char siu. Pan-fried pork dumplings are crisp and tender. You can come in for dinner or for weekend lunch dim sum service. Servers have been kind to me and I've enjoyed delivery as well. I will be returning here for my dim sum fix in the area, as well as work my way through the Cantonese menu, hand-made dumplings, and Chef's Specials.

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